Author Note

I cannot thank you all enough for the positive feedback, I've planned out two more chapters after this one until I end this fic. I don't want to make it too long but do any of you think that would be cutting it too short? Let me know. Sorry for the wait, anyway here is the next chapter, Enjoy the feels overload...

Shattered

Chapter 4

The ride back to the Avenger's tower was both short and uneventful.

The moment they'd spotted Happy Hogan from across the park the pair slowly wandered towards him and stepped into one of Tony's many expensive extravagant sports cars where Bruce immediately sprawled out across the backseat wearily; closing his eyes as he rested his head against the window. It only felt like he'd had his eyes shut for a brief second when he felt the car shudder to a halt. Reluctantly he rose from his seat and without a word Tony was beside him, offering him a hand to steady him.

'Need some help boss?' Happy asked as he opened the passenger door for them both.

'No we're good, take the rest of the day off would ya Hap? I'll see ya around.'

Happy nodded in acknowledgement and left the garage swiftly without another word. The two geniuses were now alone.

Stark took one of the doctor's arms over his shoulders to help the man secure his balance and the pair sluggishly headed for the elevator on the far side of the room; Tony grunted and held back a wince as he took the brunt of the man's weight across his shoulders, Bruce felt surprisingly heavy for such a slim man.

'Whoa Geez Bruce, you're kinda heavy for a guy who lives on tea and rabbit food,' he smirked, joking lightly to ease the tension as they staggered across the room, 'maybe you should go for a run or something when you're feeling better.'

The scientist said nothing; he sent a weak glare at his teammate which only made the genius smile more. It was apparent that Bruce was too tired to come up with any kind of retort at the present moment, but Tony was sure that he'd undoubtedly make up for it later.

Banner couldn't help but groan in annoyance as their movement caused bright motion activated lights to turn on and illuminate the path in front of them. Bright light was the last thing he needed right now and only added more discomfort to the unbearable pounding in his head. Bruce closed his eyes and leaned his head inwardly towards the crook of Starks neck to shield his vision.

'Jarvis dim the lights would ya buddy?' the billionaire address his AI, the lights dimmed almost immediately and Bruce sighed with relief. Eventually they reached the elevator and stepped inside the small space, the doors clicked shut behind them and they both breathed a sigh of relief as they leaned against the metal walls.

'Which floor do you require sir?'

The sound of Jarvis's voice caused Bruce to flinch, he wasn't startled but in his current state every noise sounded louder than usual, it was a great annoyance that caused him no end of displeasure.

'Take us up to my apartment, and tone it down a bit would ya Jarv? You're giving poor Brucey here a headache.'

'My apologies Doctor, it was not my intention to cause you any distress,' the AI answered, this time in a more suitably quieter tone.

'S'fine,' the physicist muttered, rubbing his temples.

The elevator whirred to life and they reached Starks apartment within a matter of seconds. As they exited the small space, the first thing that struck the scientist was the unusual silence in the room; there was no one in sight. He had expected to be pounced on by everyone waiting for him in anticipation, instead he was greeted by a wall of silence; something which he was very grateful for.

Tony was trying his best not to worry about how heavily his lab partner was currently leaning on him; by now the man's feet were just about holding him up, every step made his legs quiver with exhaustion and by now he could barely stand up; his feet were dragging along the ground clumsily and his whole body was shaking with exertion.

'Almost there big guy,' the genius reassured him.

He pulled Bruce over to the large black leather couch in the centre of the room and eased him down gently, the physicist cringed inwardly as his body sank comfortably into the seat; he felt like such a burden.

'Better?'

'Uh, yeah thanks' he sighed, leaning back against the smooth leather.

'Jarvis initiate a lockdown, don't tell anyone that we-'

'Doctor Banner!' Starks words were cut short as four figures dashed into the room, the rest of the team suddenly appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

'Oh boy' Tony sighed as they began talking loudly, he rubbed his forehead in misery, this was the last thing Bruce needed right now. Tony poured himself a large drink as he watched the scene in front of him.

'Jarvis explain yourself,' the billionaire muttered as he took a large swig from his glass.

'My apologies sir, It would appear that agent Barton witnessed your arrival from the roof, and informed the others before I could initiate a successful lockdown,' the AI responded submissively.

Thor, Steve, Natasha and Clint all crowded around the scientist and began talking all at once. All of them seemed completely oblivious to the fact Bruce had scooted backwards, as far as the back of the sofa would allow him and he had begun wringing his hands nervously; he looked extremely uncomfortable.

