Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 4: A Third Option

"Whoa..." Wasp got out alongside a raised eyebrow. "You can really put it away, can't you?"

The lone female Avenger was sitting on the hospital floor, a short distance away from the Emergency Room where Jennifer was being operated on. Unable to do anything but sit and wait, all the while watching as the slender scrap of a man known as Bruce Banner singlehandedly demolished his second large pizza. "It's my gamma-based metabolism," he said by way of explanation. "It affords me a measure of Hulk's abilities, including his regenerative process. It also allows me to process food much faster than normal."

"Yeah, I'll bet!" As Bruce picked up a bottle of fruit punch and took several large chugs of it, Wasp gave a sheepish smile. "Anyway, I hope the food's okay and all. I know you said to hurry, but I still tried to get a bit of variety, as well as some greens and all..."

"No, no, the food's just fine, Ms. Van Dyne," Bruce promptly assured her even as he began wolfing down the salad she had picked up from the pizzeria Wasp and Hawkeye had tracked down. "After some of the things I've had to live off of, I consider this a banquet feast."

Blinking a few times at this, Wasp sighed lowly, finding that his words made sense. Bruce had been on the run from the military and SHIELD for a very long time now, doing whatever he could to dodge them and maintain a low profile. Things that she knew would likely force him to survive upon whatever he could find. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"I know that. And you don't need to apologize," Bruce assured her, having already polished off the salad. "I really do appreciate this, Ms. Van Dyne."

"Thanks," she replied, somewhat reassured. "And...if you want, you could call me Janet. Or Wasp, if you wanted."

Pausing to look up from his binging, Bruce gave her a tiny, weak smile. "I'd like that...Janet." Reaching over for the his next course, he paused to say, "I'd also like to thank you."

"Thank me?" Wasp replied, a bit puzzled.

"For helping Hulk the way you have," Bruce elaborated as he continued to eat.

Blinking a few times at this, Wasp heaving a sighing laugh. "Hey, it's no problem!" she promptly assured him. "I mean...personally, I think Hulk's the one who's been helping me out most of the time."

"That's not true, Janet. And I think you know that," Bruce told her. "You helped Hulk by accepting him. That's something that's been very rare in both our lives." Pausing to chomp down on a whole piece of pizza, the bedraggled scientist swallowed and took another chug of fruit punch before going on to say, "So many people are frightened by Hulk. By his size, his appearance. But you never reacted to him that way. Not even once."

Giving a self-depreciating smile, Wasp shrugged and answered, "I guess it's different for me. I mean, when you're just a couple inches tall, everyone's bigger than you. So...I'm guess I'm kinda used to that sort of thing by now."

Raising an eyebrow at this, Bruce allowed a tiny smile to curl his lip. "There is that," he admitted. "Still, I hope you understand that what you give Hulk is...such a rare thing for him. To be accepted without question or conditions..."

As Bruce trailed off, Wasp again shrugged. "I know. I just wish...I mean, I don't get it!" This garnered a puzzled look from Banner, who was once again eating. "I mean, so the Big Green has a few rough edges! So what? That's no reason to be all afraid of him!"

Pausing to swallow, Bruce took another chug of fruit punch before replying, "Perhaps. But you have to understand something, Janet. Hulk and I...we weren't always the way we are now."

"What do you mean?" Wasp wondered, her features contorting with perplexity.

Setting down his drink, Bruce frowned somewhat as he studied Wasp, as if considering how best to answer her question. "Janet," he began, his voice low and serious. "Do you recall the sensations you experienced while under the influence of the Leader's gamma domes?"

Shuddering at the thought of this, Janet replied, "I don't think I'll ever be able to forget anything about that..." Her words fell flat in her mouth as the meaning this question registered, causing her eyes to pop wide open. "Wait...are you saying that...Hulk used to be the way I was when...?"

"After a fashion," Bruce explained enigmatically. "You have to understand, gamma mutation has a strong influence on a person, both physically and mentally. It loosens a person's inhibitions, unleashing portions of one's self that we usually keep restrained. Especially in the case of the initial transformations; the resulting shock from them tends to reduce the person in question to a primal, savage state. Just like you and the others experienced." Sucking in a horrified gasp at this, Wasp sat and watched as the tormented soul next to her lowered his gaze, memories of his tortured past returning to him. "And you have to remember that the gamma energy that gave birth to the Hulk wasn't a precisely controlled and regulated gamma dome. It was a full-scale, uncontrolled gamma explosion."

Making a face as she put two and two together, Wasp gathered, "You mean...the Hulk was even more out-of-control than we were?"

"Not exactly. The mutation left him - us - extremely unstable," Bruce went on, a deep, abiding sadness hanging from his voice. "I found myself transforming to and from the Hulk as a result of different stimuli, not just anger. And the Hulk himself has changed over the years as we...acclimated to what we had become. There have been times when we have been able to function as a single person. And other times..." Heaving a deep, weary sigh, he looked back up at her and was forced to admit, "Let's just say that his - our reputation...is not entirely undeserved."

"But that's not your fault! Or Hulk's!" Wasp vehemently protested. "I mean - everybody who got hit by that stupid gamma dome was messed up! Even Cap and Panther, for crying out loud, and they're about the most restrained, self-controlled guys I know! So if that thing could make them act all crazy, then -!"

"I know that, Janet. Believe me, I'm thoroughly aware of the effects of gamma mutation on a person's mind," Bruce replied, giving her a look that made it clear that this was a gross understatement. "But none of that changes the things that we did. And it doesn't change the fact that people that were hurt as a result."

As Wasp sat there, studying the tortured soul that sat next to her, she found herself flashing back when she had been under the influence of the Leader's gamma energy. She thought of the abject savagery she felt, the rage and violence that had fogged her mind, driving her to lash out at the world. And she tried to imagine living with that condition, experiencing her own, human life, all the while aware that the slightest provocation could cause that beast to come out. To rampage and destroy anyone anything, all without restraint until she reverted, haunted by the memories of the horrible things she had done. She tried to imagine living that kind of life for year after year...and felt her eyes tearing as a result.

"I'm sorry," Wasp finally told the person next to her, referring to both aspects of who he was. "So what changed for you?"

