The night was cold in the City of Lights while a mildly intoxicated Tony Stark walked away from the house of the man who was merging with Stark Industries.

The blonde-Mary…Margaret…Mabel?- had been entertaining. The way she moved, the sounds she made. Of course there had been better but it sent a thrill through him that this was the merger's daughter. His sweet innocent girl-that was not that innocent- that could do no wrong.

'What was I doing again? Hotel. Got it. So left turn there, a right turn here. Trip over a basket. Keep walking.

'Wait basket?'

A cry pierced the night air. "Tony, you know your luck. While being pretty good like getting with that merger's daughter it be better if you just keep…" But it sounded so pitiful and scared. "This better not be a Disney movie sort of thing. I'm Tony Stark. I have the right to be curious." He pulled his coat tighter and turned back to the basket. Then he noticed the baby.

The tiny, cold, blue baby.

If Tony had been sober he would have continued walking or called S.H.I.E.L.D. Yeah Agent would take care of the thing. It was not like it was his kid. It was probably an alien or mutant that would grow up hating everything.

But it was kinda cute. In a weird alien sorta way. Besides this kid was alone like he was with Howard…

Alcohol muddled mind made up Tony picked the kid up through the blanket it was wrapped in. It was cold even through the blanket-'Must have been here for a while.'-and looked at him with crimson red eyes.

'Blood red.'

Something or someone in the back of his head was nagging at him about responsibilities and consequences and blah, blah, blah. It was not like he listened to that voice anyway. Tony Stark found a blue baby and he did not give a damn. He did what he wanted.

Tony smiled goofily at the big baby smurf. "Hey kiddo. I've never seen a blue baby before. I guess you're just special. Maybe I'll keep you. I like being the only one with cool stuff. Are you an alien? Or a mutant? You might be." Tony took one of his hands that was supporting the baby through the blanket and poked the -alien, mutant?- baby.

Somehow he did not expect it to giggle even though it was a perfectly respectable reaction. The baby realizing it had hands then reached with his grabby fingers toward Tony's face. The grown man chucked-he did not giggle- and let the tiny baby do so.

Suddenly the smurf did not look so smurfy. Its skin became smooth and tanned like Tony's. It grew dark brown, maybe black, hair. It was then that the genius realized it was –'OOH!'- a boy. The baby boy's eyes became a vivid green with a hint of dark brown.

Those eyes revealed horrors and wonders that were much older than the child itself. They had seen the universe for all its glory and all its sorrows and all its honor and all its shame. Those eyes revealed the past of a child hated so for trying to be accepted. He had always known that feeling.

'Too smart. Too immature. Too lazy. Too unstable. Not enough. Not enough. Too much.'

It was through ooking into those eyes he decided.

"You are gonna be my alien baby."