Significantly shorter than the last one, but only because first impressions last so long.

how desperate are you, that you rely on such lost creatures?
the doctor

To be honest, he hadn't really been expecting there to be a sick father when he willingly walked into the hut.

It had been something he sensed when he walked through the village- if there really was a sick man, wouldn't the villagers be gathering in clumps, murmuring gossip, and scattering at the sight of the doctor? No, instead they were gathered around an old television set, chattering excitedly about some program. This wasn't the look of a village with a dying person.

Still he followed because something in the little girl's voice spoke of true desperation. He wasn't sure if it was her own desperation at first or someone else's, but he followed nevertheless.

If there was something Bruce Banner was, it was a man who followed his instincts.

So when the little girl ran right to a window, clambered out of it and disappeared, he really wasn't surprised. "Should have gotten paid up front, Banner," he muttered to himself, half-humorously and half irritated. The other guy in his head huffed.

He wasn't really surprised when the infamous Black Widow made her appearance, either. Somehow he'd always suspected that she'd be here. What did surprise him was how easily she gave him her name, and the other guy's suspicion spiked instantly. Assassins rarely gave their real names (well to be fair how did he know Natasha Romanoff was he real name anyway) and when they did, it was generally followed by the clause "if I told you I'd have to kill you". Emphasis on the "I'd have to kill you" part.

"You here to kill me, Romanoff?"

Even as he asked the question, he knew the answer would be "no". The Black Widow played her role perfectly- the rational, calm agent that he imagined any S.H.I.E.L.D spy would be like. But there was something different, something off about the Natasha that stood in front of him and the faceless killer he knew her to be. Banner tilted his head and tried to puzzle her out. She was pushing a little too hard, showing him pictures, trying to get him on board.

What's her angle? Bruce tried to figure it out even as he resisted her request to come in and help. S.H.I.E.L.D needed help with the Tesseract, needed help tracking it. Check. She was right; he was the one for the job, but why did she come personally? The one with all the cards was Fury. Or why not Agent Hill? He'd heard she was persuasive, the feminine and more tactful version of Fury. And then there was Agent Coulson, the one who personally, Bruce liked best. All three could have come in as the top ranking members of S.H.I.E.L.D and convinced him. Why send a spy that Bruce barely knew, let alone trusted?

"What if I said no?"

"I'll persuade you." Her answer was playful, but also laced with something else. Bruce put his finger on it a few seconds later- it was steely resolve. It was the kind of determination that said, I'll get this done and I'll get you on my side for this, no matter how much work it takes. And so he had to wonder, what on earth had made Romanoff so determined, so stubborn that she would personally come to his retreat and ask for the monster to come help?

He tested her, of course. He let the big guy come as close as he could to erupting and slammed the table. What he was expecting was her to back away, try rational reasoning because as long as the other guy stayed dormant, he was easy to reason with.

What he was not expecting was a gun pointed at his face with a deadly assassin on the other side.

"Okay. Okay. Let's try this again." He put his hands up carefully. He hadn't been expecting such a trigger-sensitive spy, but he had also seen the look of desperation flash across her face as she grabbed the gun. She needs me, but why? There was something else at play here. The world was in danger. Check. They needed to track the Tesseract, because the Tesseract was putting the world in danger. Check. But there was something else that was personal, that Natasha was willing to fight for. A person, perhaps. Bruce searched her face, but all he found was a mask.

Clearly, whatever this was, it was making her desperate enough that she would willingly ask one of the most dangerous people in the world for help. Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D was behind this, but Natasha came personally to him. That had to count for something.

Bruce took a deep breath as Natasha decided he was safe and told the men outside to stand down. "Just you and me, huh," he deadpanned.

The other guy huffed warningly and Bruce took another deep breath.

He nodded at Natasha. "I'm in."

Maybe he imagined it but a look of relief skittered across her face before she pulled herself together. "I knew you'd see it my way. Come on, Dr. Banner. We have no time to lose."

My way, not S.H.I.E.L.D's way. It was personal for her now, Banner reckoned as he followed her out into the village.

An armed spy that was both deadly and desperate- he wasn't sure if that was such a smart idea.

Then again, she'd come to a man who had to keep his temper from destroying everything around him. Maybe smart ideas were overrated these days.

Another long footnote.

In this one, I chose Banner's viewpoint because it's easy to see why he would be considered a "lost" creature. Obviously Loki calls him that because he's well, he's the Hulk, but in this context, Banner might be lost because he initially does not want to help Natasha at all. All signs point to his refusal, until he begins to understand that this is something that means much, much more to Natasha than it appears to be.

Without that understanding, Banner would not have willingly come in (at least in my head). Even if he is hiding in a remote village, I'm sure he knows what it's like to fight really hard for something and lose it. He knows that Nat's probably close to that point, especially since she reacted so violently when he pushed her. The edge of her sanity was something that he needed to see; he needed to see that she was willing to do anything to get this done. Even if it meant throwing diplomacy out the window and pointing a gun in his face. (Self-defense admittedly but considering that she's very skilled in reasoning, wouldn't it have been easier to reason with Banner and bring in him voluntarily? She was lucky he didn't Hulk out.)

It's okay if you don't agree with me; I mean for this to be points of controversy at some points. Please don't hesitate to let me know what you think- approve or criticize, this is for you! (Just please be nice.) :) Much love!