Rhodes and Tony!... Aaaand busted!

I went inside and was immediately assaulted by loud music. Damn, if the house wasn't soundproof, I swear it would be audible for kilometer's. I saw Tony breaking bottles with repulors, completely drunk. Damn Nat, feeding his mind with idiotic ideas. I saw Happy standing somewhat behind so sneaked up on him.

"What are you doing standing alone?" I asked scaring the crap out of him. He turned alarmingly, but his face converted into one of annoyance seeing me.

"Damn it Alex, how many times have I told you not to sneak up on me. On that note, who even taught you to do that?" he asked.

"Why you are looking at him yourself." I said spreading my arms, getting a deadpan face from him. Suddenly Rhodes came in wearing his own suit and said, "I'm gonna say this one last time. Get out of the suit.", which Tony being tony ignored. And they started duking it out.

"Get them out of here." I told Happy pointing at the guests, and he immediately rushed to them.. Soon everyone started rushing out, seeing the battle was dangerous. Rhodey knocked Tony out but was going to continue punching him, but I caught his arm. "Stop it Rhodes, that's enough!".

He was surprised seeing I caught the arm but said nothing and stood up. I went to check on Tony, when he said, "You should leave him Alex, it's pointless. He's lost it."

"No he hasn't. You don't understand why he did this." I said with some anger. He was surprised as he had never seen me angry.

"Why in the right mind would he even do this all?" He asked looking at the broken house.

"Because he's dying" I said putting him in silence. It's true. Tony may act like an idiot, but he's just that smart.

"What? How?" Rhodes asked in surprise. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"It's the Arc reactor" I said taking Tony out of his suit. "The thing keeping him alive is also killing him. It's core is spreading inside him, like a poison." I said, picking Tony up.

He looked down in guilt. He never realized what his friend is going through.

"Is that why he did this? Setting up a show?" He asked me after I laid Tony on the sofa.

"Yes, Don't you find the suit oddly fitting." I asked, and his eyes widened in realization.

'He's right, it's like it's made for me.' Rhodes thought.

"He could never trust the military with this. He needed someone he can trust. that's why he made this, for you to take it up." I told him." Take the suit and go, but make sure the reactor stays out of their hands." I said, getting a nod from him. After that, he flew off.

I went to the kitchen to get a glass, and put the potion in it. It looks just like water, so he won't find it out. I took the glass and got back to the living room, only to find him awake staring at the ceiling.

" Got a sudden crush on ceilings now?" I asked. He finally noticed me coming and had a complicated face. "You still here?" he asked me.

"Cut the crap Tony, I know why you acted like this." I said. "How serious is it now?" I asked.

"What are-", I interrupted him in a loud voice. "How.Serious.is.it?" I asked glaring at him.

He looked at me and sighed"67% when I last checked." I just handed him the glass and said "Rest up today. I know you have tried everything, but I think there is more."

"Wait what are you talking about?" He asked. "For now rest and get over the hangover. We'll talk tomorrow." I said.

"Fine Mom" he said grunting and drank the water. I just snorted and threw the blanket I bought. I silently put him to sleep before the potion erases the hangover and went away. What I forgot was the fact that there was no way Tony won't try to find how he got cured.

'*sigh* I need to vent my anger.'

'If that's the case, then there is an robbery commencing in a bank in Brooklyn, and none of the spider's are around' Oracle told me.

"Perfect" I said and opened a portal in front of my car driving it in.

*Next Day*

*Tony's POV*

Tony woke up from the sunlight shining over his face. He sat up and found himself on sofa. He looked around the rubble of his house with a complicated face. Remembering what he did, angering Pepper, fighting Rhodey. *sigh* He has to say sorry to Pepper as well. He went toward the washroom but stopped midway. He felt.. healthy? Tony's eyes focused snapping out of drowsiness and rushed to the basement. He went in and found his palladium percentage 0.5. How? It doesn't make any sense. He started brainstorming and said, "Jarvis, pull out everything I did last day."

'At once sir.' He said, pulling out all footage of yesterday.

"Good now sort them out where I ingested something and make a list." Tony said and looking at yesterday's footage while Jarvis started compiling. He looked at yesterday's battle with a solemn expression but was shocked to see Alex explain his plan to Rhodey. 'This kid, he really sees through everything.' He thought with a smile. He saw him put himself on the sofa and go to the Kitchen to fetch water.

"Sir, I have done compiling" Jarvis said.

"Good, look for something I don't usually drink or eat." He said looking at what Jarvis gave him.

Just after five seconds, Jarvis replied "Sir, there is only one thing you drank that you don't normally drink"

Tony's raised his eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"

"Water." Jarvis replied, turning Tony's mind blank. 'Did he just make a joke?' he thought.

"What I mean is sir, you drank a glass of water outside of your current storage, Including the home and Office." Jarvis replied correcting himself.

