Firework

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Tony, from the beginning, I am the Mandarin!" Killian declared loudly, staring at Tony, who stood unarmed before him.

Before Killian could say more, a steel pipe swung through the air and struck him squarely on the head. Tony turned, eyes widening in surprise—Pepper stood there, gripping the steel pipe, her body glowing with red light from the Extremis virus.

Tony blinked at the unexpected display of strength. "Uh... that wasn't me."

As he spoke, one of his suits flew in from the distance, controlled by Jarvis, its sensors locking onto the Extremis heat signatures. Both Killian and Pepper became immediate targets.

Realizing the danger, Tony quickly shouted, "Jarvis, hold fire! The one in front of me is not an enemy!"

But as he reached up, he found his earpiece had fallen out—he had no way to communicate with Jarvis. Before he could act, Pepper launched forward, dodging Tony and using his knee as a springboard to leap into the air. With a single, devastating punch, she smashed through the flying suit and landed gracefully. Without hesitation, she yanked off one of the suit's arms, slipped it onto her own, and turned just in time to blast Killian in the face, sending him sprawling across the ground.

Tony could only watch in stunned amazement. "Oh."

Pepper then spotted a fallen missile nearby. With a precise kick, she sent it skidding toward Killian before using the suit's palm repulsor to detonate it. The explosion engulfed Killian.

Only then did Pepper seem to realize what she had done. She froze in place, staring at her hands. Tony cautiously approached, calling out, "Honey?"

Pepper turned to him, still dazed. "Oh my god... that was intense."

Tony exhaled in relief. "I thought you—"

"What? Are you afraid of me now?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Tony hesitated before deflecting, "Why don't you ever dress like this at home? Sports bra, tank top—very intimidating."

Ignoring him, Pepper examined the battle suit's arm still attached to her. "I finally understand why you won't give up the suits."

Tony stepped forward, reaching for her. "Come here."

Pepper instinctively pulled back. "No, no, no! I might burn you."

"No, you won't." Tony gently touched her arm. Nothing happened. "See? Not hot at all."

Relieved, Pepper looked at him. "I'm going to be okay?"

Tony gave her a small smile. "No, you'll always have problems as long as you're with me. But I think I can handle it. And I think I can fix this."

While Tony focused on Pepper, Kai watched Killian closely. The man was still alive. Without hesitation, Kai struck him twice more, ensuring he wouldn't get up again.

With the danger over, the group gathered together. Once everyone was accounted for, Tony called Jarvis. "Status?"

"Sir, all remaining hostiles have been neutralized."

"Alright, let's wrap this up." Tony paused. "Wait—it's Christmas."

After a brief moment, he exhaled. "Yeah, initiate the cleanup protocol."

Pepper let out a surprised laugh as Tony pulled her close. High above them, Iron Man suits soared into the night sky, one by one self-destructing in midair. The explosions created a dazzling fireworks display of burning metal and sparks.

Watching the spectacle, Kai smirked. Typical Tony—who else would celebrate by blowing up millions of dollars' worth of technology? Then again, seeing Pepper's delighted expression, Kai understood. This was for her.

Later, back at the manor, everyone settled in for some well-earned rest. The next morning, under Kai's persuasion, Maya decided to stay and continue her research. Meanwhile, Rhodes returned to report to his superiors and led a team to arrest the vice president.

Tony and Banner spent time stabilizing the Extremis virus inside Pepper's body, planning to refine it further once Kai's serum was ready.

Standing beside Tony, Kai finally asked, "Now that everything's settled and Pepper's okay, don't you think it's time to take the next step?"

Tony frowned. "What do you mean?"

Kai gestured to Tony's chest. "If you're ready, I can help you."

Tony considered this, then nodded. Later that day, he approached Pepper. "I've been thinking... why should I keep living like this? Why not take the next step? So, I've decided—I'm getting surgery to remove the shrapnel."

Pepper's eyes widened. "Tony, really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Kai can help me."

Pepper turned to Kai. "Is that true? You can do this?"

Kai nodded. "Of course. I suggested it, didn't I? And honestly, Tony doesn't even need to go to a hospital. I can do it right now, safely and quickly."

Tony glanced at Pepper, then lay down next to her. "Alright, let's do it. Let's see what you've got."

Kai smirked and got to work, casting a spell that put Tony into a deep sleep.

Pepper blinked in confusion. "Wait—what are you doing?"

"Relax," Kai reassured her. "I just put him to sleep. When he wakes up, the shrapnel will be gone. This way, he won't feel any discomfort."

Pepper exhaled, her tension easing. "Alright… I trust you."

With that, Kai began the procedure, ready to finally free Tony Stark from the arc reactor that had defined him for so long.

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