IMPORTANT! READ!

Quick confession. I am really nervous about this chapter because I tried to do something unexpected here. So please, after you read this chapter, give me a feed back.:)


Tony took the topic of Ray being in a relationship with Peter comparatively lightly than Ray expected. She obviously knew how overprotective he was towards her. But thanks to Pepper, he didn't end up bursting on Peter. That didn't stop him from giving him that 'big brother' talk and specifying him the rules of dating his sister which of course included "No sex", "no touching too much", "only kisses, no smooch because he was experienced and knew that a smooch was exactly what initiated everything!". Not to mention the slight threatening of "if you ever hurt her, if I ever find her upset, I'm gonna pick on you."

"Even if it's not my fault?" he had asked nervously which only made Tony snap. "Shut up! The adult's speaking!" The poor kid had been so nervous! Pepper had later assured him that it was fine and Tony was just over-reacting, and also that the only reason why Tony didn't throw him out was because somewhere within he knew Peter was a good kid and that he knew Peter was good enough for his 'baby' sister.

Like decided, Tony and Pepper left next day as the others wished him good luck. The man was going to be a dad for God's sake! He needed all the good luck! Before getting into the car he had exchanged his hugs with his sister with whispering into her ears, "Don't get pregnant. Can't have two kids in the house at a time." which only earned him a slap on his arm. "Oou!" he faked pain before giving her one last hug.

They did spend quality time back at Malibu. Tony hadn't felt happier before. Everything seemed to be peaceful, and happy.

At least for sometime...

For sometime before that happened.

The world seemed to come crushing down on Tony.

That's when the car crash happened.

It was a rainy night when the breaks of the car Tony and Pepper were I failed and the fell off the cliff, the car, half destroyed, with them still in it, hanging a few feet above the Pacific Ocean. It took the police two hours to search for them and another hour to get them out of there.

Pepper was critical.

The doctor said she would die. But not before giving birth to that baby girl she had been bearing in her womb.

Tony always wondered how and why he survived that crash with just a few scratches and a broken arm while Pepper had to go through that fatal injury where the fucking pieces of glass went right through her. She was in pain. But she was happy that her baby would live.

Tony hadn't even seen his daughter after Pepper's death. He spent hours beside her before the doctors insisted that they had to take her and Rhodey and and Ray had to drag him away, literally tear him off her from where he had been digging his face in her ones warm collarbone, shivering and shaking, sobbing, chanting just one thing. "...I can't do this without out. Come back to me..."

He then spent a week drinking, mourning over his loss, sometimes angrily mumbling something and occasionally crying. Ray would sometimes go to him to calm him down and he would just hug her or dig his face in her lap crying, sometimes mistaking her to be Pepper before passing out and next morning he would remember absolutely nothing about it.

A week later when Ray found him comparatively sober when she bought his daughter to him. His eyes were red, he looked dirty, he hadn't shaved for days. He looked miserable. He stared at Ray before Ray gently place a 1 week old baby, his daughter in his arms. He felt his eyes tear up again. "God!" he had exclaimed as he watched her sleep in his arms. That was the first thing Ray had heard from him after Pepper's death except his crying.

Tony lightly rubbed his finger on his daughter's soft and delicate cheek before looking up at Ray. "Did you name her?"

Ray softly smiled, brushing her hand through his greasy hair. "Hazel"

"Hazel" Tony repeated looking lost. "Hazel Virginia Stark. Pepper would have liked it."

"Yes" Ray smiled. "She would also want you to spend time with her."

TWO YEARS LATER

Tony was finally getting used to life again. Of course he missed Pepper but life had to go on. And he had a responsibility, a daughter to take care of. Somehow, her smiles, her giggles and even her cries seemed to make things easy for him.

But when you're Tony Stark, you really can't except things to go your way, can you?

Hazel was a born with a strong DNA type. The type that could undergo genetic enhancements quite easily. She was so called 'the modern human', the one on top of Darwin's survival chain. And unlike Ray, she was born naturally with it. Hydra was after her. They had been attacked too many times before and it seemed to Tony that keeping her there wish him was dangerous.

It was late at night, maybe 2:30 when they were attacked, AGAIN! And this time, the enemy looked quite advanced and combat ready. Tony knew he and Ray won't be able to take them down by themselves. Of course they sent a message to the Avengers base but it would take time for them to reach, and time is something they were running short of. That's when he felt that he had to take decision. "Ray!" he called as they stood in the basement of their California home.

"What?" she asked as she pressed the buttons to close the door of the iron doors of the basement making sure no one could enter easily.

"We can't take them down alone. Their weapons are powerful and they are too many." he said looking very worried.

"I know. We gotta get out of here." She was already making an escape plan and thinking about places they could use as hideouts.

"No!" Tony said making Ray flinch. Of course they had to escape! What other choice did they have? "Not we, you both have to get out of here."

"I'm...I'm confused...what?" What the fuck is he talking about?

"You take Hazel and get out of here and I cause a distraction for you both." he said. Ray felt that Tony was completely out of his mind. Why would she leave him alone there when there were enough chances for him to get killed? "I'm not leaving without you." she made it quite clear!

"Ray, please, I can't risk anyone of you. And...and it won't just hurt me, but it's also very dangerous." He still insisted. He was right, if Hydra gets a hand on their blood, the world would be at chaos, nothing would stop them!

"Tone, listen..." Ray took a deep breath. "all three of us leave this place and get a secret hideout. That's the plan!"

"We can't Ray!" Tony snapped. Why the hell does she have to be so stubborn? "Stop trying to ignore the reality! Why won't you just listen to me for ones!"

"Tony, ho..ow can I leave you alone here when I know what these people are capable of?!" the seventeen year old almost fumbled. Even the thought of what they could do to him frightened her!

Tony on his part knew Ray would never leave him alone in such a situation. He knew she cared about him. But at this time, it was the most logical thing to do! "Ray please," he sighed, "you're doing me a favour." He said. "I don't want Haze to grow up in this mess. Please. Save my daughter. Please."

Ray was taken aback. WHAT WAS HE TALKING ABOUT?! She mentally screamed though she exactly knew what he was asking for. She was conflicted. Tony really was asking something to her for his daughter's sake. But leaving him here was probably letting him commit suicide!

"Please kiddo."

Ray rubbed her palm on her face and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "What if you die?" she was scared.

"I won't. I promise!" came a quick reply. Tony really doesn't think before promising stuff, does he? He grabbed her hand in an assuring gesture.

"I'm...I'm seventeen. I don't know if I can take care of her...alone..." Tony rolled his eye. He knew he was just trying to find an excuse.

"That' exactly how old I was when I took over your responsibility." Tony said now cupping her face with one of his palms while holding the two year old Hazel with his other hand.

There was a sudden bang at the door. "Sir, the doors won't be able to hold them for long." FRIDAY said.

Tony quickly placed a kiss on Hazel's cheek and gently placing her on Ray's arms, then pecked Ray before pulling both of them into a hug.

Ray closed her eyes and took deep breaths to calm himself down as Tony lightly rubbed his hand on her back. He knew he was asking for too much. He wouldn't have done it if he had any other choice. "Do I really have to do this?" she asked looking at him with teary eyes.

Tony didn't reply. He warmly looked at her with a smile before saying, "Thank You."


I can't believe I actually did this! God, please let me know your thoughts.

AND, I had started writing plot and character analysis of Infinity War. I recently added another update. Please give it a read and share your views in the comments!

Link : Infinity War Rants

Bye till the next update!

ImaginationsUnleashed