Hello! Here is my Tony-finds-Al chapter.
I know some of you might think that it's a bit implausible that Al would apparate to where Tony is... but, well.. Sucks to your Asthmar! It's my story, I do what I want. This is all for the sake of story progression, and setting up what I want to happen. So if I twist around fictional rules, don't get mad at me!
Also, please don't get mad at me for the slow updates! I love you all, and I crave your reviews, but work and moving and stuff have kept me very busy! I have the next few chapters sketched in, so just be patient!
Disclaimers: I don't own any of the mentioned characters, bands, or movies. None.
Warnings: Tony being Tony (or at least, as Tony as I can write him, with an imagined soft-spot for kids) and... hypothetical situations? I dunno. Not much to warn about.
Enjoy reading! And please review! Or think about reviewing! Or don't review... But I love reviewers more!
Already working on the next chapter, thanks for your support!
Chapter 3
The ocean glittered in the night, dark waves sporadically reflecting the silver moonlight as Tony flew through the sky. There was no greater rush, he thought, than soaring through the night, all alone with his thoughts (and Jarvis. And whoever he was calling, if he had gotten Jarvis to connect a call.)
It wasn't often he was able to feel so alone, so not pressured. Now that everyone knew he was Iron Man, he got even less personal time than before. Well, he could always shut himself up in his lab, but Pepper always knew where to find him, there. And he couldn't always be around Pepper anymore. They had worked together for so many years, and had such an involved work dynamic that adding a romantic relationship was really throwing things for a twist. He wasn't sure how to balance this new Pepper – she was involved in his company, his private and public life, and most recently, the building of his awesome new tower. Before, when they had a confrontation, she'd get mad, he'd avoid things and that would be the end of it. Now though, any disagreement had an effect on their personal time together – she'd be snippy with him over a ditched work obligation, and he'd be frustrated with her nagging. He didn't know why he expected her to nag less now that they were dating, but it always caught him off guard.
Tony groaned as he swooped over the waves. This is why he didn't to relationships. They ruined everything. Just as he was falling into a dark mood, he heard a large splash and his monitors focused in on the water below him. He frowned, looking at the concentric rings cutting up the reflected moonlight.
"Jarvis, run some scans. What was that?" He asked the AI. The view screen of the suit changed, with sensors tracking the motions of the waves, and many different images appearing in front of him. What caught his attention was the thermal scan; beneath the surface, there appeared to be a small body, thrashing in a manner that seemed to indicate drowning. Without a second thought, Tony adjusted so that he could dive and save the person. After all, he was a hero. It's kind of what he did.
Tony's world shifted to a hazy darkness as he plunged into the water. The heat sensors quickly targeted the body, and he reached out to grasp it in his arms. As soon as it was secure, he powered out of the water, making his way straight for the almost-completed Stark Tower. He glanced down at the burden he carried, and was shocked; it was a child. Quite a young child, looking no older than about five or six. It was gasping and shivering and its dark hair was plastered to its head, concealing the eyes. Tony wanted to brush the hair away, sooth the child (and where did that come from? He hated kids!) but something told him doing that with a metal gauntlet on wouldn't be the best idea.
He finally touched down at his tower, and was privately grateful for the fact that Pepper was out. She would probably insist on taking the kid to a hospital – like Tony couldn't manage to help one little child out! But there was something weird about the kid, and he wasn't willing to let it go to a hospital just yet. Where had it come from? There had been nothing in the vicinity for the child to fall from, but he had distinctly heard a splash. Something strange was going on, and Tony wanted to find out what. And help the kid, of course.
He divested himself of the suit, managing to juggle the child in his arms, and toted it to a lab that was more medically inclined than his other ones. He finally managed to get the annoying hair out of the kids eyes, and decided that it was a boy. A slightly pretty boy, but the features, even at this age, were masculine and angular. The eyes were closed now, but Tony could tell that when they were open they would be very large, and framed with thick, dark eyelashes that matched the boy's black hair. The boy was coughing weakly and shaking, so Tony, at a loss, addressed JARVIS.
"Is the kid Ok? What is First Aid procedure for a child drowning?" He inquired, slightly worried. Ok, a lot worried, but he didn't let it show. Much. If he was a bit paler than normal, only JARVIS could see, in any case.
The AI's crisp voice sounded in the lab, "You should do compressions on the chest in the rhythm of a regular heartbeat. Press more gently than you would with an adult, sir."
Tony did so, feeling a bit silly, and wondering how this was helping. But JARVIS said he should, and that probably meant that it would save the kid's life. He had made the decision to bring the kid here, and he was going to have to... make sure that a child didn't die on his watch.
