Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes | Every Thirty Days | Chapter Two
See the Master Post for story details
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Clint
After Banner had declined his day out, Clint made sure to check in with Hulk about Banner's plans the next month. But Banner gave up his day again. Same thing happened the following month, too.
Hulk looked uneasy when he explained this last time that Banner didn't want to change places with him. Clint was feeling uneasy, too. He told himself that if Banner didn't show for his next turn, that he was going to talk to Hulk about making Banner come out.
And okay, missing those three days of Banner time wasn't maybe anything to get too worried about, but Clint was starting to get a bad feeling about all of this.
* * *
Another thirty days passed, typical Avenger business keeping them occupied. At least nobody had tried to eat their planet or mutate the hell out of all of them.
So, almost Banner time. Hulk said that Banner hadn't talked to him in weeks. Clint asked him if that was normal, and Hulk had shrugged.
“What's normal?”
Hulk had left Banner alone, he'd said. If Banner wanted to talk, he'd talk.
If Banner refused to come out today, that would make four months since his last time outside. It hadn't been Clint who'd babysat him the two times before that. He remembered he'd been busy and oddly disappointed to have missed seeing Banner.
So where had he been the two times Banner came out to play with one of the other Avengers? He asked JARVIS to project his personal calender, and he flipped back through the months.
Right. First time he'd had to miss babysitting Banner, he'd been away helping out Black Widow, for old time's sake. He'd figured someone else, Cap, or maybe Janet, had taken over being Banner's bodyguard.
Thirty days later, he'd been in the hospital. It had been annoying that some goon from AIM had managed to explode some doohickey and knock him out. Hulk had saved his ass, he'd been told, absorbing most of the blast himself.
Clint had spent the next two days woozy, confined to bed. He didn't even try to sneak out, which was a record for him because he hated doctors and hospitals. Well, Cap had kind of made that impossible by camping out in Clint's room. Hulk hadn't stuck around very long in Clint's boring hospital room while Clint was seeing double, so he figured Banner had kept to the schedule. He'd told himself that he didn't care that he wouldn't be chauffeuring one of their resident geniuses around this time.
Maybe Thor had hung out with Banner. Wrapped him up in a warm blanket and flown him with his magic hammer to a lake so the guy could throw his fishing line in the water.
If so, Thor probably wouldn't volunteer again to sit in a boat and be bored to tears while Banner soaked up some peace and quiet. Clint had yet to see the guy actually catch a fish; not even a minnow had ever tugged at his line.
No, the other Avengers were definitely the B plan when it came to keeping an eye on Banner. Clint wanted to do the job. For Hulk, of course.
And he kind of missed flying Banner around.
He asked JARVIS for a rundown on where the other Avengers were, needing some intel on Banner's last times with the team. Steve, Tony, and Hulk were training. Jan was in her bedroom, and Thor had just come in from flying around the city on patrol. He got out his card and called Jan and Thor to meet him in the kitchen.
* * *
They were sitting at the kitchen table, Jan drinking iced tea, and Thor enjoying an Ale 8. Clint knew he liked that drink and besides, the smile on his face said it all.
“Hey, guys,” Clint said. “This won't take long.”
“Hawkeye, join us, for indeed, this drink is refreshing.”
Jan said, “I think it's the ginger in it. Or maybe the citrus.”
Clint sat down with them. “Maybe later. Listen, remember a few months back when I was gone for a while, helping the Widow with an op?”
“You told me you broke up with her for good that time. Are you getting back together?” Jan asked.
“What? No. Friends only.”
“What's this about?” Jan took a sip of her iced tea.
“I couldn't babysit Banner because I was gone. So who did hang out with him? Or did he just stay in the mansion?”
Thor said thoughtfully, “Nay, Bruce Banner did not exchange places with Hulk while you were away.”
“He's right, Clint. Hulk stayed Hulk.”
Clint frowned. “Well, did anybody watch Banner the next month when I was in the hospital? “
“I didn't,” Jan said. “Gosh, I feel awful. I kind of forgot he was due for a turn. Thor, did you talk
to Bruce when Clint was injured from that AIM bomb?”
“I did not. I do not believe he joined us. Hawkeye, you are concerned, are you not?”
“It's been six months, at least, since Hulk changed back to Banner. He's been refusing to come out, you know. I don't like it.”
“Cap might have--” Jan said.
“Nah. Cap was with me at the hospital.”
“Maybe Tony nabbed him to do science stuff when you were sick?” Jan asked, hopefully.
Clint looked up at the ceiling. “JARVIS, has Bruce Banner worked with Tony in the last six months?”
“No, Master Barton. Scanning my logs shows that Doctor Banner has not appeared at all in this residence since the day that Falcon and the Red Hulk attempted to abduct him.”
“Ut-oh,” Jan said. “I didn't realize--”
“I'm going to talk to Hulk when he's finished with training. I really think Banner needs to show up this time. I wanna check him out.”
“I'll go with you,” said Jan. “Just call me.”
“Thanks,” Clint said.
“I, too, will be there.” said Thor, got up, and clapped Clint heartily on the back. “I shall escort Hulk to you when he tires of sparring.”
* * *
“Banner is stubborn. Won't talk to me, won't say why he doesn't want to come out,“ said Hulk. They were in the living room, just Thor, Clint, and Hulk. Jan was on her way.
Clint blew out his breath. “Hulk, old buddy. Can you make him come out here anyway?”
“Why should I?” Hulk frowned.
“We did a little checking and nobody's seen him for a long time. I figured that Cap or Wasp or Thor had hung out with him while I was gone with Natasha or in the hospital, but that didn't happen.”
Thor added, “Friend Hulk, we fear something is amiss with your small self.”
Hulk frowned. “Huh. Don't like forcing him to do something he doesn't want to do. We've both had too much of that.”
“Yeah,” said Clint, “the Enchantress, Ross, S.H.I.E.L.D., they've all messed with you two. But you're my friend. We're not asking because we want to control you or him. We just want to make sure he's okay. Aren't you worried, too?”
A strange look crossed Hulk's face, and he said, “Banner was listening. He still says no.”
Clint grumbled, “I think I wanna wring his scrawny neck. JARVIS, tell Tony and Cap to assemble in the living room. I think we need reinforcements to figure this mess out.”
* * *
“Okay,” Tony said, “Hulk, is Bruce afraid to change back?”
“Doesn't feel like it.” Hulk was standing with his arms crossed across his mighty chest. He wasn't angry, not exactly, Clint thought, but he was getting annoyed. Clint wasn't sure if that annoyance was directed towards the other Avengers or at Banner.
Wasp shrank and then flew over to Hulk and sat on his shoulder. “After what happened with Hank, we should check on Bruce. After all, he was the one kept in that cell. Maybe he's not doing so well, you know?”
