Chapter Text
"This isn’t fair," Tony whined and stomped his feet outside the door of the daycare. "I don't want to be here!"
Edwin bit back a sigh and tried to put himself in the six-year-old's tiny shoes. The poor child had no way of grasping his father's need to drum up good public relations for a while, no matter how smart he might already be.
"I'm tired of going to all these baby places!" Tony continued to protest. "I want to go look at the labs with mom and dad."
"I know you do," Edwin said, "and I promise I'll suggest it to your father to take you on at least one tour before this adventure is done, but for now your father would like it if you play with the other kids whose parents work for him."
Tony kicked his toe at the ground and looked down. "Yeah, I know. Just like the boring parties with the…the…"
"Trustees," Edwin provided with a smile. "And, yes, precisely like that." Tony might not know what a goodwill tour was, but Edwin suddenly realized that he was starting to catch on, unfortunately. "Besides, it's good for you to try and make friends." Tony looked up at him with a scowl. "What is the matter now, Tony?"
"You can't make friends with kids you only see once," he said in a stern tone. "And everybody is younger than me or, or stupid."
"Tony," Edwin chastised, letting out a sigh at last, "what have I told you about using that word?"
Tony scowled harder for a stubborn moment, but then his resolve broke and he looked down again with a pout.
"I'm sorry, Jarvis," he said, sounding genuinely disheartened. "But everybody is stupid," he said, a hint of a snivel in his voice, even if Edwin knew how well Tony refused to cry if he could prevent it. "I—I can't help that can I?"
Edwin gave a small shake of his head and crouched down in front of his employer's young son. "I understand. You are very, very, very smart, but that doesn't mean that other people aren't smart. They just are not as smart as you are. And that's okay. The world takes all sorts, Tony. It's okay to make friends with people who aren't as smart as you are. I'm friends with your father and he's smarter than me."
"I don't know, Jarvis," Tony said in a considering tone. "I think you're pretty smart."
Edwin smiled at the round-about compliment, even if he felt a twinge of pity over why he might be more prone to compliment him than his father. "Thank you," he said, keeping the pity to himself. "But I think you understand my point. Don't you?"
Tony scrunched up his face and then softened it with a defeated sigh. "You want me to try and be nice even if the other kids aren't as smart."
"Yes, I do," Edwin agreed.
"Alright, alright," Tony said in an exaggerated tone as he turned in a melodramatic fashion, shoulders slumped and feet dragging. "But I don't promise to like it, Jarvis."
Edwin chuckled and stood up straight again. "You don't have to," he compromised. "But I hope you end up liking it anyways."
***
Tony looked around the daycare for something to do. He'd already tried joining in a couple of games, but it hadn't worked out. Sometimes it felt like Tony was speaking a different language, like Spanish or Pig Latin or something, because he couldn't really talk to other kids for very long before they got confused and he got annoyed with their confusion.
He sighed and turned to go find something to do by himself. Like a puzzle or something. "Maybe I'll build another robot and this time figure out how to make it talk," he thought suddenly.
"A robot would haf to be super smart to be able to speak." Tony jumped at the unexpected voice, as quiet as it was. He looked around, but didn't see anything. "And if it gets that smart it might not follow Asmof's rules anymore."
Tony peered around the nearby corner and saw a reading nook. There was another boy sitting there by himself working on a Rubik's cube. He looked really small, maybe younger than Tony, and had very curly brown hair and glasses.
"It's Asmov," Tony corrected.
"I know," he said, frowning at the toy in his hand. "The teacher says I haf to keep working on my," he paused and moved his mouth without sound before finishing, "vuh-ees."
"Oh," Tony said. "So you know about Asmov?" Tony squinted. He never met another kid that knew about Asmov.
"Yeah. My mom read I, Robot to me one time when dad was…" He stopped talking again and stopped working on the colorful puzzle. "Um," he stuttered, "um, um..." For some reason he didn't finish.
