Tony sat in his study in the early morning and reviewed Orion's new training program. The physical training they had done last night had been very successful. Orion was beginning to learn how to control his strength.
But Tony didn't want his son to have a training program that only focused on strength. He also needed to grow up like a normal kid. He wanted him to have fun, explore the world, go out and experience real life, and suddenly he had a great idea.
"Jarvis, is Orion awake?"
"Yes sir, he woke up five minutes ago and is in the kitchen having breakfast."
Tony smiled. "That's great. It's time to take my son out."
A day in New York
Orion looked up curiously as he saw his father enter the study, cheerful.
"What's going on, Dad, did you invent something new?"
Tony smiled, gently puzzling his son. "Today is not Inventing Day, little man. It's just Father-Son Day. What do you say? Why don't we go out and have some fun?"
Orion's face instantly lit up. "Really? We're going out?"
"Sure," Tony said.
"We'll have dinner together, do some shopping and maybe stop at a toy store. What do you say?"
Orion jumped up and down with excitement. "That would be great!"
A black Audi R8 sped through the skyscraper-filled streets of New York City. Orion was mesmerized as he looked out the window.
"Dad, there are too many people!" he said in surprise.
Tony smiled and turned the wheel. "This is New York, little man. No wonder it's crowded."
He parked the car in front of one of the city's most famous restaurants. Inside, the waiter immediately recognized Tony Stark and directed him to one of the best tables.
Orion looked at the menu and asked excitedly. "What can I order?"
Tony smiled slightly. "Anything you like. Today you are free."
Orion opened his eyes wide and pointed to the largest hamburger on the menu. "I want this one!"
"Great choice," Tony said. "I'll have the same."
After their food arrived, Tony watched as Orion ate his burger with gusto. The little man was so happy that Tony thought for a moment that he really was just an ordinary boy.
"Dad, the outside world is so much fun!" Orion said with his mouth full.
Tony smiled. "Yes, but you have to be careful. Not everyone has good intentions like you do."
Orion nodded. "I know that, Dad. I haven't forgotten what you taught me last night."
Tony nodded, admiring the maturity of his son. "Good boy."
Shopping Time
After dinner, Tony took Orion to a famous clothing store. The little man looked in amazement at the clothes on the racks.
"Daddy, is this all for me?"
Tony laughed. "Of course, little man. You need some new clothes. Let's go pick out some things."
Orion looked through the clothes on the racks and found a colorful hooded jacket.
"I like it!" he said excitedly.
Tony took the jacket and held it up to Orion. "It'll look good on you. Do you want anything else?"
Orion picked out a pair of sneakers and a few more t-shirts. Tony added a few more items and went to the cash register. Orion's eyes lit up as he watched the clothes being packed at the checkout.
"Thank you, Dad!"
Tony patted his son's head. "Always, little man."
Homecoming and the Big Shock
It had been a great father-son day. They both had a lot of fun. Tony was glad to see that Orion was really happy. But when they got home, Tony was in for a big surprise.
As soon as he walked through the door, he heard Jarvis' voice. "Sir, there's something you need to see."
Tony walked into the study and noticed several magazines on the desk.
He picked one up and his eyes widened. On the cover was a headline in large letters:
"TONY STARK HAS A SECRET SON?"
The photo on the cover of the magazine had been taken at lunch today. It was a picture of Tony and Orion having lunch.
Tony frowned in annoyance. "Who took this?"
Jarvis replied. "Probably the paparazzi at the restaurant, sir. The pictures were published in some other magazines."
Tony looked at the other magazines. Each one had pictures of Orion from different angles. Most of them showed Tony talking to his son or shopping.
"Shit," Tony muttered.
Orion stood next to his father and looked at him worriedly. "Dad, why are you mad?"
Tony took a deep breath and knelt down to touch his son's shoulders. "Son, these photos have made our private moments public. Some people could use that.
"Orion lowered his head. "Did I do something bad?"
Tony immediately lifted his son's chin. "No, never! It's not your fault. But some people see things differently. Now I have to think about how to fix it."
Orion narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the magazines.
Suddenly the magazines on the table started to float and Tony opened his eyes in surprise. "Orion... is that you?"
Orion's eyes were shining. "I don't know, Dad. I just... got angry."
Tony was astonished to see his son using his powers like that for the first time. "Okay, okay, little man. Take it easy. Take a deep breath."
Tony was silent for a moment, then smiled. "We'll talk about this later."
Orion nodded slightly. "I'm sorry, Dad. I just... I don't understand why people are watching our private moments."
Tony ruffled his son's hair. "You don't have to understand, little man. You just be yourself. I'll take care of the rest."
But deep down, Tony knew that Orion was just beginning to discover the limits of his powers. And this was the beginning of a much greater adventure in the future.
_______________
In a high-security S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in New York City, Nick Fury reviewed a series of images on the big screen in his office. Maria Hill sat next to him, files in hand, a serious expression on her face, ready to speak.
"Orion Stark is four years old, according to official records," Maria said, turning the pages of the file. "But look at these photographs. The boy physically looks at least seven years old."
Fury squinted at the screen. It projected photos of Tony and Orion spending time together in the city: Eating at a restaurant, walking around the mall, smiling and joking with each other... It all looked like a normal father-son day. But there was one big discrepancy.
"So we have a child," Fury muttered. "But his age and physical development don't match."
Maria shook her head. "How do we explain that? DNA tests confirm he's Tony Stark's son. But a child growing at this rate can't possibly be biologically normal."
Fury leaned back in his chair and frowned. "Tony's up to something. Orion's genetics are... not normal. We all know that."
Maria looked at Orion's face on the screen. "But the question is: is this the result of deliberate intervention or is it a natural condition?"
Fury's eyes darkened. "When has Stark ever been seen doing anything natural?"
Fury looked at the photo of Orion walking out of the restaurant with his father, smiling. From the outside, it all looked normal. But Fury's experience told him that in situations like this, it was only the tip of the iceberg.
"We need to keep this boy under observation," he said in a stern voice. "We need to find out how Tony raised him, what he's capable of. But we'll be careful. This could get very ugly for us if Stark realizes we're prying into his private life."
Maria sighed. "Controlling Stark was a problem in itself. Now he has a child with potentially extraordinary abilities."
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