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“Miss Stark?” was the first thing Tony heard when he came to.
A female voice replied, “I’m fine, leave me be.”
“But Miss Stark,” an insisting male voice started but the woman shouted over him.
“I AM IRON WOMAN AM I NOT!” this made all argument fall silent.
“Yes Ma’am,” was echoed, by a few people.
“Then I think we all know I can take care of myself,” the woman said sternly.
“Very well Miss Stark,” one brave person replied and footsteps could be heard leaving the room.
Once the room was empty Tony heard someone move in front of him.
“Mr Stark, you can open your eyes now, it’s just us here,” the woman said kindly.
Tony opened his eyes to see the Stark Industries board room. But not the same one that he was just sitting in. That Doom attacked. That… bomb. That…
“Where’s Pepper?” Tony asked worriedly after not seeing her in the room. Sitting up he turned to look at the woman, she looked familiar with her green eyes and short brown hair.
“Miss Potts is fine Mr Stark, are you ok the stand? I think this conversation is best had in the penthouse,” she said reaching out to help Tony stand up, she was a lot taller and stronger than him.
“Yeah, I think I’m fine,” Tony said testing his finger and toes, all working. Now standing Tony could see the board room was different, it had technology in it which were only concepts in his lab. What had Doom done to him?
The woman leads him to the lift and once it arrived she steps in and introduced herself.
“I’m Maria Stark, but call me Mia, everyone does,” she said with a cheeky grin, holding a hand out for Tony to shake.
Being trained to shake hands since a young age, Tony took it without a thought.
“Tony Stark,” he said felting overwhelmed and then, “Are we related?”
Mia giggled at that as the lift doors opened to a penthouse that looked nothing like the one Tony knew. The main theme in this one was the colour white, in the décor and furniture. The furniture was minimalistic and sparse, leaving large areas of empty space.
Mia then spoke, but not to Tony.
“H.E.L.E.N. inform my father of Mr Stark’s arrival,” she said.
“Yes, Miss Mia,” the AI replied in an American accent. It reminded him of Pepper.
Mia then turned to face Tony, “Would you like any refreshments? Food? Water?” she offered kindly.
“No, I want answers,” Tony replied and Mia sighed.
“Very well then, what is the last thing you remember? Before waking up here that is,” she said sitting on a sofa and gesturing for Tony to sit on another.
“I was at the board meetings when Dr Doom broke in and held Pepper hostage, but she fought back and got away, but not before she hit something on his suit causing a bright light to go off and then I was on the floor with people calling out ‘Miss Stark’,” Tony said choosing to pace rather than sit.
Maria sighed.
“Ok well I can tell you that Dr. Doom has sent you to the future, about 30 years, I’m guessing by how old you look, and from the sound of your story, I don’t think this was Doom’s original plan so he won’t be able to get you back. Hopefully, my father can, or he can persuade the Dr. Doom in our time to help,” she explained sitting back in the chair like a ruler.
“What was that you said earlier about being Iron Woman?” Tony asked, curiosity getting the better of him. She smiled at him.
“As you may have guessed, I am your daughter Mr Stark, and unfortunately I inherited your brains and sense of duty. When you were taken during a fight the Avengers told me to sit back and wait for them to find you. I was only a little girl in their eyes after all and I suppose I was at only 14. But instead of sitting around I worked. I broke into your lab and built the repulsor technology into a gun using an arc reactor to power it. And I left to save you. Once I bought you back I was put into the Young Avengers programme and trained. I became part of the Avengers after you left and a few years later I took over from Pepper to lead Stark Industries,” Mia explained.
“Wow, you went to save me without any armour?” Tony asked, amazed by his future daughter.
“Well, my ‘mother’ isn’t human so I’m stronger and more durable than humans are. My skin is like iron, that’s why I am called Iron Woman,” she said putting a strange inflexion around the word ‘mother’.
“Who is your Mother?” Tony asked he couldn’t think of anybody he had met in his time that fit those criteria.
“Don’t you remember me Tony?” came a voice from the lift. And Loki walked out of it.
“Father,” Mia said standing the hug the man.
“Hello sweetheart,” Loki replied hugging Mia back and kissing the girls head.
“Loki?” Tony said in shock.
“Yeah Loki gave birth to me, you love him and have been married for years,” Maria said sitting down, Loki sitting beside her. Tony chose to sit to this time.
“I’m married to Loki,” Tony said unsure he wasn’t still unconscious and all this was a dream.
“Yes, I can help you get home Tony,” Loki said sounding nothing like the man who threw him out the window.
“Ok-,” Tony started but H.E.L.E.N. spoke.
“Miss Mia, Iron Woman’s presence is required by the Avengers,” she announced.
