The smile on Luke's face was calm, too calm. And that alone sent a shiver down the President's spine.
Something was wrong, very wrong.
He was the President of the United States. The man with the nuclear codes. The most powerful person in the country, if not the world.
And yet this young man, this so-called S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant, wasn't reacting the way he should. There was no salute, no show of deference, not even a trace of respect.
Instead, Luke simply smiled as if he were having coffee with a friend.
A terrible feeling crept into the President's chest.
He wasn't being rescued.
He was being handled.
"You... what do you want to do?" the President asked, voice quivering despite himself.
For the first time since his abduction, he wondered if he had simply gone from one hostage situation to another, just traded Killian's fire for something even more unpredictable.
Like he just got away from the terrorists only to fall into the bandit's den.
Luke spread his hands with exaggerated innocence and said, "Do? I don't want to do anything. I just want to invite you to my home. If you'd rather leave, feel free, I won't stop you."
He smiled again and pointed behind the President toward the open sky.
The President blinked and turned.
Just empty clouds and wind.
What was he supposed to do, fly away like those two women? Or jump like that terrifying three-headed dog?
His face contorted into a wry expression.
He had just been rescued, and now he was a hostage again. Sort of.
Still... compared to being tied up and hung like a prize in Killian's sick display, Luke's calm, and weirdly courteous, approach was almost refreshing.
At least he wasn't tied up.
"Well... I'm not in a hurry to go back," the President said, summoning his best diplomatic smile. "I wouldn't mind paying your store a visit."
If he was stuck in this madness, he might as well play along and earn a bit of goodwill. After what Killian put him through, he wasn't eager to provoke any more superpowered lunatics.
Luke nodded in approval, then sat down cross-legged at the edge of the Helicarrier deck, letting the breeze ruffle his hair.
"Sit back and relax. When my friends return, I'll take you to the shop."
The President reluctantly followed suit, sitting carefully on the metal deck. "So... what exactly do you sell at this store of yours?"
Luke gave him a cryptic grin. "My shop sells everything. And I mean everything. Just wait, you'll definitely find something you like."
The tide of battle had shifted dramatically.
With Wanda and Sharon joining the fray, the battlefield became a nightmare for Killian's forces.
The Extremis-enhanced soldiers were strong, but their strategy was basic. Too basic.
They couldn't compete with the aerial agility and ranged firepower of two seasoned superpowered women.
Wherever Wanda and Sharon flew, enemies dropped like flies. Extremis regeneration or not, nothing could withstand repeated energy blasts or lightning strikes.
And then there was Doggo.
After splitting into three massive, fire-breathing hellhounds, Doggo had become a horror movie on legs.
The mutated beasts tore through Killian's men with terrifying ease.
Regeneration? Pointless.
Doggo didn't need to fight them, he just swallowed them whole.
Even their superheated bodies meant nothing. The three-headed dog's internal temperature reached tens of thousands of degrees. What could melt steel barely felt warm to him.
Every soldier he consumed only seemed to fuel his energy.
Then, in Luke's mind, a familiar chime rang out.
[Ding! Your pet Doggo has sensed unusual energy in its food. He has enhanced his digestive system, successfully digested the Extremis power, and upgraded his recovery ability, strength, and speed.]
[Ding! Doggo's mutation level has risen to Level 4.]
Luke's eyes lit up with excitement.
Doggo's second-tier mutation was already stronger than the Hulk. Now that he had reached level four, Luke could barely imagine the upper limits.
That dog had become an unstoppable force.
Over two hundred of Killian's soldiers lay defeated, either dead, unconscious, or half-melted into the wreckage.
Iron Man touched down on the pier slowly, his armor steaming, his systems damaged but functional. Dozens of his suits had helped turn the tide.
Now only one figure remained.
He stood alone among the debris, eyes wide with despair.
His plan had crumbled.
His men were gone. His dreams burned.
He looked around, at the smoldering ruins, the women hovering in the air like vengeful angels, and the monstrous trio of dogs eyeing him with hunger.
He slumped onto a broken stone pillar at the edge of the pier.
With a defeated, bitter smile, he raised his voice. "I have some questions. If I'm going to die… at least let me die with some answers."
Tony landed beside him, lifting his faceplate and glancing at Wanda and Sharon. They gave subtle nods.
"Ask away," Tony said quietly.
He understood why Killian was here. Maya's confession had made that painfully clear. Some of this mess had started with him.
Killian looked at Tony, disbelief still in his eyes. "I blew your home to pieces. It should have killed you. How are you still alive?"
Tony sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Insomnia. Anxiety. I sleep in my suit now."
Killian blinked. "Seriously?"
The former scientist gave a crooked smile. "So I failed... because you couldn't sleep?"
Tony shrugged. "Welcome to my life."
Killian exhaled through his nose and turned to Wanda and Sharon.
"And your store. What is that place? I sent dozens of men, even a missile… and nothing even scratched the building. Why?"
Wanda didn't hesitate. "Because our store is bulletproof."
Killian stared at her, stunned.
Wanda nodded, totally deadpan.
He blinked again. "but that was a missile."
Before he could ask any more questions, a low growl sounded behind him.
A massive dog head loomed over him, mouth open wide.