Bohemian Rhapsody (pt. 4) – It's a Hard Rock Life
I think we all know how this goes by now, so…without much further ado…yadda, yadda, yadda…allow me, whether you like it or not, Wade-Getting-Sick-and-Tired-of-this-Schtick-Wilson to present part-who cares in the mini-arc of no-one-gives-a-crap…called…ugh… "It's a Hard Rock Life."
Let's just get this over with…
Previously, on Marvel High:
Braving the rain, Natasha crossed the parking lot and was just about to approach Tony's car when she saw a white, well-manicured hand snake around the back of his head and pull him towards the passenger seat. With this new position and Natasha's new angle, she had a clear view of Pepper Potts capturing Tony Stark in a PG-13-rated kiss. For some reason, the sight made Natasha's stomach drop.
She didn't have long to question her reaction because a loud crash captured her attention. Natasha looked in the direction of the commotion just in time to see Bruce lunge at Bucky.
Bruce slumped down in his seat. Of course, he was the first one to arrive for detention. No matter what he put on, be it new clothes or a new personality, Bruce was still the same Bruce and not deep down, either. His Bruce-iness was lurking just below the surface, seep through his pores and manifest in a series of bumbling apologies and tripping over his own two feet. If he had any dedication to his self-inflicted character makeover, he would've at least shown up on time instead of fifteen minutes early.
The door opened behind him, and Bruce froze. He relaxed only when the thumping of boots and the fluttering of a sports coat informed him that the interloper was Mr. Fury and not one of the two people Bruce was dreading. Then again, it was still Mr. Fury, so Bruce was still disinclined to continue on with his new lackadaisical attitude. With only five minutes left until the official start of detention, it was only a matter of time until they showed up anyway.
Tony was the first one to walk through the door. He strolled right past Bruce and handed a note to Mr. Fury. Even though his voice was low, Bruce could still make out Tony's reasoning for being a minute late.
"Sorry, Mr. Fury. I had to stop by the student council and let them know I wouldn't be there today. I have a note from the faculty advisor, sir."
Tony handed the slip to Mr. Fury, who received it with a curt head nod and a gesture to take a seat.
"Don't be sitting right next to each other. I know you two are friends, but this is detention not recess. You're supposed to be miserable."
Bruce muttered something under his breath.
"What was that?" Mr. Fury demanded, turning a cold eye in Bruce's direction.
"Nothing, sir," Bruce lied, sitting up straight.
For a moment, his gaze crossed paths with Tony's, but Bruce looked quickly away. After a moment's hesitation, Tony walked to the other side of the room and took a seat. He was as far away from Bruce as he could possibly get, with the ghosts of everything they needed to say filling up the space between them.
A few uncomfortable minutes later, Bucky entered. Clearly, he was not concerned with sneaking in quietly. His scuffed-up combat boots hit the floor with a series of heavy thuds. As if he was auditioning for the gender-Bender criminal in The Breakfast Club 2: The Brunch Club, Bucky plopped down into a seat near the back and kicked up his feet onto a nearby desk.
"You're late, Barnes" Mr. Fury announced without looking up.
Bucky grunted.
Tension radiated throughout the air, electrifying the silence in the room. The only sound was the agonizingly monotonous ticking of the clock that hung on the wall behind Mr. Fury. Bruce, Bucky, and Tony took turns warily eyeing one another. After 30 or so minutes of this, Mr. Fury stood suddenly.
"I'm going to my office for a bit. I'll be back. Stay put and keep your mouths shut. If I even think y'all moved an inch outta those seats, I will rain down hellfire on your collective asses. You hear me?"
All three boys nodded silently.
"I said, 'you hear me?'" Mr. Fury repeated.
He was answered with a chorus of 'yes sirs.' Satisfied, he flew out of the room without another word.
Mr. Fury had barely been gone for a fraction of a second when Tony jumped out of his seat and approached Bruce.
"Hey man," he said, crouching down in front of him, "what's up? What happened this morning?"
Bruce considered ignoring Tony, but his best friend's puppy dog eyes were incredibly persuasive.
"It wasn't a big deal," he replied.
Tony's brow furrowed. "Not a big deal? You started a fight. That isn't like you, man."
