The Man with no Heart (Tony Stark) - ON HOLD

Heroes

“Howard Stark was an inventive mechanical engineering prodigy…”

I looked down at my lap, as I sit somewhere within the crowd, next to Obie. I knew the amount of people that were in there. But I could not raise my head.

Everything seemed way too heavy.

“Constantly creating new technology and looking for ways to improve it, Howard Stark worked alongside his father on various projects, and later founded Stark Industries…”

It was a memorial to them.

It was the day of their funeral.

Yes.

It was the day I was going to bury them.

The voice of the man who was speaking was only heard deep in my consciousness.

What am I supposed to do now?

I have no idea what to do.

“Maria Stark, born Maria Carbonell, the amazing woman lying in the shadow of the great man…”

“Tony…” Obie put his hands over my shoulder, as I refused to look up.

I could not.

Their coffins were right there, opened.

Everyone could see them.

But… they were not my parents in there. Not to me.

They did not look like them.

They were so different.

Part of me still had hope they would just wake up in there.

Part of me was raging against everyone.

Part of me died with them.

I know they were probably not the best parents. But they were my parents. The ones I wanted to make proud. The ones who made me, even unconsciously, want to do something and be someone, to make them proud.

I never got to make my father proud of me.

I never got to talk to him ever since last Christmas.

He never told me anything. He was always cold and arithmetician.

But… I think I was making improvements.

I think I was… on the right path.

I guess I will never know now.

“Do you want to go up?” Obie asked

I quickly shocked my head, speaking no word. The dark sunglasses on my face hide all the words my eyes spoke. The tears in my eyes shed all the feelings I never got to share with them.

Even to my mother.

The one who always told me she loved me and I was never capable of saying it back. At least not that I remember. I might have said it when I was a child.

Why did I never say it?

I guess she was right. I am just like my father.

“Are you sure, boy?”

I stood silent the entire time.

But I did feel Obie standing up himself and go up to share his kind words to the world.  

I was glad no one approached me. I was so glad I did not get to hear all those same words over and over again from everyone. I was so glad not to have to bear with people’s pity… or insincerity.