Maya threatened to inject herself with 1200 CCs of toxic fluid if Aldrich didn't let Tony go. The sight of both Pepper and Johnny being tortured by the Extremis was too much for her. She wanted to help people with what she created, not create soldiers for a man with no morals or empathy. She knew all the genetic coding and was the powerhouse of the experiment. Without her, Extremis was nothing.

'What happens to you?' Maya said to Killian. 'What happens if you go too hot?'

Aldrich pulled a gun from his pants and shot Maya from across the room. Tony jumped in his restrained place and watched the life leave Maya's eyes as she bled out on the floor. He looked at the man who let out a loud sigh, shaking his head as if he just had to abandon his highscool science project.

'The good news is, a high-level position has just been vacated,' Aldrich motioned to the woman who was once his partner.

'You're a maniac...'

'No, I'm a visionary. But I do own a maniac. And he takes the stage tonight.'

---

Without the ability to fly like everyone else in her life, it took Sue hours to get to Miami. She took Tony's private jet, knowing that he wouldn't mind, and touched down in Florida. The flight was terrible as she had to endure worry and anticipation for five hours. It was times like these that she wished she accepted Tony's proposal for wings to be a part of her red suit.

James Rhodes' house was vacant when Sue knocked on the door for him. She called him on her phone, and he answered, saying that he was heading to a possible location of The Mandarin. Sue rushed through everything in one breath and at first, Rhodey didn't believe that Aldrich Killian was behind it all. He said that the man was a close friend to the U.S government, as he promised reform and new artillery for their troops. He was responsible for the rebranding of War Machine, now named Iron Patriot. But when she further explained, he understood and said that he had just walked into a room of women working in sweatshop. As he spoke, he sent through a list of locations that his supervisor sent him of all the possible locations of The Mandarin, or now, Aldrich Killian. The closest was Miami, and Sue took a chance.

Suited up and hair tied back in a low bun, Sue arrived at the estate of the supposed Mandarin. It sat on a plot of land that was heavily guarded and stretched at least half a mile. The buildings of AIM had the appearance of a heritage site with old brickwork and maroon roof tiles, yet what was held inside was what Sue was looking for.

She was able to hide in the back of a car that drove up the gravelled driveway. The driver, who was likely one of Killian's minions, was oblivious to the woman that sat invisible in the backseat. Her transparent figure sat still as the car pulled to a stop and the driver stepped out. Sue followed him as quietly as she could and entered the main building.

'The torch is flaring up, again,' another man dressed in security guard attire approached the driver. 'Take him to the boss. He's leaving to the base camp with the other one, so be quick.'

The driver nodded and the two parted ways. Sue continued after the man who was said to be going towards who she assumed was Johnny. Despite her yearn to knock the man unconscious and find her own way around, the building was like a maze. She couldn't waste time trying different rooms and she wanted to avoid any confrontations in the meantime. Although she was invisible, doors opening and closing by themselves usually alerted guards and made situations difficult.

Arriving at a door that was distinctively different from all the others, the man put a code in on a keypad. The door was large and looked to be about six inches thick. The metal it was made from looked to be strong enough to hold anything that could potentially be a threat. When the keypad beeped, the man had to heave himself back while holding the handle in order to open it. Below freezing smoke wafted out and the man prepared for the chill that would encase him inside.

'You know, I understand the freezer, but this Extremis is getting kind of mainstream,' Johnny Storm said through his chattering teeth.

'Shut it, Torch,' the man sneered and pulled out a tranquilizing gun he had strapped to his belt. 'We'll amp up the dosage, and you'll be singing a different tune.'

'Pfft, yeah right.'

Despite what the hologram showed to Tony, the Extremis no longer coursed through Johnny's system. Unforeseen by Killian and his researchers, the cosmic radiation that gave Johnny his abilities burned through the dosage. What would usually take hold and enhance human abilities, was dissolved by the radiation and left Johnny unharmed. It was still painful, but once the Extremis tried to intiate its virus, it was rejected and burnt until it was undetectable.

'Can you at least get me a scarf or something?' Johnny rolled his eyes as the man pointed the gun at him. But before the dart could be released, the man let out a grunt and his eyed rolled to the back of his head.

