Working Title: Double Take
By: Kelly Johnson
© 2003
It was another hot, sweltering day in the sun as the man known only as David walked along the deserted highway.
"Definitely picked the wrong side of the Rockies." He looked towards the west at the peaks rising into the hazy sky. As he scanned the road ahead, he saw a bridge. The ravine it crossed came from the mountains, and he made his way towards it. It had been farther than he thought, and when he reached the nearly vertical bank, he saw that the creek bed was bone dry. He moved to cross the bridge when an abandoned hiking pack near the edge caught his attention. He went over to it and picked it up gingerly.
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
"Yes! Help me!" A voice came from in the ravine. "Please!" David looked over the side and saw a young girl clinging to the dirt. Her pleading eyes met his with desperation.
"White? That's impossible." He shook the thought from his head and reached out to her. His hand came short as she started to slide off of her dirt perch. She scrabbled uselessly at the dust, trying to stop her inevitable fall. She looked up one last time, before David could register the horror unraveling before his eyes. Her clothes stretched as the muscles developed and body structure morphed into unmistakable masses of anger, fear and frustration.
Within a few short seconds, David was staring into an all too familiar face. He shrank back momentarily, but recovered and grabbed the green, outstretched hand. The new Hulk used David as an anchor as it pulled itself off the failing bank. They collapsed in a heap, a few feet away, and it soon resumed the form of its more human counterpart.
"Not again." David heard her groan as the daze lifted.
"It's alright, now." He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. She startled from the contact.
"Go away." She snapped, now fully recovered. "You wouldn't like me. A freak." Tears came silently from her green eyes.
"I'm not going to leave you." David sat down next to her. "And you're not a freak." He lifted her chin up, and her miserable face was glistening with tears.
"What do you care? You have no idea what it's like for me."
"I care a lot. And I do know what it's like; I have the same problem." She narrowed her eyes. "Do you read the National Register?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." She scanned his face. "And Science Digest, as well, Mr. Banner." David's heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name, and he wasn't quite sure how he should react. "I'm Carla Genson." She held out her hand and David took it cautiously.
"Why do you think I'm Doctor Banner?"
"Because, I've seen you before at your lectures on Gamma Radiation research. You're not the only one looking for answers, you know."
"Yeah, I know." He thought about the one time he had come close to curing the Hulk, only to have his one chance destroyed by another version of himself. "Well, in that case; yes, I am Doctor David Banner. My question to you is how long you have been this way, Miss Genson."
"Carla. It's Carla. And I don't know. I've been this way ever since I was a little girl. It's just that I've adapted to it and learned a little control over my naturally abundant aggression. How about you? Have you made any advances in controlling it?"
"Ah," he smiled wearily, "not what I would call advances; more like small steps."
"Well, anything helps, right?"
"Yeah." He handed her the hiking pack. As she put it on he noticed small rips in her black shirtsleeves. The clothes looked threadbare from being stretched too often.
They walked north together, and soon started to talk about their pasts. David told Carla about his work, his travels, and of course, the ever- present Jack McGee.
"So, why don't you tell me something about yourself, Carla? I've revealed how it happened to me, how did it happen to you?"
"I, I don't know."
"Wasn't somebody there?"
"I don't know. Whatever happened, it was when I was only a baby, I think. At first, as a toddler, nothing happened that I remember. I was never really angry or anything. But as I got older, I started to throw fits; and one day I turned into that thing. My parents didn't know what to do with me, and my dad, being the military officer that he was, talked to the scientists at his base about it. I was handed over to them for analysis at the age of nine, and managed to break out about four years later, and I've been on the run ever since."
"The military?'
"Yeah, but they have no idea where I am. Either that, or they don't care about me anymore."
"I would hardly think that they would forget about someone like you, Carla."
"Well, I haven't seen them, or been bothered in years."
"How old are you?"
"What?" She was taken by surprise.
"How old are you?"
"I'm seventeen, Dr. Banner."
"Only, seventeen." He walked in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. "By the way, you can call me David, if you want."
"Okay, David." Carla smiled sweetly and they walked in quiet for a while, as she periodically hummed tunes. After a couple hours of small talk, with a few intervals about trying to prevent the 'attacks,' as David called them, they settled down to make a camp for the night.
"I'll cook. I've got some food with me." Carla offered, but there was no fire.
"That sounds wonderful, thank you." They laughed as she took out a couple of Meals Ready to Eat from her pack. "Military, always eating food from a bag. But it's not as bad as you'd think; as long as you use the Tabasco Sauce." David welcomed the filling meal and after they had finished, Carla unrolled a sleeping bag a few feet away and crawled in.
"Sorry, just in case. I'm a bit of a worry-wart."
"It's okay. I think it's a good idea." David rested his head on his bag and closed his eyes. Carla stared into the sky, wondering about the Doctor that slept near her, and about his past. She snickered to herself as David snored slightly, and mumbled something about a woman.
"Poor guy." She turned to look at his restless sleep, and pulled an extra blanket from her sack. She walked over and laid it gently on him. "It's going to get cold out here." She advised to no one in particular.
*******************
Near dawn, Carla woke up to a growl that was becoming consistently deeper with each passing moment. She looked over to David and noticed he was troubled in his sleep. Worried, she walked over to David and started to smooth his hair.
"It's okay; it's only a dream David. There's no reason to be worried." She fell back as David sat straight up. His eyes glistened white in the fading moonlight.
"Caroline!"
"Hush! David, it's Carla! You've had a bad dream. It'll be alright if you just relax. It was only a dream!" She urged him as the Hulk rose up in him. His body quivered with fear and power as his skin turned green. "David! Fight it! I know you can! Don't let it control you!" He looked at her and his tense body slowed its spasms. Finally, he had calmed down enough where only his eyes were white, and he dropped his head into his hands.
"Carla?"
"David, it's okay. I'm right here."
"What happened?"
"You fought it, David. You fought and won."
"But, how can that be?"
"What do you mean, 'how can it be'?" She leaned forward, bothered by his words.
"I didn't even get a chance to fight back. It just, went away on its own." They looked at each other, David's blue eyes had returned.
"Went away on its own?" Her words hung in the cool dawn air, mingling with the mists.
"It's, as if it saw you and gave up. Or didn't want to hurt you. I can still feel it near the surface, but it refuses to come out with you here." He looked up curiously at her.
"I don't know what to think, David."
"Neither do I."
*******************
That afternoon they managed to flag down a truck headed north. As they were sitting in the back of the truck, their eyes met and exchanged a common thought. Carla smiled and looked away.
"David?" She yelled over the noise of the engine.
"Yeah?"
"What did you dream, exactly last night?"
"I dreamt about my second wife, about losing her, and losing my first wife. It's my reoccurring nightmare. It's what tends to cause my attacks when I'm sleeping. Do you have them? The nightmares?"
"Sometimes. But I try to avoid things that might cause them. I'm sure you've tried it, but it also takes practice. I worked for months to finally have lucid dreams. Now I can kind of control what I dream, and create a better outcome that might avoid any unpleasant side effects. But once in a while I'll wake up in a new place and have to figure out where I went and what I did."
"I know the feeling."
"I bet you do, David." They kept quiet so they wouldn't have to speak over the roar of the truck, and hopped off after a couple of hours. As they were walking down the roadside, David noticed a gas station not more than a couple of miles ahead. There seemed to be another building next to it, so they made quick headway, in hopes of getting a chance to use the restrooms.
