Author's Notes: Sorry for not posting on Sunday like I usually do but I'm travelling and won't be able to this Sunday.

Also over 50 favorites and 70 follows. Thank you so much!


Laura woke up, slowly and grouchily.

Her entire body was in pain and she felt exhausted.

And different.

She was still bound by her restaurants and groaned.

Looking down, she was just in her t shirt and jeans.

IV tubes were still in her veins.

"Good. You survived the initial injections. Our… weaker test trials haven't." she heard Maya's voice and slowly opened her eyes.

She saw that she was still in the same basement and her working at her setup.

Facing away from her while sitting down.

"What… what did you do to me…?" she forced out.

"More like what we did for you. Your vitals are promising…" she said while looking down at her monitor.

"I swear I'm going to kill you…" Laura said but felt an intense heat inside her cheeks.

Maya looked up to see her caramel colored skin glowing orange from the veins outwards.

"You need to relax. You can't get too hot." she warned.

"Too hot? What do you mean?" she asked angrily.

Both cheeks glowing the same color along with her dark colored eyes.

"Those injections recoded your DNA. For you, specifically the codes regarding vertebrae growth." Maya explained, turning her monitor to face her.

That showed her file and DNA on it and she went wide eyed in horror.

"You injected me with Extremis!" she shrieked.

"I fixed you, with Extremis." Maya corrected smugly.

Laura began to hyperventilate while trying to free herself from her restraints.

Gripping the bars tightly.

"More specifically we targeted Extremis to replace your L5 Vertebrae." Maya clarified.

Laura stopped struggling for a moment to let her words sink in.

So she could walk again?

But she quickly shook he head no.

No.

"You operated on me and violated my body without consent! You kidnapped me!" she shouted.

Maya got up but the door on top of the stair case was opened.

Getting their attention.


Laura dropped her mouth to see Savin walking in.

Dragging an unconscious Tony by the collar behind him.

His limp feet hitting each step with a thumb behind him.

"Caught him sneaking in. Talking to The Mandarin. Where do you want him?" he asked Maya while chewing gum casually.

"Tie him up there. Killian will deal with him when he arrives." she asked.

Savin dropped him roughly onto the concrete floor and walked over to the corner of the room.

Grabbing a medal bedframe he lifted it up vertically.

Heading towards Maya's setup, he grabbed some rope on her desk, grabbed Tony, and hoisted his body to tie his hands to it.

Laura, meanwhile, felt the unbearable heat in her body getting worse.

Feeling it where her scar was and by her throat.

It was excruciating.

Savin walked up but Laura felt literal fire deep in her gut.

"Ah…" she winced.

Maya grabbed her laptop and walked over to her.

"See even in concentrated doses I'm still having this issue…" she began to type, looking down at her screen.

Laura thought of an idea and narrowed her eyes at her.

She opened her mouth to scream but a blast of fire came out.

That ignited Maya who screamed in pain and stumbled backwards.

Her laptop dropped to the ground while she was flinging her arms desperately.

The intense heat quickly consuming her.

She screamed loudly in agony while trying to make it up the stairs but it was too late.

Tony woke up to her screams and watched in horror as her body collapsed while the intense fire and heat charred it right in front of him.

He looked over to Laura who's face and arms were still glowing.

"Laura…" he gasped.

She turned to face him, the glowing and heat receding.

"Tony…" she pleaded.

"Did they…" he asked about Extremis and she nodded.

"I can't control it Tony… well kinda, but please help me…" she begged.

"Alright. Hang on. Uh… believe or not I've been making use of my time in the shop…" he said while looking out the window.

He looked down to see what was left of Maya's charred and smoking body and then back to Laura.

Laura seeing the shock on his face.

Stunned at the brutality.

"Laura…" he began but she interrupted him.

"She kidnapped, operated, and violated me. She deserved something worse than what I gave her!" she spat angrily.

Her eyes glowing dangerously.

"Okay… okay…" Tony put his hands up in the restraints in surrender.

Her eyes went back to their normal color while she blinked multiple times.

"Okay… the guards would've heard that so we just need to wait for…" he said but his watch began to beep an alarm.

Laura looked over to see it was a pink Dora the Explorer watch.

