New Again

Chapter 8 (Travel Companions)

After exiting the police station, the gang quietly made their way back to the lake house. Harley and Peter were already planning their next shenanigans as Rhodey saw them off at the police station gate. Prax was walking a little behind the group, his hands in his pockets, a cigarette smoking softly between his fingers.

Tony shook his head and turned to Prax, who had fallen a few steps behind. As they passed under the streetlights, the young man's face caught Tony's attention. There was a kind of sadness in the shadows.

Tony approached quietly. “Prax,” he said softly, but his voice lacked its usual sarcastic tone. It was softer, almost reserved.

Prax took the cigarette from between his lips and blew the smoke gently into the air. “What is it?” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“We need to talk,” Tony said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He continued without looking at her for a moment. “That doesn’t mean it’s going to work that way.”

Prax laughed wryly. “Really? The rules are always bendable for a man like you, aren’t they? But not for me, of course.”

Tony paused for a moment. He could feel the sting beneath the words. He locked eyes with Prax and shifted to a more serious tone. “I’m serious about this. Smoking, losing yourself in a ditch… none of that is allowed.”

Prax took a step back, holding his hands up defensively. “Why do you care? You’ve been gone for years, and now you suddenly decide to be a father?” he said, his voice thick with anger. “This is ridiculous, Tony. I have no connection to you.”

Tony’s face hardened for a moment, but he took a deep breath. “You’re right,” he said, never taking his eyes off Prax. “I wasn’t there. And I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you. But I… I didn’t even realize it. And here I am. And I’m trying to reach you.”

Prax turned away, refusing to meet Tony’s eyes. “Too late,” he said shortly.

Tony took a step closer, his voice softer but more determined. “Prax, do you think it’s too late? Maybe so. But does that mean we should never try again? No.”

Prax paused, turning his head slightly to look at Tony's face. The anger in his eyes was giving way to slight confusion. "If you care so much about me, why weren't you there before?" he asked, his voice a little quieter.

Tony sighed. “Sometimes people get so caught up in their own problems that they can’t see others. It’s my fault. But I’m here now, Prax. And I want to fix it. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t want to lose you.”

Prax was silent for a moment when he saw the seriousness on Tony’s face. He dropped the cigarette from the corner of his mouth to the ground and crushed it with his foot. “I don’t know how serious you are, Tony,” he said, his tone a little softer. “But if you’re just saying that for the sake of it… don’t even try it again.”

Tony nodded, smiling but a little sadly. “I’m here to prove it, Prax. No matter how hard it is, no matter how much you deny it… I’ll still be here.”

Prax paused for a moment and glanced briefly at Tony. There were mixed emotions in his eyes. Finally, he shrugged and walked away a little. “We’ll see,” he said, with the slightest spark of hope in his voice.

Tony stared after Prax for a moment. Then he muttered to himself, "We'll see, yes. But there's no giving up with you."

After Tony's conversation with Prax in the street, the group got into the car, Harley taking the wheel. Peter sat quietly in the back, while Prax was still sunken into the seat, his head leaning against the window and looking out.

“We're going home, aren't we?” Peter asked, the first to break the silence.

Harley glanced at Peter in the rearview mirror, then said with a wide grin, “Well, we’re going. But the real question is: is Prax coming too?”

Prax didn't respond to Harley's question. He slowly turned his eyes away from the car, his lips pursed, indicating that he didn't want to say anything.

Peter took Harley’s cue and spoke a little more gently. “Hey, look,” he said, waving his hand in the air, “I know. Tony can be difficult. But the lake house isn’t such a bad place. Besides…we’re not gonna leave you alone. You can leave whenever you want.”

Prax leaned back, taking a deep breath. “It’s weird enough that Tony’s trying to play ‘dad,’” he said, rolling his eyes. “And you expect me to play at your house? No thanks.”

Harley laughed as she turned the steering wheel from side to side. “Oh, man. If you really feel uncomfortable, you can stay in the basement. You can keep company with the spiders there. It’ll be a perfectly normal day for Peter!”

Peter frowned at Harley's joke. "You're really not being helpful, Harley."

Harley shrugged, but her eyes were still focused on Prax in the backseat. “Look, Prax,” she said, a little more seriously this time. “Tony cares about you. I’m sure he means it. He said it himself. And when Tony Stark says something, it usually comes true.”

Prax glanced at Harley. “You’re on her marketing team?” he muttered sarcastically.

“I knew it!” Harley said, winking at Peter, then turned serious and turned to Prax. “But all joking aside, man, it’s a big thing that Tony cares so much about you when he’s got so much on his plate. It would be stupid to ignore it completely.”

