Devils and Daffodils
The New York streets were crowded, horns honking and tourists gawking, as they always were. Why tourists still came to New York with all the alien attacks Tony would never know. But Tony Stark, decked out in his usual billionaire suit and trying to be inconspicuous but failing miserably, had a simple mission: to find a florist. You'd think that would be an easy task in a city as vast as this, but Tony was looking for a very specific kind of bouquet for Harry to show how much he cared for the young lad. And because he could not see a lot of flowers without thinking of his Aunts garden and that was not what Tony wanted.
Walking out of the sixth florist he had entered with no bouquet Tony was nearly ready to give up. When FRIDAY finally piped up from his glasses to tell him there was potentially a florist he could try on Bowery.
He'd been walking around for nearly an hour when she spoke up about this quaint little flower shop, "Lang's Blossoms." So Tony thought it was worth the chance. Once there the white building looked quite small and easily missable. The sign out front read: "Where flowers bloom, so does hope." Tony raised an eyebrow, finding the tagline oddly cringy.
As he stepped inside, the scents of various flowers hit him — a delightful blend of roses, lilies, daisies, and many more. Behind the counter stood a young man, arranging a bouquet with a concentration Tony had seen on very few faces.
“Hi, I’m hoping you can help me.” He says, leaning against the counter.
Scott looked up, surprised. “Tony? Stark? What are you doing here?”
“Looking for flowers, obviously,” Tony responded with a smirk.
Scott chuckled. “I guess I asked for that. So, what can I get you?”
Before Tony could respond, there was a loud crash outside. They both ran out to see a few alien spacecraft hovering above. Without warning, several aliens began descending, terrorising the civilians.
“Guess it's not going to be a calm day after all,” Scott remarked.
People ran in panic, cars crashed, and chaos ensued. Tony tried to summon his suit, but to his horror, it malfunctioned. “Friday, come in! Friday?” There was silence. He couldn’t get his AI online. He glanced around frantically, realising that he was, for once, utterly vulnerable.
Scott, without hesitation, grabbed Tony's arm and pulled him into his shop. He quickly began filling bags with sand and dirt. "We need to barricade the doors," he said with an urgency that surprised Tony.
As Tony assisted Scott, he asked, “Why aren’t you running?”
Scott met his gaze. “This is my community. These are my people. I can't just run and leave them.”
Once the doors were secured, Scott moved to the back of the shop and brought out several makeshift slingshots and canisters filled with a concoction of chilli powder, pepper, and other irritants. “Been preparing for a possible robbery,” Scott explained, “but I guess they'll work against aliens too.”
Using the vantage point of his shop's window, Scott aimed and shot the canisters. As they burst, the aliens recoiled, clearly disoriented by the potent mix. Tony, inspired by Scott's bravery, found a fire extinguisher and joined in the fight, spraying and blinding the invaders from the air, trying to stop them from landing.
The aliens, overwhelmed by the unexpected resistance, began to retreat. The hovering ships, realising their ground troops were being defeated by mere civilians, started to pull back, just as the quinjet began approaching. Knowing things would not end well once the Avengers were here, the intelligent aliens began to disappear.
Once the threat had dissipated, the duo emerged from the shop, their makeshift weapons discarded. Around them, people cheered, many coming forward to thank Scott and Tony for their bravery.
Scott, ever the modest hero, scratched his head sheepishly. “Guess I had a bit more fight in me than I thought.”
Tony smiled, "You're something else, Scott. And to think, all I wanted was to buy some Daffodils and instead we had to fight those devils again."
“You never get a quiet day when working with the public Mr Stark.”
Tony chuckled, clapping him on the back. “I guess not. You saved the day, Lang. I owe you one.”
“You can start by buying some flowers,” Scott suggested.
Tony laughed, “Of course. Give me the best bouquet you’ve got. I need to grovel to Harry and he will love the story behind it. Just make sure to include those Daffodils.”
As the two walked back into the florist shop, Tony marvelled at the unpredictability of life. Here he was, saved by a superhero florist. It was just another day in the life of Tony Stark.