Chapter 1.

'The Hulk is No More'. This was the first headline that appeared in the newspapers after Bruce Banner, known to the world as the Hulk, announced his retirement from the Avengers. That was three years ago. The world has moved on. People have forgotten about the giant green monster that used to smash complete buildings to shreds for a living, and likewise, Bruce Banner has been trying to forget about it too. It's been three years since his last incident and he's never known peace like this before. Nick Fury spent the first full year of Bruce's retirement trying to convince him to come back. They needed him, he said. The team needed him. Regardless, Bruce couldn't bring himself to do it. He wasn't in control of his alter ego and he wasn't willing to risk killing innocent people in a fit of rage any longer.

So for the first year, he locked himself away. He spent his days in his laboratory, searching for a cure to make The Other Guy disappear. In the rare moments he wasn't wearing a lab coat, he sat in the local library, losing himself in books, reading up on the latest scientific articles and applying for 'normal, non-confrontational jobs'. Eventually, he took a job teaching nuclear physics at a university in Boston, Massachusetts… and that's where he met her.

Genevieve Jones. A woman two years Bruce's senior, and absolutely breathtaking. Like Bruce, she was trained in science, but she specifically took a liking to biology. She was a highly intelligent woman and it didn't take long before things started developing. She fell for Bruce's seemingly awkward stature, the same way he fell for her determination and wit. He'd never met a woman like her before. She was gentle, kind, and just so.. good. For the first six months, Bruce tried to suppress his feelings for his colleague. He realized how dangerous he still was and he wasn't willing to put anyone, let alone her, in harms way. Genevieve, however, strong-willed as she was, couldn't care less about the Other Guy and she made that clear to him every time they spoke about him. Because of that fearlessness that she carried around like armor, Bruce couldn't help but believe that maybe.. after all, he could be loved. And maybe.. after all, he actually deserved to be. She made him believe that there was more to him than a monster and for the first time ever, Bruce Banner developed a sense of peace. It was her. She was his peace of mind. Just a year after they met, Bruce and Genevieve bought a home, hidden away in the woods, and started their life together. And now, two years later, Bruce had everything he'd never dared dream of.

Something fell. Shattering glass. Then.. a heavier object that smashed to the ground and made an annoying ringing sound.
Bruce Banner slowly awoke from his dream, grunted softly and glanced at the clock by his bedside. The red letters, that were almost too bright for his eyes to handle in complete darkness, told him that it was 4:16. The middle of the night.
When he looked over to his right, the bed was empty. The sheets were wrinkled and the pillows still had a dent in them, so Bruce knew she'd only just awoken.
''Sweetheart?''.
He set his feet onto the ground, put his glasses on and slowly stumbled into the kitchen. Genevieve stood with her back turned to him, her fingertips digging in the kitchen counter. On the floor lay a broken glass, shattered and spread in a puddle of milk.
''Honey.. what did you do?'', Bruce frowned, slowly walking towards her. ''Why are you up?''.
When she turned to him, her cheeks wet from crying, a small cut above her eyebrow, bleeding slowly, Bruce's eyebrows shot up.
''I… ah.. I couldn't sleep. I had a.. a dream'', she whispered, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her sweater. Actually, Bruce's sweater, but it was the only thing that would fit her, nowadays.
Bruce walked towards her, trying to avoid the shards of glass laying around, and softly lay his finger under her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.
''A dream?'', he whispered with a soft smile.
Genevieve's bottom lip trembled. ''A nightmare'', she admitted.
Bruce nodded slowly and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head.
''Do you want to tell me about it?''.
A deep sigh. For a few seconds, it was absolutely quiet. One of the reasons the couple decided to move into the woods was the peace that came along with it. Now, in the dead of night, it seemed as if they could hear each other's heartbeats.
''I dreamt that it was premature… and that it died'', Genevieve whispered, clenching to the back of Bruce's t-shirt.
He calmly clenched his jaws together and stood quiet for a moment. Then, he picked her up by her waist and sat her down on the kitchen counter, safe from the shards of glass underneath their feet.
She looked at him, almost as if she felt sorry for dreaming something so terrible, and it made Bruce's heart break a little. Genevieve had always been a strong woman. One that didn't take shit from anybody and felt completely confident in who she was. Now, things had changed.
''It's healthy'', Bruce whispered, slowly putting his hands on his beloved's round belly. He looked down at it and softly pressed his fingertips into her skin, hoping for a bit of reassurance. Pretty quickly, it came. One soft kick, nearly impossible to feel. He felt it, however, and so did Genevieve. A wide smile appeared on her face and she chuckled softly, wiping away the last of her tears.
''I told you'', Bruce smiled.
He wiped a chunk of her dark brown hair away from her face and kissed her. Softly, quietly, like the little kick he'd just felt underneath his fingertips.

