Disclaimer: I do not own the planet Earth. I apologize to whatever spiritual force that may be out there for the use of their creation as the general setting for my humble fanfic. If the mythology I prefer (the Norse mythology) is indeed correct then I also extend my apologize to the giant Ymir(1). That was technically a legitimate disclaimer...I think.

A/N: There are no words to express how sorry I am for taking this long to update this story. I guess I can try to get your forgiveness by explaining that a lot has been happening in my life recently as I finish developing into who I am and all the issues that come with that. Also I've been trying to turn this chapter into something great but I just can't do it. Please accept this meager offering as compensation.

A/N2: Just one more thing before I begin the second chapter. I am considering starting a Tumblr going by the title 'Ask Harry Stark' where I will occasionally respond to questions as if I was the character. I am also planning on starting a personal blog which will include any random thoughts I have and things connecting to my fics like "The Research Journal of Tony Stark." The blog would be titled "The Viking Mage." If you like either of these idea please say so in a review, or PM me. Now on with the show.

Issue # 1: Of Mice and Men

By Theta "Krypto" Nigma

With a guttural groan Tony awoke, finding himself not dying on a hospital floor but lying atop the bed in his room in Stark Towers. A quick glance at his own chest revealed that the little Arc Reactor keeping him alive was somehow still functioning.

"Huh,' he mumbled to himself as he stared at the small reactors light. "I guess I'm still alive, and so are you." He continued to stare at the Arc Reactor, pondering on what had happened not long. That boy Tony had rescued from his abusive guardians, he had released some sort of strange energy...

"JARVIS, is that kid I rescued last night in the tower?"

"Yes sir, young Harry Potter (age five)(2) is currently on one of the lower floors having breakfast while being watched by Ms. Potts,' came the reply from his AI JARVIS(3). "He is also giving off some sort of strange energy signature my systems fail to recognize."

"So his name is Harry Potter? Wow, that has to be the most generic English name ever. Maybe we should get Mary Poppins to babysit."

"Sir, I would have hoped you would consider the energy readings I'm getting a more important matter. It should also be of note that although I was able to gather information on young Mr. Potter there appears to be no real evidence of his parents past the age of eleven years old and I can't even discover their names..."

As JARVIS was saying this a nearby desk began to display a series of government files that Tony seemed adamant to ignore

"That's interesting JARVIS. I'll look into it later but right now I have to..."

"Sir, this is of great importance. All information on Harry James Potter appears to be regarded as Top Secret and of international importance."

That got Tony's attention. A five year old and he was considered some kind of international person of importance. "Get everything you can on this kid Jarvis."

"I have already tried sir; very little of the information appears to exist in any form on file. All I could locate were fleeting references to an organization known as I.C.W. and an individual called Albus Dumbledore who seems to have led an operation of some great importance during the Second World War, and may have worked alongside your new ally Steve Rogers at some point."

"Fantastic," Tony said, without even a hint of sarcasm. "I've been bored out of my mind since that whole Avengers thing and now I've finally got another adventure; and a mystery at that. JARVIS, order one of those deerstalker hats would you?

...

A freak. That was what he was supposed to be, what everyone had always told him he was. Yet now people were protecting him, making sure he was taken care of and treated like any other person. The doctors at the hospital had even been trying to make sure he was OK. Maybe the Dursleys had been wrong about him, maybe he wasn't a no good freak? Maybe his parents hadn't been freaks either...

The little boy was pulled from his thoughts by a plate being placed in front of him by Ms. Pepper Potts. The plate was filled with a hearty breakfast which held more food than he had ever had in a single meal (but not enough food to upset the delicate stomach of someone suffering from undernourishment). Was this all for him? He looked up Pepper who nodded at his unspoken question, and so he began wolfing down the food. It was all so strange. For the first time in a long time he was happy.

"Hello Harry, doing alright?"

The boy jumped at the new voice in the room. He turned to see the one he could only describe as his saviour, Tony Stark.

"Harry?" the boy asked uncertainly. "Is that my name?"

"Harry James Potter, son of James and Lily Potter, born July 31st 2007." Tony smiled. "Yep, that's your name kid. Be proud of it."