When they finally reached the station, they realized that the other building was a state trooper post. Carla decided to wait outside next to the restrooms for David to talk to the man at the counter. The clerk was very polite and gave David passkeys to the bathrooms.
"He said they even have small showers in there."
"Score!" They went into the little rooms and started to freshen up. When Carla finished, she walked outside and went into the convenience store.
"Thank you very much." She handed the key back to the clerk who smiled. She walked around the store as she waited for David. As she opened a refrigerator door to pull out a bottle of water, a Trooper came up behind her.
"Good morning, Miss." She turned around, startled.
"Hello, officer. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No ma'am. I just wanted to make sure that everything was alright here."
"Yes, thank you. Everything is fine. I'm just waiting for my friend to get out of the restrooms."
"Have a nice day." He tipped his hat and smiled flirtatiously.
"You too, officer. Have a nice day." She returned a weak smile as he turned and walked to the other side of the store. The door chime rang as David came into the store, looking much cleaner and well-shaven.
"Thank you." He gave the key back to the clerk and found Carla near the beverages.
"Hey David. You clean up well." She seemed a little shaken.
"What's the matter, Carla?"
"The trooper came up to me and started to just talk to me. I'm not used to it. I usually avoid stores. Especially ones so close to the police, or the military. There's a base about 15 miles down this road, and that's what's got me worried."
"Well, I would have to see why, considering your past."
"No, you don't understand. That's the base where I escaped from four years ago. Even the MP's know me there. I know they've been on the lookout for me ever since I ran away. If we come too close to the base, they'll recognize me, and have us both in their labs as rodents."
"Well, why don't we just turn around and go another way?"
"Because, unlike you, my family and friends still know that I'm alive. They just think that either I found out something I wasn't supposed to, or that my dad is concerned for my safety. Both excuses are lame as all get out, but they believe anything because they worry about their necks. I promised a friend that I would see them this weekend in the park, and I intend to keep that promise." David looked at Carla like she had lost all sanity and rationality.
"Carla, you're going to risk your freedom to see this friend?"
"Yes. And if you don't want to come, then you don't have to. You're a grown adult, at least that's what I've gathered, and can make decisions for yourself. But if you chose to come with me, I may be able to help your research in finding a cure. I still have the military pass I used to escape, and the town has a magnificent medical facility. Have I caught your interest yet?"
"You bet you have."
"Good. Well, then, shall we be on our way?" They bought a couple of water bottles and headed down the road towards Carla's town.
*************************
"Carla?"
"Yeah, David?"
"Do your parents still live here?"
"I don't know. My dad was always re-stationed at random. Even he never knew when or where he was going until he arrived at his new locals. So, I really don't know." David gave Carla a patriarchal look, as he questioned the intelligence of her decision to come back to her hometown. "Listen, my friend has no ties to the military at all, if that makes you feel better. And besides, you can still leave whenever you want to."
"You should know better than to think you can get rid of me Carla, after that tempting offer of helping my research." She rolled her eyes.
"Of course, I opened the door for a doctor. And they never leave until they get what they're promised."
"Is that a hint of sarcasm I hear?"
"You bet it is, Doctor." They started to laugh, but quickly stifled their smiles when a military patrol car appeared on the horizon.
"What do you want to do?"
"Get between me and the road, and hold my hand." He walked on her right and took her hand in his. She had a strong grip, and her palms were clammy. She ducked her head down as the hummer zoomed by them, and David noticed that the MPs in the vehicle craned their necks to watch them walking along the road.
"Carla, they're watching us."
"Keep walking." She mumbled between her teeth. "And don't say anything." The MP hummer turned around and stopped in the middle of the road. The driver got onto the radio.
"We have two hitchhikers coming north on the main road, male and young female. Female has a large hiker's pack, and matches description of number 376258. Request permission to pursue."
"Permission denied 693. Advise you continue south, Base will take it from here. Over and out."
"This is transport 693, we copy. Over and out."
*****************
"So, how far is your town from the base?"
"Oh, about five miles, give or take. Most of the people who work at the base prefer to live on site, but some of them will move to the town."
"Like your family?"
"Yes, like mine. But my friend doesn't live in town. She's from farther up north, and agreed to meet me here, since it was roughly the same travel time for the two of us. She's a lawyer, and plans to help me fight the military from taking me back into secrecy. She's going to help me expose them and the methods they used on me."
"Methods they used on you?"
"Yeah, torture devices and the likes. They used me as a guinea pig to see what kinds of interrogation serums and techniques would work. And they also liked to get that thing to come out once in a while for scientific study of its genetic structure and such."
"Torture? How did they get away with it?"
"My dad's in the military, remember? He signed his life away, and mine, since I'm a minor."
"Then why not wait until you're 18?"
"I'm becoming unstable, physically at least. That thing is coming out more and more often. Usually I wouldn't turn into it in a situation like at the ravine, but it feels like it's getting stronger. I have to do something soon before I lose all control, and they take me back for the 'safety of the public.' I don't want to go, and neither does it."
"Okay then. How about I help you, and then after we get the truth out, you can show me that medical facility in the town."
"You have yourself a deal." They walked along and passed by the military base without a problem. It took a few more hours to reach the town, and by then the sun had set. Carla brought David to a nice motel and paid for the room. He put his things in the bathroom and went to take another refreshing shower when he noticed that Carla hadn't settled in the room.
"Carla? Where are you going?"
"To see my friend." She put her pack down on the floor. "We'll be at the park if you need me."
"But why so late?"
"So people hopefully won't recognize me. It's dark out, and it'll provide some cover for me at least."
"Alright; be back soon. And be careful. If you're caught, they'll take you back to that base."
"I'll be safe. Don't you worry, David." She walked out of the room, leaving her things in a corner. David turned on the television and flipped through the channels until he found the local news. It was a small town and there wasn't much word to go around it seemed. He decided to take his shower and went into the bathroom.
*******************
"Carla? Is that you?" The woman on the park bench whispered at a shadow closing in on her.
"Yeah, it's me. How are you, Ms. Dawkins?"
"I'm fine. How was your trip?"
"Fairly uneventful. I met a nice man on the way up, and he said he would try and help us expose the military base."
"In exchange for what?"
"Access to the medical facilities in the hospital. Nothing hard, or illegal."
"Can we trust him?"
"I don't think I can trust anyone more than him."
*************
David got out of the hot shower, scrubbed clean and red. He was drying his hair with a hand towel when the phone in the room rang.
"Hello?"
"Hello, sir. I have reason to suspect that a specific young woman has been in your company as of late, and I would like to ask where she went this evening."
"Who is this? Why do you want to know?"
"This is her father, and I think that she would be safer with me than out with you."
"I'm sorry, but I can't help you. She went out for the time being and didn't tell me where she was going."
"Sir, I don't think you understand how dangerous it is for her to be out on the town at this time of night. She could be hurt."
"She'll be just fine. Now, if you would kindly not call me, I would like to go to bed, thank you."
"Very well. It was a pleasure speaking to you sir. Goodnight."
**********************
In a hummer outside of the motel, a gray-haired man hung up a phone. He was decorated in lavish medals that had tarnished over time. The parking lot light shed hardly a ray onto the faces of the men in the vehicle.
"I think it's time we brought my daughter back."
"Yes, Colonel, sir."
"We'll be back for him later. For now, let's go for a drive around town."
********************
"Carla, are you even listening to what I've been saying for the last hour?" Ms. Dawkins touched Carla's hand and she looked back at her mentor.
"Yeah, it's just I'm trying to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, you know?"