Peter leaned forward to support Harley’s words. “And we’re here. If you try to pull any bullshit, Harley’s almost guaranteed to get in trouble. By the way,” Peter said, glancing at Harley, “didn’t I still tell you not to break glass?”

Harley laughed. “Okay, okay! But it was fun, admit it.”

Prax smiled involuntarily, but he quickly realized it and regained his seriousness. “Very well,” he said with a sigh. “I will come. But remember this: if I get bored there or Tony tries to strangle me, I will leave immediately.”

Harley quickly stepped on the gas pedal, a huge grin on her face as she said, "Alright! The guest room is yours. But don't worry, we won't push you too hard on your first day. Tony might be a little silly, but we'll protect you."

Peter looked at Harley next to him and muttered, "We'll protect you, huh? Would you protect this one if Tony beat you up?"

Harley narrowed her eyes at Peter, then shrugged. “Well, then I’d let Tony mess with you. As long as he didn’t touch me.”

Prax couldn't help but smile at the constant bickering between these two young men, and felt a little lighter inside him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Harley and Peter were still bickering as the car pulled up to the lake house. Prax leaned his head back and watched the reflection of the calm water on the lake. He took a deep breath and whispered to himself, “Okay. I’ll give it a shot.”

Tony, who was pretending to be asleep, had also heard all this conversation.

When they entered the lake house, Morgan was sitting in the living room, busy with his toys. When he heard the door open, he put his toys aside and stood up. He glanced at Peter and Harley and quickly ran over. However, when he noticed Prax, he frowned and tilted his head to the side to examine him.

“Who is this?” Morgan asked, pointing a finger at Prax. His eyes were bright with curiosity, but also a little wary.

Harley immediately stepped forward, bowing dramatically, "This is the newest member of the Stark family, Mr. Prax!" she said, her tone sarcastic.

Peter elbowed Harley in the side. “Can you not be serious?” he said, rolling his eyes.

Morgan looked at Harley and Peter for a moment before approaching Prax. “But who is he?” he asked again, more seriously this time. “Why does he have such strange eyes? And why does he look like my father?”

Prax was momentarily taken aback by Morgan’s direct questions, but quickly recovered. He attempted a small smile. “My eyes are like that because I’m… special,” he said with a shrug. But there was a noticeable edge to his voice.

Morgan moved closer to her. Noticing the yellow in her eyes, he whispered, “You’re sick, aren’t you?”

At that moment Pepper came into the living room from the kitchen. She paused slightly when she heard Morgan's question, then said to Morgan in a soft voice, "Morgan, honey, why don't you play with your toys for a bit and give Prax some time?"

Morgan looked at her mother and nodded as she headed toward her room. But before she reached the door, she turned back once more to look at Prax. “You look like a young father,” she said innocently, then hurried upstairs.

When the room had quieted, Pepper approached Prax. Her expression was gentle. “Prax,” she said, inviting him into the kitchen, “shall we talk for a moment?”

Prax nodded and walked into the kitchen, sitting on the edge of the kitchen table. Pepper poured a cup of tea and sat down at the table, looking at Prax with a small smile on her face.

“Your eyes… are from liver failure, aren’t they?” he asked gently.

Prax’s shoulders slumped. He took a sip of his tea and nodded. “Yes,” he said in a low voice. “The doctors say it’s a miracle. My liver hasn’t completely failed, but…” He paused, staring at the table. “But we don’t know how long that will last.”

The compassion on Pepper's face was comforting to Prax. "I know it's not easy," she said softly. "But that doesn't define you, Prax. You are so much more than that."

Prax stared at Pepper. “But why?” he said, his voice bitter. “Why? Why was he gone all these years? Did I just decide to become part of his family?”

Pepper was silent for a while, stirring her tea thoughtfully. “Tony was always a complicated person,” she said finally. “He liked to live within his own walls. But let me tell you something: when I first saw you, I saw a lot of the things I saw in him in you. Your looks, your stubbornness… even your smile.”

Prax laughed softly, but his voice trembled bitterly. “Are we that similar?”

Pepper nodded. “Yes,” she said. “But that’s not a bad thing, Prax. Tony was a strong man. He wasn’t always perfect, but he tried to fix the mistakes he made. I think he wants to do that with you now. But you have to give him a chance.”

Prax thought about Pepper's words. His eyes looked distant for a moment, then he nodded slightly. "Perhaps you're right," he said, his voice a little softer.

Pepper smiled and put her hand on Prax's. "Let me tell you something," she said. "Nobody in this house is perfect. But we all help each other. This is a family, and you can be a part of it, too, if you want to."