Harry smiled back, feeling secure in this newfound knowledge. He was not a freak, he was just Harry.

Tony patted Harry on the back (an action Harry was surprised to find comforting) before moving onto the morning edition of the Daily Bugle(4).

"Let's see," Tony mumbled to himself as he flipped through the pages. "Some small unknown Eastern European country is making itself known, the people of New York are doing post alien invasion cleanup, the paper is still showering hatred onto that vigilante I like, and on the front-page...ME."

Tony turned the paper around, showing everyone the Headline of "Iron Man Takes On Child Abuse!"

Tony grinned as he held the paper. "I almost wish that I had worn my Iron Man armor when I knocked that guy down. Looks like that family of pricks ("Tony! There's a child here!") is going to get deported back to jolly old England. We might have to appear in court."

"Who's Iron Man?" Harry asked without thinking.

"Who's Iron Man?!" Tony repeated, shocked. Someone on this planet didn't know who he was? How could such a strange development be possible? "Ok kid, quick quiz. Who am I?"

Harry was confused by the question. "You're Tony Stark, you saved me. And you own some big company, I think."

Tony shook his head. "No, no, no, no, no. This is unacceptable! Have you been living under a rock the past couple of years? Don't answer that, your answer might piss me off. Harry, I am Tony Stark, super-genius billionaire playboy philanthropist superhero."

Harry was fascinated by this. Were there actually real people who were like the noble heroes in the comic books Harry had sometimes sneaked out of Dudley's room? "Superheroes exist?! And you're one of them?!"

"You bet kid. Saving the damsels, stopping the bad guys, it's all in the job description."

Before Tony could begin describing the great feats he had achieved as Iron Man he was stopped by Jarvis.

"I'm sorry for interrupting sir, but Director Fury wishes to speak to you on a matter of great importance and he isn't taking no for an answer."

Tony sighed, "Alright put him thru."

"I'm afraid you don't understand sir. He has gained access to the building and wishes to speak with you personally."

Tony raised his eyebrows at that. "What could be so important that the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D would need to come here personally?" Out of the corner of his eye Tony glanced at Harry, wondering if he was the source of Fury's visit.

...

"Do you have any idea what it is you've just done Stark?! Now I've got a bunch of idiots from Britain breathing down my neck all because of that kid!"

Well that answered Tony's question.

"While I try to sort out all this shit you are going to be watching this kid like a hawk. There's no way I'm letting him go back to England after all he's been through."

"Why?" asked Tony. "Why the hell is this kid so important and why are you acting like he has some kind of personal importance to you?"

Fury glared at Tony, while Tony held his ground. "That's classified information, but then I'm sure you already know that. You want to know what's so strange about the boy, figure it out yourself."

Fury sighed and Tony saw something he did not think Fury had, vulnerability. "There's a whole other world out their Stark, watch yourself. I trust you to keep the boy safe."

Without another word Fury began to leave. Before reaching the elevator he looked over at Harry, who was sitting nearby.

"If only Prongs were here."

Before Harry could ask what Fury meant by that the man had already entered the elevator, leaving behind a confused little boy.

A boy who had the attention of forces both benevolent and sinister.

A/N: Like I said above I am so sorry that this took so long. I kept trying to finish it but it just didn't want to be written. This was supposed to come out less than a week after the last chapter, but instead it has been more than a year. When a fanfic I enjoy take forever to update I am always rather upset and so I hope my fans can forgive me. In other news I feel very little passion for any of my other stories anymore. I still really want to write this and will not stop until I have told the story of Harry Stark till 7th year and beyond, but I feel no desire to write for any of my other fics. Now that my writing has evolved from absolute crap to much less crappy I feel that I should start with a clean slate and move forward with this fic and any other new ideas I might have. I will be putting up notices in all my other fics and on my profile so if you want me to continue any of my other fics please let me know. If I decide to keep anything else I will likely begin rewriting it. Thanks and please review.

1 According to Norse mythology Ymir was a primordial being, the first of all giants. His body was used by Odin and several other gods to create the Earth

2 Dick Grayson, Age 12

3 (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System). This is the legit meaning of the acronym.

4 Stark Tower is in New York, so it works.