Dysfunctionally Sound

Anthony Edward Stark considered himself to be a genius mechanic. The more supportive news and media channels dubbed him as the philanthropic billionaire. The other, more critical channels still managed to call him by his older and, all things considered, completely irrelevant byline “Merchant of Death.”

Yes, he was part of a team that dropped a complete landmass on a country but that’s beside the point.

Because currently, he had earned yet another title. And he was so not happy about it.

“World’s Worst Father?” He exclaimed, looking at the drawing that lay on the table. Rather, it was an A3 sheet covered with squiggly green crayon vines, a Red Devil emoji at the centre below which was scrawled the offending title in black crayon.

“Morgan! Come here, you little…”

“Language, Tony.”

Pepper Potts, now Pepper Stark, walked up to her husband, holding out his mug of morning coffee. Tony took a swig from it absently as he stared at the sheet, unable to  Ofathom the reason.

“Is Morgan mad at me?” He asked slowly, his voice filled with a sense of discovery.

“Of course she would be mad,” Pepper sighed, looking at the paper. She felt a round of giggles bubble in her throat but she smothered them down before they made their presence felt - Tony would not appreciate laughter right now. Currently, he looked absolutely devastated.

She looked at the border - the squiggly green vines that made it. She wondered if her daughter had help. And looks like the helper also had bit of a grudge against her husband - the faint pencil guidelines could not have been made by a five-year-old child.

And she knew exactly why Peter Parker would be mad at Tony Stark.

“Peter Peter Peter Peter Peter!”

Peter Parker, Peter Parker-Stark after the official adoption a year back, was currently engrossed in wiring up the heater component of his suit. After the last Avengers battle against what he dubbed as the River Foaming Bot, his heater malfunctioned due to overwork. And the quicker he fixed it, the better - he did not want Tony breathing down his neck about it.

His dad breathing down his neck, rather.

And since his dad had withdrawn lab privileges for the duo (they weren’t even doing anything dangerous - just creating a mini Iron Man bot for Morgan. And those tiny repulsor blasts hurt less than an ant-bite), he had to fix his suit in his room. Where Morgan was currently using his bed as a trampoline.

She had managed to rescue her Iron Man bot from the lab, after all. Smart kid. He wondered how much smarter she would get when she stepped into her teens - he could not help but smirk at the mental image of Tony running around like a headless chicken.

His dad running around like a headless chicken.

After the incident which the world dubbed as the Big Snap and the Reversal, Tony had almost ended up dying. Thankfully, Dr. Helen Cho was alive, well and most importantly got the Cradle up and running. Along with Shuri, the Wakandan princess and tech genius, the two of them created a system which made Tony go into a medicated coma for six months while he healed. Nevertheless, the Avengers partied like no tomorrow for a week at the Compound (which Pepper and Dr. Banner redesigned after the Reversal) when Tony was finally well enough to be discharged. The first thing he did was to ask Peter whether he would like to be part of the Stark family.

“Kid, I almost died with a ton of regrets. I’m getting a second chance here, and I’m not blowing it,” he had said gruffly, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug like the day the Snapped had come back to battle Thanos again. Peter had warbled unintelligibly then but Pepper softly told him to take his time, reconsider and then answer.

“It’s sudden and huge, I know. But do think about it - Tony had always wanted it but I think his own childhood experiences had prevented him. The decision is completely yours, Peter. And you would always be his kid, he loves you way too much.”

Peter knew that - he knew the man he idolised did not just think of him as an intern. But he was scared that saying yes would mean tarnishing both his actual parents’, Ben’s and May’s effect in life.

“Bullshit!” Said May. “You’re practically his son, Pete - this would just make it official. And get those stupid ideas out of your head - it’s time you lived for real.”

And that sealed the deal.

The Stark family shifted to the old Avengers Tower in New York since both Peter and Morgan’s schools were in the city. They kept the house in the woods as their vacation home while they dropped into the Compound at the weekends. Peter decided to keep his Spider-Man identity under wraps for now - at least until he survived college. The Stark name was enough of an attention-grabber, he didn’t want anymore than that.

In the five years he was not, well, around, May had been almost dead with grief. Thankfully, she had found someone who shared the same sadness - a widower who had lost his daughter in the Snap. She had moved to Texas to be with him and when the Reversal happened, she was beside herself with joy. He still remembered the armful of sobbing May Parker who could not believe her lucky stars.

After the adoption was complete, he urged May to go back to John Baker. He could hear May’s reassurances on the phone every night when she thought he was asleep.

“You live your life too, May,” he said.

Two months later, May and John married. John’s daughter Alicia and Morgan along with Natasha and Pepper were her bridesmaids while he along with John’s childhood friend were his best men. Peter like John - he had that soft twinkle and knowing smile of Uncle Ben that made people trust him on the spot.

