Disclaimer: I own nothing.
I woke up with a start. My whole body was aching. I tried moving my hand, only to find it seized by someone.
"Arno. Wake up! Your parents are leaving for the Bahamas. Come on, we have to wish them goodbye." someone whispered in my ear.
'Parents? The Bahamas?' I asked myself while getting up. Looking up at the man who was standing in front of me, I called out, "Jarvis?"
"Yes, young master. Now let's go downstairs, you woke up late." He said after gathering me in my arm.
'Wait, how is he picking me up? I am 18 for god's sake. And I remember asking Jarvis not to carry me in his arms as I am a big boy now.' I thoughts came to a halting stop. 'Big boy? WTF!' I cursed inwardly.
Memories came to me, of a boy named Arno Walter Stark. I remembered so six years of my life that weren't a part of me, yet they are now.
Everything became clear to me by the time, Jarvis bought me downstairs, and I can hear mom, no Maria Stark, singing 'Try to Remember.'
I blinked and turned my head to look at them. When Jarvis put me down, I went down to sit with mom, my body going through the motions on its own.
A moment later dad, again no it's Howard Stark, walked in and peeked under the red blanket which was on the sofa.
"Wake up, dear, and say goodbye to your father." Mom said while her right hand moved away from the piano to pet my head.
"Who's the homeless person on the couch?" Howard asked with snark. I sniggered at that, my body and thoughts were still on auto-function mode.
Anthony, who was sleeping on the sofa, stood up and said with a bitter voice, "This is why I love coming home for Christmas... right before you leave town."
Mum turned around with me in her lap, and said to Howard, "Be nice, dear. He's been studying abroad."
"Really? Which broad? What's her name?" Howard asked in a monotone voice while removing Tony's Christmas hat from his head.
Tony quick with a response mumbled, "Candice."
"Do me a favor. Try not to burn the house down before Monday." Howard countered.
"Okay, so it's Monday. That is good to know. I'll plan my toga party accordingly." Tony moved towards me and kissed my head. Then looking towards Mom, he asked, "Where are you going?"
Maria looked Tony in the eye, and with a gentle smile, replied, "Your father's flying us to the Bahamas for a little getaway."
Howard interrupted, "We might have to make a quick stop."
Tony guessed, "At the Pentagon, Right?" Looking at me, he continued with a sarcastic tone, "Don't worry. You are going to party with me. While they are going to enjoy the holiday menu at the commissary."
Howard getting tired of the conversation, grunted and left.
"I'll go and get the bags." The ever so smooth voice of Jarvis interrupted us before he too left.
Maria put me down and walked towards Tony, who was sulking in the corner. They whispered words to each other, which I couldn't hear.
I tried flexing my arms, seeing if I could get control over this new six-year-old body of mine.
So I am in the body of Arno Stark, the second child of Howard Stark and Maria Stark, born on September 20, 1985. I went through the memories of Arno, and from what I found, the kid had a close relationship with her mother, who like his father was mostly away. Arno was raised by Ana and Edward Jarvis, just like Tony, only that he had more time to spend with mom. I need to deal with my identity before trying to find out which world I am in, from what I encountered so far, it is safe to assume that this is an alternate universe related to MCU.
I was still on the piano chair when I heard the car engine running. 'Wait... No! I have yet to warn them.' I stood up and ran towards the front gate. But I was too late, and by the time I reached, the car has already left. I saw Tony with dropped shoulders walking past by me, and Jarvis soon following him. I looked at Jarvis for some answers, he crouched beside me and said, "I am sorry, young master. But your father was in a hurry, and they had to leave."
"Bu-but I never got to say goodbye..?" Words soon left my mouth. My eyes were watering. 'Shit... oh, no. Oh, God. What did I do...'
"Let's go to the kitchen. Ana might have baked some pancakes for you." Jarvis broke me out of my thoughts and took my hand in his.
It took me half a day to fully come to terms with what has happened to me. I pretended to be sad and sulked wherever Jarvis came for me. It was 8:00 p.m. when I decided to get up and see what Tony is up to. From my memories, I recalled that I would find him in his workshop.
Making my way there, I saw Tony working on a computer. Damm, that's an 80s computer. He was writing a string of codes on it. I moved behind him and asked, "What are you doing?"
Hearing my voice, he jumped, "Jesus! Arno. You scared the shit out of me!"
