Disclaimers: All rights to Marvel. Characters, lines & context from Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), TV series, Cartoons & Comics.

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The Futurist

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Once again, Tony couldn't sleep. This time he wasn't plagued by nightmares… Instead, his mind was tormented by scenes… from his past.

Locked in his lab, alone, he asked JARVIS to replay the message his father left for him.

"Tony? You're too young to understand this right now, so I thought I would put it on film for you. I built this for you. And someday you'll realize that it represents a whole lot more than just people's inventions. It represents my life's work. This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out, and when you do, you will change the world... What is and always will be my greatest creation is you."

There was no doubt, not only did Tony inherit Howard's geniality, but also he was able to accomplish much more than his father could've even dreamed of. But that's never been enough... "He was cold, he was calculating. He never told me he loved me. He never even told me he liked me…" That was the ugly truth – no matter how many scientific breakthroughs he's accomplished, he'd never earned his father's love…

Until a few weeks ago, the son didn't have the slightest idea of who his father was for real… until he heard what Steve Rogers had to say about his old friend, Howard Stark.

Tony remained in absolute silence, watching, in the video JARVIS recorded of that day, Steve's anguish translated into words, as the soldier relieved those painful memories.

"I was watching a documentary about WWII yesterday, and it got me thinking about Howard working at the Manhattan Project… Of all the things that happened while I was frozen, I think the worst was the use of the atomic bombs against a civilian population… I don't intend to diminish the importance of the other things, but that's not history for me. I was part of that war… For a long time, I blamed myself for not being there with them – survivor's guilt, you know?… I can only imagine that the Howard I knew – a happy, friendly, good man – was devastated by remorse too… It must have intensified over the years, since it still affects people's lives… Fury and Dugan told me about his obsession to find me, and also his constant effort to do something good… It seemed to me as a desperate attempt to pay for his debt… I believe that being in part responsible for such atrocity… it ultimately broke Howard… It would have broken me too…"

'It ultimately broke Howard'. Since then, those words were stuck in Tony's mind. A silent tear rolled through the genius' face, catching him by surprise. Damn, Steve. Seeing his friend's pain and guilt, it made Tony think about his father… as a man… for the first time in his life. A young man, in his middle twenties, experiencing the horrors of the worst conflict in human history – the WWII – and the things that he could had been through to make him so… broken...

The video continued with the part that Tony hasn't seen before, because… he had fled… He couldn't let his friends see him… having an anxiety attack. In the safety of his workplace and surrounded only by his machines, he watched everything fixedly.

The Captain's worry was visible, "I need to apologize to him, Pepper. I got caught in the moment. I shouldn't have said those things like this, to him. I'm really sorry…"

While trying to calm the soldier, Pepper got emotional, "No, Steve, trust me. Let him come to you when he's ready… I have only to thank you… Don't you see the good you did to him? You redeemed his father for him."

Finally, Bruce's wise words to Steve had a profound impact in Tony. "Your intelligence and perspicacity never ceases to amaze me, my friend. It's so sadly obvious, now that you've pointed it. Howard wasn't a bad father because he didn't like Tony. He didn't find himself worth of a son like Tony, so he pushed him away."

'He pushed him away'. That was an understanding. Tony was enrolled in boarding school at six years old, and he still had a nanny at fourteen. Besides being absent, Howard did his best to minimize any contact with his son. The worst part was that he kept Maria, Tony's mother, away too. He was beyond broken.

Pepper's words finally hit Tony… He wouldn't have gone so far – redeemed was a too strong word. However, something has changed… though he couldn't identify it, or named it… yet.

Monotonous wasn't a term that could be applied to the Avengers Tower. There was always something interesting happening, or about to happened, in one of its numerous places. For instance, Tony was eating Tofu while checking his mail through holographic projections. State-of-art was the minimum for everything around the genius. Of course, the opposite polo would be the man from the past.

Doing one-arm pushups, for what seemed like an eternity, Steve was also reading the newspaper, without breaking a sweat. "What's a futurist? The newspaper calls you a futurist. And, unless you're into Italian art, I'm not entirely sure what that is."

The simple question took Tony out of his thoughts, and he tried to explain. "A futurist is someone who tries to predict the future, or, in my case, tries to create it. I'm inventing technology for next century, trying to make the world a better place. For instance, having news information delivered via wireless signals as opposed to a newspaper." Then, the genius gulped, realizing that the soldier was already up in front of him, drinking a half-dozen of raw eggs.

"I like newspapers." Steve continued steadily, presenting the facts just as he saw them. "For instance, this one has a picture of you fighting Hydra. And even from the picture, anyone can see that you don't know how to fight."

"What?" Tony replied upset, "There are about twenty super-villains out there that would disagree with you." He wasn't expecting the change of subject and he felt cornered but the direct approach.