May would be fine.

Peter made it a point to visit the Bakers once every month. Sometimes Morgan tagged along too - she was fascinated by Alicia’s two cats.

Peter loved Morgan to death - she was intelligent, cheerful, smart and bright. She had her father’s love of mechanics coupled with her mother’s common sense, making her an extremely capable kid for her age. And Peter’s perfect partner-in-crime. Morgan had quickly attached herself to him, following him everywhere. Though initially Tony had been relieved that Morgan found another human being to imprint upon, he quickly realised that the duo was more mischievous than a preschool combined.

Scary smart mischief mongers.

“Big Brother Peter!”

“Yes Morgan?”

Morgan stopped jumping on his bed and instead flopped on it cross-legged with her bot held close to her chest.

“Daddy will not take Ronnie away, right?” She asked, her eyes going large and round.

Ronnie?

“Of course not, Ronnie is not going anywhere,” Peter reassured her, grinning.

Wait till dad hears that Morgan is calling the Iron Man replica Ronnie!

“We even drew that sheet! He’s still not letting us go to lab! And big brother has to repair his suit in the room!” She pouted unhappily.

Peter soldered the last bit of wiring before removing his solder glasses and placing them carefully on the work-table.

“Morgan, do not tell dad that I’m working on the suit in my room - this is the Sibling Secret Code, okay?” He said, holding out his pinky finger. Morgan wrapped it with her own.

“Protocol Sibling Secret Active,” she said seriously, making Peter almost smile.

Tony Stark was seriously contemplating whether there was any hidden message in the sheet. He made F.R.I.D.A.Y. scan it for any invisible ink, microchipping or nano-tech. He also ran it across DUM-E and U though the former almost tore it excitement. Now, he was reduced to staring at it, as if trying to burn holes into it.

Pepper watched him amusedly, preferring to watch Tony flounder about rather than Sunday morning sitcom reruns. She was almost tempted to bring in popcorn and coke to seal the deal but she figured he might need some moral support.

“Pep?”

“Yes, Tony?”

“Do the kids hate me?”

Pepper looked at him, realising that maybe, maybe Tony was taking it a bit too hard. Pepper realised Tony needed to understand the difference between regular childish pouting and full-fledged hatred. And the man unfortunately did not have his own childhood to fall back upon.

She walked up from the couch to the work-table where Tony was currently fiddling with one of Clint’s arrows. Tony ended up dropping the arrow. Pepper sighed as she picked it up and placed it on the table before rotating Tony’s chair so that he faced her. He looked slightly sad and confused and Pepper’s heart went out to him, though she knew that he would not believe unless and until someone proved it beyond doubt.

But that did not mean she would not try to convince him.

“They don’t hate you, Tony. They’re kids...it’s in their nature to be so fickle. Didn’t you hear what Clint said the last time - unless your kids say that they hate at least five times a week, there might be something wrong with them?” she said softly, running her fingers through his hair.

“But Pep...this, this…” he sputtered slightly, showing the sheet next to the arrows with his hands. “Did Clint’s kids ever make him something like this?”

Pepper could not help but smile at Tony’s simple thinking.

“Unfortunately, we’re parents to perhaps the brightest kids of the generation. Figures they’d do something unexpected. But Tony, they adore you! Those kids love you to bits!”

Tony still looked unconvinced.

Tony might be a genius mechanic but he was woefully inept in understanding the deep and intrinsic psychology of a child. She wondered whether she should invite Clint or Scott to get him understand.

But then again, it would not work unless and until he experienced it himself.

It was best to leave them to their own devices - sometimes, things require time to work out.

“Tony, it’s Morgan and Peter - believe in them a little.”

Three days passed by. Apart from Steve Rogers checking in with Tony about some developments with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Natasha staying over dinner on Tuesday, everything went on normally. With Peter in his senior year at Midtown High, Morgan in Manhattan Prep School for Gifted Children and Pepper in California to meet up with the founders of a bio-chem think-tank for potential funding, Tony was all alone in the penthouse. Sure, he could drop down into R&D and peek around as to what the scientists were working on or perhaps mess around in Bruce’s lab but he was not feeling like it.

He tried not to be like Howard. He tried so much.

But was it all worth to nought?

He did not feel like going to the lab - maybe taking away lab privileges had been too extreme. But he had been scared out of his mind when he had seen Morgan play around with the tiny repulsor. And Peter - he wanted the kid to stay miles away from anything Avengers related. He knew the kid could not help his spider-abilities but that did not mean he was happy with Spider-Man joining the Avengers as a full-time member. Seeing the two fiddle around with potentially dangerous weapons had propelled him into full helicopter mode.