I giggled at seeing his reaction. He bought me up in his laps and said, "I am working on a computer interface, a first of its kind natural-language user interface."
"Uh-huh. Does it have a name?" I asked in wonder if this is what I believe this is, then this here is definitely a moment going in history.
"Yea, I got one, squirt." He replied while still typing.
"I hope it's not a name like Dum-E..." I wondered out loud.
"Hey what's wrong with Dummy?!" He looked at me, bewildered.
"Nothing, I just don't trust your name giving capabilities. So, go ahead, tell me." I calmly replied while looking over the codes.
"V.I.R.G.I.L. it stands for Virtual Integrated Rapidly-evolving Grid-based Intelligent Lifeform." He told me.
"That's a mouthful," I mocked him.
He gasped before saying, "What you got a better one?"
I nodded and replied, "J.A.R.V.I.S"
"Jarvis?" He asked in a confused manner.
'Gah! He looks so cute!' I smiled looking at Tony, I resumed after a while, "Just A Rather Very Intelligent System."
"I have no desire to spend the rest of the time as a disembodied voice" A voice spoke from the door. We turned around to look at Jarvis, standing at the door with a scowl on his face.
Tony laughed before turning towards me, "You know what squirt, J.A.R.V.I.S it is."
I woke up in the morning, feeling strange. 'You know, for a recently reincarnated person. I didn't go through the whole identity/existential crisis monologue. And the grief I felt for not stopping the deaths of the Stark is not there.' Thinking this, I tried saying, "Status" out aloud. Few minutes went by with me trying different names just to see if I have Gamer Power's, but that was not the case.
Stretching my little body, I went downstairs. While on the stairs, I heard a sobbing sound coming from the living room. 'I guess they got the news.' I sighed, walking towards the area, I saw Ana on the sofa. If I had to take a guess, Tony and Edwin would be at a hospital to identify the bodies. I made my way towards Ana and sat down next to her.
"Oh, Arno. I didn't saw you there." She spoke, wiping her eyes.
"Are you alright, Ana?" I asked in a small voice.
"Oh! You poor little thing." saying this, she scooped me in her arms and hugged me tightly. She tried to explain to me what happened, but only stutters came out of her mouths.
"Don't. I understand." I said, getting tired of her not speaking coherently.
Her red eyes stared at me, quizzically.
Sighing, I said, "I had a bad feeling yesterday when I saw them off. When can we go to see them? I want to be there when Mom wakes up." I made it sound like I assumed they had an accident
"Oh... Arno, their accident... I am sorry, my love, but you can never see them again." She spoke with tears in her eyes.
I stayed quiet and buried my face in her shoulder after hearing this. Truth be told, it was only the first few hours that I felt emotionally attached towards the Starks, but now it's like they were always a stranger.
(TONY's POV)
"Say something, if you don't, you'll regret it."
And damn right he is...
His mother is... was... always right...
Oh, how he regrets it that he didn't say anything. How he just brushed away her attempt to make small talk with his father. He sincerely regrets it very much...
If he knew that it would be the last time he sees them... he would have said something. Anything. A simple "I love you" or even a bad joke. He will give anything... anything just so he can say something to them!
But he can't... they are no longer in this world...
And he can do nothing but regret it...
'F*k! F*k! Goddammit.'
He… he can't deal with this… he can't do this! He needs a distraction! Anything! Something! Something that… that will make all this pain numb ...that could have helped him with this!
The moment Jarvis stopped the car, he wastes no time to bolt out, ignoring his butler's call, and made his way towards his room.
His breath was getting heavier every passing second, he climbed up the stairs and reached his room. Looking over the place, he placed it in here, somewhere around here. His mother and father will frown upon it, but he found himself not caring about it right now, he needed this, he needed this for-
"Tony?"
A small and fragile voice reached his ears, and he jumped slightly in where he stands with a yelp. Hand holding his chest, he turned and found himself face to face with his little brother who peeks through the entrance of his room.
"Jesus! Arno! You almost give me a heart attack!" He exclaimed as he breathed heavily. "What are you doing here, squirt?" He asked as he approached his little brother.
Arno fidgets around, he seems nervous and unsure where he stands. Tony clicked his tongue in slight annoyance. "Listen squirt, go back to your room now, okay? I am doing something right now."
Arno's face scrunched to what seems like a frown, but in reality, it is more like a pout for Tony. "Are you plan to take those… white powder thingy again?"
