A/N: Don't own anything Avenger related….Sorry for the delay, trying to get back on track, hope you enjoy….
A Need of Ten
My Friend Betty
A few weeks have pasted with no sign of Ross even after Tony and Pepper set up a press conference, cleared by Fury of course along with some of SHEILD's finest undercover agents in attendance, but still the man would not budge from the hole that he had crawled into. Bruce once again mentioned using himself as bait and was turned down again but thankfully this time everyone handled it better than the first go round with no visits to the 'room' needed, instead they ordered take out and had a movie marathon all cuddled together on the couch followed by some slow and passionate love making for everybody, especially Tony who is now officially done with his aftercare cock block thank god, Tony has never been so happy or relieved several times over by all three of his lovers. So life, work, science, SI business, lots of sex and missions continue on for the boys and the Team.
On this particular Tuesday morning Bucky and Steve were down in the gym doing some hand to hand combat training while Tony took a video conference call with Pepper and a possibly new SI investor in his personal office, which he rarely uses but does have one for things like this, leaving Bruce with some much enjoyable quiet time down in the lab to work on his own projects.
With Jarvis playing some classical piano music softly in the back ground, Bruce happily has his nose buried in one of his notebooks full of formulas and calculations that he wants to try and test out before Tony shows up after his meeting but keeps hitting a roadblock on a particular section and is starting to feel like he's going in circles.
"Where's Tony's big genius brain when I need it" Bruce says out loud chuckling to himself as he's already missing his science bro, best friend and lover. Bruce continues trying to work out the calculations, changing the variables and order of the equation but with no success till the music is turned off and is interrupted by Jarvis.
"My apologizes for the interruption Dr. Banner but you have an incoming call, would you like me to patch it through?" Jarvis asks causing Bruce to startle a bit at the announcement and look up from his note book; his glasses perched at the end of his nose. Apparently it's a look that his boys find sexy as hell or so Bruce has been told after being ravaged across one of lab tables or laid out on the lab couch.
"Who is it Jarvis" Bruce asks cautiously as he knows the boys are somewhere in the Tower and Fury would call Steve first if there was a mission for the Avengers to assemble.
"Betty Ross sir" Jarvis answers directly.
Bruce collapses down heavily into his desk chair frozen as his breathing begins to quicken and his heart rate begins to rise.
"Sir?"
Bruce takes off his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose, trying to desperately calm himself down.
"Sir…Dr. Banner?" Jarvis asks again, "Dr. Banner would you like me to contact Mr. Stark or the Captain and Sergeant?"
Bruce sighs, "No Jarvis, patch her through but Jarvis record the entire conversation please"
"Of course sir, connecting now"
"Hello….Hello Bruce…..Bruce are you there" Betty says in greeting.
"H-hello Betty, how have you been?" Bruce asks trying to keep his voice from shaking too much.
"Well enough I guess, you?"
"Well enough considering….What can I do for you?" Bruce asks as he begins to have a bad feeling and those never end well.
"Um… well I was wondering if you are free to meet for coffee, you know catch up" Betty tells him.
"Um… last time we tried that I kind of broke Harlem…." Bruce says rolling his eyes at his own comment and rubs his forehead to help bring down his stress level, as he hears Betty release a sigh over the line.
"Bruce"
"Yeah sorry….um when? Bruce asks as he begins wringing his hands together with nervous energy.
"Um…today if you're free… I ah…I really need to talk to you" Betty's voice comes across the line a little nervous and hesitant.
"Are you alright?"
"I've been better…..let's just say it's been a little stressful at home with 'FAMILY' suddenly dropping by in the middle of the night" Betty confesses and Bruce easily picks up on the word family.
"Are you safe, do you need to get out, do you need a place to hide?" Bruce asks as red flags begin to wave in front of his eyes that this could be the break the Team has been waiting for.
"Bruce please…." Betty begs sounding desperate.
"Alright….two o'clock at the deli on 6th and Parker" Bruce tells her.
"Okay….okay good, I'll see you then….oh Bruce…um….if you can don't come alone" Betty whispers and then quickly disconnects the call.