'Geez Doc you had us all freaked out,' Clint spoke loudly, 'we didn't know if we were expecting you or the other guy!'

'Clint!' Natasha scolded him for bringing up such a 'taboo' subject, the archer waved off her concern.

'What? I'm just saying-'

Right now Bruce wasn't even listening to the conversation going on around him. He could hear raised voices but he was too tired to concentrate, the voices in his ears had faded out to nothing more than irritating murmurs; he wished they would stop.

'Doctor Banner it is good to see you!' Thor bellowed, 'We were all most anxious for your return!'

Bruce winced at the man's loud tone, he couldn't help but let out a quiet whimper, it felt as if Thor's voice was echoing painfully in his skull, it felt as if hundreds of razor sharps needles were burying themselves into his cranium, the sensation was extremely unbearable.

'… not so loud please, 'the physicist rasped weakly as he held his hammering head in his hands, his voice was so soft it could barely be heard, but it was just loud enough for Tony to hear.

The billionaire strolled over towards the sofa the team were congregated around; he'd had enough of watching Bruce suffer in silence.

'Alright break it up! Give the guy some space would ya? Let him breath!' Tony clapped his hands, shooing at the team, successfully silencing all conversation. Tentatively they withdrew and took a few steps back, giving the doctor some well needed space.

'Are you ok Doctor Banner?' Steve asked hesitantly.

'Of course he's not ok look at him!' Stark huffed, waving his arms.

The avengers stood quietly as they observed there teammate, Bruce was sat completely still, resting his head in his hands with his eyes closed. The light frown on his face clearly showed he was in some discomfort; the team glanced at the doctor before staring at each other owlishly and undecidedly.

'Well what are you waiting for? Go do something useful like get the man a glass of water!' Tony huffed in annoyance, he was sure Bruce didn't appreciate being watched like some sort of animal in an exhibit.

'On it,' Steve was the first to snap out of a daze; he nodded in confirmation and strolled quickly out of the room.

The two assassins' and the demi god stood awkwardly for a moment before taking a seat either side of the man, the three of them hesitated before taking separate armchairs on the far side of the room. Without any thought Tony took the empty spot next to Bruce and rested a hand on his friends arm in concern.

'You okay buddy?'

Bruce looked up and rubbed his eyes before focusing on his friend.

'I've been better…' the scientist mumbled weakly, leaning his head against the corner of the sofa tiredly.

Now that he was at such a close proximity to his lab partner Tony noticed how alarmingly pale Bruce was, it seemed he had grown much paler in colour then when they both left the park, worryingly he was now as white as a ghost. He definitely needed some sleep soon, the only obstacles standing between Bruce and sleep were the rest of the team.

Steve returned with a tall glass of water, the super soldier held it out to Bruce and waited patiently for him to take it from his hand. The doctor smiled weakly in silent thanks before gasping the cup with one hand, no one in the room failed to notice that his hand was shaking slightly. He took a small sip of water before resting the glass in his lap; Banner closed his eyes in irritation and furrowed his brows as his head thumped painfully; Steve frowned in concern.

'Would you like me to get some painkillers Doctor Banner?' the blond asked tentatively.

'There's no point' Bruce sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, he took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly; he counted to ten in his head before answering, trying to ease the anxiety and nausea building up inside of him, boy he felt terrible.

'That stuff won't work on me.'

There was a short pause before Clint broke the silence.

'Why not?' the archer tilted his head in confusion.

'My uh, metabolism's similar to Steve's,' Bruce spoke slowly and clearly, trying his best to not slur his words. 'It's a side effect from the gamma radiation; anything I take will just get burned off instantly.'

Steve nodded in understanding, he could sympathise with the man's current predicament.

'You're sure there's nothing we can do?' Romanoff asked, Bruce shook his head slowly.

'I'll just have to wait it out.'

There was an awkward pause as Bruce reached for another drink. Everyone was still, the only audible sound that could be heard was the physicists laboured breathing and Tony drumming his fingers on the side of his glass. Everyone's gaze turned to Tony's fingers before glancing at Bruce In apprehension. Bruce didn't even have to look up to know everyone was staring at him, waiting for him to explode in anger like he had earlier. He could guess pretty confidently that they all had the same look in their eyes.

The same look of fear.

It was something he was used to by now, the wariness and distrust. He sat still and leaned back in his seat, silently praying that the ground would swallow him up and save him from this awkward situation.

