Everything was complete; once again his life was compacted into a moderately sized backpack. He left the password for all his research on a note for Tony. He attached it to Dummy so that he would actually find it.

Bruce took one more walk around the living area, unconsciously touching as many surfaces as possible, as if each touch would store up the calm he felt here. It seems odd that any place that occupied someone as kinetic as Tony could invoke a sense of anything resembling calm. But for the last month it had done that for Bruce. There has been barely a stir from the beast within. He hadn't gone away, he'd never go away; he just hadn't seemed much up for appearances.

He steps over the place where the Other Guy left a Loki-sized hole once. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Even though it had been repaired, it still was a reminder how one wrong moment could destroy this calm. He didn't want to do that to his fellow Avenger, his business partner, to his… friend.

He entered the public elevator and hit the button for the ground floor. He couldn't remember ever using the public elevator since he seemed to always enter and leave the building with Tony and they used Sparks' private garage.

The private elevator only had music if Tony requested Jarvis to play something. This public elevator seemed to have music piped in. The orchestral playing intrigued him; he had only heard the opening few moments but it seemed to reflect how his heart felt right then, calm, sad, and slightly discordant.

"Jarvis?" Bruce had become used to talking to the computer as much as Tony had. But he wondered if its range extended to the public areas.

"Yes, Dr. Banner."

"What is this song?"

"Bittersweet Symphony."

"Hmm, how appropriate a title." Bruce closed his eyes and listened to the song.

A few floors down Bruce's eyes flew open. "Fuck," he realized he didn't leave a message telling Tony and Pepper he was leaving. "Uh, Jarvis?"

"Yes, Dr. Banner."

"Could you leave Mr. Stark a message that I've left…"

"Would you like to record a personal message or should I just place the information in his notes?"

Bruce thought how that would be notated. 12:30pm Dr. Banner left the building. That would be wrong, especially after all Tony has done for him. "I'll record a message, thank you."

"Just begin speaking and I will record, Dr. Banner, say 'full stop' when you are done." Jarvis muted the music; Bruce took a deep breath, and began. What came out were short bursts, snatches of thoughts. Science he could describe at great length; emotions, well they hadn't been the best of friends lately.

"Tony … Pepper."

"Thank you."

"You've made me feel so welcome, so at home… like I'm home."

"I'm sorry."

"Can't keep putting people… I… care about… in danger."

"It's not if the monster will come out, it's when."

"Don't want to risk… hurt… you."

"I'm sorry."

Bruce takes another deep breath, "Full stop Jarvis."

"Message has been forwarded to Mr. Stark." Jarvis returns the music to the normal levels as the singer is repeating the words "I can't change" again and again.

Bruce sighs, "How appropriate."

The elevator dings, ground floor, Bruce steps out into the lobby. 100 steps from the elevator to the door and to a solitary life again.