Avenger Fic | Promise in the Days Ahead | Chapter Two - Bruce's Message
Title: Promise in the Days Ahead | Part Two of Every Road Has Two Directions series, and a continuation of Walking the Path Between Welcome and Exile. The earlier story can be found with my LJ tags or at at AO3
Fandom: Avengers Movie Verse
Author: Laurie
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Violence in later chapters
Word Count and link to past chapters WIP. Chapter One - 2,753 words. Chapter Two - 4141 words.
Pairings and Relationships: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts; Tony Stark/Bruce Banner; Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov; Clint Barton/Phil Coulson; Steve Rogers/Bruce Banner; Thor Odinson/Jane Foster; Betty Ross/Leonard Samson; Bruce Banner & Avengers; Clint Barton & Avengers; Steve Rogers & Avengers; Tony Stark & Avengers; Thor & Avengers
Characters: Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Steve Rogers, Thor Odinson, Natasha Romanov, Phil Coulson, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Leonard Samsom, Betty Ross, Thaddeus Ross, Samuel Sterns, Serpent Society.
Author's notes: Beta'ed by sparrowhawk17. She's a star.
This story in rough draft is 53,000 words and is currently a WIP with thirteen chapters. I'm going to start posting one chapter a week while I continue to write the story.
Summary: Banner's gone. The Avengers on Earth will do what they can to protect their missing teammate and pave the way for his return. To do so, they're going to have to learn as much as they can about Bruce Banner. Along the way they find themselves learning about each other as well, and the people that were thrown together to stop an alien invasion become a team.
Chapter Two. Bruce's Message
“All right, JARVIS. Play it,” Tony said, and sat down by Pepper. Cap had asked them to hold their comments and questions until after they'd watched Bruce's video. Natasha and Clint and Steve had already claimed chairs at the conference table before Pepper had briskly walked into the room, her high heels clicking against the floor. Tony had been too wound up to sit quietly, so he'd waited for Pepper out in the hallway.
The air shimmered for a moment, then firmed up. He was looking into Bruce's room, judging by the battered backpack on the floor. It was 2:30am according to the numbers on the bedside clock. The focus changed a little and he could see Bruce, sitting on his rumpled bed wearing his oh-so-rumpled blue Indian shirt and shabby trousers. Bruce looked up from staring at his hands and smiled with that wry expression that was just so Bruce it hurt Tony a little to see it.
Bruce gave a little wave of his fingers. “Umm... hi, guys. JARVIS said he would let you know about this message after I left, so I'm assuming you know I've taken off.”
He ran his hand through his curls and looked apologetically at the camera. “Hope I, ah, haven't been caught.” He started fiddling with the hem of his long shirt with both hands, rolling it up a little and then smoothing it out.
“So. Thanks. And, um, sorry. Natasha, I am sorry about the helicarrier. I know that isn't going to stop you from having nightmares. Me, too.” He worried his lip for a moment, then took a deep breath. “You see the other guy's face, probably, but I see yours. So, I'm sorry.”
Bruce dropped his eyes again briefly, and then looked back up. “Tony, I couldn't stay. I was tempted, but not because you offered to give me a lab. A job, security. All of your generosity, it's, well...” He chuckled briefly, sounding honestly amused. “Actually, it's been sort of overwhelming, like this madcap fairy godfather suddenly adopted me. Hey, you know? Steve drew pictures of us. You should maybe look at them. And... thanks for trusting me to come back to fight.”
Bruce was silent for a moment or two, then said softly, “It would have been nice, to stay.”
Bruce rolled his eyes and then shook his head while a grin emerged. “Clint, I hope you've won whatever bet you made on me staying or going. If you did, you owe me another beer. Drink it for me, okay? And thanks, for, uh, explaining about my code name.”
He stopped playing with the hem of his shirt and scrubbed his hands through his hair and over his face. He looked so tired. Tony wondered where the hell he was now, broke, exhausted, hunted. He was a fucking hero. It should never have come to this, that Bruce Banner, genius, was on the run again. He should have been given the fucking key to the city.
Bruce's voice, soft and awkward sounding, interrupted Tony's thoughts. “I doubt that Thor is with you guys, but, Thor, if you do ever listen to this... goodbye. I don't actually remember a lot of the battle with the Chitauri, but I do remember us fighting together to take down a leviathan. And, uh, sorry about the other guy swinging at you. And for what Loki's put you through.”
Bruce cleared his throat and Tony noticed how Bruce kept running one finger over the knuckles of his other hand. So making this video wasn't just a walk in the park for Bruce, because the way he moved his hands was clearly communicating that he was stressed.
“Steve. I was glad to meet Captain America. I guess I was like most kids and wished I could be as good and as brave as you. And you are, but I really like that I met Steven Rogers, too. You've got a gift with your art and I hope you keep drawing.” His expression altered, looking almost shy. “I don't know if it happened this way, but I plan to ask if you want to go with me to the Met to see your exhibit. I'm going to leave from there, but I thought maybe you might like a friend around when you look at the drawings you made during WWII.”
Bruce looked up, and said, “JARVIS, please unlock my files and make them available when this video is watched. Thank you. And thank you for helping me.”
Bruce fell silent, and one hand pushed through his curls.
