Pepper smiled as she opened the door to Tony's Malibu mansion, her expression warm but tinged with exhaustion. "Ather, it's good to see you." Her eyes flicked down to the bouquet in my hands, and she smirked. "I would say that's sweet, but I'm guessing you're just messing with him."

"Oh, for sure," I replied with a grin, stepping inside as she moved aside. "How's he doing?"

Pepper's smile faltered, replaced by a look of concern. "It's… complicated. You haven't seen the press conference, have you?"

"Nope." I hadn't bothered to watch. I came straight here when Tony called, even though it was clear I was last on his list of people to reach out to. Our relationship was tenuous at best, practically non-existent, really, but I couldn't ignore him. Not after everything.

As Pepper led me further into the house, I caught sight of another figure standing stiffly by the large bay windows. Maria Stark. Tony's mother. The room felt heavier the moment I saw her, and I could tell by the tightening of her shoulders that she'd been waiting for this moment, dreading it even. Her eyes swept over me, and I saw the flash of emotions in them: anger, guilt, disdain, and finally, a cold indifference.

This was the first time we'd ever come face to face, and I felt nothing for her. She was just another person tangled in the mess of my life.

"Ma'am," I said coolly. I wasn't some kid yearning for a maternal figure, and she wasn't some vindictive stepmother out to ruin me. We were just two people linked by Tony, and that was all.

"Mr. Agni," she replied curtly, her voice sharp but controlled. She wasn't fond of me being here, wasn't fond of the idea of her son's bastard half-brother hovering around, but she was too composed to let it show completely. We shared a silent understanding: she didn't hate me on principle, but I was a complication she'd rather not have in her life.

She excused herself with a polite nod and left the room, the tension easing just slightly. She softly kissed Tony's cheek, whispering low so only he could hear what she had to say.

"Kid!" Tony's voice cut through the awkward silence as he strode over, looking like he was holding himself together with duct tape and bravado. He glanced at the flowers, raising an eyebrow. "Flowers? Really?"

I shrugged, looking around the lavish surroundings, fancy booze, extravagant foods, and tech that wasn't even on the market yet. It was classic Tony: excess and brilliance wrapped in a high-tech shell. He laughed at the way I inspected everything, almost like I was trying to make sense of it all.

"Something, something, people never buy you flowers," I joked, handing him the bouquet. Tony's laugh was genuine but short, trailing off into an uncomfortable silence as he stared at the petals.

"Guess that's true," he muttered, setting them aside. He motioned for me to follow him to his workshop, a space that felt more like his true home than the mansion itself. The place was cluttered with blueprints, half-built tech, and the early prototypes of a metallic suit that caught my eye immediately.

Tony's mood shifted as we stepped inside, his usual swagger tinged with something darker. "I've been busy," he said, gesturing vaguely at the scattered mess of parts and plans.

"I can see that." I walked over to the table where the suit prototype was laid out, a mixture of intrigue and concern bubbling up inside me. It was clear this was more than just a project, it was an obsession. Not that I blamed him in any way, people in glass houses and all that, "What's that?" I nodded towards the mock-up suit.

"Mark II. Needs work," Tony said casually, but I could hear the undercurrent of urgency in his voice. "Had a lot of time to think in that cave. Had to get out somehow, right?"

I nodded, understanding the unspoken truth behind his words. This wasn't just about escaping captivity, it was about trying to take control of something when everything else had spun out of it.

Tony picked up a piece of the suit, his hands trembling slightly as he fiddled with the wires. "It's all messed up, Ather. My weapons, my tech… they used it against me. Against people, innocent people, hells they were used against soldiers that we outfitted."

"Easy with the we." I snarked, which caused him for a moment to chuckle.

"I'm the reason those bastards had the means to hurt me, to hurt others. So yeah, I've been working on this. Something that can do more than just destroy."

I leaned against the table, watching him, briefly as my eyes ran through the 'blueprints' his plans alone were a work of art, "You're turning yourself into the weapon now?" I mused, though there wasn't a hint of judgement to my voice.

Tony's eyes flicked up, meeting mine. "Yeah. Guess I am. And I'm going to make sure it's pointed in the right direction this time."

I could see it then, the drive, the anger, the guilt that was propelling him forward. Tony was teetering on the edge, using this project as both his salvation and his punishment. And it hit me just how much he was holding inside. Guilt washed over me, here I was playing with his life, but Iron Man was needed. I didn't give a shit about the nonsense about Tony Stark being a quote-on-quote bad person when his character's popularity peaked, he was flawed at worst, but he's a goddamn hero nonetheless.

Trying to do what's right even if he stumbled a hell of a lot during the road to redemption… I just sucked, going through the motions to simply better my life.

"This is big, Tony," I said carefully, trying to keep my inner turmoil out of my voice. "Bigger than any of us. If you're going down this road, you need to know what you're getting into."

"Don't preach at me, Ather," Tony snapped, his defensive walls going up, as his eyes took a pointed glance at my arm. "I don't need a lecture. I need help."

I let the tension settle before speaking again. "Then let me help. But not just with the suit. You've got a lot of things to figure out, and this isn't going to solve all of them."

He snorted, but there was no real heat in it. "Funny, coming from you."

