Trickling Years

"We have just received reports from the government confirming that the energy surge during the blackout has not yet been determined to be harmful."

"There have also been reports of people being healed from minor ailments, such as back pain and small injuries, leading some to believe it was a miracle from God at the start of the year."

"While there have been some positive outcomes, the blackout also resulted in many deaths."

"Numerous reports of injuries and fatalities have been attributed to failures in traffic lights and machinery at critical moments due to the power outage. Some are calling this God's judgment on sinners."

"There has been a significant loss in both the global economy and human lives. Reporting live from the Daily Bugle."

Howard turned off the television, rose from the sofa, grabbed his car keys, and walked toward Maria, who was holding Ethan. Glancing at his wife's worried face, he couldn't help but comment,

"He's fine. He might even get more energetic in the coming years. Even if you don't trust the doctors, you can trust me. I know nothing's wrong with our son."

Maria frowned. "You know it's not that. I just can't help but worry."

Howard was about to make a snarky remark but stopped when he saw Maria's overly concerned expression. Habits die hard, he sighed. "Well, we can have him checked regularly. Or we could even have a doctor stay on the premises. You don't need to worry; he's perfectly fine."

Maria reluctantly nodded. "Alright."

Howard sighed, thinking that his wife's hormones from the pregnancy still hadn't stabilized. He figured it was best to just nod along with her for now.

Jarvis opened the car's door after Howard handed him the key.

'It's going to be another tedious day,' thought Howard as they drove away.

*****

It's been a year since young Master Ethan came into the life of the Stark family. Jarvis reminisced that it would be just like, how he attended young Master Tony when he was born.

But boy, how wrong we all were. Young Master Ethan was a bundle of energy that never ran out. In moderate amounts, it was fine, but with too much, it could get frustrating.

For Young Master Tony it was exactly that, frustrating. He ran off to MIT, claiming he was tired of the 'little devil.' Despite that, he still visited every weekend, often bringing his friend Rhodes, much to our surprise.

Mr. Howard would keep Young Master Tony's friend occupied by boasting about Tony's accomplishments whenever they visited, but he never said any of it in front of Tony.

Young Master Tony always played with Ethan for a while, trying to understand him as if he were some kind of machine, only to be eluded by it.

He'd often scowl while facing Ethan, the same scowl Mr. Howard wore when dealing with Young Master Tony. That itself showed that, despite the complicated feelings, Tony really loved Young Master Ethan.

And Young Master Ethan, what a joy it was taking care of him. But no matter the joy, it was frustratingly hard. The moment you took your eyes off him, he'd crawl away. He'd cry buckets if you didn't let him sit where he wanted.

The worst part was that he loved to hide. Jarvis usually let him indulge in his antics because the sound of his giggles when he pretended to search for him, melted all his stress away.

They played hide and seek often, and even though he knew where he was hiding, Jarvis would play along to take a breather. But he stopped playing with Jarvis once Tony graduated from MIT and returned to Stark Mansion. 

Young Master Ethan's favorite pastime became disturbing Tony's work. Despite Young Master Tony's frustration, he never locked the workshop and always granted Ethan access.

Jarvis very much appreciated that. Sometimes Young Master Tony could get so engrossed in his work that he would forget to take care of his health. Ethan's energetic love forced Tony to take a break, which was something Jarvis welcomed.

Jarvis still remembers the day when Young Master Ethan said his first word. It was at the dining table, he said his first word, "Mama."

That got the entire Stark family excited, including me. Madam Maria's joy was palpable and infectious, even to Young Master Tony. Mr. Howard stopped eating, urging Ethan to say 'daddy', 'papa', or 'dad'. Even Tony was eager, though he didn't show it.

But the reality was often disappointing. The second word that came out of Young Master Ethan was, "Fool," eyeing the food, which left Mr. Howard in a foul mood for the following week until he heard the promised word 'daddy' from Young Master Ethan.

Young Master Ethan started learning words at an accelerated rate, causing Mr. Howard to occasionally exclaim about what a genius his son was.

Jarvis still remembers the day when Young Master Tony showed young Ethan "Dum-E," the robot that had earned him his fourth consecutive MIT Robot Design Award. Ever since then, Young Master Ethan started calling Tony "dummy," which irritated Tony to no end. Eventually, Tony tied Ethan up and instructed Dum-E to tickle him, a scene that seemed to bring joy to both Dum-E and Tony.

