The Moment of Birth

In one reality, Howard Stark and Maria Stark have a son named Tony

The famous Tony Stark

The lovable Iron Man

But in another reality

**December 17, 1970, Presbyterian Hospital, New York, 3:42 AM**

The sixth-floor delivery room, its window open to the snowy Manhattan sky. The snow lay like diamonds on the glass; the city lights below them sparkled like earthly stars.

**Sarah Smith-Stark** lay on the delivery bed; her blond hair was wet with sweat, her face was red, but her eyes still had the sparkle of Captain America. Her left hand clutched the small, folding silver shield (Howard had left it by the bed, "for luck").

**Howard** stood beside her; still wearing his white lab coat, his hair disheveled, his eyes filled with tears and wonder. He held Sarah's hand, as if he were afraid that if he let go, everything would disappear.

The nurse shouted, "One more push, Mrs. Stark!"

Sarah took a deep breath, her stomach muscles (still six-packs, even after nine months) tensing.

**The baby's cry.**

Small, sharp, like a victory siren.

The midwife lifted the baby up; the girl, with wet blond hair, closed eyes, little clenched fists.

“Sarah... look... she... she's ours,” Howard whispered.

Sarah laughed, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. “Tanya... Tanya Maria Stark.”

Howard took the baby; the rocket-engineering genius's trembling hands now held a seven-pound life.

“Hi, little one. I'm Daddy... and this is your hero Mommy.”

Sarah held out her hand, Tanya's pinky finger wrapped around his index finger.

“Strong, like me. Smart, like you.” Sarah looked at Howard.

The window opened; a snowy breeze blew in, settling on Tanya’s face.

“Her first mission: surviving in New York,” Howard laughed.

The nurse wrapped a blanket around Tanya; white cloth with a small red-white-blue star that Sarah had sewn herself.

Sarah pulled Tanya to her chest; her daughter’s little heart beat in sync with her mother’s supersoldier heart.

Howard kissed both of their foreheads.

“The Stark family. Perfect.”

It was snowing outside, but in the room, there was only warmth.

**Tanya Maria Stark**, heir to the shield and the orbit, was born.

The world still did not know what power lay in a mother’s arms.