Tony made a sound of agreement. “They kept him restrained a lot and drugged up, we know that. And he was just sitting on the floor when we came to get him released the first time. He was really listless.”
Steve looked troubled. “He wasn't even conscious when Jan and I broke into his cell on the helicarrier. Who knows what else they did to him?”
Clint said, “Maybe Hulk knows.”
Tony looked at Hulk. “When Banner is out, how much do you know about what's going on?”
Hulk frowned. “Only what Banner wants to share with me. He didn't share about being in that cell.”
Clint saw Hulk start to tap fingers against his opposite arm, and knew it wouldn't be long before Hulk would either put a stop to the questions, or he'd kick Banner out to answer them himself.
Steve looked thoughtfully at Hulk, the aura of “Captain America believes in you” projecting from him in full force. Come to think of it, it usually was the way Steve treated Hulk. He was always unfailingly kind to Banner, too, never teasing him the way that Clint couldn't resist doing.
“Hulk, I've never known you to do anything but the right thing. So, what do you think is the right thing to do for yourself and Doctor Banner?” Steve said.
“Banner is being stupid. Won't talk to me. We made a deal, and I'm in charge of our body. I'm going to make him come out. You talk to him, find out if something is wrong.”
Hulk began shrinking and Wasp fluttered away from him, resuming her normal human size.
It didn't take long before Banner was there. Clint took a few steps towards him before he made himself stop.
Banner was too thin. He always was a skinny, scrawny guy, but he was noticeably thinner now. His eyes looked even bigger, and he bent over and put his hands on his knees, breathing like he'd run a marathon.
“Hey,” Clint said loudly, “was he this skinny when Ross had him in that mountain prison? Didn't those bastards feed him?”
“He might have lost some weight in that cell, but nothing like this. Bruce, how are you?” Tony asked, crossing his arms,
“I'm... fine.”
Clint snorted.
Tony's right eyebrow lifted. “Uh-huh. Feel like explaining why you haven't been taking your day off for the last six months?”
Tony was looking mildly guilty, and Clint guessed that he really hadn't thought much about Banner at all since they'd proved that Ross had stuck that awful brain gizmo in Banner's head. Hulk had seemed fine when he'd come back to help them fight Galactus.
Banner straightened up, a pained look on his face. “I don't want my day off!” He clenched his fists and they all watched as his size increased and his skin turned that shade of Hulk green.
When Hulk was totally back, he looked around. “What happened?” He looked off to the side for a moment, a gesture they'd all seen enough times to know that he was seeing a visualization or hallucination of Banner.
Hulk growled, then said, “He's still not talking, just wants me to stay me and says he's not coming back, ever. Huh. We'll see about that. I'm in charge, and I say he's coming out and staying for a week. You guys fix him, because he's broken.”
Hulk shrank down, and it was always weird to see that huge, strong body became their little scientist.
A scientist who fell to his knees and hit the floor with his fist. “No!” He started to gain size again, his pale skin tingeing green, his eyes shifting to vivid green.
When Banner was not yet halfway transformed back to Hulk, he started shrinking down again. Clint almost bit his own tongue at the sight.
“Not doing this,” Banner rasped out, when his eyes had turned brown and he was almost slumped over on the floor. He was having trouble catching his breath, but he hit the floor again and again.
Wasp started to go to him, but Tony held her back. “Wait a second, Jan. Let him stop trying to transform. Thor, do you think Jane could come over and check Bruce out? His breathing... Oh, Odin's Beard.”
Clint wondered when Tony had started picking up Thor's favorite curses, and then his eyes widened, because Banner was trying again to change back to Hulk.
Hulk sent him back to being Banner before he'd even grown to the size of Captain America and his skin had only turned a pale shade of mint. His eyes seemed to have green sparkles, which quickly disappeared and once again Bruce Banner, thin and kinda short, was back.
He was the most stubborn person Clint had ever seen.
They all watched, horrified, as Banner kept trying to wrest control of his body away from Hulk, and once again become their big green comrade. Hulk kept reversing the transformations as soon as Banner's muscles started swelling.
“House?”
“Yes, Master Thor?”
“Would you please call my sweet Jane and ask her to attend to Doctor Banner? It is alright if she comes in the screaming vehicle. I fear that our friend may be in need of her machines and medicines.” Thor looked flustered, maybe because this was a problem he couldn't fix with his hammer.
Banner was back on his knees, and he wasn't talking. Instead he was breathing with great gasps, slumped over till his forehead was touching the floor.
He looked like a small, miserable ball of humanity. Cap and Jan went to him, kneeling down next to him, Cap's hand on his back, Jan running her fingers through his mop of hair.
He tried to wave them off with one hand, and damned if he didn't start trying to transform again.
Deciding he'd had enough of Banner's bullshit, Clint strode over to where Banner had scooted away from Steve and Janet. The guy didn't seem to have enough energy left to hit the floor anymore, but he was clenching his fists, his eyes narrowing with the effort to change, almost rocking on the floor.
Clint reached down and got him by his biceps and hauled him up, disturbed by how easy it was. Clint shook him a little, and frowned when he saw Banner had screwed his eyes shut.
“Look, you idiot. Stop it. Just stop it. Hulk says you're out here for a week, and he's a hell of lot stronger than you are. You can't fight him like this, it's tearing you up.” Clint was angry himself by now.
“You... can't... tell me... what... to do.” Banner had gasped, but Clint could feel Banner's arm muscles becoming even more limp. If Clint hadn't been holding him steady, the guy would have collapsed.
Well, it looked like Clint had gotten what he'd asked for. Banner was angry, not the Hulk, and that was a first as far as Clint knew. He'd wanted to see Banner drop the calm and cool routine and actually express some real emotions. Clint didn't feel as vindicated as he thought he would.
Banner hadn't tried to change in the last minute, so maybe he'd given up.
“Hey, are you done acting up now?” Clint said gruffly.
Banner's eyes slowly opened and they looked hazy. He seemed to semi-focus on Clint. His breathing was too fast, like he couldn't get enough oxygen. “Hawkeye... your arm... I'm sorry... Hulk?”
He tried again to blow himself up big and green. Clint gave a startled yelp as he felt Banner's muscles pulsing, rippling, under Clint's hands. Before he could tower over Clint, he stopped changing. The transformation reversed and Banner's confused brown eyes met his. “Clint,” he whispered.
Hulk must have slapped him down pretty hard this time, because Banner's skin faded to dead white, his eyes rolled up, and he passed out.
Clint pulled him close, noticing the sweat that had darkened Banner's hair and how a few drops were still making their slow way down the side of his face.
Shifting Banner, holding the guy against him with one arm, Clint got his other arm under Banner's knees and picked him up. Banner was totally out of it, limp.
Outside, Clint could hear an ambulance screaming into the driveway.
