Work Text:
Week 1: Character Traits (Showmanship)
Title: Man of a Thousand faces
It has always been, in Tony’s experience, about how much he could show off without being called on it. People expected it from him, and he took advantage of that fact.
It had always been Tony Stark’s experience that the world enjoyed a show; and who was he to refuse them that? He’d been doing it for years, playing at being a reasonably stable member of the community. Now was just the time to give the world the biggest show they’d ever seen.
‘Sir, are you certain of this course of action?’ His AI asked for the fifth time. It was almost as if Jarvis was nervous about what his creator was about to do, but Tony hadn’t remembered programming the AI to get nervous. Though, of course, the learning curve of Stark technology had always been far above any other.
“You got it, big guy. Now is your time to shine, make daddy proud.” He typed in the newest string of code and pressed the animated button that appeared on the screen, smirking as his AI streamlined into every single electrical device he could reach. Tony watched the data as it was collected, and gave a triumphant grin.
“Top that, you fucking bastards.”
Loki Lie-Smith, former son of Odin and bastard son of Laufey -God of lies and chaos and mischief- knew mind games like the back of his hand. He knew a liar when he saw one, and every showman is a liar –just varying degrees.
In Loki’s experience, spanning across centuries, it wasn’t just about putting on a show; it was the performance that counted. But aren’t those the same thing? Not at all, not at all. Take it from the greatest performer in the nine-realms; if you can’t act the part, the show is nothing but a farce, and one does not want the audience to see through it.
Watching as the Midgardian mages technology worked its way into each and every device the mortals possessed, Loki knew he’d chosen wisely, smirking at the spiteful grin of the inventor. Someone just as broken, just as resourcefully cunning –of all things- as he himself was. And the best part? The fools around the mad genius believed him a hero; nothing more, nothing less. Oh, the things they’ve missed; ignored, more rightly. And to their own disadvantage.
“They will regret the day they crossed one such as yourself, Mr Stark. Of that, I can assure you.”
The energy radiating from the engineer was intoxicating; he’d known what he himself was capable of, but the goodness of those around him, all righteous light and moral bearing, had given him pause.
“Now the world will see just how much power Tony Stark can possess.”
Top that, foolish mortals.
It was the easiest thing, to believe to the trickster’s words. Who knew revenge like the God of it? Not that Tony Stark was a believer in such things, but he could see the merits of having a helping hand in his current venture. The question was, for how long would he be able to fool his friends into thinking him innocent?