"Jarvis, who can we think of individually?"
Jarvis spoke after a moment's pause. "Colonel James Rhodes' family is good with young children. Also, Dr. Yinsen's daughter, a former Stark Industries employee, is an expert in child development. It might be safer for Orion to interact with Rhodes' nieces and nephews or the families in Dr. Yinsen's circle."
Tony nodded. "Yes, Rhodey is trustworthy. It might make sense for him to spend time with his family. The case of Yinsen's daughter is also interesting... if she studies child psychology, she could help us with Orion's development."
"Also, sir," Jarvis added, "we need to monitor Orion's physical development. According to the latest analysis, his bone density and muscle development are five times that of his peers. If he exerts too much force while playing with a child, he could inadvertently cause damage."
Tony rubbed his face. "That's great. "I'm trying to socialize my son and at the same time wondering if he could accidentally cause a disaster."
Jarvis replied with light humor. "That's one of the key elements of being a responsible parent, sir."
Tony sighed. "All right. I'll talk to Rhodey and maybe we can arrange a little weekend activity. We can watch Orion interact with the other kids and decide how to approach him."
After Tony finished talking to Jarvis, he leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. They had come up with a plan to socialize Orion, but he still felt uneasy. Rhodey was trustworthy and his family would probably treat Orion well. And Dr. Yinsen's daughter was well-versed in science and child development. On paper, everything looked good.
But in reality, things never worked out the way they did on paper.
Orion was a respectful, intelligent, and controlled child. Tony and Pepper had taught him how to behave. But not everyone in the outside world was as kind as Pepper or as controlled as Tony. What would happen if he encountered a boy who acted stupidly, spoke disrespectfully, or even tried to hurt Orion on purpose? To what extent could Orion control his power?
Tony thought, tapping his fingers on the table. Orion's physical development was five times ahead of his peers. If something went wrong... Could his son accidentally hurt someone?
"Jarvis, we have to do something."
"Like what, sir?"
"We have to get Orion to control his power. If he accidentally hurts someone while playing with the children, it will be disastrous for him and for us. He needs physical training. He needs to learn how much to use his power."
Jarvis was silent for several seconds. Then various programs appeared on the screens. "According to my current database, I have very little information on training methods for individuals with superhuman strength. However, we can start with simple reflex and resistance tests to help Orion learn to control his physical strength."
Tony nodded. "Okay. Something that won't bother Orion, won't overexert him, but will teach him how to use his strength."
"Maybe we could make it like a game, sir," Jarvis said. "If we present it to him in a fun way, he might learn without realizing it's a training process."
Tony smiled. "Clever, Jarvis. Let's try it."
Orion's first training
Tony called Orion into the study. The little boy came in excitedly and immediately tried to climb onto his father's desk. Tony laughed and helped him.
"What are we going to do, Dad? Are we going to invent something new?" Orion asked, his eyes bright with excitement.
"Sort of," Tony said, crossing his arms. "But this time we're going to do something about you."
Orion tilted his head to the side. "On me?"
Jarvis stepped in. "Orion, your physical strength is superior to normal humans. But you must be able to control your power. If you use too much power, you could accidentally hurt someone."
Orion's face became serious. "I don't want to hurt anyone!"
Tony patted his son's head. "I know, little man. That's why we're going to teach you how to control it. And in a fun way."
"How?" asked Orion.
Jarvis opened a holographic screen and showed Orion a ball. "This ball has a specific weight. It may seem light to you, but this is a test. If you throw the ball too fast, you can break the wall. If you throw it too slowly, the ball will fall to the ground. You must find the right balance."
Orion picked up the ball and twirled it between his fingers. "Okay, I'll try!"
Tony stepped back. "Come on, little man. Show me what you got."
Orion picked up the ball, pulled his arm back and threw it quickly.
BOOM!
The ball hit the wall and immediately there was a crack. Tony rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about."
Orion widened his eyes. "I'm sorry!"
Tony laughed and touched his son's shoulder. "No need to apologize, little man. It's a learning process. Just try to use less force."
Jarvis created a hologram. "Try throwing at fifty percent power this time."
Orion took a deep breath, lifted the ball again and threw it with more control. This time the ball softly reached Tony's hand.
"That's it!" Tony said with a smile. "You're doing great."
Orion smiled proudly. "What else do we have to do?"
Tony and Jarvis set Orion several different balance exercises and precision tests. With each attempt, the little boy improved a little more.
After hours of training, Tony leaned back in his chair and watched Orion play excitedly with his ball. The little man looked happy.
Jarvis spoke quietly. "Sir, Orion is learning quickly. His body control is beginning to improve."
Tony nodded. "Yes, but we're not done yet. He needs to learn not only his physical strength, but also how to deal with people."
Jarvis paused for a moment. "Does Orion know what to do when provoked by a child?"
Tony's stomach tightened again. That was the biggest problem. They had raised Orion to be respectful, kind and conscientious, but not everyone out there was like that. What if someone picked on him? What if some kid tried to hurt him? He didn't know how Orion would react.
"We'll have to teach him that too," Tony said with determination in his voice. "If he's going out into the world, he needs to learn self-control, not self-defense."
Jarvis replied. "We can create social scenarios for that, sir. We can run simulations to teach Orion about the different types of people he might encounter."
Tony smiled. "Great idea, Jarvis. We'll start tomorrow."
He looked at his son, Orion was laughing and playing with himself. Tony really wanted him to stay a child. But he also had to make sure that he would survive.
He believed he could. Orion was open to learning and growing.
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