Chapter Nine
The following day, Aubrey was escorted by some of Aldrich Killian's men to his jet. She didn't have much to bring; only a bag with some clothes the military had provided, water, and the helmet of the suit she had helped Tony build. It had been retrieved from the Humvee and given back to her; she had a feeling that if the military knew exactly what they were giving her, they wouldn't be so quick to do so. They figured it was meant to be some sort of bulletproof helmet that aided in her escape. They had no idea what it really was.
Aubrey felt a sickening sense of deja vu as she hobbled towards the jet, wondering briefly if she was repeating history by agreeing to follow Killian. Was he any better than Obadiah? There had been those rumours of experimentation... But then, she looked back at the camp and wondered the same thing about the men there. With Tony's heavy influence on the military, she wouldn't doubt he could have her killed if he wanted to. There was no easy answer; she just had to accept her decision and move on.
Apparently, not everyone agreed with her.
As Aubrey approached the jet, she heard someone calling from behing her. At first, she didn't bother to look. She was too focused on using her crutches to think about the gruff voice behind her. It wasn't until she heard him call out, "Hey, girl!" that she turned around, eyes narrowed.
"I told you not to call me that," she hissed to Miller.
Miller shouldered past Killian's men to stand in front of Aubrey. "And I told you not to go with the freak, but look where you're headed," he shot back. At his words, one of Killian's men shifted, revealing the gun in his holster. He looked young and unsure, but he tried to wear a face of confidence. Miller snorted, shaking his head slightly. "You're really going to trust these guys? This one looks like he wouldn't know the barrel from the trigger."
Aubrey eyed Miller curiously. He acted as if he had something to lose by her leaving. "I can't trust you either."
She stated it as a fact rather than an opinion.
At that, Miller's face fell ever so slightly. Aubrey had come to like the hardened man; she'd come to appreciate his bluntness after having her life torn apart by men with silver tongues. But, at the end of the day, he was just a person. And she had learned time and time again that she couldn't rely on any one person to survive. She had to save herself. Even if that meant following Killian into the unknown.
"Listen kid, all I've wanted since finding you was to bring you home. Don't you have a family? Don't you want to go home?"
His words hit harder than she'd expect them to. Her parents thought she was dead. She may as well have been. And how far would Tony go to bury her if she came back? He had almost succeeded once. The truth was, if she went home, she and her family would never be safe. She knew far too much of the Iron Man suit for Tony to allow her to go on living. But with Killian... at least he had promised her something. At least he had his own security if Tony came looking for her.
If Killian turned out to be one more traitor, then she'd be dead either way.
Finally, Aubrey answered. "I told you. I'm a ghost."
Miller's face cracked, exposing the anger simmering within his eyes. "Stop saying that, kid. You're a person. You deserve to go home. I can help bring you home."
Kid. Just like Tony had called her. It wasn't the first time someone had called her that, considering her round cheeks made me appear more youthful than she was. But still, everytime Miller said it, it reminded her of the comfort she felt in that cave. It reminded her that Miller was just one more person with the empty promise of bringing her home.
"Stop," Aubrey said, squeezing her eyes shut momentarily. She meant for her voice to be firm, but it came out more of a plead. She opened her mouth to say more, but found she couldn't find the words. How could she possibly explain to this man what she was going through? So, she just repeated the word. "Stop."
Miller stared at her, his eyes a mix of disappointment and anger. "If you go with the freak, you're going to end up dead. I'll never see you again."
And if I stay, I'll end up dead, Aubrey thought bitterly. As she stared at Miller, she realized that he truly believed she was going to die somewhere. Maybe she was. Maybe the rumours he'd heard were true. But if Killian could really deliver what he'd promised her last night, then it was a risk she would have to take. So instead of trying to convince Miller otherwise, all she said was, "Thank you for protecting me."
"C'mon..." Miller whispered out, his voice full of disappointment.
