The Irony of it All

40

Unfortunately for Peter, the mission did not go much further for him. He had to be home before Aunt May returned from her date, and if the FBI came to question Mr. Stark about the missing vials, Tony didn't want him anywhere near Ross. He understood why he wasn't being included, but that didn't mean he didn't feel a bit left out. Plus, he really did want to see how whoever's blood that was would help Hawkeye. And an even bigger plus, what if that was Captain America's blood?! I mean, meeting Cap and stealing his shield was well enough, but looking at the Erskine serum under a microscope?! Well that was any teen's dream! Okay, maybe just Peter and Ned's.

        But either way, Peter was dropped off at his apartment in Queens, and Mr. Stark disappeared into the night without a trace to go and, hopefully, find the missing piece to this puzzle. That was what Tony was doing now as he walked back into his lab, three hours after he'd left.

         "Where have you been?!" Pepper asked. Oh, she was angry, Tony acknowledged in his head. Her voice, though quiet, was sharp as a knife. "We have been waiting for you! You walked out, not telling us where you're headed, and then you just waltz back in here as if you haven't been missing for over three hours, not answering your phone?!"

           "I told you I was making a house call."

          "You say that like that explains everything."

          "I needed a favor."
        
         She took a deep breath, calming herself. She was still angry with him, but yelling at Tony rarely brought along any viable results. "Well did you get what you needed?" He answered by simply holding up one of the vials Peter had taken from the Bureau. She squinted, her face frowning a bit in disgust as she examined the contents of the clear tube. "Is that blood?" She asked, her tone  confirming what her face was portraying. Disgust and confusion.

         "I need to go to the lab and test it," he said, swerving around her. She followed.

          "Can you use it to save Clint?"

          "I'm hopeful, but not exactly confident."

          "Should I tell Laura?"

          He walked into his lab, thankful that it was devoid of other human beings. He sighed softly and turning to Pepper said, "I really don't want to get her hopes up and then have to be the one to tell her that her husband is going to die because my desperate grasp of a theory didn't work out...so, until I'm sure...either way...keep this to between you and me?"

        She nodded solemnly then took his arm. "If there's a way to save him, I know you'll find it. But if there isn't, try to not take the blame." 

          "I won't." She gave him a knowing look.

           "I know you, Tony. I'm just reminding you that while the Avengers may be brilliant geniuses, have cool tech, badass skills, and superpowers, you guys aren't gods."

            "Uh Thor…"

            "Is an alien," she interrupted. "Who has superpowers like hundreds of other people and is admired for them, sometimes in inappropriate ways.

            "Heh well don't tell him that."

           She gave him a warning look to let her finish. "Good things don't always take place because one of you had something to do with it. That means that most bad things are out of your hands too. Just do everything you can, family recognizes when you do your best, and then they cover the rest."

           She smiled and her soft, short, but firm speech reassured him. She turned and walked out of the lab and he looked down at the vial in his hand. Pepper was always right. Even though not blaming himself was easier said than done, he knew she had a point. Pointing fingers didn't change anything that had or would happen. He needed to focus on the now, rather than the past and future.

        "Friday."

        "Yes Boss?"
      
        "Lock the lab. We've got work to do." He pulled on some latex gloves, a pair of safety goggles, and a disposable mask as he prepared to test the biohazardous sample.

      "Oh, Friday? Play my theme music."

     "Rock and Roll" by Led Zeppelin blared over the speakers. The first step was to test if the sample had the qualities to cure Barton. If it didn't then all of this was for nothing. He had Friday run two different tests. While his technology ran the tests, he kept himself busy, calculating the best way to create an antidote if the sample did in fact have the qualities.

       After four Led Zeppelin songs had played through, the music faded away. "Boss, the tests are completed."

      "Thanks Friday. Send the results over to the desk." He took off his gloves, mask, and goggles. The tension that had disappeared was now back full force. He was so hopeful that the results would be positive. But hope wasn't enough to reassure his nerves. When thinking about it hypothetically, it seemed like such good odds, but now the results were in. And as soon as he opened them, it was out of his hands. Who was he kidding, it was always out of his hands, he scolded himself. And procrastinating wouldn't change the results. He huffed and swiped his holographic screen before he could overthink this more. He squinted. When had he gotten so old that words got blurry now at certain distances?

Erskine serum: POSITIVE

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin: POSITIVE

Tony screamed in elation.

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