Joy Ride

"Ralph! Ralph!"

"What is it Wanda?"

"Did you see that?"

Ralph stopped trying to start the tractor and looked at his wife, who was standing next to the tractor. "Did I see what?"

Wanda was looking up at the sky. "That," she said and pointed up.

"I don't see anything," Ralph said and stared at his wife as if she was crazy.

Wanda looked at Ralph, "Stop staring at me as if I just lost it. I'm telling you, I just saw something."

Ralph shook his head. "Wanda, you are always seeing things."

Wanda placed her hands on her hips and glared at Ralph. "I am not and this time I did see something." She looked up again in time to see it again. She reached up and tapped on Ralph's shoulder.

Ralph looked up again. This time he saw what she did. "Is that what I think it is?"

Wanda nodded. "Yup, it's a dragon."

Loki was having fun just flying across the sky. He flew back and forth from one end of the globe to the other. He enjoyed the looks he was getting from the Midgardians down below. Every once in a while he would breathe fire. It would light up the sky in a blaze. The shocked looks on the people's faces made him chuckle.

Reports from all over the world started coming in about a dragon flying overhead. The news traveled quickly from one country to another. It even made it to every social media out there.

One could not get on the internet without reading and then seeing pictures of the green and black dragon.

Citizens everywhere were calling in reports of their sightings. Eventually the military got wind of these reports. Something had to be done. There was something that looked like a dragon terrorizing people.

~o~

Colonel Rhodes (Rhodey) was handed a report. He looked it over then laughed. "Who sent this?"

"It came from headquarters, sir," came the answer from a sergeant.

"This can't be for real." He read the report again. "Oh, I know, this has Tony Stark all over it. He's playing games with me." Rhodey got out his cell and called Tony.

"Hey, Tony, got your message," Rhodey said after Stark answered the phone.

"What message, I didn't send you a message," Tony answered.

"The one about a dragon terrorizing everyone," Rhodey replied.

Tony winced and rubbed his temples. He had a pretty good idea who the dragon was.

"Rhodey, I think I know who it is."

"Who he is, it's a he?" Rhodey asked.

"If it is who I think it is, then yeah. It's Loki," Tony answered.

"Loki, as in Thor's brother Loki? As in Loki who terrorized New York? That Loki?" Rhodey asked.

"Yup, that would be the one. Last year he turned himself into a dragon and couldn't turn back. My guess is, he's at it again," Tony told him.

Rhodey let out a deep sigh. "All right, I'll take care of it."

"Don't shoot him. I mean, don't kill him. Just shoot something over his head. Maybe he'll get the message," Tony advised.

"Right, got ya." Rhodey ended the conversation and put away his cell. "Fire a missile over his head," he ordered.

"Sir, are you serious? You want to send out an air attack on a dragon?"

"That's right, you heard me. Just follow orders, Lieutenant."

"Yes sir," the Lieutenant said.

The pilot questioned the orders, but when he heard they came from Colonel Rhodes he went on a search for a dragon.

Loki saw the aircraft and thought it would be fun to send it on a merry chase. When the pilot saw Loki he couldn't believe his eyes. It really was a dragon.

He lined up the coordinates so a missile would fly over the dragon's head and fired.

~O~

Tony decided he better go looking for Loki. He wasn't sure what he could do, but maybe he could talk him down.

He pushed a button and his Ironman suit came and assembled on him. Once on, he took to the sky in search of Loki.

Tony found Loki just as Loki was spiraling down from the sky and heading for the Earth.

Tony saw the stream from the missile and guessed what happened. He flew after Loki and grabbed him by the tail. It didn't stop him, but it slowed him down.

The two plummeted to the ground, hitting it with a thud. Tony sat up and shook his head. Friday assured him all circuits were normal. He stood and walked to Loki's head. "Are you all right?"

"No I'm not all right. I got shot in my wing. I can't fly with just one wing. Why did they shoot me? I was just joy riding," Loki complained.

"They were just supposed to shoot over your head and not hit you." Tony told him. "Just joy riding, huh? It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. In this case that was you, pal."

Loki let out a groan. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Thor told me you weren't going to do this anymore. What happened with that?" Tony asked.

"No, I said I wasn't going to do what I did before and I did not," Loki answered.

Tony chuckled. "Well you are in another mess. What did you do last time?"

"I fell asleep and when I woke up I was me again."

Tony observed that Loki wasn't healing. "I thought you guys healed fast."

"Not as a dragon. I have to be me again to heal."

"Well you can't sleep here. You are in an open field. Someone is bound to see you. We have to get you some place isolated." Tony got out his cell and called Rhodey.

"What is it Tony," Rhodey answered the phone.

"We have a downed dragon and he needs to be moved to a warehouse or a hangar," Tony said.

Rhodey glanced over at his men. "I said shoot it across his head." He got back on with Tony. "I'll send something out to get him Tony."

"We'll be here," was the reply and tony ended the conversation.

"All right reindeer games, they are coming with something to take somewhere.

Loki let out a groan and rested his head on the ground. An hour later a heavy equipment transporter showed up. The men got out and raced over to where Tony was standing. He had moved away from Loki and was flagging them down.

Tony explained what they were there for in case Rhodey had not. "The colonel just said it was something big. But a dragon? Are you kidding?"

Tony shook his head and lead the way to Loki. The men just stood and stared for a minute. "Okay boys," the Sergeant shouted, "Let's get him on the HET."

"Careful," shouted Tony. "He has a wounded wing."

"There's a hangar not far from here. We'll put him there," The Sergeant answered Tony. "He'll be safe there."

They loaded Loki up and hauled him to the hangar. Once inside they laid him on the floor. The Sergeant looked at Tony who had followed them. "He's all yours now, Ironman." The men got back on the HET and drove off.

Loki looked up at Tony. He let out a snort. He felt embarrassed and humiliated. As much as he hated to he thanked Tony. "I don't know what I would have done if you had not come."

"Did you just thank me?" Tony asked and chuckled. "Hey no problem reindeer games. Have a good sleep and I'll see ya around." Tony left the hangar and flew off.

A few hours later Loki woke up and was back to himself. His arm soon healed and he exited the hangar. Outside he called for Heimdall. Joy riding was done for one day.