Chapter Seven
Principal Robin Wood took a second to look heavenward and thanked God that there weren't too many people around now that the school was closed for the day as he watched them running outside as the green creature tore apart cars that were in his way.
Being from New York, Wood knew who this thing was. The Hulk and it looked like he's decided to come to school.
He sighed inwardly as he mentally cursed not bringing any weapons, but he was afraid that someone would find them.
He'd come here to Sunnydale because rumor had it that the vampire who killed his mother was here.
He'd taken this job as principal of this school to be closer to the Hellmouth.
And now it looked like the Hulk was coming to open it.
The Hulk stomped through the school grounds, leaving huge footprints. He saw the construction site that was still there. The voices told him that the Hellmouth was in the principal's office, but the construction site was in his way. So he walked into it, tearing apart poles and anything in his way, when suddenly, under his enormous weight, the floor collapsed and the Hulk fell through…into the mazes of the basement.
The Green Goliath growled, shaking his head to clear it, and got up, leaving a bodyprint behind him.
"Hulk lost." he muttered, the voices getting louder and louder in his head.
Elsewhere, Talbot, Drusilla and a few vampires were still walking through the damage the Hulk left, when Talbot abruptly stopped. Dru looked back in confused.
"Damn it all!" he cursed, as he looked into the hole, "He fell through the floor!"
Dru still looked confused, "But our puppy will still break out, and bring Hell to Earth, Daddy?"
"You don't understand, you crazed idiot," he snarled, "He's near where the last person I want him to run in is!"
Dru widened her eyes in shock, but Talbot saw that she was looking over his shoulder.
He understood instantly, and didn't even bother to turn to look, "Slayer?"
Dru nodded, "Gold Slayer is coming."
"Keep that bitch and her pals occupied while I go make sure that the Hulk does his job."
Dru turned quickly to the other vamps and shouted orders that didn't make sense to them, and turned back to Talbot, only to find him gone.
"Oohh…" Drusilla cooed, as she and the other vampires went to approach the Slayer…"Time for Miss Edith to have a playmate." She laughed maniacally.
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The Hulk kept walking, following the voices. They get quieter when he gets closer to the Hellmouth.
Suddenly he heard another voice coming from inside a room
"I'm bad. No, no nonononono! I'm good! Gotta help the girl! Must be good. Save her. Must be good."
The Hulk burst through to find a puny human in a fetal position in a corner.
He had white hair, the Hulk noticed this.
The human didn't seem to notice him as he continued raving and ranting.
"Oh, no, mummy, don't want any more pie."
The Hulk didn't even react as the human suddenly jumped, as if he was attacking something, but the Hulk didn't see anything.
"SHUT UP! You have no right! Twinkle twinkle!" he laughed maniacally.
He finally noticed the green giant, "Well, well, company." He turned to shout into the darkness, "Mum! Company! Mustn't keep my hallucination waitin'"
He turned back to the uncomprehending Hulk, who remained silent though confused.
"Who you, White Hair?"
"White Hair?" the human laughed hysterically, "That's a good one! Maybe I should be called that." He got onto his knees and crawled like a four-month baby, frantically looking for something, "Beneath you, it devours. Slayer gonna be bloody devoured. Must save her."
Suddenly he turned around and jumped at the Hulk, screaming like a lunatic.
He bounced off the Hulk's hide and crashed into the wall.
The human shook his head, then looked up with a gleeful look.
"You're real! You're not a figment of my imagination."
He leaped at the Hulk again, but this time he hugged him.
"Thank you! Thank you, mate!"
"Who you, White hair?" the Hulk said again, growling this time.
"Who me? Oh! Where's my bloody manners!" He tilted his head, as if speaking to another one, "Bad! Bad Spike! Shouldn't be rude!"
He got off the Hulk, and danced around, laughing hysterically.
"What you're looking at, mate, was once the Big Bad, one of the Scrounges of Europe, a poor human who once was called William the Bloody, because I wrote bloody awful poetry. I am now an insane vampire who called himself Spike."
"Hulk…is Hulk." The green-skinned creature stood there, still uncomprehending.
"Hulk, huh? Nice name. Has a ring to it, like the Titanic."
"Hulk not…titan. Hulk is Hulk."
The voices in his head were getting louder, but the Hulk could hear one voice. His voice.
"Arrr.." he clutched his head and backed away from Spike.
"Calm down," Bruce Banner's voice rang in the Hulk's head, "See the woman in the bikini."
And the Hulk did see her, "Betty…" he murmered as he succumbed to the meditation Bruce had subconsciously implanted whenever the Hulk was calm enough.
Spike had to wonder if he's starting to see things again, as the Hulk collapsed into a sitting position.
The Hulk grunted, as his body started to shrink and his skin color was turning from emerald green to pale white, while his hair color turned from dark green to dark brown.
His muscles, too, shrank into his body.