"That's kind of cool," Tony thought, and said it out loud because he always did that even when his parents told him not to. "I don't think I ever met anyone else who knows about that story."
The boy shrugged and started working on the Rubik's cube again. Tony tilted his head and watched him work on getting all the colors in the right order. He didn't seem to want to talk and Tony wondered if he should leave him alone, but he'd never seen another kid play with a Rubik's cube before either – for more than a few minutes anyways – so he didn't really want to leave him alone.
So he said, "You're good at that. You've almost got it finished."
"I… I done it before. It's kind of easy now."
Tony blinked and his mouth opened wide. "You've finished it before? My dad says only smart kids can finish it! Like me!"
The boy stopped again, shaking a little bit like something had spooked him. Tony wasn't sure why. There wasn't anything scary about what he had said. Tony looked around to see if there was somebody else that had scared him, but they were alone. He looked back, tilting his head sideways, like he sometimes did with his science experiments when he was trying to figure them out.
The boy slowly moved his eyes away from the cube and looked at him. He gulped and then whispered, "I'm not smart." He looked down.
Tony frowned and straightened his head again. He moved closer to get a better look at the other boy. "But you know about robots, and, and Asmov too. So you gotta be at least a little bit smart."
The boy shook his head. "No, I'm not. Smart kids are good at learning stuff grown-ups teach them."
Tony scrunched his face. He was confused by what that meant, and he didn't like being confused. "Okay, I guess so. But why wouldn't you be smart then? You said your mom read you the book that made you learn about Asmov."
The other boy's head moved up so fast that it surprised Tony. His eyes were wide and he looked like Tony had just shared with him a secret. He started to smile, but then it went away and his eyes were small again, only now they were sad too.
"Maybe I learn some stuff," he mumbled, "but most of the time I just figure it out on my own."
Tony's mouth fell open again, and his body did that thing where it felt like he was going really fast even if he wasn't moving. Vibrating. Yeah, that was the word. He was vibrating.
Tony blurted out, "Me too!" But then he frowned because the other boy had said at the same time, "So I'm just a freak."
They stared at each other for a long time. Tony continued to frown and the strange, confusing other boy was back to looking at him with wide eyes.
"Are you two boys okay over here?"
Tony turned around and looked up at the daycare lady. She was looking back and forth between them, like she was concerned they might be about to fight or something. Adults were weird like that.
Then she said, softly, looking over Tony's head as she did, "Bruce, are you okay?"
Tony turned around and looked at him. So his name was Bruce.
Bruce glanced between them before nodding.
"Alright," the daycare lady said, but she didn't sound like she really believed him, "but just remember what I told you before. If you feel unsafe, you can come tell me. I promise it's okay."
Bruce nodded again, not looking at either of them this time, and that seemed to be enough for the daycare lady to leave them alone again. Tony watched her go, squinting as he tried to understand what she meant. He looked back at Bruce, who was working on the cube again.
"Why would she think I make you feel unsafe?"
Bruce shrugged.
"Do I make you feel unsafe?" Tony decided to ask, just in case. Maybe Tony just wasn't ever going to be good at this "make friends" thing even if he found some one super smart too.
"No, n-no, you, no," Bruce repeated, shaking his head hard. "You don't," he mumbled.
"Oh." Tony blinked. "Okay. That's good."
Tony shifted on his feet, not sure what else he should say. He really wasn't good at this, but he promised he would try for Jarvis. Jarvis wouldn't be mad if he didn't, but he would be sad. Even if he pretended he wasn't.
"I don't haf any friends," Bruce said, voice low but still loud enough that it scared Tony from what he'd been thinking about. "Ms. Julie think it's because I'm afraid of the other kids." He shrugged. "I guess I kinda am." He scrunched his face up so that it looked like every part of his face was frowning. "But I think the other kids are more scared'a me."
