THE beginning of the year had Tony and Lyra working hard on the arc reactor idea for the Stark Tower in New York. This meant that the pair were back in New York working in and around the Tower to make sure they had everything correct in their measurements. This was making Lyra's life easier with S.H.I.E.L.D. because she was able to get to D.C. faster for the small missions she was beginning to work in again. Fury wanted her to stay trained because he was finding some odd movements in the airways again, but he did not want to call her in for that until he was sure. She decided Fury was not telling her everything. But what was new?
As for the Captain that was unfrozen, she had heard from Barton that he was not taking the whole thing as well as they had hoped. She wanted to meet him one day—hopefully, offer some sort of comfort for the fact that he might have felt alone right then. She knew the feeling of loneliness, and she did not want this man to feel it because everyone he knew was dead.
Months later, Pepper had walked into Stark Tower with a grin on her face as she watched Tony and Lyra argue about something in the kitchen area on one of the higher-level floors.
"What is this about now?" Pepper asked with a smirk.
Tony jumped in surprise. "JESUS! Pep, announce yourself!"
"I did," Pepper said before glancing at Lyra's face. "What is this about?"
"Tony won't let me wear my suit to set the arc reactor in place. He wants me to work the control center, but I'm worried about screwing it up," Lyra said with a pout.
Pepper grinned. "Sorry, Ly. I agree with Tony on this one. You're setting it up now?"
Tony nodded like a happy puppy. "Jarvis, get my suit ready!" he called as he ran to the elevator. "Go to the command room, honey! Love you!"
Lyra pointed to Pepper. "You're supposed to be on my side," she said while changing her point into giving her the finger.
"I brought a new bottle of champagne I wanted you to try," Pepper offered, pointing to her large bag.
Lyra turned her middle finger to a heart as she gushed, "You know me so well," as she walked to the elevator and clicked the control room. "See you in a bit."
When Lyra made it to the control room, she sighed as everything was lit up with cameras and other buttons. She saw a security guard, and he waved at her happily since most of the staff knew who she was. She placed her glasses on as she called for Jarvis to connect to Tony's suit.
"Tone?" she asked.
Tony laughed. "I'm about to place it. Going under now."
She could see his suit fly underwater as she tapped her finger on the table.
"You're good on this end. The rest is up to you," Tony said after a moment. Lyra watched the lights flicker slightly.
"You disconnected the transition lines? Are we off the grid?"
"Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy," Tony said as he flew up to watch the Tower.
"Wow. So maybe our reactor takes over, and it actually works?" Lyra called as she pressed a few buttons on the control panel.
"I assume. Light her up." Lyra watched the lights flicker once more before they were brighter than before.
Lyra began to walk out. "How does it look?"
"Like Christmas, but with more... me," Tony said with a laugh.
"Pepper wants us to go wider on the public awareness campaign. You need to do some press. She'll be in D.C. tomorrow working on the zoning for the next three buildings. I have to call Fury—"
Tony groaned. "Lyra, you're killing me. Remember the moment? Enjoy the moment."
Lyra stepped into the elevator to go back to their penthouse area. "Then get in here and I will."
Tony flew around his skyscraper until he landed on the balcony of the penthouse. Jarvis began the process of taking off his Iron Man suit through a hi-tech gauntlet of gadgets until Jarvis spoke.
"Sir, Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. is on the line."
"I'm not in. I'm actually out," Tony said, "so is Lyra. Don't tell her he's calling."
"Sir, I'm afraid he's insisting," Jarvis said.
Tony laughed as he walked out of the room to the living room where Pepper was sitting with a computer analyzing something. "Grow a spine, Jarvis. I got a date."
Pepper nodded at him when he made it in. "Levels are holding steady—I think."
Lyra walked out of the elevator when it reached the floor. She grinned at Tony as she fell into his embrace. He held her tightly to his chest.
"Of course they are, I was directly involved. Which brings me to my next question: how does it feel to be a genius?"
Lyra snorted. "Well, I really wouldn't know now, would I?"
"What do you mean? All this came from you."
Lyra shook her head. "No. All this came from that," she said as she pointing back to the energy in his chest.
