Proof He Has a Heart

Aldrich Killian

At Stark Industries Happy leads me toward Pepper's office but I couldn't help but laugh as he points to his badge as walks through the lobby passing the other employees.
"Badge...badge...badge. Badge, guys. I put a memo in the toilet, come on" Happy said Pepper walks to us then referring to Tony's robots, "Tony has got them in his basement, they're wearing party hats. This is an asset that we can put to use."
"Uh-huh. So, you're suggesting that I replace the entire janitorial staff with robots?" Pepper asked as we walked toward her office.
"What I'm saying is that the human element of Human Resources is our biggest point of vulnerability. We should start phasing it out immediately" Happy said.
"What!?" Me and Pepper asked as to another employee as Happy walks past them.
"Excuse me, Bambi" Happy said as he points to his badge.
"Did you just say that?" I asked crossing my arms.
"Happy?" Pepper asked.
"Yes" Happy said.
"Okay, I am thrilled that you're now the Head of Security, okay? It is the perfect position for you" Pepper said.
"Thank you" Happy said.
"However..." I said.
"I do appreciate it" Happy said.
"Since you've taken the post..." Pepper said.
"You don't have to thank me" Happy said.
"We've had a rise in staff complaints of three hundred percent" Pepper said.
"Thank you" Happy said.
"That's not a compliment" I said fixing my dress. Let's just say I have my rocket boots on just in case.
"That's not a compli...? It is a compliment! Clearly somebody's trying to hide something" Happy said as I rubbed my hand down my face.
"I..." Pepper said but was interrupted by her assistant.
"Excuse me" she said.
"Yes?" Pepper asked.
"Miss Potts, your four o'clock is here" she said.
"Thank you" Pepper said.
"Did you clear this four o'clock with me?" Happy asked and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Happy, we'll talk about this later. But right now I have to go deal with this very annoying thing" Pepper said.
"Can I come?" I asked as Pepper starts walking towards her office.
"How so?" Happy asked.
"I used to work with him, and he used to ask me out all the time. So it's a little awkward" Pepper said, "and sure Tay. I guess he won't mind if you watch." Happy opens her office glass door and we enter.
"I don't like the sound of that" Happy said as we step inside, we see a man, looking handsome and fit in a business suit. Pepper looks shocked at the change in the mans appearance.
"Pepper" He said.
"Killian?" Pepper asked.
"You look great. You look really great" he said.
"God, you look...you look great. I... I...I can't... What on earth have you been doing?" Pepper said.
"Nothing fancy, just five years in the hands of physical therapists. And please, call me Aldrich" he said as I shook his hand.
"Uh...you were supposed to be issued a security badge" Happy said.
"Happy, it's okay" I said.
"Yes?" He asked.
"We're good" Pepper said.
"You sure?" Happy asked.
"Yes. Stand down" I said giving him my look.
"Okay. I'm gonna linger, right here" He said.
"Thank you" Pepper said.
"Okay" Happy said as Happy steps out of Pepper's office and closes the glass door.
"It's very nice to see you, Killian" Pepper said.
"Who is this lovely Flower?" He asked smiling at me.
"This is Taylor Stark. Tony's niece" Pepper said.
"Ah. The lovely SnowFlake" he said, "pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasure to meet you Mr Killian" I said smiling.
"Manners. I'm surprised you're not like your Uncle" he said.
"Well she is when you get to know her. But yeah she has manners. Puts a napkin on her lap when she eats. Always says excuse me. When it comes to manners her and Tony are complete opposites" Pepper said as I sat down, "when it comes to mechanics her and Tony are like twins."
"Well maybe you could join AIM. We'd be lucky to have a Stark" he said.
"I'm fine. I have Avenging to do" I said smiling.
"Yeah. She's part of the Avengers now. Now I have to worry" Pepper said making me roll my eyes.
"After years dodging the President's ban on "immoral biotech research", my think tank now has a little something in the pipeline. It's an idea we like to call Extremis. I'm gonna turn your lights down" Aldrich said as he dims the lights then holds in his hand three small metal balls, Regard the human brain."
He throws the balls onto the coffee table and as they roll and stop, they project a 3d image into the room.
"Uh...wait. Hold on, hold on. That's...that's the universe, my bad. But if I do that..." he said as he presses his projector control which changes the 3d image to show inside of the brain.
"That's the brain. Strangely mimetic though, wouldn't you say?" He asked.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Me and Pepper said.
"Thanks, it's mine" He said.
"What?" Pepper asked.
"This...you're inside my head. It's a..." He said as he taps behind his ear, referring to something embedded inside his head, "It's a live feed. Come on up, I'll prove it to you."
Aldrich rises from the couch and stands on the coffee table.
"Come on" he said as he helps Pepper to stand on the coffee table next to him then he helps me up and I stand in front of him and Pepper since I'm shorter, we stand directly in the 3d image.
"Now, pinch my arm. I can take it. Pinch me" he said as Pepper pinches him and immediately something lights up in the 3d image of Aldrich's brain.
"What is that?" I asked.
"It's the primary somatosensory cortex. It's the brain's pain center. But this is what I wanted to show you" He said as he turns Pepper and me round and presses his projector control and starts changing and moving the image with his hand.
"Now, Extremis harnesses our bioelectrical potential And it goes...here. This is essentially an empty slot, and what this tells us is that our mind, our entire DNA in fact, is destined to be upgraded" He said.
"Wow" me and Pepper said.
"That is really cool" I said smiling as he turned it off and turned the lights back on.
"Imagine if you could hack into the hard drive of any living organism and recode its DNA" he said.
"It would be incredible" I said.
"Mm" he said.
"Unfortunately, to my ears it also sounds highly weaponizable. As in enhanced soldiers, private armies, and Tony is not..." Pepper started.
"Tony. Tony. You know, I invited Tony to join AIM thirteen years ago, he turned me down. But something tells me now there is a new genius on the throne who doesn't have to answer to Tony anymore, and who has slightly less of an ego" He said.
"It's gonna be a no, Aldrich. As much as I'd like to help you" She said.
We exited the building and Killian turned to us.
"Well, I can't say that I'm not disappointed. But then as my father used to say, 'Failure is the fog through which we glimpse triumph.'"
"That's very deep" Pepper said.
"Mm" he said.
"And I have no idea what it means" Pepper said.
"Well, me neither. He was kind of an idiot, my old man" He said making Pepper laugh, "I'm sure I'll see you again, Pepper. It was lovely meeting you, Taylor." Aldrich kisses Pepper gently on the cheek then he hugs me and Pepper watches him as he walks off, then Pepper notices Hogan coming toward her, Pepper looks flustered.
"Happy..." she said.
"The car is ready, if you're ready to go" Happy said. Pepper glances over to Aldrich as he walks towards his car.
"Yes. I just um...God, I forgot my other thing, so I'm just gonna..." Pepper said as she walks back into the building, Hogan glance over to Aldrich's car and as it drives away, Hogan takes a photo of the license plate.
"Let me guess you think there is something fishy about him" I said.
"I don't think, I know" Happy said.
"He seems fishy to me too. There is something about him I don't understand" I said crossing my arms. He gives great hugs though. But there is something we're missing. There is something strange about him. And I don't like it.