It was just like the scene in the Heli-carrier hours earlier, they were all waiting for him to snap. They had questions but no one had the guts to step forward and be the first to speak.

Tony also sensed the tension in the air and it made him feel sick.

Sick with anger.

Everyone was looking at Bruce like he was some sort of time bomb and Tony just couldn't understand why. Sure he had an angry side, buried just below the surface that could cause chaos at any given moment but the billionaire was confident that the scientist had a tight lid on it. Everyone had an angry side; Bruce's was just more prominent than others. So why did everyone pay so much attention to it?

The playboy found it hard to believe that they were all so nervous around Bruce Banner, a quiet scientist whose patience was on par with that of a saint. Tony was sure that in his previous life he must have been a monk of some kind; after all it was a miracle that he stayed so calm even after the way others treated him. He was treated with fear and disrespect yet the man ignored it, Bruce had offered everything he had to give yet people still walked all over him.

Despite the looks from the rest of the team Bruce stayed quiet just as he always did. He found the muteness on his friend's part completely bizarre. It was Interesting how much more talkative Bruce was around the playboy than around other people. It was obvious Bruce felt comfortable around him and his playful personality, but now he was in a room with other people who treated him far differently he was more reserved, he'd shut himself in, similar to a tortoise slipping into its shell. It pained him to see Bruce sitting next to him looking so worn and miserable.

Bruce had hit a dead end, he was suffering yet no one seemed to care; the only thing the team cared about was their own safety.

Tony found the silence annoying and unnecessary so he decided to do something about it.

In the split second that everyone tore there gaze away from the doctor the mechanic slammed his glass down hard on the table, making everyone jump at the loud noise. Thor grasped Mjolnir tightly, Natasha's hand gravitated toward the pistol she had concealed on the side of her left leg and Clint and Steve jerked upright, twitching with nerves. They were both surprised and confused to see that Bruce hadn't moved a muscle; he'd only blinked his eyes open wearily, also confused by the sudden noise. Everyone turned and looked up at the billionaire in bewilderment.

'Little jumpy aren't we?' he tutted, crossing his arms.

Bruce could feel his insides knotting with tension at the man's words, he had a sinking feeling that he knew what the next topic of conversation was going to be.

'That's not funny stark,' Romanoff hissed angrily.

Tony leaned his head back and laughed heartily.

'Isn't it though?'

'Listen Stark, I don't know what you're trying to pull here but now isn't the time,' Steve frowned disapprovingly.

'What I'm trying to pull? What about what you guys are trying to pull?!' Tony spat angrily.

'Tony…' Bruce murmured, his voice was so quiet that no one heard him, everyone around him carried on bickering.

'What are you talking about?' Clint growled defensively, standing to his feet.

'I think you know exactly what I'm talking about,' the mechanic pushed himself from his seat and stepped forward to meet Clint's gaze.

'Seriously what the fuck is your problem?' Clint swore, gritting his teeth; Tony took a step forward threateningly.

'Clint,' Natasha rested a hand on the archers shoulder, holding him back.

'Friend Stark,' Thor bellowed, 'I do not think it wise to argue so freely when friend Bruce is-'

'When Bruce is what?!' Tony snapped angrily, 'What the fuck is wrong with Bruce huh?'

'Tony you need to calm down,' Steve hissed, his eyes strayed to Bruce who had his eyes closed with his head in his hands. The playboy picked up on his gaze immediately.

'Why?'

'Tony you know why!'

'C'mon say it!'

'Stop it, please…' Bruce whispered, his plea went unanswered as the argument escalated. The doctor whined clutched his head with his hands, he felt so helpless. He was too tired to do anything; all he could do was sit there with his head in his hands, taking slow, deep breaths to calm himself and prevent him from exploding.

'This is fucking ridiculous,' Tony growled, clenching his hands into tight balls at his sides.

'Tony stop it!' Natasha hissed, clenching her teeth tightly.

'This is a joke,' Clint snapped, his fingers were twitching in apprehension, itching to grasp his arrows.

'No you guys are a fucking joke! You're all pathetic! This needs to sto-'

'ENOUGH!'

Tony's furious ramblings were interrupted by a deafening shout, the team turned to see Bruce standing shakily on his feet; his face was etched with exhaustion and frustration as he gripped the sofa for support, panting from his outburst, adrenaline was pumping through his veins.

'p-please just stop it,' he sighed, lowering himself back down to his seat as he felt everyone's eyes on him.

