Danny almost met Tony's overly-familiar reply with a harsh retort, but he favored a drag on his cigarette instead. As his anger cooled it was replaced by annoyance at the further probing on Stark's part You're not my therapist Tony. Give me my fucking book. Danny thought darkly. His reply was more measured, however. "No, no I can't help you out with Coleen" he said in a tone that wavered on the edge of hostility. He took another drag, then wagged a finger at Tony as he continued, to emphasize a point. "Everest there's a strange fish. Base camp is actually on the way K'un Lun, so I've been at the bottom a few times. Including this last- I guess you'd call it an expedition." He shook his head. "Though we weren't going that way. We were at the camp about a week before the alien thing went down- I think- so this was maybe late August?" Danny shrugged. His cigarette was mostly ash and with no ashtray he found himself crushing the end unconsciously between his fingertips. He barely felt it. He was debating telling Tony.
Fuck it. "Yeah, I was part of- no, I lead an expedition. Me and some people like me- Kung fu, magic types-" he said, waving his hand "we were all headed for this- ancient mystical site. This ruin that wasn't supposed to exist, and that all of our records said didn't." Intensity flared in his eyes. "But I knew. I knew it was there, you get me? Just like Hillary knew he could take Everest. I knew it. And I was right...But instead of 'the Lost Ark' we found 'the Temple of Doom'... " his comment was offhand and joking, but there was only seriousness in his tone. "It was bad man. It was..." Danny put the heels of his palms against his eyes and winced. Hewas silent for almost ten seconds, breathing heavily. "You were held prisoner once, right? In Afghanistan?" He pulled his hands away and looked at Tony with pleading intensity. "So you know what its like, right? Its not... you can't talk about it..."