"Don't you just look so dapper." Tony's mother pushed back some of his feathery back hair back away from his face, he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.
There was a sharp scoff from behind them, and Tony's mother immediately drew back her hand like it had been burned. "Stop coddling the boy Maria. He's eight now, not two." His father- Howard Stark of Stark industries approached them both. He was dressed impeccably in a suit similar to Tony's own. His aged face pulled into a stern frown. He looked at Tony with a slight narrowing of his eyes. "You better be on your best behavior tonight at this charity event, do you understand?"
The young boy nodded rapidly, a few strands of his hair falling back in front of his dark eyes. "Understood father." Howard gave a small hum in acknowledgement before he took Maria's arm and led them out to the car. Tony trailed behind them quietly, the young boy fidgeted with his cuff-links nervously.
In front of them, the car was a slim black limousine with tinted windows. The chauffeur opened the door for them, his father entering first like always. His mother and lastly, he himself got in. The door shut behind them with a tone of finality, Tony's stomach filled with dread at having to spend so long in a confined area with his father.
He buckles up dutifully before he looks out the window. He watches the waxing moon slowly being covered by gloomy rain-clouds. The car began to pull out of the Manor grounds and onto the roads leading out to Gotham.
Tony was only pulled out of his revere when Howard curtly cleared his throat. Promptly turning his attention to his father, Tony looked nervous under the intense scrutinizing gaze of his father. "Yes father?" He asked politely.
"Tonight, is very special, Anthony." Tony barely stifled a cringe when his father said his name. It always sounded apathetic and distant. "I understand this isn't your first visit to this kind of event, however, tonight will be Stark industries' first chance to make a good first impression on many potential business partners in Gotham." Howard adjusted his tie. "This is important not just for me, but for the entire company. So, when I introduce you, I will be the one doing all the talking. Stay quiet. Don't mention anything about your silly hobbies or fantasies- and absolutely no droning on about your computer or tech speak, understood?" Howard seemed slightly satisfied when Tony gave a stiff nod.
The company always came first. Tony was aware of that. No matter how hard Tony tried to get his father's attention, no matter how many things he built to try and make him just look at him for once- Tony would never be as important as his dad's company, or his machines.
That seemed to be the end of the talk, which was at least a partial relief. Only now the car was filled with awkward silence. Not the comfortable companionable silence like he could share with his late caretaker Jarvis. (How Tony missed him). Instead this silence hung in the air like a cold winter's chill.
It wasn't long before they were onto one of the outskirt roads in a neighborhood similar to where the Starks lived at the other end of Gotham. There weren't any street lamps, and only green lush trees bordered on either side of them. Though their silhouettes looked black underneath the dark conditions of the stormy night. It gave the air an eerie feel, and for some reason- Tony felt as if something was going to go horribly wrong.
His mother slowly slid her hand over his own and gave a slight smile. Tony could barely see it in the dark, but he felt the comforting squeeze of her hand over his. 'Nervous?' She mouthed, not wanting to draw the attention of Howard. His father never liked it when his mother 'coddled' him. Once he turned six, holding hands, hugging, and any physical gestures were completely banned. Needless to say, it was moments like these that Tony thrived on. He gave a small nod in return to his mother's question; her hand just squeezed his own one more time before letting go. Tony fought back a frown from making its way to his lips, and instead looked back out the window. Rain droplets had started to fall, the young boy watched as the droplets of water rolled down the pane of glass before disappearing from sight.
Seeing light behind them on the once deserted road, Tony turned his head to look in the direction of the beam of light. It was a vehicle. It seemed to be a motorcycle or something similar, Tony guessed, since there was only one headlight and not two. "Anthony Edward Stark, sit back in your seat now." Muscles tensing from his father's words, Tony slid back down against the leather back of the seat. His shoulders hunch and his head bowed as he sat back down.
Too busy staring at his hands that were kept dutifully in his lap, the young boy didn't notice the motorcycle pulling up beside the car- it was only a few seconds later that shards of glass from the window were raining over him and his ears were drowned in the sound of gunfire. He let out a high-pitched whine and covered his head.
The car jerked to the side, and the next thing he knew the car was flipping over an embankment at the side of the road. His head slammed into the door of the car and everything went black.
Minutes or hours later, Tony couldn't tell- is when he finally came to. His eyes opened blearily, and he found himself upside down. His movements were slow and shaky, his entire body felt like lead- his ears were filled with the sound of his own heart beating rapidly like a hummingbird's wings. Carefully he reached the buckle, and after some fumbling it unlocked. Gravity took over, and he dropped- landing painfully in the broken glass that was at the bottom.
Crawling on his hands and knees, he moved to his mother- only to gasp at what he saw. His mother hung limply from the seat of the limo, he touched her hand- wanting nothing more than for her to take his hand and squeeze it like she did earlier. However, she just continued to stare at him with unseeing eyes. A bullet hole went straight between them, blood steadily dripped from it like a leaky faucet. He let out a few sobs, and only a small glance confirmed his father was in the same state.
