Tony's mind was racing. How did this happen? Is he going to be permanently deaf? What am I going to tell May? How will Peter handle this?
Tony shook his head, turning back to Peter. How does one talk to a deaf kid that doesn't know sign language? He sighed, running his hand through his hair. Looking at Peter, Tony could see the fear on his face, but the kid chose to stay silent. Tony sighed again, deciding to pantomime to the best of his ability. He made the motions that made the best sense to describe that he would be right back. He waited until Peter nodded his head slowly, and then stood up and walked out of the room quickly, in search of a pen and piece of paper.
After finding one, he went back to Peter's room. He hurriedly wrote 'Pete, don't worry. I know you can't hear me, but we'll figure this out. I'll get Bruce to work on it, too. I know you're scared, but I'm going to make sure you'll be okay.' Tony surprised himself with what he wrote. Since when did I get this sappy? Blegh. He gave the pen and notepad to Peter.
He watched as Peter smiled slightly, and then as his eyebrows rose and his jaw dropped.
"THE Bruce Banner?! Mr. Stark, are you kidding?!" Peter said, almost yelling.
Tony took the pen and paper and wrote, 'Yes, kid, the old Brucie-boy himself. When you talk, you need to realize that you're talking really loudly. You're gonna hurt other people's ears.'.
"Oh, okay," Peter whispered, curling in on himself. "Sorry."
'It's okay kiddo, don't worry about it. Is it okay if Bruce comes in here? Or would you rather he not. I know you're worried about him knowing who you are, but I promise he won't tell if you don't want him to.'
"I guess it's okay," Peter said quietly.
"Fri, can you get Bruce in here, please? Make sure he comes alone, too," Tony said, his eyes directed to the ceiling so Peter would know who he was talking to.
Eventually, the door opened, and Bruce came in. He opened his mouth to say something, but as his eyes darted over to the bed, his jaw snapped shut.
"Hey Brucie, this is Peter. Or, as you know him, Spider-Man. Don't be worried if he knows you; he certainly does," Tony said, smirking.
As soon as he finished speaking, Peter started talking. "Oh my gosh! You're-"
"The Hulk? Yeah that's me," Bruce said unenthusiastically.
"The most renowned scientist of the generation! I love your work! I've read all of your works on gamma radiation, they're so interesting!" Peter's voice was fast, and raised slightly in volume at the end.
Bruce's head whipped around to look at Peter, eyes wide. "Oh. Uh, yeah. That's me too. How old are you, Peter?"
Peter watched Bruce talk, and the cast his eyes toward the ground, slumping.
"What's wrong?" Bruce asked Peter, confused. He watched as Tony went over to rub Peter's back comfortingly.
"After that robot exploded, he can't hear. I asked you to come to see if you could help me fix it. We have to help him, Bruce," Tony said, his voice sounding desperate.
"Of course I'll help, Tony. Don't worry, we'll figure this out," Bruce said.
Tony opened his mouth to thank Bruce, but he was interrupted by a loud growl coming from Peter's stomach. As the two older watched, Peter's face turned as red as his suit.
"Uhmmm…" Peter mumbled, obviously embarrassed.
"Ah. How could I forget that spider-baby has an enhanced metabolism?" Tony said, trying not to laugh.
Tony grabbed the notepad and wrote 'You up for a trip to the kitchen, kiddie?'
"Is anyone else gonna be there?" Peter asked shyly.
Tony's face changed to a look of confusion. 'I thought you were excited?'
"Well, I was—I mean, I am—but I kinda can't hear so that'd be kind of awkward if the Black Widow had to write to talk to some random kid."
'Kid, I'm sure Nat wouldn't mind. I have no doubt she'll love you when she meets you. And besides, you're not some random kid. You're Peter Parker, one of the smartest kids I've ever met. Now let's go get some food. I'll tell Friday to keep everyone out of the kitchen for a bit, okay?'
"Thank you, Mr. Stark," Peter said, a small but genuine smile on his face.
The Stark smiled back, patting Peter on the back lightly.
Tony motioned for Bruce to follow them, and the trio made their way to the elevator.
After stepping off of the elevator, the three entered the kitchen.
"Hey Tony?" Bruce said, glancing at the smaller superhero following them. "What's his story? He looks so young but I've seen him in action. He's so strong. Where did he even get his powers?"
"Brucie, it's not really my story to tell. I'm sure Pete would be fine telling you if you asked," Tony said, giving a small smile in the scientist's direction.
Peter sat himself at a bar stool, hopping up with so much careless coordination Bruce's brows furrowed.
"No fair."
Tony just laughed, catching the teen's attention.
"What's so funny?" Peter asked, confused.
Tony shook his head, still chuckling.