"Carla, if we don't focus more closely on your case, then we might as well not even talk about it anymore. I'm only doing this because I practically helped to raise you, until I found out about your problem, and your father chased me away."
"You don't need to remind of my problem. I'm reminded of it too often as it is."
"When was the last time it happened, Carla?"
"Aren't we going to focus on the case?"
"Yes, but first I want to know when was the last time that you turned into that green thing."
"Yesterday." Ms. Dawkins' eyes widened.
"That recent?"
"Yeah, happens at least once a week. And it's coming and going more often. Especially when I'm this close to home, and the memories." Carla pulled her arms tight to her body, trying to drive off the thoughts of her past.
"Maybe meeting here wasn't such a good idea. I hear your dad is back in town."
"What? He is? I thought he'd been sent to the East coast. They must have brought him back here, so they might get me if I came back."
"They are coming here for you, Carla."
"What? Liz, you didn't, you didn't tell them I would meet you here did you?"
"No, but I found out this evening that my phone had been bugged. My brother called me and told me that he'd found it on my wire."
"No. I won't let them take me back!" Carla stood up and started to walk away.
"Carla! Wait! They may be driving around town, looking for you!" Carla turned around and looked at Liz, both of their desperations equally compelling. Suddenly, Liz saw a pair of headlights bouncing along the field behind Carla. They both looked as the blinding lights advanced on them.
"Carla!" A man's voice boomed from the approaching hummer. "Carla!" He jumped out of the moving vehicle and ran up to her. She backed away so she was out of arms' reach.
"Go away, Colonel. I don't want anything to do with you!"
"Now, now; those are pretty harsh words to speak to someone you haven't seen in four years, especially family."
"You're not my family. A real father would never let his daughter go through what I did at that hell you call a base."
"Carla, don't get yourself all worked up. We want to help you."
"Then let me go. Let me live a real life that I missed!" Carla turned around and was met by six gun-barrels.
"I wish that you would listen to me once in a while." One of the soldiers fired at her, and she staggered back as a tranquilizer hit her abdomen. She pulled it out, and watched her father and the soldiers come towards her as the sedative took effect. Carla turned around to run away, but stumbled over her own feet and fell to the ground.
"You were never my father." She moaned to the blurs above her. "And never will be."
**************************
David ran to the town park as fast as he could. It took him nearly half an hour to find it, and when he reached the bench that Carla had said she would be at, there was no one there. He looked around for any sign of her in the dim streetlight, and found the hummer tracks in the grass. Its wheels had torn the ground beneath into mud, and the tracks away from the bench were just as easy to find.
"Carla!" He hoped she had escaped and hidden nearby. "Carla! Where are you?" No answer, so he followed the ruts until they came to the paved street. There he tracked the mud on the asphalt until it disappeared, but he didn't need any more evidence to tell him where the vehicle had been headed. He looked straight up and was met with the headlights of the same hummer that had taken Carla. Mud was still fresh up the sides of its armor, and the men that piled out were in battle fatigues.
"Where is she?"
"Where is who?" The voice from the phone call answered him.
"Carla. What did you do with her?"
"We brought her home. As for you, we decided that friends shouldn't be separated for too long, so we'll take you to her." David staggered as a dart found his thigh, and he passed out.
**********************
"Let me go! Let me out!" Her voice rang in the blackened room. "You can't do this to me!" Suddenly, the lights flickered on in a fluorescent haze, blinding her.
"Carla, you need to calm down. If you don't we may need to sedate you again." She glared at the scientist that had been the head of her project for the four torturous years she'd been held captive. She tried to move her head, and found it, as well as the rest of her body had been tightly secured to the table she was on.
"Let me go, Trenton." She growled deeply at him.
"Carla?"
"David?"
"Carla, where are you?"
"I'm right here David!" She craned her neck and saw him on an identical table next to her, he had been blindfolded. "Let him go! He hasn't done anything!"
"I wish I could, but your father has insisted that we keep him here until he is deemed fit to be released."
"You can't do that to him. He's a civilian."
"A civilian plotting against the government. That's grounds for treason."
"David. I'm sorry I got you into this."
"It's okay Carla. It's not your fault." The scientist walked out of the room, but was soon replaced by Colonel Genson.
"Carla, you have no idea how much I've missed you." Genson smoothed her brown hair. "It's been far too long since I've had time with you." He grasped her restrained hand in his, and kissed it.
"Cry me a river, Colonel. You never cared about me. It was always the military. 'For the good of the country' was your motto. Never me, never mom, and never family. It was and always will be the country." Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. They started to run down the sides of her face and collect in her ears, as Genson looked impassively his daughter. He ignored her tears and walked over to David who was struggling against his restraints.
"It won't do you any good to struggle. They're tight enough to keep a grizzly down."
"Why are you doing this to her? What has she done that warrants this?"
"That," Genson pointed to his daughter, "is a threat, and a menace to society. It's bad enough having McGee tracking that unquarantined monster, but to have two of them on the loose is bad publicity. At least we can keep this one from doing any more damage that it already has."
"You talk about Carla as if her human side didn't even exist."
"It doesn't! It hasn't since she first turned into that monstrosity!"
"I am not a monstrosity!" She bellowed from behind him. "You're the monster, if there's one in this room!" Her eyes turned white and she started to heave with the onset of the transformation.
"Trenton! Get in here!" The head doctor ran into the room with a syringe of clear fluid. He quickly injected it into Carla's muscular arm, but her transformation didn't show signs of slowing. Soon the straps that held her down distorted with the pressure of her body, and broke. "Carla! I order you to stop this instant!" Genson roared at his Hulk daughter. Instead, she moved over to David and started to peel away his binds and blindfold. Before she could fully free him, a soldier ran in and shot her with the tranquilizer gun. The Hulk howled in furry and turned on the soldier. She tossed him out of the room and turned around to see Genson and Trenton next to David.
"Carla! Get out!" David ordered her, and she looked sadly at him.
"That's it." Genson mused. "Carla! Don't go! If you do, you will never see him again!" He held a pistol to David's head. The Hulk looked menacingly at the Colonel, and then at the scientist who had a needle ready to jab into David's bloodstream.
"Don't listen to him Carla! I'll be fine!" Trenton stabbed the needle violently into David, making him squirm in pain. She came towards the three men tentatively, and quietly.
"That's it Carla. Come on. We don't want David to get hurt now, do we?" David yelped in pain again as Trenton yanked the injection out of his arm. The Hulk that was Carla looked first at Genson, as he tried to coerce her over to him, and then to David. She walked over to David and put her hand on his chest and held onto his main restraint.
"Carla? What are you going to do?" The Hulk grunted and started to twist the strap that held David. She freed him and picked him up, his dead weight spilling into her arms.
"Carla? What's going on?" David slurred through the narcotic. She looked down reassuringly at him, and hefted his weight into a more comfortable position.
"Carla, you are not going anywhere!" Trenton scolded. The Hulk turned to look at the smaller being, and then tried to kick down the door. It didn't budge. Confused and unhappy, the creature carefully set David down, and began to pound on the doors with both of her fists. She made massive dents in the thick steel, and after a few minutes of devoting herself to only destroying the troublesome door did she manage to break it down. The Hulk turned to pick David up, and found him gone.
"Carla, do you want David back?" The creature nodded and came towards him when Genson put the pistol back up to David's temple. "We'll let him go, but only if you stay here with us. Do you understand that?" She looked at her father and hung her head. Carla considered the consequences of the choice, and sat down on the table. More tears came from her eyes as the Colonel had David revived. They brought her with them and had David taken off the base in front of her. She remained as the Hulk until the creature was sure that David had been escorted safely off the grounds, and they were back in the lab.
