Not An Avenger

Replacement

Tony Stark was out managing a terrorist attack in Mexico when I arrived at Stark Tower.

"He would be back soon. Would you like to wait?" asked the red head who received me. I answered in affirmative. "I'm Pepper Potts, his secretary, his ex-secretary now. He's just made me the CEO."

So, Tony was aware about his impending death.

I noticed Ms. Potts was staring at me, curiously. I raised my eyebrow, questioningly.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, flustered. "It's just that you look so much like her."

"Like whom?" I asked.

"Achara Stark, Tony's adoptive sister. She died in a car crash along with her parents when Tony was about 20."

"Oh!" I exclaimed. So, that was the reason behind his unexplained interest in me. I reminded him of his sister!

Just then, another beautiful red head entered the room.

"Ms. Potts, I need your initials in these documents." She addressed Pepper, handing her a file.

"Sure." She answered. "Dr Ray, this is Natalie Rushman, Tony's new secretary."

No, it was not. I knew very well who she was, Natasha Romanoff, highly efficient SHIELD agent, more commonly known as the Black Widow. So, that's how Fury knew about Tony's illness.

As if on cue, Tony Stark flew inside the room at that moment, wearing his suit.

"Ah! Look who it is. My favorite doctor." He said through his mask.

"You owe me that physical exam." I reminded him.

"Oh, yes. Would you ladies mind giving us some privacy?" he addressed the red heads.

After they left, he continued. "You know what, this suit seems to be stuck." Gesturing towards his metal armor.

"There is really no reason to avoid this. I already know about the palladium poisoning."

He looked at me for a few seconds, clearly surprised at my knowledge of his condition. He dismantled his suit and sat down on the couch.

"Have you even tried to do anything about it?" I asked, examining his neck veins.

He gave me an I'm-not-stupid look. "I've run simulation on every known element to replace palladium. Nothing can replace it. So, basically the device that's keeping me alive is also killing me. I've tried finding chelating agents, but there are none available pharmacologically, but there is kale juice and I'm drinking 60 ounces of that shit daily." He concluded.

"Thought about seeing a doctor?"

"I don't trust doctors."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, you'll need to start trusting doctors now."

"Okay, Let's start with you." He said.

"That's sweet. But you really should trust anyone just because they happen to look like your sister." I regretted it as soon as I said it.

His face turned grim. "Pepper told you?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have...."

"It's all right. And you don't just look like my sister. You're as arrogant and obnoxious as she was, coming here thinking you can do anything to help me."

Coming from Tony Stark, that might have as well been a compliment.

"You're right. I can't do anything about it. But you can. It's your life. You can't just give up after running simulation on every known element. You made an arc reactor in a cave, for god's sake. Surely, there must be something else. Some coordinate compound, some alloy..."

"Alloy." He said more to himself than me. "Alloy. Alloy. Alloy." He chanted walking across the room. "Why didn't I think of this before?"

"Did you even try?" I mocked him.

"What do you think, lady? I have a death wish?"

"I don't know, maybe the palladium is messing with your mind."

"Yeah, that must be it. Maybe I can replace the palladium with a vibranium-platinum alloy. What do you think JARVIS?"

"Yes, sir. I might just work." Replied the AI.

At that moment I knew, Tony Stark was no longer dying