Prax took a deep breath, then bowed his head and smiled slightly. “I might consider giving it a shot,” he said in a low voice.

Pepper felt a warm flush spread across her face as she heard his words. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” she said.

Pepper was in the kitchen preparing the ingredients for dinner. She continued to chop vegetables while she watched Morgan playing with his toys out of the corner of her eye. Just then, Harley appeared in the kitchen doorway.

“Pepper,” Harley said with a mischievous grin on her face. “Would you excuse us? We have plans to make dessert.”

Pepper looked at Harley, eyebrows raised. “Dessert? You?” she said, a little suspiciously. “Harley, the last time you made something in the kitchen, I remember you blew up the microwave.”

Harley sarcastically put her hand over her heart and sighed dramatically. “This is so hurtful. I’ve matured! Peter’s here, he’s with me. There’s no point in kicking us out.”

Peter stuck his head out from behind Harley and waved, smiling. “Yeah, we’re totally safe. We won’t set the kitchen on fire, we promise.”

Pepper crossed her arms over her chest and looked at them both. “Where does Prax fit into this?” she asked.

At that very moment, Prax was leaning on a stool in the corner of the kitchen, silently watching the proceedings. “I’m just a spectator,” he said, shrugging.

Harley whirled around and pointed at Prax. “No, no! You can’t just be a spectator. This is a team effort. We’re all going to work together!”

Pepper took a deep breath, leaned against the kitchen counter, and studied them. “Okay,” she said finally. “But everything stays where it is. If you trash the kitchen—”

“We’re not trashing the kitchen!” Harley snapped, nudging Peter’s shoulder. “Are we, Parker?”

Peter nodded, but there was a mischievous look on his face. “Of course we won’t. I mean, at least the kitchen won’t collapse.”

Pepper rolled her eyes and removed her apron, walking out of the kitchen. She threw one last look at Harley and Peter as she headed out the door. “This better be worth it,” she said, then added with a smile, “Don’t serve dessert without Morgan’s approval.”

Harley rubbed her hands together as Pepper left. "Okay everyone, time to get moving! Are you ready to make dessert?"

Prax raised his eyebrows slightly in response to Harley’s enthusiasm. “What are you planning on doing? Are you sure you can do this?”

“We’re making brownies,” Peter said, opening the kitchen cabinet. “Because it looks easy. But I don’t trust Harley’s recipe choices.”

Harley shook her head at Peter. “Hey, my recipe choices are perfect. We’re going to add marshmallows to the brownies. It’s going to be great!”

Prax laughed softly. “Marshmallows? This seems to have gone off the rails already.”

Harley grabbed a whisk and placed it on the counter, nodding to Prax. “You make the marshmallows. Peter, you crack the eggs. I melt the chocolate. Come on, everyone, get to work!”

The kitchen quickly became a battlefield. Peter was trying to crack some eggs and dropped one on the floor. Harley was trying to melt some chocolate and overheated the pan, causing some smoke, and Prax was trying to break up some marshmallows and made a corner of the kitchen counter sticky.

"Hey, watch out!" Peter said in response to Harley accidentally dropping her spatula on the floor.

“I’m careful,” Harley replied, but she had a big grin on her face. “I’m just a little… creative.”

Prax put down the marshmallows and grabbed the mixer. “Creativity? This is chaos,” he said, but he kept looking at Harley with a small smile on his face.

When the mixture was finally ready, Peter opened the oven and carefully placed the pan in. “Okay,” he said, leaning on the counter. “If this turns out edible, it would be a miracle.”

“This is going to be a Stark miracle!” Harley said, raising one hand in the air. “Have you ever seen a Stark make brownies? This is where we differ.”

Prax laughed softly at Harley’s joke and sat down on the corner of the table. Her eyes drifted to the mess on the counter. “Maybe it’s not so bad,” she said to herself.

After a while, the smell of brownies filled the kitchen. While Harley and Peter were high-fiving each other, Prax was silently watching what was happening. For the first time, he felt at peace in such a comfortable environment.

Tony and Pepper were sitting on the couches in the living room of the house, watching the chaotic sounds coming from the kitchen. As the laughter of Harley, Peter and Prax echoed from the kitchen, a smile appeared on Pepper's face. However, Tony had been silent for a while. While his eyes watched the trio in the kitchen, he seemed to be lost in thought.

Pepper smiled slightly, not taking her eyes off Tony's face. "They look like they're having fun, don't they?" she said, a warm tone in her voice.

Tony nodded and sighed. “Yeah, they’re having a lot of fun.” But his voice was a little deeper and more emotional. “It’s really… happening really fast.”

