Chapter 5

Carousel For Some, Headache For Others

On their way to the carousel, Bruce's excitement grew. He couldn't wait to ride the horses and watch Anna-Grace talk with the ducks. Of course, it meant it was going to be his last moment with her since she was moving out, but he should've known better. He had believed they would move to the apartment together, but he had understood his mistake when he had seen there wasn't any office in it. Adults needed offices, so Anna-Grace would have to take the second bedroom. There wasn't any room for him there.

Maybe if he had been quieter and better she would have kept him, like on the couch or something. But he hadn't been. Dad had warned him. He hoped he wasn't like Dad had said, an ungrateful little boy, because he really liked Anna-Grace - even if he had only known her for a week. He wanted her to know how grateful he was for what she had done for him. It had been so nice to live with her; not because of the gifts or the smiles…well, not only those… He didn't know how to express it, but living with Anna-Grace hadn't been like living with Dad…it was…safer…

Anyway, he couldn't be a burden to her. Maybe he could just ask her to help him find Dad? He didn't know where to look for him…But maybe that computer thingy…

Getting those dark thoughts out of his head, Bruce decided to focus on the moment. Anna-Grace must've felt he was being despondent, because she squeezed his hand and asked him if he was alright. Her concerned face was a sad sight to behold, so Bruce smiled at her, nodding, half to reassure her, half to determine himself to enjoy their last moment together. She didn't seem convinced but didn't press him, which was enough for him.

Seeing the carousel from afar, Bruce grinned, his excitation and good mood rising. He was so glad to go see the horses and the ducks! It's gonna be sooooo fun!

Once there, Anna-Grace paid for Bruce's ride.

"So, Bruce, which horse do you want to ride?"

He looked at the animals, uncertain.

"Do you want to have a look at all the horses so you can pick your favorite? We have some time, and there aren't too many people here yet."

Her voice was calm as usual, tugging at his heartstrings. He would miss her soft voice resolving all of his problems.

"I'd like that, Anna-Grace."

She smiled, and they started walking at a slow pace around the carousel.

Bruce stared carefully at each horse, trying to figure out which one he preferred, until he spotted a purple and yellow one. My favorite colors! He pointed it out to Anna-Grace, who chuckled.

"Yes, he's my favorite too. Beautiful colors. Let's put you on top of him."

Bruce didn't know how she figured out he chose that one because of the colors, but he didn't really care. He was too excited! She picked him up and put him on the horse's saddle. Bruce gazed at the beautiful horse, amazed to be the one riding it.
He turned to Anna-Grace, smiling so he could thank her, but…

She's gone! He looked around, frightened. Is she here? No! There? No! Behind me? No! His heartbeat quickened drastically, fear almost swallowing him. Between loss, rejection, and panic, he could feel something scary coming out of him, like a beast ready to roar…Where is she!? Where is she?! Did she leave me?! Did she just leave us?

"Bruce, Bruce, are you alright?"

A voice in the dark, soothing the voice inside…She's here! She's here… Where was she?! Where was she?

"Hey, kiddo, what's wrong?"

The voice, soft and alarmed, was talking to him, but his vision was blurred. He couldn't really see her face. A hand came to dry the tears, and her voice calming him:

"Shh, shh, I'm here, baby…"

Bruce hurled himself at her, holding onto her and wishing it could make her stay. He was sobbing now, louder and louder. He tried to be a big boy and hold the tears in, but he couldn't, and the voice inside was so angry!

Anna-Grace then hugged him tightly, her hand stroking his hair, and she put her head on his as if to envelop him. But this time her appeasing voice couldn't help. He would miss her so much!

The beast inside him was urging him to beg, between anger and pain. Before he could help it, he felt the words tumbling out of his lips, begging,

"Please, Anna-Grace, don't leave me! Please! Please!" Don't leave us…

Her arms tightened around him.

"Who said anything about leaving you?"

"I know you need an office, and the new apartment only has one bedroom left, but please! I can sleep on the floor! Please, Anna-Grace! »

He put his face in the crook of her neck, half hiding the beast away, half muffling his tears, and started whimpering.

Anna-Grace moved away from the carousel as she answered him:

"Bruce, I intended for you to come with me, to live in one of the bedrooms."

His head still in the hollow of her neck, the beast and he whispered:

"Really? But Dad said adults need an office…"

"I don't. And even if I did, I would rather you slept in your bedroom than keep you out just because I would need to put a desk somewhere…I would never abandon you!"

"Promise?"

At that point, Anna-Grace was near a bench. She sat on it, placing Bruce on her lap. She's not promising! panicked Bruce. The beast was ready to roar again, begging with all its strength, when…

She took his head, forcing him to look her in the eye, and with a firm tone, she said:

"I promise you, Bruce. I will never, ever, abandon you."

She seemed so serious and honest that Bruce threw himself in her arms again. The beast and he cried, but out of relief this time.

She must've understood, because she just hugged him, humming soft songs into his ear. It took him a long time, but he finally relaxed, and the voice inside fell asleep.

Anna-Grace looked at his face. His eyes were still swollen, but he seemed calmer. If I ever see that father of his, I'm gonna kill him, she thought. She was sorry for Bruce, but also mad at the one who had destroyed his trust. Above all she felt guilty for behaving so rashly and was determined to fix her mistakes. I knew something was wrong. I should've insisted…

"Do you still feel like riding a horse? Together?" she asked the child.

