Energy

The widescreen television then displayed the scene of outside of a bank surrounded by police cars. The caption below read ‘Hostages taken at Malibu Bank’, and Tony’s eyes lit up with recognition of the bank and street.

“We have to go,” Tony said simply.

“What? Why? The police can handle it,” Christie countered. As they continued to watch the live footage, a few frames of the armed burglars were broadcasted. All of them wore Iron Man masks to hide their identity.

“Well they just made it personal,” Tony growled as he turned on his heel. He stormed out of the room and downstairs to where his suits were stored.

“Tony? Tony!” Christie called as she ran after him. Stark finally stopped, but only because he was in position for his suit to be placed on him by machinery. “Why are you doing this? You promised me a day of fun, and me watching you fight crime is not fun!”

“Who said anything about you watching? Jarvis! Christie’s suit, please!” he called out to his computer right before his headgear was added. A panel from the floor shifted back and allowed a wall to rise. Christie gaped as she saw the white spy outfit that Natasha had leant her attached to it, boots completing the ensemble.

“What the hell is this?” she questioned with awe.

“I got it in when you agreed to visit, just in case,” Stark explained as he flexed his arms, testing that everything on the latest suit was functioning properly. Christie stayed put, still shocked by what was happening. “Just put it on and come with me. I need you to have my back.”

“Last time you said you needed me to have your back, Loki threw you from the top of your tower and then started to attack me,” Christie glowered. Later on she had understood that Stark had had a plan, but at the time it was petrifying.

“How about we talk about that on the flight over? Just suit up, we need to save lives,” Tony urged.

“I’m not going,” Christie said with a shake of her head. She didn’t want to be seen by all the cameras. Being a one-time hero was bad enough; she didn’t need to be spotted again.

“Bottom line is that you can stop the bullets with your energy and do most of the life-saving. Now are you coming or not?” he asked, knowing he had her trapped. She sighed with annoyance and pulled her shirt off. Tony focused on opening the roof so they could fly out instead of peeking at her undressing, and by the time he turned back around Christie was doing up her boots. She then turned on the earpiece and put it in.

“I’m still not happy about this,” she muttered, her voice coming through clearly into Iron Man’s helmet.

“Let’s go,” Stark said before initiating his flight boosters. Christie focused her energy and sped upwards after him, her fringe blowing up off her face. Tony adjusted his speed to the fastest that Christie could go, and they flew side by side towards the bank.

“You know, you never apologised for leaving me with Loki,” Christie remarked.

“Nothing happened. There’s nothing to apologise for,” he replied casually.

“You know how I was covered in cuts by the end of the invasion?”

“Yeah.”

“Remember how I put up an energy shield so I can’t be touched?” Christie continued, wondering if it would sink in.

“Oh…” Tony said with wide eyes. It had suddenly hit him, along with guilt.

“Yeah. Loki’s magic is the only thing that’s been able to break through it, and it hurt a lot.”

“I am so sorry,” Tony said, his honest pleading for forgiveness evident in his tone. Christie gave him a weak smile, but didn’t speak. Her mind was trying to process the changes to her opinion on Tony. She now knew that it wasn’t as if he had purposefully put her in harms way, and that apology was the most sincere thing she had ever heard him say. “You look like you’re healing well.”

“I am. I’ll be fine,” Christie shrugged. All she had was a few scabs, really, and only one wound that seemed like it would scar as it still had a bandage on it.

“We’re here,” he announced before quickly descending. They both landed in front of the police, noting a FBI van was now there too.

“Stark! Stand down! We’ve got this under control!” a man shouted authoritatively. Christie glanced across at Tony, knowing that wouldn’t stop him.

“We need to get in. If I blow up the bulletproof glass in the door, will you hold it an energy force field so no one gets hurt?” Stark asked her. Christie almost laughed at how he was able to break bulletproof glass with bullets.

“Yeah, I got it,” she agreed, turning and focusing on the door.



Ten minutes later and the police were filing into the bank, retrieving unharmed hostages and unconscious robbers. Christie flew away as soon as the job was done, not wanting to speak to any reporters. Tony didn’t mind and took off after her, easily catching her halfway on the short flight back to his house.

“I saw you smile at the end. I know you felt good about doing the right thing and saving those people,” Tony said as his house came into view.

“I did not!” Christie quickly denied.

“I know what you’re feeling. For whatever reason, it’s not you to be the hero. But you are. Deep down inside, doing the right thing is what you’re supposed to do with your life,” he continued, describing how he felt not too long ago. It had been difficult to change his business, to start truly helping people, to become Iron Man, but Tony had managed to do it. He knew Christie could fight her inner battles and come out on top too. She remained silent, however, and they both landed back in Stark’s garage. Tony pulled off his headgear as Christie hurriedly walked over to the pile of her clothes that were on the ground. “What troubles you so much about being a hero? It’s an honour to be one.”

“An honour?” Christie laughed, straightening up and facing him, arms half full with her clothes. “It is an honour for you because you chose this sort of life, this is what you wanted to be. I didn’t. I was forced into it, and I hate it! Like you said to Steve, everything that’s special about me came out of a bottle!”

“I only said that because I was angry! I didn’t mean it!” Stark shouted, desperate to convince her he wasn’t such a douchebag. He wished he hadn’t said that terribly thing. Steve and Christie were good people.

“It doesn’t matter if you mean it or not, because it’s the truth. I never chose this. I was sold to the government by unloving parents and dodgy experiments were performed on me as a teenager, and then Fury forces me to aid in the fight against Loki, and now you with this bank robbery…” Christie continued to sneer, trailing off. “I never get a choice…” The two stared at each other for a moment before Christie picked up her shoes and started towards the stairs.

“Christie, wait,” Tony begged.

“Goodbye, Stark,” she said, quickly bouncing up the stairs and going to her bedroom.