"Okay, now Carla. Let's get you back to your old self." The shackled giant sat back down on the table, and stayed still while the scientist gave her another sedative. She finally relaxed enough to return to human Carla, and collapsed on the table.
"If you ever come near David again." The narcotic started to take effect.
"I'm sorry Carla, but he knows now. Exposure is not an option for us, you know that."
"You lie. You can't do that. He's not your property, he's a human being! Keep me here! I won't leave as long as you let him alone!" Genson looked slyly at her, and shook his head. He and Trenton walked out of the room as Carla finally lost consciousness.
************************
David ran back to the motel as fast as he could. He knew that it was probably a bad idea, but he needed to see if Carla had any information that he might use to his advantage. He went into the bedroom and pulled her pack out of the corner. Before he opened it, he thought about how she had traded her freedom for his, and unzipped the first pocket. He rifled through the entire sack, and found mostly clothes and Meals Ready to Eat. Finally, at the very bottom of the stash, he found a small diary with a paper lodged in it. He took it out and saw a photo of Carla's family. She was only about five in the picture, and there was a pretty little house in the background. He opened the diary to the first page, which was in the very back, and started to read.
"Dear Diary,
I miss my family so much. It's been a month since I managed to escape from the base, and I already begin to wonder if it was a good idea. I'm not used to being out alone, and there's no one to take care of me if I lose control. I hope that I can survive out here before the MPs catch up to me. They're about a day behind, and closing fast. Maybe if I catch a ride up to the seminar at Doctor Banner's research center, maybe I can find some answers there.
Carla"
He closed it, and put the book back in its place. He looked a little longer before there was a knock at the door, and he looked up. David closed the pack and put it back in the corner, and opened the door with his bag in hand.
"Hello? Who's there?" He put his head out of the door.
"Sir, we would like you to come with us." A couple of soldiers ordered him. He saw a hummer on the other side of the parking lot, with Colonel Genson inside.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that." He closed the door and quickly threw the locks in place. The door shuttered as the men bashed it in. David looked around the room for something to defend himself with, and found only the lamp. "Damn it!" He grunted and grabbed a comforter off one of the beds and wrapped it around his hands. He hit the window until it shattered out onto the pavement. He laid the cover over the window sill and climbed out. There were soldiers in the back lot as well, but he was a good half way across before they saw him.
"Get him!" One of the officers yelled, and the men chased David away from the town.
*******************
"Trenton!" The scientist feebly walked up behind Genson.
"Yes, Colonel, sir?"
"How is she doing?"
"Just fine sir. She's sedated and calm. And the machines have detected no signs of nightmares or anger."
"Good, let's try and keep it that way this time. We don't want her to get out again, do we?"
"No sir."
******************
David was still running from the military when he fell into a creek. There was only thick mud at the bottom, and he tried to drudge his way through it to the other side. He ended up waist deep in the muck and was soon caught by the soldiers. They yanked him out of the mess, and handcuffed him in their vehicle.
"This is transport 542, calling base."
"This is base, go ahead 542."
"We have joy. Runaway has been captured and we are returning home."
"We copy 542. Base over and out."
"542 over and out." The officer put down the com. Link and turned to his prisoner in the back seat.
"Sir, we're sorry for the inconvenience, but Colonel Genson ordered that you be brought back to base."
"Why does he want me?"
"I don't know sir, he just does." David raised his eyebrows and looked out the window as the scenery sped by.
********************
"Colonel, sir, we have the man you wanted."
"Excellent, Sergeant. Now, bring him in here and we'll find out what he knows." The soldiers brought David into the darkened room and sat him down in a chair. They chained his arms and legs to the metal seat, making sure that he couldn't get comfortable.
"What do you want with me?"
"What did Carla tell you?"
"Tell me? About what?" Genson looked angrily at David, and then nodded to someone behind the captive. David felt a prick in his neck as a solution was injected into his body.
"What has she told you about her past? About us?"
"Nothing." David felt his eyes roll in his head as his vision blurred. Bells went off in his ears as his body felt like it was on fire. "She didn't tell me anything." He gritted his teeth.
"Right." Genson leaned into his face. His breath stank and made David feel more nauseous. Genson looked back to the person behind David again, and nodded his head. David's chair was turned to face a wall that opened up to reveal a view of Carla on the table.
"Carla!" David started to fight the potent drugs. "Why is she back in there? Carla!" The window snapped shut as David saw her stir in her sleep.
"Now, tell us what she told you, and we might be able to let you go."
"No." His senses blazed with pain, but he still refused to give in.
"Very well then, take him down with her. We'll work on his memory after he sees what we have in store for Carla." They tied David to a hospital bed and wheeled him down to the medical room where they were keeping Carla. They gagged him, and then brought him into the room. It was painted a sterile white, and the lights amplified the intense walls. Trenton brought another syringe over to Carla and delicately inserted it into her arm. Everyone left the room, and a few minutes later, Carla woke up.
"Carla!" David tried to say, but his gag muffled all the noise he tried to make. Carla looked around, confused, and finally noticed that David was next to her.
"David! No!" She cried as they both fought their straps. Carla was crying and screaming when she saw his eyes turn white, and his body tremble as the change came over him.
"Colonel!"
"What Trenton?"
"Look!" They both watched from above, in awe as David transformed into a giant green behemoth. The Hulk looked confusingly at Carla and then began to free himself. Trenton and Genson ran down to the containment facility to try and stop his escape. They fumbled at the door, and when they opened it, the Hulk had freed a very angry Carla.
Her eyes turned a startling white as she too turned into the creature. The Hulks eyed each other up, and then looked at the two men in front of the doorway. They stalked up to the small humans and roared in their faces. Genson pulled out two handguns and pointed them both at the green creatures. The weapons were instantly out of his hands and had been turned into useless lumps of metal by David and Carla. Wisely, he and Trenton ran out of the room, followed by the hulks. The two crashed and destroyed their way out of the government facility, out onto the main street of the base. They ran together towards the nearest fence, and snapped it in two. A unit followed them out into the firing range.
"I want them dead, or unconscious!"
"Yes sir! Fire at will! Fire at will!" On the range the hulks dodged the incoming firepower as it rained wildly around them. They quickly covered the distance to the outer fence of the base, when one mortar shell exploded next to Carla. She howled as the shrapnel cut into the left side of her body. The Hulk collapsed on the ground and writhed in pain. The other hulk saw his hurt friend and ran back over to her. He picked her up and bellowed at the soldiers. The Hulk kicked down the fence and ran off into the woods with his injured comrade in his arms.
"Damn it! I want them found, and I want them back here by the hour!"
**********************
In the forest, the Hulk put his companion down and stooped next to her. She looked over at him and wrapped her green arms around his neck. He was surprised by the gesture, and hesitantly returned the affection. She let him go and laid back against a tree, relaxing and letting go of her anger. He quickly followed her example and David and Carla appeared next to each other.
"Carla?" David held her, blood smearing on his arms.
"David? We made it. We got out."
"Yeah, we did." They heard the sounds of a search team not far away.
"David, you've got to go. You can't let them take you back. You can't." Her eyes rolled back in her head as her breathing became shallow.
"I think they're over here!" A voice called out. David started to cry, as he put Carla down on the ground. He ran from the soldiers and made his way back to the motel. There he gathered his things, and looked at Carla's lonely pack in the corner.
*********************
Last the military knew David had been spotted hitchhiking north, alone.
