Avengers: Altruism [N. Romanoff]

17. Showman

CHAPTER 17
Showman

Tony's hand was stuck out the car window, playing with the wind as the two drove home after a long lunch. Claire's eyes would dart between him and the road continuously, a frown rested softly on her lips. He was slouching in the seat, and it wasn't just his attitude, lately he had been really off with those around him, living his life like it was a candle stick about to be blown out.

His left hand raised a protein shack to his lips, taking his hundredth sip that day. She was concerned, something was happening to her friend, the arrogance was bound to get him into trouble, especially after what they had spoken about that had happened in Monaco. This Electric Man wasn't just anybody, he was a revengeful somebody. He had motives, although they didn't understand quite what those motives were just yet. Claire's biggest fear was having Tony going through another Afghanistan moment. The men who bought the weapons, wanting to kill Tony, the creator, with them.

It seemed the population of the world believed Tony reaped war instead of ceased it, and no one seemed to be looking from the inside where his friends can see his true self shine. This was a man who will always love the people around him, regardless if the genius has somehow forgotten your birthday for the second year in a row.

"You ever think what the world would be like if everyone just lived in... peace?" Claire asked out of the blue, turning her blinkers on as she came to a stop at the traffic light.

"Excuse me?" Tony turned his attention away from the wind, and to her.

"Like, if Iron Man wasn't needed, if the military wasn't needed. Where would I be, where would you be?"

"That wouldn't happen," he deadpanned the news to her, forcing reality of life, "And there aren't any 'but if's, even if this world was peaceful, maybe there are other worlds that aren't."

"You believe in other worlds?" she pulled off, giving a small grin as she listened to Tony speak on about the possibility of alien life. After all, to quote him, 'there are billions of stars, each with who knows how many planets. There's gotta be life on one, even if it's more stupid plankton'.

"Okay, well, what if we never met?" she asked him her next question.

"I think I'd be a little less sane, and you a little more."

Claire laughed along with him, but the laughter died as Tony coughed his entire breath away. His eyes watered, and he looked to the road to avoid her staring gaze.

"You're not doing too well, are you? Are you getting enough sleep?" she asked him, moving on with her worry. She wanted to reach out to him, find out what he's been hiding, confide in him with a conversation she held with a ghost earlier today.

"I'm sleeping, don't worry. There's only one life, I'm intending on living mine as much as I can."

"Those are very precise words, Tones. Is there anything I should know? That you want to inform me about?"