I've been on a Hulk craze, to which I blame it on Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., and I've been watching episodes from shows that contain Rick and Hulk. This led me to Iron Man: Armored Adventures. This story came out of wondering why Rick wasn't with Bruce in "Rage of the Hulk". This is my little idea on what could have happened.
I do not own anything from Marvel.
Rick was wounded.
Ross' men had found the fugitive duo, and open fired. It didn't matter that there had been a kid in the crossfire; getting the Hulk was all that had mattered to the aging general. Hulk had done his best to protect his young friend, but one bullet had managed to scrap the boy's arm. Thankfully, it hadn't entered the body, but the damage that it had done was enough to draw blood and make the boy cry in pain. Hulk had gone on such a rampage; it was a surprise anyone had gotten out of there alive. When the green giant had been sure no one would come after them, he picked up the teenager and escaped. That was how the two runaways found themselves in a well-protected cavern; Hulk had been in search of a safe place that would provide them protection from wanderers.
Once positive they were far away from danger, the Hulk sat his friend on a rock gently, and looked over the boy with great concern in his eyes. Rick had held his arm when it had been shot, and with the constant pressure on it, he had managed to get it to stop bleeding. The blood that had managed to escape was just beginning to dry. Rick noticed the look in his friend's eyes and smiled at him, trying to quell his worries.
"I'm okay, Hulk, really," Rick comforted gently. "It's already stopped bleeding. See?"
The Hulk did not look comforted by the news. The fact remained that Rick was hurt on his watch. It was the Hulk's duty to protect the boy who stayed by his side through thick and thin. He hadn't done his job; he hadn't done enough. The wound would need to be attended to, but the Hulk's hands were much too large to take care of it properly; he'd probably hurt the boy more. No, this would be a job for Bruce.
It wasn't like the Hulk didn't like Bruce; the man had created him, after all. However, the Hulk was well aware about Bruce's thoughts on him, which was the cause of their tension. Bruce never liked Hulk at all. He wanted to rid himself of the Hulk, kill him, even. It was why the Hulk wanted to be in control; the less control Bruce was in, the more time Hulk had to live. But Rick needed his help, and so he'd put away his personal problems for the kid's sake.
The process was painless; it was easier to get used to as time went on. Rick watched with slight surprise; he hadn't expected to see Hulk change form, but a Bruce Banner was soon before him, on his knees from the transformation. It took the scientist a moment before he registered his surroundings.
"Hey there Bruce," Rick greeted friendly.
While in the Hulk, he would be put "asleep"; once "awake" he wouldn't remember anything the Hulk did or saw; all he'd get were feelings he would register at a later time. His first emotions weren't his own; it was the memory of the Hulk's: rage and worry. When he saw the scrape on Rick's arm, he quickly realized why the emotions were felt by the other guy. Like the Hulk, he felt protective of the teenager, whom wouldn't leave his side since the day in the desert.
"Ross?" Bruce asked as he inspected the wound.
Nothing fatal, but if it wasn't bandaged up, it could get infected. Bruce tore up a piece of fabric from the pants and wrapped it around Rick's wound. He saw the boy nod from the corner of his eye.
"His men. He wasn't there this time," Rick said nonchalantly. It was normal.
Bruce's brows furrowed as he finished tying up the make-shift bandaged. The casualness in Rick's tone worried him. This shouldn't be a normal life for a child, even if said child was a teenager. He had always been against Rick being on the run with him, but the kid would just keep following him, so there wasn't any point in putting up a fight. This was the first time Rick had been hurt, and it was definitely unsettling.
"We got away, so I figure we have another week before they come after us," Rick continued, not noticing the thoughtful look on Bruce's face. "Hulk really messed their toys up."
Bruce nodded non-committedly. He didn't really approve of Hulk's actions, but if it bought them more time...
"I think we're only a few minutes from a town," Rick continued once more. "We'll have to be careful, to avoid you being seen, but I can head in later and get some supplies."
A town? Bruce thought with interest.
"I think I'm going to take a nap," Rick finished; he was used to holding one-sided conversations. "Running around from Ross gets a little tiring."
Bruce nodded.
"Alright," he said with a fatherly smile. "I'll check out the town from afar."
Rick nodded his head before getting himself comfortable and falling asleep. Bruce placed on the spare shirt that was stashed away in Rick's backpack, and pulled out the cap for extra measure. When he finished making himself look presentable, he turned his attention to the sleeping boy. Once he was sure he was fully asleep, the scientist picked up the sleeping teenager and headed out of their hideaway. He found the road and kept his distance; just enough to see it, while far enough away to keep themselves hidden. He began following it, hoping it led to the town Rick had mentioned.
He didn't like betraying the boy like this, especially considering how loyal Rick was to both himself and the Hulk. But it was the only option Bruce had to keep Rick safe. Living on the run wasn't how a child was to be raised, and Bruce wouldn't be able to live with himself if he lost the boy because Ross or his men missed the Hulk and killed Rick. Separating was the best choice at this point.
He arrived at the town in little time, and found a little hospital. It would be the best place to leave him; the hospital staff would fix up the scrape on the arm, and then find the boy a place to stay. It would be better this way; Rick would be safer. He'd have to get paper and a pencil, and write down that he had left Rick behind so the Hulk wouldn't think he was stolen.
Bruce walked to the doors of the hospital, and lowered his head. While the cap would protect him, there was still a chance someone would recognize him by facial features alone. Once sure he was ready, he walked into the building.
"I need help," Bruce announced, disguising his voice. "This boy needs medical attention."
A nurse, seeing the boy that appeared to be knocked out with a bandage on his arm, ran over to them. She waved down a fellow staff member to bring her a wheelchair to use.
"What happened?" she asked, immediately checking for Rick's pulse.
"Heat exhaustion," Bruce explained, passing over Rick when the wheelchair was brought to them, making sure he was safe in the chair. "I found him, and saw he had a cut. I bandaged it up the best I could."
The nurse nodded, attending to the boy before waving the intern off to care for him. She turned her attention back to the man who had brought the teenager in, but was shocked to see he was gone. She jogged out of the lobby, but found the man had disappeared.
Bruce stood against the wall on the side of the hospital, listening for her leave. When he heard the sliding doors close, he left and headed out of the town, beginning his journey alone.