His features changed, too, as he continued to change, taking on a more human look.
Spike didn't seem to react as the frail body of Bruce Banner started to stir.
"Where—where am I?" he mumbled, not yet aware of Spike.
"Where are you?" Spike laughed hysterically, causing Bruce to jump, "Where is my head? Where did I go? Here, here, Spike…"
He got back on all fours and crawled away, leaving a confused and concerned Bruce, "Uh… right. Whatever."
He started to get up, but stumbled back.
His heart went cold as he heard a familiar voice.
"Well, well, Brucie!" he whirled to see Glenn Talbot standing there.
"How did you survive that volanco, Talbot?" he growled.
Talbot raised up a shaking finger as if to scold a child, "Ah, ah, ah, Banner. That would be telling, wouldn't it?"
"You died fighting the Hulk. Yet you're here. Alive. How?"
Talbot merely smiled, "Did you really think it would be that easy, Banner? Just because you're Banner, and not the Hulk, doesn't mean you don't belong to me. You're mine, body and soul. Mine to control."
Bruce stared at Talbot, considering his words, "And what makes you think that, 'Talbot'?"
"Because of all the fools I took control of, even our mutual friend, Angel, you are the easiest."
Bruce was surprised when Talbot mentioned Angel, "you know Angel."*
Talbot's face darkened, "Let's just say I met him one Christmas three years ago."
And that confirmed Bruce's suspicions; this was not Talbot. How could it be, when he died in a volanco longer ago than three years, his entire body burnt into nothingness?
"Ah," "Talbot" suddenly smirked, "Very good, Doctor Banner. You're right about that. I'm not Major Talbot."
Bruce was completely surprised; "You read my mind?"
"Talbot" laughed, "That's right, Doctor. Your mind's a trifle hard to read, given the thousands of personalities residing in there, but I make do."
"So tell me, who are you?"
"You have no idea of what I am, Doctor." "Talbot" morphed into Marlo Chandler, as he walked toward Bruce.
"I am a force as old as time itself," "Marlo" morphed again, into General Ross.
"I am evil itself," "General Ross" became "Rick Jones".
"I am death and destruction incarnated," "Rick" became "Betty Banner".
"I am First among them." "Betty" became "Buffy".
And Bruce thought he could hear thunder as "Buffy" spoke…
*Note: Bruce met Angel in Gman's story, "Curses and Blessings". This story is part two of a trilogy he and I are working on. Before you continue reading it, please read his story at:
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=744963
To be continued…
Principal Robin Wood took a second to look heavenward and thanked God that there weren't too many people around now that the school was closed for the day as he watched them running outside as the green creature tore apart cars that were in his way.
Being from New York, Wood knew who this thing was. The Hulk and it looked like he's decided to come to school.
He sighed inwardly as he mentally cursed not bringing any weapons, but he was afraid that someone would find them.
He'd come here to Sunnydale because rumor had it that the vampire who killed his mother was here.
He'd taken this job as principal of this school to be closer to the Hellmouth.
And now it looked like the Hulk was coming to open it.
The Hulk stomped through the school grounds, leaving huge footprints. He saw the construction site that was still there. The voices told him that the Hellmouth was in the principal's office, but the construction site was in his way. So he walked into it, tearing apart poles and anything in his way, when suddenly, under his enormous weight, the floor collapsed and the Hulk fell through…into the mazes of the basement.
The Green Goliath growled, shaking his head to clear it, and got up, leaving a bodyprint behind him.
"Hulk lost." he muttered, the voices getting louder and louder in his head.
Elsewhere, Talbot, Drusilla and a few vampires were still walking through the damage the Hulk left, when Talbot abruptly stopped. Dru looked back in confused.
"Damn it all!" he cursed, as he looked into the hole, "He fell through the floor!"
Dru still looked confused, "But our puppy will still break out, and bring Hell to Earth, Daddy?"
"You don't understand, you crazed idiot," he snarled, "He's near where the last person I want him to run in is!"
Dru widened her eyes in shock, but Talbot saw that she was looking over his shoulder.
He understood instantly, and didn't even bother to turn to look, "Slayer?"
Dru nodded, "Gold Slayer is coming."
"Keep that bitch and her pals occupied while I go make sure that the Hulk does his job."
Dru turned quickly to the other vamps and shouted orders that didn't make sense to them, and turned back to Talbot, only to find him gone.
"Oohh…" Drusilla cooed, as she and the other vampires went to approach the Slayer…"Time for Miss Edith to have a playmate." She laughed maniacally.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Hulk kept walking, following the voices. They get quieter when he gets closer to the Hellmouth.
Suddenly he heard another voice coming from inside a room
"I'm bad. No, no nonononono! I'm good! Gotta help the girl! Must be good. Save her. Must be good."
The Hulk burst through to find a puny human in a fetal position in a corner.
He had white hair, the Hulk noticed this.
