Well, guess this is where I'll write my first fanfiction in about six years. Damn, it's been a while. Here goes nothing!

The crumpled form before him was blue and strange...but Bruce couldn't really judge, considering his alter ego. Wrapped in nothing but a tarp, it seemed this...person...had been left for him to find. Maybe for him specifically, but he couldn't really know that. He was in hiding, so nobody should know where he was...but then again, he was also in the only abode for miles in this forest, so it was likely someone had just seen somewhere to dump this person.

Hopefully.

The blue creature groaned softly, and he bent, carefully examining them for injuries. He didn't have the first clue about this person's biology, though, or even what they were. Mutant? Alien? Alien mutant? Could be just about anything in this day and age. Their eyes flickered open, a deep, blood red. Ah. Slightly scary.

"...wh-where...?" They rasped, looking around.

"You're safe. Do you know what happened? Does anything hurt?" Bruce lifted them carefully, after determining they didn't seem to have a broken spine or neck. They felt fragile in his arms.

"...everything..." They groaned, head settling against him. They were too tired to really fight him. Bruce carried them inside, settling them on his cot. He went to lift the tarp, then rethought it. Most people dislike strangers seeing them in the nude (although some people were into that, this really wasn't the time nor place for kink exploration). He caught the creature's eye, and he could see they were more than a little dazed.

"Do you want clothing? I think I have some clean pants you could wear..."

They shook their head, shuffling a little under the tarp.

"Too warm..."

"Is the tarp too warm too?" It was a little like talking to a toddler...this person was even pouting a little like one. With one weak kick, they threw the tarp back, fully exposing themselves; thankfully, they were wearing a loincloth of some sort. Bruce fought the urge to look them over to determine what sex they were...after all, that was kind of rude. The person bent, however, examining themselves.

"...I'm...blue?"

"You'e blue." Bruce confirmed. "Do you know what your name is?"

"What am I...?"

Oh. Oh dear. Honestly, this was starting to look like an escaped science experiment...or an alien with severe brain trauma. Either way, probably not good.

"I don't know. It seems like you're a bit dazed; maybe you'll remember later?"

"...what...?" They inquired a bit plaintively, and Bruce looked down to see them poking what appeared to be breasts. Ah. A lady then?

"Were those not there before?" Bruce asked patiently, watching "her," he assumed.

"...these aren't mine..."

"Maybe they grew and you've forgotten?" Bruce offered.

"Maybe." She finally agreed.

"You should rest. We'll talk more later, alright? You're safe here. Sleep."

She nodded softly, easily persuaded.


Over the course of the next few days, his blue guest slowly recovered, but she seemed to struggle still with identifying who she was, and where she was from. She did, however, heal pretty quickly. Bruce was thinking science experiment or enhanced mutant at this point. Either way, she was safe with him for now.

"Have you never seen anyone like me?" She questioned softly. She was at a loss for herself, which was a little odd. Like she'd rarely seen someone like herself before. However, showing her a mirror had only made her lose it, smashing her own reflection. Bruce considered a moment.

"You look slightly like a mutant I met. But I doubt you two are anything alike. For one, you don't have a tail."

She chuckled at the thought, and Bruce smiled softly. Despite being confused most of the time, she was fairly pleasant to be around. And considering how long Bruce had been alone in hiding...well, to say he'd craved company was a bit of a stretch, but having her around was filling a hunger he hadn't realized he'd had. However, she still couldn't remember her name...

"Do you think whoever dropped you off here knew who you are?" He asked, and she considered a moment.

"All I remember is being carried...someone was talking, but I can't really recall..." She replied, frowning a little. Bruce nodded. The tarp itself was pretty non-descript, and he'd found her some pants and a shirt to wear for now. Mostly for modesty's sake; they'd discovered she was freezing to the touch, and didn't really need to stay warm. However, Bruce found it more than a little uncomfortable for her to walk around just about naked.

"How about we give you a nickname until you can remember your real name." Bruce suggested, and she shrugged. That was fine by her.

From that point on, she was Logan, a name which sounded familiar to her, but she was pretty sure wasn't her actual name. Kind of generic, but it was just a placeholder, so they didn't put too much thought into it. As it turned out, months went by, and she was still Logan. So much for memory returning. Time went on, and they slowly built a bond; she knew no one else, and he was alone in his hideout besides her. It was almost like a weird version of Stockholm syndrome; Bruce was pretty sure, as he got to know her, that two people like themselves would have never been friends on purpose. She was sharp and witty, full of snark and mischief. And he...was more risk averse. Analytical. Sure, he was sarcastic sometimes, but he wasn't the type to engage in banter with her...though he found himself doing so from time to time, out of boredom.

Right now, however, she was reading a book, and he was cooking. He wasn't amazing or anything, but he'd learned how to cook, living on his own as often as he did. He'd never really explained to her who he was, and he was about to regret it...

"Dr. Banner! We know you're in here!" A shout from outside startled them both; Logan sat back, attention snapping to the door. There was some insistent knocking, before the stranger spoke again.

"Bruce! It's Steve! Will you open up? It's freezing out here."

"Why are you here?" Bruce demanded. "And how did you find me?"

"I'm here because the Avengers need you." Steve didn't bother to explain how he'd found Bruce, which was really somewhat more important to Bruce than the why behind all this.

Bruce sighed, opening the door. Steve could break it down. Knocking was really just a courtesy. Steve paused when he saw Logan.

"Who's this?"

"A friend. Now how about you explain what kind of situation has occurred that it would even be remotely sane to recruit the Hulk to fix it?" Bruce replied, crossing his arms. Logan quirked an eyebrow, but she'd ask questions after. Things seemed a little tense.

"We don't want the Hulk. We want Banner." Steve replied, sighing softly. Last time, they'd told him that, so it wasn't a very believable statement, to be sure. Bruce chuckled.

"You must think I'm stupid."

"No, of course not! We've come across a foe who's been exposed to gamma rays, just like you. We want to figure out how to shut him down..." Steve replied, earnest.

"Hey! Science buddy!" Iron Man strolled in through the door. "First off; not cool for bailing on me, man. I mean, I totally get it, but still. Not cool. You could've left a note or something." Steve rolled his eyes, and Tony continued. "Second, whoever this is can't be nearly as fun as I am. Probably got a better rack, though, so again, totally get it."

Logan glanced over at Bruce, quirking an eyebrow. Bruce sighed.

"These are my old teammates..."

"Hey, Capsicle's old. I'm just seasoned." Tony scoffed. Steve rolled his eyes.

"We don't really have time for this. There's an ongoing crisis, and we need to manage it before any further lives get hurt." He looked back to Bruce, face stern. "Can we count on you?"

"Can I count on you?" Bruce replied, scowling. After all...the last few times hadn't gone too well. And truth be told...he wasn't eager to be anywhere near someone who had Hulked out like him.

Steve sighed softly.

"What can we do to make you more comfortable with this?"

"Stop trying to make me come out of hiding?"

"Oh come on, cat's already out of the bag on that one." Tony threw his arms out expressively. "Come on, what do you need from us? A getaway car? A helicopter? A really cool dog?"

Bruce scowled quietly.

"Now that you've found me, I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"...we're under orders to bring you in by whatever means necessary, Bruce." Steve avoided eye contact as he spoke.

Bruce's expression became grim. He couldn't lose control by Logan; who what might happen to her?

"Let's talk."

Soooo...that's my first stab at fanfic in a very long time. This feels so weird.