Even though Young Master Tony would get an earful from Madam Maria, thanks to Young Master Ethan having no remorse for selling out and complaining about young master Tony. Tony wouldn't relent and would still give his brother the stink eye.

*****

December 1987

"Dummeee," a sharp voice called out as Ethan barged into the workshop. It prompted two responses: Tony's irritated face as he held a soldering iron, working on a circuit board, and Dum-E whirring in response.

"How many times I've told you not to call me that?" Tony groaned, regretting ever naming the robot Dum-E. It had seemed fun at first, but not so much now.

Seeing that he had elicited a reaction, Ethan started waddling toward Tony with his short, chubby legs. He began pestering Tony, who sighed, briefly considering taping the little twirp near Dum-E. But thinking of the wailing that would follow, he dismissed the idea.

"Stop bothering me. You're not supposed to be in here." Tony sighed, feeling frustrated but unable to help himself. Was this how his parents felt when he was little?

Tony picked Ethan up and placed him outside the workshop floor, away from his workspace. Ethan began pestering him again, asking, "Dummy, play."

Sighing, Tony replied, "Go play with Dum-E. It's been whirring ever since you started squawking its name."

Watching Dum-E whir across the old machines, Ethan's attention shifted, and he started playing with the robot, his occasional giggles resounding throughout the room.

Half an hour later, Jarvis burst through the workshop door, out of breath, huffing, relieved to see Ethan trying to unscrew Dum-E. He placed a hand on his chest, exhaling.

"Thank goodness, young master Ethan. I've found you. You seem to be in a rather joyful mood," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Jiggles!" Ethan's mood brightened as he ran toward Jarvis his best playmate, tugging on his pants, wanting to be lifted.

Tony, meanwhile, snorted. "Ugh, just get him out of here, Jarvis. He's been upsetting Dum-E."

Jarvis nodded, looking around at how all the machinery was placed by Tony so that it wouldn't hurt Ethan. "He's delightful, isn't he?"

Tony furrowed his brows but didn't comment further.

"Come on young master Ethan, it's time for lunch."

"Giggle Jiggles," Ethan responded as Jarvis bounced him up to get his attention. "Bye, Dum-E."

That got Dum-E whirring and Tony reflexively responded, "Bye, Maggot."

To which he only got amused giggles as a response.

*****

Over the next years, Ethan Stark followed in his brother's footsteps, tinkering with machines and computers whenever he could, and learning mechanics and programming. With enough trial and error, he also began inventing things accidentally, much to his father's pride. Howard paraded Ethan around and often shot pointed looks at Tony.

Howard even started creating projects for Ethan, just as he had done for Tony when he was young, to further Ethan's engineering advancement. But young Ethan, frustrated with these projects, wasn't interested. Instead, he was more fascinated by creating robots and having them fight, driven by an itch he couldn't scratch which baffled his family.

Jarvis started carrying a fire extinguisher while following Ethan, as the boy's creative experiments tended to escalate. Howard grew increasingly concerned about Ethan's future, even Tony wasn't this handful when he was young. After a few months, Ethan toned down his antics a bit, much to Howard's relief.

Tony generally avoided his younger brother, but Ethan constantly sought him out, which frustrated Tony to no end. Even the constant comparisons made between them didn't bother him as much as Ethan's persistent interference. To escape the chaos, Tony threw himself into his work at Stark Industries, traveling back and forth between L.A. and New York to work on military projects.

*****

April 1990

Stark industries HQ, Los Angeles

Tony's hand moved precisely, assembling the prototype for a new missile his father designed. The low hum of machinery was the only sound as Tony lost his focus on his work until the door to the workshop was slammed open, accompanied by a loud shout.

"Tony!"

Without raising his head, Tony recognized the voice. "Not now, pipsqueak! And how many times have I told you not to disturb me when I'm working? This is my workshop, not your playground."

Ethan, like the boundless spirit of energy he was, ignored Tony's reprimand. He skidded in front of Tony's workbench, his tiny fingers approaching the screwdriver. But Tony was quick enough to snatch it away before disaster struck.

"Hey, hey, whoa! Watch it, squirt," Tony said, half annoyed and half irritated. "These aren't toys."