'White powder thingy?' There so much jokes that he can be made from there, but he refrained from doing so, and only raised his eyebrows, "Maybe?" He answered in a deep voice.
"Don't," Arno replied, surprisingly his voice seems rather strong for a six years old kid. "Mom's not going to like that, it is bad for your health."
"Well, it's my own heart, and sometimes Mom did…" He trailed off as something struck his mind. Did… did.. Arno… "Arno did… did you know that mom and…"
"... I know." Arno murmured, face tilted down, eyes not meeting his. "Ana told me… mom and dad not coming home anymore."
… Jesus Christ…
Of fucking course, Arno would know! He was their son too! Of course, he would be told in some way! That their parents no longer in this world, leaving him alone and…
'No, not alone…'
Arno has him… and he has Arno too…
Their age gap might be different in quite a margin, but they are still brother, he is still Arno's big brother…
And as Arno's big brother, it is his responsibility to-
'No, I can't. I can't do this. This isn't me, I am not suited for this.'
Part of him whisper those words to him. He can't do this. He can't take care Arno, heck, he can barely take care of himself and-
Then Arno look up at him, lips curled down and eyes - his mother's eyes- shimmering, and Tony remember.
"Tony, this is your little brother," Maria whispered, carrying the small bundle on her arms. "Arno, say hi to your big brother."
The small baby peeked out from his blanket, and Tony look at him. The little creature wrinkling his nose and then let our gurgle while flailing his tiny arms.
"Awww, aren't you just the cutest little monster." Tony cooed with a grin while waving his finger.
"Tony," Maria gave him a disapproving look. "That is not what you should call your brother."
"But I am not wrong, right? This creature only knows to eat, cry, and poop. He can't do anything benefitting us, what else are you supposed to call him then?" Tony shoot back with a smirk.
"Young man, I will have you know you are more monstrous than him right now." Maria deadpanned.
"Hey!" Tony protested, but there's no heat in his voice.
Small Arno making another noise that makes Tony look down, the young man sees the baby lips now wide open, making giggling noise and wave his small and flabby hands happily, reaching for him.
"Hmmm, seems this small monster like you, Tony," Maria commented softly. "Why don't you carry him?"
"What? Me? Nope! I have shaky arms and I-"
"Here you go, young man."
Maria cut him by giving small Arno to him in a forceful yet also gentle manner. Tony grunted in response when he had to prop himself to get a better grip on his little brother.
Tony levels a small glare at his mother and then looked down to see Arno who was smiling happily, he seemed content in his arms and was clapping his tiny hands together.
Something seems moving inside him… it's warm and… it's not unpleasant feeling… he can't describe what he felt in a word but…
But he found it's not so bad feeling...
"What are you smiling at, squirt?" He asked, rhetorically at the baby who only giggled in response. "Well, since you are already born, might as well welcome you properly." He then smiled, gentle and warm. "The name Tony Stark, squirt, I am your big brother, and I will take care of you now."
'I will take care of you now…'
He promised that in the past, didn't he? When he lifted this little guy up under his arms…
But in reality, he never did… he barely interacts with Arno, his mother, Ana and Jarvis did the rest. He never did a thing as his big brother other than teasing and showing cool stuff. He barely is a role model for him, their father who always goes away also not helping and thus Arno cling to their mother instead, making her as his role model and pillar for him
But that pillar is gone now…
He doesn't know why or how, but he found himself reaching Arno for some reason, embracing him in a firm hug. He felt his own body shake, and his breath becomes heavier but… but…
"Tony?" Arno called, voice sounds confused and lost.
"I will take care of you from now on," Tony said, his voice is shaky and yet there hidden steel in there, a vow. "You don't have to worry, everything will be fine for us. Everything will be fine." He repeated. He felt it more like for himself than Arno, but he doesn't care.
He needed to say that. He needed to believe in that. Because right now he doesn't know what else to do. Doesn't know what the future might bring for them but…
But one thing that he will make sure… he won't let his mother's legacy to just died away…
Then he feels Arno's small hand patted him on the back. It was weak, gentle, and small, but for some reason, it is comforting.
"Yes, I believe in you, big brother."
And for the first time in that day, after hearing those words, Tony felt the heavy burden on his shoulders lightened.
Author Note: This is a self-insert in MCU, with the mix of FF and X-Men.
I am still new to writing and will try to deliver my best. Huges thanks to 'Writer with bad Grammar T-T' for helping me on this fic.