JARVIS announced, “Jane Foster has arrived with an ambulance crew. I'll let them in, shall I? Master Barton, perhaps if you could carry Doctor Banner to Hulk's room and place him on the bed?”
Tony and Steve followed him to Hulk's bedroom, and Thor headed toward the front door. Janet flew ahead down the hall to Hulk's room and changed back to her normal size to open the door.
She pulled the covers down and Clint carefully laid Banner down on the sheets. He was still very pale, and his freckles stood out in brown patterns on his cheeks and his shoulders. Funny. Clint hadn't noticed before that Banner was freckled all over.
Clint took it back. Banner didn't actually need to shave off his stubble in order to look about twelve-years-old. Him lying there in Hulk's huge bed just added to that illusion.
Janet brushed his damp hair off his forehead, and Clint used two fingers to take his pulse, holding them against the side of Banner's neck. It was too fast and fluttery. His breathing was still erratic, too.
Clint laid a palm against Banner's chest, then felt his arms and hands. Banner was cold. He might be going into shock, so Clint grabbed a couple of pillows and stuffed them under Banner's slender feet. Cap moved to the end of the bed and pulled a light blanket free and handed it to Clint. He arranged it over Banner so the EMT's could easily move it, hoping it would help warm the guy back up. He caught Tony's eye and shrugged. He had a feeling there was going to be a team meeting about Bruce Banner in the very near future.
Thor, Jane, and two other EMT's came quickly into the room, and Clint stepped back. Jane and a red-headed EMT donned gloves and started attaching things to Banner's arms and fingers, calling out numbers for the tall one to record.
* * *
“Okay, one at a time, what happened?” Jane asked, calm and professional. Clint knew that Thor was smitten with her, intrigued with her willingness to face danger to care for the injured. “Clint?” She grabbed the clipboard while the red-head pulled back Banner's eye lid and shone a light in his eye.
Clint stopped staring at Banner and turned to face her. “Okay.”
Clint started to explain what had happened, but the red-head held up a hand to stop him.
“This little guy is the Hulk?” His eyes swept over Banner dismissively. “You sure?”
Clint wanted to give him a nice hard punch in the kisser. “Look, pal, he's Bruce Banner and he's the Hulk. Deal with it.”
The EMT shone the light in Banner's other eye. There was absolutely no movement, no blinks, and Clint's stomach started tying itself into knots.
Jane said briskly, “Clint, go on.” She shot a look at the red-head. He shrugged and started wrapping a blood pressure cuff around Banner's upper arm.
When Clint was done, Jane questioned the others about Banner's collapse, double checking about any seizures or head injuries, and asking if Banner had taken any drugs, either a prescribed medicine or something off the streets. The EMTs were competent people, and they were working hard on Banner, who still hadn't twitched a muscle.
The red-head said, “Jane, you told us these guys are your friends, but we're gonna have a big problem, and you know it.”
“I know the protocol as well as you do, Michael.” Jane told him evenly.
Michael, the red-head, glanced at all of them and said, “I'm sorry. He doesn't look like he'd be trouble, but with him being the Hulk--”
Jan said, “Protocol? What protocol?”
Michael inserted a thermometer in Banner's ear. “Since he's the Hulk, we're going to have to treat him as a bio-hazard.”
“Oh, you mean because of Bruce's blood?” Jan bit her lip.
Jane nodded. “Yes, that, and there are other precautions that have to be taken,” and motioned for the group to move to one side.
“What precautions are we talking about, Miss Foster,” Steve asked.
“I'll explain in a moment. First off, we're going to take him in for more tests as soon as he's ready to be transported.”
The other EMT, the one who hadn't said a word, tied a rubber strip around Banner's arm and started swabbing his skin with alcohol pads.
Jane said, “We're starting an IV to keep him hydrated, give him some energy,” and she got out tubing and a fluid filled bag.”
Clint watched them stick Banner with a needle as they set up the I.V.
“He didn't even flinch,” Jan said, sounding worried.
Jane said, “If he's as non-responsive in six hours as he is now, he'd only get a three on the Glasgow Coma scale.”
Tony made an unhappy sound, and Clint asked, “What's that mean?”
Jane said gently, “I'm sorry. It's not good, Clint. If he's still like this hours from now, it means he's in a deep coma.”
Thor asked, “A deep sleep, then? As my father sleeps?”
Jane said, “I don't think so. For humans, a coma is not the same thing as being asleep. We'll try to find a reason for his collapse, but if it involves some sort of internal conflict between him and the Hulk, we're in uncharted territories.”
Clint wanted to shake Banner again, wake him the fuck up, but he didn't move. He wasn't an idiot. Doing that wouldn't help him.
Steve said firmly, “Miss Foster, we appreciate everything you and your partners are doing. You said precautions. What are the rest of them?”
“He'll have to be admitted to a S.H.I.E.L.D. medical facility.”
“Why S.H.I.E.L.D?” Tony asked. “Your hospital is top-notch, and it's closer.”
“I know. We can't take him there.” Jane sounded regretful.
“We're talking about the same hospital that's treated me and Captain America, and Wasp? But Doctor Banner, a genius who saved us all from being turned into gamma radiation monsters, isn't allowed in?” Clint asked angrily.
“Have a care, archer. My Jane does not set the rules for her place of healing. Do not castigate her for something over which she has no control,” Thor warned, a storm warning clear on his face.
Jan put her hands on her hips. “Bruce has had some bad experiences with S.H.I.E.L.D. He wouldn't want to be treated there.”
“Thor told me how Doctor Banner was kept on the helicarrier on false charges, ”Jane said. “I'm sorry, but our hospital can't accept him.”
Jan said, “Jane?”
“It's because of the Hulk. My bosses are afraid that he might... smash the hospital.”
Clint said coldly. “Hulk wouldn't--”
“I mean, if he were delirious or not aware of what he was doing. Protocol says send him to S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Clint snarled, “You can take that protocol and--”
Michael interrupted. “Jane, I'm putting him on oxygen. His levels have dropped again.”
Jane said, “This is not personal. He's not the only one, any superhero or super-villain with incredible strength or damaging powers is listed.”
“Name one,” Clint snapped out.
“Ben Grimm, the Thing. I'm sorry. But from what I know of Doctor Banner, he'd be the last person who'd want to put other hospitalized people or the staff at risk. It's hard enough to keep a normal person from hurting staff and destroying equipment if they go into a rage from being in an altered state. We really wouldn't have any way to stop someone like the Hulk.”
Jane sounded apologetic, and reluctantly, Clint could see the hospital's point. But S.H.I.E.L.D.? Clint could picture the bleak look on Banner's face when he woke up there, assuming that once again he was a prisoner.
Jane moved to Banner's side, and talked quietly with the other EMTs. They transferred Banner onto the gurney and strapped him in.