It was another hot, sweltering day in the sun as the man known only as David walked along the deserted highway.
"Definitely picked the wrong side of the Rockies." He looked towards the west at the peaks rising into the hazy sky. As he scanned the road ahead, he saw a bridge. The ravine it crossed came from the mountains, and he made his way towards it. It had been farther than he thought, and when he reached the nearly vertical bank, he saw that the creek bed was bone dry. He moved to cross the bridge when an abandoned hiking pack near the edge caught his attention. He went over to it and picked it up gingerly.
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
"Yes! Help me!" A voice came from in the ravine. "Please!" David looked over the side and saw a young girl clinging to the dirt. Her pleading eyes met his with desperation.
"White? That's impossible." He shook the thought from his head and reached out to her. His hand came short as she started to slide off of her dirt perch. She scrabbled uselessly at the dust, trying to stop her inevitable fall. She looked up one last time, before David could register the horror unraveling before his eyes. Her clothes stretched as the muscles developed and body structure morphed into unmistakable masses of anger, fear and frustration.
Within a few short seconds, David was staring into an all too familiar face. He shrank back momentarily, but recovered and grabbed the green, outstretched hand. The new Hulk used David as an anchor as it pulled itself off the failing bank. They collapsed in a heap, a few feet away, and it soon resumed the form of its more human counterpart.
"Not again." David heard her groan as the daze lifted.
"It's alright, now." He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. She startled from the contact.
"Go away." She snapped, now fully recovered. "You wouldn't like me. A freak." Tears came silently from her green eyes.
"I'm not going to leave you." David sat down next to her. "And you're not a freak." He lifted her chin up, and her miserable face was glistening with tears.
"What do you care? You have no idea what it's like for me."
"I care a lot. And I do know what it's like; I have the same problem." She narrowed her eyes. "Do you read the National Register?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." She scanned his face. "And Science Digest, as well, Mr. Banner." David's heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name, and he wasn't quite sure how he should react. "I'm Carla Genson." She held out her hand and David took it cautiously.
"Why do you think I'm Doctor Banner?"
"Because, I've seen you before at your lectures on Gamma Radiation research. You're not the only one looking for answers, you know."
"Yeah, I know." He thought about the one time he had come close to curing the Hulk, only to have his one chance destroyed by another version of himself. "Well, in that case; yes, I am Doctor David Banner. My question to you is how long you have been this way, Miss Genson."
"Carla. It's Carla. And I don't know. I've been this way ever since I was a little girl. It's just that I've adapted to it and learned a little control over my naturally abundant aggression. How about you? Have you made any advances in controlling it?"
"Ah," he smiled wearily, "not what I would call advances; more like small steps."
"Well, anything helps, right?"
"Yeah." He handed her the hiking pack. As she put it on he noticed small rips in her black shirtsleeves. The clothes looked threadbare from being stretched too often.
They walked north together, and soon started to talk about their pasts. David told Carla about his work, his travels, and of course, the ever- present Jack McGee.
"So, why don't you tell me something about yourself, Carla? I've revealed how it happened to me, how did it happen to you?"
"I, I don't know."
"Wasn't somebody there?"
"I don't know. Whatever happened, it was when I was only a baby, I think. At first, as a toddler, nothing happened that I remember. I was never really angry or anything. But as I got older, I started to throw fits; and one day I turned into that thing. My parents didn't know what to do with me, and my dad, being the military officer that he was, talked to the scientists at his base about it. I was handed over to them for analysis at the age of nine, and managed to break out about four years later, and I've been on the run ever since."
"The military?'
"Yeah, but they have no idea where I am. Either that, or they don't care about me anymore."
"I would hardly think that they would forget about someone like you, Carla."
"Well, I haven't seen them, or been bothered in years."
"How old are you?"
"What?" She was taken by surprise.
"How old are you?"
"I'm seventeen, Dr. Banner."
"Only, seventeen." He walked in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. "By the way, you can call me David, if you want."
"Okay, David." Carla smiled sweetly and they walked in quiet for a while, as she periodically hummed tunes. After a couple hours of small talk, with a few intervals about trying to prevent the 'attacks,' as David called them, they settled down to make a camp for the night.
"I'll cook. I've got some food with me." Carla offered, but there was no fire.
"That sounds wonderful, thank you." They laughed as she took out a couple of Meals Ready to Eat from her pack. "Military, always eating food from a bag. But it's not as bad as you'd think; as long as you use the Tabasco Sauce." David welcomed the filling meal and after they had finished, Carla unrolled a sleeping bag a few feet away and crawled in.
"Sorry, just in case. I'm a bit of a worry-wart."
"It's okay. I think it's a good idea." David rested his head on his bag and closed his eyes. Carla stared into the sky, wondering about the Doctor that slept near her, and about his past. She snickered to herself as David snored slightly, and mumbled something about a woman.
"Poor guy." She turned to look at his restless sleep, and pulled an extra blanket from her sack. She walked over and laid it gently on him. "It's going to get cold out here." She advised to no one in particular.
*******************
Near dawn, Carla woke up to a growl that was becoming consistently deeper with each passing moment. She looked over to David and noticed he was troubled in his sleep. Worried, she walked over to David and started to smooth his hair.
"It's okay; it's only a dream David. There's no reason to be worried." She fell back as David sat straight up. His eyes glistened white in the fading moonlight.
"Caroline!"
"Hush! David, it's Carla! You've had a bad dream. It'll be alright if you just relax. It was only a dream!" She urged him as the Hulk rose up in him. His body quivered with fear and power as his skin turned green. "David! Fight it! I know you can! Don't let it control you!" He looked at her and his tense body slowed its spasms. Finally, he had calmed down enough where only his eyes were white, and he dropped his head into his hands.
"Carla?"
"David, it's okay. I'm right here."
"What happened?"
"You fought it, David. You fought and won."
"But, how can that be?"
"What do you mean, 'how can it be'?" She leaned forward, bothered by his words.
"I didn't even get a chance to fight back. It just, went away on its own." They looked at each other, David's blue eyes had returned.
"Went away on its own?" Her words hung in the cool dawn air, mingling with the mists.
"It's, as if it saw you and gave up. Or didn't want to hurt you. I can still feel it near the surface, but it refuses to come out with you here." He looked up curiously at her.
"I don't know what to think, David."
"Neither do I."
*******************
That afternoon they managed to flag down a truck headed north. As they were sitting in the back of the truck, their eyes met and exchanged a common thought. Carla smiled and looked away.
"David?" She yelled over the noise of the engine.
"Yeah?"
"What did you dream, exactly last night?"
"I dreamt about my second wife, about losing her, and losing my first wife. It's my reoccurring nightmare. It's what tends to cause my attacks when I'm sleeping. Do you have them? The nightmares?"
"Sometimes. But I try to avoid things that might cause them. I'm sure you've tried it, but it also takes practice. I worked for months to finally have lucid dreams. Now I can kind of control what I dream, and create a better outcome that might avoid any unpleasant side effects. But once in a while I'll wake up in a new place and have to figure out where I went and what I did."
"I know the feeling."
"I bet you do, David." They kept quiet so they wouldn't have to speak over the roar of the truck, and hopped off after a couple of hours. As they were walking down the roadside, David noticed a gas station not more than a couple of miles ahead. There seemed to be another building next to it, so they made quick headway, in hopes of getting a chance to use the restrooms.
When they finally reached the station, they realized that the other building was a state trooper post. Carla decided to wait outside next to the restrooms for David to talk to the man at the counter. The clerk was very polite and gave David passkeys to the bathrooms.