"Simple. I realized that our fighting each other, trying to destroy each other had accomplished nothing. So I decided to try and reach out to the Hulk instead. Understand what he was," Bruce explained, a hint of pride in his words. "And when I did so, I realized that he wasn't a monster. Not a disease that had to be eradicated. He was something else entirely. A person that had a place in this world. So I decided to try and help him find it."

Nodding to this, appreciating the depth to Bruce's words, Wasp commented, "I'm with you. Hulk really is a great guy."

Arching an eyebrow at this, Bruce seemed to study her for a moment before asking, "Really?"

"Yeah!" Wasp beamed enthusiastically. "I mean, like I said, the big guy has more than his share of rough edges, but it's not like I can blame him for that. And it's really great to have someone on the team that I can really talk to and hang out with." An impish smirk curling her lips, she cupped a hand to her mouth and added, "I've never told him this, but I kinda feel like he's the grumpy big brother I never had!"

"A big brother, you say?" Bruce commented, a smile of his own appearing.

"Yeah! I -!" Wasp began, only to cut herself off when she took stock of the utter deviousness with which Bruce was smirking at her. "Hey...wait a second...!" she began, scowling suspiciously. "Can Hulk...hear me? As in right now?"

"Yes. He can hear everything I hear," Bruce replied with casual nod before pointing towards a nearby wall. "In fact, from my perspective, he's standing right over there."

"He is?" Wasp gasped, only to grunt irritably. "Oh, thanks a bunch! Why didn't you warn me instead of letting me go on like that?"

"Because you didn't ask." The Bruce's expression sobered, and he added, "And more to the point, there are many things I think that Hulk deserves to hear for himself. The kind of things I know people might not say if they knew he was listening."

Wasp simply continued to scowl at Bruce, for while she could understand what he was saying, she still didn't enjoy being manipulated in such a fashion. "Just be glad that we're in a hospital, Bruce. Because if we weren't, I'd personally smash your puny Banner butt for that one!"

"I don't doubt it," Bruce smiled before downing another piece of pizza and another chug of fruit punch. "Well...that's about all my stomach can handle. I think better let Hulk polish off the rest of this." Then he looked at Wasp and told her, "Perhaps you should me give me a little room."

Wasp opened her mouth to protest, but even as she did, Bruce's eyes lit up with the deadly green she knew so well. So without even thinking about it, she shrank down and spread her wings, flying a short distance away as the transformation began.

Before Wasp's eyes, mammoth muscles swelled and shifted beneath Bruce's skin even as it turned a sickly green, then the more vibrant shade of emerald that she knew so well. Bones cracked and reshaped themselves as what was the spitting image of the original ninety-pound weakling gave way to half a ton of muscle-bound Hulk.

As the jade giant stood, taking in a deep, satisfied breath, he swung his emerald irises towards Wasp, and cocked his head to the side. "Grumpy big brother, huh?"

Letting go an awkward chuckle before groaning in dismay, Wasp could only shrug helplessly before replying, "Well...you are kinda grumpy. Sometimes. A little."

Not able to remember the last time she felt this awkward, Wasp could only hover there for a time. Until at last Hulk flashed her a tiny smile before gesturing for her to come closer. "I don't think even I can finish up all this food by myself," he said in a softer version of his normal voice. "Care to join me?"

Taken aback by this sudden shift, Wasp could only hover there for a moment before smiling and returning to her normal size. "Sure," she replied as she sat down next to the green goliath, "why not?"

Hulk just smiled a bit more, and the two of them contented themselves to sit and eat for a time.

As Captain America stood before the Emergency Room entrance, watching and observing the occasional passerby, he couldn't help but think of a saying he had once heard. He couldn't recall under what circumstances he had heard it, but he felt that the axiom that war was ninety-nine percent waiting, and one percent pure terror was a fairly accurate one. And one that could be applied to situations other than war.

There was nothing he could do outright to help in the current situation. No skill he possessed that could help save Jennifer's life. All Captain America could do was stand by and wait, just in case trouble came his way. All the while knowing that, just a few scant feet away from him, an innocent woman could well be dying.

He knew that there was nothing he could do to help directly. He knew that he was already taking the best course of action. And he accepted all of these things. But the man that had taken up the name of Captain America still disliked the waiting and worrying that came with his current duty. Ease down, soldier, he eventually told himself. Odds are good that you'll be seeing some action soon enough. Whether you want to or not...

Even as this dour thought rang in his mind, an orderly appeared at the end of the hall. "Well, there it is, gentleman," he spoke in a nervous voice, gesturing towards the Emergency Room. "As you can see, your friends are already waiting for you."

"Indeed," came a familiar voice as two figures stepped into view. "Thank you for your assistance."

"Ho, Captain America! Ant-Man!" boomed a resounding, formidable voice as the figures approached.

Even as the Super Soldier smiled in relief, Ant-Man replied with, "Thor! Panther! It's good to see you here!"

"I left Wakanda as soon I was received word of what had transpired," Thor replied, his features darkening somewhat as he and Black Panther approached. "Tell me, how fares Hulk's kin?"

"Well, she's still alive," Ant-man somberly answered. "Beyond that, there's not a lot we can tell you."

The Asgardian opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by Wasp calling out, "Hey! It's about time you two showed up!" Turning about, the Avengers watched as the lone woman of their team approached, with the Hulk and Hawkeye following a short distance behind. "What kept you?"

"My apologies, Wasp," Black Panther replied, his full-face mask and carefully measured voice betraying nothing. "But I had some difficulty extricating myself from my meeting with the Latverian ambassador."

"I'm sorry, Panther," Captain America told him in utmost sincerity. "But I won't lie to you. We've got an ugly situation on our hands, and I'm glad to see you two here."

"You need not apologize. I owe too great a debt to the Avengers to turn my back on any of you, especially in times such as this." The panther-markings on his face seemed to grimace as he added, "And in any case, I was grateful to have a reason to leave my meeting. Ms. von Bardas was...extremely demanding in her negotiations."

As Captain America pondered this enigmatic comment, Thor turned towards the jade giant. "Truly, I am grieved to hear about your cousin, Hulk," he assured the titan. "What has been done to bring the dishonorable cur responsible to justice?"

