Solerah sat on the bed, cross legged and behind Bruce. She was currently digging her palm into his back and rubbing circles. Bruce was leaning into her touch, eyes squeezed shut, making small sighs or grunts in reaction to her massage. Solerah supposed this would be what people would call the ugly part of a relationship, the unromantic, the things people saw or ended up doing for only someone they were deeply in love with.
Bruce's muscles were degenerating at a very accelerated pace. Now they were constantly stiff or constrained to the point that sometimes Bruce couldn't move. So Solerah took up to spending a good portion of her time easing his stress any way she could. She read up and studied the best techniques to loosen muscles. She wrote for Bruce in his diaries when he couldn't perform more dexterous hand moments. Worst of all was she had to put up with his guilt, Bruce spent so much time moping, which of course Solerah understood given the situation but she really missed her old Bruce...
Once she finished loosening a particular tough knot she curled her arms around his middle and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. Bruce placed his hands atop of hers and they shared a silent moment of intimacy.
"So," Bruce finally spoke up, he had to swallow a few times before he was able to speak. "How was your day?"
"Oh, you know," Solerah said, staring off out the window, not really focusing on anything, memories of her day flashed before her eyes.
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Solerah smiled softly as she entered the lab that was assigned to Bruce, she watched men in lab coats shuffle around, now calling this lab their own. The room bought back memories of better days.
She made her way to the cold storage, where many samples of various different things were held. She looked around until she came to a small sophisticated mechanical box. She looked at the locking mechanism, seeing it was a biometric finger print lock.
She grasped the lever and forcibly pulled it. "Whoopsie." She said nonchalantly as the door came off.
"Those are expensive." Alfred's voice chimed up, his holographic image flickering to life as she reached inside and pulled out a small plastic vial. She raised it to eye level and and shook it slightly, watching the blood within slosh from side to side.
"You can afford it."
It was lucky that Bruce and Solerah had left so quickly, running from General Ross. It made Bruce completely forget about the samples he had stored for his cure attempts. This was a lot easier then Solerah sticking a needle in Bruce while he was asleep.
"I can't believe you are going to give that to him." Alfred said as Solerah stored the blood sample safely in her pocket dimension storage vial.
"It's a risk I'm willing to take Alfie."
"Do you have any idea how many people would kill, actually kill to get their hands on that blood?"
"I'm ignoring you~" She sang out as she frowned and moved to leave the cool room.
"And you're handing it over to someone you literally called 'a creepy creep' Star."
"Ooooh nooooo the connection is breaking up." Solerah waved her hands through his body. "I'll come visit later though, love you!" She quickly left the lab, running to the nearest elevator.
"You can't outright a voice Star!"
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A man walked through seemingly endless halls, his pace was brisk however, going to his destination with purpose. The man in a sleek suit pushed open heavy doors into a pristine working space.
"Sir, you have a guest."
A tall figure dressed in black turned around to face the man who just entered. "I don't have time for guests." His voice commanded respect and authority.
"She's quite... persistent sir." The young men said, pushing any anxiety down into his gut. "She told me to tell you XJI1073."
The man turned around. "Why the hell didn't you start with that agent?" He strode past, jacket fluttering slightly on the sharp turn. "Get back to work!"
"Yes Director Fury!" The agent saluted and quickly left to resume his post.
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"Agent Wild Star." Fury stated, as he walked towards her. "Or should I say 'Director Banner.' Congratulations on the marriage."
"Whyyyy thaank you Fury!" Solerah grinned happily as she greeted him, she wasn't shocked that Fury knew of her martial status, she didn't have to ask to know that S.H.E.I.L.D. would of found that out now that Bruce and her were once again in the open.
"Gotta say, with you running things l honestly expected C.O.D.E.X. to have collapsed by now." Fury said with a smug upturn of his lip.
"What can I say? With Alfie dead, I had to step up."
Alfred remained dead to the outside world, to most of the lower ranks of C.O.D.E.X. even. After all much like Fury, Alfred Redgrave was a man whose secrets have secrets.
"I head about that," Fury's smirk dropped. "I truly am sorry for your loss."
Solerah's face dropped and she made her face appear solemn. "It's hard with him gone."
"RUPTURE's major threat is gone, he left this world with a hell of a send off that we can all be proud of."
"Thank you Nicholas..."
"Anyway, what are you doing in my base Wild Star?" Just like that Fury's stoic attitude was back.
"Aww aren't you going to call me Director?"
"Woman you have to earn that title! And you got some big ass shoes to fill."
"You're just jealous because you don't have alllll thiiiis." Solerah teased, raising her arms and a single leg, arching her back slightly to strike a pose. "100 times stronger then any shield weapon." She broke out of the alluring pose to flex her biceps, of course she looked non threatening in her current state but Fury was one of the few in the outside world who knew of her form.
"Almost half as smart too." Fury shot back, causing Solerah to laugh.
"I have a proposition that I think S.H.I.E.L.D. should greatly benefit from." Solerah said after her laughter died down.
"What kind of proposition?" Fury raised a brow as he held his arm out, directing her to follow him.
"Bit of business, bit of personal, what can I say? A director multitasks."
"I'm listening..."
l-l
Solerah sat in a booth, nursing a drink and pretending to read a book. A few tables away was sitting General Ross, some of his men and some other men who she assumed held some prestige in the American government. General Ross hadn't seen what Solerah's human form looked like. So she was using that to her advantage, secretly trailing him, creating fake Hulk sightings and she even stole one of Bruce's old gamma inventions, setting it off in different towns because she knew that's how Ross was tracking them.
An earpiece sat delicately in her ear, tuned into the small listening bug she had sat at their table.
So far they had only seemed to go over budgets and statistics among other things, nothing important that she could use yet. The conversation did eventually turn to Bruce. Not the type of conversation she was hoping for, no plans or information she could of used. Just... bad things about Bruce... RUDE things about Bruce... Solerah chewed her lip. She stood, skulling her drink and ruffled up her hair.
She walked forward when she just made it past their table, she kicked her own ankle, buckling it over. She let out a boisterous high pitched laughter. "HAHA, I-I FELL DOWN PFFFT!" She slurred her words as she giggled. To the patrons around her, she seemed like a drunk woman.
General Ross, being a self proclaimed gentleman immediately stood to help her up.
He carefully grabbed hold of her and pulled her up. "Here miss, allow me to-"
"DON'T TOUCHHHDD ME!" She stumbled forward and punched him square in the jaw, almost knocking him back. A crowd had drawn as she stumbled to her knees. "Me-may-my my boyfriend taught me karate!" She began giggling again.
Ross quickly rose, and adjusted his jacket, he was shocked at the strength of the young lady but didn't allow any pain to show, he had a reputation after all!
"Ooooooooh I'm sooo sorrrrrey!" She giggled again. "I thought you were a pervert!" She whispered loudly.
"It's-its quite alright ma'am." He tentatively reached out his hand, and this time Solerah took it.
She looked at her phone, making it look like she was checking her messages. "My boyfriend is outside!" She giggled again and made her way to the door, walking in anything but a straight line as she mumbled to herself.
She took in a deep breath of air, she felt much better now. Probably wasn't the smartest move basically revealing her face in such a manner but revenge felt nice. She checked her phone for real as she walked to a secluded area to change into her true form. It was getting really late. She needed to get back home to Bruce.
l-l
"My day was boring." Solerah answered softly.