This is a side story to my story Raptor. It's actually a prequel and starts like two or three years before the brothers come to the island. It's not required to read for Raptor. It'll just be referenced in part 3. So I thought... why not write it out instead of just saying Gray was the kid in Iron Man 3? Because Gray is the kid in Iron Man 3. 8D So basically, this is a rewriting of Harley's part in Iron Man 3, with Gray as Harley. (Played by the same actor. 8D) (Which Nameless brought up because it never occurred to me.) So... yeah. Hope you enjoy! Also, Nameless named their Grandma. Grandpa's name was already established in part 2 of Raptor. And Zach being on the track team was established in Raptor. 8D
If you haven't read Raptor... I'm not sure why you're reading this. XD
Raptor Sides
Gold and Red... and Gray?
Chapter 1: The Whiney Kid
MANDARIN ATTACK: STARK PRESUMED DEAD. The headline read, followed by a picture of the presumed dead billionaire. He'd been reading it when his brother called. The last Mandarin attack. It sounded bad. But it always sounded back. There was always something or someone out there, trying to attack or whatever. The world was a scary place. The universe, actually. "Don't worry about it too much." His brother had said after he skimmed the article for him. "I bet he's still alive. He's too stubborn to die." The brothers had both laughed at that for a few moments. And then it got quiet.
He pushed the newspaper away and sighed loudly, breaking the quiet. "But Zach!" The 9 year old kid whined loudly into the phone. He couldn't help it. It just wasn't fair! He was so bored and there was nothing to do and Grandma Odette's house was so old and boring and it smelled funny and the dumb cat kept biting him and making him sneeze. He told dad he thought he was allergic. But dad said he was tested even though he doesn't remember ever being tested. And mom said it was only for a week and to just stay away from the cat. Which he was doing. But the cat hair was just everywhere! And why couldn't he go to camp like Zach? Why did he have to stay with grandma? "Her TV is really old and the laptop has dial-up! Dial-up, Zach! I didn't even know that was a thing anymore!"
The teenager laughed over the line. "Yeah, I know." He said. "I remember. I have been there before, squirt. Just as much as you."
"But it's not fair!" He whined louder, leaning back on the couch. Zach was off to some special track camp for two weeks. And their parents were off on a second honeymoon. And he was too young to be by himself. So he was stuck going to grandma's. It wasn't that he hated visiting her. It was just... a week was a long time. It had only been 3 days! And he was there alone! Just her and the cat!
"Suck it up, Gray." Zach said with another laugh. "I had to stay with her last summer when she broke her leg. And that was 3 weeks. You're getting off lucky. Just hang in there for a few more days. Then we'll do something when I get back, okay? Like... uh..."
Gray rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You can't even think of anything!" He snapped. Zach was getting older. Gray had noticed it. His brother had less time for him. Sometimes mom said Zach had to hang out with Gray. Like when he took him trick-or-treating last Halloween. But that usually made it worse. And Zach would sulk and ignore him.
"Give me a break!" Zach snapped over the line. "I'll think of something, okay?"
Gray sighed loudly. "Okay." He mumbled. "Sorry." He hated complaining. He really did. This just really sucked! He was just so bored! And he really hated the cat.
"Just work on your science fair project, okay?" Zach suggested after a moment.
Gray glanced over at the coffee table. He'd finished the amped up potato gun on his first day there. "It's done." He mumbled.
"You finished it?" Zach asked. "Already?"
"Yes." Gray answered.
"Then like... decorate it or something." Zach said. "Paint it. Make it really badass looking. Just... find something to do, okay? Gotta go." The line clicked off without waiting for a response. Gray pulled the phone away from his ear and sighed. He glared down at it as he held it in his lap. It just wasn't fair!
"Who was that, sweetie?"
Gray looked up as she walked into the living room. He forced a smile. "Zach." He answered.
Grandma ambled over towards him and sat down beside him on the couch. She breathed out and rubbed at her knee. "How's he doing?" She asked softly as she leaned back. "He liking camp?"