"We haven't had a chance to find out," Captain America answered in all honesty. "We've been focusing on Jennifer's treatment, as well as making sure that nothing else happened to her." Furrowing his brows, he turned towards Hulk before adding, "Once we're certain that she's been stabilized, then we can worry about the persons responsible."

"Agreed," Black Panther nodded. "And we need to be prepared, in case the transfusion has a negative effect on Ms. Walters."

"Huh?" Hawkeye started as the others gave the Wakandan querulous looks. "Hey, wait a second! How'd you hear about her needing a transfusion?"

"It was mentioned in one of the news broadcasts we monitored en route to here," Black Panther explained in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "The reporter explained that you were forced to use Hulk's blood in order to preserve Ms. Walters' life."

"Were these broadcasts in error?" Thor wondered.

"No, th-that's true, but -!" Ant-Man started, only for his mouth to fall open in confusion.

"How the heck did the press get wind of that?" Hawkeye irately demanded. "It's not like we've been advertising it!"

"One of the nurses from before must've told them!" Wasp gasped with a look of alarm. "Remember when all of them took off from the ER? Someone must've blabbed to those vultures outside!"

"Which means that its only a matter of time before everybody on the planet finds out about it! Including SHIELD and the Hulkbusters!" Ant-Man groaned, slapping himself in the forehead. "And I can just imagine how they'd react to something like that!"

Captain America could as well. He had had only fleeting encounters with Maria Hill, but had heard and observed enough about SHIELD's present director to know that she placed greater value on SHIELD's reputation and welfare than the duty it was supposed to uphold. And while he had never met General Ross, the things he had learned about his consummate hatred of the Hulk and the extremes it pushed him to in his pursuit of the jade giant made it clear that he was a dangerous man. The fact that such sensitive information had leaked out to them could only complicate their situation. All of which prompted him to say, "We better inform Iron Man, then."

"But Tony's still supervising the surgery!" Wasp protested.

"True, but he still needs to be informed of this. The sooner, the better," Captain America replied in a serious voice. Not waiting for the others to protest, the Super Soldier turned and gently creaked the door open and looked inside the Emergency Room.

Pausing to survey the ER interior, the living legend took note of the machines bracketing Jennifer's still form, multiple mechanical arms moving this way and that, moving with far greater precision than any human could ever hope to. Off to the side, Dr. Ridge was observing the procedure, a look of awe on his worried face. And Iron Man was standing with his arms folded before him, looking almost relaxed, despite the situation. Taking this to mean that Jennifer's condition was stable enough that nothing would happen if Stark's attention was elsewhere for a brief time, Captain America gently called out to him. "Iron Man?" The armored Avenger hesitated before turning about, his face again obscured by golden faceplates. "Could you come outside for a moment? We have a situation out here."

A beat passed before he nodded and turned to Dr. Ridge. "I better see what this is about, Doc. Think you can hold down the fort for a minute or so?"

"Uh, certainly!" Dr. Ridge replied, displaying none of the contempt that he had so freely displayed earlier.

Taking this to be a good sign, or at least not a bad one, Captain America watched as Iron Man nodded and started towards them. "Sure thing, Cap," he replied even as he passed through the door and took stock of the people there. "Hey, Thor! Panther! Glad you two could make it!"

Noting the upbeat way Iron Man spoke, Captain America felt his hopes rise even as Hulk demanded, "How's Jennifer?"

"All things considered, pretty good, actually," Iron Man replied, his faceplates opening to reveal his smiling face. "At the risk of jinxing us, Dr. Ridge says that if she can hold on until the surgery's complete, she should make it without any trouble."

There was no relief in Hulk's face, just a slight ebbing of concern. But most of the others let go sighs and other expressions of gratitude, something emphasized when Wasp announced, "It's about time we got some good news today!"

"What about Hulk's blood?" Ant-Man inquired. "Any sign that its affecting her?"

"You mean, other than in a good way?" Iron Man smirked. "You don't have to worry about that; Banner called it. As soon as the gamma energy was siphoned off, the mutagenics went completely dormant. There's absolutely no sign of them affecting her or mixing with her own DNA. So as long as she can stay away from gamma energy, she'll be just fine."

"Tis very good news, indeed," Thor agreed. "While this energy has given rise to noble warriors, I've seen the horrors it can also beget."

Seeming to wonder if Thor was again making comment about the evils of technology, Iron Man then visibly dismissed the matter before admitting, "Still, we are going to need some more blood, Hulk. I hope you're up for it."

"I'm up for it," Hulk rumbled in a resolute manner. "You just say how much she needs, and I'll give it."

"Okay, then just go inside and get in place. I'll be in to handle things in a second," Iron Man instructed him. Nodding to this, Hulk entered the Emergency Room. As the doors swung closed, the playboy genius turned and asked, "So, Steve, care to tell me what's going on?"

"We have a problem. Somehow, the press got word that we're using Hulk's blood to help Jennifer." As Iron Man's eyes went wide with surprise, Captain America turned and asked, "Panther saw a broadcast mentioning the transfusion while on the way here."

"Indeed." Black Panther then went on to explain exactly what he had seen, before going on to say, "Given the Leader's attempt to permanently mutate the worldwide population, I expect anyone who hears of this will leap to the worst of conclusions regarding this situation. Including Director Hill."

Making a face at this, Iron Man groaned, "Oh...and I guess that would explain the little love note I just got."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hawkeye demanded.

"While I was in there, JARVIS told me that Hill was calling. Said she had something urgent she wanted to discuss," Iron Man admitted in a sheepish manner. "But - well, we were at delicate stage in the operation, and, well...I told him to put her on voice mail."

As one, each of the Avengers present stared at their leader in muted shock. Even Black Panther's mask couldn't quite muffle his reaction, one that was given voice to by Hawkeye. "Oh, really smart move, Stark!" the archer groaned disdainfully. "Like she doesn't hate us enough as it is!"

Iron Man opened his mouth to counter this, but Captain America broke in. "Then we better contact SHIELD as soon as possible." Looking sharply at Iron Man, he asked, "Can you leave Jennifer alone long enough to contact Hill, tell her exactly what's going on here?"

"I'd have to siphon off and process more of Hulk's blood for another transfusion first, but...yeah, at this point, JARVIS and the rest of my tech seem to have everything in hand," Iron Man eventually nodded.