Nearly seven months. That's how far she was along. When they found out that they were pregnant, at first, both of them were taken aback. They'd grown accustomed to the idea that Bruce could never impregnate a woman. Both of them expected that the gamma radiation had completely destroyed that function of his body. But, both of them were wrong. When their surprise faded, it made room for the best feeling either of them had ever experienced. Pure.. utter and complete joy. Bruce spent the first half hour with his hands pressed to Genevieve's stomach, as if he could have felt the baby kick right there and then, at only a few weeks old. Genevieve quit her job after three months to prepare for the baby. While Bruce taught classes, she spent her days preparing the nursery and baby-proofing the home, and every time Bruce came home to see her standing up on a ladder, dressed in a denim overall as she painted the nursery a soft shade of blue, he realized just how lucky he was.

''I love you, Bruce Banner'', she whispered against his lips.
Bruce couldn't help but smile and softly caressed her cheek. ''Too'', he answered.
Genevieve grinned widely and Bruce picked her up once more, bridal style, as he carried her across the shards of glass, straight back into their bedroom.
''You have to be up in two hours!'', Genevieve cried out, laughing as Bruce dropped her onto their mattress.
''Well'', Bruce answered. ''We might as well stay awake then''.
He smiled widely, shut the door with his foot and softly fell onto the bed, rolling Genevieve on top of him as he pressed his lips against hers.

The next morning started like every other morning. Genevieve took a lukewarm bath and wrapped herself in one of Bruce's t-shirts as he prepared their breakfast. Even though the shirts were twice her size, Bruce could identify her bellybutton perfectly. He handed Genevieve her usual cup of tea and kissed her on the forehead as he grabbed his lunch from the kitchen counter.

''You're gone way too often, you know'', Genevieve smiled, slowly shaking her head.
Bruce picked up his briefcase and looked at her, an apologetic look in his brown eyes.
''I know.. I'm sorry'', he said.
Genevieve put down her tea and walked towards him, resting her hands on his chest.
''I've got an idea'', she whispered mysteriously.
Bruce frowned, a sly smile spreading across his face. ''Tell me about it''.
''I'm getting really tired of this house.. and the quiet. So I was thinking.. you and me, tonight, Bailey's Bottom''.

He laughed, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. Bailey's Bottom was the bar they regularly visited in the beginning of their relationship. It had become ''their spot''. They used to go there after work, have a drink, play a game of pool, and sometimes hook up in the bathroom. Bruce realized he really didn't have the time. He had papers to check, formulas to put together and he was planning on going by the library tonight, but when he saw the look in Genevieve's eyes, he agreed. She needed a break.

''Okay'', he said, nodding.
Genevieve clapped her hands in excitement.
''Okay… but be ready to get your ass handed to you at pool'', Bruce laughed as he made his way to the door.
''Oh please'', Genevieve answered. ''You were no good then and you're no good now''.
Bruce raised his eyebrows. ''Just you wait'', he whispered.
Just as he reached the door, Genevieve came speeding towards him, planting a kiss on his lips and wiggling her fingertips through his perfectly constructed hair.
''Oh.. come on!'', Bruce cried out. ''I've got a class to teach!''.
The woman before him simply smiled and opened the door. ''See you tonight, handsome'', she winked, and with those exact words, she pushed Banner out of the house and shut the door in front of him.
For a few seconds, he stood there, staring at the wood in front of him with a big smile on his face as he ran his hand through his hair in an attempt to fix it. ''Looking forward to it'', he mumbled softly.

He came back at seven. Genevieve had taken an extra step tonight to make sure she looked nice. She hadn't gone out in a long time and she really wanted to feel beautiful. She'd painted her lips red, she wore Bruce's favorite perfume and had a thin, silver necklace hanging from her neck. As she looked in the mirror, wiping away a bit of mascara residue from her eyelid, the front door opened.
''In the bedroom!'', Genevieve called out, quickly dashing another bit of La Duchesse on her wrists and neck.
Bruce dropped his briefcase onto the couch, loosened his tie and walked towards her. When he spotted her, hair perfectly done, lips painted, jewelry and everything, he smiled widely.
''You look.. amazing, Genie'', he whispered.
She smiled and turned towards him. ''Good. It's date night''.
Bruce nodded quickly, planted a soft kiss on her vibrant lips and walked towards their closet. ''Let me just change out of these rags'', he said as he pulled a white button-up shirt from his pile of clothes. ''I've got to seriously step up my game''.

