Tony left Orion in his room and went to his office.
The boy was still sound asleep. But Tony's brain was... not at rest.
He was still studying Orion's file on the screen in front of him.
"Jarvis, how can we make this child officially exist?"
Jarvis' voice replied in his usual calm tone.
"Sir, do you want to consider illegal means or the extremely expensive but legal means?"
Tony rolled his eyes.
"Jarvis, I'm a Stark, and immoral but clever solutions are my birthright. But in this case, I'm going with the legal one... at least for now."
"Very good, sir. Then there are a few ways to create an official identity for Orion. "**
Several options appeared on the screen.
1️⃣ Create forged documents and pass Orion off as Tony Stark's biological son, whom he has "kept secret for years".
2️⃣ Claim to have adopted Orion in a foreign country and organize all documents accordingly.
3️⃣ Make it look like he was "recently adopted from an orphanage.
4️⃣ Log into the US system as an "unregistered birth" and register Orion as a late discovered child.
Tony leaned over the screen to select the most logical option from the list.
"Hmm... Option 1 would be too tabloid. People will be talking about Tony Stark having a secret child for months. Oh my God, the tabloids would be feeding on this for years.
Jarvis added with a hint of sarcasm: "And you'd probably have the paparazzi after you, sir."
"Yes, yes. That's why we're eliminating it."
Tony considered the second option.
"Foreign adoption? Expensive, but easy. But no, I can't deal with that long process."
He looked at the third and fourth options.
"Let's say I was adopted from an orphanage. Why didn't anyone know about it before? Let's say it was an unregistered birth... Then there would be no ID number."
Tony scratched his chin.
"Jarvis, what's the solution that will cause me the least headache and the most money?"
Jarvis did the math for a second and then spoke.
"We could put together a special legal team to retroactively document that Orion is biologically your child, sir. Technological tests could be used to establish a DNA match. You can expedite the process by making a large donation to the authorities."
Tony snapped his fingers.
"That's it! Clever and expensive! My favorite combination."
"The estimated cost of this procedure would be 72 million dollars, sir."
Tony drew a circle in the air with his hand.
"Round it up to a hundred and let them spend the rest on building schools or something. That'll make me feel better."
Jarvis began the process in seconds.
"Yes, sir, the legal team will contact you in 15 minutes. Orion's birth certificate and other paperwork will be ready tomorrow."
Tony sat back and pressed his lips together.
He had a son.
Tony Stark... a father.
He looked at the screen, blinking slightly.
"I get a feeling somewhere inside of me when I think about it, but I'm afraid, Jarvis. Could you call it... responsibility?"
Jarvis replied after a second of silence.
"It's certainly a possibility, sir."
Tony still stared at the screen. Orion's file was complete. His name was now officially Orion Stark.
It was a strange feeling to see those words.
No matter how many crazy things had happened in his life, he'd never thought he'd be a father.
But here he was.
He had a son.
And strangely, he liked it.
"All right, Jarvis. ID's done. So, what do we do now, join the daddy's club?"
Jarvis' voice replied with a slightly sarcastic tone.
"I suggest you start Orion's basic training, sir. We need to formulate a plan to control his powers and ensure his overall development."
Tony nodded.
"You're right. But first..."
He squinted at the screen.
"What will this child eat? How will we support his growth? Will he be fed like a normal child, or will he have a special diet because he's a fire-breathing being?"
Jarvis scanned the analysis quickly.
"So far, we haven't had a chance to observe Orion's eating and drinking habits. But his body produces a great deal of energy. Possible scenarios include... excessive consumption of protein and carbohydrates, or... a more exotic diet."
Tony raised his eyebrows.
"Exotic as in... drinking lava? Nibbling uranium? We don't have nuclear fuel in the company kitchen, Jarvis."
Jarvis paused slightly.
"The best option for now is to start with normal food and see how he reacts."
Tony sighed.
"Great. That way we'll find out if Orion becomes a picky eater."
Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"Sir, would you like me to come in?"
Pepper said.
Tony recovered quickly and sat back comfortably.
"Come in, Mr. Potts."
As the door opened, Pepper walked in and placed files in front of Tony.
"Mr. Stark, I heard you spent 72 million dollars."
Tony rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, because adoptions can be expensive. And I like to do everything with the highest quality."
Pepper paused for a moment and raised her eyebrows. "Why did you suddenly decide to adopt? At such a high cost?"
Tony took a deep breath and got serious. "Pepper, this boy... Orion... he's not just a boy. He is my responsibility. I have to protect him and take care of him."
Pepper replied, trying to hide the confusion on her face. "I understand, Mr. Stark. But I think you should have consulted me before taking such a big step. Since when do you make such big decisions?"
Tony shrugged slightly. "Maybe I'm becoming more responsible, who knows?"
Pepper folded her arms across her chest. She was actually beginning to think that the child Tony had adopted was Tony's illegitimate child.
"So you officially have a kid?"
Tony smiled slightly.
"Uh, yeah. I'm a father, Pepper. That's a strange thing to say, isn't it?"
Pepper looked at him carefully.
"It's not strange. It's surprising. Because it's very rare for Tony Stark to take responsibility."
Tony grinned slightly.
"You know, that's exactly what I thought, but the funny thing is... I kind of like it."
Pepper nodded slightly.
"If you really like it... maybe you're really ready."
A warmth went through Tony.
But then Jarvis' voice interrupted the room.
"Sir, Orion is awake."
Tony turned to the screen immediately.
Orion was out of bed, looking around in a daze.
Yes, he was a father. He really had become a father.
Orion will be my main character. Who should be his wife? Please make suggestions.
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