"What's with the watch?" she asked confused.

"Made a friend in Tennessee. It belongs to his sister… but now… this…" he gestured his palms outwards dramatically.

Laura frowned.

"This… what?" she asked, not following.

"Five, four, three… two…! C'mon on!" he shouted while still gesturing his hands.


A suit piece came flying through the window, shattering it before it attached to his hand.

"Told you." he told Laura smugly.

She rolled her eyes right as two guards ran in with guns.

He blasted them quickly, knocking the bed post over.

He used the suit hand to pry his other hand free.

A boot flew in and attached to himself.

Tony rushed over to Laura and undid her restraints.

She collapsed to her knees and used her hands to steady herself.

She ripped out the IV as Tony rushed to help her but she stopped him.

"No, no don't touch me. I'm too hot." she warned.

"How else are you gonna get out of here?" he asked, nodding down at her legs.

She used all of her strength to push herself up.

Her legs moving on their own while trembling as she clenched her fists.

Tony dropped his mouth, dumfounded while she shakily but surely got onto her two feet.

Tilting her chin up at him.

"Uh…." was all he could say.

More guards ran through the doors though but they swung into action.

She ran to grab an AP pistol from one of the down guards and Tony used the boot to hover above her.

She fired at two of them, striking them in the chests efficiently before they collapsed.

Tony blasted the three behind him, knocking them down.

He lost his balance while hovering above her and began to spin around.

Shooting recklessly at the walls above her head.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

One guard came in from a side door and fired at her.

He missed but Tony blasted him away.

"Your welcome." he quipped.

She rolled her eyes but two guards came in from the floor above.

She fired at them and their bodies collapsed down the stairs and landed right in front of them.

"Try to keep up." she said with a tilt of her head sideways.

The two took out guard, after guard, after guard like clockwork, leaving just one who had a pony tail by the exit.

She aimed her gun at him and Tony his suit hand, arming it.

"Honestly, I hate working here. They are so weird." he said before dropping his gun and running out.

They ran out and down the tunnel but Tony's helmet and upper back piece attached to him.

They ran outside as each piece flew to him and lastly his face guard.

He caught it with his hand before placing it on himself.

Laura saw the palm trees, blue sky and felt the humidity.

"Where are we?" she asked Tony confused.

"Miami." he answered.

"Not what I was expecting…" she muttered.

"Phew! It's good to be back. Hello, by the way." he greeted JARVIS as his HUD came on.

"Oh, hello sir." he replied.

"All personnel, Stark and Watson are loose and somewhere in the compound. Repeat, Stark and Watson are loose and somewhere in the compound." they heard over the P.A.

Laura felt the intense heat flare up her throat and cheeks again.

"Ah…" she winced, collapsing down to one knee.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked with worry.

"My body feels like its on fire." she groaned.

She forced herself upwards, on her own and much to her own shock still.

However, a helicopter took off above them followed by Rhodey's Iron Patriot suit.

"Tony…" Laura gasped in horror.

The two stumbled down the stairs outside but Tony received a phone call.

"Tony…" he heard Rhodey's voice.

"Rhodey, tell me that was you in the suit." he begged.

"No. You got yours'?" Rhodey asked back.

"Uh... Mm. Kind of. Main house, as fast as you can. Watson is here with me. There's somebody I'd like you to meet." he asked.

"Laura is here?"


They met up outside the mansion and Rhodey watched Laura, running alongside Tony, dumfounded.

He hugged Laura but she stopped him. Explaining what happened to her with Extremis.

They quickly made a plan to break into the main mansion.

Tony busted through the main doors.

Blasting a guy away while Laura and Rhodey shot through one of the windows before diving sideways through it.

Landing on their sides on the floor, she took out the last guard with her gun while Rhodey aimed his at The Mandarin.

Who was sitting on a chair, holding a can of beer who was just startled up.

"What have you come as?" The Mandarin asked, startled.

Laura frowned but rushed up to grab his throat.

"Make a move and I burn your face…" she warned, feeling her palm and grip heating up.

The Mandarin wincing in her grip while Rhodey gave Tony a concerned look.

"I never thought people had been hurt. They lied to me." The Mandarin begged her.