"What?" Tony blurted, probably too loud because Bruce did look scared for a few seconds. But then he looked confused. "Why would they be scared of you? You're super quiet and really little. How old are you by the way?"
"I'm not that little," Bruce said, annoyed.
Tony was surprised he could actually be annoyed, or that loud. Maybe Bruce had a temper like he did. Maybe when people made him too angry or scared he pushed back. Tony had been in enough playground fights to know how easy it could be to just start punching and kicking and wrestling.
"Sorry," Tony apologized. "But you just look it to me. I'm not trying to be mean. Honest."
Bruce sighed, then shrugged, like he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Or maybe he didn't want to talk to Tony anymore.
"I'm fi-v-e," Bruce said, proving him wrong, "going on six. That's why the other kids are scared. I shouldn't be able to do the stuff I do. It's not normal. It's, it's, it's," he made a choking noise before finishing, "it's because I'm a freak."
He looked down at the Rubik's cube and his face twisted so that Tony couldn't tell if he was angry or going to burst out in tears. Maybe both. But then he threw the cube down on the floor and curled up into a ball in the corner of the reading nook.
Tony didn't know why, but he was sad and mad too now. He looked down at the cube before picking it up. Bruce had been so close to finishing it. So Tony finished it for him. He then set the toy down on the seat.
Bruce opened his eyes, looked at it, and then looked at Tony. He uncurled just enough to reach for the toy and bring it closer to look at. He was looking at it like Tony did with his science experiments.
"How…" Bruce blinked and looked at him. "How did you finish it so fast?"
"It was almost done." Tony thought that was obvious.
Bruce sat up straight again and stared at him. "Yeah, but it woulda took me some more time and, and I done it before. You did it super fast."
Tony was used to other kids getting confused when he did stuff like this. But Bruce seemed to be confused for a different reason.
"I'm smart," Tony said. "Like, super smart." He held out his arms to explain just how much. "Oh," he then had an idea, "is that why you said the kids think you're weird? Because you're super smart too and they get confused?" He was vibrating again.
Bruce blinked. His eyes looked kinda silly behind his big glasses. But kinda pretty too. He wasn't going to tell him that though. He might get his feelings hurt if he knew Tony thought they looked silly and some boys hated having pretty eyes and didn't want people making a big deal about it, 'specially not other boys.
"Yeah," Bruce nodded, "because it is weird."
"Hmm," Tony thought about it, "well, maybe, but you know what I think? I think it's weird that there aren't more super smart people. Maybe it wouldn't seem so weird if other people would just be smarter." He shrugged.
"That… That doesn't make sense. If more people were smart then, um, then wouldn't that just make, make the not smart kids the freaks?"
"Why do you keep using that word?" Tony asked instead of answering the question.
Bruce was right about the not smart people thing, but Tony wanted to know why he kept calling super smart people freaks. Tony wasn't a freak. Different maybe – Jarvis said unique. But it was an awesome different. Even when he couldn't make friends because of it. He doesn't think he'd want to be not smart.
Tony stared hard at Bruce until he stopped ignoring him.
He gave a tiny shrug and said, "Because my, my, um, dad says that's…that's what I am."
"What the hel-uh," Tony stopped himself just in time. He didn't want the daycare lady, uh, Ms. Julie, to tell Jarvis, or worse, his mom if she came to pick him up instead. "Halitosis," he said the big, sort of funny word Aunt Peggy had helped him learn to say instead.
"Halitosis?"
"It's a big word for stinky breath," Tony said, "but why would your dad say something like that?"
Bruce shrank back from him. "Because I can do stuff nobody else my age can do. He said it's not, not natural, or," his chin shook like he was about to cry, "or human. He told my mom that I'm, I'm a, a abomnation, which I think means monster, but my mom wouldn't tell me when I asked her. I was born broken or something."
Bruce did start to cry then, curling back into a ball. He didn't make any noise though, crying quietly so that Ms. Julie didn't even hear.