“You guys can look at the files if you need to see the sources for my decision, but I'm leaving for a couple of reasons. For one, the Hulk is going to hurt the Avengers being accepted as a legitimate group formed to protect this world. If you read my files you'll see the reaction to the other guy in the media and people's blogs. JARVIS crunched the numbers for me, and I think people are always going to be afraid of him, scared that he'll hurt not just the bad guys, but whoever is around during any future fights. You guys don't need my baggage making things more difficult for you.”
Bruce sighed. “Tony, this is mostly for you. And don't blow me off, okay?”
He plastered on a stern look, eyebrows drawing closer. “I know you've got a lot of influence and you probably have the best lawyers in the country.”
Pointing a finger at the camera, Bruce went on. “I mean this, Tony. So listen.” He stressed the last word, painfully sincere.
“It's not going to be enough. I did my homework, and you can't rescue me. I haven't been charged again with being a domestic terrorist, but that's going to change. It's not a matter of if, but when. And when starts as soon as I become the Army's problem again. If you're seen as supporting me, and that means shelter, food, a job, paying for lawyers, any sort of support, then you're liable for charges, too. Your assets can be seized. The government can get its hands on Stark Industries. Your Iron Man suits. None of this has to go through court for it to happen. I'm not letting you take this kind of risk. Don't be careless and think the government won't take you on because you're Iron Man. They'll do it because you are Iron Man and you've defied them about turning over your research and suits.”
Bruce shook his head. “I suppose somebody listening is going to point out that if I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. my legal problems would go away. I'm not convinced of that. But the main reason I'm not turning myself in to S.H.I.E.L.D. is that I can't afford to trust them to not experiment on me. My blood is dangerous. More than just the exposure to gamma radiation if you handle it. Ross and his kind will use it to continue experimenting with genetic manipulations, changing human beings, because they want the Hulk's strength. Worse than me could be created if they have access to my body.”
Bruce shrugged and said, “Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. would leave me alone, just expect me to help out the Avengers and do research, but they built a cell to keep me captive. I can't trust them and take that chance. I can't.”
His expression shifted back to that wry smile again. “I'm caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, a rock and a hard place. So, I'm leaving. Please, respect my wishes and don't try to find me. Let me say that again, so that Tony pays attention. Don't try to find me. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Army will expect you to do it and will try to track me through you. I'll be okay. And you guys, you stay safe and fight the good fight. But, and I'm really trusting you not to abuse this, if you have a situation where I would really be needed or the other guy would be really needed, send a Code Green message out through the media. If I can, I'll come.”
He shifted his legs, brought them up on the bed to sit cross-legged. “Fury can see this video. So can Ross. Uh, if they see this you'd better add something only we would know to that Code Green signal. I want it clearly understood that I left here today without telling anybody what I was doing. Nobody conspired with me, nobody smuggled me out. I left openly without anyone's help. And that was my right, since I haven't been charged with anything at this time.”
He arranged his hands in the classic pose for meditation, palms up and open on his knees. “So, kids, thanks for asking me to play. I won't forget any of you.”
He closed his eyes and JARVIS kept filming for a short time, while Bruce deepened his breathing and sat so very quietly. Tony wanted to curse, wanted to pull Bruce to his feet and hug him and yell at him, because Tony could beat those legal charges with one hand tied behind his back.
The volumetric screen went dark.
Tony stood up and with dramatic gestures threw open Bruce's files so they all could see them. Everyone else pushed out of their chairs, standing in a loose circle around the files hanging in the air. Clint snagged one and brushed his hand over it so he had his own copy. Pepper did likewise. Steve opened one of the originals and started skimming it.
Tony said angrily, “Alright. What happened here? I'd really like to know why JARVIS and Captain America let Bruce just run away without even trying to help him with his problems.”
“Sir, Doctor Banner made a careful and considered decision.”
“And you didn't let me in on what he was up to, JARVIS. I'm still waiting to hear a reason.”
“Might I remind you, sir, that you programmed me to use my own judgment, unless you give me a direct order. You did not. Doctor Banner's actions protected you. I concurred with his reasoning, considering the current situation regarding him and the Hulk. I did not, however, enjoy watching him choose exile.”
“JARVIS, do you have eyes on him now?” Tony asked hopefully.
“No sir. Doctor Banner requested that I not track him.”
Steve said, “Tony, I want Bruce on the team, but he made his decision--”
Tony didn't let him finish. “So what if he's got people scared to death of him right now. That can be turned around. We start a line of Hulk plushy toys; we do some god-damned PR work. Banner's story gets told the right way, and people are going to see a tragic hero. The Avengers do some interviews and talk about how the Hulk saved this city twice over. If the right people interviewed him, he'd win people over just by being himself.”
Pepper breathed out a sigh. “Oh, Tony.”
“I can fix this, damn it,” Tony said to her, and even he could hear the pain in his voice. “I just need to use the right tools.”
Natasha opened a new file with a controlled, tight movement of her hand. “I knew he was leaving this morning. I chose not to stop him or notify S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury won't be pleased.”