"This is The Mandarin?" she asked while looking back at Tony.

Very disappointed.

"Yeah, I know, it's embarrassing." he sighed.

"Hi, Trevor. Trevor Slattery. I know I'm shorter in person. A bit smaller. Everyone says that. But, um, hey, if you're here to arrest me, there's some people I'd like to roll on…" The Mandarin rambled but Laura began to choke him.

"This is how its going to work. You're going to tell us what Killian's plans are or else…" she warned.

Tightening her grip while burning his neck.

Trevor coughing and gasping for breath while Tony and Rhodey watched on with concern.

Her eyes began to glow but she let him go.

"Okay, okay I do know about a plan!" he shouted.

"Spill." Tony ordered.

"Do you know what they did to my suit?" Rhodey demanded.

"What? No. But I do know it's happening off the coast. Something to do with a big boat. I can take you there." Trevor offered but he suddenly cheered.

Laura jumped but turned back to the TV to see a soccer match on.

Trevor cheering loudly.

"Tony, I swear to God…" Laura warned, losing her patience.

"Oh, and this next bit may include the vice president as well. Is that... Is that important?" Trevor added.

"Yeah, a little bit" Rhodey said dryly.

The three stepped back to begin to plan.

"What are we gonna do? I mean, we don't have any transport." Rhodey stated.

"And then there's the whole I'm a ticking time bomb thing…" Laura said nervously, failing to maintain control.

The two frowned down at her but then over to Trevor who was opening a can of beer.

"Hey, Ringo. Didn't you say something about a "lovely speedboat"?


The three stole the speedboat docked on the canals' edge and sailed it out to the bay.

The skyline of Miami being behind them.

"So how do we figure out this Vice President thing?" Laura asked the two.

"Right. I wonder who I'm calling right now. Oh! That's the vice president." Tony joked while pulling out his cell phone.

"Don't make me angry Tony…"

At the V.P.'s house a secret service agent gave him his ringing phone at a Christmas party.

"Hello?" he greeted.

"Sir, this is Tony Stark."

"Welcome back to the land of the living." The V.P. whispered.

"We believe you're about to be drawn into the Mandarin campaign. We gotta get you somewhere safe as soon as possible." Tony warned.

"Mr. Stark, I'm about to eat honey-roast ham, surrounded by the Agency's finest. The president's safe on Air Force One with Colonel Rhodes. I think we're good, here." he dismissed.

"Sir, this is Colonel Rhodes. They're using the Iron Patriot as a Trojan horse. They're gonna take out the president somehow. We have to immediately alert that plane." Rhodey spoke up.

"Okay, I'm on it. I'll have security lock it down. If need be, they can have F-22s in the air in 30 seconds. Thank you, Colonel." the V.P. nodded.

"Rhodes and Stark out." the V.P. hanged up and gave his phone back to an agent.

"Everything okay, sir?" he asked.

"Never better." he walked over to a young girl opening up her Christmas presents in a wheelchair, who happened to be an amputee.


Before the stairs of Air Force One.

Ellis was walking between saluting Air Force members but Savin, who was piloting the Iron Patriot suit, landed behind him, between him and the convoy.

He walked up to him and Ellis saluted.

"Glad to see you can make it, son. I feel safer already."

Back on the boat, the three were heading farther out into the water while trying to come up with a plan.

"So, how are we gonna save the President? They have my suit and its en route to Air Force One." Rhodey warned.

"Sir, I have an update from Malibu. The cranes have finally arrived, and the cellar doors are being cleared as we speak." JARVIS announced.

"And what about the suit I'm wearing?" Tony asked while it was charging from a car battery.

"The armor is now at 92%." JARVIS replied.

"That's going to have to do."


On Air Force One, it was in mid flight while Ellis worked at the table with other military officials.

Savin was still disguised under the helmet.

He was approaching two agents as one pulled out his phone for a picture.

He shoved them aside and retracted the suit arm.

Using Extremis to weld the door handle shut.

He marched over to the President's conference room, getting everyone's attention.

"Everything all right, Colonel?" Ellis asked.

In an instant, Savin grabbed a nearby trophy on a table and it impaled into an agent's chest.

Other agents drew out their guns to fire at him but the bullets bounced off the suit.

