A/N: Hey Readers. This is a one-shot requested by CMR Rosa based on the Tempest Fugit in Incredible Hulk.
Hope you enjoy. Please review. :)
He was after her, the huge giant whose photograph claimed the cover of the newspaper for the 5th time that month. The woman trembled lightly, visibly paranoid in her cubical. Her eyes stayed fixed on the image in front of her swallowing hard while she reached to sip her caffine. Her fingers slipped against the mug, eyes vague while her chair spun. Her blonde hair swung over her shoulder while she gasped, hearing her coffee mug crash onto the tile due to her clumsy action.
"Justina!"
She cringed over her coworkers scream, stand up with the intention of addressing her friend. Her trembling legs gave out after sliding on the puddle of coffee, heals slipping out from under her while she screamed.
"Mrs. Beasley."
Her blue eyes cracked open cautiously, huffing out a nervous laugh once she recognized the face of the woman standing above her;
"Hi Miss Olsen."
The older woman held her stern expression, arms crossed before removing her glasses and speaking up above a whisper;
"Ma'am. We need to talk."
Justina nodded, coming up to her feet before brushing off her business skirt;
"Of course. What would you like to talk about?"
She shook her head;
"No. Not out here, in my office if you wouldn't mind."
"Oh. Of course. I don't mind at all."
She nodded, eyes searching around her cubical. A sigh emitted from the woman when she pointed subtly towards the paper on the desk;
"Justina what's this? Tell me you're not reading up on Dr. Bruce Banner again-"
The younger woman stammers, flipping the paper over to hide the image of the green monster;
"No of course not. I'm working."
"Let's go have that talk huh? Follow me."
The blonde shrugged her shoulders, lifting up the pieces of her broken mug;
"Should I clean this now-"
"Just. Leave it."
"Are you sure?"
"The guys will take care of it, we have much more important things to discuss."
Justina followed her cautiously, head low with her hands held behind her back. Her eyes stayed alert out of fear, paranoid as if the walls would cave in at any given moment. Her eyes closed briefly, stepping into the office of her boss who took a seat across from her;
"Mrs. Beasley-"
"Actually I've been meaning to inform you Miss Olsen that I am no longer married to Jack."
The woman shook her head and answered almost mechanically, "Oh. I'm sorry."
"Don't be it's better this way. I can concentrate on my work finally."
"Justina, I don't think it's your ex-husbands fault that your work has been suffering."
The woman rested her chin on her hand, staring blankly at the bookshelf behind the desk. Her chest moved slightly as she breathed crossing her legs comfortably in her chair.
"Tina baby tell me you're not still studying..."
The tall muscular boy sat beside her in the library, dark eyes searching for the blue ones belonging to the girl immersed in her book. Her fingers tugged at her braid, mouth contorted when she noticed fingers snake over the top of her reading material to tug it lower. She sighed;
"Harry please. Just give me ten more minutes-"
"What wrong Justina baby? What? You've got that look."
She tugged her book back lightly, smiling at her boyfriend who kicked her calf just hard enough for her to feel it;
"No 'look'. I'm just asking if we can postpone our date for ten minutes."
He scoffed, glancing around the library with a dramatic eye roll over the scrawny teens that surrounded them;
"Are you kidding? You look like a retarded geek sitting here with these nerds-"
"Honey, I have a really big test tomorrow. Would you like to help me-"
"No! You're funny."
She sighed, glancing over her shoulder over a thud. Harry covered his mouth, chuckling coldly when he saw the dark-haired boy cringing in the corner;
"Did you see that Tina?"
The girl rolled her eyes looking back at her book, "No. What did the idiot do now."
"Banner just dropped that physics textbook on his foot,' he leaned forward, pinching her thigh to make her jump, 'Hey. Come on. You don't really want to sit here any longer. The idiot's making me sick just by looking at me."
She closed her book, swallowing dryly, "Alright then come on. I'll study at your place-"
"-No, we're going to yours. Come on baby."
Justina shrilled softly when he tugged at her braid, "Ow. Harry stop it."
He tapped the side of her thigh leaning closer to her face while she looked down, trying to sort her belongings;
"Stop what baby."
She mumbled, shoving her books into her backpack. She gasped lightly once her hair was pulled back, forcing her to look up into his stern focus;
"What'd you say?"
"Nothing Harry."
He nods, cold eyes fixed back on the small boy with the glasses when he whispered, "He's looking at me again. So blank. Does he show any emotion?!"
"Just ignore him. Tim will probably punch him tomorrow if you're interested in watching a fight."
"Probably. I'd like a chance to pull out his curls one day, break his glasses."
She looked up at awkward boy who held his head while he studied. His latest injury was evident from Timothy's last attempted to twist his arm, redish purple lines over his forearm from the attack. His handsome fragile features buried in his book. She shook her head before looking back to her boyfriend;
"Come on lets just go. If I have to watch him anymore I'll puke."
Harry scoffs, draping an arm around her to hug her close and lean half his weight over her shoulder to make her stumble slightly after taking her hand and squeezing her fingers far to tight;
"Harry you're hurting me."
"Oh shut up. You're fine."
She winced slightly, feeling her hip nudged into the bookshelf beside her while her boyfriend laughed almost coldly.
Bruce looked up cautiously, watching the couple exit the library. He sighed lightly, soft eyes picking up on the girls tense nature and visible discomfort. It was a look he knew all too well, heart sinking every time the muscular boy would open his mouth or hurt her in some way. He sighed, trying to refocus on his homework while his stomach twisted uncomfortably.