“You knew and didn't-” Tony shot accusing looks at the group, then settled on staring at Natasha. “Bruce doesn't lie, so he didn't tell you either, did he? He's not exactly the Sphinx, I'll grant you that, so you what? Could tell by the expression on his face?”
Natasha gave him a deadpan look.
Tony threw his arms up in the air. “Did everybody know he was going except me?”
Clint stopped reading and waved his hand. “Nope, I missed the memo, too. Nat? You figure it out this morning practicing with him?”
She gave a slight shrug of her shoulder and said something softly in Russian.
“Da,” Clint said. “If he decides to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. and if Fury can keep Ross from taking over.”
Tony frowned. “JARVIS, translate what Agent Romanoff said.”
“Sir, Agent Romanoff quoted a proverb. 'Every road has two directions', although I would suggest that you ask her what meaning she assigns to those words. Personal interpretation varies so, as you know.”
Natasha gave Tony one of the looks she'd perfected when she'd been undercover as his PA. He resisted the urge to duck for cover.
She relented, though, and sighed. “Bruce would not do well here, feeling trapped. Let him fly and he may return.”
Steve said, “Natasha and Clint, what's your take on Bruce's situation?”
Natasha shook her head slowly. “For Bruce Banner, there is no choice that isn't dangerous. We know Hydra is interested in him. And he is probably right about General Ross coming after him again. Fury hinted at that during our last meeting. S.H.I.E.L.D., though, asked too much of Bruce in return for their protection. I promised him he would be safe with S.H.I.E.L.D., that he wouldn't be taken and used. Now I'm not sure if that promise could be kept. Fury would fight it, but he could be ordered by the Council to turn Bruce over for experimentation. Although I don't know how they would control him.”
She looked at Tony. “Stark, he wasn't wrong about how the Hulk is seen, but you're not wrong, either. He bought you time to sway the public into accepting him.”
Clint added, “Reading this?” He waved a hand at the files floating in the air. “Fury left Banner out when he turned loose the S.H.I.E.L.D. spin doctors for the rest of us. Wants to keep strong-arming him, I think, so he'll agree to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s protection.”
He tightened his mouth and shook his head. “Could have told Fury that Kwai Chang won't barter his soul. Fury is too cynical sometimes. Swapping sex for survival doesn't mean Bruce would agree to join S.H.I.E.L.D. for protection against Ross and the Army. He wouldn't put other people at risk, if he guessed wrong about S.H.I.E.L.D. experimenting on him.”
Steve looked sharply at Clint, and Tony felt his eyes widen. Oh, Bruce,, he thought, You had to do that, too? He'd missed this information, how had he missed this? Mentally, he reviewed the files that S.H.I.E.L.D. had sent him; damn it, they'd left that out. He'd wring the details out of Clint later.
“Tony. I knew, too.” Pepper turned and faced him, no trace of the smile he loved on her face. “I spoke with Doctor Banner this morning at his request. 'Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies,' he said, and I knew he was going to leave.”
“Pep, I--”
Pepper lifted her chin. “Tony, he made a point of stating I didn't know what he going to do, and he wasn't saying what his plans were. He wrote out a note for S.H.I.E.L.D. to pay his consultant fee to me, and I gave him seven hundred dollars. He also left a letter for your lawyers stating that you do not have his permission to act on his behalf.”
“And you didn't tell me what you thought he was up to? Why?” Tony looked reproachfully at her, and then looked at Natasha and Steve. “Why didn't any of you clue me in about what was going on?”
Pepper stood up even straighter in her high heels. “I'm sorry, Tony. I know he's your friend, but obviously Doctor Banner was afraid that you'd talk him out of doing what he thought was right or throw a scene or have him followed. Otherwise, he would have found you to say a cryptic goodbye. And he was right about the danger to you, to Stark Industries.”
Steve said, “Miss Potts, you're certain about that?”
She turned to Steve and nodded, then walked over to Tony and caught his hand in her own. “I've read your lawyers' opinions and you would be vulnerable to charges yourself for letting Doctor Banner stay here, sheltering him, if he's charged with being a domestic terrorist. When he researched his options, he saw that. You should respect his wishes and stay out of it.” She touched his face, her palm cupping his chin before letting him go.
“Where's that note? Give it to me and I'll tear it up.” Tony held his hand out, but Pepper shook her head in refusal.
“No, Tony. I acted as Doctor Banner's agent and I sent it to your lawyers already. I also have copies in safe places. I'm sorry, but I think it's for the best. He's a nice man, but it was dangerous for him to stay here.”
If Tony hadn't known Pepper as well as he did, he might have missed hearing the shakiness in her voice. But he did know her, and she was upset. It had to be about Bruce.
“Dangerous for him? Meaning he would be in danger? Or did you mean dangerous for us if he stayed here?” Tony had picked up on things being a little off kilter between Bruce and Pepper but thought it was just some initial awkwardness. Now, though, he was seeing Pepper's actions in a different light.
Pepper bit her lip.
“Were you scared of him, Pep? Worried he'd turn into the Hulk and go on a rampage?” Tony slid his arm around her waist.
She nodded and he tightened his hold. Pepper was the most level-headed person he knew. She'd actually met Bruce and had shared a meal with him. Tony was struck with a new appreciation for the struggle it was going to be to change the public's perception about Bruce if even his Pepper feared him.
