Later that night under the cover of darkness, the three sailed to the PortMiami.

Pulling up to a dock that was crowded with Extremis guards and workers.

Cowering away from the rotating spotlight, Laura pulled out her automatic pistol.

She winced while they climbed the ladder but her hand grew hot.

Rhodey led the way but stopped, seeing a guy driving a forklift buy.

She melted the metal bar but Tony was right under her.

He was about to grab onto the scalding metal but noticed it just in time.

"Geez, Watson…" he got her attention.

She looked back down, mid climb to see the bar melting away.

Rhodey looking too above her.

"Again, I'm a ticking time bomb here." she rolled her eyes nonchalantly.

Rhodey and Tony shared a grave look.

The sped walked to the ledge where pallets of oil drums were neatly aligned underneath one of the giant offloading cranes used to remove shipping containers from cargo ships.

They leapt up it and ran between them with Extremis workers were setting up.

Laura looked up and gasped, seeing Ellis strung high, arms and legs spread apart above a Christmas tree in Rhodey's Iron Patriot suit above the oil drums.

The three hiding behind a wall.

"Oh my God." she gasped.

Getting the two's attention who followed her line of sight.

"He's strung up over the oil tanker. They're gonna light him up!" Rhodey said with worry.

"Viking funeral." Tony muttered.

"Public execution." Laura said, nodding to the several cameramen around the dock.

"Yeah, death by oil." Rhodey nodded at her.

They ran out behind the workers who didn't see them quickly to the steps of the crane and began climbing the steps to hundreds of feet above the port.

The trio having their guns drawn and loaded.

"ls your gun up?" Rhodey asked them.

"Obviously…" Laura said sarcastically.

"Yep. What do I do." Tony asked.

"Stay on my six, Laura, you cover high and don't shoot me in the back." he said dryly.

"You do know who I was trained by, right?" she rolled her eyes again at the colonel.

They crept along the gangplank but the spotlight was shined on them.

Laura shot them back and instantly took out the light with ease.

She turned around to see the two surprised at her skills.

"I could have easily been a spy in a different life." she scoffed.

"See, Rhodey this is what I've been dealing… Tony groaned but began to return fire at two incoming workers but only heard a click.

"I'm out…" he said while unloading the clip.

"You got extra magazines?" he asked them.

"Only the one. Not my gun." Laura replied.

"I know what I'm doing, I make this stuff. Give me another one." he asked Rhodey.

"Okay…" he sighed but gave him one of his extra Glock clips.

"Here's what I'm going to do. Save my spot, ready?" Laura asked them.

They both nodded at her and she slowly peaked her head around the railing.

She looked up to see several armed Extremis agents hopping down from top of the crane towards them.

Glowing with Extremis.

She felt her cheeks and eyes glow and warm uncomfortable before she regained control and knelt back down.

"Three guys, one girl, all armed." she warned them.

They peaked their heads around, everyone getting into an armed standoff.

Laura noticing them glowing dangerously.

Trying to decide her first target.

"God, I would kill for some armor right now." Rhodey stated.

"You're right. We need backup." Tony hinted.

"Tony, what have you been working on…?" Laura asked with a sideways gaze with her eyes.

They heard thrusters far off in the distance and she smiled. He smiled back and nodded at it.

They all looked at the darkened horizon to see a flash of light split into two.

"Is that…?" she asked while smiling.

"Yep." he smiled back.

"Are those…?"


Suddenly, dozens of Tony's old suits flew in, stopping above them to form a circle.

Hovering in place high above.

Laura watching on in awe.

"Merry Christmas guys." Tony said smugly.

"JARVIS, you already have Watson's heat signature on standby, target all other Extremis heat signatures. Disable with extreme prejudice." he asked.

"Yes, sir." was heard in all the helmets.

"Way to think ahead." she mumbled.

All of the HUD's inside each helmet zoomed in and locked onto a target.

Laura seeing the POV from the HUD in her glasses.

"What are you waiting for? It's Christmas. Take them to church." Tony said with a dramatic sign of the cross.

"Gentlemen." JARVIS said while the dozens of suit simultaneously began flying into, blasting, and taking out the agents.

Flinging them off the crane but one was overpowered by three agents and the head was ripped off.

It began spiraling towards them and Laura went wide eyed.

"Look out!" she ducked the other's two heads just in time before it crashed into the support beam of the crane.

The support beam back and forth unsteadily while they held on.