“Tony, can't we keep him here in our clinic? You found the antidote to that illness the Red Skull gave us working from there,” Clint said, feeling like he was grasping at straws.
“I don't know if it's suitable or not. It's designed more as a first aid station and research lab.” Jane was taking Banner's blood pressure. “Jane, I know Thor gave you a tour of our medical clinic. Which would be better for Bruce?”
She looked at the reading and frowned. “For now, S.H.I.E.L.D. is the better choice. You don't have all of the equipment to run tests and Doctor Banner is probably going to need to see several specialists.”
Tony stroked his beard, “Can you ballpark it for us? What's wrong with him?”
Jane said, ”I'm an EMT, not a doctor, but I think his condition is partly neurological. His breathing--it's ataxic, it's erratic, even with the oxygen we've got him on. He's very seriously ill. He's malnourished, and underweight, too, which means he's going to have a harder time coming out of this. And he's the Hulk. That has to be taken into account.”
Clint said, “S.H.I.E.L.D. got any docs that understand how Banner and Hulk work?”
Jane said, “I hope so.” She started gathering up equipment, and Clint could hear the tall EMT calling S.H.I.E.L.D., explaining about Banner's physical condition.
Tony muttered, “Nobody knows how Bruce and Hulk work. They turn the laws of physics inside out and upside down.”
Jane stopped packing; her expression turned to one of uncertainty. “Actually, there is someone I think you could consult. This doctor has a background in neurology, but he's not one of the hospital's current docs, although he was on the roster years ago. I'm not sure if he actually has a practice anymore or not.”
Tony said, straightening, “Who's that doctor, Jane?”
“His name is Stephen Strange. He was hurt badly in an accident, couldn't do surgery anymore. I know he had a rough time for quite a while. I think he went into alternative medicine.”
“How alternative?” Tony asked.
“People say that he became some sort of mystic.”
“Oh, great. Hoo-doo. Jane, Bruce needs help, not magic tricks,” Tony scoffed.
“But Doctor Banner and the Hulk being two people sharing a body, or one person with two bodies, well, I think that might be considered mystical territory,” Jane said.
Clint shrugged. “I say it's worth a shot. Takes one to know one, an' all.”
Thor looked puzzled and Jan said, “He means that Bruce being the Hulk is weird, so maybe a doctor who knows about weird can help him.”
Tony looked like he'd just sucked on a lemon. “Jane, where can we find Doctor Mumbo-jumbo?”
Jane said hesitantly, “I don't know exactly.”
“JARVIS?” Tony asked.
“Doctor Strange is not listed in the phone book, sir.”
Jane snapped her fingers. “I've heard, from street talk, that he's friends with Spiderman. I don't know how to contact him, either.”
Steve said, “I'll try to track down Spiderman. I have a pretty good feel for the places he patrols.”
“Okay,” Tony agreed. “JARVIS and I will do some research, see if we can send him or Doctor Strange a message.”
Steve left the room.
Clint added, “Tony, Fury or Hill will need to okay this guy checking Banner out, I think.”
Tony nodded. “I'll handle S.H.I.E.L.D. And one of us needs to stay on monitoring duty in case of trouble.”
Thor said, “The house and I shall stand watch, and sound the alarm should the Avengers be needed.”
The other two EMTs started to push the gurney towards the bedroom door. Jane took a deep breath, and said, “I hate to tell you all this, but S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to insist that he be placed in a cell for security purposes. They'll bring the medical equipment to him.”
“A cell? I'm going with Banner. Somebody's got to have his back with S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Clint said emphatically.
Me too.” Wasp looked troubled, not an expression she usually wore on her pretty face, except when she and Pym had been at odds with each other.
Jane patted her on the arm as she passed her. Everybody but Tony crowded out of the room, forming an escort around the gurney.
Jan looked at Banner and then at Clint as they walked. “This is just awful. He looks bad, Clint. And Bruce and Hulk, they're my friends. Okay, I know Hulk much better, but I really like Bruce, even if I don't know him as well. I feel like I've let him down.”
“Jan, it's not you. Banner just keeps to himself. He hardly ever talks to anybody.”
“He talks to you.”
“Once in a while, yeah. But mostly, it's me doing the talking.” And being a dick, usually, Clint thought.
“Before, on your trips? Did he seem okay to you, Clint?”
They'd reached the front lobby and Thor stopped walking. Clint darted ahead to open the door for the EMTs. Thor said, “Hawkeye, tell Doctor Banner that the Son of Odin gladly will guard him while friend Hulk sleeps,” and waved his arm in a farewell-shield-brothers-and-sister kind of way.
Steve caught up to them and said, “Keep in touch with Tony.” He went out the open door in a fast jog, his shield on his back.
The gurney was rolled to the back of the ambulance, and the crew stowed equipment.
“Jan, I dunno if he was really okay or not. He wanted to do his experiments and he wanted to be outside. But he seemed - guarded a lot. Like he shouldn't relax.”
Jan said, “He was kept in cells. I think I'd want to stay outside, too.”
“Right,” Clint said. He'd been glad to breathe fresh air after escaping from the Vault.
Jan's expression became thoughtful. “You know, I've been thinking, and I can't remember ever hearing Bruce laugh, or even really smiling. Not a real one, one where he can't stop grinning.”
She shrunk then and perched herself near Banner's head.
Banner's eyes were still shut.
* * *
Clint rode in the back of the ambulance, Wasp keeping her place by Banner's ear. A S.H.I.E.L.D. escort met them shortly after the ambulance pulled away from the mansion, four SUVs and a helicopter above them.
Clint supposed that if Hulk came out and was pissed, the EMTs would abandon ship. He wished Hulk would relent and change places with Banner, so Clint could see if he was okay. Maybe it would cure Banner, if he sent him out afterward. It was possible. Who knew how the two of them worked.
Jane adjusted Banner's oxygen cannula, and then took his pulse again. Clint caught her eye when she was finished.
“So, the helicarrier?” Since Banner had been kept there after he'd been captured the last time, Clint figured it was a good bet that the ambulance was heading towards the docks. They'd probably transfer Banner to a helicopter there, then fly him out to the helicarrier.
“Yes. And I'll be going with Doctor Banner, to transition his care to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s doctors.”
“Well, at least that's closer than that lockdown Ross stuck him in up in the mountains.” Clint stared at Banner. Suddenly he regretted telling the guy that he wasn't an Avenger. It was true, but he should have kept his big mouth shut. It might have made Banner feel happy to think that he and Hulk both were part of the team.
Clint had been thinking about what Janet had said, while the ambulance tore through the streets, lights flashing and sirens screaming. Other than the one time when Hulk had laughed at him, then transformed back to Banner, who had inherited Hulk's guffaws, Clint thought she was right.
He couldn't remember Banner laughing or smiling about anything, either.