At hindsight, he was starting to realise that he might have overreacted.

But...after the Snap in Titan, the jumpiness did not leave him. He was always anxious. At first, it was Rhodey he constantly worried about, then came Pepper. Then suddenly Peter Parker made his place in his heart. After that came in Morgan, his precious little princess. His little girl who claimed that she did not love him too, she loved him 3000.

Even if Thanos was gone along with the Infinity Stones, Earth was plagued by threats regularly. Aliens were no longer inhabited the realm of science-fiction - it had become as real and as commonplace as any being on Earth.

Tony Stark knew that he could not let anything happen to his little family.

He stared blankly at Clint’s arrow-heads he had been working on since the last couple of days but was unable to make any progress.

World’s Worst Father…

Maybe he was.

It was the Decathlon team meeting.

Ned and Peter were going through the old lists of practice questions in order to draft a prep-quiz for the team when Peter’s phone pinged with a light ding.

Peter sighed - looks like Morgan hacked into his phone yet again to keep her personal message tone on permanent loud. Though to be fair, the ding was fairly soft.

He fished the phone out of his jeans pocket and unlocked it.

I think Daddy is sad.

Peter frowned. Unlike the other adults who thought of Morgan as a precocious child without a care in the world, Peter had a healthy respect for her intuition, intelligence and deduction skills. He doubted whether any six-year-old kid could patch up an electric breadboard.

“What’s up, Peter? Is it Morgan?” Ned asked, looking up from the pile of papers. Peter nodded as he typed away a reply.

Should we do something to cheer him up? Talk to Pepper after school? I’ll pick you up.

The reply was immediate.

Yes yes! I’ll ask Mommy to take us to the ice-cream shop! Maybe we can get Daddy some ice-cream!

Peter smiled at the reply. After texting a smiley-with-the-shades, he turned to work. He might have a Stark to cheer up but for now, they needed to get the work done - otherwise MJ might decide to create shoes out of them and donate them to some charity.

The Stark family minus the mechanic senior sat under one of the frilly umbrellas outside Florean’s Sundae Parlour, eating giant mint choco-chip sundaes. Morgan had insisted hers be drowned in the chocolate fountain, much to Peter’s usual horror.

Pepper looked at the children, a small smile playing on her lips. Morgan had finished up most of her ice-cream and was currently sketching something on her sketchpad while Peter had an equal solemn expression as he looked at it while shovelling ice-cream down his throat. Pepper had a faint idea about what they were planning but she wanted to hear a confirmation of the same.

“Big Brother and I are making a robot for Daddy,” Morgan announced, lifting up her sketchpad to show Pepper her drawing. Well, it did look like upgraded stick figure with pink bows on its head but it seemed as if Peter kind of understood it.

“And what will the robot do?” Pepper asked. She knew the two of them were planning to make something but she had thought something on the lines of a card or model, not a robot.

“Say that ‘Daddy is the best!’” she said solemnly, her chocolate eyes going huge and round.

Pepper was stunned, to say the least.

Unfortunately, we’re parents to perhaps the brightest kids of the generation. Figures they’d do something unexpected.

For once, she couldn’t have been more right.

Thankfully, Peter had most of the stuff needed in his room and the rest he borrowed from Ned. He had been apologetic about it and had offered to replace it with Stark Industries stuff.

There, he had said the magic word.

Ned was willing to loan out his entire hack-kit but Peter toned him down a bit. After finishing his daily patrol, he swung back to the tower and entered his room through the window as usual. After a quick bath and changing into his comfier sweatshirt and pajamas, he walked downstairs for a quick dinner before going back into his room to start building the robot. Pepper and Tony were busy at a charity gala, giving Morgan and him enough time to prep it up. He had actually linked up the important components beforehand, it just needed to get a proper formation and some cosmetic dress-up. After working on it over the next couple of hours, Peter was satisfied with his handiwork.

As if on cue, Morgan walked in, Ronnie in one arm and a tiara made out paper.

“I made Deffie a crown and a cloak,” she said, placing Ronnie on the floor next to her and fishing out a piece of scarlet cloth from her dressing gown pocket. Peter cut the tiara from the paper and stuck the fairly lights on it, making it glow.

“It’s glowy!” Morgan squealed happily. Peter wondered whether Morgan humored him at times or was she actually delighted. But then again, Tony was a genius with an incredibly simple mind too.

He carefully placed the crown around the bot’s - now christened as Deffie - head and fitted the cloak around its neck so it billowed back with the slight air movement from the vents. He suddenly got a sense of inspiration before diving under his bed and pulling out a box containing all sorts of mismatched parts, bulbs, discarded tools etc. He almost jumped in delight when he found what he was looking for - a golden ribbon strand from last year’s Homecoming decor. He quickly sewed them onto the cloak in a criss-cross pattern, making it ostentatious and very Tony Stark-type.