"Jarvis, get Igor to steady this thing. " Tony asked.

A larger bunker buster suit came charging in just in time right before the crane began to collapsing Prying itself between the dock and it.

Clamping itself firmly on the ground.

"This is how you've been managing your down time, huh?" Rhodey joked to Tony.

"Everybody needs a hobby. " he shrugged his shoulders.

"My job is my hobby." Laura just shook her head.

The suits were still taking out all the agents.

Some clinging onto them while they flew around them.

Amongst the chaos, two agents pried the head of one, causing it, and them to crash into the control room of the crane on top.

Causing a large, fiery explosion.

The Mark XLVI flew in just in time, opening up for Tony to hop in.

"Oh, yeah. That's awesome. Give me a suit, okay?" Rhodey asked, opening his arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry, they're only coded to me." Tony denied.

"And I've got this thing inside me so…" Laura hopped onto the railing, gave them a mock salute before leaping off it.

She fell a hundred feet onto a suspended container, it breaking her fall.

Extremis glowing in her ankles.

"At least that worked." she sighed with relief.

She leapt down to a gangplank, making her way to the president.

Two agents were charging for and she ran towards them.

Tossing her gun, her fists glowed while she dodged her head away from the punches.

The woman reached for her but she grabbed her throat.

Burning it within her hot grip, she swept her legs, grabbing them before tossing her head over heals over the railing.

Her body falling far below.

She grabbed the guy's neck, reaching for the machete strapped to his waist and slit his throat.

His neck glowed but she tossed him over as well.

"I'd kill for my spear right now." she groaned.

She began running for the President.

Dodging incoming suits, blast fire, gunfire while running down the gangplank.

"Oh, how I missed this. " she said while running.

Without her prosthetics.

Feeling the adrenaline pump in her veins.

The endorphins inside her.

She eventually made her way above the president who was still tied up.

"Mr. President!" she shouted.

He arched his head up to her.

"Hang on!" she screamed.

She leapt off the gangplank to another container that was being held by the crane high in the air.

But two agents leapt down after her.

She brought out her fists and got in a stance but her heal brushed the hook that one of the cables was attached to.

Looking back to see her sneaker stepping on it she thought of an idea.

"Hate to leave you hanging but…" she heated up the Extremis in her ankle and swiped it through the cable.

Snapping it clean off, she backflipped it to grab onto it while the other two agents fell.

The container swung freely towards Ellis.

She grabbed onto the suit arms and he looked at her in shock.

The container crashed onto the oil drums below, igniting the Christmas Tree on fire.

The fiery inferno rising fast up to them.

"Hang on, sir!" she sliced the main cable with her glowing hand, snapping it away.

She held onto him while they were flung up and over, landing hard on the ground below.

She winced, rolling off the suit and onto her back.

Panting, trying to catch her breath on the cement floor.

"Ms. Watson…" Ellis began.

She arched her head to see her looking at her dumfounded.

She groaned, forcing herself up.

She grabbed his hand to hoist the suit up.

"I apologize, sir." she cringed awkwardly.

"That isn't necessary. That was incredible." he complimented and she smiled.

"I learned from the best. Uh here…" she began helping him out of the suit.

He staggered out as the suit opened, nearly losing his balance but she caught him.

"Rhodey, I've got the President." she spoke into her earpiece.

He hopped down just in time.

"Nice job, Laura." he complimented. Ellis steadied himself out of her careful grip.

"I needed this, honestly." she grinned.

Rhodey shook his head.

"Remind me to ask you what you've been doing in your down time." he joked.

"That's classified." she joked back.

Rhodey stepped into his suit and it closed.

Ellis turned to face her.

"If there is anything I can do for you Ms. Watson. Name it." he offered and she raised an eyebrow.

"How about a ride back to Brooklyn?" she asked back.

He inclined his head to her.

"How does Air Force Two sound?" he offered with a handshake.

"Thank you, sir." she shook it.

"Ready, sir?" Rhodey asked.

"What do you mean…?" he asked but Rhodey grabbed onto him and flew high into the sky.

Far away from the battlefield.


"Tony…" Laura began speaking into her comms.

"Tony, the President is secure. Did you find Killian?" she asked.

"Working on it!" he said but she felt footsteps walking towards her.

She turned around to see a glowing Killian.

His polo glowing orange.

"You've been… a problem for me…" he seethed.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"So what was all this, uh? Getting back at me because Tony offered me everything he didn't offer you?" she insulted.