Tony wasn't the kind of kid who cries. Well, sometimes he did, but he didn't like to do it because his dad always seemed disappointed in him when he did.
But…
But…
He gulped down the lump in his throat and bit his lip. He didn't need to cry. Bruce didn't need him to cry. Bruce needed him to… Well, he needed him to…
Tony wasn't sure what Bruce needed him to do, but Tony was pretty sure he needed him to do something.
He took a breath and sat down on the seat beside him. Tony felt kind of silly, but he also didn't want Bruce to keep crying.
And he didn't want the only kid he'd ever met who knew who Asmov was to think that was a bad thing. He wanted them to be able to talk about it some more. Maybe Bruce could even help him with a robot…
If it wasn't for the other problem. He probably wouldn't see Bruce again after this. Mom had said she would be taking him back home soon. And he didn't know when soon might be.
Tony kind of wanted to cry for real now, but he still didn't. Instead, he looked at Bruce and decided he had to at least make him feel better before they never saw each other again. Because that's what a friend would do.
Tony leaned over just a little and whispered, "Bruce?" Nothing. Just more crying. "Bruce, I know grown-ups are supposed to be right all the time, but Jarvis says sometimes they aren't. I think your dad is wrong."
Bruce made a soft squeaking noise, maybe a hiccup, and turned his head just a little bit.
Tony hoped that meant he was listening so he continued. "Yeah, 'cause, um, it's not a bad thing to be a really smart person, no matter what age you are. And, and, if you were born broken then that means I was too. Maybe even brokener. 'Cause I already made a robot. Have you made a robot?"
Bruce opened his eyes. He shook his head and whispered, "No?"
Tony wasn't sure why it was a question. "So see? That means I'm a worse abomnation. But that's just stupid, because I'm not. Unless you think I am?"
"No," Bruce said louder. "You… You're, um, cool."
Tony smiled. "Exactly! Your dad prolly just didn't know there's other super smart people out there. Like, my dad is way smarter and Jarvis says he was just as smart as me when he was my age. And my dad grew up to be rich and famous."
Bruce hiccupped. "Rich and famous?" He was looking at him again, but he seemed confused about something.
Tony was confused too. "Yeah. Dontcha know who my dad is? Everybody knows."
Bruce shook his head.
"Well, you know who I am."
Bruce shook his head even more.
Tony gasped. "Really? But I'm Tony Stark," he said. Bruce had to be joking with him.
Bruce's eyes became really big. "Like, like the inventor Stark? That's your dad?"
Tony was suspicious that he was still joking, but he decided to play along. "That's him. So you know he's smart. A genius is what they call him. Like Albert Einstein. And dad says there are always going to be new Einsteins, not named that obviously, but people who grow up to change the world with science. I don't think Albert Einstein was a freak," he added, thinking about it and saying it at the same time. "Except maybe his hair. His hair was freaky."
Bruce giggled. He sat up again and wiped at his eyes under his glasses.
Tony watched quietly until Bruce looked back at him. Bruce's eyes weren't as sad anymore and they were still kinda pretty. No, up close they were pretty. He wondered if Bruce was the kind of boy who'd be mad about it if he said so.
Instead he looked at his curly hair and teased him, saying, "Your hair is almost as freaky as his."
Bruce blinked and the color on his cheeks got darker. But he smiled too, a very little smile, and said, "It's even freakier before my mom brushes it."
***
Edwin had to admit that he wasn't expecting to find Tony reluctant to leave when it came time to pick him up from the day care. While he'd hoped Tony would at least play with the other kids, and have fun, he had expected Tony to be ready to bolt as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
Instead he was saying goodbye to a little boy, his age or near it, that he'd introduced to him excitedly as future Albert Einstein. That, perhaps, was the most shocking of all. Tony praising another kid for being smart was something he'd never seen before. It was why he was willing to indulge Tony's attempts to stall.