Aubrey stepped forward; for a second she considered hugging the man. Despite everything that had happened to her, despite being taught time and time again that she was alone in a cruel world, there would always be a part of her that craved human connection. Whether it be while trapped in a hostage situation or recovering in a military camp. She wanted to trust someone... to have a friend. And though Miller was rough around the edges, he was the closest thing she had to one.
But the thought of physically touching another person made her skin crawl, so she stayed still.
The men shifted around her, clearly trying to get her on the plane but likely having orders from Killian not to rush her. So they let her stand and stare at Miller, even as the minutes stretched on. Finally, she broke the silence. "Goodbye, Miller."
He let out a slow sigh. "See ya, kid."
Aubrey stepped back, turning to board the plane. And then, she paused one last time. Looking over her shoulder, she quietly said one word, just loud enough for the man to hear. "Aubrey."
Before Miller had a chance to stop her and ask more questions, she had boarded the jet and left him behind, once and for all.
Forty-eight hours later, Aubrey could barely wrap her head around the fact that she was back in the United States. Tears slid down her face on the drive from the private airport to Killian's base. She didn't realize all those small things that she had missed so desperately, like the sight of grass instead of desert or the smell right after it rains.
Killian's base was an unassuming warehouse on the outside, that led deeper into an underground bunker of sorts. It took coaxing to get Aubrey down there, as she remembered the feeling of being trapped all too well. Killian was understanding and gentle, allowing her to have her panic attack and showing her the blueprint of the bunker before guiding her down the dark halls. The rooms had been nicely set up at least, with relatively comfortable beds and running water in each room.
Killian had private doctors brought in to tend to her wounds; the military had done a fine enough job, but the doctor was gentle, spending time with her to ensure she was in the best state. Only after she was fed, showered, and given the chance to rest and relax did Killian bring up Extremis again. This time, he brought a friend.
Maya Hansen was similar to Aubrey, in that nobody would look at her and see the genuis within. She was pretty and friendly; far too charming to be the mastermind behind something as powerful as Extremis. Aubrey had expected Killian to be the creator of the serum, but he did play a role in stabilizing the serum, apparently. They explained together what Extremis would do to her. Over a series of infusions, Aubrey would gain extraordinary powers. Superhuman strength, heat manipulation, and wound healing... even the ability to regenerate her lost leg.
The time Aubrey met with both Killian and Mata, it occurred outside of the bunker, in a small, tidy room in the main warehouse. It had a window, which Aubrey kept getting distracted by. Every time she saw a bird perched on the tree outside, she would forget what she was saying and watch it. There had been no robins in Afghanistan... no beauty in the desolate desert.
"Aubrey," Maya calmly said, drawing her attention back to the conversation.
Aubrey looked back to the pair, seeing Killian had set up a camera between the two. The flashing red light indicated it was rolling.
"We'll be conducting the interview now," Killian said.
Aubrey nodded once.
Killian leaned in close to the camera, as if to make sure his voice would be picked up on the recording. Clearly this wasn't something he had done often. "Please state your name and age for the camera."
She paused. Her full name felt wrong on her tongue still, but the facade of being Jane Doe had worn off a long time ago. "Aubrey Howell. I'm twenty... one. Twenty-one years old."
She'd just realized she missed her birthday in captivity.
"And can you explain your motivations for being here today?"
Aubrey blinked, unsure of what to say. She had been promised power beyond what she could imagine and the ability to regrow what she had lost. But when she stared into the eyes of Killian and Maya, she knew they wanted more. They didn't want a power hungry woman chasing revenge - or, they didn't want that on record. Aubrey shifted in her seat, thinking her answer over for a moment before speaking. "I've spent the last nine months held-" she cut herself off, finding she couldn't force the words out without choking on them. "I've lost a lot. I just want to get some of it back. I think Extremis can help me with that."
"Can you explain your injuries?" Maya asked gently.