Pepper noticed the sad tone in Tony’s voice. Her eyes drifted from the kitchen to the messy table, the blackened oven doors, the childhood energy mixed in with everything. She slowly approached Tony and sat down quietly, her hands on his knees. “You know, it’s hard to have a father like you. But to see that you could have a father like him… it’s so special.”

Tony turned to Pepper for a moment and saw the soft look in her eyes. For a few seconds he didn't know what to say. "Sometimes I don't know how to be," he said finally. "But how can something this fascinating happen? It really is... not like it was before."

Pepper took a deep breath. “I’ve said it before, Tony,” she said. “Prax is like you. Just like you. Maybe not exactly the same, but those eyes… that determination, that stubbornness… When I see that, it’s like I’m looking at you.”

Tony's eyes softened a little at Pepper's words. His gaze drifted to the commotion in the kitchen, but there was a softening in him. "Seeing her… reminds me," he said. There was a slight tremor in his voice. "That feeling of being lost forever… But she's here. Still here. Somehow…"

Pepper took Tony’s hand gently. “Yes,” she said slowly, but there was confidence in her eyes. “And this time, you’re not alone. We’re all together.”

Tony was silent for a moment, but he could feel the emotions he had been holding back deep inside him coming to the surface. He took Pepper's hand and bowed his head slightly. "Come on," he said, a weak smile appearing on his face. "Let's just watch and see what they do. We can join in too."

Pepper smiled and nodded, leaning into Tony's shoulder. "I couldn't ask for a better family," she said, a slight hint of happiness in her voice.

The laughter coming from the kitchen, the mess, and the witty conversations between Harley and Peter showed how perfectly everything could be. And Tony began to feel that peace in his heart. He still had a long way to go, but he knew now that he would not only be on this journey himself, but also with his family.

In the lake house kitchen, Prax was holding the mixer in one corner of the table while everyone was laughing and trying to make their desserts. It was all chaotic, but fun at the same time. Harley was mixing the ingredients with excitement, while Peter and Prax were taking care of some small details.

Prax suddenly turned the blender a little too fast, knocking a large bowl onto itself. As the bowl hurtled to the ground, Prax leaned forward in panic, accidentally speeding it up even more. “Oh my God!” he said, his eyes wide with fear.

Peter immediately reacted and quickly noticed the bowl fall. He felt a strange vibration in his body, as if something was warning him. The moment his spider-sense kicked in, his body sprang into action.

As Prax was holding the bowl that had almost fallen, Peter took a step forward and quickly caught it with his arms. However, Peter's hands quickly slid down to Prax's waist to stop the bowl from falling. At that moment, Peter's reflexes kicked in and he did something he normally wouldn't do:

He held Prax tightly, preventing his body from pulling away.

At that moment, even though everything seemed like a second's lapse, Peter began to think the right thoughts. His eyes noticed the reaction he had given without knowing it. That familiar feeling in his hands, as always, and like a secret that could no longer be kept, echoed in his body. Spider-Man!

As Prax stared with astonishment in his eyes, Peter quickly pulled his arms back to hide his face. “Ah, well…” he said, his voice a little strange. “I mean, I… I have a lot of reflexes sometimes. I have… a special talent, you see…”

Prax noticed the movement in Peter's hands. His arms and shoulders were very tense and trembling. He paused for a moment, cocked his head slightly to the side, and said, unable to hide the suspicion in his voice. "Why are you so strange? I want to see what you're doing."

Peter looked confused. It was getting harder to keep this secret now. He took a deep breath for a few seconds, and then, simply looking at Prax, he made up his mind. “Okay. I really don’t want to, but… maybe you should trust me. I am… Spider-Man.”

Prax stared at Peter, his lips slightly parted. “What?!” he said, completely bewildered. “Are you… Spider-Man? But… but how?”

Peter took a deep breath for a moment, and without looking away, he began to explain. “Yes, I mean… I was bitten by a spider years ago. From that day on, I started to change. I got stronger, faster, and… my senses were more accurate. So sometimes, from where I stand, I can feel you or something.”

Prax was still staring at him in astonishment. But the confusion in his eyes had lessened a little. "You mean, you really..." he mumbled, still not quite believing it. "But it's... it's a big deal, Peter! Not everyone can know about it."

“Yes, I know,” Peter said, nodding. “But people have noticed over time, and I’ve had some pretty big things happen to me about it. And yes, only a few people know the secret, but still… well, I had to tell you. Because I trust you, Prax.”

Prax had calmed down a little, but the surprise in his eyes had been replaced by curiosity. “That’s the first I’ve heard of it. But… it really does… make perfect sense. Those strange feelings, like how I am!” he said, laughing slightly. “So that’s why you’ve been acting all the time.”

