Chapter Six
This was done by Jeff G. A big thanks to him for this.
At the Summers household across town, Dawn sat at the computer and typed. She was looking over newspaper reports of Daily Bugle on their website. "Hey, guys, I think I got something," she said.
Buffy and Xander walked to the teenager and stood on both sides of her as they recognized the picture of the Hulk. "Yup, that's him.and I'm having that non-diarrhea 'crappy' feeling again."
Reading the article, Dawn said, "The Incredible Hulk has been named as the prime suspect in the murder of a small child when he smashed in a building."
Buffy shook her head, saying, "The Hulk I saw seemed like he wouldn't intentionally kill children."
"But the Hulk you saw also brought down a bar by throwing a balled-up bus into it. And after the cops couldn't make a dent in him," Xander said, walking away from the two.
Dawn looked at Buffy and said, "I've been looking at articles similar to this for a good half-hour. Remarks range from 'monstrosity,' to 'misunderstood hero,' to 'force of nature, to 'walking wrath of God'."
"This guy isn't like Glory, Buff," Xander said, "You can't fight him. As in, 'try to punch him, you'll break your frickin' hand.'"
Buffy nodded and said, grabbing a bottle of milk from the refrigerator, "I get that, Xander. We can't fight him. But we can try and reason with him. It seems to something more like a child. The way it spoke, it was like it had been mistreated before."
As she was hitting the scroll button without looking, Dawn said, "I know you've been a counselor at school for a few days, but Sigmund Freud you're not."
After pouring a glass of milk, and putting it back in the refrigerator, Buffy said, "Well, since I can't fight it, and I won't just sit back and let it rip my town to pieces, what else is there?"
"Maybe my construction site equipment can be of help. In the event that Hulk wants to grind you into fine spice," quipped Xander.
"What a time for the most powerful witch in the world to go into rehab an ocean away," Dawn said.
On the computer, beneath the picture of the Hulk, unknown to the remaining scoobies was a picture of Bruce Banner.
Bruce opened his eyes and was surrounded by darkness. "Can't move my arms, sitting down, can't move my legs.hmmm wonder if I'm captured," Bruce said sarcastically.
"Bruce, my love," a woman's voice said, "you're not captured. You're safe, now."
The voice struck a horrifyingly familiar chord with Bruce as he whimpered, "No."
A lovely blond-haired woman stepped out from the shadows. "It's me, Bruce. Don't worry, you're not dreaming."
"Betty!" Bruce shouted as he smiled in glee. "But how? I thought you were."
"Dead? Well, no, silly," Betty smiled and said, "Not even death would keep me from you. But I'm alive and you're safe now."
Bruce chuckled and said, "If you mean being tied hand and foot to a chair, then yeah. I'm about as safe as it gets."
"Good," Betty said, "Because there's something I've always wanted to do."
From the same dark abyss stepped Glenn Talbot, who said, "Hello, Bruce. Long time no see."
"Talbot? Betty what is this?" Bruce said; his happiness shattered almost instantaneously.
Betty replied, with a gratingly hateful look in her eyes, "Coming back from life, I recognized the error of my ways. I never should have chosen you. All you ever did was give me grief, misery, and pain. You always left me, and instead of having the man I loved, I got a retarded green caveman for my troubles. At least with Glenn, I saw what I got. No split personalities, no big green monsters, no having to put up with you."
Bruce, a tear streaking down his face, said, "Betty.what are you saying?"
Betty replied, "I'm finally moving on with my life. Something I should done long ago."
Glenn then said, "Face it, freak. I'm more of a 'man' than you'll ever be."
Bruce whimpered and grunted as he struggled against the ropes. Why hasn't he transformed yet? What's holding him back? As he tried to free himself, other familiar faces began to reveal themselves. Rick Jones, Marlo, the Thing, General Ross, his mother, and his father. "Freak!" they chanted over and over.
FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK!
Bruce shut his tear-layered eyes. He heard their words sting and pierce his heart. Sobbing with his head down, he then bellowed and snarled. As he lifted his head, his eyes rolled back, then turned bright green and then glowed with a brilliant radiant green energy. As he easily burst from the ropes holding him, the Hulk immerged with a scream.
But as the emerald Engine of Destruction turned to face the ones who ridiculed him, they vanished. Alone stood Drusilla who said, "They mocked you; my pretty doggy.called you names.they never loved the pookie; not like I do."