"Give yourself some credit, please. Stark Tower is your baby. Give yourself... twelve percent of the credit," Tony offered.
Pepper glanced at the pair incredulously. "Twelve percent?"
Tony shrugged her way. "An argument can be made for fifteen."
Lyra turned to face Tony. "Twelve percent? For my baby?"
"Well, I did do all the heavy lifting. Literally, I lifted the heavy things. And sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you," Tony said.
Pepper laughed as she stood to walk toward the bedrooms. "Oh, I'll take twelve percent of that," she hummed, "I'm going to bed. Don't forget I'll be in D.C. all day tomorrow! Champagne is on the bar."
"Thanks, Pep!" Tony called as she went out of view. He eyed the woman he loved in his arms. "I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I?"
Lyra walked to the champagne and poured two glasses for the pair.
"Not gonna be that subtle," Lyra replied, handing it to him as they sat down.
"I'll tell you what. Next building's gonna say 'Redfield' on the tower."
"On the lease."
Tony was about to reply when Jarvis crackled. "Sir, the telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overwritten."
"Stark, we need to talk," Coulson's voice went through his phone. "Where is Redfield?"
Tony sighed as he picked up his phone. "You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message."
"This is urgent."
"Then leave it urgently." The elevator opened as Coulson walked in with a file and a scowl. "Security breach," Jarvis said. Tony looked at Lyra. "That's on you."
"Is it?" Lyra asked with wide eyes. "I didn't even know he was trying to reach me."
"Mr. Stark, Miss Redfield," Coulson greeted.
"Phil! Come in," Lyra said with a smirk, knowing he hated being called that.
Tony stood, eyeing the pair. "Phil? Uh, his first name is Agent."
"Come on in, we're celebrating," Lyra said, wiggling her brows.
"I can't stay."
"Which is why he can't stay," Tony amended.
"We need you to look this over," he said as he held the file out to Tony. "Soon as possible."
"I don't like being handed things," Tony said, looking at Lyra.
"That's alright, 'cause I love to be handed things. So, let's trade," she said as she took the file from Coulson and handed him her glass. She then turned to Tony and took his glass as she handed him the file. "Thank you," she sang.
"Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday," Tony tried to get out of it.
"This isn't a consultation."
Lyra eyed him warily. "Is this about The Avengers?"
"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought. And I didn't even qualify."
"I knew that," she said.
"Yeah, apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others."
"That I knew, too."
Coulson grinned at the woman even though he tried to hide it. He could tell she was in her element around Tony Stark, for he had never seen her this bubbly at work. "This isn't about personality profiles anymore," Coulson said seriously.
Tony held up a finger to Coulson. "Whatever. Lyra, got a minute?" Lyra watched him place the files on the desk. "You know, I thought we were having a moment."
"I was having twelve percent of a moment," Lyra said with a grin when he rolled his eyes. "This seems serious, Phil's pretty shaken. Let's take a look."
"How did you notice? Why is he Phil now?" Tony whined.
"What is all of this?" she asked as she expanded her arms to open the profiles in a holographic form.
"This is, uh...This?"
On the screen appeared video footage of Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor fighting different monsters and villains. Suddenly, there was a change as a man named Loki with a Tesseract came on screen.
"I'll have to go with him tonight," Lyra said with a sigh.
"Tomorrow," Tony pleaded.
"You've got homework. You've got a lot of homework. I already know most of this," she said softly.
Tony rose a brow. "Well, what if I didn't?"
"If you didn't?"
"Yeah."
"You mean if you finished?" Lyra asked. Tony nodded his head with bright eyes. "Well, um—then..." Lyra leaned forward to whisper in Tony's ear which caused Tony to gasp and Coulson to look away with a blush.
"Square deal. It's a date," Tony said quickly.
Lyra kissed him softly, and she knew Tony did not want her to go.
"Work hard. I'll see you soon," she said with a wink as she turned to walk off with Coulson.
Tony turned from watching Lyra walk away—he loved when she walked—and grabbed the Tesseract hologram to hold it. He sighed worriedly as the elevator closed.