Iron Legacy

Blood Runs Thicker Than Water

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FLASHBACK NOVEMBER 2005

As they entered the mansion, Elijah couldn't help but feel even smaller than he actually was. The ceilings were insanely tall, everything looked polished and very expensive, like nothing he had ever seen before. His small hand tightened around the social worker's as they walked past a giant, curving staircase.

"Wait here," Miss Potts said, her voice softer now as she turned toward the social worker and Elijah. She disappeared around the corner, leaving them standing in the biggest hallway he ever saw.

Elijah's eyes wandered, taking in the strange objects and gadgets littering the mansion—things he didn't recognize but somehow made sense. The walls were decorated with modern artworks and all types of tech, none of which meant anything to him.

"What do you want, I'm busy." a voice said, startling him from his thoughts.

He turned to see a man standing in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame. His dark hair was slightly messy, and he had a faintly unamused look on his face making Elijah think they took him away from something important. 

The man was wearing a faded Black Sabbath T-shirt and jeans, an outfit that felt out of place in the otherwise clean and very rich mansion. Elijah blinked, unsure of what to make of him.

"Who are you?" the man said, not bothering to introducing himself assuming everyone just so happened to know his name. Which Elijah most definitely didn't. The man's eyes flicked between the social worker and Elijah, keeping his eyes on the boy for a beat longer. 

"What's going on here? Did someone order a kid?" Pepper rolls her eyes at the usual inappropriate jokes he makes at serious moments.

The social worker cleared her throat, visibly uneasy. "Mr. Stark, this is Elijah. We... we have reason to believe he's your son."

Tony's casual stance stiffened ever so slightly, but he quickly masked it with a scoff. "My son? Really?" His eyebrows shot up, and he crossed his arms, looking Elijah up and down like he was a puzzle that didn't quite fit.

"Are you sure you didn't get your files mixed up? I mean, I'm pretty sure I'd remember something like that." Tony says in disbelieve, it was most definitely a possibility that existed, he was already surprised there hadn't been any kids before this one that suddenly appeared on his doorstep.

The social worker, who was clearly prepared for Tony's attitude, remained calm. "Mr. Stark, we've done extensive research. His mother... recently passed. Elijah has no other living relatives."

At the mention of Elijah's mother, Tony's expression faltered remembering the way he felt after he lost his mother, just for a moment, before he covered it up with another sarcastic quip. "Well, that's just great. Tragic and inconvenient." He glanced at Pepper, who had stood beside him for a while, her arms folded but her eyes softening as they fell on Elijah. He pauses a second before continuing "Who even is the mother, if I'm allowed to ask you, kid courier?" Tony says.

"We are not sure, Elijah doesn't seem to be remembering anything," The social worker tells Tony. "The only thing we have on him is his first and middle name. Elijah Anthony."

"Well, that's just great. I'm supposed to trust you on the fact that this mother of his named her kid after me, so he is just supposedly mine?" Tony says frustrated clearly not wanting to take this serious. "This isn't preschool you know. Just because you put someone's name on something doesn't automatically mean it belongs to the person."

"Tony," Pepper said, her voice carrying a note of warning, "this is serious."

"I know it's serious, Pep. But I'm not exactly equipped to—" he gestured vaguely at Elijah, "—deal with this. I build robots and weapons, not... raise kids."