March 31, 2014

"You know, when you said 'bus' I knew you didn't mean a Volkswagen. I didn't quite expect a B-52. How do you hide this thing?"

Phil resisted the urge to rub his temples. Stark, just...stop. "How did I get you here without anyone from the media noticing?" He shot back.

Stark appeared to consider it for half a second. "Touche." He recovered. "Not that I don't love seeing your new digs, but why am I here and why is here," he looked around exaggeratedly, "Canada? Canada, really? Moose aren't really my thing."

Phil counted backwards from five to regain some patience. Interactions with Tony Stark usually required more than that, but his team was due back soon and he wanted this meeting private. He couldn't afford more than a 5 second breathing exercise. "I need a second opinion."

Tony, recognizing that there was more seriousness in Phil's face than was usual, grew concerned. "Sure. On what?"

Phil handed him a file and a small case. "I need you to run a sample of my blood."

Tony's eyes flicked from the file to Phil. "Does Laura…?"

Phil cut him off. "Laura doesn't know anything. I don't even really know. I found…" He shook his head. "It's classified. But I just need you to run the sample and compare it to what my medical specialist found. The report's in the file."

Stark tucked the package under his arm as he flipped through the folder. "I might need to bring Bruce in on this. As much as it pains me to say, I may be a genius, but he's the doctor."

"Tony, this isn't to go beyond the two of you. You can't tell Barton or Romanoff, not Steve Rogers, and under no circumstances are you to tell Laura."

"Phil, whatever this is, she has a right to know!" he protested.

The agent was firm. "You are not to tell her."

"Jesusfuck, Phil, she's you're wife!"

"Did you tell Pepper when you were dying from the plutonium?" Phil countered, jaw firm and eyes hard.

Tony froze at that. "Are you?"

Phil exhaled through his nose. "I don't know."

The genius rubbed his face tiredly with his free hand. "Bruce and I will run the tests for you. He'll respect your right to privacy. I don't like it."

"Frankly, I don't really care-"

Tony spoke over him. "I don't like it. She's almost lost you twice already. If you're actually dying, you better tell her. Or I will."

Phil sighed. If it was the only way to get the man to agree… "Fine."