Unexpected

Sneaking Through the Labyrinth

"Make another sound and I swear you'll regret it." I hissed into his ear, snatching at the collar of his lab coat and shoving him back into the laboratory, closing the door firmly behind us.

The man scrambled away from me as I released him from my grip. I inspected the room quickly, noting the table I had been tied down too, the zapping, broken equipment, the few, sets of random looking cabinets and tables of miscellaneous equipment and odd and ends, including my bag of belongings which was haphazardly scattered on one table top, and the tiny windows high up on the walls letting in warm natural light. We were definitely in a basement. Where to go from here? I tapped my foot, unable to hold still as I tried to make a plan, letting my eyes float back to the other scientist. He was still lying there. A terrible thought occurred to me as I gingerly moved closer to him. I'd hit him hard with a lot of energy. I was strong. Strong enough to throw him like a rag doll into that table, to break bone and smash his skull... He was alive wasn't he? I hadn't... had I?

I stared at his chest.

It rose ever so slightly before it dropped again.

Thank heaven!

He wasn't glowing anymore. How had he done that? Was he like me with some innate ability or had the think tank or the Mandarin done something to him?

"What's wrong with him?" I turned to face the cowering scientist as he stumbled further away from me into the room, his hands floundering against the wall.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong with him? Why'd he glow like that?"

"Extremis." Was all he managed to spit out.

"That's Extremis?" I felt sick. What were they turning people into here? No wonder the Mandarin was interested in Killian's think tank. AIM was turning humans into weapons. Soon his bombs could be replaced with these people who glowed red like lava beings. I needed to contact S.H.I.E.L.D. about this! Warn them! Tell them where I am, what happened to Pepper and I...

"Where are we?" I started interrogating him. "Is this the Mandarin's headquarters?"

"Y-yes. It's in some mansion in Miami!"

We were still in Miami. Good to know. I took another step towards him, "Where's Pepper Potts?"

"Who?"

"Pepper Potts!" I shouted, "CEO of Stark Industries! She was kidnapped by Aldrich Killian! Where are they keeping her? What are they doing to her?"

"Don't hurt me!" he squeaked backing up more. It almost hurt to see someone look at me like this, like I was something terrifying, but at the same time I knew that he should fear me. I just knocked out his steroidal glowing friend. I had the strength of a super soldier and the energy of a half dozen Tasers to back up the angry fire behind my own eyes. I'd use his fear to get the answers I needed.

I grabbed the front of his shirt, unintentionally tearing it a bit, sending buttons to fly off and patter to the cement floor. "Then answer me!"

"I don't know any Pepper Potts! I swear!"

"Where's the Mandarin?" I growled, not letting up.

"I don't know!"

"You work for him! You work for him and Killian!"

"I'm just a lab tech! A biologist! I work for a think tank; I don't know anything about the Mandarin!"

I pulled back, shushing him, "Then you're useless to me."