"Then you better get on it," Captain America instructed him. "We don't want Hill jumping to conclusions here. We're sitting on a powder keg as it is, and the last thing we want is for someone to blow it up in our faces!"

As Iron Man made his way into the Quinjet, studiously ignoring the reporters that had set up shop outside of the hospital as they shot questions at him from every angle, he honestly wished that he could chase them off with a few rounds of repulsor fire and be done with it.

Like I really need this on top of everything else, Iron Man thought as he entered the high-tech shuttle, followed by Captain America and Ant-Man. I've got SHIELD breathing down my neck, a woman who nearly got killed to save, a bunch of thugs to be brought down, all of which has been made that much harder by you vultures. And you have the nerve to demand an interview?

As Iron Man imagined blasting them away with the unibeam or some other suitably painful ordinance, Captain America made a thoughtful noise in his throat. "You know, it might be best to make some kind of statement to the press later on," the Super Soldier commented. When Tony looked his way, he added, "As it stands right now, the people know only a part of the truth. And as long as that remains the case, we're going to be meeting with resistance here. Not just from SHIELD, but from the public as a whole."

Groaning in dismay at this, despite seeing the logic to these words, Iron Man was soon even more annoyed when Ant-Man chimed in. "Cap's got a point there. We don't want to give SHIELD anything they can use against us. And the kind of fear this story is stirring could prove to be damaging to the Avengers as a whole. Better to nip it in the bud before it gets any worse."

"Okay. Fine then," Iron Man retorted, not bothering to conceal the frustration and irritation that had mounted up so quickly, all in a single day. "Tell you what. After I'm done talking to Hill and making sure that Jennifer stays alive, you two can go right ahead and set the press straight. Knock yourselves out."

Deriving a moment of satisfaction in the faces his fellow Avengers made at this suggestion, Iron Man then sat down at the controls. "Okay, JARVIS. We're safely in the Quinjet with nobody around who ought not be hearing what we're going to be talking about," the billionaire philanthropist spoke, looking forward to the coming conversation the same way he did to root canal. "Open a channel to the SHIELD helicarrier. Tell whomever you get that I'm returning Director Hill's call."

"Very good, sir," JARVIS replied, not at all bothered by the onerous task set before him.

It's times like this I'm glad I'm a genius, Iron Man couldn't help but think. It's so nice to have an AI take care of dealing with the mindless cretins SHIELD tends to keep on hand. As this thought ran its course, placed his hand to his chin as another idea occurred to him. Say...I wonder if I could cook up an AI that could run Stark Industries for me as well? Make sure everything goes smoothly, keep the Board of Directors happy and off my back...

Deciding to explore this idea when his spare time wasn't nearly so spare, Iron Man was brought back to the moment when JARVIS finally announced, "Mr. Stark, Director Hill is now on the line for you."

Groaning in such a way that said that he was resigned to his fate, Iron Man answered, "Patch her through, JARVIS."

"Very good, sir," JARVIS replied. An instant later, the image of Maria Hill appeared on the screen before him, an impatient look on her face.

"Director Hill," Iron Man started, wanting to get things off on the right foot. "Sorry to take so long to get back to you. I -"

"Tony Stark, you deliberately ignored a call from the Director of SHIELD!" Maria broke in, wearing a scowl that would sour milk chocolate. "You're not dealing with one of your employees here! You can't just put me on hold!"

Struggling to stifle a groan, Iron Man forced a pleasant expression into place before retracting the plates of armor that covered his face. "My apologies, Hill, but at the time you called, I was dealing with an extremely sensitive situation, and I couldn't let myself get distracted," he began, deciding to begin with total honesty. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about? Or do I even need to ask?"

Despite the fact that it should have been impossible, Hill's scowl intensified considerably. "I'm calling, Stark, because of a disturbing report that I just received." Her eyes narrowing sharply, she bored into Iron Man's eyes by force of her gaze alone before declaring, "It has to do with an incident involving a Ms. Jennifer Walters."

Now it was Iron Man who was scowling, the blasé fashion in which Hill referred to this critical situation. "I'm assuming that you're referring to how she was nearly killed when her car exploded."

"That, and other matters." Placing her hands to her hips, the current SHIELD director studied the Avengers for a moment before going on to say, "My first and foremost concern is that you apparently gave her a transfusion of the Hulk's blood. Is that true?"

"Yes, it's true. And before you ask, we are painfully aware of the inherent risks in using it for such purposes," Ant-Man informed her.

"Are you really?" Hill pointedly inquired.

"Considering the fact that five of us have firsthand experience with how nasty gamma rays can be, I think you can say we're quite aware of it," Iron Man snarked in perfect deadpan. "And before you can ask how we could be so stupid do something like that, there are a couple things that you should be aware of. The first being that we didn't exactly have a lot of options in terms of potential donors."

"The report I got mentioned that," Hill conceded. "But it didn't mention you doing anything to prevent her being affected by the mutagenic properaties inherent to the Hulk's blood."

"Then let me reassure you that we didn't just give it to Jennifer straight up," Iron Man stated in as firm a manner as he could. "We were able to completely extract the gamma energy before transfusing it."

"And the mutagenic elements?" Hill pointed out. "Were you able to filter those out as well?"

This was a stickier manner, Iron Man knew. "We were...unable to do anything about them. Jennifer was losing blood fast. So we did the best we could in the time we had available."

"So you knowingly exposed this woman to dangerous mutagenics," Hill inferred, a note of triumph to her words. "After all the destruction caused by the Hulk and others of his kind, you willingly risked creating another beast like him."

"The mutagenics in the blood were rendered dormant as soon as they were deprived of gamma energy, Hill," Ant-Man informed her in a no-nonsense manner. "Without that energy, they can't effect Jennifer's native DNA. And we were already planning on instituting supplemental treatments to insure that they remain dormant until they can be safely purged from her body."

"Then there is still a danger of her being effected by them," Hill determined, visibly growing more satisfied in her accusations. "You willingly put the people at large at in danger by risking the creation of another monster like the Hulk."

"Hold it right there, Director Hill," Captain America intoned in that stern, resolute voice that immediately commanded respect and attention. "As we have already explained to you, there wasn't time to completely filter the Hulk's blood. There was no other source of blood in Jennifer's type. If we were to save her life, then our only option was to let Hulk do what he had to save his cousin, while doing our best to make she wasn't harmed in the process."