Ethan pouted. "But they do like toys."

Tony sighed, running his hand through his hair. He didn't know how to explain to the three and half year old that these toys could potentially blow up if handled the wrong way.

"Well they aren't, so hands off, alright."

"You never let me touch anything," Ethan complained, kicking the workshop bench with his small chubby legs in frustration.

"That's because I'd rather keep this place in one piece." Tony shot back with a smirk.

Ethan didn't seem to take Tony's word seriously. "What are you building?"

"A missile," Tony replied, focusing on assembling the prototype and thinking of ways he could improve it.

"What does it do?" Ethan inquired further.

"It explodes."

"Like fireworks?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, just like fireworks." Tony replied, a bit amused.

"Woah! It 'splodes." Ethan's eyes lit up. Eager to work on something that explodes. He asked, "Can I help?"

Tony snorted, "Not unless you want to blow up the house."

Ethan giggled thinking Tony was joking. But Tony wasn't joking, not entirely anyway.

Still, the kid was persistent, darting his hands toward the wires and tools. Tony had to keep pulling him back, over and over again, until he finally had enough, not getting a moment of peace.

"Alright, enough!" Tony scooped Ethan up and placed him on a nearby stool. "Stay here and just watch. No touching, deal?"

Ethan folded his arms and pouted. "But I want to help."

Tony sighed, irritated. "Trust me kid you're helping by not helping."

That shut Ethan up for a few minutes, but he broke the silence again by asking, "Why do you always like to stay cooped here anyway." 

Tony paused, looking down at the half finished machine prototype. He hadn't thought about it before. It was just something he did, something he was good at.

"Never thought about it." Tony replied after a moment. "Guess I just like building stuff. Figuring things out."

Ethan didn't understand much, but thought for a while before replying, "Dad said you're really smart. Smarter than anyone."

Tony paused, his hands hovering over the prototype for a moment before he resumed working, his expression unreadable. 

"Does he?" Tony murmured, mostly to himself.

"Yeah," Ethan replied, oblivious to the tension his words created. Then, with a cheeky grin, he added, "Except me, of course."

That diverted Tony's attention and saw the cheeky grin plastered on Ethan's face. Tony replied half amused and half mocking "Maybe in the next life, kid."

Ethan pouted again. "Dad did say we're going to do something great one day."

Tony snickered, "Yeah, sure. That's Dad alright, always so generous with the compliments."

Ethan tilted his head, confused. "But he always says that! He's just busy."

Busy. That's one way to put it, Tony thought, clenching his jaw. Ethan's childlike admiration for their father was hard for Tony to stomach. He wanted to explain that Howard's praise came with strings attached, it was always about pushing Tony harder, making him better, without ever acknowledging who Tony as a person already was. 

Tony didn't realize that his father, Howard, saw a reflection of his younger self in him. It wasn't that Howard failed to acknowledge Tony as an individual; he simply wanted Tony to surpass him and avoid repeating the mistakes and regrets of his own past.

"Yeah, he's always busy. Well, I don't really care what dad thinks." Tony snorted, Ethan wouldn't understand as he was too young to understand anyway. 

But instead, Tony sighed and changed the subject as he finished assembling the missile. "Do you want to check out how this baby explodes?"

Ethan's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Really? You'd take me?"

"Yeah, come on. Hurry up, squirt." Tony grabbed a smaller prototype of the missile for safety concerns.

Of course, he still got an earful from his mother when Ethan spilled the beans later in his excitement. Howard surprisingly said nothing, but Maria was furious that Tony had taken his three-and-a-half-year-old brother to witness a missile test.

*****

May 29th, 1990

The Glasshouse venue, New York

The sprawling venue was alive with the hum of celebration. The soft golden lights bathed the venue, casting a glow over the elites, old friends, and corporate magnates. Tony stood near the bar, sipping his drink. James Rhodes stood beside him, glancing around.

"Nice party your folks put together," Rhodes said, eyeing the elegant decor.

"Yeah, if you're in this kind of thing," Tony quipped. "Trust me, I'd rather be anywhere else."

Rhodes chuckled. "I know you would."

"Let's go," Tony suggested, tired of the polite handshakes and small talk.

"Where?" asked Rhodes.

"Out of here." Tony replied.