"He said they even have small showers in there."
"Score!" They went into the little rooms and started to freshen up. When Carla finished, she walked outside and went into the convenience store.
"Thank you very much." She handed the key back to the clerk who smiled. She walked around the store as she waited for David. As she opened a refrigerator door to pull out a bottle of water, a Trooper came up behind her.
"Good morning, Miss." She turned around, startled.
"Hello, officer. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No ma'am. I just wanted to make sure that everything was alright here."
"Yes, thank you. Everything is fine. I'm just waiting for my friend to get out of the restrooms."
"Have a nice day." He tipped his hat and smiled flirtatiously.
"You too, officer. Have a nice day." She returned a weak smile as he turned and walked to the other side of the store. The door chime rang as David came into the store, looking much cleaner and well-shaven.
"Thank you." He gave the key back to the clerk and found Carla near the beverages.
"Hey David. You clean up well." She seemed a little shaken.
"What's the matter, Carla?"
"The trooper came up to me and started to just talk to me. I'm not used to it. I usually avoid stores. Especially ones so close to the police, or the military. There's a base about 15 miles down this road, and that's what's got me worried."
"Well, I would have to see why, considering your past."
"No, you don't understand. That's the base where I escaped from four years ago. Even the MP's know me there. I know they've been on the lookout for me ever since I ran away. If we come too close to the base, they'll recognize me, and have us both in their labs as rodents."
"Well, why don't we just turn around and go another way?"
"Because, unlike you, my family and friends still know that I'm alive. They just think that either I found out something I wasn't supposed to, or that my dad is concerned for my safety. Both excuses are lame as all get out, but they believe anything because they worry about their necks. I promised a friend that I would see them this weekend in the park, and I intend to keep that promise." David looked at Carla like she had lost all sanity and rationality.
"Carla, you're going to risk your freedom to see this friend?"
"Yes. And if you don't want to come, then you don't have to. You're a grown adult, at least that's what I've gathered, and can make decisions for yourself. But if you chose to come with me, I may be able to help your research in finding a cure. I still have the military pass I used to escape, and the town has a magnificent medical facility. Have I caught your interest yet?"
"You bet you have."
"Good. Well, then, shall we be on our way?" They bought a couple of water bottles and headed down the road towards Carla's town.
*************************
"Carla?"
"Yeah, David?"
"Do your parents still live here?"
"I don't know. My dad was always re-stationed at random. Even he never knew when or where he was going until he arrived at his new locals. So, I really don't know." David gave Carla a patriarchal look, as he questioned the intelligence of her decision to come back to her hometown. "Listen, my friend has no ties to the military at all, if that makes you feel better. And besides, you can still leave whenever you want to."
"You should know better than to think you can get rid of me Carla, after that tempting offer of helping my research." She rolled her eyes.
"Of course, I opened the door for a doctor. And they never leave until they get what they're promised."
"Is that a hint of sarcasm I hear?"
"You bet it is, Doctor." They started to laugh, but quickly stifled their smiles when a military patrol car appeared on the horizon.
"What do you want to do?"
"Get between me and the road, and hold my hand." He walked on her right and took her hand in his. She had a strong grip, and her palms were clammy. She ducked her head down as the hummer zoomed by them, and David noticed that the MPs in the vehicle craned their necks to watch them walking along the road.
"Carla, they're watching us."
"Keep walking." She mumbled between her teeth. "And don't say anything." The MP hummer turned around and stopped in the middle of the road. The driver got onto the radio.
"We have two hitchhikers coming north on the main road, male and young female. Female has a large hiker's pack, and matches description of number 376258. Request permission to pursue."
"Permission denied 693. Advise you continue south, Base will take it from here. Over and out."
"This is transport 693, we copy. Over and out."
*****************
"So, how far is your town from the base?"
"Oh, about five miles, give or take. Most of the people who work at the base prefer to live on site, but some of them will move to the town."
"Like your family?"
"Yes, like mine. But my friend doesn't live in town. She's from farther up north, and agreed to meet me here, since it was roughly the same travel time for the two of us. She's a lawyer, and plans to help me fight the military from taking me back into secrecy. She's going to help me expose them and the methods they used on me."
"Methods they used on you?"
"Yeah, torture devices and the likes. They used me as a guinea pig to see what kinds of interrogation serums and techniques would work. And they also liked to get that thing to come out once in a while for scientific study of its genetic structure and such."
"Torture? How did they get away with it?"
"My dad's in the military, remember? He signed his life away, and mine, since I'm a minor."
"Then why not wait until you're 18?"
"I'm becoming unstable, physically at least. That thing is coming out more and more often. Usually I wouldn't turn into it in a situation like at the ravine, but it feels like it's getting stronger. I have to do something soon before I lose all control, and they take me back for the 'safety of the public.' I don't want to go, and neither does it."
"Okay then. How about I help you, and then after we get the truth out, you can show me that medical facility in the town."
"You have yourself a deal." They walked along and passed by the military base without a problem. It took a few more hours to reach the town, and by then the sun had set. Carla brought David to a nice motel and paid for the room. He put his things in the bathroom and went to take another refreshing shower when he noticed that Carla hadn't settled in the room.
"Carla? Where are you going?"
"To see my friend." She put her pack down on the floor. "We'll be at the park if you need me."
"But why so late?"
"So people hopefully won't recognize me. It's dark out, and it'll provide some cover for me at least."
"Alright; be back soon. And be careful. If you're caught, they'll take you back to that base."
"I'll be safe. Don't you worry, David." She walked out of the room, leaving her things in a corner. David turned on the television and flipped through the channels until he found the local news. It was a small town and there wasn't much word to go around it seemed. He decided to take his shower and went into the bathroom.
*******************
"Carla? Is that you?" The woman on the park bench whispered at a shadow closing in on her.
"Yeah, it's me. How are you, Ms. Dawkins?"
"I'm fine. How was your trip?"
"Fairly uneventful. I met a nice man on the way up, and he said he would try and help us expose the military base."
"In exchange for what?"
"Access to the medical facilities in the hospital. Nothing hard, or illegal."
"Can we trust him?"
"I don't think I can trust anyone more than him."
*************
David got out of the hot shower, scrubbed clean and red. He was drying his hair with a hand towel when the phone in the room rang.
"Hello?"
"Hello, sir. I have reason to suspect that a specific young woman has been in your company as of late, and I would like to ask where she went this evening."
"Who is this? Why do you want to know?"
"This is her father, and I think that she would be safer with me than out with you."
"I'm sorry, but I can't help you. She went out for the time being and didn't tell me where she was going."
"Sir, I don't think you understand how dangerous it is for her to be out on the town at this time of night. She could be hurt."
"She'll be just fine. Now, if you would kindly not call me, I would like to go to bed, thank you."
"Very well. It was a pleasure speaking to you sir. Goodnight."
**********************
In a hummer outside of the motel, a gray-haired man hung up a phone. He was decorated in lavish medals that had tarnished over time. The parking lot light shed hardly a ray onto the faces of the men in the vehicle.
"I think it's time we brought my daughter back."
"Yes, Colonel, sir."
"We'll be back for him later. For now, let's go for a drive around town."
********************
"Carla, are you even listening to what I've been saying for the last hour?" Ms. Dawkins touched Carla's hand and she looked back at her mentor.
"Yeah, it's just I'm trying to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, you know?"
