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Marvel || IronFamily || Marvel || The Futurist's Future || Marvel || IronFamily || Marvel
Title: The Futurist's Future – Writer's Month
Fandom: Marvel
Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Marvel Comics for the creation of some of the most awesome heroes ever. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Marvel Characters: Anthony 'Tony' Stark, Harley Keener, Peter Parker, Edward 'Ned' Leeds
Summary: Writer's Month Prompt: kid
Tony is watching the future play out in his workshop and he couldn't be prouder.
The Futurist's Future
Writer's Month
Children are the future. Tony had always hated that phrase. He had truly hated it, because what he associated with it was the pressure of Howard Stark's expectations. He was the future, he had to be perfect, better than anyone else, he had to live up to Howard's expectations and outlive them and even when he did, he still wasn't good enough – and all of that, it made him hate that kind of thinking. No kid should suffer that pressure, should carry the responsibility of shaping the future.
"This is amazing, Harl!", exclaimed Peter, jumping so high he stuck to the ceiling.
Harley turned to glare at Peter and shot a reinforced tennis-ball at Peter. Peter yelped and tried to duck it but couldn't thanks to the newly improved aim of Harley's latest potato-gun like weapon. He refused calling it a potato-gun because that sounded like child's play and Harley was beyond that. He had a half-working suit that was similar to Tony's, with the guns on either arm.
"I told you not to call me that, Parks and Recs", warned Harley pointedly.
"This is so great! I am calling Shuri right now to show her!", stated Ned eagerly.
Tony smiled to himself as he watched how Peter carefully lowered himself from the ceiling, complaining to Harley about the bruise, which was easily countered with a quip about Peter's super-healing (and the promise to buy Peter ice-cream later so please stop whining now). Ned all the while was screaming at his phone, most likely mainly just confusing the Wakandan princess.
When he looked at these kids, he saw the future. Not in the way Howard had seen it when looking at Tony; a practical solution, an heir, to dump all his expectations on. But Tony? Tony saw the future already right here, right now. No what ifs, he knew it. In the pride Harley carried about his improved weapons and the dedication he put into his suit, in the way him and Peter sparred with each other and quipped with each other, in the way Ned had become the voice of reason behind them who was also the voice in their ears when they went out and got themselves into trouble, even in the way Shuri took charge of them all whenever her duties as the ambassador brought her over to New York. They were already a team and Tony, he could see the potential, the kind of team they would become once they were older, once they had more experience.
After the Civil War, Tony had been afraid for the future of the Avengers. But he had gathered himself up and picked up the pieces, reforging a stronger team. The present was good, but the future? Oh, the future was so bright and it started right here.
"Mister Stark? Are you still with us?", asked Peter curiously. "You kinda zoomed out."
"I think the old man's just losing his hearing", teased Harley. "Shuri said she'll be in New York this weekend and she's bringing her new girlfriend, a Riri Williams. They can stay here, right?"
Tony grinned at the kids. "Of course they can. My door's always open for future Avengers."
~*~ The End ~*~