Aubrey looked down. She had been given comfortable scrubs to wear, that they secured just ender the stump with an elastic band. She cleared her throat, forcing herself not the think about the moment when Tony had cut off her leg. "Traumatic amputation. Below the knee."
Maya and Killian shared a glance. They wanted more from her, but she wasn't sure she could give it. She realized at once why they were doing this; not only to prove that she had agreed to the life threatening injection, but to showcase in the future when they undoubtedly won awards for Extremis. It'd be beautiful, to show the lives affected from the serium. To show the broken girl who'd lost her limb in the most horrific way possible, heal both physically and mentally.
"Can you tell us about yourself, Aubrey?" Maya pressed. "We have to be selective about who we give the serum to. We want to get to know you as a person to make sure you're a right fit for what the serum provides you."
Aubrey's eyes flitted between Maya and Killian. Maya was truthful when she spoke. She had created the serum to heal, to make medical advancements that they wouldn't have dreamt of seeing for centuries. Killian... well, like he had said, he and Aubrey shared a similar goal. And something told her he wasn't a pacifist.
Aubrey opened her mouth to answer but struggled to find the words. She felt a disconnect between the answer she used to give and the person she was now. They old Aubrey would spoken of her upbringing, her family, and her studies. Most of all, she would have spoken about her goals. The future, that had no option other than being bright. This Aubrey was still stuck in Raza's cave, cowering from her demons. This Aubrey had no future except pain and revenge.
So, she lied.
She knew the information could have easily been fact checked, but it was far easier to lie than to tell the truth. She spoke of being raised by a single mother, with two older brothers who taught her how to stand up for herself. She kept her 'accident' vague, but spoke of her mother's strength. At how even during the darkest times, her mother persevered, and she knew she could as well.
When she finished talking, Maya was smiling softly. She had bought it. Killian looked pleased, but he had not been fooled.
"Thank you," Maya said. She checked a box on her paper and Aubrey knew she was in.
They went on to explain the trials of Extremis. Aubrey had thought it would be a one-time injection, similar to the stories of Captain America. Instead, Extremis would be infused over the course of weeks. Maya explained that while it could be infused more rapidly, they found the safest method was to give the body time to adapt to the changes before proceeding with the next injection. Once all phases of the Extremis Project was complete, Aubrey was free to leave. However, she was required to check in every six months to see how the body adapted to the virus over time. Because human trials were so new, they had no idea whether the powers of Extremis stayed in the human body for a lifetime, or if it eventually stabilized.
As they spoke, Aubrey realized that she would essentially be signing herself up for weeks, if not months, of being trapped once more. The serum would be too volatile to allow her to leave the compound and they'd be monitoring her constantly. It would be under better conditions... but she would still be stuck there.
Yet, Tony's face flashed through her mind, frozen in time. That look on his face as he hovered over her, right before cutting her leg off with the machete. Then, his picture on Killian's tablet; that smug confidence as he wore his precious suit.
She narrowed her eyes, deciding then and there that she would never let fear come in the way of her goal.
Robert Miller held the phone to his ear, listening to it ring on the other end.
They had limited time to call home, considering the few working phones they had at base camp. They had to ration phone time like they did with everything else. He wanted to call his wife, to hear his little girl's voice calling to him in the background. But Sandra knew what was going on with the mysterious girl who drifted into Shindhand in a terrorist's Humvee - she would understand why Miller had to make the call.
When he heard the click on the other end, and a smooth, "Hello," Miller let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Hey, Joel, it's me. Robert Miller."
There was a pause and then, "Bobby, nice to hear from you man. I heard you've been placed in Iran or somewhere like that."
"Somewhere like that," Miller confirmed. He didn't want to spare Joel with the details; Joel had always been a bit too nosy and he didn't want to go into the shit he'd seen while down in Afghanistan. "Hey man, listen. I need a favour."
Another pause. "Sure, what is it?"
"I need you to find someone for me. But all I have is a first name," Miller explained.
