The Unknown Variable

IF YOU THINK I OWN ANYTHING YOU CAN GO TO HELL!

Thank you. :)

While, as I would learn later, Tony was off interrogating the whip guy, I was currently throwing up into the toilet in the lab back home.

Apparently the red drink Mortem had given me had side effects. Nausea, double vision, extreme exhaustion, disorientation and quite a few other things that were not pleasant when added to my poisoning symptoms.

This had been a long day, first, the SHIELD spy showed up, then the whole thing in Monaco, and now, I felt like complete and utter shit.

"Why did you have to give me that stupid drink!" I hissed at Mortem as he held back my hair.

You were contemplating chugging the blue one. Trust me, the side effects of that would have been worse. He signed as I tried not to vomit again.

"I can't see how." I stated weakly leaning over to toilet, my vision spinning and chest burning.

The other one would have resulted in spontaneous combustion. Mortem signed, causing me to pale before puking again.

My throat hurt, my head hurt, my chest really hurt, and I just wanted to sleep until Tony got home in two hours.

It was getting late here, but I didn't care. I wanted Dad home, and I wanted him home now.

We had talked once he had gotten on the jet home. He had asked me how I did that shock wave thing, and I really had no idea, while it was similar to the EMP pulse, it wasn't the same. I had no idea if I would (in different circumstances) be able to do it again.

The blood testing device, which had been in his pocket during the race, had been shot and no longer worked, so we couldn't know if using the suit had made him any worse, though I had a feeling it had.

However, we did discuss his newest testing from before the fight. 53%, before the suit use, was concerning. However, I hadn't tested my blood until after the fight, and it read 81%.

The lines were now steadily crawling up my neck, although they were making progress, it wasn't too fast.

I was thankful that my progress hadn't gotten that much worse, as I was pretty sure that if I hadn't used the suit, I would be in the 70's. But I was worried, because unless it slowed down, I only had a few days left.

The last thing I saw was Mortem's face close to mine as my vision faded to black, and I fell unconscious.

Tony's POV

I was really worried, Penny was getting extremely worse. I had talked to her for an hour before I told her to go to bed, though if the sound of her barfing in the background almost constantly was anything to go by, she wasn't.

I walked back out to the main part of the plane to see Pepper watching Stern's report about what happened. I turned it off, not wanting to hear him bashing me.

No one had even mentioned Penny, though one officer had asked me where she went. I told him I didn't know and the matter was dropped, just like that. Not another mention since.

I wondered if that was a subconscious power of hers, going unnoticed, though I dismissed it. Even if we could prove it, it didn't matter. What was the use anyway?

"Mute." I stated to the TV, tired of hearing the senator bashing me

"You should be giving me a medal." I stated as I placed the covered dish in front of Pepper. She looked at me in worry; the last time I had tried to cook I blew up the kitchen…that she knew of anyway. "It's the truth, I deserve one."

Penny had taught me a few basic cooking skills a few months ago…though she was barely better at it than I was; seeing that quite a few things exploded in her face as well.

I gave her a set of silverware as Pepper asked, "What is that?"

I gave her a light smile and replied, "This is your wonderful, inflight meal, compliments of Tony Stark." I said and lifted up the plate to reveal a light brown omelet.

The edges were slightly more cooked than I would have liked, and the mushrooms could have been cut smaller, but besides that, it was fine.

Pepper looked at it in shock, swallowing nervously. Last time she had tasted something I had cooked, she had food poisoning for a week.

"I tried one myself." I told her, trying to reassure her. "It's fine."

"Did you just…make that?" Pepper asked me in surprise. "Here, on the plane?"

"Yeah I did," I said, setting down the napkin I was still holding, "where do you think I've been for the past three hours?"

Technically, I had only been cooking one and a half. I was trying to make her some bacon along with the omelet, but that had been an epic failure. The rest of the time I had been talking to Penny and replacing my core.

"Tony," Pepper softly, "What are you not telling me?"

I sighed and looked out the window, I had been convincing myself for the past two hours to tell her. That was why I cooked her food, and that was why I was sitting in front of her now.

"I don't want to go home, at all. It's just not the…place…I want to be right now." I said slowly, if I was going to die…then I wanted to do it somewhere away from all of this…and…it would be nice to just be somewhere with Penny when we both passed. On a nice sunny beach or a warm mountain top somewhere.

"Let's cancel my birthday party I really don't feel like celebrating and…and ah…if we're in Europe, let's go to Venice, Cipriani…" I started; Pepper scoffed remembering the last time we were there.

"You remember?" I asked, although I knew she did. I didn't want to do anything wild this time. It was a beautiful place…the perfect place to…

"Oh yes." Pepper replied with a small nod and roll of her eyes.

"It's a great place to…to…" I couldn't say it…I just couldn't. I couldn't say aloud that I was dying. That Penny was dying…it would confirm it, especially to tell Pepper. "Be healthy...happy…"

I turned away from Pepper and gazed out the window. What had all of this been worth, if we were just doing to die in the end?

"Tony, I don't think this is the right time…we're in kind of a huge mess." Pepper stated. She didn't understand. No one did. I knew we were in a mess; I knew I was leaving Pepper a disaster to deal with. But she was the only one I trusted to clean up after me when I am gone.

"Yeah," I stated, turning my gaze back on my old PA, "but maybe that's why it's the best time to go."

These were our last few days, Penny and I. Why leave while stuck in such a mess? Why couldn't we escape reality for the last time, just Penny, Pepper and I. We could enjoy our time, have some fun; and my two girls might even fix their problems…if I was lucky.

"Well," Pepper stated, cutting off what else I was about to say, "I think, as the CEO I need to show up."

"As CEO you are entitled to….um…a leave every now and then." I stated, trying to get her to agree. I could always just go, just me and Penny, but I knew that Pepper would be furious at me, and I didn't want to leave on a bad note with her.

"A leave?" Pepper asked, surprised.

"A company retreat." I changed the words around; she had to agree to one: a leave, a retreat, a sabbatical, something…anything to get her to go with me…and Penny.

"A retreat?" Pepper repeated, looking at me strangely. She was trying to figure me out. But she wouldn't be able to do so on her own. "In the middle of a time like this?"

"Well, I'm just saying…to recharge our batteries, and…and figure it all out…tie up loose ends…things like that." I ended quietly, I could tell, with just a single glance, that she hadn't bought it. It wasn't going to work; it wasn't going to end in paradise.

"Not everyone runs on batteries, Tony." Pepper stated after a moment of silence. I glanced up at her for a moment, she offered me a small smile, but all I could do was look away in pain.

No, and now, neither did we.

And besides, it was a figure of speak.

Penny's POV

Tony had called me a few minutes ago, his plan had failed, he couldn't tell Pepper…and we weren't going anywhere.

I winced as I looked around the dark lab; I was sitting in my comfy chair my legs dangling over the arm rests.

So we were stuck here, for the rest of our lives…I was going to make the best of it.

Wincing in pain, my voice shaky I called up to the AI, "Jarvis, I want you to place an order."

I hadn't slept, at all; I wasn't even sure how much time had gone by. But Dad had come home, and with lights now hurting our eyes, I thought that it was time for some redecoration.

It had only taken forty minutes for the shipment to come in; it was only from the local Dollar Tree after all. I had bought their whole supply of glow sticks.

With U, Dummy, and Butterfingers help, who had been less destructive recently (I think on some level they knew something was wrong with us) I hung over one thousand glow sticks from the ceiling.

It created…a unique effect, a variety of colors suspended from the ceiling. Not one piece of string was the same length, some hung high, some low; and with the soft sound of my violin flowing through the air…it was an entirely different place.

It had surprised my father that I knew how to play. I hadn't planned on telling him, or even showing him my gift, but hey, it didn't really matter anymore.

I hummed to myself, keeping my mind off the pain as I rotated slowly to the music. The lab was filled with the soft, sorrowful sounds coming from the golden strings. It was so easy, to get lost in the music. To forget was what happening, how quickly everything was falling apart…how quickly life was fading.

Though I wanted to hide beneath a hologram, keep up the illusion we had painted that everything was okay, I knew it was far from being alright.

The black veins cover my neck and are starting to overtake my face as well. Who knew how it all would end, not in paradise, and hopefully not in pain.

I moved the bow in rhythm, there was no predetermined song, no lyrics to sing along to. It was simply a cord of notes that flowed into my mind…representing the time.

"Penny?"

I cracked open one eye at the sound of my father's voice. He was walking slowly into the lab, looking around at the mystical display the hundreds of hanging glow sticks created.

I drew out the last, deep cord. Music spoke so much, the whole world did, and yet, so many people missed it.

"Hi," I whispered as I lowered my bow and but down the violin.

"I didn't know you could play." Dad commented as he pulled his own chair next to mine.

"It was a newly discovered talent." I stated, my eyes drifting from dull light, to dull light. My chest was throbbing and my throat sore, but the pure tranquility of the moment helped me push that from my mind.

"You play wonderfully….did you do all of this?" Tony asked, glancing around the lab in surprise and light awe.

"Yes, just because we can't leave…doesn't mean we can't make this place our own paradise." I stated offering Tony a weak smile.

I was so tired, my bones felt like jelly and I was extremely fatigued.

"Our own little paradise," Dad stated gazing down at me sadly. "in the mists of hell. I like that idea."

"So do I Dad," I whispered as I struck up my bow once again. "So do I."

Okay, see! Penny isn't dead yet…yet….hehhe…that was just her final public act as Electra…it was funny seeing so many of you panic! Hehe XD

(sorry for getting this up later then usual, even if only by a few hours. I've been editing all day and forgot i hadn't posted the next chapter.)

After two days of being unable to write this chapter I think it came out extremely well…and sad.

Iron Man II is progressing quickly; I hope you all are enjoying it. (Iron Man II will have a lot less chapters then Iron Man I because there are less filter chapters and because of the time limit.)

Thanks to everyone and my Beta Expecto Prongs, along with my new Beta Aqua Are.

I now have two Beta's...I feel special. :)
Cp