John could have sent Maya Hansen to prison. He could have arranged for her to disappear somewhere over the ocean. But to think she could bargain her way out with her looks? That was never an option. John wouldn't let her off that cheaply.
As for putting her to work, he was being entirely serious.
While flawed, the Extremis Virus possessed benefits that couldn't be ignored, rivaling even the Super Soldier Serum. Killian, a frail scholar, had transformed into a demon of fire who could tear through armor with his bare hands. Not to mention its ability to regenerate severed limbs. If harnessed correctly, a team of stable Extremis soldiers could make even a threat like Thanos think twice.
As the developer, Maya's scientific capabilities were undeniable. She may not have been a super-genius on the level of Tony or Ivan, but she was a genius nonetheless. With Killian's death, A.I.M., the company Watson Wick had heavily invested in, was now effectively John's to command.
"Are you sure you want me to go back?" Maya asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
She had prepared herself for a life sentence, if not death. Yet here was John, the man whose family she had conspired against, offering her not only freedom but also a new direction. He took out the formula on the business card and placed it on the table. It was now complete.
"How did you..."
Seeing the perfected formula, Maya was beyond shocked. She had been stumped by this problem for a decade; it was the entire reason she'd sought out Tony.
Could it be Tony? The thought arose and was just as quickly dismissed. Tony Stark, for all his flaws, had principles. Having witnessed the devastation caused by Extremis, he would never allow it back on the market.
Her mind spun, unable to find an answer. She looked at John. It could only be him. Who would have thought another super-genius was walking the earth?
John raised an eyebrow. "Look closely."
Following his instruction, Maya examined the formula again. Only then did she realize it hadn't just been completed; it had been fundamentally modified. She ran a mental simulation, her face shifting to confusion.
"Why... why is it like this?" she murmured.
The Extremis Virus was perfected, but it was also greatly weakened. Without running experiments, she couldn't know by how much, but it was far less potent than the original version.
"Do you want a weapon or a medicine that can heal people?" John said lightly. "I will give you enough power, and you need to use it to transform A.I.M. Technology. I'll have Helen work with you."
The healing power of the Extremis Virus could be repurposed as a revolutionary super-serum. John had nerfed the strength enhancement and eliminated the instability, turning it into a one-time healing panacea. A single capsule could allow a disabled person to regrow missing limbs.
"Isn't this what you've always wanted?" John's eyes were deep, seeing through her. "It's also what Taran Industries needs."
Superheroes meant constant disasters, and ordinary medicine couldn't keep up. Taran Industries already had the Regeneration Cradle; adding Healing Capsules would solidify its place as the largest medical enterprise in the country, and perhaps the world.
Maya Hansen felt dizzy. It seemed she had not only evaded prison but received a promotion. She needed to calm down, and turned to go back to the guest room for a nap.
John kicked her out.
"Report to the Taran Industries Medical Department. Tell Helen I sent you."
Maya glanced down at her long, bare legs, then up at the firmly closed door. For the first time in a long time, she felt her charm had utterly failed her.
"At least give me a pair of pants," she called out, realizing she wasn't wearing any under the oversized dress shirt.
The door opened. Maya thought she could go back in.
With a flick of John's wand, a pair of denim jeans materialized on her legs, clashing horribly with her top.
The door slammed shut again.
Maya's face was a mask of pure resentment.
***
John hadn't expected Wenwu to be a man of his word.
Just as he was contemplating whether to go prank Peter and educate Shang-Chi along the way, he received an invitation. Wenwu's voice, full of laughter, came through the phone. "I promised you a dance from the Mandarin, John."
Wenwu, having taken the actor Trevor Slattery, was now formally inviting John to the show.
Trevor was kneeling before Wenwu, sweating profusely as the fierce-looking members of the Ten Rings stared him down. He was terrified. Inch by inch, he tried to shuffle towards the door, but a single look from Razor Fist—a heated blade extending from his right hand—sent him scurrying back to his spot.
"Build him a stage," Wenwu said calmly. "I will give you time to rehearse. If you can make my friend laugh, you can keep your life."
Trevor nodded frantically, like he was pounding garlic with his head. He was an actor; acting was his specialty.
Wenwu walked out, his expression changing as he looked to the side. Xu Xialing, seeing her father, shrank back behind a corner like a frightened fawn. Wenwu caught a fleeting glimpse of a face so similar to his late wife's that, for a moment, he thought she had returned. But he knew it was just his imagination. He shook his head and walked on, not looking at his daughter again.
Xu Xialing waited, but her father never came for her. She stood there as the Man with the Tattoo walked past, his expression unreadable. He knew what kind of man his leader was and saw the tears on the young girl's face, but he only shook his head slightly. It wasn't his place to interfere.
They all left. And in that moment, Xu Xialing finally made up her mind.
She was leaving. Just like Shang-Chi.
***
During the long Christmas holiday, Shang-Chi had to study while also keeping up with his training. John was teaching him how to control the power within his body.
"Emotions," John explained, standing with Shang-Chi in a spacious room. "With magic, if you want to make people laugh, you must first understand laughter yourself. If you want to make them cry, you have to feel the sadness. And if you want to kill, your heart must be filled with enough murderous intent."
Shang-Chi listened carefully. He knew John was a magic user; he just never thought he would be one too. He sat cross-legged, holding his breath until his face turned red, but he couldn't feel the flow of magic.
Seeing this, John switched to his signature Wick-style training method: suppression and insults. He needed to build Shang-Chi's anger.
It worked. A punch, thrown with all his might, flew towards John's face. Wrapped in magic, it carried three times its normal force.
John nodded in approval. "Very good."
Shang-Chi stared silently at the faint shimmer of an Iron Armor Charm that had materialized in front of John's face. The force of the impact rebounded, shattering his right hand. His arm hung limply, his face a mask of shock.
"You can't expect me to just stand here and let you hit me," John said righteously.
You stand there provoking me, isn't that exactly what you wanted? Shang-Chi thought, just before he howled like a slaughtered pig.
John covered his mouth, first using a spell to extract the bone fragments, then pouring a bottle of special Skele-Gro down his throat. Produced by the Wizard King himself, one bottle was more potent than six.
Shang-Chi stopped moving, lying there with an expression of profound existential doubt.
"It seems the Skele-Gro really doesn't taste good," John noted.
Because of this little incident, Shang-Chi had a valid excuse to skip school for a few days. Peter and Ned came to visit, poking his now boneless, rubbery right hand with morbid curiosity. The strange sensation gave them goosebumps. John kindly asked if they wanted to try the feeling of being boneless themselves.
They were so scared they scrambled away.
John was smiling when Hattie called, and his good mood vanished.
"I remember I gave you a holiday, Hattie."
He was dragged back to the company. Looking at the mountain of documents waiting to be processed, John sighed deeply. "Can't you learn from Ferdinand? My own driver knows not to mention work when he's on vacation."
Hattie sneered. "A woman came by yesterday. Said you sent her."
Her expression was exactly like someone who had just caught their partner cheating.
(End of Chapter)
***
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