Savin grabbed one agent and tossed him, hard, into another.

One bullet bounced off the suit and into one of the window, shattering it.

He took out two more and shot another two running to defend Ellis.

He was hiding behind his desk but Savin pulled it apart.

He spotted a gun on the floor and crawled to it desperately.

Savin grabbed his wrist, knocking the gun out and pinned him against the wall.

Grabbing his throat while he removed his faceguard.

"If you're gonna do it, do it!" he exclaimed.

"Whoa! Cool your boots, sir. That's not how the Mandarin works."


Savin strapped on a parachute, ignoring the knocks and shouts from the officials he trapped earlier.

He peaked through one of the windows but was blasted away by the Mark XLVl.

Tony leapt from behind, flying him into the wall with his thruster aimed at him.

"The President. Now." he threatened.

"He's not here." Savin heated up the wrist which began to malfunction his suit.

"Try the jet stream? Speaking of which, go fish." he held up a detonator and pressed it.

That blasted a hole in the rear side of the plane, sucking out the trapped officials who began to free fall.

Savin began to successfully force Tony down but he sent a powerful blast from his chest piece.

Making a large hole in his chest as he collapsed.

"Walk away from that, you son of a bitch." he said but flew out quickly after the falling people.

"How many in the air?" he asked while his HUD highlighted them.

"Thirteen, sir." JARVIS answered.

"How many can I carry?" he asked with worry.

"Four, sir." Tony flew down and caught onto a screaming woman.

"Slow down. Slow down, relax. What's your name? Heather?" he asked, reading her name tag.

He looked back up to see Air Force One blowing up high above them.

"Oh, God! No! No!" Heather screamed.

"Listen to me. See that guy? I'm gonna swing by, you're just gonna grab him. You got it? I'll electrify your arm, you won't be able to open your hand. We can do this, Heather." Tony said while flying down to a guy free falling.

Heather grabbed him, creating a link with their arms.

"Easy, see? Eleven more to go. Remember that game called Barrel of Monkeys? That's what we're going to do." they were free falling fast down towards Miami beach while they grabbed onto another person.

"8,000 feet." JARVIS warned.

"Come on, people. Everybody, grab your monkey. Nice." Tony said as they grabbed another, then another.

One falling and grabbing his shoulders.

"10,000 feet. 6,000 feet." JARVIS was heard.

The bay quickly approaching them.

"Come on, people. Come on, come on, come on! Yeah!" Tony said while they grabbed everyone except for one.

Creating a link with him in the middle.

"1,000 feet. 400 feet. 200 feet, sir." JARVIS warned as the water got closer and closer.

"He's a chunky monkey, let's get him. Hello." the person at the end of the chain grabbed his hand right before they splashed into the bay.

Tony lifted them up before slowing down so he could drop them safely into the water.

All of the cheering him on.

"Nice work, guys! Excellent. Good team effort all around. Go us. All right, Jarvis. But it's only half-done. We've still got to get the…" he said as the suit flew over a bridge right before a truck smashed into it.

The suit pieces scattering over the pavement.


Back in the cabin of the boat, Tony was wincing while the holograhics were giving a POV of the suit around his face.

Laura opened the door with Rhodey next to her.

"Tony, Tony, did they all survive?" she asked nervously.

"I think they all made it." he sighed with relief, closing the graphics into his smart band.

"Oh, thank God." Rhodey sighed.

"Yeah, but I missed the president." Tony said gravely.

"So, how are we gonna save…" Laura said but felt the heat surge in her again.

"Ah…" she groaned while stumbling backwards.

"Laura, Laura…" Rhodey said while rushing to her.

She leaned on the railing of the baot but her hand was glowing orange.

Feeling the heat in it, she let it go to see she crushed the metal railing.

Rhodey went wide eyed.

"We should uh… also hurry." he stated the obvious.

"Guys, I do not feel so good." Laura said while falling back onto the bench.

Closing her glowing eyes and grabbing her head which was pounding while Tony walked out on deck.

He and Rhodey sharing a concerned look.

"Uh... Say, JARVIS, is it that time?" Tony asked.

"The House Party Protocol, sir?" he asked back.

"Correct."