"That does not change the fact that you Avengers recklessly endangered people," Hill rigidly countered. "The same people you allegedly protect."

His features hardening with mostly concealed annoyance, Captain America went on to say, "And let me tell you something about the Hulk, Director Hill. He's many things, but he is no monster." Pausing just long enough to make sure that he had her complete attention, the living legend then proceeded to explain, "I've studied every available news video regarding him, and I've watched him in action firsthand. I've heard about how he rescued a SHIELD team tasked with his capture, and I've seen him put his life on the line for us and others."

"He's also caused wanton destruction and property damage all across the country and beyond!" Hill shot back.

"He's a man, Hill. A man who has been struggling with an enormous power that is capable of driving people to madness," Captain America countered evenly. "I've seen what gamma power can do to a person. I've lived through it myself. And I know the dangers of it, and so I can understand your concerns about seeing more beings like that coming into existence. But while he may have been created by gamma energy, he is not ruled by it. The Hulk isn't the unthinking monster you make him out to be, Hill. He's a hero, one that I'm proud to call an ally."

Wrinkling her face in disgust, Hill sneered, "That so-called hero you speak is a wanted fugitive!"

"And how is that, Hill? I've seen his files. The Hulk has never once been brought before a court of law, let alone convicted of any crime," Captain America pointed out. "He's been hounded and harassed out of fear. Simply because some people are fearful of his appearance, of the power he has. Which is a crime in and of itself."

"A crime?" Hill spat out in shocked disbelief.

"That's right, Hill. Because while many things may have changed over the years, there is one thing that hasn't. And that is that this country is founded on the principle that all people are created equal, and our Constitution offers each of its citizens equal rights." Then Captain America narrowed his eyes sharply before adding, "Even if they happen to be over eight-feet-tall and bright green."

While Hill was scowling at this, Iron Man smiled and chimed in, "That's right. And one of those rights that Hulk has happens to be the right to do whatever he can within legal bounds to save his cousin. And we have the right to help him if we so choose."

Her expression souring that much more, Hill eventually declared, "You can go on about rights and the Constitution all you want, but none of that changes certain facts. Such as the facts that you are all vigilantes, that you have exposed someone to dangerous mutagenics, and that no matter what you say, the Hulk is still a fugitive and a monster." Then a deadly smirk curled her lips as she added, "Nor does it change the fact that the Hulkbusters are presently en route to Los Angeles to apprehend him."

As Iron Man scowled at this, Ant-Man gaped in protest. "But - wait! You can't let that happen, Hill!" their resident pacifist blurted out. "Los Angles is a heavily populated area! If the Hulkbusters come after Hulk here, they'll put hundreds, possibly thousands of lives at risk!"

"The Hulkbusters are in pursuit of a wanted fugitive, and have full authorization to use whatever means necessary to take him down. There's no reason for me to intervene." Then Hill gave them a cold smile before adding, "However, if there were any SHIELD operatives within the Los Angeles area, I might be willing to let them handle -"

"I don't believe this!" Iron Man groaned despite himself. "I swear, can you be any less subtle? I feel like I'm dealing with my Board of Directors!" Pausing to massage the headache he was getting, he shot Hill a poisonous glare. "You're actually willing to let a loose cannon like General Ross send the Hulkbusters into a city of millions with weapons blazing, just to get us to register as SHIELD agents?"

Her smile falling away, Hill declared, "It's like I told you before, Stark. I want the Avengers registered and working for SHIELD. And I'm making it happen; one way, or another."

"Even at the risk of civilian lives?" Captain America demanded.

"If people get hurt, it will be because you Avengers insist on sheltering a wanted fugitive," Hill stated firmly. "As well as a woman who has been contaminated with his blood."

It took a few seconds for the meaning of Hill's words to register, and when they did, Iron Man felt his fists clench in frustration. "Are you telling me that Ross is coming after Jennifer as well?"

"Only as a precautionary measure," Hill informed them. "As you have already admitted, Ms. Walters has been exposed to the Hulk's blood. And dormant mutagenics or not, there is still a danger of them having a negative effect on her. General Ross is under direct orders to take her into custody, so she can brought to a secure SHIELD facility for testing and evaluation. To make certain that there is no danger of her becoming a monster like her cousin."

As Iron Man was barely clamping down on the urge to put his fist through the monitor, Ant-Man spoke up. "Let me ask you something, Director Hill," he began carefully, keeping whatever distaste he felt at bay. "Let's say that we were to agree to become SHIELD agents. What then?"

"What do you mean, Dr. Pym?" Hill wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"What would happen if we were to become SHIELD agents? Are there any special conditions that would come along with that?" Ant-Man wondered. "What about Hulk and his cousin? What would happen to them?"

"Simply put, you would all benefit from all the rights and responsibilities that every SHIELD agent enjoys. You would have to follow SHIELD guidelines, but otherwise, you would be able to continue your activities as heroes," Hill explained, putting a distasteful emphasis on that last word, "without any interference. However, there would be certain...conditions."

"Such as...?" Iron Man wondered.

"For starters, we would want tissue samples from Captain America," Hill explained, eyeing the Super Soldier. "SHIELD wants to continue the Super Soldier project that Abraham Erskine worked on, and you DNA could be the key to replicating it." Then she looked at the other two present before saying, "We would also want certain...other assets that you possess. After all, as SHIELD agents, the wellbeing of SHIELD would be your first and foremost concern."

"Which means what exactly?" Iron Man wondered, despite suspecting what Hill meant.

"To put it simply, Stark, that I won't tolerate the withholding of resources that could benefit SHIELD from any of you," Hill declared, seeming to savor the words even as she spoke them. "And that includes your technology."

"So if I were to join up with SHIELD, you'd basically order me to start making weapons again," Iron Man scowled disgustedly. "Would I have to give them to you free of charge, or would I actually be paid for them?"

"SHIELD would be more than happy to purchase whatever equipment and weaponry you were to manufacture, and at a fair price. But it wouldn't just be your technology we would want ." Then Hill shifted her eyes towards Ant-Man and added, "Dr. Pym would have to give a full disclosure of the technology behind his Pym Particles, as well as his other technological developments."

