𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆, son of t. stark

1.2

RYDER THOUGHT HE  knew what it was like to have his entire world turned up side down. He had thought that losing his mom would be the biggest tragedy he would have to go through in his life, and it was. But that doesn't mean that having Tony ripped away from him, after knowing him for only a few months was something Ryder appreciated. 

He didn't know how to handle himself, much less how to take care of Pepper and Rhodey. Yes, he lost his father, one he had know for a short time but his father nonetheless, indefinitely forever. But Pepper and Rhodey had lost someone who was such a core person in their lives that he didn't think it fair to push his sorrows on them. 

Besides, he couldn't afford to let his mood swings coincide with the events of the life of Tony Stark. Otherwise his friends, who are already suspicious about the fact that he doesn't let them come to his house, will be all over him.

Everyday he heads to school, clutching his phone in hopes of that Rhodey or Pepper will send a update about him. Everyday he pays extra attention to the small tv in the cafeteria that is always on the news channel in hopes the headlines of Tony Stark being found are showed. Everyday he regrets not bonding more with his genius father who he has so much in common with but might never get to cherish again. 

It would be practically useless to tell you what Ryder did the past months because the complete truth was he did only one thing. And that was try to find Tony. He knew the government was looking for him but he obviously doesn't trust them nor does he care. 

In all his life, his intellect and aptitude for cracking through the hardest of problems were the only things that had never let him down except this time they did. He had search almost the entirety of the earth with every single camera he could find, every single database that could lead to his capture and even all the people who could have a vendetta against him. The third list was significantly longer. 

But it didn't matter because he still came up empty handed. It's also worth mentioning that Ryder had, much like his father, holed himself in the lab only coming out to maintain necessary pretenses.

---

In the dark corners of the cave Tony and his new companion, Yinsen were playing a game to distract themselves from the impending doom over their heads or the slight rays of hope that they had acquired. 

"You still haven't told me where you're from." Tony said, wanting to know more about his brilliant friend.

Continuing to roll the dice in his hand, Yinsen replies, "I'm from a small town called Gulmira. It's actually a nice place." 

"Got a family?" 

"Yes," he says, his tone becoming much brighter than Tony had heard from him, "And I will see them when I leave here. And you, Stark?" 

His question throws Tony back home. His thoughts spiraled from Pepper, Rhodey and then settled on Ryder. His own son who he had failed, he didn't even know about his existence and even after he did find out, he could never be the father he had deserved. 

"No." He replies, he didn't think himself worthy to call Ryder his family. 

"No? So you're a man who has everything and nothing." 

His words faded into his mind, and he vowed that if he ever got out of here he would try his best to become the father that Ryder should have had from the beginning. 

---

The anxiety was excruciating. 

When Tony's absence hadn't occurred, he seemed to have made it his personal mission to hole himself up in his lab. And if he wasn't doing that he was getting drunk in a party covered in sweat, maybe his own or maybe somebody else.

With this observations in mind as well his own actions in recent time, Ryder came to the conclusion that coping mechanisms to some extent carried a hereditary component. At least it did in his case. 

Was it reasonable for Ryder, a high schooler, to lock himself in his kidnapped father's lab? Or to neglect almost all forms of positive social interaction as well as his school work?

You can't say it is but you can't say it isn't either. 

Now, in his favor, his circumstances weren't really ideal for maintaining a healthy and flourishing social life. 

His friends weren't aware, which isn't their fault, they didn't know that the new kid that they had befriended was actually the son of their favourite billionaire. 

Anyway, all of this wasn't particularly relevant but Ryder also seemed to be having a moment of vulnerability (to himself) that prompted him to have all these random thoughts.

It wasn't long before he lost consciousness while sprawled on one of the desks in the lab, like usual. Maybe his guilt would spare him in his dreams and he would have his father back soon.

One thing was for sure, he didn't want to hide whose son he was anymore.

***
[Published - 14.07.23]