* * *
Chapter Three
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Clint
After Banner had declined his day out, Clint made sure to check in with Hulk about Banner's plans the next month. But Banner gave up his day again. Same thing happened the following month, too.
Hulk looked uneasy when he explained this last time that Banner didn't want to change places with him. Clint was feeling uneasy, too. He told himself that if Banner didn't show for his next turn, that he was going to talk to Hulk about making Banner come out.
And okay, missing those three days of Banner time wasn't maybe anything to get too worried about, but Clint was starting to get a bad feeling about all of this.
* * *
Another thirty days passed, typical Avenger business keeping them occupied. At least nobody had tried to eat their planet or mutate the hell out of all of them.
So, almost Banner time. Hulk said that Banner hadn't talked to him in weeks. Clint asked him if that was normal, and Hulk had shrugged.
“What's normal?”
Hulk had left Banner alone, he'd said. If Banner wanted to talk, he'd talk.
If Banner refused to come out today, that would make four months since his last time outside. It hadn't been Clint who'd babysat him the two times before that. He remembered he'd been busy and oddly disappointed to have missed seeing Banner.
So where had he been the two times Banner came out to play with one of the other Avengers? He asked JARVIS to project his personal calender, and he flipped back through the months.
Right. First time he'd had to miss babysitting Banner, he'd been away helping out Black Widow, for old time's sake. He'd figured someone else, Cap, or maybe Janet, had taken over being Banner's bodyguard.
Thirty days later, he'd been in the hospital. It had been annoying that some goon from AIM had managed to explode some doohickey and knock him out. Hulk had saved his ass, he'd been told, absorbing most of the blast himself.
Clint had spent the next two days woozy, confined to bed. He didn't even try to sneak out, which was a record for him because he hated doctors and hospitals. Well, Cap had kind of made that impossible by camping out in Clint's room. Hulk hadn't stuck around very long in Clint's boring hospital room while Clint was seeing double, so he figured Banner had kept to the schedule. He'd told himself that he didn't care that he wouldn't be chauffeuring one of their resident geniuses around this time.
Maybe Thor had hung out with Banner. Wrapped him up in a warm blanket and flown him with his magic hammer to a lake so the guy could throw his fishing line in the water.
If so, Thor probably wouldn't volunteer again to sit in a boat and be bored to tears while Banner soaked up some peace and quiet. Clint had yet to see the guy actually catch a fish; not even a minnow had ever tugged at his line.
No, the other Avengers were definitely the B plan when it came to keeping an eye on Banner. Clint wanted to do the job. For Hulk, of course.
And he kind of missed flying Banner around.
He asked JARVIS for a rundown on where the other Avengers were, needing some intel on Banner's last times with the team. Steve, Tony, and Hulk were training. Jan was in her bedroom, and Thor had just come in from flying around the city on patrol. He got out his card and called Jan and Thor to meet him in the kitchen.
* * *
They were sitting at the kitchen table, Jan drinking iced tea, and Thor enjoying an Ale 8. Clint knew he liked that drink and besides, the smile on his face said it all.
“Hey, guys,” Clint said. “This won't take long.”
“Hawkeye, join us, for indeed, this drink is refreshing.”
Jan said, “I think it's the ginger in it. Or maybe the citrus.”
Clint sat down with them. “Maybe later. Listen, remember a few months back when I was gone for a while, helping the Widow with an op?”
“You told me you broke up with her for good that time. Are you getting back together?” Jan asked.
“What? No. Friends only.”
“What's this about?” Jan took a sip of her iced tea.
“I couldn't babysit Banner because I was gone. So who did hang out with him? Or did he just stay in the mansion?”
Thor said thoughtfully, “Nay, Bruce Banner did not exchange places with Hulk while you were away.”
“He's right, Clint. Hulk stayed Hulk.”
Clint frowned. “Well, did anybody watch Banner the next month when I was in the hospital? “
“I didn't,” Jan said. “Gosh, I feel awful. I kind of forgot he was due for a turn. Thor, did you talk
to Bruce when Clint was injured from that AIM bomb?”
“I did not. I do not believe he joined us. Hawkeye, you are concerned, are you not?”
“It's been six months, at least, since Hulk changed back to Banner. He's been refusing to come out, you know. I don't like it.”
“Cap might have--” Jan said.
“Nah. Cap was with me at the hospital.”
“Maybe Tony nabbed him to do science stuff when you were sick?” Jan asked, hopefully.
Clint looked up at the ceiling. “JARVIS, has Bruce Banner worked with Tony in the last six months?”
“No, Master Barton. Scanning my logs shows that Doctor Banner has not appeared at all in this residence since the day that Falcon and the Red Hulk attempted to abduct him.”
“Ut-oh,” Jan said. “I didn't realize--”
“I'm going to talk to Hulk when he's finished with training. I really think Banner needs to show up this time. I wanna check him out.”
“I'll go with you,” said Jan. “Just call me.”
“Thanks,” Clint said.
“I, too, will be there.” said Thor, got up, and clapped Clint heartily on the back. “I shall escort Hulk to you when he tires of sparring.”
* * *
“Banner is stubborn. Won't talk to me, won't say why he doesn't want to come out,“ said Hulk. They were in the living room, just Thor, Clint, and Hulk. Jan was on her way.
Clint blew out his breath. “Hulk, old buddy. Can you make him come out here anyway?”
“Why should I?” Hulk frowned.
“We did a little checking and nobody's seen him for a long time. I figured that Cap or Wasp or Thor had hung out with him while I was gone with Natasha or in the hospital, but that didn't happen.”
Thor added, “Friend Hulk, we fear something is amiss with your small self.”
Hulk frowned. “Huh. Don't like forcing him to do something he doesn't want to do. We've both had too much of that.”
“Yeah,” said Clint, “the Enchantress, Ross, S.H.I.E.L.D., they've all messed with you two. But you're my friend. We're not asking because we want to control you or him. We just want to make sure he's okay. Aren't you worried, too?”
A strange look crossed Hulk's face, and he said, “Banner was listening. He still says no.”
Clint grumbled, “I think I wanna wring his scrawny neck. JARVIS, tell Tony and Cap to assemble in the living room. I think we need reinforcements to figure this mess out.”
* * *
“Okay,” Tony said, “Hulk, is Bruce afraid to change back?”
“Doesn't feel like it.” Hulk was standing with his arms crossed across his mighty chest. He wasn't angry, not exactly, Clint thought, but he was getting annoyed. Clint wasn't sure if that annoyance was directed towards the other Avengers or at Banner.
Wasp shrank and then flew over to Hulk and sat on his shoulder. “After what happened with Hank, we should check on Bruce. After all, he was the one kept in that cell. Maybe he's not doing so well, you know?”
