Chapter 4
Tony wasn't sure what he was expecting, but Howard killing him and leaving his body in the woods was most certainly not off the list of possibilities. The whole car ride had been spent in agonizing silence, with a tiny Tony Stark nestled into the strong arms of an old Edwin Jarvis. Tony could feel the same love and uncertainty Jarvis was, and was honestly terrified of what the future held for him.
When the car rolled to a stop, Tony very nearly stopped breathing. Jarvis grasped his face with both hands, thinking as many calm thoughts as possible. “Young Anthony, you need to breathe. It'll be okay, okay? I'll be right here.” The old man pulled the boy into one last hug. From the top of his head, Jarvis murmured, “It would probably be best if we get out of the car now.”
With a resigned sigh, Tony nodded and followed Jarvis out of the safety of the car, only to see Howard flashing the only smile his son had ever seen cross his face, ever. “Boy. I've heard about this place a couple times, and I am positive this is the best option. Now,” Howard paused, grabbing the boys face with his hands, angling Tony so the dark, almost black eyes of Howard met the smooth, chocolate brown ones of his son. “I won't have you misbehaving, because if you do, nobody will come get you. Got it?”
If the menacing words weren't enough, the shove to the dirt certainly was. The last thing Tony Stark would see of his Father was the vile man shoving his only companion back into the car. Jarvis sent a pitiful look at the boy, and mouthed the words “I love you,” before the car and his life vanished from his very eyes. Curling up at the gates of a unknown place, Tony Stark cried for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
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“...Now, Storm, I know this has been a slow week, but the children have been getting antsy, and I was wondering if you could perhaps...” Professor Xavier trailed off, placing a hand to his head and frowning at his lap.
More than a little confused, Storm reached out to touch her old friend and colleague.“Charles? Charles, are you okay?”
At the touch Charles looked up at the tall African woman and smiled. “I'm quite fine, Ororo, but it appears as if someone nearby is not.”
Storm frowned at the notion, scratching her nose as she thought. “Is it a student? Should I go get Logan, or Scott? Can you-”
Charles Xavier cut her off with a hand. “Just you should be fine Storm, come, follow me.” With that the pair headed down the hallway of the school. At the front doors Xavier paused, placing two fingers above his eyes and rubbing. “This signal, it is unlike any other.”
Storm frowned down at the man in the wheelchair. “Signal? Like a mind signal thing? I thought only you could give out signals?”
Charles smiled back up at her. “It appears I have been wrong. Come, there is a mutant in need.” As the pair traveled closer to the gates that blocked the institute from the rest of the world, both individuals concern gradually increased. Soft, almost indistinguishable sobbing could be heard, and yet neither man nor woman could see where the sound was coming from.
Storm quickly opened the gates, then proceeded to look for the cause of the distressed noises. At a sharp intake of breath, she turned to see Xavier peering into the bushes alongside the fence, a pained expression on his face as he looked down at an incredibly tiny waif. Storm stepped forward to help the child, who looked maybe ten years old, before Charles raised a hand and stopped her.
Charles spoke directly in to Storm's mind, stating, “He is frightened. Let me, first.” Frowning a bit, she nodded, confirming she would do as he asked.
“Son, are you quite alright?” A soft voice sounded out, clearing Tony a bit from his dispirited state. The boy looked around rather quickly, before spotting a man and a woman almost directly in front of him. He shrunk back even further into the bushes, terrified of the new people, and unsure what they wanted from him. He couldn't help it that he was a freak, but he didn't know how to stop it either.
The man in the wheelchair made a face that could only be described as pure sorrow, which didn't make sense because- Tony's thoughts were cut off by another voice echoing inside his own head. “You are not a freak, okay? No matter what people tell you. You are special.” At the strange voice inside his head Tony sat straight up, hitting his head on a branch and making a pained noise. What was someone else doing in his head? Was he officially going crazy?
“You aren't crazy my child. I am special just like you, and my friend here.” The man in the wheelchair gestured at the tall, imposing woman next to him, and Tony's frown deepened in confusion. How did this man know what he was thinking? “I am a mutant, just as you are. I can read people's minds, and talk to them in such a way too.” Tony couldn't help but flinch at the M word, remembering the way his own father shouted the word at him as a slur, demeaning him further. He couldn't be a mutant, could he? The voice spoke again. “I am so sorry for what you have been through, but we can help you here. There's other children, just like you here. You are not alone.” Though Tony didn't quite believe him, he opened his eyes to stare at the man anyways. He didn't look scary, he actually looked, kind of, nice. For an adult anyway.
“Would you care to join us inside? Perhaps get cleaned up a bit?” Tony was surprised by the fact that the man sounded the same out loud as did in his head. He frowned up at the bald man, but crawled out of the bushes anyway.