Edwin stood back and watched as Tony talked to this other boy, a Bruce Banner he'd learned was his proper name from Bruce himself, with a genuine fondness he didn't often show. He seemed so much like the little boy he was hardly allowed to be, so happy, that Edwin felt a stab of pity in his chest. As Tony had said earlier that day, he would only see this kid once. So, he looked at his watch, and let the fleeting friendship last just a tad bit longer.
Edwin's thoughts were interrupted by the one of the ladies of the daycare coming over to stand beside him. "I have to say, I have never seen little Bruce open up like that," she whispered. "I think this is the first friend he's made in all the times he's been here. He's so quiet. Keeps to himself as much as he can." She sighed. "And the other kids aren't always the nicest. They don't understand being shy doesn't make him weird."
Edwin felt another stab of pity, now for Bruce Banner who too would be losing a friend. Perhaps he could arrange to visit the Banner residence and convey his wishes for Tony and Bruce to keep in touch, be it by letter or a long distance playdate now and then.
"I suppose they both found a kindred spirit then," Edwin remarked. "Tony isn't shy, but he does have a hard time connecting with kids his age."
He glanced sideways to see the look of understanding that passed over the woman's face. It wasn't judgmental, but it wasn't entirely neutral either.
"I've learned," she said after a moment, "that it doesn't matter what background a kid comes from, some things are universal."
"An astute observation, I'm sure," he said noncommittally. Then, looking at his watch again, he had the displeasure of saying, "Come along, Tony."
He waited patiently as Tony pried himself from Bruce's side like it was physically painful to do so. When Tony turned to start toward him, Edwin didn't miss the way Bruce shrank in on himself and tried to hide a trembling lip. It was enough to settle the matter. He would have to find a way to make sure they could see each other again.
"Excuse me," he said to the nearby woman he'd just been speaking to, as Tony trudged along like molasses, "but is there any way you could give a message to Bruce's mother or father?"
"His mother, sure," she said, but her tone was hesitant.
He pulled out his pocket notebook and a pen. He scribbled down his name and the hotel they were staying at.
"If you could be so kind, I would like it if you could explain to her what transpired between her son and Tony today. I am interested in speaking with her about any possibility of arranging for the boys to communicate."
From the corner of his eye, he could see Tony take notice of the conversation.
"I," the woman took the paper, "I suppose I can do that. But," her words were stilted, and she glanced across the room, "you should know…" She lowered her voice even more and leaned in. Edwin did likewise. "The boy's father, I believe he's considered brilliant, but he's not known for being very friendly. I don’t know what’s just gossip and what isn’t, but I do know Mrs. Banner only brings Bruce in when her husband is out of town, I think because he's pretty controlling of where she goes and what she doesn't need the regular care. He isn’t aware that Bruce is ever here as far as I know. But since Bruce is here today you may get lucky and have a chance to speak with Mrs. Banner."
Edwin pulled back from the small huddle and cleared his throat. "I see. Well, I’m still willing to try, so thank you for agreeing to give her my message."
She nodded and Edwin reached for Tony’s hand so they could leave.
***
Tony peeked into his mom and dad's hotel room. His dad was sitting at a desk, reading something. He looked bored because his elbow was on the desk and his head rested on his fist. Maybe that meant he wasn't too busy.
Tony took a breath and entered the room. "Dad, can I ask you a question?"
His dad seemed surprised. He looked around and then over his shoulder. "Hmm? Oh, uh," he looked down at the desk before sighing and turning the chair around to look at him, "sure, go ahead."
"Are we freaks?"
His dad blinked. "Are we what? Why would you—" He took off his reading glasses and gave him a serious look. "Did somebody call you a freak?"
Tony was shocked by the question. "No, not me," he blurted and then gulped in a breath to continue, "but there was this kid. At the daycare. He's really smart. Like he could probably build a robot too," he explained.
His dad's look became tired again and he rubbed at his forehead. That usually meant Tony needed to hurry up and finish what he was saying.