The two stepped right up to each other. Laura glaring up angrily at the taller man.

"Well, originally it was Pepper We have a history. If I caught her I could make Stark desperate. But I couldn't find her after we blew up his house." he replied.

"Your welcome." Laura said smugly, crossing her arms.

Thanking herself for wiping her name off the books for her house.

"So I hade to come up with a plan B and your injury was convenient for me." he answered.

"To inject me with your ticking time bomb!" she shouted.

"Well… yes. Tony would lose one of the things he cares most about. An Avenger's life is tragically taken. And the war on terror benefits in my favor like it has been." Killian revealed.

"And look what happened. Your plans, quite literally, blew up in your face." she said while gesturing around the fiery chaos.

Extremis burned dangerously in her and Killian.

"I still plan on taking something from Tony. And that thing is you!" the two charged for each other with glowing fists.

They ignited while they collided, sending the backwards with force.

Laura landed hard on her back while she slid against the ground.

Killian landed gracefully on his feet.

While she staggered upwards he grabbed her throat, burning it while hoisting her upwards with ease.

Suspending her feet, she grabbed onto his wrist, trying to pry herself free while she choked and gasped for air.

"So much potential… All wasted…" Laura tried swinging her legs to him but they were too weak.

She began seeing spots at the edge of her vision, trying to free herself frantically as her oxygen supply was cut off.

She saw a faint figure and coughed but Tony came flying in the Mark XLVl.

Knocking them down and her far out of his grasp.

She inhaled a deep breath, coughing for air. Killian stumbled downwards but the thrusters in the XLVl sputtered, casuing him to crash down. He landed, ahrd next to them, casuing all the suit pieces to scatter.

"Whatever..." he sighed, wincing while getting up.

"It seems I'm late for the party." he quipped.

"Well, here we are. Thirteen years later." Killian said dryly.

Tony was about to respond while Laura got up.

Killian being between them. Her facing his back.

She looked at him and gave her a nod with his eyes.

They heard thrusters flying towards them and she nodded back.

They all looked up to see the XLVll flying towards them.

"I'll be damned. The prodigal son returns." Tony said but it crashed on the ground right before.

The suit pieces scattering around them once again.

"C'mon on... he sighed.

"And now I finish this…" Kiliian said, slowly approaching Tony.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, can you just wait one minute!" he asked with a finger raised.

Killian stopped in place.

Laura crouched down behind her to put on a suit hand of the XLVl.

It assembling around hers and armed the thruster.

She nodded at Tony who nodded back.

Killian spun around to her right before she blasted him in the face.

Tony pointed at him, causing all the suit pieces to attach to him while they flew him up high into the air.

Attaching themselves to him.

"No!" he screamed while his face charred away.

"JARVIS, do me a favor and blow up the mark XLVll." he asked.

"No!" Laura heard Killian scream before the suit exploded.

She pried the suit hand off of her while he approached her slowly.

"You okay?" he asked with worry.

Taking off the hand and tossing it aside.

"Never better." she said sarcastically.

He smiled.

"You know I take it back." he began.

"Take what back…" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Romanoff didn't make you paranoid. She made you terrifying." he complimented and she smiled proudly.

"Unlike you. I don't need a suit." she said smugly.

"Speaking of which. JARVIS?" he asked.

"All wrapped up here, sir. Will there be anything else?" the A.I. asked.

"You know what to do." he hinted.

"The Clean Slate Protocol, sir?" Laura heard in her earpiece.

"Screw it, it's Christmas. Yes, yes." the suit that flew right above them suddenly exploded.

Looking like a firework. Laura tilted her head up, seeing the dozen remaining suits explode, looking like fireworks in the night sky.

Tony slowly approached her to hug her but she stepped back instantly.

"No, no, no I'm too hot don't…" she began to warn but he grabbed her wrists.

"No, see your fine. Look." he reassured her.

She looked down to see her skin its normal color.

"We can get this shit out of me, right?" she asked hopefully.

He nodded.

"We should. We can employ Banner and get to work tomorrow." he promised.

She breathed a sigh of relief but she looked down at her legs.

"I want Extremis out of me but is there a way I can keep my new found ability to walk?" she asked hopefully.

"I nearly had this figured out thirteen years ago when I was drunk on New Years. With our brain power combined, I'm sure we can figure something out. But, in return, you gotta tell me where you got that spear of yours?" he asked with an amused smile.

She smirked back.

The two hugged and embraced each other tightly.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…"