And so, at eight thirty, him and his beautiful pregnant lady parked their care and made their way to the bar. The heart of Boston was, as always, the center of livelihood. People were still out and about, even though it was relatively cold for an october night. The streets and cafés were filled with hungry students and young couples. They sat on the curb, in the park and some of them had even found their way to the roof of an abandoned building.

As they approached Bailey's Bottom, they spotted the bouncer. It was a different guy than the guy they'd gotten used to. They'd truly been away for too long. Genevieve had her hands wrapped around Bruce's arm as they approached the line, and Bruce couldn't help but catch a few men turn their heads as they walked by. That's right, he thought. This is my girl.

While waiting, Bruce eventually noticed a group of four youngsters hanging around in the alley across the street. One of them carried a huge bottle of Jack Daniel's. Two others stood against the wall, one of their feet resting against it as they stared back at Banner, a cigarette clenched between their teeth. Bruce couldn't tell why, but they made him feel uncomfortable. It almost seemed as if they were talking about him. One of the boys elbowed his friend and nodded towards Bruce and Genevieve, and quickly, all four of them were staring. The guy in the middle, by far the biggest, smiled at Bruce, but it wasn't a warm smile. It was an ominous smile. Just as one of them seemed to be advancing towards the pair, the bouncer let Genevieve and Bruce go through and almost immediately, Bruce had forgotten about the strange group of kids just a few feet behind him.

''Wow'', Genevieve exclaimed, her eyes opened wide.
The bar was still pretty much the same as when they first visited. A dark wooden bar, a giant chandelier hanging above a pair of pool tables and in the back a series of vintage looking booths. It was a small bar, only big enough for about fifty people, but the ambience had never changed. Bruce suddenly felt as if he'd gone back in time.
''So'', Genevieve suddenly said, snapping Bruce from his daydream. ''You were going to hand my ass to me, correct?''.
Bruce looked at her, squeezed his eyes together and grinned. ''You bet. But first, I'm going to get us some drinks. I perform better that way''.
Genevieve laughed, rolled her eyes and made her way to the pool tables as Bruce went to get them some drinks. She ran her fingertips across the dark green cloth and the shiny wooden top rails. It felt good, being around people again. She loved being pregnant, absolutely, but she couldn't go very far alone. Bruce and her only had one car, and he was always gone during the day, so besides going for a walk in the woods or working on the nursery, there wasn't much she could do to entertain herself.

''Here you go'', Bruce said, handing her a glass. ''An ice tea with a slice of lemon, no fizz. If I remember correctly''.
Genevieve chuckled. ''You remember perfectly''. She took a sip of her drink, put it down and grabbed a pool cue.
''Okay.. Banner'', she smiled. ''Do me the honors, please''.
Bruce took a sip of his scotch, walked to the other side of the table and picked up the wooden triangle keeping the balls together.
"Go ahead''.
Genevieve squeezed her eyes together, adjusted the position of her hands on the stick and bent over as far as he could while carrying a pregnant belly, after which she delivered one powerful blow that made two balls roll directly into the pockets.
''Ass..'', she smiled widely, handing the stick to Bruce. ''Handed''.

A prediction came true that night. Regardless of a rough start, Bruce Banner caught up to his lady quite quickly and eventually beat her. Twice. Genevieve, having always had trouble with losing, insisted that he'd cheated.
''You just knocked them in when I wasn't looking, didn't you?'', Genevieve laughed as they set down in a booth.
Bruce shook his head, swallowing the last of his drink. ''I told you. I had time to improve''.
''When?''.
He smiled softly and looked down at his glass. ''Tony Stark. He made sure that the Avengers facility had room for a pool table. And a vintage Pacman machine''.
Genevieve chuckled. ''He really is a party boy, isn't he?''.
''You could say that.. yeah'', Bruce grinned.
It remained quiet for a few seconds. Genevieve realized that although Bruce had retired from the Avengers, he did still miss the company. At university, there were very few people that dared speak to him, and if they did, most of them just wanted to hear stories about him smashing something big. She knew he needed friends, so she sometimes felt guilty for demanding he spend time with her after classes, but he was all she had, too. She had no parents, no siblings or friends to talk to. She was orphaned a long time ago when she was just eight years old, and she'd spent the rest of her life dedicating herself to scientific studies. In that field, there is little to no room for friendships.