Hulk knelt down with his anger-drenched face and said, "Who are you?"
"Drusilla," said the vampire, who sent her left hand striding down Hulk's face. She continued, "I can tell you how to make them quiet forevermore.to silence everyone's lips.pry open the lips of the Hellmouth."
"Where lips, funny-talking lady?" Hulk growled.
Struck momentarily dumb by the green giant's nickname of her, Dru snapped out of it and said, "You already know. It called to you the minute you came here. Follow its call." Hulk nodded and was caught off guard as Drusilla said, "Such rage, oh such power.it's positively frightening and mouth- watering.no, that's not my mouth." Hulk turned away and stomped toward Sunnydale High
Talbot came out as Hulk left the cavern. "It's only a matter of time."
Drusilla however, fixated her gaze on the departing Hulk and said, "Drip, drip.moisture.down south."
Talbot squinted his eyes and said, "You're sick, you know that? Let's go."
Drusilla tilted her head and said, "Where?"
"To make sure Hulk gets the job done. And to make sure no slayers get in the way."
As Buffy was washing dishes, she heard the door open. "Buffy!" She turned to see Anya, in a blue shirt and white jeans, with black blood covering her. Her face was filled with repulsion and concern. "Who's the green freak? Is he a friend of yours? Or that stupid, spineless Xander?"
"What?" said a confused Buffy, "green freak? Was he about seven foot tall, human-looking, muscular, and uber-strong?"
"Yes, yes, yes, and Hell yes," replied Anya.
"The Hulk," Buffy whispered, then looked to Anya, "Where did he go?"
Anya replied, "Up towards the high school, said something about the Hellmouth."
Buffy stood up and said, "What could the Hulk be doing down at the Hellmouth?"
"If I didn't know better," said Xander, walking in with Dawn, "He means to open the sucker."
Buffy said, "Whatever he's doing there, I've got to stop him."
"How? Remember the whole 'can't fight him' thing?" Dawn said,
Buffy walked to the door and said, "Remember the whole 'counselor' thing? Besides, if that doesn't work, I'll die with broken fists, then."
This was done by Jeff G. A big thanks to him for this.
At the Summers household across town, Dawn sat at the computer and typed. She was looking over newspaper reports of Daily Bugle on their website. "Hey, guys, I think I got something," she said.
Buffy and Xander walked to the teenager and stood on both sides of her as they recognized the picture of the Hulk. "Yup, that's him.and I'm having that non-diarrhea 'crappy' feeling again."
Reading the article, Dawn said, "The Incredible Hulk has been named as the prime suspect in the murder of a small child when he smashed in a building."
Buffy shook her head, saying, "The Hulk I saw seemed like he wouldn't intentionally kill children."
"But the Hulk you saw also brought down a bar by throwing a balled-up bus into it. And after the cops couldn't make a dent in him," Xander said, walking away from the two.
Dawn looked at Buffy and said, "I've been looking at articles similar to this for a good half-hour. Remarks range from 'monstrosity,' to 'misunderstood hero,' to 'force of nature, to 'walking wrath of God'."
"This guy isn't like Glory, Buff," Xander said, "You can't fight him. As in, 'try to punch him, you'll break your frickin' hand.'"
Buffy nodded and said, grabbing a bottle of milk from the refrigerator, "I get that, Xander. We can't fight him. But we can try and reason with him. It seems to something more like a child. The way it spoke, it was like it had been mistreated before."
As she was hitting the scroll button without looking, Dawn said, "I know you've been a counselor at school for a few days, but Sigmund Freud you're not."
After pouring a glass of milk, and putting it back in the refrigerator, Buffy said, "Well, since I can't fight it, and I won't just sit back and let it rip my town to pieces, what else is there?"
"Maybe my construction site equipment can be of help. In the event that Hulk wants to grind you into fine spice," quipped Xander.
"What a time for the most powerful witch in the world to go into rehab an ocean away," Dawn said.
On the computer, beneath the picture of the Hulk, unknown to the remaining scoobies was a picture of Bruce Banner.
Bruce opened his eyes and was surrounded by darkness. "Can't move my arms, sitting down, can't move my legs.hmmm wonder if I'm captured," Bruce said sarcastically.
