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Chapter 15: Adding fuel to the fire
Alan was having the longest and most stressful first day of work ever known to humankind. Fury's eye was fixated on his Hawaiian shirt instead of his screen. He knew he could be more comfortable here than out in undercover ops and he couldn't afford to screw this one up.
"What do we know so far Dr. Hoban?" Bruce was there as well. Alan was slightly scared of this seemingly harmless scientist. He'd seen what the other guy was capable of doing and couldn't help trying to be extra nice to him which, he noticed, had the opposite effect on Banner.
"This is advanced nanotechnology. For what I could figure out so far is telling the brain how to recreate organs from scratch. Must've taken years to develop this kind of mapping. In theory it can be the solution for every person needing a transplant"
"But?"
"As far as we know it was only tested in one person. It may have been a happy coincidence, for what I could've figured out so far is responding to a specific gene type"
"English?"
"It may not work on large scale. I'd need to recreate it and test it with other blood samples, other gene combinations" Fury nodded to both and took off. "You want to test it on other people?"
"No, I just wanted clearance for genetic testing. We'll recreate it with the AI. Maybe it could help your… condition" Bruce sighed "We'll see. What's with Penny?"
"Oh well, she hasn't left her office since she talked to you. If I know those puckered brows, you may want to avoid going in there for a while. Oh great." Bruce turned around to check what Alan had just seen. A guy that's a regular in the training room. Average height, large back, brunette, big smile, Charming. One of the fake-Captain Americas.
Alan got back to his office and turned around "Dr. Banner, could you let me know when Stark is around? I'm gonna need a new sample from him" Bruce frowned "The one he sent before? Old. Has the exact same values than the last one we had analyzed."
"You don't think…?"
"I hope not" Bruce nodded and stayed around working in his pad and looking at Penny's office from time to time. She seemed to know this guy, to be comfortable around him. Goofy but not flirty. He hoped Steve wouldn't show up, because he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
He went back to his own screen. His stats weren't good, he was losing control more and more often and the cocktails they've been trying weren't working. He went back to his own formula, the one that could hopefully keep the other guy at bay. But what if he couldn't? What if the other guy was more powerful than him inside? What about all his anger? His rage? That was his and his alone. Yes, he was better at aiming it, but it was still there, waiting to make a mess out of everything. His heart rate monitor wrist started beeping. He needed to calm down, he couldn't get agitated by just thinking about this.
Penny knocked on their shared glass wall and curved her eyebrow while doing thumb up/down with her right hand. She seemed to have very good hearing today. Or his heart rate wrist band was beeping somewhere in her office. Maybe the PC, or whomever was on the other side of her Bluetooth at all times was monitoring him.
He did a thumbs up, to which she nodded and went back to paying attention to the guy in front of her. "So you're filling in for Bruce?"
The guy nodded. "So, I wanted to talk to you about something"
"No way"
"C'mon birdie"
"You're not gonna "birdie" yourself out of this one Mister. Give me your arm, c'mon" she took his little flask of blood and set it with the rest. She started reading from her screen. "Don't get shot out there, okay?"
He half smiled "You think someone would care?"
"Oh yes, definitely." The loud noises coming from the elevator could only mean one thing: Stark was back to get his suit. But Hoban got in his way.
"Doctor, I already told you, call my assistant for an autograph"
"I need another blood sample Stark" She lifted and eyebrow and both her and the guy got out off her office to back Hoban up. Stark had a humorous look upon him "Please, didn't Little Miss Sunshine already leave mine earlier?"
"It's old. I need a new one."
"Well, I'm short of time. Got a date with bad guys! Excuse me" Hoban stopped him "Blood first, suit second" Stark admired his bravery but thought of it foolish. He was Iron Man, suit or not suit.
"I don't think the Cap'd be happy if I'm late."
"I'm sure Rogers won't have a problem Tony, c'mon, give them the sample" Bruce trying to intervene, as always.
"You're taking his side? I thought I meant something to you" Mark and Penny shared a look and then looked at Hoban. He was too close to snapping. 3, 2, 1.
"Ok, that's it. I've had a really long and stressful first day at work and I don't care who you think you are, I need your blood sample. Are you going to cooperate or will we have to do this the hard way?"