When Tony was really starting to get worried, the brat finally gave a huge shudder and started coughing violently, water spewing out of his mouth. Tony patted him on the back awkwardly, and the boy flinched, his eyes snapping wide open. Very green eyes, Tony couldn't help but notice, and they were filled with fear, for whatever reason. Probably the almost drowning. As he gazed at the child, the green eyes darted around the lab, and confusion filled them. Then, to his horror, a drizzle of red crept from under his hair and carved a jagged line around his eyes and nose. Not quite sure how to address this new development, Tony could only stand there while the child started to speak.
"D-daddy?" the boy said in a soft, quavery British accent, "where's daddy? I wanted to g-get to daddy!" he wailed, and started sobbing, the tears leaking out of his huge green eyes, and his sodden frame shaking with the force of his weeping. Tony was way out of his depth. He should have just taken the kid to a hospital.
"Hey, there, buddy," he started awkwardly, "it's alright..." he reached forward to pat the boy on the back, or something, but he flinched away violently. Tony was shocked. What had happened to this kid? He was actually looking at Tony as if he was a monster or something! In the back of his head, the vain part of Tony was a bit indignant that he didn't recognize the guy behind the Iron Man, but he brushed that aside. Slowly, he raised his hands in the universal gesture of non-aggression.
"I'm not gonna hurt you, bud, my name is Tony. Can you tell me your name? Where are you from?" Tony asked hesitantly. He needed answers from the kid, but he didn't want to set him off into more crying. The kid was gulping on air and sniffling, and he wiped his nose on his sleeve to stop its dribbling. Unfortunately, this smeared blood across his face, which made for a very gory sight.
"I – I was at mummy's house!" the boy gasped out, "but then she got sleepy and her friend turned into a bad man and Jamie took Lily to get daddy a-and he h-hurt m-me!" he started sobbing again, shaking in terror, and Tony's shrapnel-endangered heart went out to the kid. He was obviously terrified, and if Tony was hearing this right, had been hurt by his mom's guest. Easily, as if he picked up children every day, he scooped the boy onto his lap and tried to comfort him. The kid stiffened at first, but when Tony picked up a damp cloth and started cleaning his face with gentle strokes, he relaxed into the embrace. Tony picked up one of the blankets that Pepper said 'softened the room' and wrapped it about the kid. He didn't care how 'soft' the room was; 'warm' was what he was going for with a blanket, and preferably, it would warm a person instead of just a room.
Finally the little boy calmed down and Tony felt he could continue with his investigation. As it were.
"Bud, I didn't get you name. Could you tell me, and then we can look for your daddy, alright?" Tony said coaxingly. The boy sat up in his lap and rubbed his palms into his eyes. He sniffed and replied.
"I'm Al, Mr. Tony," he said in a voice that only quavered very slightly.
"Al, huh? Like Alvin the Chipmunk?" Tony asked, remembering the show from when he was younger. He was pretty sure they had made a weird CGI movie of the old show, but the kid should get the reference, and maybe relax a little! But the boy only looked at Tony as if he were an idiot, and sat up a bit straighter.
"No, Mr. Tony, my name is Albus. I'm Albus Severus Potter," the owner of the name said quite solemnly, holding his hand out for Tony to shake. Which the billionaire did bemusedly.
Poor kid, Tony thought, what kind of parent saddles a child with a name like that? Yikes!
He didn't comment, however and replied with equal solemnity, "Well, Albus – er – Severus Potter, my name is Anthony Edward Stark. But if I can call you Al, I'd like for you to call me Tony, sound good?"
Al nodded shyly, and Tony breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't think he'd have been able to say the full name with a straight face.
"So," he went on, "where're you from, chipmunk? We'll try to find your daddy really soon, but I need to know where you live, and what his name is."
Al eyed Tony with what seemed like suspicion before replying slowly, "daddy's name is Harry James Potter." He then paused, and looked confused when Tony only waited for him to continue, humming encouragingly. A bit non-plussed, Al continued, "daddy lives at n -" here his face screwed up and he seemed to choke on his words a bit. Tony, concerned that the kid was choking on his own tongue after being rescued from drowning, started to panic before Al managed to clear his throat. "Um, daddy said I can't say our house, but we live in London."
Tony's brain almost shut down.
"London ... as in, England?" he asked. Just to be sure. The kid could be from Ontario. Or confused. Or not from half-way around the world. But Al was nodding and Tony groaned. "Fine, fine. Jarvis, run a search for a Harry James Potter residing in London, please."
"Right away, sir. Might I suggest a change of clothes and a meal for the child?" the AI seemed to be channeling its nagging in Al's direction. Hopefully it would be distracted from Tony, now.
"Who was that?" Al chirped, looking around curiously. His forehead had started bleeding again, which made for a very macabre sight. Tony rummaged in a First Aid kit for band aids while he answered,
"That's Jarvis. He's my – well, my really smart computer that does things for me. He should be ordering us some food right about now. Do you like computers?" the genius asked, trying to distract Al from what he was doing with cloths and bandages.