Wanting to change the mood to something a little less depressing, Genevieve softly grabbed Bruce's hand and squeezed it.
''Thank you'', she whispered. ''For tonight. I really needed this''.
Bruce smiled.
''I know you do. I know I have to be home more often. It's just that I… well, I have a lot going on''.
Just as Genevieve was about to say that she understood, their conversation was interrupted.

''Well, well.. if it isn't Bruce Banner in the flesh'', a snarky voice said. Both Bruce and Genevieve looked up only to see the exact same group of kids that Bruce had spotted just a while ago, outside. They couldn't be over 21, so Bruce immediately wondered how they got in.
''Mind if we join ya?'', one of the other guys said with a wide smile. They didn't wait for an answer. Three of them sat down next to Genevieve, forcing her to sit at the very end of the booth, pressed against the wall. The other one sat down next to Bruce, wiggling a toothpick between his front teeth.

''I've heard a lot about ya. Actually, we all have, haven't we, Rob?''.
The guy sitting directly next to Genie, a tall, somewhat chubby looking guy nodded immediately.
''Oh.. yes'', he smiled.
Bruce, knowing damn well that these kids were up to no good, slowly turned the glass between his fingers in circles, glancing up at Genevieve, who had clenched her jaws together and had protectively put her hands on her belly.
''What can I help you with, kids?'', Bruce asked, a somewhat threatening tone hiding behind his smile.
''Oh, sorry, how rude of us'', the kid with the toothpick laughed. ''So, alright, that's Rob.. I'm Charlie, that guy is Thomas and he.. his name is Anthony''.
Genevieve twisted and turned to give herself some more room, but the guy next to her didn't give away. Not one little bit.
''Tony for short.. I guess, you must be familiar with that name, right?''.
Bruce clenched his jaws together, twisting the glass faster this time. ''I don't know what you're talking about''.
''Oh come on!'', Thomas exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table. ''We know what you are. You're the Hulk. You're the big, scary green monster''.
Genevieve realized perfectly well that they were trying to get Bruce to go into a fit of rage, and she knew that if that happened, all of them were in big danger. Not just this bar, but everybody outside of it. All those people. The Other Guy would demolish them without a thought.
''Bruce'', she whispered.
''I want to see it'', Charlie smiled, leaning over to Bruce until his face was just inches away from his. ''Do your little trick for us, Banner. Come on''.
The glass started spinning faster and faster. It was an attempt to stay distracted, to stay calm. It was a trick that Bruce had a few years ago. If something or someone tried to anger him, he had to find something to distract him with and form circles. Or squares. Or loops. It didn't matter. As long as he kept repeating the same shape.
''Bruce'', Genevieve whimpered. ''Please-''.
''AYE!'', Rob yelled, grabbing Genevieve's arm. ''Quiet, you. We're talking to him''.
Bruce's eyes wandered to the fingers clenched around Genevieve's upper arm and he wondered how long it would take for him to snap that arm in two. He felt a burning sensation coming up, one that he hadn't felt in over three years, but he was still in control.
I am in control, he kept saying in his head. I am. It's not going to happen.

''I would appreciate if you removed your hand from my fiancé''.
Charlie raised his eyebrows.
''Wow'', he muttered, looking at his friends with a shocked expression on his face. ''Can you believe it? A monster like him, that knocked up a girl like that?''. They all looked at Genevieve, who obviously seemed distressed.
''He's not a monster'', Genevieve spoke, her eyes locked onto Bruce's face. ''He's a good man. And you're not going to get what you want tonight''.
Bruce smiled softly. As always, Genevieve was good. She'd always been good. In the beginning of their relationship, Bruce doubted often if he was even worthy of someone that loving.. that pure.

The glass is still spinning. Faster, this time. It made a whooshing noise. He tried to concentrate on that.

''Won't we?'', Charlie asked, glaring at Genevieve's pregnant belly. ''Well then'', he sighed. ''I guess we have to encourage him a little bit, boys''.
Anthony, the guy sitting straight across from Bruce, smiled an evil smile, snatched the glass from Bruce's hands and smashed it against the wall, shattering it to pieces just centimeters above his head. Bruce felt the shards of glass roll down his shirt. The entire bar fell silent. People turned their heads to look at the spectacle happening behind them.
''Do your little trick for us, Hulk'', Anthony demanded.
Bruce clenched his jaws together, trying desperately to focus on anything else than the boys sitting around him. He had to stay calm. He had to.
The bouncer, he suddenly thought. He had to get the bouncer's attention.