Miller had known Joel from high school. While Miller fucked around for a few years before listing in the army, Joel had gone straight into his profession as a cop. While he was never some star detective, he did have access to resources that Miller didn't. If someone could find out who this Aubrey girl really was, it'd be Joel and his team. At least, without bringing her name to the media. But the kid - Aubrey - had been skittish, always looking at everyone like they were out to get her. Someone was after her and it seemed like a bad idea to let the world know she was alive and had escaped from whatever hell they'd kept her in.
Joel let out a sigh. "I don't know... What's the story?"
Miller gave him a rundown with the little information he knew. He gave a description of Aubrey, trying to imagine what she looked like before. A time when she wasn't malnourished and covered in horrific wounds. He gave the estimate that she'd been missing for months, if not years, based off the look of her and the way her mind was so fractured by the time she was brought to camp. Her age was harder to guess; she had one of those faces that was hard to place her age, but the fact that she had ended up in Afghanistan in the first place made him think she was older.
After giving Joel enough details to hopefully find where Aubrey came from, he finally gave Joel a chance to speak.
"I can look into it and send you a list of profiles that match the description, but... you're looking for a needle in a haystack here. Finding a girl with nothing to go on is next to impossible. Best case, she went missing during a trip to Afghanistan and her family and friends were able to provide recent photos and descriptions of her. There's over 200,000 women reported missing every year in the States. Have you considered that the information you gave me isn't even accurate? She could have given you a fake name, her hair could have been dyed, she might not even be a US citizen..."
Miller felt his temper flare. "You didn't see her, Joel. She must have gone through hell; the least I can do is try. There's gotta be someone out there looking for her."
Joel sighed again. "I'll have some of my guys look over missing persons profiles for a match. I just don't want to get your hopes us, you know?"
Miller's heart sank. He knew finding out where the girl came from was going to be a challenge, he just didn't expect so much resistance from Joel. Maybe it really was impossible. At the same time, Miller knew that if he didn't try, no one else would.
Aubrey ran her hand over the human shaped scorch mark on the wall. Soot dusted off, floating slowly to the ground.
They had explained the risks to her already. Extremis was volatile, especially when first injected. They didn't need to explain how it happened; Aubrey pieced it together based on the scorch marks.
She turned to Killian, who was unfazed by the mark on the wall. As if he had grown used to it. "How many people have died from Extremis?"
Killian winced. "Two."
A chill ran down Aubrey's spine. She didn't want to ask how many people he'd tested the serum on, but she knew it couldn't have been many. Killian seemed to notice the concern in her eyes, because he quickly attempted to run damage control. "But each death was a learning process. Maya, has smoothed out nearly all of the kinks with Extremis. We realized the body doesn't always accept the serum. We've fixed that by being more selective with who we give the serum to, and worked on some stabilizing mechanisms."
His words all sounded perfect. It happened to them, but it won't happen to you.
"And what's in it for you?"
At her question, Killian flinched slightly. He nervously pushed his glasses further up his nose, shifting heavily onto his cane. "All I wanted for A.I.M was to prove to the world that biotechnology could be beautiful. To prove that it could save lives."
Aubrey cocked her head slightly, narrowing her eyes. "And now that you've done that, what do you want?"
"I haven't done that," Killian said, his voice low. "Not yet, at least. We know we can regrow limbs, heal old wounds... but the plans I have for Extremis are far greater than that." He paused, a note of vulnerability entering his voice. "Every doctor has told me that I was born this way, that I was meant to be like this. I want to prove them wrong."
Aubrey nodded slowly, accepting the answer as she took in his appearance. Maybe she and Killian had more in common than she thought; both great minds, burdened by their bodies. Maybe that was all Killian wanted at his core... to heal. But even if he didn't realize it yet, he soon would; Extremis was never meant to be a peaceful antidote. It was yet another poison built for war.
