Heroes/The Incredible Hulk crossover: "R & R" (Noah Bennet, Bruce Banner, PG)
Title: R & R
Rating: PG
Fandoms: Heroes, The Incredible Hulk (2008 movie)
Pairing: Noah Bennet, Bruce Banner
Word Count: 697
Spoilers: vague for Heroes season 3, oblique for Hulk
Notes: Originally posted here for the Sekrit Cabal Ficlet Battle at cerebel_fics.
Summary: "I have a few questions about your ability."
"My 'ability?'" Banner chuckled, a mirthless sound. "That's cute."
The man sat crosslegged on the dingy grey floor, eyes closed and apparently oblivious to his surroundings. He looked peaceful. Happy, even.
Harmless.
But Bennet had seen, had been there. If anything, isolation on Level 5 wasn't secure enough.
But it was hard to reconcile that hulking green creature with the slim man in the cell, scrub pants riding low on his hips; the sharp jut of bone just slightly visible as he breathed. In and out. In and out.
Bennet opened the door and stepped inside.
"Mr. Banner," he said, but the meditating man made no notice of him. He continued anyway, pulling the metal chair away from the table with a harsh grinding noise. Banner winced, and Bennet was pleased.
"I have a few questions about your ability."
"My 'ability?'" Banner chuckled, a mirthless sound. "That's cute."
Bennet ignored him. "I'm very curious to know why my neutralizer didn't affect you."
"I can't imagine you have anything that would neutralize me," shrugged Banner, unconcerned. He stretched his neck from side to side, easing some small tension. "I don't know who you are or what you're used to working with," he half-smiled, "but you've never seen anything like me."
Bennet did not smile back. The man's attitude was really starting to piss him off. "Mr. Banner..."
"Bruce is fine. And you are?"
"The one asking the questions," sighed Bennet, his patience lost. "In less than ten minutes you, or something under your control, caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage and sent thirteen people to the hospital in critical condition." He paused, the overhead light glinting ominously off his glasses as he leaned into Bruce's space.
"That was five days ago. And despite the fact that my colleagues and I shot you down, knocked you out, and have kept you in the dark with no hope of outside contact or release, you have made no move to escape or cause any further harm. And I've gotta tell you, Bruce, that's very strange to me."
Bruce blinked, looking innocent. "What do you mean? You caught me, and you've made it clear I can't leave until you figure out whatever it is you're trying to figure out, so..." He threw his hands up as if to say "whatever," but Bennet had been playing this game a long time.
"I watched you tear through steel like it was tissue paper. If you wanted to get out of here, five foot thick concrete walls wouldn't even slow you down. You're hiding from something." He stood up, lazily circling his captive, who no longer looked so tranquil.
"And it's funny, because you know what I'm going to do, Bruce? I'm going to run every test in the book on you and then some; make you sweat, make you bleed and scream and if it really hurts, I'm gonna do it again. And I'm going to enjoy every second of it." He stopped in front of Bruce and dropped to a crouch, pulling the man's head up to force eye contact.
"Now you tell me, Bruce," he whispered. "What could possibly be scarier than me?"
For a moment, Bruce held his gaze, eyes wide and on the verge of something like fear. He made a strange choking noise in his throat and Bennet drew back a little, remembering the true threat this man posed.
Then he realized. Bruce was laughing.
“I’m not afraid of you,” he chuckled. “Whatever you can think up, I’ve done worse things to myself. And I’m not really hiding. I’m sure he’s found me by now.”
He clapped a friendly hand on Bennet’s shoulder. “But hey, you know, thanks for the vacation.”
-----
The next morning, Banner’s door was open, the keypad lock torn from the wall and still sparking feebly. All eight guards on the hall were dead, and there were signs of some kind of struggle in the room. Banner’s shirt lay on the floor, ripped and stained, and there was a dull red streak of blood across the table.
And Banner was gone. No one had seen or heard a thing.