Pepper's eyes were wide. She shuddered. “If I think about how he can change from a man to that thing, then yes. He's terrifying. I've seen the footage of what he can do.”
Natasha interjected thoughtfully, “Bruce is complicated: quiet, kind, gentle--”
Tony interrupted her. “He wouldn't hurt you, Pepper, he's--” Natasha gave him a look that promised pain in his near future if he didn't stop interrupting her.
Natasha looked at Pepper. “He's brilliant and resourceful, stubborn, and resilient, but he can let you see the Hulk peeking out, if he wants to intimidate you. In Kolkata, he did it to test me. He genuinely doesn't want to hurt people, and even as the Hulk, he normally doesn't attack unless he's attacked first. He does bluster and roar and destroy things to make people leave him alone. His fight or flight reflex dominates him when he's the Hulk.”
Pepper shuddered again. “I've tried not to think about him like that, as the Hulk, and look at the man instead. He seems like a sweetheart. And I know he's had a sad life and he's going back to a terrible way to live, but I don't want him under the same roof as me.”
Natasha came closer to Pepper and laid her hand on Pepper's arm. She let it linger there, staring hard at Tony when he opened his mouth to defend Bruce. He got the message. He shut up.
Natasha said, “Pepper, on the helicarrier, he did go after me, but Loki's weapon was influencing him. I don't hold him responsible any more than I hold Clint responsible for Loki mind-controlling him. And Bruce had just fallen from an upper deck after an explosion; he was hurt. Dazed and scared. I'm sure he was in pain. He tried to hold back. I could see the despair in his eyes when he realized he was changing. He warned me to run.”
Pepper stepped away from Tony, crossed her arms over her chest. “Natasha, he almost killed you. You trapped him in Kolkata, and I think he resented you for that. He didn't really have any other options, did he, if he refused Fury's offer?”
“He's smart,” Natasha answered her. “He realized I had backup outside. So no. He had no real options. He could have changed to the Hulk and fought his way clear, maybe. We know bullets only annoy the Hulk, but the agents had tranquillizer guns, too. But Bruce honestly doesn't want to put other people in danger. That's why he came with me, and yes, he resented me for it. He also wanted to help find the Tesseract.”
“Bruce as himself might not have wanted revenge, but as the Hulk, he came after you. Tony told me about it,” Pepper said firmly. Clint was miming locking his mouth and throwing away the key and pointed at Tony. Tony just shrugged back. He didn't pretend to be a spy like those two, and he'd mostly always told Pepper about everything. Well, except for almost dying, but hey. He'd been trying to be considerate and not worry her.
Natasha shrugged. “I think there's some truth to that. But even though he swatted me, after seeing him fight the Chitauri I know he was holding back. I wouldn't be alive if he hadn't.”
“What do you mean?” Pepper asked, dubiously.
“Right before Thor diverted his attention from me, he was thinking of hitting me again.”
Tony wasn't sure how she did it, but her tone of voice, the way she moved closer to Pepper, it was like they were the only two people in the room right now. Two women sharing confidences. Natasha was being... very personal now. Another aspect of the Black Widow, he supposed. He didn't think it made what she was saying any less true.
“Pepper, his stance... standing over me, ready with the back of his hand to hit me, well, it wasn't the way a man takes out an enemy. It was the way a man punishes his woman who displeases him. And he hesitated. His expression changed. I don't know, but I hope he was going to stop himself, let me go.”
“He's so violent,” Pepper whispered.
Natasha nodded. “The Hulk can be, true. But there have never been any reports of Bruce himself being abusive to others, and I know something of his former lover. She would not have continued a relationship with Bruce if he had tried to hurt her. Hulk was imitating someone else, I believe; someone that had hurt Bruce, perhaps, or that Bruce watched abuse others.”
Pepper looked unconvinced. Natasha caught her hand and squeezed it. “It's hard, I know,” Natasha soothed her. “I know. But Hulk isn't mindless. If he's not goaded into a rage, he can control his actions.”
She let go of Pepper's hand and stepped away. The room fell silent, thoughtful expressions on Steve's and Clint's faces.
Steve said, “I want to explain something to Tony. I realized Bruce was going to leave when I tailed him to the Met. He said he wanted to do a test run to see if people recognized him when he went with me to the exhibit. He wasn't recognized. When I told him I knew he was leaving, he became insistent that he had to go, although he refused to actually say it in plain words. Like Natasha, I didn't try to stop him.”
Pepper said, “Of course not. He might have transformed to get away.”
Steve straightened his shoulders and smiled gently at Pepper. “No, Miss Potts. That didn't concern me at all. Bruce wouldn't do that unless the stakes were a lot higher than his immediate safety or freedom. I didn't keep him from leaving because I'm not going to help coerce Bruce into forced labor of any kind. That stinks of Nazis and Hydra and their callous disregard for human life.”
Steve jerked his thumb towards the brightly glowing files hanging in the air. “We'll work on an agenda that will make it safer for Bruce to stay away and to return eventually. As far as I'm concerned, he's still an Avenger, just out on leave. We need more intelligence before coming up with a plan to help him, though. Tony, it's time for us to have that talk about your nimble fingers. Everyone finish reading the files, especially the legal ones. Let's meet back here in an hour, and we'll talk strategy.”
