Infinity

Chapter 27

Tony's POV

After the disastrous events of my birthday party last night, I desperately needed a donut, which is how I found myself sitting inside the giant donut in the early hours on the morning still wearing my suit.

Though the events of how Rhodey took my suit wasn't ideal, I am glad that he has it. I will never admit it, but I let him take my suit. Someone should have it after I'm dead and I'd much rather it be him than anyone else.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to exit the donut." I look down slightly annoyed and the see all mysterious Nick Fury. I look over the tops of my sunglasses to make sure its him. Yep, I wonder what the hell he wants. I finish my last donut before flying down and walking into the small donut shop and sitting down. I am not in the mood for a conversation with the super spy. Honestly, I feel miserable.

I sit down across from him and place my head on my hand. "I told you I don't want to join your super secret boy band."

He just laughed in amused. "No, no I remember you do everything yourself. How's that working out for you?"

I sit up and he takes a drink of his coffee. "Its its its" I bring my cup to my lips but change my mind and set it back down. "I'm sorry I don't want to get off on the wrong foot here. Do I look at the patch or the eye?" There was a slight pause before I continue. "Honestly, I'm a bit hung over and I'm not sure if your real or if I mean..."

He interrupts me and leans in getting all serious. Well, more serious. Honestly, I don't think this guy has an off switch for the seriousness levels. "I am very real. I'm the realest person your ever gonna meet."

Honestly, I'm not amused or in the mood for this. I only have a short amount of time left and I've already done what I do best. Piss everyone that I care about off.

"Just my luck." I then notice that there is literally no one around, which I'm guessing is his doing. "Where's the staff here." I look over to the left exposing my neck. The man reaches over and touches my neck.

"That's not looking to good" I grab my cup and go to take a drink.

"Been worse."

Speechless for 2 full seconds, that is what I am when Natalie Rushman walks up to our table wearing some form of black unitard. "We've secured the perimeter, but I don't think we should hold it too much longer."

I look at her over my sunglasses. "Huh. Your fired."

She just looks all cocky standing there. "That's not up to you." She slides into the booth next to Fury.

"Tony, I want you to meet Agent Romanoff."

"Hi" I deadpan. "I'm a SHIELD shadow and once we knew you were ill, I was tasked to watch you by Director Fury."

I lean my head forward on my left hand. My head hurts to much for all this. "I suggest you apologize."

Fury leans forward. "You've been very busy. You've made your best friend CEO. You've given away all your stuff. You let your friend fly away with your suit. Now, if I didn't know better."

I stop him here and sit up straight. "You don't know better I didn't give it to him he took it."

Fury interrupts me now and his voice fanes disbelief. "Woah woah woah. Now, he took it. Your Iron Man and he just took it. The little brother walked in there kicked your ass and took your suit. Is that possible?"

For that last bit he turned to the woman who is not Natalie Rushman. "Well, according to Mr. Stark's database security guidelines there are redundancies against an unauthorized usage."

Huh. This lady really has been everywhere. "What do you want from me?" Fury doesn't seem amused.

"What do we want from you?" He shakes his head, and the imposter gets up and walks off somewhere. "What do you want from me? You have become a problem. A problem I have to deal with. Contrary to your belief, you are not the center of my universe."

"Yeah yeah"

I start to interrupt but he just continues over me. "I have bigger problems to deal with in the southwest region to deal with." He them snaps. "Hit him."

A sharp pain hits me in the neck and spreads to my chest before dissipating. "Yah! Oh!" I sit up so fast but once the pain is gone, I start to feel less cloudy in my head. "God, are you going to take my kidney and sell it? Would you please not do anything awful for five seconds." I turn back to Fury "What did she just do to me?"

Fury looks me dead in the eyes and his tone softens as much as his tone can for a super spy. "What did we just do for you. That's lithium dioxide a friend figured out that it'll take the edge off. We're trying to get you back to work and with a little help hopefully solve the riddle of your heart."

I just sign. Why didn't I think of that? "Give me a couple of boxes of that and I'll be right as rain."

It's the imposter who speaks next. "Its not a cure it just abates the symptoms."

Fury leans in even closer. "It doesn't look like its going to be an easy fix."

This frustrates me a bit. "Trust me I know I'm good at this stuff. I've been looking for a suitable replacement for palladium. I've tried every combination, every permutation of every known element."

Fury seemed unphased by my words. "Well, I'm here to tell you that you haven't tried them all."

At this both him and not Natalie stands up. He turns to her. "Is our friend ready?"

The lady nods. "She should be arriving at the mansion and overseeing the delivery of the packages. I've even pulled some strings and had the notebooks delivered."

"I'm sorry but who is this friend and what are they doing at my house?"

Fury faces me. "You have an ally Mr. Stark. One with a unique perspective on the situation and she has been trying to figure out the problem of your heart for some time now. Maybe between the two of you, you can solve the problem together."