Bennet clenched his fists. It was going to be a very long day.
Rating: PG
Fandoms: Heroes, The Incredible Hulk (2008 movie)
Pairing: Noah Bennet, Bruce Banner
Word Count: 697
Spoilers: vague for Heroes season 3, oblique for Hulk
Notes: Originally posted here for the Sekrit Cabal Ficlet Battle at cerebel_fics.
Summary: "I have a few questions about your ability."
"My 'ability?'" Banner chuckled, a mirthless sound. "That's cute."
The man sat crosslegged on the dingy grey floor, eyes closed and apparently oblivious to his surroundings. He looked peaceful. Happy, even.
Harmless.
But Bennet had seen, had been there. If anything, isolation on Level 5 wasn't secure enough.
But it was hard to reconcile that hulking green creature with the slim man in the cell, scrub pants riding low on his hips; the sharp jut of bone just slightly visible as he breathed. In and out. In and out.
Bennet opened the door and stepped inside.
"Mr. Banner," he said, but the meditating man made no notice of him. He continued anyway, pulling the metal chair away from the table with a harsh grinding noise. Banner winced, and Bennet was pleased.
"I have a few questions about your ability."
"My 'ability?'" Banner chuckled, a mirthless sound. "That's cute."
Bennet ignored him. "I'm very curious to know why my neutralizer didn't affect you."
"I can't imagine you have anything that would neutralize me," shrugged Banner, unconcerned. He stretched his neck from side to side, easing some small tension. "I don't know who you are or what you're used to working with," he half-smiled, "but you've never seen anything like me."
Bennet did not smile back. The man's attitude was really starting to piss him off. "Mr. Banner..."
"Bruce is fine. And you are?"
"The one asking the questions," sighed Bennet, his patience lost. "In less than ten minutes you, or something under your control, caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage and sent thirteen people to the hospital in critical condition." He paused, the overhead light glinting ominously off his glasses as he leaned into Bruce's space.
"That was five days ago. And despite the fact that my colleagues and I shot you down, knocked you out, and have kept you in the dark with no hope of outside contact or release, you have made no move to escape or cause any further harm. And I've gotta tell you, Bruce, that's very strange to me."
Bruce blinked, looking innocent. "What do you mean? You caught me, and you've made it clear I can't leave until you figure out whatever it is you're trying to figure out, so..." He threw his hands up as if to say "whatever," but Bennet had been playing this game a long time.
"I watched you tear through steel like it was tissue paper. If you wanted to get out of here, five foot thick concrete walls wouldn't even slow you down. You're hiding from something." He stood up, lazily circling his captive, who no longer looked so tranquil.
"And it's funny, because you know what I'm going to do, Bruce? I'm going to run every test in the book on you and then some; make you sweat, make you bleed and scream and if it really hurts, I'm gonna do it again. And I'm going to enjoy every second of it." He stopped in front of Bruce and dropped to a crouch, pulling the man's head up to force eye contact.
"Now you tell me, Bruce," he whispered. "What could possibly be scarier than me?"
For a moment, Bruce held his gaze, eyes wide and on the verge of something like fear. He made a strange choking noise in his throat and Bennet drew back a little, remembering the true threat this man posed.
Then he realized. Bruce was laughing.
“I’m not afraid of you,” he chuckled. “Whatever you can think up, I’ve done worse things to myself. And I’m not really hiding. I’m sure he’s found me by now.”
He clapped a friendly hand on Bennet’s shoulder. “But hey, you know, thanks for the vacation.”
-----
The next morning, Banner’s door was open, the keypad lock torn from the wall and still sparking feebly. All eight guards on the hall were dead, and there were signs of some kind of struggle in the room. Banner’s shirt lay on the floor, ripped and stained, and there was a dull red streak of blood across the table.
And Banner was gone. No one had seen or heard a thing.
Bennet clenched his fists. It was going to be a very long day.