Killian's Visit

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*Stark Industries*

Pepper Potts, now the acting CEO of Stark Industries, was discussing company security and personnel management with Happy Hogan, the head of security.

"Happy," Pepper said carefully, "you've done well in this role. It really suits you."

"Thank you," Happy said with a proud nod.

Pepper hesitated before adding, "But… employee complaints have tripled since you took over."

Happy, completely unfazed, responded with the same level of seriousness: "Thank you."

Pepper opened her mouth to continue, but his response threw her off. "That wasn't a compliment."

"No, no, no, it *was* a compliment!" Happy insisted. "Clearly, someone is hiding something!"

Before Pepper could argue, a voice interrupted them.

"Excuse me, Miss Potts, your four o'clock appointment has arrived," her assistant announced.

Pepper sighed and glanced at Happy. "We'll talk about this later. Right now, I have something else to deal with."

Happy frowned. "What is it?" His instincts as head of security kicked in immediately.

"It's… complicated," Pepper admitted. "I used to work with him, and he kept trying to ask me out. It's awkward, and I'd rather avoid that."

Hearing this, Happy pushed the door open and stepped inside the meeting room first.

Standing there, dressed sharply in a tailored suit, was a man smiling warmly at them.

"Pepper!"

Pepper blinked in disbelief. "Killian?"

Aldrich Killian grinned. "You're looking well."

"Oh my god!" Pepper took a step forward, surprised at his polished appearance. "I—I… What have you been up to?"

Killian gave a casual shrug. "Nothing much. Spent a few years in physical therapy."

Happy narrowed his eyes at him, sensing something was off, but before he could say anything, Pepper gestured for him to leave.

"Happy, it's fine. We're old friends."

Unhappy about it but respecting her decision, Happy left the room, though he lingered outside.

Inside, Pepper gestured for Killian to sit.

Killian wasted no time. "For years, my think tank has been working on something cutting-edge—pushing past the restrictions imposed by the government's ethical limitations."

He placed a sleek-looking device on the table. "We call it the Extremis Virus."

Placing a small implant behind his ear, he continued, "Let me demonstrate."

He dimmed the lights and tossed three small beads onto the table. The moment they landed, they projected a vivid, holographic image of a human brain, glowing in the darkness.

Pepper watched in amazement. The projection looked startlingly real.

Killian exhaled in satisfaction. "That, right there, is a live feed of my brain."

Pepper's eyes widened. "Wait… what?"

Killian pointed to the implant behind his ear. "This is broadcasting the inside of my brain in real-time."

To demonstrate further, he pulled Pepper up onto the table. "Go ahead—pinch my arm."

She hesitated, then did as he said.

The holographic brain flickered, and a specific area lit up.

"What is that?" she asked.

"The primary somatosensory cortex," Killian explained. "It's the part of the brain that processes pain."

He then dove into the theoretical applications of the Extremis Virus, explaining its potential to rewrite human biology.

Outside the office, Happy, who had been watching through the glass, grew increasingly irritated. Seeing Pepper and Killian standing close together, he nearly stormed in to break it up.

But just then, his phone rang.

"Tony?"

On the screen, Tony Stark smirked at him. "Hey, is this the Big Forehead Security Department?"

Happy rolled his eyes. "What? Look, I'm busy."

"What are you up to? Harassing interns?" Tony teased.

"You know, back when I was *your* bodyguard, people used to laugh at me," Happy grumbled. "Now I have a real job—taking care of Pepper."

Tony leaned forward. "What's going on? Spill."

Happy hesitated. "You really wanna hear this?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. She's meeting with some scientist. Rich, handsome. I didn't recognize him at first, but then I looked him up—Aldrich Killian."

Tony's reaction was underwhelming.

Happy sighed. "We met him before, Tony. Switzerland, 1999."

Tony poured himself a drink. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"Of course not. He wasn't a blonde woman," Happy shot back. "At first, they were just talking business. But now? He's showing her a 3D model of his brain, and she's *enjoying* it."

Tony sat up. "Wait, what?"

"It's real. You wanna see?" Happy flipped his tablet camera around to show Tony the office scene.

Tony, however, didn't seem overly concerned. "Relax, Happy."

But Happy wasn't convinced. "I'm telling you, he's up to something."

Before Happy could argue further, Tony ended the call.

Meanwhile, inside the office, Killian was still explaining the potential applications of Extremis.

Pepper, however, frowned. "What you're describing… this could be weaponized. Tony—"

Before she could finish, Killian cut in.

"Tony? You know, I once invited him to join AIM over a decade ago. He blew me off." Killian smiled. "But now? *You're* in charge." He pointed at Pepper. "And unlike Tony, you're not as… self-absorbed."

Pepper remained firm. "My answer is still no, Aldrich. I appreciate the demonstration, but I can't approve this."

Killian remained unfazed, giving her an easy smile as he stood up. "Well, that's disappointing." He stepped toward the door but paused. "But as my father used to say—through the fog of failure, you can always glimpse the glory of victory."

With that, he left.

Pepper exhaled, her instincts telling her that despite his polite demeanor, Killian wasn't going to give up so easily.

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