Starting Over - Loki (COMPLETE)

24) Iron Man

As time went on, both Tony and Loki improved. They still had their issues, sure, but life went on and events slowly resumed. They were public figures once again and, if there were some changes in their company presentation and their indefatigable image as company directors, nobody mentioned it.

Things had been rather too mundane for a while when Tony finally decided Loki needed excitement, or rather chaos, in his life.

"Alden, Alden, come and look at this!"

"What is it?" Loki questioned, staring stubbornly at a table of hovering numbers.

"Something a lot more interesting than money," Tony remarked, steering Loki away from the monitor. "I've invented something."

"This better be good," he warned, allowing himself to be led down the hallway to Tony's workshop.

"Oh it is," Tony said with a smile.

Loki saw a flash of red and gold through the transparent walls before Tony childishly covered his eyes.

"No peeking!" He ordered, typing the code into the keypad.

He was ushered inside.

"You know I don't like surprises, Tony," Loki reminded.

He didn't like the dark either, and Tony was currently covering his eyes, but the other didn't know that.

"This is a good surprise, I promise. Now, look!"

And Loki opened his eyes.

There before him was... A suit of armour. Armour made of red and gold plates with gauntlets, boots and a visor. 

"Is there titanium in this?" Loki asked, moving around the suit to admire the sleek design.

"Yep," Tony said proudly. "Titanium-steel and chromium plating."

"Very nice," Loki remarked. "And what is it to be powered by? We don't want to cause a statewide power cut again."

"No," Tony admitted, grinning a little at the memory. "I've been working on a miniaturised arc reactor."

"What material? Palladium perhaps?"

"I think palladium will do the trick," Tony replied. "Jarvis reckons it could power three gigajoules per second. He also reassures me that it could power my mechanic heart for fifty lifetimes. I can replace the car battery with an arc reactor."

"Or give a spectacular fireworks display for fifteen minutes," Loki scoffed.

"Anything's better than a car battery," Tony pointed out seriously.

"Fair enough," Loki acceded. "Rhodey will want one, you know."

Tony grinned.

"I would be offended if he didn't. He'll get his turn once I've made a suitable substitute for a heart."

"I'm seeing him tomorrow - want me to inform him of your grand invention?" Loki inquired, smiling.

"Nah. I want to tell him myself, I'll give him a ring."

"I'll remind you."

Loki made to leave.