This annoyed Bruce. "Who are you to say what I'm like?"
"I'm your best friend, Bruce."
"Sure. Best friend. Here's the thing, though, before Saturday, I thought I knew you. Turns out…not so much. Who's to say the same isn't true now? Maybe you don't know me as well as you thought."
Tony visibly recoiled from Bruce's challenge.
"Don't say that," he whispered.
Bruce sighed. "Look, I believe you, but it doesn't mean that I have to like it. I just need some time to figure things out, you know?"
Reluctantly, Tony nodded.
"How long, do you think?" he asked.
"Tony!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I miss you, buddy. And I hate to think that we could let a girl come between us, no matter how awesome she is."
Bruce frowned. "Natasha is special, though. I don't want her to come between us, but if we both like her, it's bound to lead to problems."
Behind them, Bucky snorted.
Tony looked past Bruce's shoulder. "Can I help you?"
Bucky, who had been looking at the wall, turned in Tony's direction.
"Nah," he replied. "I just think it's funny that either of you think you stand a chance with her."
Bruce twisted in his seat to get a better look at Bruce. Immediately, Bucky looked away. Tony watched the interaction with suspicion.
"You had your chance," Bruce said, narrowing his eyes. "Just because you messed it up doesn't mean you can take it out on us."
"Besides," Tony added, "after everything you put her through, a guy like you is probably the last thing she's looking for."
Bucky huffed, expelling a large gust of air through his nose. "She loved me, and I'm willing to bet that she still does."
"Maybe," Tony consented, "but she's smart, so I don't think she'll act on it. Natasha doesn't strike me as the type of girl to make the same mistake twice. Right, Bruce?"
Bruce nodded slightly in agreement, his eyes never leaving Bucky's face.
"Well," Tony said, breaking the silence, "I better get back to my seat before Fury gets back."
Tony walked back to his desk, keeping his attention on the unbroken staring contest between Bruce and Bucky.
Just as the tension was reaching a boiling point, Bucky sighed. "Thanks for earlier, by the way," he said quietly.
"No problem," Bruce replied.
"What happened earlier?" Tony asked, confused.
Bucky ignored him, but Bruce answered.
"You were right, Tony, fighting isn't exactly my style."
[Earlier That Day]
Bruce pulled into the parking lot, coming to a stop in the stall next to Bucky, who was watching him with amusement.
"Nice bike," Bucky grunted, but his smirk warned Bruce that the comment wasn't complimentary.
"At least it could never cause a massive accident, nearly killing innocent people, before I leave them for dead," Bruce answered nonchalantly.
Bucky took a step forward. "Take that back," he demanded.
Bruce took a step forward as well, closing the gap. "Make me."
Bucky's hands balled into fists, and Bruce prepared himself to take a punch. When it didn't come, Bruce looked up at Bucky.
"You're not worth it," Bucky claimed, shaking his head.
"I guess Natasha wasn't worth it, either," Bruce shot back.
Then, everything happened quickly. Bucky twisted around and hit Bruce with an uppercut to the stomach. Bruce staggered back, knocking over his bike, which fell with a loud crash. Bruce took a deep breath and lunged at Bucky, blind with rage. As his fists flew, Bruce thought about everything that had happened and everyone who had been hurt by Bucky as well as the whole fiasco with Natasha. In his anger, he threw punch after punch until a pair of hands pulled him off the other boy.
Later in the office, once he'd calmed down, Bruce found that he was appalled by his own behavior. Even worse, he knew he'd goaded Bucky into that fight and now the principal was threatening expulsion. Without thinking, Bruce spoke up, taking blame for the fight, in a move that surprised even himself.
[Present]
Bruce twisted around in his seat just as Mr. Fury rounded the corner and entered the classroom. He paused once he entered the classroom, taking time to look at the three delinquents with his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Y'all goof off while I was gone?" he asked.
"No, sir," all three replied.
"Good," Mr. Fury nodded. He glanced at the clock. "Banner, Stark, you can go. Banner, you were late, so you can make up the time now. And don't do it again, cause I don't wanna have to stay any later than I already have to. I have better things to do than babysit your dumbass."
Bruce and Tony rose from their seats and fled the classroom as quietly as they could.
*Song Inspiration: "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen