The Unknown Variable

Cp states in a hyper happy, cheerful song:

I'm gonna kill Pe'enny, I'm gonna kill Pe'enny…there's nothing u can do to sto…p meee… you all will ha….te me. But I'm gonna kill Pennnnny! *evil grin*

** For disclaimer see any other chapter. :)

It was quite weird, when I allowed myself to stop and think about it…working with Death. But actually, another part of me was surprised at how, normal, it was. It turns out that Mortem liked ACDC just as much as I did, and there were no complaints when it blasted through the speakers.

It wasn't as loud as usual; I didn't want to disturb Pen even if Mortem assured me that it wouldn't….seeing that she was in coma.

With the Entity's…or whatever he is…help we managed to get the thing up a lot faster.

We used everything under the sun to hold up the atom accelerator that was now going through my lab. The accelerator was being held up by books, crates, boxes, my desk, chairs, an older motorcycle and many other things. It had only taken a few hours to put together.

I wasn't that surprised when Mortem vanished, and a few seconds later Coulson came down. Apparently, Mortem wasn't supposed to be interacting with the Mortal world all that much. But, hey, it wasn't my business.

But Coulson…he was my business.

I glanced at him and had Jarvis turn of the music as Coulson typed in the password and entered the lab.

"I hear you broke the perimeter." Coulson stated, and Dummy looked at him in curiosity.

I rolled my eye and continued to dig around my lab; I just needed one more thing to make it even…

"You weren't here to keep it." I stated without glancing at him. Penny was still one the couch, thought the large blanket was hiding her from sight. She wasn't doing well, and Mortem had confessed to me that she only had a few hours left.

That was why; I wanted Coulson to leave, so I could work in peace and NOT LOOSE MY DAUGHTER!

"And besides, that was like…forever ago. You're obviously out of the loop." I stated, with an eye roll.

Why couldn't he just leave? My daughter's life was hanging on the line here.

"I've been doing some stuff." Coulson stated as he walked farther into the lab, eyeing the pipe like things that were barely standing. A few of them were even hanging from the ceiling.

"Yeah, well so have I, and surprise, surprise it's working." I stated coldly as Coulson stepped a bit too close to where Penny was lying for my comfort.

"So any reason you decided to pop in now?" I asked, eyeing Coulson carefully. "Cause, if you haven't noticed, I'm a bit busy here."

I turned away as Coulson started digging through the crate. However, I turned back around when he said, "What's this doing here?"

I raised an eyebrow to see some decorate metal disk. I had no clue what it was, but it was perfect.

"That's it." I stated as he looked at me in confusion. "Bring it to me…it's exactly what I needed."

"You know what this is?" He asked me in surprise but brought it over.

"Nope, but it's what I need to make this work." I stated, popping the "p" and taking it from him.

It was weird, that was obvious, and I had to wonder for what reason it was made.

"Lift the coil up…come one, go!" I ordered, and Coulson, after giving me an annoyed and amused glance, complied.

He was barely able to lift it a few inches, and he was huffing the whole time, but I managed to slide the thing underneath it.

"Put your knees into it, come one Coulson…there yah go…" I stated as he lifted it up, and I slid it in place.

"Drop it…you can drop it now…" I told the agent, and he complied. I quickly measured it, and smiled in satisfactory, perfect.

"Perfectly level," I stated as I nodded to him in thanks. "Now, as I stated before. I'm busy so what do you want?"

"Nothing, goodbye." Coulson stated. "Director Fury wants me in New Mexico."

I raised my eyebrow…didn't Mortem say that New Mexico had been taken care of?

"Thought that mess was cleaned up down there." I stated, hoping he didn't push for my sources of information.

"How did you know about that?" he asked, gazing intently at me.

"I have my sources." I stated, "Hope you enjoy clean up duty…or secret stuff, which ever you like better."

I smirked as I noticed Coulson's eyebrow twitch but otherwise he maintained a blank expression. "Something like that." Coulson stated.

"Good luck," Coulson said as we shook hands. "We need you."

'Yeah' I thought as I gave him a small smile, "Bye, thanks….more then you know."

'And I need Penny.'

I turned back towards the coils as he added, "Perhaps not that much."

With me, no…but Penny…now that was something else entirely.

The lab was silent for a few moments, and I thought that Coulson had left, that was until I heard his voice say.

"What is this?"

I froze and spun around, only to see Coulson standing next to the couch, staring right at Penny.

'Damn' I thought as my face paled. The blanket must have shifted or Coulson was just really good. Either way…we were screwed.

"Would you believe a hologram?" I asked, half joking and half serious.

Coulson just glared at me, and I cursed, this was so not my day.

"So your telling me that Telnets…Penny…is your secret daughter, is Electra, also has an Arc in her chest but from before Afghanistan, and that she only has a few hours to live?" Coulson asked me in a stupor.

I hadn't wanted to answer his questions, but he wouldn't let it go. He knew Penny, and was obviously fond of her, for he had laid into me relentlessly until I had explained...almost…everything.

"Yes." I stated with a sigh, rubbing my temples.

"You lied to Fury, on two different accounts." Coulson continued.

"Yes," I sighed.

"Withheld valuable information, and put an underage child at risk." Coulson stated.

"Yes…well sorta. Pen's been emancipated. But that's not the point, you can't tell anyone!" I stated desperately, I couldn't have everything else fall apart, just when things were starting to look brighter.

"I was ordered to report any significant information regarding your health, Iron Man, or anything that could jeopardize this nation." Coulson stated and I hung my head in defeat. I had sat down onto the couch half way into the explanation, when I realized that the cat was out of the bag.

I ran my fingers slowly threw Pen's hair, glad that Mortem had been able to get her out of her suit. (I did not want to think about that for a period of time…or things might just start breaking.)

Her breathing was getting shorter, and I knew her limited time was slipping away. If only there was a way to fix it all, get everything back on track, I would do it.

I would do anything for her.

"I don't see anything that falls in that category do you Mr. Stark?" Coulson asked and I snapped my head up so quickly it hurt.

There was a small smile on Coulson's face and a large relived one appeared on mine as I said, "Nope, not at all."

Oh, how I loved loopholes…and plausible deniability.

"I'm glad we are in agreement then." Coulson stated as he stood up, giving Penny a worried look he reached into his pocket and pulled out another syringe full of whatever SHIELD had given me.

"It seems that I've missed placed it." Coulson stated, dropping it onto the couch.

"Lucky me." I stated before injecting it into her neck. The reaction was instantaneous, the lines started to reseed, and her breathing deepened, but she didn't wake.

"It won't do much good." Coulson stated, "Better get back to work."

"Thank you." I stated sincerely, I would never forget this.

"Good luck." Coulson stated as I stood, and he made his way to the door.

"Oh, and Mr. Stark." I turned back around and saw Coulson smiling at me. "Its Phil. Take care of her."

I nodded and replied, "Tony then, and I will."

I sighed as I got back to work. I had work to do and my daughter to save.

Mortem hadn't shown back up until about a half hour later, when the whole thing was done and ready to go.

"Initializing prismatic accelerator." Jarvis stated as the lights turned off and the machine whirled to life, emitting a blue glow.

I tried to turn the wheel that shifted the prism as Jarvis stated, "Approaching maximum power."

But it was no use, it wouldn't budge, I grabbed the large wrench that was sitting next to me, and using that to grip the wheel, I slowly started to turn it.

The beam the prism emitted was bright blue, thin, and a highly concentrated laser. Because it had to work its way towards the new core placement, the walls and shelves between that and the core were seared and sliced in half.

"Whoops…Pepper won't be happy." I stated as I destroyed my lab for the umpteenth time.

The coils started to shake and I tried to keep the beam steady as I directed it towards the core. Finally, after cutting in half two shelves and a cabinet, it hit the first center device, soon, that core was charged up, so I moved on to the second one, slicing the wall in-between them.

I cut off the accelerator as the second core shined brightly. A smile split across my face as I stated happily.

"That wasn't so hard."

I ducked under the coil and approached the two new shinning triangles, one for me, and one for Pen.

Taking a pair of tweezers, I pulled out the first triangle, and slipped it into a redesigned Arc for Penny. I then pulled out the second one and slid it into my own new Reactor.

"Congratulations, sir." Jarvis stated as I slipped the core into Pen's Arc. "You have created a new element."

Now this, I should get an award for.

"Sir, the reactors have accepted the modified cores." Jarvis stated as both of the new Arc lit up. "I will begin running diagnostics."

I scowled, that would take too long. "Jar, run them on mine, I need to get this into Pen now."

"Sir, we are dealing with the complete unknown here…may I suggest…" Jarvis protested.

"Pen doesn't have the time Jar, I doing this now." I stated as I picked up her new Core and approached her.

I knew something was wrong by the way Mortem looked at me, and the way that Penny's chest refused to move.

"No," I whispered to myself as I fell to my knees beside her. I was quick to pull down her tank top and remove the old Core which was fluttering and losing power. The lines were everywhere, crawling along every inch of her white skin.

"No," I whispered to myself, not letting myself believe it. I plugged in the new Reactor, but it did nothing. I checked for a pulse but didn't find one.

"No!" I shouted as I tried CPR, it had been years since I had learned this… "Come on Pen…come on!"

"Come on baby…please wake up…please…" I stated as tears sprang to my eyes. No, this couldn't be true. I had fixed it…I had solved it…she…couldn't have…she can't be…

A cold hand gripped my shoulder and I spun around to see Mortem standing there sadly, a golden orb in his hand.

My eyes widened as I realized what he was doing, he couldn't take her…not now…

"Please," I whispered staring at the figure of death.

"I am sorry," A soft but cold voice drifted through my mind.

"Take me instead." I pleaded with him, Penny was my life. Penny was everything to me…this couldn't be happening….

"That's not how it works. Your time has not yet come." Mortem stated sadly, and try as I might, I couldn't be mad at him. Not after everything he said he had done, and how he had been helping me. He had obviously cared for my daughter, no matter how much I didn't want to think about it.

"I am sorry." He stated sincerely before vanishing, taking my daughter's soul along with him.

Heheh…I am so evil! *evil grin* I started crying writing this…almost... sorta...Oh well, hope you are enjoying this. There is a lot more to come, this is not over yet, so DON'T DITCH ME!

(hope the scene with coulson was realistic. I've always liked him...more and more people are finding out.) *knowing smirk*

Thanks to everyone, and both of my betas.
Cp