When Aubrey didn't respond, he eyed her curiously. "Why did you lie during the interview?"
Aubrey didn't react outwardly. She had known Killian knew the truth about her; he knew who she was before they even met. He was likely more surprised by the lie than if she had told him the truth. "Sometimes it's easier that way."
"If Maya finds out, she'll want you cut from the program," Killian pointed out. They were dancing around what they both knew to be true. Aubrey had lied to make herself seem more psychologically stable. To seem like a good candidate for the serum. Killian had allowed the lie because he had something to gain from Aubrey - and Aubrey specifically - receiving Extremis. For some reason, Killian hated Tony Stark and found comfort in creating a powerful ally who shared his views.
To test this, Aubrey stood her ground. "Tell her then."
Killian looked at her for a moment longer, before breaking into a goofy grin. "You're good, I'll give you that. As I said before, I believe we share a common goal... or at least a common enemy. With my resources, and your pending abilities, we'll be able to take down Tony together."
'Take down' seemed vague and childish to Aubrey. Her goal was to force Tony to experience the same pain - the same desperation - that she had felt under Raza's thumb. Killian seemed more interested in dethroning Tony for whatever history the two had together. Regardless of his desires, Aubrey could see the benefit of working with Killian. Her greatest advantage was that she was a ghost; Tony would never see her coming. Paired with the powers Killian could grant her and his resources, Aubrey could drag Tony down before he even realized she was alive.
So, she said, "I'm with you."
It was nearly three months later when Phase One of the Extremis Project actually began.
Aubrey had been expecting them to start the infusions right away. But she quickly learned that she was far too weak to tolerate Extremis. The doctors kept coming back, attaching her to a feeding tube and an IV to help her heal. But those had only lasted a day before a panic attack set in and Aubrey ripped the tubes and lines from her body. Killian had tried to reason with her, telling her that this was the fastest way to regain her strength, but Aubrey had responded by throwing a lamp across the room.
Killian had quickly learned how to handle Aubrey in those few months. He realized that she was reasonably well behaved most of the time, if not a little spacey, but could be easily triggered into a breakdown. It was best to encourage the times when she was better behaved by building trust between the two, and give her space (and a mild sedative) when her panic attacks became violent. He also learned it was best to keep Maya off site as much as possible during this time.
Maya had insisted on a psychologist for all of the subjects. She wanted to make sure she wasn't granting superhuman powers to a psychopath. Killian had assured her he hired the best... though none of the subjects ever received any form of therapy. But Aubrey was a special case. He was acutely aware that giving the dangerous abilities of Extremis to someone as unstable as Aubrey was a recipe for distaster, but he also saw the potential in it.
If Killian had one gift, it was the ability to seek out potential. He made it into a career with A.I.M, and he did it by bringing in Maya Hansen. Aubrey, though risky, had the greatest potential of all. Not because she shared the same goal as Killian and not because of her willingness to do anything to achieve that goal, but because she was alone. Once Killian gave her the serum, she'd have no where to go and nothing to do except what he wanted.
Of course, Aubrey knew more than he realized of his plan. She had grown too used to the same scheme. This time, she was confident she'd know when to cut herself loose from Killian's grips and move on. With the powers he promised her, she was sure it would be easy.
But Aubrey had been so focused on what she would do after receiving Extremis, that she hadn't thought nearly enough about the process. She hadn't taken Maya's warnings of pain into consideration. The day that Phase One began, all her warnings came crashing down.
Her anxiety started to spike as soon as Maya tightened the straps across her chest. It was bad enough that she was getting the injection, but to be strapped down - to lose her control once more - caused her to pull against the straps with wild eyes.
She looked at the other people in the room. Most of them looked to be soldiers, a few of whom were eyeing her curiously. She knew she didn't belong among them. Highly trained men and women, all who could serve a purpose with the Extremis serum. People who could go to war - who could win wars - with the powers that Extremis could grant them. Aubrey on the other hand was nothing but a traumatized engineer. She was no weapon, even with the powers that Extremis could give her.