Right as he was about to stand up, the fat one, Rob, pulled a pocket knife from his vest and pointed at Bruce with it.
''He said… do your trick for us. We want to see it. We want to see you transform''.
A vein started pulsing in Bruce's neck. He could feel his heart rate increasing, he could feel sweat rolling down the back of his neck. Every inch of him wanted to tear those boys apart. He wanted to smash them into a wall. But then there was Genevieve, still. Pressed into a corner, her hands protecting her belly. Their child.
He couldn't risk it. He wouldn't.
So just as he was about to declare that him and Genevieve were leaving, Charlie decided to be extra bold.

''Do the fucking trick for us, Banner. Or..'', he smiled a devious smile, nodding at Rob without breaking eye contact with Bruce. ''We cut your lady's beautiful belly right open''.
At the very second Bruce saw that knife move towards Genevieve's stomach, he lost it. He grunted, pushing the palms of his hands against his eye sockets.
No, he thought. No. No. No.
But he couldn't help it. He felt the fabric across his back tearing, he felt his veins swell up and his heart start racing. The Other Guy.
''Bruce'', Genevieve begged. ''Don't. Please!''.

The boys were loving it, though. They had no idea the danger they were in. Or maybe they did, and they just didn't care. Maybe they thought they could take him.

''I wonder!'', Charlie called out, his eyes wide, a crazed look in them. He was focused on Bruce, who stood grunting against a wall, his forehead pressed against the cool stone, his nails digging into it. ''Is your baby green too?!''.

Genevieve screamed, and at that very second, a deafening roar escaped from Banner's throat. The Other Guy appeared, turned around, and the last bit of Bruce disappeared when he saw the pocket knife pressed against Genevieve's belly.

Immediately, hell broke loose. The people in the bar started screaming, running for their lives as the Hulk smashed the everything in his path to pieces. He'd lost all control. Over three years without an incident, and he'd let a group of punks drive him mad. Those boys.. oh.. those boys. They were in some very deep trouble.

''GO!'', Genevieve yelled at them, trying to push them out of her way. ''PLEASE, GO!''. She could beg all she want, but the boys loved it. They watched the Hulk in awe as he threw people across the bar, smashed right through a stone wall, and shattered two pool tables simply by kicking against them. But at that moment, the Hulk spotted the boys. Genevieve's blood froze in her veins when she noticed. It was too late. The Hulk came running towards them, roaring and smashing everything in his path. He grabbed Anthony, first. The boy screamed in fear, pure horror, as the Hulk tore his arm from his body and threw him to the side. At that moment, the other boys realized they'd made the biggest mistakes of their lives. Two of them, Charlie and Rob, tried to run. The other one froze in fear. Hulk grabbed two of them at the same time, one in both fists, and smashed them flat against the ceiling. Genevieve thought she could hear bones breaking.

''BRUCE!'', she cried out. She pushed Thomas out of the way. She knew she had no other choice. Bruce wouldn't be able to live with what he'd do. ''STOP IT!'', she screamed. Genevieve ran towards him, pulling on his giant finger, begging him to let the boys go. They screamed, they gurgled, but it didn't matter. As Thomas made his escape, Genevieve tried desperately to save the other three boys. And that was her mistake.

As soon as the Hulk dropped Charlie and Rob to the floor, he turned towards the woman who had been pulling on him. Genevieve backed away immediately when she saw the look in his eyes. ''Bruce'', she whispered. ''Please don't''. He didn't listen. As he walked towards her a low, growling sound escaped from his throat. She wasn't Genevieve to him, not anymore. She'd made herself a target. From the corner of her eyes, she spotted an escape route, but the second she took her eyes of the giant monster in front of her and made a run for it, he batted her out of the air like a fly. With a scream, she flew across the room, crashing into the bar. As she landed, right on top of a few bottles of liquor, she felt something crack and the air escaped from her lungs. Another roar, absolutely deafening this time. A wall breaks. Part of the ceiling collapses, and he's gone.

The Hulk goes on his rampage, demolishing the town of Boston as his pregnant fiancé lies bleeding behind a bar, regretting ever coming back here.