Gray nodded his head. He bent forward to set the phone and newspaper on the coffee table. "He says it's a lot of running."
She nodded her head and smiled brightly. "Yes, I expect so." She said with a laugh. "I'm glad he's doing so well and likes it. Takes dedication to be on a team."
Gray shrugged. "He only joined track cuz daddy was trying to get him on the football team."
"Oh..." She frowned for a moment before smiling again. "Well... he's still on it and your mother tells me he's doing great. He's the fastest on his team and he won a trophy."
Gray nodded his head. Yeah, even daddy had been excited that day, even though he said it wasn't football. But Zach had seemed excited.
She smiled again. "Dedication." Then she shook her head and glanced at Gray's science project on the table. "If he'd just put a bit of that into his studies, like you."
Gray shrugged again and looked at the floor.
Grandma Odette looked back at Gray. She tilted her head, watching him. "You still like dinosaurs?" She asked, changing the subject.
Gray glanced back up at her and nodded his head. He did. Zach sometimes said it was childish, how much Gray liked dinosaurs still. Since he could remember, they had been his favorite everything. His room was covered in dinosaurs. Books, toys, stuffed animals, posters. His bed and curtains were even decorated with dinosaurs. One of his most prized possessions was an autographed book from Alan Grant.
"Did your mom tell you about your aunt Claire's new job?"
Gray tilted his head to the side and blinked at her for a moment, trying to think. They hadn't seen their aunt in a few years. And mom hardly mentioned her anymore. She just didn't have time for her family. It was a sore spot between her and mom. "No." He shook his head.
"She's working at that dinosaur island." She said. "Jurassic Park? Or... I guess it's World, now, isn't it?"
Gray's eyes widened. "She's working with the dinosaurs?"
She nodded her head. "Yes. Just started two weeks ago. I think she's a manager."
Gray's smile only seemed to widen. "That's so cool!"
"It is..." She said and paused. "I'm still a little nervous..." She admitted. "All those people died years ago."
Gray shook his head quickly. "Yeah, but, it's safe now." He said quickly. "I read all about it. They got better security and trained army people and stuff. They have a whole team that's trained on how to like fight the dinos if they get loose. And since it reopened, none have gotten loose."
She smiled and nodded. "Claire said much of the same." She breathed out and shook her head. "Still... it's a mother's job to worry. Grandmother's job, too." She said with a wink at him.
"I want to go!" Gray said excitedly. "So bad!"
She nodded. "Maybe... maybe I'll go, too." Gray smiled. He opened his mouth. But a crash outside stopped him. They both turned. Grandma shook her head and settled back down. "It's just those raccoons." She said. "They get into the garage through the roof."
Gray perked up again, his eyes still on the window. "Grandpa Mike's garage?"
She nodded her head. "Been locked up." She said. "Since he passed." She paused and looked away. "Nearly two years now." She breathed out and smiled sadly. "Haven't felt like going in there. I ought to. I'm sure it needs cleaned up. Everything has to be covered in dust."
Gray stood up. "I can do it!" Back when Grandpa Mike was alive, Gray and Zach would spend hours out in the garage with him. He loved fixing up old cars and was teaching Gray and Zach a few things. Those were some of Gray's best memories, fixing up old cars with Zach and grandpa.
But Grandma Odette just shook her head. "No one's been in there since..." She looked away and sighed. "I don't even know what's in there." She said. "Fixing cars was always men's work." She mused softly. "He used to say I'd hurt myself if I went in there."
"Please?" Gray whined a bit. But he couldn't help himself. It would be something fun to do for the next few days. "Grandpa used to let me and Zach in there all the time!"
She looked at him for a few moments. Then she smiled and nodded. "Yes. For hours on end! And I'd have to come outside and holler at you boys to come in and eat." Her smile widened. "Alright." She agreed. "But tomorrow, okay? It's starting to get dark."
They heard another bang and Gray walked over to the window. He pulled the curtains back and looked outside. "Can I go scare off the raccoons?" He asked.
She hesitated a moment. "Well..."
"Please?" He begged. "I can test out my science fair project."