Charles spoke again, glancing up at Storm, who gave reassuring smile. “Would you like to sit on my lap on the way up? It's not a long walk, but you look quite exhausted my son.” Tony froze, 'cause yea, he was tired, but a ride would mean touching and touching would mean he would be a freak and it was just better if-Charles cut the small childs increasingly anxious train of thought off. “It was just a suggestion, we can walk if you would like.” Tony nodded, and stood, keeping a couple feet between himself and the adults.
The tall lady nodded at Charles before turning towards Anthony. Her white hair was bright in the sunlight, and distracted Tony a bit on the walk to the unknown place. At the sound of iron gates swinging shut Tony startled, much to the amusement of the lady. “Are you sure you're alright, baba seuntjie?”
The faintest hint of a smile crossed Tony's face. “What did you call me?”
Ororo smiled back, amusement clearly written across her face. “It is nothing of importance, jong een.”
Tony smiled back, hesitant, but a real smile. Charles watched in amusement, but his mind was reeling at the fact that someone just left a child at the door here, not even bothering to ask or tell a staff member. He addressed the boy, trying to dispel the worry from his mind. “Might I ask your name?”
Tony turned towards the bald man. Shrinking back into his shell a bit, he quietly said, “Tony Stark.”
Ororo barely hid a gasp, playing it off as a cough. Charles could feel her confusion and felt the same. Tony Stark, son of the great Howard Stark, was a mutant? But why drop him off here? Howard could have sent him anywhere, but the last place Charles would have thought was here.
Of course Xavier could look into Tony's mind for the answers to all his questions, but that would require a bit of digging, and it was best if the child told his story himself.
Xavier gestured at himself. “My name is Charles Xavier, and I run the school here. This is my friend-”
Ororo cut the other adult off and looked down at the boy. “My name is Ororo Monroe. I can control the weather.” The boy looked interested, but turned away in shame when his stomach growled. “Oh, you arme siel. Are you hungry?” The boy confirmed, and the group headed to the kitchen. Luckily for the small group classes were in session, so they didn't run into any unwanted visitors. Tony was obviously nervous about being in a new place, but was doing his very best not to show it. Unfortunately for the child, he was sending off distress signals left and right, causing Charles to frown at the tiny boys lack of trust.
Once the group was seated at the table with a grilled cheese for Tony and sodas for the two adults, Charles decided it was time to sort a few things out.
With an open face, Charles turned his upper half towards the young boy, who gave him a suspicious side glance and continued eating his food. “Tony?” The boy made an affirmative noise which Charles took as his cue and continued on. “Do you,” The older man paused, searching for the right words.
Tony glared at him, swallowing his food before asking, “Do I what?”
Charles sighed, but smiled a little because the child was slowly trusting them, even if it was just a little bit at a time. “Do you know what your mutation is?”
Professor Xavier knew immediately that was the wrong question to ask, as the already cautious boy froze, brown eyes glazing over and hands unevenly shaking. Panicked breaths barely escaped his tiny form.
Storm jumped up from her place across the table immediately, rushing over to the panicking little boy who was barely breathing. “Child! You need to kalmeer!” She placed a hand gently on the arm of the boy, which automatically brought the child out of his stupor, and sent him running to the corner of the room. Storm looked helplessly at Professor Xavier, at an end for what she had done.
Is the child alright? He can't be hurt, can he? Charles would know. Why the panic? I wish he could understand we have no desire to hurt him. He's just so innocent, I don't see how anyone would want to harm such a child.
Tony stayed in the corner, even after his breathing leveled out. Charles and Ororo just watched from the table, not daring to approach him again. Tony couldn't help but feel that he had messed up, that this was his fault, because he was a freak. A freak who always messed things up, no matter how hard he tried not to. He hated knowing what people were thinking, it wasn't his fault he was like this. If people just would stop touching him, everything could be okay. He could pretend to be normal. Normal, normal, normal...
Charles observed this increasingly upsetting train of thought through the boys head. He met the boys still panicked eyes, willing him to listen. “Tony. You are not a freak, no matter what your Father has told you.” Tony flinched at the mention of his Father, as if expecting a hit, but his eyes once again met Charles. “I can help you explore your power, and together we can find out how to best control it, and contain it. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You are not alone.”
Tony continued to look unsure, but left the corner and returned to the table. “When I touch people...” he trailed off. Ororo nodded reassuringly back at him, inviting him to go on. “I can, I don't know? Feel people's feelings when I touch them?” He paused, looking at the two adults, then down at the table. “It sucks.”
Ororo laughed, the smile reaching all the way up to her eyes. “Okay! This is good my seun!” Her expression changed into something much more caring that Tony could not place. “I am deeply sorry for touching you without permission. I won't do it again.” She apologized.
Tony gave her a timid smile. “That's okay.”
Charles smiled too, knowing that the child was strong enough to get through this. Because if there's one thing kids are, it's strong. And this one was strong as iron.