Bruce nodded, smiling timidly. She took him in her arms and returned to the carousel. She bought a ticket for herself and they went to the yellow and purple horse again. She put Bruce on top of it, standing next to him and holding him firmly.

When the carousel started, Bruce laughed. Timidly at first, but then his giggles exploded like bells to her ears.

They enjoyed one ride, then an another, and another again. Bruce kept laughing and Anna-Grace kept feeling her heart fill with joy and love. Oh my God, Bruce is such a wonderful boy…

Then they went to some pond with ducks. Anna-Grace talked to the animals, making Bruce laugh as she faked a conversation with them. She then pretended to teach Bruce how to speak "duck," but of course it didn't really work.

They acted as if nothing bad had happened in the park on their way home, or for the days that followed.

For a while, Anna-Grace would always keep Bruce's hand in hers or touch him in some way if they were outside, regularly touching his hand or head if they were at home, careful not to commit the same mistake she did while at the carousel.

As for Bruce, he would always call her by her name anytime he would talk to her. Sometimes, he would even pronounce her name, only to say it was nothing after he heard her voice answer him. Anna-Grace would just put her hand on his head and continue whatever she had been doing before he called her.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

While Bruce and Anna-Grace were in Central Park, Nick Fury received the latest news from his men in the field.

Among reports, complaints, and jokes, a file stood out. It was from one of his younger agents, an extremely serious and polite man whose compiling always stood out among his peers' - considering the seriousness of the job and the life threatening situation the agents often found themselves in, Nick Fury had allowed them to name their files more lighthearted titles, as long as they remained completely comprehensive; most agents did this, with exceptions like the young man in question - except that this time…well... Natasha was peering at him from across the desk, so Nick anxiously clicked on the file whose surprising name was 'Well, boss, I don't know what to say... Just open the damn file!'

It was only a picture of a young boy, no more than four or five, in a park near a pond. Except that the child bore a distinctive resemblance to their missing doctor. Everyone knew it would be difficult for the Hulk to have kids…but the conclusion wasn't reassuring.

"Black Widow, sum up your latest mission report."

"Nick, what's…"

"Just do it, for God's sake!" he cut in, his tone deadly serious.

Natasha tensed, watching her boss close his eyes as if to be more attentive to what she would say.

"D-Day, the Avengers are called to New York…"

"Yeah, skip that part," he cut her off again. "Avengers mission, secret lab in New York with a mad doctor doing illegal experimentations. Go to the part with the strange machine you encountered."

This was…unsettling. The ex-Russian spy quickly recovered from her surprise and obeyed him.

"We were in the room, a machine in its center. JUNIOR - Jarvis' replacement…"

"Yes, I know that, Romanoff."

"JUNIOR warned us about the machine's contents – it couldn't analyze them. The machine started humming because the scientist decided to turn it on before killing himself. I'll spare you his speech, but you get the idea."

"Yes, go on."

"The whole compound we were in started shaking, so JUNIOR advised to evac. and asked Banner to take a look at the machine. We didn't really understand why. Stark was offended, but Banner arrived, took one look at it, and yelled at us to 'get the hell out of here.' He said he had to contain the explosion with the Hulk. We left the building - which collapsed after us."

She left out of her account the fear, the smell of panic and dust that she couldn't shake out. That collapsing hadn't been normal. Taking a deep breath, she finished,

"The Hulk stormed out of the debris. He didn't need a lullaby to transform back into Bruce."

Her boss opened his eye and remarked,

"He didn't?"

She shivered, and he asked her to continue. Half heartedly, she joked,

"Well, we went home."

Fury closed his eye again, his tone grim, and asked her,

"What happened next?"

"We went to Tony's tower to rest. Banner went out to buy some ice - said he needed the walk alone."

There was silence on Fury's end, so she went on,

"It was the last time we saw him."

Silence filled the room for nearly a full minute. Natasha could almost see the wheels in Fury's brain turning at full speed. He finally spoke.

"The machine had a delayed effect. It also probably took so long because the Hulk fought it."

He sighed and opened his eyes.

"Natasha, we were looking at this all wrong. We didn't need to find an adult Bruce Banner...but a child."

He turned the computer and showed her the picture.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It took some time for Natasha Romanoff to accept the truth, but Fury was patient. He needed her, and she would only be fully functional if she got it completely.

He then sent her to Tony Stark to ask him to look into the machine and inform the old Avengers Team of the situation: namely Iron Man, Captain America, and Hawkeye - even if the latter would only need to stand by as long as the situation was contained and as he was on paternity leave. Thor was still doing God knew what in the Galaxy, so he didn't even know about their missing case. They didn't know for sure if the child was Bruce Banner - and if so, if he could become the Hulk again. Either way, he needed to be safe, which meant the fewer who knew about the situation, the better; even at the New Avengers Team's expense. They still required more training, anyway.

Fury gave Black Widow her new mission: to infiltrate Neverland (was that even a real establishment's name?) and, if possible, befriend the kid and his keeper. Find out how they got to know each other, if the child was Banner or not, and what the keeper knew.

Only then could Fury decide what would happen next.

And here is the end of Chapter 5!

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