* * *
Chapter Three - Steve Takes Charge
Fandom: Avengers Movie Verse
Author: Laurie
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Violence in later chapters
Word Count and link to past chapters WIP. Chapter One - 2,753 words. Chapter Two - 4141 words.
Pairings and Relationships: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts; Tony Stark/Bruce Banner; Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov; Clint Barton/Phil Coulson; Steve Rogers/Bruce Banner; Thor Odinson/Jane Foster; Betty Ross/Leonard Samson; Bruce Banner & Avengers; Clint Barton & Avengers; Steve Rogers & Avengers; Tony Stark & Avengers; Thor & Avengers
Characters: Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Steve Rogers, Thor Odinson, Natasha Romanov, Phil Coulson, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Leonard Samsom, Betty Ross, Thaddeus Ross, Samuel Sterns, Serpent Society.
Author's notes: Beta'ed by sparrowhawk17. She's a star.
This story in rough draft is 53,000 words and is currently a WIP with thirteen chapters. I'm going to start posting one chapter a week while I continue to write the story.
Summary: Banner's gone. The Avengers on Earth will do what they can to protect their missing teammate and pave the way for his return. To do so, they're going to have to learn as much as they can about Bruce Banner. Along the way they find themselves learning about each other as well, and the people that were thrown together to stop an alien invasion become a team.
Chapter Two. Bruce's Message
“All right, JARVIS. Play it,” Tony said, and sat down by Pepper. Cap had asked them to hold their comments and questions until after they'd watched Bruce's video. Natasha and Clint and Steve had already claimed chairs at the conference table before Pepper had briskly walked into the room, her high heels clicking against the floor. Tony had been too wound up to sit quietly, so he'd waited for Pepper out in the hallway.
The air shimmered for a moment, then firmed up. He was looking into Bruce's room, judging by the battered backpack on the floor. It was 2:30am according to the numbers on the bedside clock. The focus changed a little and he could see Bruce, sitting on his rumpled bed wearing his oh-so-rumpled blue Indian shirt and shabby trousers. Bruce looked up from staring at his hands and smiled with that wry expression that was just so Bruce it hurt Tony a little to see it.
Bruce gave a little wave of his fingers. “Umm... hi, guys. JARVIS said he would let you know about this message after I left, so I'm assuming you know I've taken off.”
He ran his hand through his curls and looked apologetically at the camera. “Hope I, ah, haven't been caught.” He started fiddling with the hem of his long shirt with both hands, rolling it up a little and then smoothing it out.
“So. Thanks. And, um, sorry. Natasha, I am sorry about the helicarrier. I know that isn't going to stop you from having nightmares. Me, too.” He worried his lip for a moment, then took a deep breath. “You see the other guy's face, probably, but I see yours. So, I'm sorry.”
Bruce dropped his eyes again briefly, and then looked back up. “Tony, I couldn't stay. I was tempted, but not because you offered to give me a lab. A job, security. All of your generosity, it's, well...” He chuckled briefly, sounding honestly amused. “Actually, it's been sort of overwhelming, like this madcap fairy godfather suddenly adopted me. Hey, you know? Steve drew pictures of us. You should maybe look at them. And... thanks for trusting me to come back to fight.”
Bruce was silent for a moment or two, then said softly, “It would have been nice, to stay.”
Bruce rolled his eyes and then shook his head while a grin emerged. “Clint, I hope you've won whatever bet you made on me staying or going. If you did, you owe me another beer. Drink it for me, okay? And thanks, for, uh, explaining about my code name.”
He stopped playing with the hem of his shirt and scrubbed his hands through his hair and over his face. He looked so tired. Tony wondered where the hell he was now, broke, exhausted, hunted. He was a fucking hero. It should never have come to this, that Bruce Banner, genius, was on the run again. He should have been given the fucking key to the city.
Bruce's voice, soft and awkward sounding, interrupted Tony's thoughts. “I doubt that Thor is with you guys, but, Thor, if you do ever listen to this... goodbye. I don't actually remember a lot of the battle with the Chitauri, but I do remember us fighting together to take down a leviathan. And, uh, sorry about the other guy swinging at you. And for what Loki's put you through.”
Bruce cleared his throat and Tony noticed how Bruce kept running one finger over the knuckles of his other hand. So making this video wasn't just a walk in the park for Bruce, because the way he moved his hands was clearly communicating that he was stressed.
“Steve. I was glad to meet Captain America. I guess I was like most kids and wished I could be as good and as brave as you. And you are, but I really like that I met Steven Rogers, too. You've got a gift with your art and I hope you keep drawing.” His expression altered, looking almost shy. “I don't know if it happened this way, but I plan to ask if you want to go with me to the Met to see your exhibit. I'm going to leave from there, but I thought maybe you might like a friend around when you look at the drawings you made during WWII.”
Bruce looked up, and said, “JARVIS, please unlock my files and make them available when this video is watched. Thank you. And thank you for helping me.”
Bruce fell silent, and one hand pushed through his curls.