Her eyes widened. "You are not shooting the raccoons with a potato!"
"Not at them!" Gray said, shaking his head. "Just like... at the ground or wall or something. To scare them."
She studied him for a moment longer. "Okay." She nodded finally. "Then you come right back in here, alright?"
Gray smiled and nodded. "Yes, ma'am!"
"The key is still on the hook by the door."
Gray pulled his shoes on, grabbed his project and the key, and was out the door in less than a minute. He didn't want to give her a chance to change her mind. But as Gray stepped closer to the old garage, he thought he heard a voice.
"You happy now?"
Gray slowed and for a moment, thought about running back inside. He tightened his grip on his potato gun. But just looking through the window couldn't hurt. He crept closer and stood on his toes to peer inside. The light was definitely on. And... on the old couch... looked like... Gray's eyes widened. He quickly unlocked the door and threw it open.
Iron Man.
Gray blinked. That was Iron Man! His eyes widened as he stared at the Iron Man suit, sitting on Grandpa Mike's old couch. But then he quickly noticed the man sitting at the old workbench. His eyes widened even more if it were possible. Tony Stark. Was sitting. In Grandpa Mike's garage! Gray just knew there was no way he was dead! The man was just too stubborn, just like Zach had said! Gray lifted his gun. "Freeze." He said. The man dropped the pliers he was holding and looked up. "Don't move!" Gray said pointing the potato gun at him.
The man held up his hands. "You got me." He said evenly. "Nice potato gun." He added quickly. "The barrel's a little long. Between that and the wide gauge it's gonna diminish your FPS."
Gray narrowed his eyes for a moment. Then he tilted the gun up and fired a shot. It shattered an old empty bottle that was sitting on a shelf.
The man smiled and lowered his arms. "And now your outta ammo."
He wasn't. He'd modified it to hold more than one projectile. Gray smiled as he aimed at a second bottle and fired again.
The man tilted his head to the side. "I stand corrected."
"You're Tony Stark." Gray said bluntly.
The man pulled his lips tight and nodded his head. "Yep."
Gray's eyes dropped to the man's shirt and the weird glow it emitted. "What's that thing on your chest?"
"It's uh... an electromagnet." Tony answered. "You should know. You got a lot of them right here." He reached over and thumped on a small, plastic box on top of the table.
"Not mine." Gray answered. "My Grandpa's." He answered softly. "What does it power?"
Tony let out a sigh as he stood up. He pointed back towards the couch at the sitting Iron Man suit.
Gray had momentarily forgotten about that. He dropped his gun on the floor. "Oh yes! I saw him through the window! This is so awesome! Is that really Iron Man?"
Tony shrugged slightly. "Technically, I am."
Gray shrugged. "Technically, you're dead." He said bluntly.
Tony's eyebrow piqued. "Dead?"
Gray nodded. "I read it in the newspaper earlier today."
"Can I see?"
Gray glanced past him at the Iron Man suit. Then he turned and looked back at the door. He looked back at Tony and held up his hands. "You stay right here!" He said.
Tony nodded and held up his hands. "I will not move." He said. "From this spot."
Gray backed up until he reached the door. Then he turned and ran back towards the house. He opened the door slowly and stepped inside as quietly as he could. He peeked around the corner, into the living room. Grandma Odette was watching the TV and it was turned up pretty loud. But she was in her rocking chair, rocking slowly, and her back was to him. And the paper was sitting on the floor just beside her. He slowly tiptoed closer, knelt down, and crawled until he could reach it. Then he dashed back outside, being as quiet as possible.
Tony was still standing, exactly as Gray had left him, his hands still up in the air. The man smiled slightly. "Didn't move." He said, like it was something to be congratulated about.
Gray quickly shut the door behind him and held the paper out. "See?" He said. "Dead."
Tony took the paper and unfolded it to see his face and the headline on the front. "I see." He said as his eyes started skimming the article. "Valid point."
Gray walked past him, towards the Iron Man suit on the couch. He climbed up beside him. "What happened to him?"