Peter smiled slightly. “Yeah, really. It can be hard to slow myself down sometimes.”

At that moment, the sounds of laughter coming from the kitchen grew a little closer. Prax thought for a moment longer, then smiled, nodding slightly at Peter. “So we’re both a little weird, then.”

Peter looked at Prax with a slight smile in his eyes. “Yeah, I think so too. But maybe we can help each other out.”

“Yes, it could be,” Prax said, nodding thoughtfully.

Then, as they both headed toward the kitchen, Peter felt the relief of having a not-so-bad secret, knowing, however, that it always came with a price.

Prax remained silent for a while after learning that Peter was Spider-Man, his eyes still filled with surprise. But that silence was broken a few seconds later with a smile.

“What about that spider?” Prax asked, looking at Peter with great curiosity. “Is it alive? I mean… if it bites me, maybe I could become Spider-Man too!”

Peter smiled, shaking his head slightly, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice. “That spider… it’s dead, man,” he said, his eyes falling to the floor. “It didn’t live that long. But, you see, I got lucky and turned out a little different.”

Prax paused for a moment and looked at Peter, his head cocked to the side. “So you’re saying I should find that spider and get a little faster?” he joked. But there was amusement in his tone, and a strange disappointment still in his eyes.

Peter laughed lightly, but replied without losing his seriousness. “Not everyone wants that, my friend,” he said. “Some things are just the price of living. And they’re very expensive.”

"The price of life? What?" Prax asked, his eyes returning to Peter, curiosity still ringing in his voice.

“Sometimes you lose a lot trying to protect other people. But for someone involved, it’s one of those things you have to do,” Peter said, taking a deep breath. “I mean, sometimes a person’s power is directly proportional to the responsibility they’re given.”

Prax thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, but I suppose for someone like you it's not something that happens all the time, is it?" "I mean, is it hard to be so serious all the time?"

Peter paused for a moment, then nodded slowly and said, "Yes, it's hard sometimes. But we're all fighting for something, aren't we?" with a sad but determined tone in his voice.

Prax nodded, smiling. “Yes, everything has its price. But it seemed a little strange to me,” he said. “A spider bites you and suddenly you become a hero… It’s really strange.”

“Yeah, sometimes I think it’s weird,” Peter said, laughing. “But once it happens, the rest starts to come.”

They both looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing at the same time. It was still awkward, but at least they were laughing together.

The kitchen was still full of laughter for a while. While Harley and Peter were finalizing the dessert, Prax had retreated a little further, sitting on the corner of the counter. His eyes were staring out a little blankly, but he seemed a little removed from the environment he was in. At that moment, Tony's phone rang, its sound pierced through the noise of the kitchen. When Tony pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen, his face changed immediately.

“Move,” Tony said, looking at his phone screen. “A call from prison…”

Pepper looked up at Tony quickly, noticing the expression on his face. "Don't even think about accepting this," she said, a hint of warning in her voice.

Tony answered the phone, took a deep breath. “Yes?” he said, but his voice was harsh.

The voice on the other end of the phone was shrill and familiar. "Tony, listen to me!" it said, an echo of a lost time. "I'm not the one who brought Prax to you, but I need to talk about him. You're hurting him, and I—"

Tony’s expression immediately hardened. “Stop, Amy. What do you want?” he said, suppressing the anger in his voice. “What are you trying to do?”

“That boy is still my son! That’s why I need to tell you and that alcoholic bastard the damage you’ve done to him,” Amy said in her prison voice, her voice growing more threatening. “What did you tell me? He’s still our child!”

Tony’s fingers pressed firmly on the phone screen. “Are you Prax’s mother? As much as that boy is like you, he has a much better life ahead of him here. You need to understand that,” he said, but his eyes were still serious and hard. “And I’m telling you one last time, you will never call him and talk to him that way again. Accept that, Amy.”

Prax turned his head slowly when he realized what was happening in the kitchen, but Tony's stiff stance on the phone somehow caught his attention. "Who was that?" he asked, his voice slightly shaky but concerned.

Tony pulled the phone away from his ear and gave Amy one last warning. "If you ever try to hurt our child again, I won't waste another minute. No one can save you, do you understand?" he said, and slammed the phone down.

Pepper moved closer to Tony and touched his shoulder silently. Tony’s eyes were still focused on the phone, but he was taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself. “Amy, right?” Pepper asked, a slight edge in her voice.

Tony was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Yes… Amy is Prax's mother. And that child must not be under that woman's influence in any way. I know full well what you have been through in the past, but I will fight for Prax's future here. No one can say what he is or what he must be," he said, his voice firm.

