Tony Stark -
I watched dull grey sky of the day warring with the bold lighting of Stark towers interior, it was a losing battle. Glints of gleaming light seemed to hit the droplets of water playing chase on the window and shatter into thousands of little beams out into the world, consuming any darkness that threatened the place. Truly the only threat the weather could offer to me was the sound of water splattering the glass but, no. It was just another reminder that if that foot deep glass cracked it would be my skin taking that battering instead.
No. I shook my head, brain seeming slightly clearer for it. This is what I got for taking a rum and coke and Pepper would be on my back over it, if she was here. She'd said something about a conference in LA this morning, probably a weekend thing.
"Jarvis, hit me up with play list one." I called, pulling myself away from the scene out of the window and heading vaguely towards the sofa. In fact I didn't even give him time to reply before I added "Loud" wearily to the air. As usual the slightly mechanical manager of the building replied cheerily "As you wish Sir." Moments afterwards the air around me began to vibrate with the gentle piano notes, didn't take long to rack my brains for the title.
Evanescene – Bring me to life. A dull chuckle escaped my lips while I mulled the lyrics over my ear much as a wine taster would his palate while throwing myself at the cushions of the sofa, damaging little more than the springs as I connected with it. I could empathise a little, after last year and the forming of the avengers; it's a near impossibility to top that sort of challenge isn't it really? Once you've thrown a demi god back to the right side of hell, what was there left of the bucket list? I can tell you there isn't.
No, since Loki it's been, boring. He brought the danger and challenge I'd lusted over and extinguished it equally quickly leaving on the ashes of disappointment behind. He was meant to be the impossible, the one we just couldn't beat and we'd crushed him in the end. What was the point when even the sky posed no upper limit of challenge? And why did I want something harder when he'd so easily nearly killed us all? Why was the idea of Loki coming back stronger not one that scared me enough to need another drink but one that made my heart feel as if it wanted free from the chest in excitement?
Because I was an idiotic genius and the alcohol made me a suicidal idiot genius. Mix boredom into that formula and you may as well dig my grave into the ground now. And just like that, another little spark hit me: A way to get what I needed, to get my danger and up the stakes a bit, bring back the 'impossibility' into the mix that had waned before.
Bouncing up from the sofa I literally bounded towards the setup of terminals Pepper had referred to as something nearly an office. Twisting on my heels I turned to face them, fingers sliding expertly over the projections of menus. The melancholy that had covered my face for months had simply dissolved, replaced with fire and passion once more. I'd found a game, one that had been literally under my nose all this time. Obviously I'd written the script ages ago, it'd been a safety net to gather the avengers at short notice but, with just a touch of fiddling, well it was special.
The grin was more than firm set on my features as I slid the last variable into place, estimating I had a good 24 hours before Fury worked out what it was and where it came from. Tapping my foot to the tune of 'I write sins not tragedies' which had appeared next on the play list I held a couple of buttons down "Jarvis, wakey wakey, activate the ICE contact runtime." My words came over more a gleeful lilt than anything. His came back, not so much.
"Are you sure Sir, initiation of the Argon transmitter while the poles aren't-"Rolling my eyes I cut in "Yes I'm sure, get on with it." It might have been clipped but it was obviously effective, within little more than a moment I could physically feel the arc core under the building begin to almost vibrate in effort to complete the task. It was probably the most exertion I'd ever put it through all at once, realistically if I wasn't so full of danger lust I could have recalibrated it to even the system load but, waiting wasn't an option.
Suddenly the air felt heavy, it was only for a second but it felt much like the force of gravity had increased. I can only relate it to how heavy I feel in the Mark 2 Iron suits, as if the ground is drawing me in to it, and then it passed. The echoing voice that seemed to come from every direction remarked levelly.
"ICE Contact Runtime completed Sir. All systems are in order however there is a disturbance on the landing pad that requires your attention." My elation grew along with my small winding of fear in my throat, not that you'd know it while I casually replied.
"Thanks, I'm on it. Turn the music off would you?" With that I headed towards the elevator, on my way to whatever was on the landing pad.