“Ok,” Mia said standing and a floor panel fell back as a stand full of arc guns emerged from the ground, “Tell them I’m on my way,” she ordered as a green light flashed around her and her white shirt and trousers changed to a black suit with armour to protect her chest which looked a bit like a jet pack from the back.
“Stay safe sweetheart,” Loki said.
Mia smirked.
“Always father,” she replied and then Captain America's voice came over the speaker.
“Iron Woman, it’s Doom or it looks like Doom but in an older suit,” the Captain said but then Bucky spoke over him on the coms.
“Maybe someone’s found an old Doom Bot or something?” he suggested. The Captain just continued when he best friend was finished obviously use to Bucky’s behaviour.
The Winter Soldier an Avenger, who would have guessed.
“Anyway, whoever they are, they’re coming for your tower,” Captain America continued, “we are on our way but you are the first line,”
“Understood Captain, I think I know what’s happened and it’s to do with my guest,” Iron Woman said heading for the balcony to look for Doom. Strapping something to both ankles Mia kicked off, now able to fly using the chest protector and ankle reactors to propel her from their repulsors. Wow.
“Did she build them too?” Tony asked.
“Yes, she is as bad as you when it comes to inventing, she certainly over comes her half-human side. Odin has had her fight alongside Asgardian’s and has offered her a place in the Valkyries but she wants to protect Earth, ever the Avenger,” Loki said sounding proud of his daughter.
“Wow,” Tony said.
“STARK, WHERE ARE YOU? DOOM DEMANDS YOU TELL HIM WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!” came Victor Von Doom's voice from somewhere outside the tower.
“Do I still have my suits here?” Tony asked standing up ready to fight as an Avenger, Loki looked uncertain.
“Well yes but I don’t know if you will be able to pilot them,” Loki admitted.
“If it’s my technology Prince Charming, I will be able to pick it up,” Tony said confidently with a wink at Loki.
“Very well,” Loki agreed, looking used to losing arguments with Tony, “H.E.L.E.N. bring the oldest Iron Man suit that is in perfect condition,” Loki ordered.
“They are all kept in perfect condition at Miss Mia’s instructions, Master Loki,” H.E.L.E.N. replied and another floor panel fell back so Tony could see a workshop below as an Iron Man suit, that was just a model in his lab at home, emerged, “All suits that have not been destroyed that is,” H.E.L.E.N. quipped. Tony had definitely created this AI as a Pepper Potts and Tony Stark hybrid.
“Thank you,” Tony said stepping into the suit and blasting off after Mia. Leaving a worried looking Loki behind.
“Hello Boss,” came a cheerful Irish voice.
“F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” Tony said shocked that the suit had a different AI to the house. Come to think of it the AI in the house hadn’t recognised Tony.
“I’m glad you are well Boss, I was worried when you hadn’t spoken to me for a few years,” the AI chatted. Tony need to speak to Mia and Loki after this.
Flying around the building, he noticed that it was also not the same style tower he remembered, it must have been damaged in battle and remodelled many times over the years.
“THERE YOU ARE IRON MAN!” came Dooms metallic voice.
“Man?” came Spiderman’s voice over the comms as he swung into the action, “Doom you must be losing it Iron Man is-” but the adult Spiderman, chatty as ever was cut off.
“Iron Man?” shouted Captain America sounding like he had seen a ghost, Bucky was at his side where they had exited the Avengers Ship which had landed on top of Stark Tower.
“Hey Cap, miss me?” Tony joked over the coms getting some idea of what had happened.
Snapping out of it Captain America spoke to Iron Woman.
“Iron Woman, is this you guest?” he asked.
“Yeah, he just crashed my board meeting, my guess is Dr. Doom wants to join in too,” she replied with cheek, ever her father’s daughter.
“Victor I’m as much a victim here as you are,” Tony said flying up to Doom and flipping up the face plate, “Why don’t you come in and we can discuss this like adults?” Tony suggested.
Over the comms, Tony heard Loki mutter, in a voice that was not meant to be picked up.
“Reckless as ever,”
“Very well Stark lead the way,” Doom agreed and they flew back to Stark Tower.
They met Vision, Captain America, Bucky, Iron Woman, Spiderman and Loki on the roof.
“Hi guys,” Tony said stepping out of the suit and Loki sighed.
“Can’t you a least stay in your suit? You’re a reckless fool,” Loki said sounding worried for Tony.
“So, I’m guessing I’m not still alive in this time?” Tony finally said.
Everyone went quiet.
“Well this is awkward,” Doom said.
“Isn’t it just,” Tony agreed.
Mia sighed, “Dad, you’ve been dead for over 10 years now. I shut down F.R.I.D.A.Y. after you died because she couldn’t cope with your death and created H.E.L.E.N., she was called P.E.P.P.E.R. originally but it felt weird so I mixed your personalities and called her Helen after Helen of Troy,” she shrugged at the Greek name, “I was upset with father at the time so called it after something Greek instead of Norse.”