"Bruce, my love," a woman's voice said, "you're not captured. You're safe, now."
The voice struck a horrifyingly familiar chord with Bruce as he whimpered, "No."
A lovely blond-haired woman stepped out from the shadows. "It's me, Bruce. Don't worry, you're not dreaming."
"Betty!" Bruce shouted as he smiled in glee. "But how? I thought you were."
"Dead? Well, no, silly," Betty smiled and said, "Not even death would keep me from you. But I'm alive and you're safe now."
Bruce chuckled and said, "If you mean being tied hand and foot to a chair, then yeah. I'm about as safe as it gets."
"Good," Betty said, "Because there's something I've always wanted to do."
From the same dark abyss stepped Glenn Talbot, who said, "Hello, Bruce. Long time no see."
"Talbot? Betty what is this?" Bruce said; his happiness shattered almost instantaneously.
Betty replied, with a gratingly hateful look in her eyes, "Coming back from life, I recognized the error of my ways. I never should have chosen you. All you ever did was give me grief, misery, and pain. You always left me, and instead of having the man I loved, I got a retarded green caveman for my troubles. At least with Glenn, I saw what I got. No split personalities, no big green monsters, no having to put up with you."
Bruce, a tear streaking down his face, said, "Betty.what are you saying?"
Betty replied, "I'm finally moving on with my life. Something I should done long ago."
Glenn then said, "Face it, freak. I'm more of a 'man' than you'll ever be."
Bruce whimpered and grunted as he struggled against the ropes. Why hasn't he transformed yet? What's holding him back? As he tried to free himself, other familiar faces began to reveal themselves. Rick Jones, Marlo, the Thing, General Ross, his mother, and his father. "Freak!" they chanted over and over.
FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK! FREAK!
Bruce shut his tear-layered eyes. He heard their words sting and pierce his heart. Sobbing with his head down, he then bellowed and snarled. As he lifted his head, his eyes rolled back, then turned bright green and then glowed with a brilliant radiant green energy. As he easily burst from the ropes holding him, the Hulk immerged with a scream.
But as the emerald Engine of Destruction turned to face the ones who ridiculed him, they vanished. Alone stood Drusilla who said, "They mocked you; my pretty doggy.called you names.they never loved the pookie; not like I do."
Hulk knelt down with his anger-drenched face and said, "Who are you?"
"Drusilla," said the vampire, who sent her left hand striding down Hulk's face. She continued, "I can tell you how to make them quiet forevermore.to silence everyone's lips.pry open the lips of the Hellmouth."
"Where lips, funny-talking lady?" Hulk growled.
Struck momentarily dumb by the green giant's nickname of her, Dru snapped out of it and said, "You already know. It called to you the minute you came here. Follow its call." Hulk nodded and was caught off guard as Drusilla said, "Such rage, oh such power.it's positively frightening and mouth- watering.no, that's not my mouth." Hulk turned away and stomped toward Sunnydale High
Talbot came out as Hulk left the cavern. "It's only a matter of time."
Drusilla however, fixated her gaze on the departing Hulk and said, "Drip, drip.moisture.down south."
Talbot squinted his eyes and said, "You're sick, you know that? Let's go."
Drusilla tilted her head and said, "Where?"
"To make sure Hulk gets the job done. And to make sure no slayers get in the way."
As Buffy was washing dishes, she heard the door open. "Buffy!" She turned to see Anya, in a blue shirt and white jeans, with black blood covering her. Her face was filled with repulsion and concern. "Who's the green freak? Is he a friend of yours? Or that stupid, spineless Xander?"
"What?" said a confused Buffy, "green freak? Was he about seven foot tall, human-looking, muscular, and uber-strong?"
"Yes, yes, yes, and Hell yes," replied Anya.
"The Hulk," Buffy whispered, then looked to Anya, "Where did he go?"
Anya replied, "Up towards the high school, said something about the Hellmouth."
Buffy stood up and said, "What could the Hulk be doing down at the Hellmouth?"
"If I didn't know better," said Xander, walking in with Dawn, "He means to open the sucker."
Buffy said, "Whatever he's doing there, I've got to stop him."
"How? Remember the whole 'can't fight him' thing?" Dawn said,
Buffy walked to the door and said, "Remember the whole 'counselor' thing? Besides, if that doesn't work, I'll die with broken fists, then."