Babysitting a Superhero (Stark's daughter X Peter Parker)

32. The Incredible Hulk

Amara thought back to the mission, just before she tried to perform the lullaby on Hulk:

What if this doesn't work? What if he'll be stuck like this?

That's what she had thought, right before she did the lullaby. What if she somehow, subconsciously, blocked the lullaby from working. What if Tony really was right?

Amara was breathing heavily, panicking more and more with every passing second.

"Starkette? Friend? What happened?" Hulk asked, looking down at her, but when she met his eyes, this innocent person, who has only ever tried to be good, stuck in this cage because of her. Amara broke down, sobbing. "Don't worry, friend. Cage is not so bad. Don't be sad."

"I'm so sorry, Hulk. I think I might be the reason this is all happening."

"Reason? For what?"

"I think I'm the reason that you're stuck in this cage. This is all my fault! I did this! I'm so sorry."

"No, not Starkette fault. Hulk in cage because Hulk always smash when he outside. Hulk make mistakes, not Starkette."

"That's not true Hulk. You save people. You're a hero."

"So is you."

Surprisingly, Hulk's attempts at comforting Amara made her feel better. Perhaps it was the fact that it was coming from the person who's life she thought she ruined. Or maybe it was because of the fact that, even though he could only talk a little bit, he used that to make her feel better.

Amara smiled, the tears no longer flowing as much, "Thank you Hulk. I told you were good."

She heard an access code be typed into the cell door, and Rhodey walked in. "Amara, that's ten minutes, we gotta g- Oh. You okay?"

Amara looked at her uncle Rhodey and nodded, "Yeah I'm okay now."

He nodded, curtly, "Okay, we gotta go, it's almost the end of my shift."

She nodded and turned back to Hulk, "I will get you out of here, Hulk. I'll prove to everyone that you're not the bad guy, that they don't have to be afraid of you."

He grunted in agreement and turned away from the barrier, heading to sit back down on his bench.

Amara walked over to Rhodey and called out to Hulk, one more time, "And I'm gonna make sure that you get the best food, okay! Including Wanda's cookies."

She knew how much Bruce loved those cookies, she imagined that Hulk felt the same way. Her theory was confirmed when she saw his face light up.

She turned back to Rhodey and nodded, "Okay, I'm ready to go."

—————

Tony Stark had practically locked himself away in his lab. He was working day and night, for three days trying to find any other reason for why Bruce couldn't return. Any reason at all that would prove his daughters innocence.

He hated how he wasn't able to do that, and so he kept working until he could go back upstairs and show Amara the proof that he was wrong. He knew he was wrong. He knew it, but after he said all that's awful stuff to her, he had to prove it, too.