“Ok,” Tony said. His friends looked sad, Loki looked heart broken and Mia looked to be talking more than thinking.
“So, you can get us home?” Doom said getting the conversation back on track.
“Yes,” Mia said jumping in to talk again but Loki stopped her.
“I believe I can, but I will need to change your memories first, so your time here will feel like a dream,” Loki explained.
“What are you going to do Loki?” Captain America asked. Clearly being Tony’s husband didn’t make Loki an Avenger or trusted by the team.
“I will take them to Latvia and use Doom’s time machine to send them home,” Loki explained, “I suppose this explains why Victor told me his time machine came to him in a dream,” Loki said and chuckled to himself.
“I love you Loki, but I can never tell if you’re a good or bad guy,” Spiderman said.
“That reminds me brother mine,” Mia said turning to Peter more of a little sister now than the business woman Tony first met, “We need to have a family dinner soon, bring your wife and I’ll invite Harley-”
“Mia now’s not the time,” Loki said stopping his daughter.
“Sorry Father,” Mia said looking ashamed.
Tony shrugged the conversation off, he wouldn’t remember it soon anyway, or would just think it a dream and he never put much thought into his dreams, he was just happy they weren’t nightmares.
“Can we go then?” asked Doom, clearly, he wanted to see the future of his Latveria.
“Yes, of course,” Loki said his hand going green.
“Goodbye Dad,” Mia said running to hug the man.
The other said goodbye and Mia released him. With a flash of Loki’s magic, they were standing in Castle Doom.
“We must be quick I don’t know how long Victor will be out and we parted on bad terms the last time we met,” Loki said heading for the lab.
Doom took a moment to look out the window at his land. Tony left him to it and followed Loki into the lab. Loki was tapping away at the machine like he knew what he was doing.
“I have used this device many times over the years. I have considered countless times going back to save you, but I can’t change the past and risk our little girl’s life so I use it to go back a watch you whenever I need to see your face,” Loki confessed.
Tony walked up to the man.
“You are not the Loki I remember,” Tony admitted.
Loki choked a sob.
“I can’t believe you’re here, not by my own doing, and I’m sending you back. You have made me soft Tony Stark,” Loki said near tears. The machine now prepared Loki turned to look Tony in the eye.
“Well, I suppose you lived a happy life while I was alive and you want me to be able to experience it,” Tony said feeling he should comfort the god.
“I suppose so,” Loki admitted, “May I ask you for something?”
“Sure, whatever you want, you’re getting me home after all,” Tony said.
“Can I kiss you?” Loki asked surprising Tony. “I should have expected that question,” Tony said, “Ok,” he agreed.
Loki smiled and leant forward to give a sweet kiss which Tony enjoyed. It could have gone further but Doom decided he was done with the view and was ready to leave. The couple broke apart and Loki turned back to the machine.
“It’s ready when you are Victor,” Loki said in a neutral tone and Victor nodded and moved to inspect the device.
“Loki?” Tony said and Loki turned around happy Tony was talking to him.
“Yes, my dear?” Loki said falling into old pet names.
“Can I ask you something?” Tony echoed Loki’s earlier question. “Of course,” Loki answered.
“Stop living in the past, we have a perfect daughter and from what I can tell Harley and Peter are still a big part of our life. So, what I’m asking is, look after our family that are still here and stop mourning me,” Tony said and Loki looked happy.
“For you, anything, just promise that you will give me my little girl and you will be my perfect husband who drives me mad with worry at your recklessness and loves me,” Loki asked.
“I will try,” Tony promised.
“Are you two done?” asked Doom sounding bored.
“I suppose Victor this explains why you always tried to push me into Tony’s arms when we worked together,” Loki said smirking.
“Hmm,” Doom said, “Doesn’t sound like something I would do,”
“Of course not,” Loki said sounding unconvinced, “Ok you two stand in the middle here,” Loki said pointing in the middle of the machine. The two, time travellers moved to stand in place eager to go home.
“Now let’s change your memories,” Loki said fingers going green.
The last thing Tony remember before he passed out was a cloud of green and a male voice saying, “I love you,”
–
Whatever Pepper did to Dr Dooms suit must have caused them to teleport to Latveria and pass out for a few hours. Once they awoke Doom and Tony agreed to a truce as Doom couldn’t remember why he wanted Tony in the first place.
Doom set Tony in his office to call F.R.I.D.A.Y. to send a suit for him to travel home in and wait. Doom disappeared into his lab, apparently inspired to build something. Tony also felt inspired, doodling improved suit designs on a notepad in Victor's office until his current suit arrived. Looking down Tony saw he had also doodled something that looked a lot like Loki’s helmet in a heart.