Still, even though she knew she was only receiving the serum due to her hatred of Tony Stark, Aubrey glanced down at her missing leg. She realized at once that she would never find peace again without Extremis. If Killian brought her even one step closer to her goal, she was willing to ignore all his red flags.
Once everyone was safely strapped safetly against the wall, Maya began starting the IV drips. This time, her movements were rushed as she finished the task as quickly as possible before darting out of the room. It didn't provide Aubrey with any comfort to know how nervous the creator of Extremis was of it.
Aubrey glanced once to the heavy duty cameras in the corner of the room, and then to the scorch marks on the wall. Finally, she looked at where the IV entered her veins. She was suddenly acutely aware of the liquid spilling into her body, lighting her arm on fire. Aubrey winced, tugging her arm back but meeting the resistance of the restraints instead. She looked around the room to see most of the soldiers were holding their own.
She fought to keep her face neutral, but the serum burned. She could feel it, crawling up her arm and spilling across her chest, across her body. It felt like her insides were on fire, causing a sweat to break out on her face. She didn't care that the soldiers would think of her as weak, all she could think about was whether those human shaped scorch marks on the wall felt the same pain as her before they exploded.
"Killian, I need you to stop the IV," Aubrey called out shakily. She jerked against the straps, trying to tug the IV from her arm. "Maya!"
At that point, the pain had started to catch up with the five others in the room. She could see their chests, rising and falling far too quickly. She could see the same beads of sweat appear on their foreheads. And then, they too began to writhe against their restraints. Aubrey saw it first on her own stomach; an orange glow, emitting from her legs, outlining her bones. Her breath hitched and she looked up to see the others in the room shared a similar glow.
The light seemed to ebb and flow, sometimes shining brighter as the pain increased. When it was at its brightest, Aubrey could almost count the ribs and see the outline of their organs.
The burning sensation seemed to last forever. At first, Aubrey fought against it, hoping that if she struggled enough, she could pull the IV out and it'd all be over; as if the poison hadn't already seeped into her blood stream. As the minutes stretched on and the pain refused to leave, she fell still, trying to numb her mind from the fire burning in her lungs. She could feel her body fighting against it as the virus decided whether it wanted to merge with her DNA or to make her into one more scorch mark on the wall.
When she felt it couldn't get worse, she felt the sharp burning sensation on her leg, right at the stump. Her vision tilted, threatening her with unconsciousness. But through it, she could see the stump burn like an ember, skin and bone and flesh forming from the bottom. At first, she couldn't believe it was true; she thought she was hallucinating from the pain. Her leg was growing back. She knew Killian and Maya had promised her but... she still couldn't believe it was true. Even as she watched it happen with her own eyes.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Aubrey felt the pain ease, and the heat ebb from her body. Aubrey was left gasping, trying to bring the cool air into her lungs as sweat dripped down her face.
It was over. It was finally over.
The other men and women in the room seemed to catch up to Aubrey, letting the tension in their body release as the pain finally eased. Once the final person stopped glowing and writhing in pain, the door to the room finally burst open and Maya and Killian entered. It was only when Aubrey saw the excited surprise on Killian's face did she fully understand how dangerous the Extremis Project really was. He wasn't expecting everyone in the room to survive.
Maya was quick in releasing everyone from their straps. Most people slumped to the floor in exhaustion. Some people broke down into sobs when they stared at their healed wounds. It was only once Aubrey was released and she was able to put her weight on her regenerated leg that the tears filled her eyes. She slowly sank to the ground, running her hands over her shin, ankle, feet, and toes to confirm they were really there.
She looked up then to Maya and Killian, who were handing out water and helping the participants recover. For the first time in months, Aubrey felt her heart swell with gratitude. With one injection, A.I.M had given Aubrey back her leg. What could they give her once all phases of the project were complete?