I stood in the shadows of the small hut that lay just outside Calcutta India, waiting for the girl Romanov had sent to lure Bruce to our location. I hadn't seen Bruce in six years, that last time I saw him I didn't have the abilities I know possess. I feared what he would think of me when he would eventually find out. I glanced over at Romanov who seemed tense, whether from me or from the impending meeting with Bruce, I wasn't sure, but then again it could be from both. Finally the girl ran through, Bruce following close, stopping just as the girl clambered out the back window, wad of cash still clenched in her small fist. Bruce sighed rubbed his face with his hand and spoke, "Should have got paid up front Banner," he mumbled to himself. "You know for a man whose supposed to be avoiding stress you sure picked a hell of a place to settle," Romanov said stepping out of her hiding place.
Bruce looked up not at all surprised to see her there. "Avoiding stress isn't the secret," he replied. "Then what is it, yoga?" she asked. "You brought me to the edge of the city, smart. I assume the whole place is surrounded," he stated looking out the window, for something that was there but he most likely couldn't see. "It's just the three of us," she stated. "Three of us?" he asked confused. Sighing I stepped out of my hiding spot and into full view. "Nicolette?" he asked stunned. "Hey Bruce," I waved awkwardly. "What are you doing here?" he asked his eyes on me. "We're here on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D, Bruce" I said staring at my feet. "Y..you're an agent," he asked angrily. "Was," I interjected. "Then how are you here on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D?" he asked angrily. "I didn't want to be pulled in Bruce, but the world is at stake," I explained. "I try to stay away from catastrophes," he stated eyeing me accusingly. "I know that Bruce, and so do I," I replied. "Why would you have to?" he asked. "Because of this, it's been taken," I said tossing him a picture of the tesseract on my phone. "What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it?" he asked almost sarcastically. "Oh please Bruce, the tesseract emits a gamma signature that's too weak for us to trace, you're the best there is in gamma radiation. Believe me if there was anyone better that's where Agent Romanov over there would be," I said nodding in her direction. "Just her?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "The only reason they were able to drag me back is because they were bringing you into it," I stated.
"What did that thing do to you?" he asked. "Bruce we need your help to find it," I stated. "Why would you want to get it back if it hurt you?" he asked crossing his arms across his chest. "Because the man who took it plans to use it to open a portal into another dimension to unleash an army that could take out the entire planet," I snapped. "First tell me what it did to you," he stated. "Fine you want to know what that fucking thing did to me!" I almost screamed.
"Nicolette," Romanov warned. "Shut it Romanov," I spat, my eyes beginning to glow purple as the shadows and the darkness swirled around me. I let this go on for a minute before letting it go all of the residual dark energy flying off of me and back to where it had come from. "Oh, Nikki," Bruce said looking at me with those beautiful big brown eyes of his he moved towards me to hug me but I pushed him away. "Are you coming or not?" I asked. "Not if Fury wants me in a cage," Bruce said darkly. "No one's going to put you in a cage," Romanov said falling into to Bruce's little trap, that I could see coming "STOP LYING TO ME!" Bruce screamed slamming his fists down on a near by table. Romanov pulled out her gun pointing it out at Bruce. "I'm sorry that was mean, I just wanted to see what you would do. Why don't we do this the easy way where you don't use that and the other guy doesn't make a mess, okay Natasha," Bruce said his hands up in surrender. Romanov lowered her gun and spoke into the earpiece, "stand down, we're good here." "Just the three of us huh," he said sadly. We moved out of the hut and towards the jet which had landed about a mile away. The ride to the Helicarrier started off with Bruce trying to make conversation, but I was too pissed at him for making me use my powers to talk to him. The rest of the flight was filled with awkward silence, but I wasn't going to break and apparently nobody else on the jet was willing to either.