Prax was still standing in the kitchen, but he took another step back as he heard Tony’s words. “What that woman said… is it true?” he asked, his voice low. “I mean, does my mother still think that?”

Tony took a deep breath and turned to Prax, looking him in the eye. “Prax, don’t pay any attention to what that woman says,” he said softly but firmly. “That should be in the past. It’s far more important that you’re here, right now, with us. We will protect your life. And this is your home.”

Prax remained silent for a moment, despite Tony’s words. His eyes were still confused, but the trust Tony had shown him was slowly taking its toll. “Thank you, Tony,” he said softly, but there was still a hint of hurt in his voice. “But sometimes… it’s not so easy to forget the past.”

Tony moved closer to Prax and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We will do this together, Prax. The past does not define you. In this house, no one can judge you by your past,” he said.

"We will be stronger together," Pepper added, standing next to Tony.

Prax nodded, feeling a little more relaxed. “I’ll try to forget about it. But it’s still hard.”

“We’ll make it happen, I promise,” Tony said, smiling, and patted Prax on the shoulder.

In the kitchen, the dessert preparations had turned into a disaster. Despite Harley saying that it was the most important part of the whole thing, chaos had broken out right in the middle of the dessert. Peter was struggling to keep up with the ingredients, and Prax just couldn't get the dessert right.

Finally, Harley looked around the kitchen and saw that the remaining dessert mixture was almost completely burnt. “We can’t do this!” she said, throwing her hands up in the air. “I don’t know what good this is going to do!”

"I didn't expect this much," Peter said with a laugh, but his cheerful mood quickly faded. "It really can't be that bad."

Prax stared at the dessert for a moment, then turned to Harley and said, “We totally ruined this, didn’t we?” “I can’t bring myself to taste it.”

Harley thought for a moment, frowning. “Okay,” she said, her tone serious, but her eyes still sparkling. “There is a solution to this. Let’s come up with a plan.”

Peter and Prax quickly turned their gazes to him. “What plan?” they asked simultaneously.

Harley smiled softly and clapped her hands. “We’ll take this outside! We’ll go to a bakery, get dessert, and go back home. Everyone’s happy, everything’s fine. No one will know we’re actually doing it!”

“But that… might actually be true,” Prax said, surprised. “I mean, we can make everyone love sweets, right?”

“Well, I think that might be true. But there’s one thing missing,” Peter said, nodding. “We have to get a logo from the bakery.”

“Yeah, we’ll get that bakery’s logo too,” Harley said, nodding quickly. “No one will know we actually made it. It’s a perfect plan!”

Peter and Prax hesitated a bit, but eventually agreed, saying, "Okay then," and went outside.

After a while, Harley and Peter returned home with the desserts. Everything seemed to be fine, but as soon as they entered the house, Tony noticed what was happening in the kitchen. "Let's see how well they did," he said, looking back and forth a few times, smiling but with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Harley smiled her brightest smile and presented the desserts to Tony. “Tadaa! This is our perfect dessert. We made it ourselves, but with a little help!”

Tony slowly lowered his glasses a little, examining the dessert. “Really?” he said. “And… why did you forget to get the logo for this dessert from the bakery?”

Harley was shocked for a moment, then quickly recovered, "Oh, that? Eh… a little… mistake. No one noticed, did they?"

Peter and Prax smiled at each other, but Tony’s gaze had taken them in. “Yeah, I noticed,” he said, smiling. “You wanted to show how perfectly you did it, but… the logo is missing. That was your job, wasn’t it?”

Harley shook her head. “Sometimes we make mistakes, Tony. Not everything has to be perfect, does it?”

Tony smiled and began to taste the dessert. “Great, the dessert is really good,” he said, but there was still a mocking light in his eyes. “But next time, I think you should make sure we go to the bakery. Besides, you can’t fool me anymore when you see the little mistakes.”

“We’ll be more careful next time,” Prax said, nodding and smiling. “But it’s still a good plan, isn’t it?”

“That was really fun,” Peter said, looking at Harley. “We were a little surprised, though.”

Harley smiled and said, "We'll do everything perfect next time," but there was still a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Yeah, and be careful with the logo. But the dessert is really good,” Tony said, smiling. “And maybe next time we’ll decide to do something different.”

The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the lake house’s large windows. The smell of breakfast wafting from the kitchen added to the cheerful atmosphere inside the house. However, Prax, as usual, remained far from that peace. His eyes were still sleep-deprived, his face a little pale and thoughtful.