“You guys can look at the files if you need to see the sources for my decision, but I'm leaving for a couple of reasons. For one, the Hulk is going to hurt the Avengers being accepted as a legitimate group formed to protect this world. If you read my files you'll see the reaction to the other guy in the media and people's blogs. JARVIS crunched the numbers for me, and I think people are always going to be afraid of him, scared that he'll hurt not just the bad guys, but whoever is around during any future fights. You guys don't need my baggage making things more difficult for you.”
Bruce sighed. “Tony, this is mostly for you. And don't blow me off, okay?”
He plastered on a stern look, eyebrows drawing closer. “I know you've got a lot of influence and you probably have the best lawyers in the country.”
Pointing a finger at the camera, Bruce went on. “I mean this, Tony. So listen.” He stressed the last word, painfully sincere.
“It's not going to be enough. I did my homework, and you can't rescue me. I haven't been charged again with being a domestic terrorist, but that's going to change. It's not a matter of if, but when. And when starts as soon as I become the Army's problem again. If you're seen as supporting me, and that means shelter, food, a job, paying for lawyers, any sort of support, then you're liable for charges, too. Your assets can be seized. The government can get its hands on Stark Industries. Your Iron Man suits. None of this has to go through court for it to happen. I'm not letting you take this kind of risk. Don't be careless and think the government won't take you on because you're Iron Man. They'll do it because you are Iron Man and you've defied them about turning over your research and suits.”
Bruce shook his head. “I suppose somebody listening is going to point out that if I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. my legal problems would go away. I'm not convinced of that. But the main reason I'm not turning myself in to S.H.I.E.L.D. is that I can't afford to trust them to not experiment on me. My blood is dangerous. More than just the exposure to gamma radiation if you handle it. Ross and his kind will use it to continue experimenting with genetic manipulations, changing human beings, because they want the Hulk's strength. Worse than me could be created if they have access to my body.”
Bruce shrugged and said, “Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. would leave me alone, just expect me to help out the Avengers and do research, but they built a cell to keep me captive. I can't trust them and take that chance. I can't.”
His expression shifted back to that wry smile again. “I'm caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, a rock and a hard place. So, I'm leaving. Please, respect my wishes and don't try to find me. Let me say that again, so that Tony pays attention. Don't try to find me. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Army will expect you to do it and will try to track me through you. I'll be okay. And you guys, you stay safe and fight the good fight. But, and I'm really trusting you not to abuse this, if you have a situation where I would really be needed or the other guy would be really needed, send a Code Green message out through the media. If I can, I'll come.”
He shifted his legs, brought them up on the bed to sit cross-legged. “Fury can see this video. So can Ross. Uh, if they see this you'd better add something only we would know to that Code Green signal. I want it clearly understood that I left here today without telling anybody what I was doing. Nobody conspired with me, nobody smuggled me out. I left openly without anyone's help. And that was my right, since I haven't been charged with anything at this time.”
He arranged his hands in the classic pose for meditation, palms up and open on his knees. “So, kids, thanks for asking me to play. I won't forget any of you.”
He closed his eyes and JARVIS kept filming for a short time, while Bruce deepened his breathing and sat so very quietly. Tony wanted to curse, wanted to pull Bruce to his feet and hug him and yell at him, because Tony could beat those legal charges with one hand tied behind his back.
The volumetric screen went dark.
Tony stood up and with dramatic gestures threw open Bruce's files so they all could see them. Everyone else pushed out of their chairs, standing in a loose circle around the files hanging in the air. Clint snagged one and brushed his hand over it so he had his own copy. Pepper did likewise. Steve opened one of the originals and started skimming it.
Tony said angrily, “Alright. What happened here? I'd really like to know why JARVIS and Captain America let Bruce just run away without even trying to help him with his problems.”
“Sir, Doctor Banner made a careful and considered decision.”
“And you didn't let me in on what he was up to, JARVIS. I'm still waiting to hear a reason.”
“Might I remind you, sir, that you programmed me to use my own judgment, unless you give me a direct order. You did not. Doctor Banner's actions protected you. I concurred with his reasoning, considering the current situation regarding him and the Hulk. I did not, however, enjoy watching him choose exile.”
“JARVIS, do you have eyes on him now?” Tony asked hopefully.
“No sir. Doctor Banner requested that I not track him.”
Steve said, “Tony, I want Bruce on the team, but he made his decision--”
Tony didn't let him finish. “So what if he's got people scared to death of him right now. That can be turned around. We start a line of Hulk plushy toys; we do some god-damned PR work. Banner's story gets told the right way, and people are going to see a tragic hero. The Avengers do some interviews and talk about how the Hulk saved this city twice over. If the right people interviewed him, he'd win people over just by being himself.”
Pepper breathed out a sigh. “Oh, Tony.”
“I can fix this, damn it,” Tony said to her, and even he could hear the pain in his voice. “I just need to use the right tools.”
Natasha opened a new file with a controlled, tight movement of her hand. “I knew he was leaving this morning. I chose not to stop him or notify S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury won't be pleased.”
“You knew and didn't-” Tony shot accusing looks at the group, then settled on staring at Natasha. “Bruce doesn't lie, so he didn't tell you either, did he? He's not exactly the Sphinx, I'll grant you that, so you what? Could tell by the expression on his face?”