"Show me". Tony said.

Jarvis showed him the footage of Alex going into the kitchen and get a glass... and when he turned around, it was already filled?

Tony couldn't believe his eyes. Did he produce Water out of air or something? Or maybe he found an antidote for his condition. But how did he just fill the glass? He didn't take any vile out of anywhere.

Tony started watching all footage of Alex from start to end since he entered. He noticed how he sneaked up to Happy scaring him, and laughed. He really did love doing that. But he was really good at sneaking. Too good even. Tony narrowed his eyes but kept looking forward. He noticed him helping a few people out, but he never left himself, always kept a safe distance. After the repulsor blast and Rhodey's punch knocked him out, it seems Rhodes wanted to continue, but was stopped by him... WAIT WHAT? He actually caught it mid-swing. Tony couldn't believe his eyes. Then he noticed him pulling himself out of the suit.

"Jarvis, did you open the suit?"

"No sir I didn't. There actually seems to be a record of your vocal command of opening the suit executed, but I cannot find you ever speaking." Things were going more and more chaotic in Tony's brain. He closed his eyes and started remembering what he saw. Could it be Alex is a metahuman? There is a possibility. He also remembered Rhodey told him how he disappeared when Tony flew in the suit to Obadiah.

Then out of nowhere four words came to his mind, 'Nice suit, Robo-cop'

Tony widened his eyes. "Holy sh*t, of course it's him, I knew it. Jarvis get the car ready, I will pay a visit to our mystery man." Tony said grinning and left to get ready.

*Tony's POV end*

*Afternoon, Knight Mansion*

Tony finally decided to visit. Of course, with him came the whole Spy gang, but they at least knew now where their boundaries are. He came in and sat down, with Alfred's tea. There is no one who doesn't like his tea. Even master occasionally comes to drink it.

"Thanks for helping out last night" he said after talking a sip.

"No problem, I know you are suffering from palladium poisoning. That's why I called you, to look into it, get a replacement" I said.

"But I have already tried everything." He replied.

"Then try a new one" I said, making him go silent and just stare at me.

"How many secrets do you have" He said eyeing me. We just looked at each other for a few seconds, then he just sighed and said "Whatever, keep your secrets.." then took a sip.

I also started drinking, but his next words completely threw me off."...Enigma."

I immediately spit out the tea and looked at him, only to find him giving me a sh*t eating grin.

…. Sh*t, I fuc*ed up!

I never use any perks while I am home, because everyone here already knows what I do, and security is enough to let me know if someone tries to sneak in. And I let it down on habit, so poker face sensei wasn't here to save me. I just looked at him blankly, and he replied,

"How did I find out? Well, of course I noticed I was healed up when I woke up, so looked into it and found out you just magically filled a glass with... whatever it was. Not to mention you held Rhodey's punch and were somehow able to open my suit. I thought maybe you are a metahuman actually. But then I remembered Rhodes telling me about you disappearing after I went after Obadiah, and I also know about your sneaking habits. And in a Eureka moment, I realized a certain vigilante has the same traits, so yeah." He told me smugly.

"*Sigh* You just got it because of a 'Eureka' moment? That's bs." I replied.

"Hey, I'm just an amazing genius. Plus since I was dying, I was searching for Enigma to contact too, see if he could take the responsibility of guardianship since he's already doing vigilante work" He said explaining.

I just sighed at that. I definitely didn't expect him to find because of a Eureka of all things.

"Well since you found out, it's actually easier telling you." I said pulling out an hologram of files.

"What's these about?" He asked.

"Your father's research in Shield" I replied.

He was stunned at that. "What? Why is my dad's research at Shield?" He asked.

"Because he is one of it's founders" I said, shocking him again. He never had a good relation with him, so this was a big surprise.

"As much as I could get, he couldn't complete his research on the reactor because he didn't have the necessary technology, but I couldn't get the research since it's stored away. And that stash is technically yours since it's your father's heritage." I told him while he was looking through his Shield files.

"Wait, it says here Lithium dioxide can suppress palladium poisoning here. If they knew why didn't they help me?" He asked confused.

"What do you think?" I asked him back, making him think. And he also realized it.

"He wanted me to feel grateful to him, and join in on his Boy band" He spat angrily.

"Yup, and I think you know what to do." I said with a smile, which Tony shared with me.

"Yup, thanks for the help mystery boy. I'll call you when I get something." he said.

"Don't worry, I'll come on my own. Focus on the task at hand" I yelled behind him, while he gave a wave and left.

"Well, that went quite differently from what you expected." Alfred said looking at me.

"Yes, yes it did." I replied.

"Just goes to show you can't predict everything." he replied, to which I just smiled.

No one can control what happens indeed, but they can still predict what one's action brings. And I was probably going to have a visit tonight!

*Stay tuned for more...*