Without a hint of irony, the Captain entered at his unstoppable command mood. "Meet me in the training room in five minutes. We've got work to do."

Since the Avengers got together, Steve implanted an intensive physical training program with a simple goal: to keep the team better prepared for anything. Black Widow and Hawkeye, star students since day one, improved constantly, assimilating every teaching of their leader, unquestionably the world's greatest hand-to-hand combatant. Having joined the group later, the Falcon has been working hard to keep up with the spies, followed close by Mockingbird, who quickly joined the training schedule.

In a similar approach, Clint and Sam took turns to teach the basics of personal defense to the civilian population of the Tower – Pepper, Jane, and Darcy. Inspired by the group, Betty joined Natasha and Pepper at their daily Yoga sessions.

At the special Hulk-proof room, Steve helped Bruce to improve in his self-defense training. As the Captain wisely pointed, the doctor needed to continue his path to control his anger in case he couldn't have access to his medication. Steve was the only one able to deal with him when the unwanted transformation occurred once in a while – the super soldier not only managed to avoid mostly of the brutal attacks, but also to calm down the green giant and bring back the sweet doctor. On the other hand, it didn't work with Thor, who would always make Hulk more furious. Although the Prince and the Captain spared eventually, to fight the Hulk was the real challenge for Steve – his one chance to put his amazing battling skills up to the ultimate test.

As usual, Tony spared no expense to assemble the training floor to fulfill each team member's needs, more than worthy of a team like the Avengers. He valued the importance of the physical preparation, however, he continued his private training with Happy. That's why, until now, he had never come to train with the super soldier.

Standing in the middle of the ring with box gloves on, Steve started, "From what I've seen, you're fighting style is to tackle people or to blast them. If I had to guess, I'd say that you've never been in an actual fight in your life."

The assessment was correct – Tony didn't know what to say, "Well, I… I…"

The soldier instructed, "Punch me."

Fully outfitted with boxing equipment, head protection and gloves, the genius hesitated, "What? I'm not gonna…"

"Do it." A direct order from the Captain was something that they all felt compelled to obey.

As expected, none of Tony's attempts got even close to hit Steve, who, with one simple block, knocked the genius on the ground. A few rounds later, Tony was pissed off, "My armor protects me, you know? It would have taken you down before you even touched me. And if the suit I was wearing couldn't handle you, I've got a few more that could." He wasn't used to being defeated, but the truth was even more embarrassing – the soldier was just trying to teach him, and since the genius refused to learn, there were no winners.

Steve was honestly worried, "You can't always count on your armor. You have to be ready for anything."

"That's the whole point. I'm working to know exactly what's coming. I'll know exactly what to be ready for." The thing that Tony hated, more than anything, was to be taken by surprise. That's why he needed to know everything. But, again, the "old man" was right, and the futurist hated it too. Deep inside, Tony always admired how the Captain's strategic mind made every precise analysis effortlessly. The genius valued the soldier's intelligence, but he wouldn't admit it out loud… At least, not so easily. "Well, I appreciate the lessons and the bruises, but the world has changed, Cap. Life moves faster now than ever, and it's only gonna get faster still. I'm wired into a worldwide network of computers and satellites. The goal is to see danger before it gets here. I'm getting ready for the future, and working to get humanity there in one piece. You're still used to the old ways of doing things."

As it had happened in their discussions before, Tony was using the technology as an excuse for everything, and Steve expressed his most sincere concerns, "They say those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. If the old ways include training and preparation, then maybe you need to slow down a bit."

"Uh, slow, uh, down? I hear you talking, but the words don't make sense." As usual, Tony used jokes as his way out.

"It's always a good idea to know some basics. No matter what year it is, some things never change."

Once more, the soldier's words filled the genius mind. Training and preparation. Underneath what seemed a simple military concept, there was something else much deeper. With all his battle knowledge and tactical instincts, Steve was a great leader because he truly understood and cared about people. His grasp about humanity was the most foreign concept for Tony. However, the Captain never failed to hit the target. Doomed to repeat…

All his life, Tony has been hiding himself – physically inside his armor – his cocoon – and emotionally by being detached. But he couldn't stop thinking about everything… and… even terrified, he couldn't deny the truth – his constant, obsessive seek for the future was a desperate attempt to free him… because… it was too hard for him to admit it…

The futurist has always been stuck in the past.

Late that day, Tony was at the balcony of their room, when Pepper arrived. Looking at her, he found all the answers – she was the only present and future he could ever dream of. It has always been you. Instantly he knew he couldn't wait anymore. "Come here, honey, I want to show you something."

He kissed her passionately and wrapped his arms around her, turning her to oversee New York's amazing skyline, "We live here, but we don't look at the city."