"Umm I dunno. Auntie Hermione told us about them once. I think daddy might have helped Grandad blow one up..." he trailed off as Tony stared at him in horror.
"He just – just blew one up? And doesn't let you play with them? Why?" Tony spluttered.
Al's eyes widened. "You can play games?" he squealed. "Auntie Hermione said she likes using them for work, but you can play?" Al seemed very excited by this. Tony made a mental note to introduce him to the wonders of mind-numbing internet games. His family seemed pretty weird – lack of computer savvyness, and Aunt Hermione? What was with these names?
Tony nodded enthusiastically, and described a few of his favourites (Robot Unicorn Attack!) before he managed to steel himself to inspect the lightly bleeding cut. He was appalled to see what seemed to be a deliberately cut, jagged 'V'. "What happened here, Chipmunk?" he asked in horror, dabbing at it with a bit of alcohol, making Al hiss and pull away. He looked down, scared again, and Tony rubbed his back. In a whisper, the little boy explained.
"The bad man wanted to make me look like daddy," Al said, his voice hitching.
"Does your dad have a 'V' cut into his head?" Tony asked, trying to subtly narrow the search parameters for Jarvis. Again, though, he got looked at as though he were a worm. A very dumb worm.
"Daddy is Harry Potter," Al said, brought out of his melancholy by his exasperation with Tony. "His scar is a lightning bolt. Dummy," he muttered.
"Hey!" Tony exclaimed, finally managing to unstick a large band aid and plaster it to Al's forehead, "I happen to be a genius!" Maybe it was a bit immature to be baited by a kid, but he highly resented being called a 'dummy'. It just wasn't true. Unless you asked Pepper...
"Daddy says that Auntie Hermione is a genius," Al mused. "You're not much like her, though," he said decisively.
Tony picked up Al so that he could get him changed, and was about to expand on his being a genius, when JARVIS interrupted him.
"Sir, the only records of a Harry James Potter in England are equivalent to elementary school transcripts and enrollment. The most recent date is 1990. No other records exist, but his birth date makes him of an age to have fathered young Mr. Potter."
Tony stared in disbelief. He would have to do some serious digging, if JARVIS couldn't find records of the man. He wondered what he could be involved in – and suddenly Al's appearance and injuries took a far more sinister tone. He would have to hide the kid, until he could be sure it was safe. Until he had hacked a few places (SHIELD, for starters) and managed to locate the boy's non-existent father.
He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner at the still damp little boy, and said in a cheerful voice, "Well, Chipmunk, how about we get you into some dry clothes and get some food in you? Then maybe we can play some games. How does that sound?"
Al gave a tentative little nod, and asked, "But we're gonna find daddy, right?"
Tony sighed, and pasted on a smile. "Of course we are! JARVIS is working on it, and I bet your daddy is looking for you, as well. So don't worry about it!" They had made it to his room, and he started rummaging through his closet for something for the kid to wear. If they didn't find Al's father, they would have to go shopping. And Tony hated to admit it, but there were some seriously cool outfits he could think of to dress a kid in. He ended up digging past the pristine and stylish suits that Pepper kept drycleaned for him, and unearthed his stash of loungewear. This mostly consisted of band T-shirts, and sweatpants. He found what he hoped was a relatively clean AC/DC shirt that was on the smaller side, and brought it back to Al, who he had set on his bed. He got rid of the rest of the bloody clothes, and tugged the shirt over the kid's head. It was like a dress on him, and Al looked down at himself and wrinkled his nose in distaste. With his tousled black hair, and bright green eyes, he made for such an adorable sight that Tony almost wanted to coo. But he didn't, because he would lose serious man points.
"Mr. Tony, these robes are weird," Al said plaintively. Tony had gone back to his closet to pick an outfit, and decided to show solidarity in the T-shirt wearing.
"Hold up, Chipmunk. One, that isn't a robe, that's a T-shirt. And two, AC/DC isn't weird, it is one of the pioneers of heavy metal. It has revolutionized rock music, and it just goes to show how cool people with accents can be. They're from Down Under, buddy, but the original brothers were from Scotland, so that's twice the chick-magnet accent power! Be the shirt, buddy, and you'll get all the ladies fawning over you!" He ended his rant with a flourish, turning his back so that Al wouldn't see the arc reactor properly. He himself had settled for his favourite Metallica shirt, and some comfy black sweats. He looked over at Al, who was inspecting the shirt a bit more closely. Finally, he looked up and asked,
"Down under where?"
Tony rolled his eyes and sighed. "Never mind, Chipmunk, food should be here by now. Let's eat!"
Al nodded happily enough, and trailed after Tony, clutching his shirt in a small fist. JARVIS had somehow (for Tony was sure he had never programmed dietary requirements for children into him) procured a large pizza, several flavours of juice, and a selection of fruit. Tony decided that it didn't matter how the things had come to be here, they looked like they'd fill Al up, and that's what was needed.