Tony turned towards him. "Life." He answered, his eyes still on the newspaper. "I built him. I take care of him." He shook his head and tossed the paper on the work bench. He breathed out and leaned back against the bench. He crossed his arms. "I'll fix him."
Gray reached out and touched the face of the suit. He smiled and glanced back at Tony. "Like a mechanic?"
Tony dipped his head slightly and nodded. "Yep." He said. "I'm the mechanic."
Gray nodded slowly and looked back at the suit. It was pretty mangled up. Dented and scratched. And the gold and red paint was barely distinguishable. But it was still so cool! He turned the head slightly. "If I was building Iron Man and War Machine..."
"It's Iron Patriot now." Tony interrupted with slight sneer in his voice.
Gray wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "That's stupid."
"Yes! Thank you!" Tony threw up his hands. "That's what I said!"
Gray tilted his head. "Why'd they change it?"
Tony shrugged slightly. "Image change, I guess."
Gray nodded, not exactly sure what that meant. But Iron Man! "Anyways, I would have added in the Retro-reflective panels. To make him stealth mode."
Tony blinked and stared at the kid. Like the idea had never occurred to him. "You want a stealth mode?"
Gray smiled and nodded. "Cool, right?"
Tony shrugged slightly and looked away. "That's actually a good idea. Maybe I'll build that next. Working on this nanotechnology one right now."
"Nanotech?" Gray repeated. He was still idly playing with the helmet, turning it slightly from one side to the other. Then up and down.
Tony nodded and lifted his hands. He tapped the arch in his chest and then drug his hands outward, over his chest. Then he lifted his arms away and flicked them in the air. "Just suddenly suit materializing."
"Cool." Gray said, looking back at Tony. And then, the head of the suit rolled off and clattered to the floor. Gray's eyes widened.
Tony's eyes fell to the floor, watching as the helmet spun a bit. "That was not a good idea."
Gray grimaced slightly. "Oops!"
"What are you doing?" Tony asked, stepping forward. He bent down and picked the helmet up off the floor. "You're just gonna decapitate him like that? He's in pain. He's been injured. Leave him alone!"
"Sorry." Gray mumbled.
"Are you?" Tony snapped. Then he quickly sighed and shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He said. I'll fix it." He reached out and set the helmet on the suit's lap. Then he stepped back to his spot against the work bench and dropped his gaze to the floor. "So, uh... who's home?"
"Grandma." Gray answered.
"You live with your grandma?"
Gray shook his head quickly. "No. Mom and dad are on a cruise thing and my older brother is at this camp thing. So I'm stuck here while she watches me."
Tony nodded. "Grandpa? This is his stuff?" He glanced around the garage. "Where's he at?"
"He died." Gray answered.
"Hmm. Yeah. That happens." Tony said, nodding. "Makes sense. All this stuff is pretty dusty."
Gray sighed slightly and nodded. "Grandma locked it up after he died cuz it made her sad. She said no one's been in here since."
"Until now." Tony said. "What's Grandma's name?"
"Odette."
"Weird. Okay." Tony pushed away from the bench and clapped his hands together. "Here's what I need. A laptop, a digital watch, a cell phone, the pneumatic actuator from your bazooka over there, a map of the town, a big spring, and a tuna fish sandwich."
Gray leaned back on the couch beside the Iron Man suit. He crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side. "What's in it for me?"
Tony shrugged slightly. "Salvation."
"Salvation?" Gray repeated. "From what?"
"From spending a boring night with your Grandma." Tony answered. "Hanging out with me. What else have you got better to do?"
Gray shrugged. "Nothing, I guess."
"What's your name, kid?"
"Gray."
Tony tilted his head slightly. "Seriously?"
Gray nodded.
"Pretty. And I'm..."
"The Mechanic." Gray interrupted with a smile.
"Tony."
"Duh."
Tony smiled for a moment. "You know what keeps going through my head?"
"What?" Gray asked.
"Where's my sandwich?"
"Gotta wait until she goes to sleep." Gray said, easing off the couch. "She usually falls asleep in her rocker."
"Well... go check." Tony said. "We got work to do."