"What?" Ant-Man spat out in horrified disbelief.

"And what about Hulk and Jennifer?" Captain America broke in before Ant-Man could say anything further. "Hulk is an Avenger as well, and his cousin..."

"The Hulk would be remanded to a SHIELD facility, so we can research his condition, and hopefully develop a cure for it," Hill informed them. "The same goes for his cousin, just in case -"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just hold it right there, Hill!" Iron Man broke in, holding up his hands in negation. "Look, even assuming that me going back to making weapons wasn't a deal-breaker all on its own - which, just for the record, it is - there is no way we're going to hang Hulk or Jennifer out to dry!"

"Besides, considering how well SHIELD handled Graviton, you'll understand if we don't exactly trust your intentions in this case," Ant-Man seconded. "So you might as well forget it. We're not registering with SHIELD, and that's final."

Her scowl returning in full force, Hill countered, "In that case, when General Ross arrives, I expect you Avengers to give him your utmost cooperation. You will hand over both the Hulk and Walters to him the moment he arrives. And if you do not, if you resist in any way, I will have you all brought up on charges and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

"And that kind of attitude is precisely why I ended my little agreement with SHIELD to begin with," Iron Man wryly remarked.

Studying SHIELD's new director for a time, Captain America finally commented, "You know, in my day, I've dealt with people like you. People who did whatever they could to gain power over others, all the while claiming that they were acting in the best interests of the world at large." His eyes narrowed sharply as he continued, "People like Baron Zemo and the Red Skull."

Her face falling with shock, Hill required a moment to recover before shooting back, "Don't you dare compare me to tyrants like them! My whole life and SHIELD's purpose is to keep the world safe from their kind!"

"And to do that, you're trampling over the rights of the people, placing them in danger with your manipulations, just as you did when Hydra and AIM were at war with each other," Captain America pointed out. "You are acting against the very concepts that this country was founded upon in your defense of it."

"A necessary sacrifice, old man," Hill shot back. "Collateral damage is unavoidable in any conflict. I thought you of all people would understand that."

"It might be unavoidable, but that doesn't make it acceptable," Captain America countered, maintaining the voice of a true hero that Iron Man remembered from the old movies made back in the day. "And when you push for conflict when there is no need for one, all for the sake of more power, than it's worse than unacceptable. It's a crime, and a tragedy for everyone involved."

"You're wrong, old man. There's nothing criminal about what I'm doing," Hill sniffed disdainfully. "SHIELD exists solely to protect the world, and I'm doing whatever it takes to make sure that it's up to the challenge. And if that involves stepping on few people to make it happen, then that's a price I'm willing to accept."

"But are the people willing to accept it?" Captain America countered. "You're talking about tossing people into harm's way like it's no big deal, Hill. But it is. I don't care how you try to justify it, whether you say that it's only a few people or that their rights don't matter in the face of what SHIELD needs, it's still wrong. Whether it affects just one person or one million, it's still wrong."

"No, it's not," Hill shot back. "What's wrong is that you Avengers inspire other people to put on costumes and take the law into their own hands. What's wrong is that more and more people are acting like they're above the law, and can't be made accountable for their actions. Well, let me make something crystal clear, Steven Rogers; I'm going to put a leash on each and every last one of you, and make you respect SHIELD's authority." Allowing a hint of smug superiority to creep back into her features, the Director of SHIELD added, "Let me know when and if you change your minds. You know where to reach me."

An instant later, Hill's image disappeared from the screen, leaving Iron Man to groan and massage his temples once again. "You know, I'm horrified to have to say this," he moaned heavily, "but I'm really missing Fury right about now."

"This is turning into a disaster," Ant-Man groaned in agreement. "We either register with SHIELD and give them everything they want, or we risk getting in a firefight with the Hulkbusters that not only put lives at risk, but gets us arrested, and they still get what they want."

"And that's exactly what Hill's counting on," Captain America declared. "She believes that, out of the two choices she's given us, we'll choose the lesser of two evils." Standing up straighter, the living legend looked his fellow Avengers in the eyes before declaring, "But we can't play her game, soldiers. We have to find a third option."

"And we have to do it quickly. Before Ross and the Hulkbusters show up," Iron Man agreed as he rose to his feet. "C'mon, let's get inside and give the rest of the team the bad news. Then get to work on brainstorming something brilliant that'll get us out of this mess."

"No!" Wasp vehemently declared, her cute face filled with anger as Iron Man finished giving the rest of the team the bad news. "There is absolutely no way I'm gonna stand around and watch Ross and Hill railroad Hulk into some stupid SHIELD facility! Forget it! It's not happening!"

"Hey, don't forget about the rest of us here!" Hawkeye chimed in with a hint of mock annoyance. "I've been locked up on bogus charges once before. I don't want to go through that again!"

"Believe me, I know how you feel. We all have a lot to lose if Hill gets her way here," Ant-Man assured them, thoughts of the ugly games she was playing with their lives twisting about in the pit of his stomach. Images of his life's work being perverted into weapons dancing in his mind, making him feel physically ill. "That's why we have to think of something, and fast!"

"They're not getting their hands on Jennifer," Hulk rumbled, his eyes blazing with barely controlled fury. "I don't care if I have to tear apart the helicarrier itself, they won't lay a finger on her."

"I understand your rage, Hulk. I know how it feels to want to protect someone precious to you," Black Panther assured him, his voice carrying overtones of his own pain. "But we cannot attack SHIELD or the Hulkbusters. To do so would be to give Hill all the justification she needs to make us all her prisoners."

"Aye. She's toying with us, doing whatever she feels she has to in order to gain control of us," Thor declared with heavy bitterness. "And we'll lose if we play by the rules she has established."

"Agreed. It's like Cap said before. We need a third option. Some way of turning the tables on her," Iron Man concurred as he studied his fellow Avengers. "So what can we do to get out of this?"

"What if we were to send Hulk back to New York?" Hawkeye suggested in a hopeful manner. "The whole reason Ross is coming here is because he wants to take him down, right? So if we can avoid that whole thing -"

"That wouldn't help Jennifer, Hawkeye," Captain America promptly disagreed. "And even if it did, we won't get anywhere if we're constantly moving to avoid SHIELD. That would be to admit that Hill can use threats of imprisonment to make us back down, and give her power over us. Which is exactly what she wants."