"Carla, if we don't focus more closely on your case, then we might as well not even talk about it anymore. I'm only doing this because I practically helped to raise you, until I found out about your problem, and your father chased me away."
"You don't need to remind of my problem. I'm reminded of it too often as it is."
"When was the last time it happened, Carla?"
"Aren't we going to focus on the case?"
"Yes, but first I want to know when was the last time that you turned into that green thing."
"Yesterday." Ms. Dawkins' eyes widened.
"That recent?"
"Yeah, happens at least once a week. And it's coming and going more often. Especially when I'm this close to home, and the memories." Carla pulled her arms tight to her body, trying to drive off the thoughts of her past.
"Maybe meeting here wasn't such a good idea. I hear your dad is back in town."
"What? He is? I thought he'd been sent to the East coast. They must have brought him back here, so they might get me if I came back."
"They are coming here for you, Carla."
"What? Liz, you didn't, you didn't tell them I would meet you here did you?"
"No, but I found out this evening that my phone had been bugged. My brother called me and told me that he'd found it on my wire."
"No. I won't let them take me back!" Carla stood up and started to walk away.
"Carla! Wait! They may be driving around town, looking for you!" Carla turned around and looked at Liz, both of their desperations equally compelling. Suddenly, Liz saw a pair of headlights bouncing along the field behind Carla. They both looked as the blinding lights advanced on them.
"Carla!" A man's voice boomed from the approaching hummer. "Carla!" He jumped out of the moving vehicle and ran up to her. She backed away so she was out of arms' reach.
"Go away, Colonel. I don't want anything to do with you!"
"Now, now; those are pretty harsh words to speak to someone you haven't seen in four years, especially family."
"You're not my family. A real father would never let his daughter go through what I did at that hell you call a base."
"Carla, don't get yourself all worked up. We want to help you."
"Then let me go. Let me live a real life that I missed!" Carla turned around and was met by six gun-barrels.
"I wish that you would listen to me once in a while." One of the soldiers fired at her, and she staggered back as a tranquilizer hit her abdomen. She pulled it out, and watched her father and the soldiers come towards her as the sedative took effect. Carla turned around to run away, but stumbled over her own feet and fell to the ground.
"You were never my father." She moaned to the blurs above her. "And never will be."
**************************
David ran to the town park as fast as he could. It took him nearly half an hour to find it, and when he reached the bench that Carla had said she would be at, there was no one there. He looked around for any sign of her in the dim streetlight, and found the hummer tracks in the grass. Its wheels had torn the ground beneath into mud, and the tracks away from the bench were just as easy to find.
"Carla!" He hoped she had escaped and hidden nearby. "Carla! Where are you?" No answer, so he followed the ruts until they came to the paved street. There he tracked the mud on the asphalt until it disappeared, but he didn't need any more evidence to tell him where the vehicle had been headed. He looked straight up and was met with the headlights of the same hummer that had taken Carla. Mud was still fresh up the sides of its armor, and the men that piled out were in battle fatigues.
"Where is she?"
"Where is who?" The voice from the phone call answered him.
"Carla. What did you do with her?"
"We brought her home. As for you, we decided that friends shouldn't be separated for too long, so we'll take you to her." David staggered as a dart found his thigh, and he passed out.
**********************
"Let me go! Let me out!" Her voice rang in the blackened room. "You can't do this to me!" Suddenly, the lights flickered on in a fluorescent haze, blinding her.
"Carla, you need to calm down. If you don't we may need to sedate you again." She glared at the scientist that had been the head of her project for the four torturous years she'd been held captive. She tried to move her head, and found it, as well as the rest of her body had been tightly secured to the table she was on.
"Let me go, Trenton." She growled deeply at him.
"Carla?"
"David?"
"Carla, where are you?"
"I'm right here David!" She craned her neck and saw him on an identical table next to her, he had been blindfolded. "Let him go! He hasn't done anything!"
"I wish I could, but your father has insisted that we keep him here until he is deemed fit to be released."
"You can't do that to him. He's a civilian."
"A civilian plotting against the government. That's grounds for treason."
"David. I'm sorry I got you into this."
"It's okay Carla. It's not your fault." The scientist walked out of the room, but was soon replaced by Colonel Genson.
"Carla, you have no idea how much I've missed you." Genson smoothed her brown hair. "It's been far too long since I've had time with you." He grasped her restrained hand in his, and kissed it.
"Cry me a river, Colonel. You never cared about me. It was always the military. 'For the good of the country' was your motto. Never me, never mom, and never family. It was and always will be the country." Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. They started to run down the sides of her face and collect in her ears, as Genson looked impassively his daughter. He ignored her tears and walked over to David who was struggling against his restraints.
"It won't do you any good to struggle. They're tight enough to keep a grizzly down."
"Why are you doing this to her? What has she done that warrants this?"
"That," Genson pointed to his daughter, "is a threat, and a menace to society. It's bad enough having McGee tracking that unquarantined monster, but to have two of them on the loose is bad publicity. At least we can keep this one from doing any more damage that it already has."
"You talk about Carla as if her human side didn't even exist."
"It doesn't! It hasn't since she first turned into that monstrosity!"
"I am not a monstrosity!" She bellowed from behind him. "You're the monster, if there's one in this room!" Her eyes turned white and she started to heave with the onset of the transformation.
"Trenton! Get in here!" The head doctor ran into the room with a syringe of clear fluid. He quickly injected it into Carla's muscular arm, but her transformation didn't show signs of slowing. Soon the straps that held her down distorted with the pressure of her body, and broke. "Carla! I order you to stop this instant!" Genson roared at his Hulk daughter. Instead, she moved over to David and started to peel away his binds and blindfold. Before she could fully free him, a soldier ran in and shot her with the tranquilizer gun. The Hulk howled in furry and turned on the soldier. She tossed him out of the room and turned around to see Genson and Trenton next to David.
"Carla! Get out!" David ordered her, and she looked sadly at him.
"That's it." Genson mused. "Carla! Don't go! If you do, you will never see him again!" He held a pistol to David's head. The Hulk looked menacingly at the Colonel, and then at the scientist who had a needle ready to jab into David's bloodstream.
"Don't listen to him Carla! I'll be fine!" Trenton stabbed the needle violently into David, making him squirm in pain. She came towards the three men tentatively, and quietly.
"That's it Carla. Come on. We don't want David to get hurt now, do we?" David yelped in pain again as Trenton yanked the injection out of his arm. The Hulk that was Carla looked first at Genson, as he tried to coerce her over to him, and then to David. She walked over to David and put her hand on his chest and held onto his main restraint.
"Carla? What are you going to do?" The Hulk grunted and started to twist the strap that held David. She freed him and picked him up, his dead weight spilling into her arms.
"Carla? What's going on?" David slurred through the narcotic. She looked down reassuringly at him, and hefted his weight into a more comfortable position.
"Carla, you are not going anywhere!" Trenton scolded. The Hulk turned to look at the smaller being, and then tried to kick down the door. It didn't budge. Confused and unhappy, the creature carefully set David down, and began to pound on the doors with both of her fists. She made massive dents in the thick steel, and after a few minutes of devoting herself to only destroying the troublesome door did she manage to break it down. The Hulk turned to pick David up, and found him gone.
"Carla, do you want David back?" The creature nodded and came towards him when Genson put the pistol back up to David's temple. "We'll let him go, but only if you stay here with us. Do you understand that?" She looked at her father and hung her head. Carla considered the consequences of the choice, and sat down on the table. More tears came from her eyes as the Colonel had David revived. They brought her with them and had David taken off the base in front of her. She remained as the Hulk until the creature was sure that David had been escorted safely off the grounds, and they were back in the lab.