"But his dad calls him a freak."
His dad dropped his hand and looked at him, eyes squinted. "What's that?"
"His dad calls him a freak," Tony repeated. "Because he's really smart. His dad says it's not normal, or, uh," he tried to remember the other things, "human to be as smart as he is. His dad thinks it makes him some kind of abomnation."
"Abomination?"
Tony nodded.
"And this kid," his dad asked, "did he make you feel like you're the same way?"
Tony shrugged. "I told him his dad is wrong because I thought being smart is a good thing. Like you. Or Albert Einstein." He looked down at the floor. "But, then I started wondering if maybe it's true. Maybe we're not normal."
His dad sighed. "Okay," he mumbled, "okay, how do I explain this." His eyes widened. "Any thoughts, Jarvis?"
Tony turned his head and saw Jarvis standing just inside the room. Probably because Tony snuck away from his mom and she'd sent him to come find him.
"Perhaps, it would be best to be honest in this case, sir."
Tony looked back at his dad.
"Look, Tony, being a genius isn't normal. It's not a bad thing like this kid's dad seems to think, but it is unusual. Some people can't handle that. It scares them."
"Why?"
"Well, because they're probably scared of a lot of things I guess. Anything that doesn't fit comfortably in their view of the world."
"So we're not freaks, but some people think we are?"
"We're not freaks," his dad answered, "but I suppose some people don't know how else to describe it."
"Oh. Okay. I guess it's good then that I told Bruce his dad is wrong."
His dad's eyes widened again. He looked like he was going to say something else, but then shook his head. He looked at Jarvis.
"Come along, Tony," Jarvis said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Your father has more work to do and your mother wants to see you."
"Alright."
Tony tried not to be disappointed. He turned and let Jarvis guide him out of the room and back towards the other side of the hotel penthouse.
"Tony," Jarvis stopped and turned him around to face him, "this Bruce Banner, you said his father has called him an abomination?"
Tony nodded. "And I think it makes him sad."
"I see." Jarvis looked like he was thinking about something. "Maybe someone should have a talk with his father."
"Yeah!" Tony agreed. "Because Bruce is really awesome and I don't want him to be sad. Or scared either."
"Scared?"
"Of being smart," Tony said.
"Oh. Yes, of course." Jarvis made an ahem noise and said, "Alright, let's continue on."
***
Edwin was in the middle of sipping some tea when his expected guest announced her arrival.
"Are you Mr. Jarvis?"
He pulled the cup away quickly and set it down on its saucer. He swallowed as he stood to his feet to greet her. "Yes, and you must be Mrs. Banner."
He shook her hand and then gestured for her to take a seat. He moved quickly behind her chair to help her push it in.
She gave him a strange look, but said, "Thank you."
"My pleasure," he replied as he took his own seat again. "It's a bit of a habit of mine. I'm a butler by trade."
That seemed even more surprising to her.
"Allow me to pour you some tea?" he offered, picking up the pot in the middle of the table.
She studied him for a moment, but then smiled softly. "Thank you," she said with a nod.
He poured her tea and allowed her to prepare it to her liking before continuing on with the conversation they were there to have.
"While I suppose I do more than the average butler, I am a butler by trade," he reiterated, "and I've been singularly in the employment of Mister Howard Stark of Stark Industries."
She looked down at her tea cup as she stirred it some more, likely to have something to do. "Yes, Julie, the woman at the daycare, she mentioned that you were employed by Mr. Stark when she gave me the message." She looked up. "And my son can't stop talking about Mr. Stark's son."
Edwin smiled. "Tony has done very much of the same. I believe it must have been a best friends at first sight experience for them both."
Mrs. Banner smiled, but it was a little too droopy at the edges. "Bruce has never had that before. School and daycare have been a difficult adjustment for him. I know I'm his mother, but he's the sweetest thing in the world. He's just," she shook her head, "not social enough for others to see it."