When he woke up, he realized that the others were not awake yet. He slowly got out of bed, put on his clothes, and quietly closed the door of his room, leaving the house. Careful not to make any noise, he stepped into the streets.

As he walked away from home, the feeling of restlessness and uncertainty grew inside him. He hadn't slept all night. Everything had become complicated. His life seemed so thin, like a piece of paper, that it could be erased at any moment.

As he walked toward the city center, Prax had only one thing on his mind: to see the doctor. He wanted to leave the safety of everyone and deal with this problem on his own. This was his last chance.

When he entered the doctor's office, there were only a few people in the waiting room. Prax sat in a corner and took a deep breath. His heart was beating rapidly, but he could not move. The fear inside him was like a weight, pressing down on him more with each step.

After a moment, his name was called. “Prax James Stark?”

The doctor opened the office door and invited him in. The office was a little dim, with a special light that was set up so that patients wouldn't come in. The doctor smiled at Prax when he saw him, but there was a serious expression in his eyes.

“Prax, how are you feeling?” the doctor asked, gesturing for him to sit down.

Prax sat silently. “I’m not okay,” he said, not noticing the tremor in his voice. “I don’t feel anything, but at the same time everything… feels terrible.”

The doctor sat down at his office desk and turned on his computer. “As I told you, your blood test results are not good, your liver is severely damaged. If you don’t get a transplant, I have to say you have about three months to live.”

Prax took a deep breath. Although his eyes had heard the doctor’s words, he still had trouble accepting the fact in his head. “Three months?” he said, his voice shaky. “Is this… is this really… three months?”

The doctor nodded, looked at the computer screen, and spoke again. “Yes, if the transplant is not performed, this is the case. But remember, your condition is critical. You must use this time wisely. Otherwise, this disease can progress rapidly.”

Prax bowed his head and placed his hands on the table. He took a deep breath. “But… but there’s no liver transplant, right?”

“Yes, we’re not lucky,” the doctor said, closing his eyes for a moment. “At this point, an organ could be obtained from a cadaver or a living donor… but that’s very unlikely. We’ve done everything we can for you, but time is running out.”

Prax was silent for a moment, but he felt everything going dark quickly. The screams in his mind would not stop. Then, suddenly, he stood up and said, “Thank you,” but his voice was choked. “I can handle this.”

When the doctor saw Prax get up quickly, he sat up with concern and said, "Prax, wait a minute! Don't decide so quickly. I can help you. I just want you to think."

But Prax shook his head as if he hadn’t heard anything and walked out of the office. As he walked through the city center, he felt everything weighing down on him like a weight. Three months… just three months. Such a short time. The emptiness inside him grew, but somehow these thoughts gave him a sense of freedom.

Slowly, he decided to walk towards the lake house, but along the way, one question kept coming to his mind: What should he do? Which path should he take?

As Prax left the doctor’s office, the emptiness inside him grew. Three months… just three months. On the one hand, the lack of time reinforced his sense of having to do something. But on the other, he felt like everything felt so distant and uncertain. He started walking quickly out of the city center and toward the lake house.

The doctor glanced at his computer screen after Prax quickly left the office. He examined the data for a moment, then closed the computer screen and sighed deeply. He leaned against his desk and thought for a while.

But there was something on his mind: Prax's last name. Stark. Where had he heard that last name? Suddenly a light came on in his memory. Tony Stark. Where had he seen that name? Tony Stark, a world-famous businessman, billionaire, and scientist... Also, he had always been a mysterious man. Dr. Harper had checked on Morgan before, so Tony's phone number was in his contacts.

Pushing his doubts aside, the Doctor picked up his phone and started dialing Tony Stark's number. After a while, a familiar voice was heard on the other end of the phone.

“Stark,” Tony said, his voice a little harsher than usual. “Who is this?”

“Hello, I'm Dr. Harper. Prax... We need to talk about your son.”

Tony was silent for a few seconds. It was then that he realized something was wrong. Your son? Was there a problem with Prax's health?

Dr. Harper continued on the other end of the phone. “Prax’s health is pretty bad. He has advanced liver failure, and I told him he had about three months to live unless he got a transplant. But I did notice something: Prax’s last name is Stark. Is this… someone you know?”

Tony’s eyes sharpened. His heart began to beat faster. “Prax?” he said, his voice uneasy. “He’s… my son. But how… how did you know?”

Dr. Harper was silent for a moment, then continued, “I realized it when I was talking to him. His last name is the same as yours. With such a serious medical condition, I had to ask him who he was. Is he really your son, Tony?”