Johnny watched in confusion as the man's neck jolted before he fell to the floor. The man was unconscious, and Johnny hated to think how cold the floor must be against the man's face. His own bare feet touched the icy tiles, and they were about to develop frostbite. He couldn't imagine how it must be to have his whole body against it.

Sue materialised into sight and the relief that washed over Johnny made him forget how cold he was. There she stood in her red suit and her shoulders heaving from the cold. Her own breath turned to mist, and she couldn't believe that Johnny was sitting in nothing but shorts in the freezing temperature.

'I have never been gladder to see you,' Johnny sighed and shivered as he leaned against the wall to stand. 'I'm taking this guy's clothes. I don't care if they're massive on me.'

'Johnny, you're practically blue, right now,' Sue said as he undressed the man on the floor. 'How long have you been in here? What have they been doing to you?'

'I'll explain later. I'm an ice lolly, right now. Can we leave, please and thank you?'

Once Johnny pulled on the dress shirt, blazer, pants and shoes, the two left the man in his underwear in the freezing room. Johnny's hands felt numb from the throbbing that came from exiting the cold room to a normal room temperature. He wouldn't be able to use his abilities until his blood returned to his hands and feet. But Sue was prepared to take on any guards that would be roaming the halls.

'What the hell is Extremis?' Sue asked as they walked briskly through the building.

'Something that they're injecting everyone with. It's what Killian's working on. They tried to give it to me, but I burned right through it. I'm just that awesome-'

A bullet planted itself into the wall next to Johnny's head. The two had turned a corner and stopped when a man with a handgun fired at them from down the hall. Sue threw her hand up and trapped the man in a forcefield. It shrunk to half the man's size and his body cramped into a ball in the small prison. He let out a cry and the transparent barrier broke his bones in one movement.

'That's harsh,' Johnny mumbled before the sound of gunshots was heard from nearby.

The two headed wordlessly to the source and found themselves outside. A veranda stretched from one building to another, the door open and showing a hallway that led down into another room. They were going to head inside, when someone appeared in the doorframe and Sue held up a forcefield in preparation.

Tony held up his single repulsor as he exited the building but stopped when he saw the siblings. A boot and one repulsor had arrived to get him out of his restraints and he was able to fight his way through a couple of Killian's minions. The rest of the suit was on its way from Harley's shed in Tennessee, but he hadn't expected the arrival of Susan Storm at Killian's estate.

'Tony!' Sue let out, the forcefield dissolving as she lowered her hands.

'Sue...'

Johnny watched as Sue ran forward and threw her arms around Tony's shoulders. She leapt up to reach his height and Tony didn't wait to wrap his arms around her waist. His lonesome titanium-alloyed hand gripped the back of Sue's red suit and his nose buried into her shoulder. Even though they were only separated for two days at the most, it felt like eternity. He had been through so much since seeing her last, and he spent the whole time wishing she was with him.

Sue couldn't contain the grin that stretched across her face. Feeling Tony against her was something she longed for unknowingly. The Stark wasn't much of a hugger, so she barely ever indulged in his warmth. But smelling his scent and hearing his voice in her ear made her want to make embracing more frequent in their brewing relationship.

'You are unbelievable,' she gasped as she pulled away. Her hands travelled down his biceps and gripped his forearms. She beamed up at him in disbelief and he looked down at her in the same manner.

'What are you doing here?' Tony looked from her to Johnny who stood in oversized clothes. 'And why is hothead in Happy's clothes?'

'I'm here to save you! Not to mention Pepper and-'

'Oop, heads up!'

Tony pushed Sue away as gently as he could before the rest of his suit assembled around him. The chest plate expanded with its arc reactor in the middle and his legs were secured in the full suit of red armour. Scratches and scrapes showed the silver base underneath the red and gold paint, but its system was fully charged, thanks to Harley. His other repulsor attached to his arm and the helmet connected around his head, leaving his face for last.

'Ah, ah, ah!' he grabbed the mask before it fell into place. 'Not this time. Not the face. Phew! It's good to be back. Hello, by the way.'

'Oh, hello, sir,' JARVIS replied.