"Right. What we need is something that will convince her to back off," Ant-Man declared. "But what?"

"Perhaps there is a way for us to make it so that it would not be worth it for her to force a conflict," Black Panther suggested. "To make the price of her victory so ruinous for Hill that she would be unwilling to proceed."

"Wise thinking, my friend," Thor commented with a note of approval. "And from what I've been told of this General Ross, his own instability could prove to be most damaging to her."

"To the US Army, maybe," Ant-Man agreed, not liking the way this was going. "But from what we can tell, Hill's not going to get SHIELD itself involved in this unless we don't give up Hulk and Jennifer to the Hulkbusters. And if that happens, then she'll do whatever she can to make us look like the bad guys."

"Then we have to do something to show people that SHIELD's making a mess of things here!" Wasp declared with considerable force. "If people knew just how far Hill's willing to go to get what she wants, then I bet her bosses wouldn't be too happy with her."

"Makes sense," Hawkeye nodded. "But how do we do that? Hill's gotta be aware of just how risky this sort of maneuver of hers could be. There's no way she'll let SHIELD be seen anywhere near this mess!"

"We do have the communications logs from the Quinjet, as well as my armor recorders. So everything Hill said to us from before is safely stored away for us," Iron Man stated. "But that alone won't be enough to blow SHIELD's reputation. We're gonna need something else."

There was an ugly moment of silence as the Avengers considered their plight. A silence that was unexpectedly lifted by the sound of approaching footsteps. "Excuse me," came the voice of Dr. Ridge, prompting them to turn to face him. "Um...Hulk?"

"Yeah?" Hulk rumbled in response. "What do you want?"

"I...you see...your cousin, she..." Dr. Ridge sputtered hesitantly. "She's awake."

Of all the things Ant-Man could have expected the doctor to say, this had not even been close to being one of them. And it was clear from the astonished expressions of the others present that they felt similarly. "What?" Wasp jolted as the others made various noises of surprise. "Then - is she okay? Is she -?"

"She's still weak right now, but...from what I've seen...it looks like she stands a good chance of making a full recovery," Dr. Ridge assured them. Then he offered a tender smile before adding, "In fact...she asked to speak with you."

Ant-Man was then treated to the rare sight of all of the anger fading from Hulk's brutal visage. Anger that was replaced by a look of hope and wonder and other emotions that were hidden just out of sight. "Okay," the green goliath nodded before starting forward.

"Uh, Hulk. Hold up a second," Iron Man broke in as he came up to his side. "Look, I realize that you want to talk to Jennifer, but...I'd recommend not getting too close to her." The Hulk's face scowl promptly returned as the armored Avenger added, "I'm sorry, but...your body constantly radiates gamma energy. It's extremely low level, but..."

"But there's a chance it could affect the mutagenics. I know that," Hulk responded, his voice more weary than angry. "Don't worry. I'm used to not being able to get close to her."

"Hulk..." Wasp murmured as the jade giant started forward again. Quickly starting after him, she was followed by the rest of the Avengers, all of whom maintained a polite distance as Hulk entered the Emergency Room.

Jennifer... Hulk thought as he entered the Emergency Room, stopping just inside the door. Pausing to look at the woman that had been so thoroughly brutalized, all for fighting what she believed in. For what was right. The woman that had put herself on the line more times than he could recall, all to keep him and Banner in her heart. The only family he had, and that he strode to protect by keeping away from her.

And as he looked at her, still battered and bruised as a result of one small-minded thug's brutality, it was all Hulk could do not to scoop her up in his arms. To hold her close and keep the rest of the world away from her. To take her someplace where SHIELD and Ross and Trask couldn't hurt her ever again.

After a long time of simply looking at her, looking past the injuries that had been inflicted upon her and seeing only her kindly features, Hulk swallowed the lump of bile that had formed in his throat before finally managing to speak. "Jennifer...?"

Weakly stirring at this, Jennifer rolled her head to the side. Just enough to be able to look blearily at Hulk. "Hey...cuz..." she spoke, a pained smile appearing on her battered face. "It's sure...been a while, huh?"

"Yeah," Hulk agreed, not sure what else he could say. "Too long."

Sniffling mildly, Jennifer studied him before commenting, "Sorry...I'm not more...presentable, but..."

"It's okay, Jen. Please, don't talk so much," Hulk pleaded of her. "You need to rest, get your strength back."

"But...we have so much...catching up to do..." Jennifer protested with a tiny, broken laugh, which was followed by mild fit of coughing. Sucking in gasp, Hulk again had to force himself to stay back as she slowly recovered, forcing a tender look back onto her face. "Come here, cuz...let's...talk, and..."

"I...I'm afraid I...I can't do that, Jen," Hulk admitted with great reluctance. His insides trembling at the thought of what he would have to tell her next.

Requiring a moment to process this, Jennifer frowned her confusion. "Why not?" Several moments passed before she managed a wry smirk. "It's not like...I've got anything...contagious, right?"

"No. But I do," Hulk rumbled sadly as he looked at his cousin. Watching as his other self appeared within his mind, appearing to stand right next to her. "Jennifer, I...there's something I have to tell you."

"What?" Jennifer replied after a moment, her eyes clear and focused despite the pain she was in. "What happened?"

Pausing to glance at his other self, at Banner, Hulk hesitated until he saw his emaciated other nod his assent. With this, the green goliath heaved a deep, reluctant breath before taking the plunge. "It's - like this," he reluctantly began. "When...Jennifer, you...do you know what...what happened?"

Nodding slightly, Jennifer added, "I...my car...it blew up." Then a hint of anger burned in her eyes, "It...it was Trask, wasn't it? It was...!"

"Jennifer, please! Now...now's not the time!" Hulk pleaded of her, the possibility of her overtaxing her battered form a frighteningly real one in his mind. "Listen...when we got to the hospital, Dr. Ridge, he...you'd lost a lot of blood, Jen! And...they didn't have any of your type on hand!"

"So...what are you...?" Jennifer wondered, only for her eyes to go wide when she put the pieces together by herself. "Wait...you mean, you...?"