Bruce is shocked at the warning and quick disconnect of the call as he begins to feel the Hulk trying to push himself out to protect Bruce, who still remains frozen where he sits.
"Dr. Banner….I am detecting a severe elevation in your breathing and heart rate, would you like to me to alert Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes and Sir?" Jarvis asks startling Bruce out of his thoughts before taking a deep breath.
"No Jarvis, let them know I am leaving for my special room right now, please" Bruce calls out as he quickly leaves the lab, enters the elevator and hits the only green button on the panel that Tony set up especially for him for times like these.
"Of course sir" Jarvis answers.
-In the Gym-
Bucky and Steve have finished their work out for the morning and were currently in the gym locker room getting dressed after a quick shower, some passionate kisses, very heavy stroking and powerful release. Both men were feeling pretty damn good at the moment until they were interrupted by Jarvis.
"My apologizes gentleman, but I am to inform you that Dr. Banner is making his way down to his special room" Jarvis calls out making Steve and Bucky both stop and stare at each other.
"Is his injured Jarvis?" Steve asks.
"No sir, but he did receive a phone call that I believe may be the cause of the current situation"
"Who called Jarvis?" Bucky asks point blank trying to keep Winter from pushing forward.
"Ms. Betty Ross, Sergeant Barnes" Jarvis answers quickly.
Steve and Bucky look at each other again, "Ross? His Betty's last name is Ross?" Steve asks. They all new about Betty, who didn't but they were not aware of her last name, Bruce just refers to her as 'Betty' so they never put two and two together or that she could be related to General Ross.
"Yes sir Captain Rogers"
"Damn him; no wonder the General want's his head on a platter so badly, the Hulk is just a bonus" Bucky comments as he finishes tying his shoes and Steve does the same.
"Have you informed Tony?" Steve asks Jarvis.
"Sir is finishing up his call with Ms. Potts as we speak then I will inform him" Jarvis explains.
"Good, have him meet us down there" Steve orders.
"Very good sir" Jarvis answers quickly.
"Well, maybe this is the break we've been waiting for, one Ross could lead us to the other" Bucky tells Steve as they enter the elevator and press the green button.
"Yeah or it could be a trap, either way I don't like it" Steve says gruffly as he folds his arms over his chest showing off his Captain America pose that he's so famous for.
"Let's just wait till we get some answers huh, Bruce knows how we feel about the situation and we will figure out a plan together….okay….at ease soldier" Bucky coos to Steve laying his metal hand on Steve's arm causing him to relax his pose and take a deep breath.
"Okay….but I still don't like it" Steve mumbles out causing Bucky to chuckle till the elevator doors open to the sound of Hulk's roars.
-Tony's Office-
The new investors have just clicked off the video call leaving only Pepper and Tony online, "You did great Tony, that was a nice soft sell and I will get the numbers and paperwork they requested to push the deal through" Pepper tells Tony.
"Why so surprised Ms. Potts" Tony says grinning at her.
Pepper smiles back at Tony seeing how happy and health he has been looking in the last few months, his relationship with the boys has really helped turn his life around and she could not be happier for him as she herself has also moved on surprisingly with Happy, which isn't really a surprise to anyone as they are constantly together for work and outside of work, "Is there anything else Mr. Stark?"
"That will be all Ms. Potts….have a good night and send over the specs of their purposed products when you receive them so I can give it a once over before sending it to the R&D department….oh and tell Happy I say HI and tell him to take you out for a fancy dinner to celebrate, on me"
Pepper raises one of her perfect eye brows as her cheeks flush a light pink, "Of course Mr. Stark….have a good night and tell the boys I say HI as well" Pepper replies before clicking off the call, both feeling rather proud of themselves and that they can still remain friends and work together for the betterment of Stark Industry.
Tony thinking that Pepper has the right idea and is ready for a major love fest with his boys was about to ask Jarvis were everyone was when Jarvis spoke first.
