𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐒 | 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞

𝟎𝟑. 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲

𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑 and Tony stepped out, immediately putting on a pair of shades. Although he would have normally rolled his eyes at the action that seemed to give Stark his signature look, he refrained. Honestly, he wished he had his own pair of shades tucked away for use as he squinted at the sun's light that had started to give him a headache. Normally, he didn't have any issues with migraines or motion sickness; however, ever since Afganistan, he'd had to call in more sick days than in all the time that he'd worked at Stark Industries put together.

The doctors had told him that he might experience symptoms of PTSD or migraines due to the concussion that he'd been diagnosed with. However, he had a suspicion that something else entirely was going on. The problem was, he just didn't know what it was.

"You doing alright there, Al?"

Alex looked up from the ground and blinked a few times before focusing on Tony. He warily nodded his head as if weirded out that his boss had asked him such a question. They didn't often converse and Alex usually tried his best to avoid it anyway. Something was different about Stark though, that is aside from the physical changes.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Alex jokingly asked. "You're the one with a battery hanging out of your chest."

"Miniature arc reactor actually," Tony corrected him.

Now, Alex didn't hesitate to roll his eyes.

They entered the Air Force Base just in time to catch up with Rhodey as he guided a group of individuals through the hangar.

"The future of air combat. Is it manned or unmanned?" Rhodey asked rhetorically. "I'll tell you, in my experience, no unmanned aerial vehicle will ever trump a pilot's instinct, his insight, that ability to look into a situation beyond the obvious and discern its outcome, or a pilot's judgment."

"Colonel?" Tony joined the conversation. "Why not a pilot without the plane?"

"Look who fell out of the sky." Rhodey looked surprised. "Mr. Tony Stark."

"Hello, sir." A few of the troops greeted the billionaire.

"Speaking of manned or unmanned, you gotta get him to tell you about the time he guessed wrong at spring break," Tony suggested with a smug grin, "Just remember that. Spring break, 1987. That lovely lady you woke up with."

"Don't do that!" Rhodey contradicted almost panicked.

"What was his name?" Tony asked.

"Don't do that."

"Was it Ivan?" Tony refused to let the joke die.

"Don't do that." Rhodey chastised again. "They'll believe it."

"Okay."

"Don't do that." Rhodey said and then quickly repeated himself. "Don't do that."

Tony faced the crowd once more with a nod of his head. "Pleasure meeting you."

"Give us a couple minutes, you guys." Rhodey chuckled as he dismissed the group and then turned toward Tony. "I'm surprised."

"Why?" Tony asked.

"I swear, I didn't expect to see you walking around so soon," Rhodey replied.

Tony shrugged. "I'm doing a little better than walking."

"Really?" Rhodey crossed his arms, now curious.

"Yeah. Rhodey, I'm working on something big," Tony said, "I came to talk to you. I want you to be a part of it."

Rhodey nodded with a smile. "You're about to make a whole lot of people around here real happy, 'cause that little stunt at the press conference, that was a doozy."

"This is not for the military," Tony hesitated, "I'm not... It's different."

"What? You're a humanitarian now or something?" Rhodey asked.

"I need you to listen to me." Tony again tried to explain, but was interrupted.

"No." Rhodey shook his head. "What you need is time to get your mind right. I'm serious."

"Okay." Tony quietly agreed, but the smile on his face said that he planned to do the exact opposite.

"It's nice seeing you, Tony." Rhodey nodded his head, growing more stoic, and backed away from the conversion as he reapproached the group of soldiers that he'd dismissed.

"Thanks," Tony quietly muttered.

"I'm assuming that didn't go quite how you wanted it to," Alex finally spoke up.

Tony shook his head and turned to walk back toward the car.

Alex raised an eyebrow in confusion as he followed after Stark. "What? No snarky comeback or—"

Alex stopped mid-question and pressed a hand against his forehead that had started to pound. He rubbed his temples, hoping to ease some of the built-up pressure. Tony turned and looked back over his shoulder, but didn't say anything. Happy pulled the car up to the curb and Tony stepped into the vehicle. Alex followed in after him and closed the door, keeping one hand against his head.

"You should get that checked out," Tony broke the moment of silence.

Alex assumed that it had just been the delayed retort; however, as he opened his eyes and looked Stark in the face, concern was evident.

"You've been out sick multiple times this week." Tony shrugged as if he'd realized that he'd broken the unspoken feud between them. "Seriously, get your head checked out by a doc. Can't have Stark Industries security not at their best."

Alex slowly nodded his head. "Sure..."

The rest of the car ride was silent. Although Stark was engrossed in his work as he scrolled through his phone, Alex looked up from his own every once in a while and warily cast a glance at Tony. Alex was slowly starting to agree with Rhodes that something was up with Stark and it was unnerving to say the least.