Not wanting to believe what he saw, he dragged his aching body through the open window. He dug his fingers into the mud and pulled himself out of the car. Picking himself up, he only barely managed to bend over some bushes on the side of the road as he violently emptied the contents of his stomach.
Choking on tears, snot, blood and vomit- he could barely breathe. Sobbing harder, he wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball.
Seeing lights off in the distance, he forces himself through sheer force of will to ascent up the steep muddy embankment. His suit is ruined by the mud by now, and he almost wants to give a hysterical laugh at the thought. All that comes out are broken gross snuffles.
Collapsing at the side of the road- he gasps in a breath of air desperately. "Help-" he mutters weakly towards the incoming lights. Two headlights, not one. Staggering to his feet, he blunders into the middle of the road. "Please stop." He begs and prays that they stop. Holding his arm up shield his face from the lights, he clenches his eyes closed in the fear that they wouldn't stop in time.
There is a screech of tires on the slick road, and not even a second later, the sound of a car door opening. In relief he drops his arms and opens his eyes, seeing the figure of a tall broad-shouldered man. Tony sways a bit in his spot. "Please help me." He whimpers out weakly.
"Oh my god." He hears someone say as the figure approaches. Tony lets out a sob in relief. They stopped, they actually stooped.
His knees finally buckle underneath him, Tony is caught by two strong arms. He cries harder, but the arms don't let him go. They just gently keep him close. He feels hands brushing away his hair and his shaking shoulders being covered by some sort of cloth. There is the sound of voices talking, however Tony can't focus- and soon he drifts off again as exhaustion plagues his body.
"-TT- I do not understand why my presence is still required at these gatherings father. I am sixteen now, I should be able to patrol the city by myself." Bruce Wayne's youngest son Damian scowled. Despite his six years of upbringing within the Wayne family household, Damian still thought that social functions were tedious and tiresome.
Bruce narrowed his eyes slightly. "There are still personas we must upkeep Damian. This is a part of that." He scolded idly. This is the same argument he's had with every Robin he's ever taken under his wing. All of his sons insisted they wanted to be nothing but Robin, at least at one point. Bruce could understand never wanting to stop the pursuit of justice, but by now Bruce was tired of rehashing the same argument.
Dick who sat in the middle between the father and son slightly nudged his younger brother's knee with a smile. "Just relax Dami. It's not going to be all bad. Then once it's over, we can get out of these monkey suits and do a quick late night patrol to let off some steam."
Bruce ignored Damian's scathing remark in return and their continued conversation when he noticed the car slowing down. Knowing they weren't relatively anywhere near their stop yet, he glanced towards the driver's seat where Alfred sat. "Is something wrong?"
Bruce could see the Englishman's eyes squint from the rear view mirror. "I am not certain Master Bruce, but I think there is something in the road."
Damian scoffed as he leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff. "Don't be foolish Pennyworth. It must just be the fog."
Alfred however gasped. "Good heavens." And the car jerked to a stop. Only then did Bruce see what Alfred saw.
He opened the door without a second thought and quickly unbuckled his seat belt. In the road was a small child who couldn't even be the age of ten yet. Blood dripped from his hairline and he was covered in mud. The boy swayed on his feet as Bruce neared. "Please help me." The boy whimpered.
"Oh my god." He heard Dick say from behind him. Bruce only barely caught the boy as his knees buckled underneath him. The child dissolved into a fit of crying and clung to Bruce like a lifeline. Bruce carefully brushed back the young boy's hair, trying to soothe his sobs and also trying to find where the blood was coming from.
When the boy went limp in his arms, Bruce's voice went sharp. He wasn't Bruce Wayne right now, he was Batman. "Dick, call an ambulance. Damian, go check ahead of us to see if there is anyone else that had been with the boy." He barked. Both of the boys nodded and went about their respective orders.
When Damian came back, he looked grim. Bruce's stomach dropped, but his face stayed stoic. "I found a car flipped over in an embankment not far ahead of us. There were only three dead bodies, father. It seems he was the only one to survive. Their cause of death seemed to be a gunshot to the head."
A car crash and being shot? Questions plagued Bruce as he subconsciously adjusted his grip tighter around the boy.
As sirens wailed in the distance and the rain poured above them, Bruce felt as if he was back in that alley all those years ago. His heart broke for this child that lay in his arms.
A/N: Um- I have no excuse for creating a whole new story instead of updating my Red X one. However, I had this idea and I had to write it. This story isn't really going to be a whole universe crossover between Marvel and DC, but mostly just Tony in how I imagined he would be in DC universe. There might be cameos every now and then though. I have a few really good ideas for this that I can't wait to use.