Tony made a sound of agreement. “They kept him restrained a lot and drugged up, we know that. And he was just sitting on the floor when we came to get him released the first time. He was really listless.”
Steve looked troubled. “He wasn't even conscious when Jan and I broke into his cell on the helicarrier. Who knows what else they did to him?”
Clint said, “Maybe Hulk knows.”
Tony looked at Hulk. “When Banner is out, how much do you know about what's going on?”
Hulk frowned. “Only what Banner wants to share with me. He didn't share about being in that cell.”
Clint saw Hulk start to tap fingers against his opposite arm, and knew it wouldn't be long before Hulk would either put a stop to the questions, or he'd kick Banner out to answer them himself.
Steve looked thoughtfully at Hulk, the aura of “Captain America believes in you” projecting from him in full force. Come to think of it, it usually was the way Steve treated Hulk. He was always unfailingly kind to Banner, too, never teasing him the way that Clint couldn't resist doing.
“Hulk, I've never known you to do anything but the right thing. So, what do you think is the right thing to do for yourself and Doctor Banner?” Steve said.
“Banner is being stupid. Won't talk to me. We made a deal, and I'm in charge of our body. I'm going to make him come out. You talk to him, find out if something is wrong.”
Hulk began shrinking and Wasp fluttered away from him, resuming her normal human size.
It didn't take long before Banner was there. Clint took a few steps towards him before he made himself stop.
Banner was too thin. He always was a skinny, scrawny guy, but he was noticeably thinner now. His eyes looked even bigger, and he bent over and put his hands on his knees, breathing like he'd run a marathon.
“Hey,” Clint said loudly, “was he this skinny when Ross had him in that mountain prison? Didn't those bastards feed him?”
“He might have lost some weight in that cell, but nothing like this. Bruce, how are you?” Tony asked, crossing his arms,
“I'm... fine.”
Clint snorted.
Tony's right eyebrow lifted. “Uh-huh. Feel like explaining why you haven't been taking your day off for the last six months?”
Tony was looking mildly guilty, and Clint guessed that he really hadn't thought much about Banner at all since they'd proved that Ross had stuck that awful brain gizmo in Banner's head. Hulk had seemed fine when he'd come back to help them fight Galactus.
Banner straightened up, a pained look on his face. “I don't want my day off!” He clenched his fists and they all watched as his size increased and his skin turned that shade of Hulk green.
When Hulk was totally back, he looked around. “What happened?” He looked off to the side for a moment, a gesture they'd all seen enough times to know that he was seeing a visualization or hallucination of Banner.
Hulk growled, then said, “He's still not talking, just wants me to stay me and says he's not coming back, ever. Huh. We'll see about that. I'm in charge, and I say he's coming out and staying for a week. You guys fix him, because he's broken.”
Hulk shrank down, and it was always weird to see that huge, strong body became their little scientist.
A scientist who fell to his knees and hit the floor with his fist. “No!” He started to gain size again, his pale skin tingeing green, his eyes shifting to vivid green.
When Banner was not yet halfway transformed back to Hulk, he started shrinking down again. Clint almost bit his own tongue at the sight.
“Not doing this,” Banner rasped out, when his eyes had turned brown and he was almost slumped over on the floor. He was having trouble catching his breath, but he hit the floor again and again.
Wasp started to go to him, but Tony held her back. “Wait a second, Jan. Let him stop trying to transform. Thor, do you think Jane could come over and check Bruce out? His breathing... Oh, Odin's Beard.”
Clint wondered when Tony had started picking up Thor's favorite curses, and then his eyes widened, because Banner was trying again to change back to Hulk.
Hulk sent him back to being Banner before he'd even grown to the size of Captain America and his skin had only turned a pale shade of mint. His eyes seemed to have green sparkles, which quickly disappeared and once again Bruce Banner, thin and kinda short, was back.
He was the most stubborn person Clint had ever seen.
They all watched, horrified, as Banner kept trying to wrest control of his body away from Hulk, and once again become their big green comrade. Hulk kept reversing the transformations as soon as Banner's muscles started swelling.
“House?”
“Yes, Master Thor?”
“Would you please call my sweet Jane and ask her to attend to Doctor Banner? It is alright if she comes in the screaming vehicle. I fear that our friend may be in need of her machines and medicines.” Thor looked flustered, maybe because this was a problem he couldn't fix with his hammer.
Banner was back on his knees, and he wasn't talking. Instead he was breathing with great gasps, slumped over till his forehead was touching the floor.
He looked like a small, miserable ball of humanity. Cap and Jan went to him, kneeling down next to him, Cap's hand on his back, Jan running her fingers through his mop of hair.
He tried to wave them off with one hand, and damned if he didn't start trying to transform again.
Deciding he'd had enough of Banner's bullshit, Clint strode over to where Banner had scooted away from Steve and Janet. The guy didn't seem to have enough energy left to hit the floor anymore, but he was clenching his fists, his eyes narrowing with the effort to change, almost rocking on the floor.
Clint reached down and got him by his biceps and hauled him up, disturbed by how easy it was. Clint shook him a little, and frowned when he saw Banner had screwed his eyes shut.
“Look, you idiot. Stop it. Just stop it. Hulk says you're out here for a week, and he's a hell of lot stronger than you are. You can't fight him like this, it's tearing you up.” Clint was angry himself by now.
“You... can't... tell me... what... to do.” Banner had gasped, but Clint could feel Banner's arm muscles becoming even more limp. If Clint hadn't been holding him steady, the guy would have collapsed.
Well, it looked like Clint had gotten what he'd asked for. Banner was angry, not the Hulk, and that was a first as far as Clint knew. He'd wanted to see Banner drop the calm and cool routine and actually express some real emotions. Clint didn't feel as vindicated as he thought he would.
Banner hadn't tried to change in the last minute, so maybe he'd given up.
“Hey, are you done acting up now?” Clint said gruffly.
Banner's eyes slowly opened and they looked hazy. He seemed to semi-focus on Clint. His breathing was too fast, like he couldn't get enough oxygen. “Hawkeye... your arm... I'm sorry... Hulk?”
He tried again to blow himself up big and green. Clint gave a startled yelp as he felt Banner's muscles pulsing, rippling, under Clint's hands. Before he could tower over Clint, he stopped changing. The transformation reversed and Banner's confused brown eyes met his. “Clint,” he whispered.
Hulk must have slapped him down pretty hard this time, because Banner's skin faded to dead white, his eyes rolled up, and he passed out.
Clint pulled him close, noticing the sweat that had darkened Banner's hair and how a few drops were still making their slow way down the side of his face.
Shifting Banner, holding the guy against him with one arm, Clint got his other arm under Banner's knees and picked him up. Banner was totally out of it, limp.
Outside, Clint could hear an ambulance screaming into the driveway.