Tony took a deep breath and nodded, closing his eyes. Everything was suddenly chaotic. Prax… his son. He had never expected things to be so chaotic. He glanced quickly at his phone screen and answered Dr. Harper. “Yes, he is my son. But I didn’t tell you that. We need to talk about his condition. You will contact me, correct?”

Dr. Harper said in a serious tone, “Yes, Tony. We need to act quickly. However, Prax’s condition is this advanced, and without a transplant his chances of survival are slim. Unless you want anything to happen to him, we need to resolve this situation somehow.”

Tony's body suddenly felt heavy with this harsh reality. When it came to Prax's life, no matter how strong he was, things were not that simple.

“Okay,” Tony said, his voice firm. “We will take care of this immediately. I will contact you about it. Prax’s health is our top priority. We will do everything we can about it.”

After he hung up, Tony was silent for a moment. His eyes were distant. A few seconds later, Pepper walked in and saw the look on Tony's face.

“What happened?” he asked, worriedly.

Tony nodded, holding the phone in his hand. “Prax is in bad shape,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Three months… only three months left, if the transplant doesn’t happen.”

Pepper looked at Tony in surprise for a moment and asked, "What are you saying? Which doctor did you talk to?"

“Dr. Harper, his doctor downtown. He looked into Prax’s health. Now… I don’t even know what to do,” Tony said with a deep sigh. “But I have to figure this out. I can’t bear to lose my son.”

Pepper quickly approached Tony and put her hand on his shoulder. “We will get through this together,” she said. “You are not alone. Together we can do anything.”

Tony nodded. “Yes, but this is really hard, Pepper. We have to do everything we can to save her life.”

The morning sun slowly filtered through the lake house window. The colorful lights danced on the walls, the calmness of the house providing peace on one hand, while on the other hand, making one feel the chaos waiting inside. The kitchen was still enveloped in a silence that belonged to no one; only the chirping of birds from outside and the fresh morning air were the only things that occasionally broke that silence.

Peter and Harley had woken up in the early hours of the morning. Each of them had slowly begun to rise, along with the thoughts that had come from the night. At first, they thought everything was normal; but soon, a restlessness in their chests forced them into action.

Peter got up from his bed and slowly rose from the bed with his long, thin body. After tidying up the room a little, he headed towards the wardrobe. He pulled the hanger he had prepared in advance to get his black suit and rolled up his sleeves, putting the suit on. As he put the suit on, the soft texture of the fabric slid over his skin, allowing it to sit comfortably as usual.

As he pulled his arms up, the smooth lines of his suit fitted his body, those familiar touches complementing each of his movements. He pulled his trouser legs neatly together and adjusted his tie for the top. He carefully placed the end of the tie and tied it, feeling how important each step was in the knot.

Peter's eyes met with a tiredness he hadn't noticed a short while ago. But without hesitation, he put his jacket on over his suit. He took a few steps back and examined himself in the mirror. He was so used to it, everything was in its place. But at the same time, he was beginning to feel all the tension he had been experiencing. As if he were about to go far away, as if he were about to embark on an unknown journey.

Then, Harley came out of her room and went inside. She had also woken up early. Her colorful and energetic personality, as always, was evident in the early hours of the morning. She was wearing a suit just like Peter, but Harley's style was a little different. Although the cut of her jacket was classic, the shoulders were a little wider and the legs of her pants were a little shorter, a modern touch.

Harley began to sing as she put on her suit. “There’s a smile on the road, it says there’s hope…” she hummed. She made a slight dance-like movement as she adjusted her jacket, smiling as she did so. Not only was her suit elegant, it also clearly matched her personality.

He pulled a slightly more relaxed tie over his suit and shirt. He pulled it a few times to make it fit, but still with a little elegance. He felt around in his jacket pockets, placing his gloves and a few other important items inside, making sure everything was perfect.

“We’re going to have to be classy from now on, man!” Harley said, winking at Peter and quickly smoothing back his hair, tossing his head a few times. “That’s enough for our business shenanigans!”

Peter nodded with a laugh. “Yeah, that’s the price of being ‘hip’ in business,” he said, but with a wry smile on his face. The fact that Harley was so cheerful and relaxed always gave him a kind of confidence.

They both nodded one last time, straightening the sleeves of their jackets, then paused for a moment to look at each other in the mirror. They turned slowly toward each other.

“Are we ready?” Harley suddenly asked seriously, a slight smile in her eyes. “We’re going to run into a lot of people in this city today. But we’re… we’re all honest, aren’t we?”

Peter nodded, taking a deep breath. “Yes,” he said, taking a step toward the door. “We have to do this. We have to make sure everything goes well.”

Peter stopped at that moment. Tony's voice echoed in his ears.

3 MONTHS LIFE