Edwin didn't reply right away. He let Mrs. Banner take a drink of her tea, no doubt a means of drowning back the lump in her throat. When she finished, she discreetly took the edge of the napkin and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.
Edwin looked down, considering how to approach the sensitive topic he felt it necessary to bring up. Since overhearing Tony's conversation with Mr. Stark, this had become about more than just finding a way for the boys to keep in touch.
"Mrs. Banner, I will get to the point since I understand your time is valuable."
He looked up and met her gaze. There was a startled look in her eyes, the look of someone who has just realized their secrets aren't secret after all.
"Initially I only wanted to meet with you about finding a way for the boys to continue their friendship, but Tony said some things last night that, well, have me concerned. My employer too, I assure you," he added.
Edwin had made his intentions clear to both of Tony's parents. Howard had handwaved it away, telling him to do whatever he saw fit, as he often did with things he wasn't personally invested in. Maria, in the opposite extreme, pitied mother and son and was determined to make them her next charity case.
"I had a feeling," Mrs. Banner said with a sigh. "He…mentioned my husband, didn't he?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so," Edwin answered her. "Tony said your husband calls your son a freak," he explained.
She opened her mouth, no doubt a knee-jerk excuse, but Edwin pushed on:
"An abomination even."
Mrs. Banner gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. Her eyes became teary again. "I didn't… I didn't know he'd heard that. I thought he was asleep."
"Naturally, this was a bit upsetting for Tony. He has no comprehension of a world where genius is anything but normal. Myself, I'm troubled for other reasons. I'll preface this by saying Tony's parents are far from being the parents I believe he deserves, but no child deserves to question its humanity."
The dam burst.
Mrs. Banner buried her face in her hands and began to cry openly, if not loudly enough to draw too much attention. "I know. I know. I know," she repeated several times, like it was all she could do. She let her hands fall just a little and looked at him. "I don't know what to do. Everything I've tried," she shook her head.
"So you have made attempts in the past to leave, but they were unsuccessful," Edwin interpreted. He wasn't sure if that's what she meant. She may only have meant that she had tried to make her husband stop.
Mrs. Banner nodded. "I've even reached out to his sisters. They're trying to get him committed. He… He's sick," she whispered. "He's threatened me. Says if I leave he'll just come after us. He's...done it before. He's threatened to have Bruce taken away, put up in the system somewhere." She choked on a sob. "I've wondered if he would be better off with someone else, but… He's my son."
Edwin had never been particularly good at comforting crying females, but it wasn't hard to say what needed to be said in this situation. "I understand. And you shouldn't be in a position where you have to sacrifice your motherhood as the only means of protecting your son. That's why I want to help you if you'll allow me the chance."
Mrs. Banner met his gaze, brow furrowed and eyes still wet. "How?"
***
Tony grew more and more confused as he watched strange houses pass by outside of the window. Finally he said, "This isn't the way to the airport. We didn't come this way before." He looked at his mom and Jarvis.
"Observant as ever," Jarvis said with a smile. "We are making a small detour."
"What for?"
"Tony," his mother said, "you don't always have to ask so many questions. Try being patient. You'll find out soon enough."
Tony frowned and leaned his head against the window. "I just wanna know what for," he complained.
Thankfully he didn't have to wait too long. Because he saw a woman and boy standing on a sidewalk in front of a house. When he squinted, he realized the boy was Bruce. He sat up excitedly and looked at his mom and then Jarvis.
"It's Bruce! We're visiting Bruce?"
His mother laughed, her happy laugh that she didn't use a lot in public. "Actually, Bruce will be coming to visit us."
Tony wondered if he was dreaming, but then the car came to a stop and Jarvis moved to open the door. Jarvis helped him out of the car and then did the same for his mom. Tony didn't know what to say as he and his mom approached Bruce and Bruce's mom.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Banner," his mom said, using the smile she always did at parties and stuff. "And you also, Bruce." She looked down at him. "Tony here has said a lot of great things about you."
