You open the door to your flat and slam it shut behind you. It's raining for three hours already and it seems like it won't stop for the rest of the night. Relieved about being home again you lay down the grocery bags in the kitchen and go upstairs to your bedroom to change clothes before beginning to cook. After turning on the light you throw your wet t-shirt and jeans next to the door and slip into jogging pants and a purple pullover. Next you wrap a towel around your wet hair. Just as you make your way back down you hear your door being open and shut again. Then your boyfriend of two months walks into your field of view. You start to smile when you see Bruce's appearance.
Bruce's brown curls are just as wet as your hair and stick to his forehead. His dark green jacket seems to be black because of all the water and mud. He strips it off and hangs it on the coat hook. Then he turns around toward you and flashes you a shy smile. You smile back and give him a peck on his lips before whispering a small "hey". He returns your welcome with a longer kiss and another "hey".
"I was thinking about making pasta today, what do you think?"
"Sounds great, I just want to shower. I'll be right back." With this he hurries up the stairs and you disappear into the kitchen. While you grab everything you're going to need you hear the shower upstairs being turned on. You consider going upstairs again and joining him, but you are really hungry and you can still shower later.
Dr. Bruce Banner. You feel heat rising inside you when you think about him. It took you some time before you really started to date almost three months ago. You knew each other already for nearly two years and maybe you are old-fashioned but you think the man should ask as at least for the very first date. And after a lot of flirting and not only one broad hint he finally asked you out. Nothing big, only a visit to an Italian take-away and a walk through the park, but it was great. After that it took another three weeks until you were actually a couple but now you were together for two months already and everything is fine. He was extremely shy back then and even now he wants to make it slow. More than kissing and a little make-out session now and then was the best you got yet. But you are okay with that, as long as you are with him he can take his time.
The water starts to boil and you add salt and the pasta. In another pan you add water and different ingredients for the chili sauce. Along the way you still think about your relationship with the scientist.
He never seems like he doesn't want more, but every time when the situation gets too heated up he stops and excuses himself because he has to do some work he forgot or because he's sleepy. You think it's odd, but you don't want to push him even though you think you will have to talk to him the next time it happens. You don't think it's because of you. He told you so much about him and his life, about his dead family and his work in the laboratory. Would he do this if you weren't important to him? Maybe he's just old-fashioned, too?
Lost in thoughts you don't notice Bruce entering the kitchen. The pasta is already in the water and the sauce is finished. You stir the pasta a bit when he wraps his arms around your waist. You jerk, gasp and turn around quickly. Accidentally you hit the pan with the wooden spoon and some of the still boiling water swops and hits your side as well as his neck and his chest. He flinches and whines while his hand goes to his neck.
"Oh my god, Bruce, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you, I swear!"
You reach for him, but he backs away and starts to pant. "Oh no", he whispers through his gritted teeth. "(Y/N), go away."
"What? No, I can help you. I just take a towel and cold water and-"
"No, go away." You stop walking to the sink and turn around. You can see sweat starting to form on his forehead. The skin under his hand is already bright red because of the hot water, the one spot you love to kiss because it makes him sigh every time you do so. You knit your brows. It must burn like hell, it was quite some water that hit him. Why doesn't he want your help?
"Bruce, you should really put something co-"
"I said NO!"
You flinch at his outburst and take a step back when he bends forwards and moans in pain. He breaths heavily and his whole body and his face show how much it hurts. You blink a few times before you come out of your numbness and hurry to his side to support him. But he groans and backs off. And then you see it.
His skin seems to pulse. At first you think you are just in shock but it actually pulses and expands. He gets bigger. At first his purple button down shirt strains and then with a loud, animalistic roar of Bruce it tears up, leaving him in his shorts. You slowly take two steps back. He is still bend over, but his whole body is much bigger than usually. What is left off his shirt lays on the floor to his feet. He is still panting and groaning, but it sounds different, deeper and more like an animal than a human. And than there is his skin... while he keeps growing it turns from his natural brown color – a brown normal people only get when they are at vacation - into green. You step back until the sink is in your way and watch him turn into a big and green inhuman thing. Not till he stops growing he stumbles a bit and straightens up. His head reaches the ceiling and destroys it. Then he lets out a loud roar.
