Aldrich Killian sat uneasily in the reception room of the Pleiades Tower, waiting.
He had come to find a way to cooperate with Pleiades.
Originally, Killian was a chemical pharmaceutical expert. He was unremarkable in appearance, looking like an unkempt beggar you might pass on the street.
But in truth, nearly twenty years ago, he and his colleague Maya Hansen had developed something called the Extremis virus.
Back then, full of excitement, he had taken his research to Tony Stark, hoping to persuade him to invest. He never imagined he would be played for a fool by Tony, left to endure a night of wind and snow in the freezing cold.
Later, an organization called A.I.M. invested in him, allowing him to refine the Extremis virus over the course of twenty years.
Unfortunately, not long ago, during the war with the Serpent Bureau, A.I.M. was completely destroyed. The Skyhammer Bureau, acting on its Counter‑Insight Plan, had determined that A.I.M. was in fact a Hydra‑affiliated organization.
This left Killian completely cut off from funding.
Yet the Extremis virus was only a single step away from perfection. He simply could not stop now.
Not just for the sake of his research, but also to take revenge on that Tony Stark who had looked down on him all those years ago.
So, after several months, Killian finally made up his mind to seek investment from Pleiades.
After all, the only company that could rival the Stark Group—or even surpass it—was Pleiades Tech.
If he failed to secure Pleiades' investment, Killian would be forced down a far more dangerous path: cooperating with foreign terrorists.
Just as he was lost in thought, Mary Jane knocked on the door and reminded, "Mr. Killian, please come this way."
Killian hurriedly stood up.
At this point, he had not yet injected himself with the Extremis virus. He still looked stooped, limping on one leg, his expression timid and cowering.
Hearing Mary Jane's voice, Killian—who had always been given disdainful looks for his appearance—dared not even meet her eyes.
"Y-yes, I'm coming."
He hastily straightened his clothes, then nervously followed Mary Jane to the top floor of the Pleiades Tower.
Bant was waiting for him there.
Killian was filled with trepidation, wondering how he could possibly convince the president of Pleiades, and what kind of man this mysterious president might be.
When the door swung open, Killian froze on the spot.
He could never have dreamed that the president of Pleiades would be so young—so young that he couldn't help wondering if he was being toyed with again.
"Aldrich Killian?"
It was Bant's voice that pulled Killian back from his thoughts, and he hastily responded.
"Y-yes..."
"Please, have a seat."
Bant gestured for Killian to sit on the sofa. Mary Jane poured tea for both of them before leaving.
Cradling the warm cup of tea, Killian felt considerably more at ease.
Clearly, Bant, like Tony Stark, was a true genius, just as Pleiades and Stark Industries were now both behemoths in America.
But for Killian, the treatment he received in the two places was entirely different.
At least here, he had experienced something called "respect."
As for Bant, he genuinely had no reason to look down on Killian.
Sure, Killian was a villain, and had caused Tony Stark more than his fair share of trouble.
But that had nothing to do with Bant.
Tony's troubles were of his own making; Bant had no obligation to clean up his mess.
The guy hadn't even shown his face in all the days since Bant returned to Earth. A few days ago, the Skyhammer Bureau had thrown a banquet to celebrate their victory over Thanos, and Tony had refused to attend.
If that was how he wanted to be, Bant was even less inclined to help him solve his problems.
As for agreeing to meet with Killian, it was purely out of interest in the Extremis virus.
That ability had shone brilliantly in Iron Man 3, and it genuinely made Bant a little curious. He wanted to see for himself what the strengths and weaknesses of the Extremis virus were, and whether it was worthy of his investment.
Killian seemed to understand that, as the president of Pleiades—and since Pleiades had developed technologies like the healing serum—Bant must be deeply knowledgeable in the biological sciences.
So he launched right in with solid substance.
"The Extremis virus I've developed enhances the user's physiological functions by rewriting their DNA. It harnesses the body's bioelectricity to activate the parts of the brain responsible for repair and chemical recoding..."
Killian stammered at first, but the more he spoke, the more excited and fluent he became.
"This allows the user to hack into the organism's basic operating system. If the body chooses to accept it, the user gains regenerative healing abilities, enabling them to heal all wounds, including previously amputated limbs, and even psychological damage..."
Before long, Killian even pulled a pen from the pocket of his worn old suit and began scribbling calculations right in front of Bant.
He didn't go very deep; at least, he didn't reveal the most critical formula.
But by now, Bant was no longer the poor student of the past. From the formulas Killian was showing, Bant could already get a glimpse of the bigger picture.
Yet the more he looked, the deeper his frown.
Killian didn't notice Bant's expression; he kept on extolling the superiority of the Extremis virus.
"It can also enhance physical functions, granting superhuman strength, reflexes, and overall higher resilience. Just like the Super Soldier Serum! Moreover, those injected with the Extremis virus can generate immense amounts of heat through a complex metabolic process, producing temperatures of up to several thousand degrees Celsius from their bodies..."
"And—"
"Hold on, Mr. Killian."
Killian was on the verge of getting completely carried away, even standing up, which forced Bant to cut him off.
"I'm sorry."
Interrupted, the momentum instantly drained out of Killian, and he sank back into the sofa, clutching at his suit.
Bant picked up the formulas and diagrams Killian had drawn on the paper and asked,
"If I'm not mistaken, this Extremis virus you've developed is an actual virus, correct?"
Killian's body went rigid.
Because Bant was absolutely right.
The Extremis virus wasn't some superpower serum with a flashy name. It was a genuine virus.
Killian quickly ran through a prepared statement in his mind, then said, "You're right, but that doesn't matter!"
"What matters is what it can bring us. A healthy body! Powerful strength! Special abilities!"
Killian listed them off like treasures.
"Whether it's a virus—does that really matter?"
In Killian's view, whether it was a virus or not didn't matter at all. What mattered was what the Extremis virus could bring them.
/-\
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