"Okay, now Carla. Let's get you back to your old self." The shackled giant sat back down on the table, and stayed still while the scientist gave her another sedative. She finally relaxed enough to return to human Carla, and collapsed on the table.
"If you ever come near David again." The narcotic started to take effect.
"I'm sorry Carla, but he knows now. Exposure is not an option for us, you know that."
"You lie. You can't do that. He's not your property, he's a human being! Keep me here! I won't leave as long as you let him alone!" Genson looked slyly at her, and shook his head. He and Trenton walked out of the room as Carla finally lost consciousness.
************************
David ran back to the motel as fast as he could. He knew that it was probably a bad idea, but he needed to see if Carla had any information that he might use to his advantage. He went into the bedroom and pulled her pack out of the corner. Before he opened it, he thought about how she had traded her freedom for his, and unzipped the first pocket. He rifled through the entire sack, and found mostly clothes and Meals Ready to Eat. Finally, at the very bottom of the stash, he found a small diary with a paper lodged in it. He took it out and saw a photo of Carla's family. She was only about five in the picture, and there was a pretty little house in the background. He opened the diary to the first page, which was in the very back, and started to read.
"Dear Diary,
I miss my family so much. It's been a month since I managed to escape from the base, and I already begin to wonder if it was a good idea. I'm not used to being out alone, and there's no one to take care of me if I lose control. I hope that I can survive out here before the MPs catch up to me. They're about a day behind, and closing fast. Maybe if I catch a ride up to the seminar at Doctor Banner's research center, maybe I can find some answers there.
Carla"
He closed it, and put the book back in its place. He looked a little longer before there was a knock at the door, and he looked up. David closed the pack and put it back in the corner, and opened the door with his bag in hand.
"Hello? Who's there?" He put his head out of the door.
"Sir, we would like you to come with us." A couple of soldiers ordered him. He saw a hummer on the other side of the parking lot, with Colonel Genson inside.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that." He closed the door and quickly threw the locks in place. The door shuttered as the men bashed it in. David looked around the room for something to defend himself with, and found only the lamp. "Damn it!" He grunted and grabbed a comforter off one of the beds and wrapped it around his hands. He hit the window until it shattered out onto the pavement. He laid the cover over the window sill and climbed out. There were soldiers in the back lot as well, but he was a good half way across before they saw him.
"Get him!" One of the officers yelled, and the men chased David away from the town.
*******************
"Trenton!" The scientist feebly walked up behind Genson.
"Yes, Colonel, sir?"
"How is she doing?"
"Just fine sir. She's sedated and calm. And the machines have detected no signs of nightmares or anger."
"Good, let's try and keep it that way this time. We don't want her to get out again, do we?"
"No sir."
******************
David was still running from the military when he fell into a creek. There was only thick mud at the bottom, and he tried to drudge his way through it to the other side. He ended up waist deep in the muck and was soon caught by the soldiers. They yanked him out of the mess, and handcuffed him in their vehicle.
"This is transport 542, calling base."
"This is base, go ahead 542."
"We have joy. Runaway has been captured and we are returning home."
"We copy 542. Base over and out."
"542 over and out." The officer put down the com. Link and turned to his prisoner in the back seat.
"Sir, we're sorry for the inconvenience, but Colonel Genson ordered that you be brought back to base."
"Why does he want me?"
"I don't know sir, he just does." David raised his eyebrows and looked out the window as the scenery sped by.
********************
"Colonel, sir, we have the man you wanted."
"Excellent, Sergeant. Now, bring him in here and we'll find out what he knows." The soldiers brought David into the darkened room and sat him down in a chair. They chained his arms and legs to the metal seat, making sure that he couldn't get comfortable.
"What do you want with me?"
"What did Carla tell you?"
"Tell me? About what?" Genson looked angrily at David, and then nodded to someone behind the captive. David felt a prick in his neck as a solution was injected into his body.
"What has she told you about her past? About us?"
"Nothing." David felt his eyes roll in his head as his vision blurred. Bells went off in his ears as his body felt like it was on fire. "She didn't tell me anything." He gritted his teeth.
"Right." Genson leaned into his face. His breath stank and made David feel more nauseous. Genson looked back to the person behind David again, and nodded his head. David's chair was turned to face a wall that opened up to reveal a view of Carla on the table.
"Carla!" David started to fight the potent drugs. "Why is she back in there? Carla!" The window snapped shut as David saw her stir in her sleep.
"Now, tell us what she told you, and we might be able to let you go."
"No." His senses blazed with pain, but he still refused to give in.
"Very well then, take him down with her. We'll work on his memory after he sees what we have in store for Carla." They tied David to a hospital bed and wheeled him down to the medical room where they were keeping Carla. They gagged him, and then brought him into the room. It was painted a sterile white, and the lights amplified the intense walls. Trenton brought another syringe over to Carla and delicately inserted it into her arm. Everyone left the room, and a few minutes later, Carla woke up.
"Carla!" David tried to say, but his gag muffled all the noise he tried to make. Carla looked around, confused, and finally noticed that David was next to her.
"David! No!" She cried as they both fought their straps. Carla was crying and screaming when she saw his eyes turn white, and his body tremble as the change came over him.
"Colonel!"
"What Trenton?"
"Look!" They both watched from above, in awe as David transformed into a giant green behemoth. The Hulk looked confusingly at Carla and then began to free himself. Trenton and Genson ran down to the containment facility to try and stop his escape. They fumbled at the door, and when they opened it, the Hulk had freed a very angry Carla.
Her eyes turned a startling white as she too turned into the creature. The Hulks eyed each other up, and then looked at the two men in front of the doorway. They stalked up to the small humans and roared in their faces. Genson pulled out two handguns and pointed them both at the green creatures. The weapons were instantly out of his hands and had been turned into useless lumps of metal by David and Carla. Wisely, he and Trenton ran out of the room, followed by the hulks. The two crashed and destroyed their way out of the government facility, out onto the main street of the base. They ran together towards the nearest fence, and snapped it in two. A unit followed them out into the firing range.
"I want them dead, or unconscious!"
"Yes sir! Fire at will! Fire at will!" On the range the hulks dodged the incoming firepower as it rained wildly around them. They quickly covered the distance to the outer fence of the base, when one mortar shell exploded next to Carla. She howled as the shrapnel cut into the left side of her body. The Hulk collapsed on the ground and writhed in pain. The other hulk saw his hurt friend and ran back over to her. He picked her up and bellowed at the soldiers. The Hulk kicked down the fence and ran off into the woods with his injured comrade in his arms.
"Damn it! I want them found, and I want them back here by the hour!"
**********************
In the forest, the Hulk put his companion down and stooped next to her. She looked over at him and wrapped her green arms around his neck. He was surprised by the gesture, and hesitantly returned the affection. She let him go and laid back against a tree, relaxing and letting go of her anger. He quickly followed her example and David and Carla appeared next to each other.
"Carla?" David held her, blood smearing on his arms.
"David? We made it. We got out."
"Yeah, we did." They heard the sounds of a search team not far away.
"David, you've got to go. You can't let them take you back. You can't." Her eyes rolled back in her head as her breathing became shallow.
"I think they're over here!" A voice called out. David started to cry, as he put Carla down on the ground. He ran from the soldiers and made his way back to the motel. There he gathered his things, and looked at Carla's lonely pack in the corner.
*********************
Last the military knew David had been spotted hitchhiking north, alone.