"I didn't have a choice, Jen. Really, I didn't," Hulk told her, very nearly choking on his own words. "You...you were dying. You needed blood badly, so..."

"So...you gave me yours," Jennifer intuited, a note of mild surprise to her words. No anger, no shock. Just a bit of surprise. "But..."

"My friends - the Avengers - they managed to filter all the gamma out of it before giving it to you," Hulk explained edgily. "So...it won't hurt you, but...you'll have to avoid gamma energy for a while. You won't be able to get close to anything gamma." Then he lowered his gaze somewhat before adding, "Including me." As Jennifer continued to lay there unspeaking, a look of muted surprise on her face, the silence quickly became unbearable. "Jennifer...I'm sorry, I -!"

"For what?" Jennifer immediately wondered, snapping Hulk out of his remorse. "Cuz...you, you...saved my life again...you don't have to..."

"Yes. Yes, I do," Hulk assured, the guilt he felt building up upon his brawny shoulders, carrying with it a weight far greater than an entire mountain range. "There's...a lot happening, and...well..."

Unwilling to tell her everything just then, not wanting to risk her worsening her condition in anyway, Hulk could only stand there, trying to think of what to tell her. Only for Jennifer's eyes to narrow sharply with renewed anger. "It's Ross again...isn't it?"

Unsurprised by how easily she had figured it out, but without any idea of how to handle it, Hulk again turned to his other self. Quickly intuiting the unspoken query, Banner told him, "Just give her the basic details for now. Don't mention SHIELD or any of the rest of it. Not until she gets some more rest."

Nodding to this, Hulk sighed before admitting, "Yeah...we just heard he's on his way here right now."

"Damn him," Jennifer spat with as much strength as she could muster. "I wish I could...get that...self-righteous creep...in court. I'd...sue him for...for everything...he's worth..."

Realizing that she was expending what little strength she had regained, Hulk held up his hands in a reassuring manner. "Please, don't worry about Ross, Jen. We'll take care of him," he told her in as reassuring a manner as he could. "In the meantime, the Avengers will be keeping an eye on you. We'll be doing everything we can for you. Okay?"

A moment passed before Jennifer managed a single, weak nod. "Okay," she groaned wearily. "Cuz, I..."

"Don't say anything right now. Anything else can wait for now," Hulk intoned as gently as he could. "Right now, I just want you to get some sleep."

"Sleep...no, can't sleep..." Jennifer muttered in a low, determined voice. "I got...gotta get going again...Trask, he messed...messed up..." Shaking her head in a clearly delirious manner, the battered woman's eyes fell closed as she slowly tumbled back into unconsciousness. "Have to nail...nail Trask...Ross...nail 'em...make them...them..."

As Jennifer's voice faded into nothing but a heavy breathing, Hulk simply stood there for the longest time. Watching as his other self placed his hand upon her cheek. "Don't worry about Trask and Ross, Jen," Banner intoned, his words carrying with them the anger that was so familiar to the both of them. "We'll take care of them. One way...or another..."

You got that right, Banner, Hulk thought, his body tensing in anticipation for what was to come. They're not going to get Jennifer. Not now. Not ever.

"You know something?" Hawkeye commented as he stood next to the Emergency Room window, listening to the unlikely cousins. "I'm starting to see the family resemblance here."

"Verily," Thor concurred. "Though she is not physically a warrior, Hulk's kin certainly possesses his warrior's spirit."

"And more importantly, she has given me an idea," Black Panther chimed in, drawing the gazes of the other Avengers. "I believe I know of a way to defuse Director Hill's plans for us, and possibly even neutralize the Hulkbusters in the process."

"Really?" Wasp gasped in astonishment.

"Well, in that case, Panther, don't stand around, milking the suspense!" Iron Man demanded. "What have you got in mind?"

"It's quite simple. Director Hill keeps insisting that we are not above the law," Black Panther explained, a smug smile appearing just beneath his mask. "I think it's time we reminded her that the law can work in our favor. And that neither she nor General Ross are above it, as well."

With that, Black Panther began explaining his idea. At which point each Avenger present began to smile with barely constrained eagerness.

Author's Notes: I've been on a roll with the Avengers lately, so I decided to bam out another chapter. Hope everyone will read and review, as well as check out my other stories.

I had a hard time doing the reunion between Hulk and Jennifer, simply because of the situation they were in, as well as the fact that I can't imagine her being completely lucid and so on after major surgery and two blood transfusions. Still, I hope this satisfies for now, and I assure that I will have a more formal reunion later on.

As for why I decided to have Jennifer refer to Hulk as cuz, I figured it would work best if I didn't have her ignoring one aspect of him in favor of the other. Since cousin is something that can be applied to both aspects, it seems to work, and would be in character for Jennifer, since she knows that the Hulk and Bruce are separate entities in this continuity.

As for the bit with Hill telling the Avengers exactly what she has planned for them, I realize that she probably came off as being rather stupid, just telling Iron Man and Ant-Man that she wanted their technology as well. But in the show, we very rarely see Hill doing anything subtle, let alone particularly intelligent. She just bulls ahead with her own agenda, so her doing so in this situation seemed most fitting.

King Kubar, seems like everybody I've talked to hates Maria Hill. I've even heard suggestions that she become a new supervillain, which could be fun, now that I think about it. I'm glad you're enjoying my take on She-Hulk's origin. I've got plenty of pure action planned for upcoming chapters, as well as some fun at Hill's expense. As for how I'll have She-Hulk be in this story...I'm afraid you'll just have to wait and see.

darkangel8950, was this soon enough?

GreenScar1990, thank you for understanding. And with so much happening at this stage of the series, as well as the many issues I feel need to be addressed, it does take time to get it all handled appropriately. And I'm glad you agree with me about Hill. I swear, she's a disaster waiting to happen.

eastWOLF, my thought exactly. She-Hulk is a great character who deserves more credit than she's been given, as well as more screen time. Also, she's one of my favorite characters to use in UMVC3. And yeah, there were a great many issues that were ignored in Civil War, which was one of my least favorite comic ideas, so I felt it would be appropriate to address it here. As for my story being better than Civil War...while I appreciate the compliment, let's be honest; it's not exactly difficult to outdo that travesty.