The human didn't seem to notice him as he continued raving and ranting.
"Oh, no, mummy, don't want any more pie."
The Hulk didn't even react as the human suddenly jumped, as if he was attacking something, but the Hulk didn't see anything.
"SHUT UP! You have no right! Twinkle twinkle!" he laughed maniacally.
He finally noticed the green giant, "Well, well, company." He turned to shout into the darkness, "Mum! Company! Mustn't keep my hallucination waitin'"
He turned back to the uncomprehending Hulk, who remained silent though confused.
"Who you, White Hair?"
"White Hair?" the human laughed hysterically, "That's a good one! Maybe I should be called that." He got onto his knees and crawled like a four-month baby, frantically looking for something, "Beneath you, it devours. Slayer gonna be bloody devoured. Must save her."
Suddenly he turned around and jumped at the Hulk, screaming like a lunatic.
He bounced off the Hulk's hide and crashed into the wall.
The human shook his head, then looked up with a gleeful look.
"You're real! You're not a figment of my imagination."
He leaped at the Hulk again, but this time he hugged him.
"Thank you! Thank you, mate!"
"Who you, White hair?" the Hulk said again, growling this time.
"Who me? Oh! Where's my bloody manners!" He tilted his head, as if speaking to another one, "Bad! Bad Spike! Shouldn't be rude!"
He got off the Hulk, and danced around, laughing hysterically.
"What you're looking at, mate, was once the Big Bad, one of the Scrounges of Europe, a poor human who once was called William the Bloody, because I wrote bloody awful poetry. I am now an insane vampire who called himself Spike."
"Hulk…is Hulk." The green-skinned creature stood there, still uncomprehending.
"Hulk, huh? Nice name. Has a ring to it, like the Titanic."
"Hulk not…titan. Hulk is Hulk."
The voices in his head were getting louder, but the Hulk could hear one voice. His voice.
"Arrr.." he clutched his head and backed away from Spike.
"Calm down," Bruce Banner's voice rang in the Hulk's head, "See the woman in the bikini."
And the Hulk did see her, "Betty…" he murmered as he succumbed to the meditation Bruce had subconsciously implanted whenever the Hulk was calm enough.
Spike had to wonder if he's starting to see things again, as the Hulk collapsed into a sitting position.
The Hulk grunted, as his body started to shrink and his skin color was turning from emerald green to pale white, while his hair color turned from dark green to dark brown.
His muscles, too, shrank into his body.
His features changed, too, as he continued to change, taking on a more human look.
Spike didn't seem to react as the frail body of Bruce Banner started to stir.
"Where—where am I?" he mumbled, not yet aware of Spike.
"Where are you?" Spike laughed hysterically, causing Bruce to jump, "Where is my head? Where did I go? Here, here, Spike…"
He got back on all fours and crawled away, leaving a confused and concerned Bruce, "Uh… right. Whatever."
He started to get up, but stumbled back.
His heart went cold as he heard a familiar voice.
"Well, well, Brucie!" he whirled to see Glenn Talbot standing there.
"How did you survive that volanco, Talbot?" he growled.
Talbot raised up a shaking finger as if to scold a child, "Ah, ah, ah, Banner. That would be telling, wouldn't it?"
"You died fighting the Hulk. Yet you're here. Alive. How?"
Talbot merely smiled, "Did you really think it would be that easy, Banner? Just because you're Banner, and not the Hulk, doesn't mean you don't belong to me. You're mine, body and soul. Mine to control."
Bruce stared at Talbot, considering his words, "And what makes you think that, 'Talbot'?"
"Because of all the fools I took control of, even our mutual friend, Angel, you are the easiest."
Bruce was surprised when Talbot mentioned Angel, "you know Angel."*
Talbot's face darkened, "Let's just say I met him one Christmas three years ago."
And that confirmed Bruce's suspicions; this was not Talbot. How could it be, when he died in a volanco longer ago than three years, his entire body burnt into nothingness?
"Ah," "Talbot" suddenly smirked, "Very good, Doctor Banner. You're right about that. I'm not Major Talbot."
Bruce was completely surprised; "You read my mind?"
"Talbot" laughed, "That's right, Doctor. Your mind's a trifle hard to read, given the thousands of personalities residing in there, but I make do."
"So tell me, who are you?"
"You have no idea of what I am, Doctor." "Talbot" morphed into Marlo Chandler, as he walked toward Bruce.
"I am a force as old as time itself," "Marlo" morphed again, into General Ross.
"I am evil itself," "General Ross" became "Rick Jones".
"I am death and destruction incarnated," "Rick" became "Betty Banner".
"I am First among them." "Betty" became "Buffy".
And Bruce thought he could hear thunder as "Buffy" spoke…
*Note: Bruce met Angel in Gman's story, "Curses and Blessings". This story is part two of a trilogy he and I are working on. Before you continue reading it, please read his story at:
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=744963
To be continued…