He double-checked all the links and wiring as Morgan followed his actions curiously, no doubt committing them to memory. After the final check, he switched on the power.

The bot almost reached up to his knees as it straightened up.

“Good evening Peter and Morgan,” came a cool voice from within. Peter had programmed a small A.I. in Karen’s pattern when he had been learning coding from Ned and decided to use it in Deffie. Might as well surprise Tony too.

“I’m Deffie and my primary objective is to ensure Tony Stark’s safety in all situations.”

“Big brother! Deffie is alive!”

Peter grinned. Of course, he was Peter Parker-Stark. Deffie would obviously be a fine little bot.

The Peacemakers Association Charity Ball had lasted than Tony had expected and quite frankly, his cheek muscles were hurting with all the fake smiles. He begged Pepper to let him leave and finally, Pepper gave the final, winning smile to the organisers, dropped a cheque of the expected amount in the fund box and soon, they were on their way back home.

“That’s why I like the Compound - no such events to attend when you do not live in the vicinity,” Tony grumbled as the car started on its way home. Pepper grimaced lightly though she couldn't help but feel his pain - she hated these events too. She would have preferred to donate quietly but great causes demand great publicity and nothing could be as public and as endorsing as Tony Stark. She had received a message from Peter a while back signalling that everything was ready and she was actually excited what Tony would think about it. Had Tony been his usual attentive self, he would have noticed Pepper being slightly restless, more than her usual calm demeanour allowed. They made small talk the entire way, Pepper especially to keep the man from going back to the sad spiral. She had noticed how the smile never reached his eyes the past couple of days.

After they reached their penthouse, Pepper went to the kitchen counter to get a glass of water while Tony tossed his suit jacket on to the sofa, loosening his tie on the way. She could see he was having a mental debate about going to the workshop or up to sleep but if she knew him well, she had a fair idea about where he would go.

“Um...Pep? You mind if I drop down to the workshop a bit? Clint’s coming tomorrow and I really need to fix up his arrows.”

Looks like Peter knew that too.

Tony could not sleep when his brain was muddled with unanswered questions. Though he had parked the biggest of them all in a corner of his brain and locked it down for good measure, he knew it would come and haunt him the moment he lightened up.

He could not afford that.

Bidding goodnight to Pepper - that woman was a heaven-sent angel. After all this time, she still put up with him - he went down to the workshop.

At stopped at the door.

A robot that almost reached up to his knees stood at the door. It looked like an Iron Man miniature but more feminine if he could say. It was wearing a paper tiara and had a scarlet and gold cloak. And in its hand was a small roll of paper.

As if sensing his presence, the bot lit up.

“Good evening Mr. Stark. I’m Deffie, your sworn protector. I’ve been designed by Peter Parker-Stark and Morgan Stark.”

Tony was as still as a statue.

What the…

“My creators have a message for you.”

The bot handed him the paper.

Tony knelt and took the paper.

Dear Daddy/Hey Dad

Say hello to Deffie, your guard. She will ensure that you don’t overwork and have your meals properly and sleep when you should. We can’t let any harm come to you, you know. You’re our daddy.

Love

Morgan and Peter

Tony felt his eyes smart as the tears formed at the corners of his eyes.

“I have a message from my creators, Mr. Stark.”

Tony stared at Deffie.

“Yes?”

The initially blue lights glowed a soft red.

“Message play

We love you Daddy! You're the best!

Message end.”

His kids…his honest-to-God adorable kids…

“I told you, Tony,” said Pepper softly. Tony turned back to see her stand at the base of the stairs, her eyes glistening in the dimmed lights. “They’re our kids, after all.”

He walked up to her and hugged her tight.

“A sniffing Tony, now that’s a first,” she said lightly, returning the hug.

He went up to Morgan’s room to find her tucked in while Peter was half on bed as his legs dangled on to the floor. A copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales was slack in his hand - he must have had fallen asleep while reading to Morgan.

He could not help but smile at the peace of the scene.

He groaned slightly as he lifted Peter onto the bed - he was not young and Peter was a buff young man - and tucked them both in the blankets. He sat down next to them, running his fingers through Morgan’s longer strands and Peter’s light curls.

My little kids.

When Pepper came to check on him an hour later, she found him sound asleep with his arms protectively spread across their children.

And if a tear escaped her eye, she was not surprised. She clicked a photo and quietly slipped out of the room.

The smile on Tony’s sleeping face was the most carefree and genuine she had seen in the recent days.