'It's not fair Bruce! It's not right that they-'

'Life isn't fair Tony, it's something that I'm used to,' Bruce spoke softly over his lab partner, silently willing for the billionaire to let it go.

Tony Stark was not though of as an emotional man but His words made the man's heart pang with guilt and caused the group to look down at the floor dejectedly. One by one they hesitantly sat down, all eyes were on Bruce yet again.

'Why did you walk out Doctor Banner?' Steve asked cautiously, 'earlier on the heli-carrier, what made you leave?'

'I-' Bruce's breath hitched, he didn't know where to begin.

There was a drip in the sofa and a familiar warm as he felt somebody sit close to him.

'Tell 'em Bruce,' the billionaire urged him softly 'tell them what you told me.'

Although the scientist felt weary under the gazes of his teammates he also felt strangely comforted by the mechanics close presence beside him, so he began to talk.

'I uh, I didn't walk out because I was angry,' the physicist sighed, wringing his hands together, 'you know right now I couldn't bring out the other guy even if I tried.'

The scientist moved his gaze to floor before continuing.

'This week the other guys come out five times, that's the most I've transformed in over 10 years.'

'When the-'Bruce swallowed uncertainly, '-other guy makes an appearance, it's not as easy as just transforming.'

'What do you mean?' Clint asked cautiously.

'Me and the other guy are both connected,' the doctor murmured, 'We're two separate minds but we're both bonded to one another.'

Everyone sat still and listened intently, the shy scientist was finally opening up, and no one was going to stop him.

'When he takes over, it's not like just flicking a switch; you can't just turn it on and off,' Bruce ran a hand through his hair to calm his nerves, 'when the uh- change happens it's…'

Tony leaned in close to the scientist in silent support, urging him to continue.

'It- it hurts.'

Banner took a sip of water to wet his dry throat before he continued.

'When the change happens it's- it's horrible; I feel everything,' the doctor crossed his arms and pulled them close to his chest, 'you don't know what it feels like to have every bone in your body broken, to feel every muscle being pulled and stretched and rearranged before you finally black out and let someone else take the wheel.'

'That sounds… horrible,' Steve whispered.

'And you know the worst thing is when I wake up I don't remember anything,' he uttered softly.

'Nothing?' Romanoff asked inquisitively.

'Sometimes I remember bits and piece, mostly just faces but nothing more than that.'

'That sounds truly awful friend Banner' Thor spoke, looking solemn, Bruce smiled sadly.

'It does doesn't it?'

'You know when you wake up half naked, covered in dust and blood, and you have no idea how you got there it's... scary.'

Bruce began fidgeting in his seat, he could feel pins and needles settling in his legs and his was sure his arms were starting to feel numb; he rubbed his arms in small circles, wincing at the feeling of cramp.

As the doctor spoke it was clear that now he was at his most vulnerable, everyone in the room felt guilt weighing them down.

'When a fight is over you guys take a shower and sleep it off, I- I can't do that,' he spoke dejectedly, 'everything aches and all I can do is wait for it to pass,' he took a shaky breath and continued, sounding so angry and broken.

'Everyone just expects me to play along whenever shield clicks its fingers I have to act like a puppet on a string and I can't do it anymore, I don't want to be used like that.'

The doctor's fingers gripped the glass in his hands tightly as he stared down at his feet

'Sometimes it hurts so much I can't even move, I don't have the energy to do anything except sleep, for days and its-' the physicist pulled his legs to his chest. '- it's not fair,' he whispered.

'Hey,' Tony's reassuring voice broke him out of his daze as he felt the glass being plucked from his hands and a reassuring arm settled across his back, 'It's ok Bruce, you've said enough.'

'I – I just can't do this anymore,' he stuttered shakily.

'Doctor Banner I-'

'I think that's enough.'

Steve was interrupted when Tony stood to his feet.

'C'mon buddy, you need some sleep before you have a break down.'

The billionaire offered his hand to his exhausted friend, who took it without a moment's hesitation. Tony knew Bruce had to get out, for his own good, and the genius couldn't bear to listen to his friend speak on.

It took the scientist a great effort to lift himself, when he had managed to stand to his feet he stumbled heavily, the cramp in his legs and the pins and needles made walking a task.

No one made any move to follow the lab partners as they left the room.

Instead the rest of the team remained seated, contemplating what they had just heard.

No one worded their thoughts, but they all came to the same conclusion.

Earths mightiest superheroes messed up; badly.