Natasha gave him a deadpan look.
Tony threw his arms up in the air. “Did everybody know he was going except me?”
Clint stopped reading and waved his hand. “Nope, I missed the memo, too. Nat? You figure it out this morning practicing with him?”
She gave a slight shrug of her shoulder and said something softly in Russian.
“Da,” Clint said. “If he decides to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. and if Fury can keep Ross from taking over.”
Tony frowned. “JARVIS, translate what Agent Romanoff said.”
“Sir, Agent Romanoff quoted a proverb. 'Every road has two directions', although I would suggest that you ask her what meaning she assigns to those words. Personal interpretation varies so, as you know.”
Natasha gave Tony one of the looks she'd perfected when she'd been undercover as his PA. He resisted the urge to duck for cover.
She relented, though, and sighed. “Bruce would not do well here, feeling trapped. Let him fly and he may return.”
Steve said, “Natasha and Clint, what's your take on Bruce's situation?”
Natasha shook her head slowly. “For Bruce Banner, there is no choice that isn't dangerous. We know Hydra is interested in him. And he is probably right about General Ross coming after him again. Fury hinted at that during our last meeting. S.H.I.E.L.D., though, asked too much of Bruce in return for their protection. I promised him he would be safe with S.H.I.E.L.D., that he wouldn't be taken and used. Now I'm not sure if that promise could be kept. Fury would fight it, but he could be ordered by the Council to turn Bruce over for experimentation. Although I don't know how they would control him.”
She looked at Tony. “Stark, he wasn't wrong about how the Hulk is seen, but you're not wrong, either. He bought you time to sway the public into accepting him.”
Clint added, “Reading this?” He waved a hand at the files floating in the air. “Fury left Banner out when he turned loose the S.H.I.E.L.D. spin doctors for the rest of us. Wants to keep strong-arming him, I think, so he'll agree to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s protection.”
He tightened his mouth and shook his head. “Could have told Fury that Kwai Chang won't barter his soul. Fury is too cynical sometimes. Swapping sex for survival doesn't mean Bruce would agree to join S.H.I.E.L.D. for protection against Ross and the Army. He wouldn't put other people at risk, if he guessed wrong about S.H.I.E.L.D. experimenting on him.”
Steve looked sharply at Clint, and Tony felt his eyes widen. Oh, Bruce,, he thought, You had to do that, too? He'd missed this information, how had he missed this? Mentally, he reviewed the files that S.H.I.E.L.D. had sent him; damn it, they'd left that out. He'd wring the details out of Clint later.
“Tony. I knew, too.” Pepper turned and faced him, no trace of the smile he loved on her face. “I spoke with Doctor Banner this morning at his request. 'Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies,' he said, and I knew he was going to leave.”
“Pep, I--”
Pepper lifted her chin. “Tony, he made a point of stating I didn't know what he going to do, and he wasn't saying what his plans were. He wrote out a note for S.H.I.E.L.D. to pay his consultant fee to me, and I gave him seven hundred dollars. He also left a letter for your lawyers stating that you do not have his permission to act on his behalf.”
“And you didn't tell me what you thought he was up to? Why?” Tony looked reproachfully at her, and then looked at Natasha and Steve. “Why didn't any of you clue me in about what was going on?”
Pepper stood up even straighter in her high heels. “I'm sorry, Tony. I know he's your friend, but obviously Doctor Banner was afraid that you'd talk him out of doing what he thought was right or throw a scene or have him followed. Otherwise, he would have found you to say a cryptic goodbye. And he was right about the danger to you, to Stark Industries.”
Steve said, “Miss Potts, you're certain about that?”
She turned to Steve and nodded, then walked over to Tony and caught his hand in her own. “I've read your lawyers' opinions and you would be vulnerable to charges yourself for letting Doctor Banner stay here, sheltering him, if he's charged with being a domestic terrorist. When he researched his options, he saw that. You should respect his wishes and stay out of it.” She touched his face, her palm cupping his chin before letting him go.
“Where's that note? Give it to me and I'll tear it up.” Tony held his hand out, but Pepper shook her head in refusal.
“No, Tony. I acted as Doctor Banner's agent and I sent it to your lawyers already. I also have copies in safe places. I'm sorry, but I think it's for the best. He's a nice man, but it was dangerous for him to stay here.”
If Tony hadn't known Pepper as well as he did, he might have missed hearing the shakiness in her voice. But he did know her, and she was upset. It had to be about Bruce.
“Dangerous for him? Meaning he would be in danger? Or did you mean dangerous for us if he stayed here?” Tony had picked up on things being a little off kilter between Bruce and Pepper but thought it was just some initial awkwardness. Now, though, he was seeing Pepper's actions in a different light.
Pepper bit her lip.
“Were you scared of him, Pep? Worried he'd turn into the Hulk and go on a rampage?” Tony slid his arm around her waist.
She nodded and he tightened his hold. Pepper was the most level-headed person he knew. She'd actually met Bruce and had shared a meal with him. Tony was struck with a new appreciation for the struggle it was going to be to change the public's perception about Bruce if even his Pepper feared him.
Pepper's eyes were wide. She shuddered. “If I think about how he can change from a man to that thing, then yes. He's terrifying. I've seen the footage of what he can do.”