"My apologies sir, but Captain Rogers asked me to inform you that he and Sergeant Barnes are in Dr. Banner's special room and are requesting that you make your way down there as soon as you can"
As soon as Jarvis said Bruce's special room Tony was up and running to the elevator, green button pressed causing the elevator to quickly descend. Bruce's special room that Tony and Bruce designed and built together several floors down underneath the garage was made especially for something like this. It was designed with materials that would keep the Hulk contained but did not feel like a cage, nor was it referred as one. When the elevator doors open for Tony to step out, it is to find Steve and Bucky already there standing in front of the clear thick reinforced Plexiglas wall watching Hulk pace, growl and smash a few of Tony's old Iron Man suits that were damaged beyond repair so were chosen to be kept in the room.
Tony walks over to stand between Steve and Bucky, "Hey…how long has he been at it?"
"Don't know, not long…Jarvis" Bucky asks.
"Dr. Banner transformed about fifteen minutes ago" Jarvis informs them.
"Any idea what set big green off because I thought he was doing some research in the lab….he's not injured is he" Tony asks worried for Bruce.
"Sir if I may. Dr. Banner did not receive any injuries but did received a phone call from a Ms. Betty Ross; it is my belief that this transformation is the result of their conversation"
"Well….yeah that would do it…." Tony states running his hands down his face as he lets out a deep sigh.
Hulk swings around and sees his three mates standing at the window and gives them a roar before coming up to the window and giving it rather hard strike, vibrating but not shattering.
"Woah there buddy" Bucky says as he puts his hands up showing that they are not a threat to him or Bruce.
"Bruce scared" Hulk growls out and then turns way and starts kicking and smashing the suits some more as Tony tries not to cringe while watching his suits violent destruction.
Steve steps forward, "Hulk….we will keep Bruce safe" causing Hulk to grunt loudly at Steve and went back to pacing making Tony and Bucky snort and chuckle till Steve looks over at them with a raised eye brow.
So Tony tries, "Hey Jolly Green…..how you liking your room…good huh?" Tony asks making Bucky move to stand next to him and swats his ass, "now is not the time Tony" Bucky whispers in Tony's ear.
Tony huffs, "says the man that just gave my ass a swat"
Hulk comes over to the window again and plops himself down on the floor, "Bruce happy mates….Bruce stay...Hulk stay?" Hulk asks.
"Yes Hulk, Bruce and Hulk will stay with us" Bucky answers.
"Keep Bruce safe…promise" Hulk groans as the three men watch as he falls back from the window and begins to painfully shrink back down till Bruce re-emerges laying on the floor with only his stretched out pants to cover him, sweaty and panting for air.
"Bruce" Steve calls out worried about his friend and lover, but only a moan of pain from the transformation can be heard.
"Jarvis door"
"My apologizes Captain, per Dr. Banner's safety protocols for the room, the locks will not release till his heart rate is back down to his standard resting rate" Jarvis informs them. Even Tony didn't know about this added safety feature that Bruce must have added in but it does make sense, so they not so patiently wait and watch till they hear the lock release and the door swings open.
Tony grabs some towels and spare clothes that are kept on the wall shelves outside of the room as all three men enter and kneel down next to Bruce, exhausted by the transformation. The three of them roll Bruce over onto his back then quickly and efficiently begin to wipe him down and dress him in soft and comfortable sweats when Bruce begins to come around.
"Hey there bud" Bucky coos as he runs his hand through Bruce's sweaty hair.
"Mmm….cold" Bruce moans.
"Alright, up you go" Steve says as he picks Bruce up from the floor holding him close as they watch Bruce bury his face into Steve's neck, "Bedroom to rest then talk okay" Steve says feeling Bruce nod his head against his neck, his arms wrap tightly around Steve's neck as the three of them load into the elevator, "Jarvis pent house please" Tony calls out.
"Of course sir" Jarvis replies as the elevator begins its ascent.
Once in the apartment, Steve walks directly back into the bedroom to lay Bruce down on the bed before curling up behind him and pulling him close to his chest. Tony and Bucky move to the other side of the bed, removing their shoes and climb in facing Bruce and Steve with Bucky wrapping himself around Tony being the big spoon.
After twenty minutes or so Bruce starts to come around and did a full body stretch to the amusement of Steve causing him to tighten his hold around him while chuckles could be heard from Tony and Bucky. Bruce opens his eyes to find himself staring directly into Tony's deep brown eyes, then over to Bucky's worried expression. Bruce looks down to see a strong arm wrapped around his waist and looks over his shoulder to find Steve's bright baby blues watching him as well.
Bruce turns back around and buries his face into the pillow, "What'd I do?"
Steve tightens his hold on Bruce again pulling him up so they all could talk. Tony reaches out and runs his hands through Bruce's hair, "you did good Bruce, the room worked like a charm" after hearing that Bruce lets out a pent up sigh of relief, "Thank god" Bruce squeezes his eyes tightly shut and moves his hand down to Steve's twisting their fingers together.
Steve leans down to whisper in Bruce's ear, "When you're ready Bruce, we're listening"
Bruce huffs out a breath and squeezes Steve's hand again, "I was in the lab enjoying the quiet for once" Bruce pauses when Tony squawks at that and Bucky and Steve chuckle, "and I kept getting stuck on this particular calculation and wondering when Tony would be done with his meeting and get his sexy ass down there to help" Bruce says grinning at Tony who leans over to gently kiss Bruce.
"Anyway" Bucky says interrupting them.
Tony pulls back as Bruce clears his throat, "Anyway Jarvis stated that there was an incoming call for me, I knew you all were in the Tower somewhere and Fury would call Steve directly if we needed to assemble, so I told Jarvis to patch it through"
"If I may Dr. Banner, I was also instructed to record said call" Jarvis informs the group.
"Um yeah, just as back up" Bruce adds shrugging his shoulders not sure why exactly he did that but it felt right at the time.
"Good job" Steve whispers to Bruce before dropping a kiss to his temple and Bruce gives their tangled fingers another quick squeeze.
"So what's the plan?' Bucky asks.
"Um…well we are supposed to meet for coffee at the deli on 6th and Parker at two o'clock" Bruce sits up and leans on his arm, "what time is it anyway?"
"Eleven forty-five sir" Jarvis answers before anyone else can, "Oh okay" Bruce sighs before laying back down on the bed and settling back into Steve's arms.
"I….I think you should listen to the call, she sounded stressed, hesitant and seemed to drop some kind of warning….Jarvis" Bruce calls out.
"Of course Dr. Banner" Jarvis answers and begins to play back the conversation for the group.
Steve has Jarvis play it back again, paying close attention to the pitch and tone of her voice. By the third time it was replayed Steve had unwrapped himself from Bruce so he could sit up and lean back against the head board to think, leaving Bruce feeling cold and lonely. Seeing how Steve's actions effected Bruce, Tony pulls him to his chest and wraps himself around Bruce like a human star fish causing Bruce to sigh into Tony's neck.
"Hey bud, why don't we go see what we can find for you to wear, huh….have to look amazingly hot when you see your Betty again" Tony whispers to Bruce as he runs his hands down his back.
Bruce pulls back from Tony's neck just enough to grumble at him, "not my Betty….not any more…"
Tony smiles down at Bruce as he leans in till their lips are pressed together gently when Tony pulls back, "Good now up…clocks ticking and the super soldiers need to put together a plan and I need to get some tech on you for eyes and ears" Tony says as he and Bruce begin to scoot and shimmy off the bed and head into the spare bedroom where they keep the over flow of clothes.
Bucky watches them leave before cuffing Steve on the back of the head, surprising Steve.
"What was that for Buck?" Steve asks rubbing his head.
"Acting like a punk" Bucky growls out and cuffs Steve again but not as hard as the first time and Steve just stares at Bucky like he's crazy causing him to huff and roll his eyes.
"Steve…you pulled away from Bruce, I want to know right now do you have a problem before we send him out into the field, you know General Ross scares his to death, he's just to stubborn to admit it to anyone trying to protect them from his personal hell" Bucky whispers harshly.
Steve sits up surprised and a little hurt that Bucky would even ask that.
"What! No, I love Bruce you know that, just as I love Tony and you, you jerk" Steve tells Bucky.
"Well maybe you need to make sure Bruce is aware before he goes on this mission so he doesn't feel as alone as you just made him feel a few minutes ago" Bucky recommends.
It took a minute for Bucky's words to sink in and when they finally do Steve just groans to himself, "Damn it"
"I would agree with that conclusion" Bucky replies with a knowing smirk on his face, "Now I highly recommend you get your 'America's ass' into the spare bedroom and talk to Bruce while I call the Team and Fury and Tony can run down to the lab to pick out some tech to keep Bruce safe" Bucky informs Steve as both men get up from the bed and head into the spare room to find Bruce sitting on the bed looking lost and nervously wringing his hands while Tony is buried in the closet chattering to himself about Bruce's wardrobe or lack thereof.
"Tony" Bruce whines.
Bucky walks over to Bruce, drops a kiss on his head of curls before whispering something in his ear then calls out to Tony, "Tony, stop being mean and get out of the closet" Bucky calls out to Tony making Bruce and Steve chuckle at his wording.
"What?" Tony says popping his head out.
"Steve wants to talk to Bruce for a moment and I need to makes some calls to get things moving and you need to get downstairs to grab your tech, so let's move bud" Bucky says as he wraps his arm around Tony's shoulders and ushers him out of the bed room and into the elevator.
Tony looks up at Bucky, "He's going to fix that right?"
"Oh yeah…had to knock some sense into that thick head of his, I think its all that blond hair but he finally realized what he did" Bucky tells Tony.
"Good, don't like seeing Bruce like that, it's not good" Tony whispers to Bucky.
"I know babe, Steve will fix it" Bucky reassures Tony as he pulls him into a tight hug and drops a kiss on his lips.
"When this is done and everyone is back safe I think a visit to the 'room' is in order, it's been a while since we all have enjoyed so time in there, what do you say?" Bucky recommends.
"I'm in, but let's see how things go today" Tony replies.
"Good" Bucky says dropping one more kiss to Tony's lips before exiting the elevator to make his calls as Tony continues down to the tech lab to grab what he needs.
Back in the spare bedroom, Steve quietly sits down next to Bruce who is staring at the picture of the New York skyline hanging on the wall across from him, its one that Steve drew and Bruce has always like it.
Steve sighs, "I just keep messing up don't I"
Bruce looks over at Steve, "Relationships are hard sometimes"
Steve smiles softly and hums, "hmm…if they were easy they wouldn't be worth anything"
Bruce chuckles to himself leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs hands in his hair, "Steve, I'm not going to lie, I don't like this any more than the rest of you and I know this could be a trap, but it's the best first opportunity that we've had and we can't pass it up"
Steve pulls Bruce up and over to straddle his lap, cupping Bruce's cheeks in his strong but gentle hands, "We have your back Bruce, we will keep eyes and ears on you at all times, you can do this and we will finish it, we love you so much all of us, even when we….um, even when I mess things up it doesn't stop us from loving each other"
Bruce pulls away one of Steve's hands and kisses his palm, "I know"
Bruce leans forward to lay his forehead onto Steve, "I know" Bruce whispers again, "but it's nice to be reminded"
Steve pulls him down for a passionate kiss, all tongues and teeth before they were interrupted by Jarvis.
"My apologies gentleman, but Sergeant Barnes and Sir are wondering if you are done making up yet" Jarvis asks.
Bruce and Steve pull back and just look at each other and start chuckling.
"Yes Jarvis we're all good here" Steve calls out as he drops another quick kiss on Bruce's lips.
"Very well sir" Jarvis replies as Bucky and Tony walk back into the bedroom smiling.
"Okay boys, clocks ticking. Teams on its way and we need to set up a quick entry and exit plan, scope out the best advantage places for Hawkeye and who we can put into the café with Bruce" Bucky starts rattling off.
"Alright Sergeant Barnes" Steve huffs before giving Bruce one last tight hug before depositing his feet back onto the floor as the four of them walk out of the bedroom ready to finish this so they can get on living their lives together.
A/N: What will happen at the café…..stay tuned….don't forget to read and review…..