"Dying?" Paige asked. "What do you mean, dying, what happened?"

"Palladium poisoning," Tony said, turning back to work on some gadget. "From the first models of the Arc. But it's fine, not an issue anymore, I fixed it."

"Still," Paige said. She was quiet for a moment. "What did you need the palladium for? It's not exactly a common metal."

"The reactor." Tony shrugged. "Had to have something to power it, and I had palladium on hand the first time."

"I see," Paige said. She was quiet for a moment, and then decided to change the subject. "You should come visit the mansion more often, by the way. I think the kids have been chomping at the bit for some crazy science lately."

"I can make this happen," Tony said with a grin. "Why, are they missing their two usual explosive-throwing psychos?"

"They miss Remy and Crystal, yes," Paige said, grinning a bit. "But they also noticed you haven't been around lately."

Tony shrugged. "Been busy," he said evasively. Although it was partially because he'd been busy, it was also partially because he knew that Paige wasn't all that comfortable around him and his prodding questions. Up until earlier, anyway, and really, he didn't know why he wanted to make her comfortable, and set that aside to examine never.

"I'm not blaming you for anything," Paige pointed out. "I figured you got caught up in something. I'm just saying the kids miss you a bit, that's all. Maybe you'll get some downtime soon so you can visit." She carefully ignored the little voice in the back of her head that whispered that she missed him visiting, too.

"Should be able to, as long as things stay quiet," Tony said. "Before Charles calls and gives me the lecture, or the look over the phone."

Paige snickered.

"Yeah, he's good at that, it's frightening," she agreed, grinning.

"It is. He looks like such a cute and harmless professor, and then he gives you the look and you find yourself doing whatever it is he wants you to do. And he's not even using his mutation to do it either, damn him."

"That's what makes it so scary," Paige agreed, grinning. "I swear, he could take over the world, if he wanted to, and it wouldn't take any effort at all."

"Fortunately he seems content with just the mansion for now," Tony agreed. "It would be laughably easy for him to take over the world." He made a face.

"It really would," Paige agreed, snickering. "And Erik would just stand behind him, looming over everyone with that scowl."

"With an army of floating utensils at his whim, because Charles wouldn't let him float the daggers anymore," Tony added with a grin. And he had absolutely seen that happen.

Paige laughed outright, nodding.

"That's exactly what would happen," she gasped. "Oh god just picture the forks."

"The most menacing forks on the face of the earth," Tony agreed with a grin, hoping to get her to laugh again. She had a nice laugh.

And he was not thinking about that, nope, not at all.

"No kidding," Paige said, still snickering. Oh that had felt good.

Tony grinned. Well, that was enough of a success for one day, anyway.

"Alright, so, visit out to the mansion soon, got that, getting more vibranium, anything else?"

"Nothing I can think of," Paige replied, slipping the little chunks of metal into her pocket for the moment.

"Excellent!" Tony swiveled his chair around to his latest project again. "Then I'll get back to this, you can stick around if you want."

"Alright," Paige said. She would probably stick around for a little while longer, and then head back to the mansion. It was her turn to look after the kids for the evening, after all.

Tony just dove back into his work, muttering to himself occasionally, because this was good and normal and not confusing.

A little while later, Paige reluctantly stretched and got up.

"I should head back," she said. "My turn to look after the kids tonight, I think Erik and Charles are going out for the evening."