Natasha interjected thoughtfully, “Bruce is complicated: quiet, kind, gentle--”
Tony interrupted her. “He wouldn't hurt you, Pepper, he's--” Natasha gave him a look that promised pain in his near future if he didn't stop interrupting her.
Natasha looked at Pepper. “He's brilliant and resourceful, stubborn, and resilient, but he can let you see the Hulk peeking out, if he wants to intimidate you. In Kolkata, he did it to test me. He genuinely doesn't want to hurt people, and even as the Hulk, he normally doesn't attack unless he's attacked first. He does bluster and roar and destroy things to make people leave him alone. His fight or flight reflex dominates him when he's the Hulk.”
Pepper shuddered again. “I've tried not to think about him like that, as the Hulk, and look at the man instead. He seems like a sweetheart. And I know he's had a sad life and he's going back to a terrible way to live, but I don't want him under the same roof as me.”
Natasha came closer to Pepper and laid her hand on Pepper's arm. She let it linger there, staring hard at Tony when he opened his mouth to defend Bruce. He got the message. He shut up.
Natasha said, “Pepper, on the helicarrier, he did go after me, but Loki's weapon was influencing him. I don't hold him responsible any more than I hold Clint responsible for Loki mind-controlling him. And Bruce had just fallen from an upper deck after an explosion; he was hurt. Dazed and scared. I'm sure he was in pain. He tried to hold back. I could see the despair in his eyes when he realized he was changing. He warned me to run.”
Pepper stepped away from Tony, crossed her arms over her chest. “Natasha, he almost killed you. You trapped him in Kolkata, and I think he resented you for that. He didn't really have any other options, did he, if he refused Fury's offer?”
“He's smart,” Natasha answered her. “He realized I had backup outside. So no. He had no real options. He could have changed to the Hulk and fought his way clear, maybe. We know bullets only annoy the Hulk, but the agents had tranquillizer guns, too. But Bruce honestly doesn't want to put other people in danger. That's why he came with me, and yes, he resented me for it. He also wanted to help find the Tesseract.”
“Bruce as himself might not have wanted revenge, but as the Hulk, he came after you. Tony told me about it,” Pepper said firmly. Clint was miming locking his mouth and throwing away the key and pointed at Tony. Tony just shrugged back. He didn't pretend to be a spy like those two, and he'd mostly always told Pepper about everything. Well, except for almost dying, but hey. He'd been trying to be considerate and not worry her.
Natasha shrugged. “I think there's some truth to that. But even though he swatted me, after seeing him fight the Chitauri I know he was holding back. I wouldn't be alive if he hadn't.”
“What do you mean?” Pepper asked, dubiously.
“Right before Thor diverted his attention from me, he was thinking of hitting me again.”
Tony wasn't sure how she did it, but her tone of voice, the way she moved closer to Pepper, it was like they were the only two people in the room right now. Two women sharing confidences. Natasha was being... very personal now. Another aspect of the Black Widow, he supposed. He didn't think it made what she was saying any less true.
“Pepper, his stance... standing over me, ready with the back of his hand to hit me, well, it wasn't the way a man takes out an enemy. It was the way a man punishes his woman who displeases him. And he hesitated. His expression changed. I don't know, but I hope he was going to stop himself, let me go.”
“He's so violent,” Pepper whispered.
Natasha nodded. “The Hulk can be, true. But there have never been any reports of Bruce himself being abusive to others, and I know something of his former lover. She would not have continued a relationship with Bruce if he had tried to hurt her. Hulk was imitating someone else, I believe; someone that had hurt Bruce, perhaps, or that Bruce watched abuse others.”
Pepper looked unconvinced. Natasha caught her hand and squeezed it. “It's hard, I know,” Natasha soothed her. “I know. But Hulk isn't mindless. If he's not goaded into a rage, he can control his actions.”
She let go of Pepper's hand and stepped away. The room fell silent, thoughtful expressions on Steve's and Clint's faces.
Steve said, “I want to explain something to Tony. I realized Bruce was going to leave when I tailed him to the Met. He said he wanted to do a test run to see if people recognized him when he went with me to the exhibit. He wasn't recognized. When I told him I knew he was leaving, he became insistent that he had to go, although he refused to actually say it in plain words. Like Natasha, I didn't try to stop him.”
Pepper said, “Of course not. He might have transformed to get away.”
Steve straightened his shoulders and smiled gently at Pepper. “No, Miss Potts. That didn't concern me at all. Bruce wouldn't do that unless the stakes were a lot higher than his immediate safety or freedom. I didn't keep him from leaving because I'm not going to help coerce Bruce into forced labor of any kind. That stinks of Nazis and Hydra and their callous disregard for human life.”
Steve jerked his thumb towards the brightly glowing files hanging in the air. “We'll work on an agenda that will make it safer for Bruce to stay away and to return eventually. As far as I'm concerned, he's still an Avenger, just out on leave. We need more intelligence before coming up with a plan to help him, though. Tony, it's time for us to have that talk about your nimble fingers. Everyone finish reading the files, especially the legal ones. Let's meet back here in an hour, and we'll talk strategy.”
* * *
Chapter Three - Steve Takes Charge