Bruce blinked, looking shy, but then smiled. "Nice to meet you too, ma'am," he said quietly.
"Allow me to place his things in the car," Jarvis said.
That's when Tony noticed there were a couple of bags beside Bruce. And Bruce was holding a small backpack close to his body.
"Thank you for doing this," Bruce's mom said. "It's… it's hard, but I've run out of options. And, and I feel like I can trust you." She sounded like she was trying not to cry for some reason.
"I promise we'll take very good care of Bruce until we can get everything straightened out for you," his mom said. "I wish you would come with us now, but Jarvis explained your concerns. That you feel safer taking other means. I've already been in contact with our lawyers—"
"I, I could never repay that," Bruce's mom said.
Tony looked back and forth between her and his mom, wondering what they were talking about. Bruce was coming to visit, but why would there have to be lawyers?
"It's nothing. We pay them for their services in all matters. If you've tried legal channels before, they can simply move it along. They're very good at getting quick results."
Bruce's mom nodded and then she did start to cry. "I'm sorry. I'm fine, really, just a little overwhelmed."
Bruce looked up at his mom. "I don't haf to leaf if you don't want me to."
Tony wondered if Bruce was afraid of coming with them. He didn't like it when he couldn't be with his mom so it was probably the same for Bruce.
Bruce's mom crouched down and ran her fingers through Bruce's very curly hair. "It's okay, baby. You're going to go have fun. I want you to. And I'll be there to get you before you know it. I promise."
She kissed him on his forehead and then hugged him close. When she stood again, she looked at Tony's mom and Jarvis.
"In one of his bags is contact information for my extended family. If there are any emergencies, or if you need one of them to come get him, I've let one of my sisters-in-law know what's going on. I… I may even go stay with her. She's always been willing to take both of us in, but the last time I tried that, Brian—"
Bruce stepped back, eyes wide. He looked afraid.
"Oh no," his mom said. She looked at them. "Please, please go now." She turned and looked down at Bruce. "Bruce, I love you. You need to go with them now, okay?"
Tony looked around, wondering what was going on. His mom grabbed his hand and was pulling him back. Jarvis had picked up Bruce and was carrying him to the car while he started to cry.
"What the hell is going on!?"
Tony jumped. He saw a man running down the street, although not in a very straight line. Tony had seen drunk people before and he was pretty sure the man was drunk.
"Come on, Tony." His mom pushed him into the car and followed behind, pulling the door shut hard.
Bruce was crying harder than before and he was trying to talk, but Tony could only understand some of it. "Please…can't…he'll…he'll hurt…before…"
"Dear God," his mother shrieked.
She was looking out the window so Tony tried to look too, but she pushed him back when she realized it so that he couldn't see anything.
"That sonofabitch needs to have his ass kicked," the driver said, looking out of the window from the front of the car. He removed his seatbelt.
"Is there a police station nearby?" Jarvis asked the driver.
He wasn't their usual driver, just somebody who worked for his dad's company in this town so that's probably why he asked, Tony realized.
"Yeah, I think the nearest precinct is a couple blocks away."
"Right. Go there and have them send someone back here at once. I will do my best to subdue the situation."
Jarvis opened the door and yelled, "Sir, I suggest you get your hands off of her this instant." Then he slammed the door and the car started to move.
Tony scrambled up on his knees to see what was going on through the back window. It looked like Jarvis and the drunk man were going to fight. His mom pulled him back down into his seat before he could see for sure.
Tony turned his attention to Bruce. He was still crying, his head buried into his backpack. Tony looked at him, and felt again like he wanted to cry too. He looked up at his mom and saw her biting her lip, just like he did when he didn't want to cry.
"Jarvis will make sure Bruce's mom is okay, won't he?" he asked. "Jarvis can do anything."
His mom smiled, just a little bit, but didn't answer his question.