Al was looking a bit sleepy, however, so maybe they'd have to put gaming on hold. Considering what to do, he said, "All right, change of plans. Pizza night means movie night – what do you wanna watch?"
Al blinked at him before asking tentatively, "television?" He enunciated the word so clearly, it was almost as if he were expecting Tony to correct him. Tony just grinned and said out loud,
"JARVIS, can you stream me a kid's movie for the Chipmunk here? And thanks for the food!"
"You're most welcome, sir. Would young Mr. Potter prefer the latest releases? Or perhaps something more classical?" JARVIS inquired. Al just looked at Tony trustingly, settling down on the large couch in front of the even larger TV. He had somehow found one of the blankets that Pepper had left artfully thrown over it, and was looking quite cozy. Tony considered what the kid might like. He didn't know any of the latest released kids movies (seriously, why would he need to know that? It wasn't like he frequently watched children's movies... by himself... in the dead of night... with his history disabled (Ok, that just sounded creepy. He was honestly just living the good old Disney days. Mind out of the gutter)).
"Lets go with that one with the ogre and the donkey that's actually Eddie Murphy," suggested Tony. He turned to Al, who had now stolen a piece of pizza. How did kids do that? "You wanna watch..." his eyes flicked to the TV, where the title was now showing, "Shrek? It's got ogres and dragons and, uh, animals..." he trailed off as Al's eyes widened in excitement.
"And magic?" he squealed around a mouth full of cheese pizza. "And castles and fairies and hippogriffs and, and" he trailed off as the screen showed the first pages of a story. Tony chuckled and sat back, snagging a piece of pizza for himself.
"Not sure about that last one, Chipmunk, but sure," he mumbled.
Al thoroughly enjoyed the movie, laughing and chattering as if he had seen such a thing very rarely. Which was possible, Tony mused, as his father and grandfather seemed to like blowing up electronics. Maybe they were one of those families that discouraged TV and stuff. Oops. Oh well, he saved their kid, he could let him watch TV.
As predicted, Al started to doze off two thirds of the way through the movie. It was actually rather cute; he kept arguing with the movie.
"Tony! The talking mirror isn't right! Daddy and Uncle Ron's are different!"
"Tony! Why is the donkey flying without a broom? He needs a broom!"
"Tony! What kind of dragon is that? Uncle Charlie never said anything about a purple dragon!"
Tony wondered how long the questions would keep going. He was actually enjoying the movie – he got most of the references, and it was pretty funny. Al's questions were cute, but he couldn't wait for when it was time for sleep. As Rufus Wainwright started singing 'Hallelujah', Tony felt a warm weight slump against his side. He smiled down at the sleeping child, and decided to finish watching before going to bed. Just as the princess was undergoing her final transformation, he heard a sleepy mumble.
"Tony? Is that magic like daddy? Only daddy doesn't always need... a wand..." Al's soft voice trailed off, and Tony stared down at him bemusedly. He shut off the TV, and went to the room beside his own, where there was a bed ready to be used. He set Al down carefully, and padded into his own bedroom.
"JARVIS, could you monitor Al, and let me know when he wakes up? Also, keep up that search for Harry Potter, or... a British woman named Hermione." That should be good enough, he thought as he slipped into bed. Who named their child Hermione? Actually, who named their child Albus Severus? That was almost child abuse. Tony frowned at his joking thought when he remembered that Al had actually been banged up pretty good. He hoped he could track down the bastard that did it. He'd just have to find the father, then the mother, and see who the mother's 'friend' was. Iron Man wouldn't let something like that go, and Tony certainly didn't want any loose ends coming after Chipmunk. He had only known the kid a few hours, but he had grown on him.
As Tony drifted off to sleep, he thought of what he would have to do upon waking. Find the mysterious Harry Potter, keep Al entertained and hidden from not only SHIELD, but Pepper Potts as well. It was a tall order, but he could do it. He was Tony Stark, and he was awesome.
AN: Well, thoughts? Sorry for making Tony and Pepper a not-so-much of a couple, but seriously - too involved in each others lives. Not healthy. I tried to make this as character accurate as possible, but some minor quirks have to be allowed for because of the Al situation. I hope you liked it! Next chapter will be a Harry POV, so be excited! I am. I love Harry... sans Ginny :) !Not to say I don't like Ginny! Or Pepper! I do like both of them, just ... not as they are in canon pairing. Meh.
Also, I realize that Al may have calmed down a bit fast, but... I'm saving the freak out for when he wakes up. Spoiler alert! Let's just say he's in shock right now, okay? Great. Love ya!
Reviews are loved and welcomed and brought home and fed cookies and hot chocolate. Reviewers are sent psychic waves, or... telepathic... stuff of the same!
