Title : Keep the good man safe or he will walk on ashes
Author : JackB
Warning : None
Resume : Bruce is more dangerous than people imagine. Even Hulk is scared of him. But what takes a man to turn bad or stay good ?
Ship : GammaReactor
"Banner dangerous. Hulk afraid."
Tony remember, once again, the word he had exchanged with the green beast few days ago. He is part afraid of it, because he knows.
He knows.
Hulk is indestructible. He can be slightly damaged, controlled, put down. But in the end, if he really wants to, Hulk could beat them all. He is one of the strongest being in the universe. He is far beyond any power they have on Earth. Tony knows that. The Hulk barely uses his ability.
And he is afraid of Banner.
It wouldn't make sense for anybody to hear and think that. Still through the years he knew Bruce, he started to see what's under, what rests at the core of Bruce minds.
He is a good man, kind and selfless, but on the other side he had sometimes shown extreme cold behavior, confidence and quickness whiles facing complex and difficult situations. And a deep sense of revenge and perversity in it.
Tony knows now that he doesn't want to be Banner's enemy, first because he loves him, as a friend, as a lover, but also because he fear what could come from his wrath.
Hulk is afraid of him.
If one so powerful is terrified by one. Doesn't that mean that this one is more powerful ? In a way.
And he sees, he sees what Bruce take. What life gives him, and what life had given him and what life will probably give him. it's ugly, terribly bad and fucked up.
And yet Bruce is still good, still kind, still full of compassion.
He doesn't want to harm but know how to if it's needed.
That's all the dichotomy in Bruce. And Tony sees how broken this man is, and know it's far from the end, there are still things in him that can be broken, chattered, destroyed.
How long ? How much ? Until Bruce is damaged enough, until the darkness in him take control ?
Tony can't imagine anything big enough to provoke such a change in Banner. He already lived so much. Maybe it will only be the accumulation. So:
How long ?
How much ?
What's gonna turn this good man in a bad one ?
Tony is terrified. Because then what will be enough to stop Bruce Banner ?
One day he asks and the man smile. His eyes focus on the floor then focus back on him, he wears a beautiful smile, kind and impish.
"It's just a choice." He says
And Tony understand. He already took too much, he is already on the edge. It's already too late. Bruce is good because he wants to be, because he needs to be. And it's even more terrifying because all it would take now is a simple decision.
Just a choice.
Banner is one of the greatest men he knows, but Tony swear, don't mess with him don't make him choose to hurt you, because he will walk on what rest of your ash without much bother.
Tony wants to protect him and he is not the only one who want that. Because everyone who comes to see who Banner really is, what lay in the darkness of his mind, know that he will only take so much until he chooses to go bad. Protect Bruce Banner to protect the poor soul that would cross his path.
There's one secret though, one Betty gave him.
"If you want to keep Bruce from his darkness, the key is to keep his will to be a good man. brush this side, push it, praise it. Let him be good and keep this safe."
Oh he is going to keep it safe.
End.