"You know what I mean?"
Justina squeezes at her fingers, mouth open slightly when she looks back at her boss, eyes shifting from off the bookshelf, "Yes of course...what were you saying?"
The older woman lifts her focus, clutching her cheek;
"Justina, you're too distracted. You can't concentrate, your paranoia is effecting everyone around you...I don't have a choice. I have to let you go."
She stammers, standing up from her chair with trembling hands, "What?! Miss Olsen, you can't- I can't-"
"We're closing soon so I'll have Kelly help clean out your cubical tomorrow."
"Miss Olsen you don't understand! I have reason to be anxious...Wouldn't you be paranoid if you were wanted by a green monster?!"
Her eyes narrow sharply, "He's after everyone Justina. His random attacks are beyond anyone's control. Why do you let him dominate your life?! Why are you so afraid?! I can't have an employee whose so fearful of everything-"
"I'm not-"
"Have a good day Justina-"
"-Thanks I will Miss Lisa."
The instructor smiled politely, sighing once the girl left the classroom.
She sighed, swallowing hard over the 'F' on the top of her paper.
"Tina baby!"
The girl takes an extra step to the side, cringing slightly;
"Hi Harry."
His fingers reach over to her paper, stealing it ruthlessly from her own;
"Ooh. You got your grades back Sugar. Let me see how bad you did."
"Harry, not right now. Give it back please."
His hand slaps across hers, "Shut up. When I'm holding something you don't ask me if you can take it back. You wait patiently...Whats with the 'F' moron? You're not that stupid baby."
She sighed, feeling a slap across her cheek before a tugging on her hair;
"No Harry, I'm not stupid-"
"Then don't act stupid. Come here baby, look at me angel."
The blonde struggles raising her voice while she pushes at his shoudlers defensively;
"Stop it, please just leave me alone."
"Oh stop it. You like it and you know it-"
"Harry! Stop!"
Bruce slamed his locker shut more aggressively then usual while he grits his teeth over the girls weak calls for help. His brown eyes looked over his shoulder, tender towards the girl. He dropped his books instantly, dashing bravely towards the large muscular boyfriend to throw a fearless punch across his jaw after tapping his shoulder. Justina slipped from the both of them, leaning against the wall with wide eyes over the two boys.
Bruce aimed his fist to punch him a second time, mumbling under his breath, "That's not how you treat a woman."
Harry scoffed at dark-haired boy, kneeing his gutt instantly to throw him to the ground before punching his small frame ruthlessly;
"Oh and the single idiot is going to teach me manners huh? Scrawny nerd. Look at ya. All bruised and bloodied. Thought you'd try to be tough? Look where it got you you little termite!"
He cringes once his glasses are thrown from him, curled up in a tight ball to protect himself from the other classmates who gather to watch and participate in the attack. He cries weakly over his broken bones, wheezing over the agony he's put through.
Justina grits her teeth angrily, watching from the sideline while he coughs and struggles to breath,
"Bruce you freak! You're completely worthless!"
She clenched her own fists with reddened cheeks when she hears her classmates;
"Ooh. The nerd just stood up for Justina Proulx."
"Whoa. You mean the scrawny one?"
"Guys the egghead just hit Justina boyfriend!"
"Proulx just got rescued by a nerd prince charming."
"Ha! His guts are getting smushed all over the floor."
"Somebody call the janitor before I trip over his bloody corpse."
"Guys! What's going on...Banner! Harry stop it! Back up!...,' the teacher flicks his tie over his shoulder, bending down to check an unconscious Bruce, 'He's not responding. Someone go call emergency! Now!"
Justina abandoned her books, bolting from the school to run home with her head hung low...
She shut the doors behind her with her pocketbook slung over her shoulder, kicking the rock from off the pavement and into the street while she makes her way back to the apartment.
With a sigh she answered her buzzing cellular;
"Dave? What's wrong my little man, why are you calling!,' her eyes widen, fearful for her son's safety when she comes running down the street, 'Stay inside David! Do you hear me?! Do not go outside with your sister! I'll be home in a few minutes!"
Her heart beat picked up, pushing the suddenly screaming pedestrians from the street. Her blood pressure spiked, tripping over the side of the pavement. Her ears crack over the roaring coming from the other end of the street.
Her voice raised, screaming at the top of her voice when she makes eye contact with the green giant who stands above her curiously. He huffs out a breath, anger in his stare. She stammers to her knees, trembling at his heals;
"Bruce! Bruce please! Don't kill me please! I'm so sorry for what happened, you've got to believe me! It's haunted me my entire life! Spare me please! I'm so sorry. I should've never hurt you! You defended me! I should've protected you! I made a mistake Bruce!"
He grunts, confusion in his stare over the small woman, "Hulk not know you. Puny Bruce not remember tiny woman."
She felt faint from their brief conversation, watching him pull away. She leaned forward, still wanting to make amends for her action, searching for redemption;
"Bruce-"
Justina shook her head when he runs off into the distance, military helicopters soaring above her head to chase him down. She clutched her heart, mouth agape in disbelief over his lack of recollection over an event that scared her for life. Her heart slipped into her throat, eyes filled with regret over her past while she looks around her. Her mouth stayed open while she listened to the sirens and the sounds of military machine guns being fired in the direction of the large green monster.