She rested her back on his chest, saying, "It's beautiful."

His heart was racing, "You… are… beautiful… "

She smiled, but, noticing his tension and trembling hands, she turned, asking worried, "What's wrong, Tony?"

"You know how Fury likes to say that I couldn't keep my secret identity for five minutes? Well, this is so much more…" Looking at Pepper's confused eyes, he took her hands in his and, with sweat dropping on his forehead, he talked nonstop, "I gave you my heart already, literally, and everything I have. You own me. Just for the record, I wanted to do this long before Clint. I have the ring to prove it. I just didn't have the guts. Don't tell Steve, but he was right, I was scared. I was also obsessed to protect you because I can't lose you."

She squeezed his hands softly, speechless, as she realized what he was doing.

He stopped, taking a deep breathe. "I am freaking out. Sorry. OK, let me do the right thing." And he dropped on one knee. "God… I'm nervous."

Both had tears in their eyes.

"Look. You know me. I could have done something extravagant, like hiring millions of people to stand in formation so that you could see it written on the ground from here." Smiling, he rolled his eyes, "But I know you don't want any of this… and I don't want anyone but you." He flashed his loving eyes and she gently touched his face.

"A very smart man told me once that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it." The past didn't scare him anymore, he was finally free… "I may look like my father but I'm not him. I won't let my mistakes destroy who I am. Most important, I won't push the ones I love away." He pulled a velvet box from his pocket, and, finally, popped the question, "I love you. Will you marry me?"

No words could leave her mouth, so, she smiled between tears, and simply nodded.

"Please, honey, I really wish you say something, and now would be the right time."

Pulling him for a passionate kiss, she whispered between his lips, "Yes! I will marry you, Tony!"

The path to the future was finally truly open.

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Ref: Fanfiction: Chris Crush, chapter 14, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" – Conversation about Howard Stark.

Ref: Movies: Iron Man

#1 – [Tony to Pepper] I don't have anyone but you.

#2 – [Tony to Pepper] It has always been you.

[Tony about Howard] He was cold, he was calculating. He never told me he loved me. He never even told me he liked me…

[Howard on video] Tony? You're too young to understand this right now, so l thought l would put it on film for you. I built this for you. And someday you'll realize that it represents a whole lot more than just people's inventions. It represents my life's work. This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out, and when you do, you will change the world. What is and always will be my greatest creation is you.

#3 – [Tony to Pepper] I have to protect the one thing that I can't live without. That's you.

[Tony] My armor, it was never a distraction, or a hobby. It was a cocoon.

Post-credits scene – [Tony] I'm fourteen years old, I still have a nanny.

Ref: Cartoons: The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

1x17 "The Man Who Stole Tomorrow" – youtube/watch?v=5T81GSz9oDE

[Steve] What's a futurist? (…) Well, the newspaper calls you a futurist. And unless you're into Italian art, I'm not entirely sure what that is. (…) [Tony] A futurist is someone who tries to predict the future, or in my case, tries to create it. I'm inventing technology for next century. Trying to make the world a better place. For instance, having news and information delivered via wireless signals as opposed to a newspaper. [Steve] I like newspapers. For instance, this one has a picture of you fighting Hydra. And even from the picture, anyone can see that you don't know how to fight. [Tony] What? There's about 20 super-villains out there that would disagree with you. [Steve] Meet me in the training room in five minutes. We've got work to do. (…) From what I've seen, you're fighting style is to tackle people or to blast them. If I had to guess, I'd say that you've never been in an actual fight in your life. [Tony] Well, I... I... [Steve] Punch me. [Tony] What? I'm not gonna... [Steve] Do it. (…) [Tony] My armor protects me, you know? It would have taken you down before you even touched me. And if the suit I was wearing couldn't handle you, I've got four more that could. [Steve] You can't always count on your armor. You have to be ready for anything. [Tony] That's the whole point. I'm working to know exactly what's coming. I'll know exactly what to be ready for.

[Tony] Well, I appreciate the lessons and the bruises, but the world has changed, Cap. Life moves faster now than ever, and it's only gonna get faster still. I'm wired in to a worldwide network of computers and satellites. The goal is to see danger before it gets here. I'm getting ready for the future, and working to get humanity there in one piece. You're still used to the old ways of doing things. [Steve] They say those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. If the old ways include training and preparation, then maybe you need to slow down a bit. [Tony] Uh, slow, uh, down? I hear you talking, but the words don't make sense. [Steve] It's always a good idea to know some basics. No matter what year it is, some things never change.

[Tony] A very smart man told me once that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.

2x07 "Who Do You Trust" – [Fury] This is a man who kept his secret identity for about five minutes.

Ref: Comics: Ultimates 2 #4 "Brothers" – Tony's extravagant proposal.