I didn't argue. He was right. I'd been stuck in my own moral limbo, trying to balance doing good with my own brand of selfishness. It wasn't lost on me that we were both fighting battles that went far beyond the physical. "Yeah, well, maybe we can figure this out together," I offered.

Tony studied me, his expression unreadable. "You mean that?"

"I do." I gestured to the suit. "And if you're serious about this, I want in. Let's make sure this thing doesn't kill you first."

Tony cracked a small, tired smile. "Deal. But I'm warning you, this isn't just about the tech. It's about everything that comes with it."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his words. "I'm ready. Are you?"

Tony didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned back to the suit, adjusting a piece that wasn't sitting right. "Guess we're both gonna find out."

We worked in silence for a while, the clinking of metal and the hum of machinery the only sounds between us. There was a fragile sort of camaraderie in the air, the kind that came from shared pain and unspoken understanding. For the first time, it felt like maybe, just maybe, we weren't so different after all.

As I headed out of the workshop, my mind still buzzing with the whirlwind of Tony's plans and the overwhelming energy in the room, Tony suddenly called after me.

"Hey, Ather! Before you go, show me what that arm of yours can do," Tony said, a spark of mischief and genuine curiosity lighting up his eyes, "Come on, don't think for a moment I wouldn't assume you supe'd it up."

I turned back, raising my metal arm with a smirk. "What, this old thing? Just some scrap metal I threw together."

Tony rolled his eyes, but there was a glimmer of interest. " You're not great at the coy thing. Come on, the last time I saw you… needed a hand. Don't hold out on me."

I just pointed at with my gloved hand, "Well done, it was right there but I have to hand it to you."

Pepper had chosen to walk in that moment, and had let out a disgusted groan and walked right out.

I walked back to the workbench and tapped a few hidden switches on the inside of my forearm, feeling the subtle hum as the circuits powered up. A faint blue glow pulsed beneath the plating, and small arcs of energy crackled along the fingertips. I flexed my hand, showing off the smooth, almost organic movement of the metal.

Tony whistled, clearly impressed. "That's some serious work. How'd you get the power management so efficient? I've been trying to do something similar with the suit, toying with the idea of a backup power system not relying on the arch reactor, but it keeps overheating and fizzing out."

I shrugged, enjoying the rare moment where I had the upper hand on the great Tony Stark. "Well, it's not perfect. But I found a way to redistribute the energy flow, keeps the arm from frying itself when I put too much strain on it."

Tony stepped closer, inspecting the arm with an almost childlike fascination. "Mind if I...?" he asked, gesturing towards my forearm.

I extended my arm towards him, and he started poking around as he pried the plating with a screwdriver, carefully examining the circuitry and modular design. "You've got some serious engineering skills, kid. This is, wait, is that a micro-EMP generator?"

I grinned. "Yeah, something I whipped up in case I need to give someone, or something, a little jolt. I figured it'd come in handy." Did I want to tell him about the Professor and my run-in with him?

Tony laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You really are something else, Ather. And I thought I was the one with the fancy toys."

Feeling playful, I decided to show him a trick I'd been working on. I flicked my wrist, and a small compartment in the palm of the arm opened, revealing a set of tiny tools and a miniature torch. "Built-in multitool," I said, holding it out. "Perfect for when you're on the go and need to make quick repairs." This was my day-to-day arm, I had decided, so I wasn't exactly running with a weapon at all times, though emp was going to be a staple for them, I was being lax, not stupid, "Or, you know, if you need to light a cigar." I finished lamely at the small flickered-on.

Tony clapped his hands, laughing. "You're like a Swiss Army knife on steroids. I'm actually jealous."

"You should be," I joked, closing the compartment and retracting the tools. "But hey, I'm just trying to keep up with the coolest genius billionaire playboy philanthropist I know."

Tony's expression softened, and for a moment, the weight he'd been carrying seemed to lift. "You've got me beat in creativity, that's for sure. I've been so wrapped up in my own head that I haven't even thought about adding fun stuff like this."

I powered down the arm and rolled my sleeve back down. "It's not all about practicality. Sometimes you've gotta have a little fun with it."

Tony nodded, visibly more relaxed than he'd been in days. "You know, I could use some of that attitude around here. It's easy to get lost in all the serious stuff, especially with what I've got on my plate."

I patted his shoulder, feeling the camaraderie between us solidifying into something more genuine. "Well, I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere. Besides, who else is going to keep you from blowing yourself up?"

Tony laughed again, this time louder and freer. "Good point. Alright, let's keep at this. But first, how about a drink? I've got some scotch that'll make that arm of yours feel almost human."

"I'll take you up on that," I said, following him back into the house. "But just so you know, if I beat you at arm wrestling with this thing, you have to buy me my own private island."

"Deal," Tony shot back, shaking his head. "But don't get cocky. I'm still the better Stark." I wouldn't put it past me to sabotage my arm just to win.

We walked out of the workshop, the mood lighter than it had been in a long time. For a brief moment, it was just the two of us, brothers, partners, and maybe even friends, sharing a laugh and letting the weight of the world slip away, if only for a little while.

A/N - Published - 2024/09/03

Yo, thanks to all for the support shown to this story.

Not much to say for this one, but just to get a move on with the story, but didn't want to skip over an important interaction between Tony and Ather.

This story isn't set in the MCU, but will perhaps shamelessly use up the good parts of it, i.e. so nothing that's been put in recent times, sad days really,