JARVIS announced, “Jane Foster has arrived with an ambulance crew. I'll let them in, shall I? Master Barton, perhaps if you could carry Doctor Banner to Hulk's room and place him on the bed?”
Tony and Steve followed him to Hulk's bedroom, and Thor headed toward the front door. Janet flew ahead down the hall to Hulk's room and changed back to her normal size to open the door.
She pulled the covers down and Clint carefully laid Banner down on the sheets. He was still very pale, and his freckles stood out in brown patterns on his cheeks and his shoulders. Funny. Clint hadn't noticed before that Banner was freckled all over.
Clint took it back. Banner didn't actually need to shave off his stubble in order to look about twelve-years-old. Him lying there in Hulk's huge bed just added to that illusion.
Janet brushed his damp hair off his forehead, and Clint used two fingers to take his pulse, holding them against the side of Banner's neck. It was too fast and fluttery. His breathing was still erratic, too.
Clint laid a palm against Banner's chest, then felt his arms and hands. Banner was cold. He might be going into shock, so Clint grabbed a couple of pillows and stuffed them under Banner's slender feet. Cap moved to the end of the bed and pulled a light blanket free and handed it to Clint. He arranged it over Banner so the EMT's could easily move it, hoping it would help warm the guy back up. He caught Tony's eye and shrugged. He had a feeling there was going to be a team meeting about Bruce Banner in the very near future.
Thor, Jane, and two other EMT's came quickly into the room, and Clint stepped back. Jane and a red-headed EMT donned gloves and started attaching things to Banner's arms and fingers, calling out numbers for the tall one to record.
* * *
“Okay, one at a time, what happened?” Jane asked, calm and professional. Clint knew that Thor was smitten with her, intrigued with her willingness to face danger to care for the injured. “Clint?” She grabbed the clipboard while the red-head pulled back Banner's eye lid and shone a light in his eye.
Clint stopped staring at Banner and turned to face her. “Okay.”
Clint started to explain what had happened, but the red-head held up a hand to stop him.
“This little guy is the Hulk?” His eyes swept over Banner dismissively. “You sure?”
Clint wanted to give him a nice hard punch in the kisser. “Look, pal, he's Bruce Banner and he's the Hulk. Deal with it.”
The EMT shone the light in Banner's other eye. There was absolutely no movement, no blinks, and Clint's stomach started tying itself into knots.
Jane said briskly, “Clint, go on.” She shot a look at the red-head. He shrugged and started wrapping a blood pressure cuff around Banner's upper arm.
When Clint was done, Jane questioned the others about Banner's collapse, double checking about any seizures or head injuries, and asking if Banner had taken any drugs, either a prescribed medicine or something off the streets. The EMTs were competent people, and they were working hard on Banner, who still hadn't twitched a muscle.
The red-head said, “Jane, you told us these guys are your friends, but we're gonna have a big problem, and you know it.”
“I know the protocol as well as you do, Michael.” Jane told him evenly.
Michael, the red-head, glanced at all of them and said, “I'm sorry. He doesn't look like he'd be trouble, but with him being the Hulk--”
Jan said, “Protocol? What protocol?”
Michael inserted a thermometer in Banner's ear. “Since he's the Hulk, we're going to have to treat him as a bio-hazard.”
“Oh, you mean because of Bruce's blood?” Jan bit her lip.
Jane nodded. “Yes, that, and there are other precautions that have to be taken,” and motioned for the group to move to one side.
“What precautions are we talking about, Miss Foster,” Steve asked.
“I'll explain in a moment. First off, we're going to take him in for more tests as soon as he's ready to be transported.”
The other EMT, the one who hadn't said a word, tied a rubber strip around Banner's arm and started swabbing his skin with alcohol pads.
Jane said, “We're starting an IV to keep him hydrated, give him some energy,” and she got out tubing and a fluid filled bag.”
Clint watched them stick Banner with a needle as they set up the I.V.
“He didn't even flinch,” Jan said, sounding worried.
Jane said, “If he's as non-responsive in six hours as he is now, he'd only get a three on the Glasgow Coma scale.”
Tony made an unhappy sound, and Clint asked, “What's that mean?”
Jane said gently, “I'm sorry. It's not good, Clint. If he's still like this hours from now, it means he's in a deep coma.”
Thor asked, “A deep sleep, then? As my father sleeps?”
Jane said, “I don't think so. For humans, a coma is not the same thing as being asleep. We'll try to find a reason for his collapse, but if it involves some sort of internal conflict between him and the Hulk, we're in uncharted territories.”
Clint wanted to shake Banner again, wake him the fuck up, but he didn't move. He wasn't an idiot. Doing that wouldn't help him.
Steve said firmly, “Miss Foster, we appreciate everything you and your partners are doing. You said precautions. What are the rest of them?”
“He'll have to be admitted to a S.H.I.E.L.D. medical facility.”
“Why S.H.I.E.L.D?” Tony asked. “Your hospital is top-notch, and it's closer.”
“I know. We can't take him there.” Jane sounded regretful.
“We're talking about the same hospital that's treated me and Captain America, and Wasp? But Doctor Banner, a genius who saved us all from being turned into gamma radiation monsters, isn't allowed in?” Clint asked angrily.
“Have a care, archer. My Jane does not set the rules for her place of healing. Do not castigate her for something over which she has no control,” Thor warned, a storm warning clear on his face.
Jan put her hands on her hips. “Bruce has had some bad experiences with S.H.I.E.L.D. He wouldn't want to be treated there.”
“Thor told me how Doctor Banner was kept on the helicarrier on false charges, ”Jane said. “I'm sorry, but our hospital can't accept him.”
Jan said, “Jane?”
“It's because of the Hulk. My bosses are afraid that he might... smash the hospital.”
Clint said coldly. “Hulk wouldn't--”
“I mean, if he were delirious or not aware of what he was doing. Protocol says send him to S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Clint snarled, “You can take that protocol and--”
Michael interrupted. “Jane, I'm putting him on oxygen. His levels have dropped again.”
Jane said, “This is not personal. He's not the only one, any superhero or super-villain with incredible strength or damaging powers is listed.”
“Name one,” Clint snapped out.
“Ben Grimm, the Thing. I'm sorry. But from what I know of Doctor Banner, he'd be the last person who'd want to put other hospitalized people or the staff at risk. It's hard enough to keep a normal person from hurting staff and destroying equipment if they go into a rage from being in an altered state. We really wouldn't have any way to stop someone like the Hulk.”
Jane sounded apologetic, and reluctantly, Clint could see the hospital's point. But S.H.I.E.L.D.? Clint could picture the bleak look on Banner's face when he woke up there, assuming that once again he was a prisoner.
Jane moved to Banner's side, and talked quietly with the other EMTs. They transferred Banner onto the gurney and strapped him in.