Rhodes, exasperated, replied, "Tony you do realise that the party just started, and you already want to ditch it?"

"Aren't they celebrating my birthday? the party should follow wherever I go." Tony sacrasitly replied. He always hated it, parties like these were for his parents, not him.

Just as Tony was about to keep convincing Rhodes, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You look sharp, kid. Happy birthday."

Tony turned to see Obadiah Stane, his father's longtime friend and business partner, holding a glass of whiskey. He had a warm smile, much warmer than Howard's, and far less burdened by expectations.

"Thanks, Uncle Obie," Tony said.

"Twenty years old. It's a big milestone." Obadiah said, taking a sip of whiskey. "Soon you'll be running this place, making decisions for the Stark industries. Your old man must be proud."

Tony forced a smile, glancing towards his parents. His father Howard was deep in conversation with several military officials, while his mother Maria occasionally looked his way with a soft smile.

"Yeah, proud," Tony muttered. "Or maybe he's just wanting me to finally live up to the name."

Obadiah chuckled, "Howard's been always hard to read, but trust me, Tony, you've already impressed more people than you realise."

Before Tony could reply, a sharp voice came from behind. "Happy birthday, Tony."

Tony froze at the sound. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rhodes hurriedly escape toward the group of Air Force officers, abandoning him. He glanced back once, giving Tony a look that said you're on your own. Tony turned to face his Aunt Peggy Carter, who, despite her silver hair, still carried herself with the same steely grace she had in her younger days. Even Obadiah quickly toasted her and made a quick exit. Peggy wasn't an easy company for anyone.

"Thanks, Aunt Peg," Tony said with a smirk, trying to sound casual. But there was an edge of fear when she was around. He had been caught red handed by her fooling around more than he could count. Especially for him who could fool around with girls as easily as tinkering with machines.

Peggy raised her brows, studying Tony with a judgmental gaze that made him squirm. "You're behaving yourself tonight, I trust?" 

Tony put on a wounded face. "You wound me, Aunt Peggy. I'm on my best behavior."

Before Peggy could reply, a small voice cut in. "Brother, didn't I tell you not to leave me alone?"

Tony scoffed, "I thought you'd enjoy the company of the old folks."

"I didn't appreciate it," Ethan retorted with a hint of disdain. But when he noticed Peggy's gaze, he quickly switched to a cute, innocent expression. "Hello, Aunt Peggy."

"How's my little nuisance?" Peggy asked, ruffling his hair. Ethan pouted but didn't argue.

The rest of the evening, Tony found himself bombarded by Ethan's endless questions. Even after reuniting with Rhodes, Tony couldn't shake off his younger brother, who clung tightly to his jacket no matter how many times he tried to escape.

*****

December 16th, 1990

Stark Mansion, Manhattan

Ethan stood there as his father and brother shouted at each other, while his mother held him, trying to intervene amidst the two, but the situation kept escalating. He couldn't remember exactly what his brother Tony said, but he couldn't stop himself from crying. He did remember his mother standing up and warning Tony, "Say something. If you don't, you'll regret it." To which his brother stormed out of the room.

His mother sighed as she held Ethan in her arms and patted his back, soothing him. She said, "Don't mind your brother, Ethan. He's got a lot of growing up to do."

Ethan nodded and hesitantly asked with hopeful eyes, "You'll be back before my birthday, right?"

Maria nodded as she pinched his nose. "We'll be back before the 24th, sweetie."

"Promise?" Ethan still asked.

"Promise," Maria replied with a soft smile. 

Ethan nodded, pleased, as he watched his parents get in the car and drive off. He saw his brother doing the same from the upper floor, holding a bottle of whiskey.

Later that night, news came out, 'Howard and Maria Stark died in a car crash.' Leaving one with a promise unfulfilled and the other with endless regret. 

*****

Author's note: So that's it, readers. This was one long chapter and took me a lot of time to write. I'm not sure if I depicted the characters true to them, but I hope it made the chapter enjoyable for you all. Let me know if I'm lacking anywhere. One more thing before you ask, there might be changes in the dates of events. I might explain the reasons for the change, it could be butterfly effects or changes I'm making just so the story fits. I'll try to keep the timeline as close as possible, but Ethan's presence will complicate things. Anyway, thanks for reading! Let me know in the reviews if you like the story~