Bruce repressed a giggle when he realized no one else found it funny. "C'mon doc, relax. Want me to get you a drink? Fury has a really good stock in his office. My treat" Hoban was dead serious "You won't leave the premises until I get that sample Stark" He looked passed Hoban to Penny.
"Ok, then. Blondie, go tell Fury he's one Iron Man short for the operation" she always appreciated an opportunity to make him feel… well, common.
"No problem, he has Lt. Rhodes' number on speed dial. Sure Air Force support will be of great help" She was wearing those evil heels again, clearly. She came a bit closer to Hoban and Tony, "I need a drink, excuse me doctors"
Tony attempted to walk away but found himself face down with his arms on his back and a pounding pain in his left eyebrow from the fall. Hoban's weight was holding him down "For the record, I asked nicely" he took a syringe from his pocket and asked Penny to help holding Stark's arm down while he got the sample. "There, Want a candy?"
"Make it a double" Alan tossed the flask to Penny who half smiled at his boldness, then he extended his hand to help Tony up and he accepted it. "You need to teach me what you just did there. I'd like to try it on Romanoff later" Hoban was back to being a fan girl "Dr. Wyatt had a pretty good stock here too, come this way Tony. Is it okay if I call you Tony?"
Stark looked at Penny "I like this guy already" and then disappeared into his office at the corner.
Mark whispered in her ear "Lucky bastard" but she wasn't impressed, quite the contrary. She didn't realize she was being too loud "You had your chance and blew it. Now zip it. Talk to the hand" something in her ear called her attention "Say that again"
"I need your help to fix this!" she looked at him annoyed "Not you Mark! Can you get Romanoff here please?" He nodded and took off. He knew how to pick his fights.
She talked slowly to her ear piece "Are you sure?" Brandon's voice took her whispering tone "Yes Dr. P, I run them twice"
When she was going back into her office, she saw Steve near the elevators on the other side. No idea how long he'd been there but he was walking away. "Send them to the Pad, delete them from the main database"
"Wouldn't that be against regulations Dr. P?"
"So are you Brandon, please do it"
She managed to catch up with Steve's pace near the stairs "Hey you! What is it? Are you feeling worse?"
"No, I'm better. I didn't want to bother you when you're with your… friend."
"You with the pauses too. What's going on?" He clenched his teeth and looked at her. That anger kept multiplying. He wonder if Bruce's condition could be contagious all of the sudden. "You just seem to be friendly with a lot of people lately"
"A lot? A lot? That's just Mark, we were in training together back in the day. What is it?" he had dark circles around his blue eyes. She grabbed him by the arm and moved closer to the backstairs "You can tell me what's bugging you, c'mon, we're friends"
He got his arm loosen from hers "Are we now?" She looked at him with an unreadable expression "Are you jealous of him? Is that it?"
"You keep saying you're my friend but until last night I had NO idea you and Barton were married. That's important, don't you think?"
"Divorced. We're divorced" She was going to keep on explaining but he raised his voice and kept on ranting, way too loud for it to be a private talk anymore "Furthermore, You were held captive? Ever cared to mention that? Or that you can't take certain medication because they make you seizure and go into a comma!?" She stood on dry and took a step back from him.
"Sure, it's a great conversation starter. You know what? Bruce is right. I explain myself too much around you two. Fuck this. Have a nice day Captain Asshole, don't let the door hit you on the way out!"
She stormed to her office and shaded all the glass walls, including the shared one with Bruce.
Bruce and Steve shared a look from the distance. He was feeling guilty and angry and Bruce's looks weren't helping. He took off through the stairs, and loud thuds against the stairs' walls made it clear he was as mad as she seemed.
Tony pored more whisky in his glass "That went well I think"
Bruce headed to her office but Alan stopped him "Don't. Give her some time" Her door opened again soon enough and she stormed off, eyes reddened, ignoring them entirely.
Stark took a deep breath and pointed at the stairs and Penny's office while holding the glass "How long has been this going on?" Bruce tried and played dumb looking away and cleaning his glasses with his sleeve.
"Oh, I see. You have new playmates. Fine, be that way. I'll figure it out"