“Tony, can't we keep him here in our clinic? You found the antidote to that illness the Red Skull gave us working from there,” Clint said, feeling like he was grasping at straws.
“I don't know if it's suitable or not. It's designed more as a first aid station and research lab.” Jane was taking Banner's blood pressure. “Jane, I know Thor gave you a tour of our medical clinic. Which would be better for Bruce?”
She looked at the reading and frowned. “For now, S.H.I.E.L.D. is the better choice. You don't have all of the equipment to run tests and Doctor Banner is probably going to need to see several specialists.”
Tony stroked his beard, “Can you ballpark it for us? What's wrong with him?”
Jane said, ”I'm an EMT, not a doctor, but I think his condition is partly neurological. His breathing--it's ataxic, it's erratic, even with the oxygen we've got him on. He's very seriously ill. He's malnourished, and underweight, too, which means he's going to have a harder time coming out of this. And he's the Hulk. That has to be taken into account.”
Clint said, “S.H.I.E.L.D. got any docs that understand how Banner and Hulk work?”
Jane said, “I hope so.” She started gathering up equipment, and Clint could hear the tall EMT calling S.H.I.E.L.D., explaining about Banner's physical condition.
Tony muttered, “Nobody knows how Bruce and Hulk work. They turn the laws of physics inside out and upside down.”
Jane stopped packing; her expression turned to one of uncertainty. “Actually, there is someone I think you could consult. This doctor has a background in neurology, but he's not one of the hospital's current docs, although he was on the roster years ago. I'm not sure if he actually has a practice anymore or not.”
Tony said, straightening, “Who's that doctor, Jane?”
“His name is Stephen Strange. He was hurt badly in an accident, couldn't do surgery anymore. I know he had a rough time for quite a while. I think he went into alternative medicine.”
“How alternative?” Tony asked.
“People say that he became some sort of mystic.”
“Oh, great. Hoo-doo. Jane, Bruce needs help, not magic tricks,” Tony scoffed.
“But Doctor Banner and the Hulk being two people sharing a body, or one person with two bodies, well, I think that might be considered mystical territory,” Jane said.
Clint shrugged. “I say it's worth a shot. Takes one to know one, an' all.”
Thor looked puzzled and Jan said, “He means that Bruce being the Hulk is weird, so maybe a doctor who knows about weird can help him.”
Tony looked like he'd just sucked on a lemon. “Jane, where can we find Doctor Mumbo-jumbo?”
Jane said hesitantly, “I don't know exactly.”
“JARVIS?” Tony asked.
“Doctor Strange is not listed in the phone book, sir.”
Jane snapped her fingers. “I've heard, from street talk, that he's friends with Spiderman. I don't know how to contact him, either.”
Steve said, “I'll try to track down Spiderman. I have a pretty good feel for the places he patrols.”
“Okay,” Tony agreed. “JARVIS and I will do some research, see if we can send him or Doctor Strange a message.”
Steve left the room.
Clint added, “Tony, Fury or Hill will need to okay this guy checking Banner out, I think.”
Tony nodded. “I'll handle S.H.I.E.L.D. And one of us needs to stay on monitoring duty in case of trouble.”
Thor said, “The house and I shall stand watch, and sound the alarm should the Avengers be needed.”
The other two EMTs started to push the gurney towards the bedroom door. Jane took a deep breath, and said, “I hate to tell you all this, but S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to insist that he be placed in a cell for security purposes. They'll bring the medical equipment to him.”
“A cell? I'm going with Banner. Somebody's got to have his back with S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Clint said emphatically.
Me too.” Wasp looked troubled, not an expression she usually wore on her pretty face, except when she and Pym had been at odds with each other.
Jane patted her on the arm as she passed her. Everybody but Tony crowded out of the room, forming an escort around the gurney.
Jan looked at Banner and then at Clint as they walked. “This is just awful. He looks bad, Clint. And Bruce and Hulk, they're my friends. Okay, I know Hulk much better, but I really like Bruce, even if I don't know him as well. I feel like I've let him down.”
“Jan, it's not you. Banner just keeps to himself. He hardly ever talks to anybody.”
“He talks to you.”
“Once in a while, yeah. But mostly, it's me doing the talking.” And being a dick, usually, Clint thought.
“Before, on your trips? Did he seem okay to you, Clint?”
They'd reached the front lobby and Thor stopped walking. Clint darted ahead to open the door for the EMTs. Thor said, “Hawkeye, tell Doctor Banner that the Son of Odin gladly will guard him while friend Hulk sleeps,” and waved his arm in a farewell-shield-brothers-and-sister kind of way.
Steve caught up to them and said, “Keep in touch with Tony.” He went out the open door in a fast jog, his shield on his back.
The gurney was rolled to the back of the ambulance, and the crew stowed equipment.
“Jan, I dunno if he was really okay or not. He wanted to do his experiments and he wanted to be outside. But he seemed - guarded a lot. Like he shouldn't relax.”
Jan said, “He was kept in cells. I think I'd want to stay outside, too.”
“Right,” Clint said. He'd been glad to breathe fresh air after escaping from the Vault.
Jan's expression became thoughtful. “You know, I've been thinking, and I can't remember ever hearing Bruce laugh, or even really smiling. Not a real one, one where he can't stop grinning.”
She shrunk then and perched herself near Banner's head.
Banner's eyes were still shut.
* * *
Clint rode in the back of the ambulance, Wasp keeping her place by Banner's ear. A S.H.I.E.L.D. escort met them shortly after the ambulance pulled away from the mansion, four SUVs and a helicopter above them.
Clint supposed that if Hulk came out and was pissed, the EMTs would abandon ship. He wished Hulk would relent and change places with Banner, so Clint could see if he was okay. Maybe it would cure Banner, if he sent him out afterward. It was possible. Who knew how the two of them worked.
Jane adjusted Banner's oxygen cannula, and then took his pulse again. Clint caught her eye when she was finished.
“So, the helicarrier?” Since Banner had been kept there after he'd been captured the last time, Clint figured it was a good bet that the ambulance was heading towards the docks. They'd probably transfer Banner to a helicopter there, then fly him out to the helicarrier.
“Yes. And I'll be going with Doctor Banner, to transition his care to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s doctors.”
“Well, at least that's closer than that lockdown Ross stuck him in up in the mountains.” Clint stared at Banner. Suddenly he regretted telling the guy that he wasn't an Avenger. It was true, but he should have kept his big mouth shut. It might have made Banner feel happy to think that he and Hulk both were part of the team.
Clint had been thinking about what Janet had said, while the ambulance tore through the streets, lights flashing and sirens screaming. Other than the one time when Hulk had laughed at him, then transformed back to Banner, who had inherited Hulk's guffaws, Clint thought she was right.
He couldn't remember Banner laughing or smiling about anything, either.
* * *
Chapter Three