You wince at this. You are already afraid but when he turns toward you at the fearful sound you make you start to panic. You have no idea what to do. The green monster stares at you and you stare back. You knees are weak and you just want to fall unconscious but you are too afraid. You have no idea what this thing would do to you, maybe it will hurt you or even kill you.
This thought and the step the monster takes toward you let you run. You stumble and then you run. You hear another roar and you feel the floor shaking underneath your feet when it starts to follow you. Different loud noises make clear that it smashes everything it reaches, the kitchen equipment, the ceiling and even the floor I cracking under his weight. You run down the floor of your flat toward your front door. Behind you the green thing destroys the walls by running through it. Dust and stones that fly through the air block your view but you keep running. You can hear your own heart beat in your chest. When you reach the door you rip it open to run outside. You try not to slip in the mud and keep running until you reach the next house and hide behind some containers. The monster follows you by demolishing your house front as well.
You hold your breath. Your heart beats so loud you are sure it can hear it. You press your hands on your mouth to stop yourself from breathing too heavy. When it comes nearer you close your eyes in surrender. You are sure it will kill you instantly but just when you when you start your last prayer it roars again and starts running into a different direction.
You remain seated for a while. You don't know how long you actually sit there, but when you open your eyes the moon shines high above your head. You stand up and turn around. You didn't even noticed the rain that was still falling when you run out of your home, but know you can feel your hair sticking to your head and the water seeping into your clothes. That must be the reason none of your neighbors came out of their house, the raining and thunder are really loud. You shiver and walk toward your house, or what is left of it. Where a blue door used to be just hours ago a big hole graces the front. The ground of the hall is wet, but right now you don't care. You walk inside, climbing about debris and back into the kitchen. You are still in shock, your head trying to bring the pieces together. You search for Bruce, but deep inside you already now he isn't hear. Because he was this thing, this monster. Even if this seems impossible, but you saw it. You saw him turning into it.
You shake your head to get rid of the pictures inside your head, but it won't help. You can't forget. The picture of your boyfriend turning into this thing that wants to kill you will be there forever.
He wanted to kill me. This thought crosses your mind and you start to cry. At first in silence, but then you start sobbing and the weight of this simple sentence brings you to your knees. He wanted to kill me.
Again you don't know how long you kneel there, but when you calmed down enough to stop weeping you stand up and walk upstairs. You don't know what to do. What do you do when your boyfriend just turned into something inhuman that wanted to harm you? Take a shower, go to sleep, eat something? Instead, you go into your room and open your wardrobe. You just want to go. You don't know where or how, but you have to leave right now. You take out your suitcase and take everything you can grab to shove it into the bag. Then you take some underwear and sanitary articles. With your bag in one hand and your mobile in your other you walk down the stairs. You arrange for a taxi and walk down the muddy street to wait at the next crossroad. You don't want the taxi driver to see your house. You could still call the police or someone else in the morning to take care or this problem. You can't handle this right now. When the taxi picks you up you tell the man to drop you off at the train station. There you sit down at a bench and let your head drop into your hands.
You can't believe it. Bruce, your boyfriend Bruce, turned into a monster. Now that you think about it, he didn't seem surprise. Afraid, panicking and in pain, but not surprised. Maybe it happened before? But why did it happen today of all days? The hot water? No, he drinks hot tea. And he sometimes butts at your commode, so it can't be because of the punch with the wooden spoon as well. Maybe the shock, or the surprise, or the sudden pain? A hurting knee and serious burns are totally different things.
You sigh and shake your head. Right now it's not important why it happened, but why he didn't tell you if he knew this could happen. He put you in even greater danger by not telling you. What if you hadn't run? Would he have hurt you, maybe even killed you? Maybe. Bruce wouldn't do that, but this thing didn't seem to be like Bruce, not at all. Tears run down your cheeks again. You don't bother wiping them away.