"Where the hell am I?" Bruce's surroundings were nothing but horrid - pure darkness for as far as the eye could see, like a shadow cast over him. Hairs stood and goosebumps rose from the blood-freezing air. The last thing Banner remembered was pain, pitch black and...his father! He pinched his arms to wake himself up to no avail. "NO, NO, NO," he screamed feeling the minor pain. He had to get out of this nightmare! Brian was in control here...
"BRIAN," Bruce screamed turning to see from every angle, "WHERE ARE YOU?"
A blood-curdling, spine-chilling and flesh-hungry voice chuckled in the darkness. "What is the matter, Brucie? Want your daddy?"
"I'm not scared of you anymore." Deep down, Bruce knew that was a lie and whatever was in the dark could detect it too.
"Awww, Brucie. Don't you dare lie to Papa! You don't have to be scared anymore, I'll protect you," the monstrous voice laughed.
"I'm not-," Bruce began to cough uncontrollably. Fear turned to rage as the temperature become too cold to even breathe. Bruce fell to the ground as he gasped for air, "N-NO! You won't make me turn!"
The voice in the dark egged Bruce on. "Come on, you worthless son of mine! Show me the rage you used to kill me those many years ago! Show me the rage I used...TO KILL YOUR MOTHER!"
Bruce groaned in pain as veins grew in his neck. The seam of his shirt along his spine began ripping apart. Deep down, he found the courage, or rage, to scream. "NEVER!"
"Finally," the voice sounded glorious. "You show your true colors, Brucie. Feel the rage! All of that power you cheated your way to get, worthless son of mine!"
"I'M NOT LIKE YOU." Bruce fought against the temptations of the Hulk and was winning! Seams of his shirt relaxed as pain receded.
The voice's tone shifted to disappointment as Banner stalled out his transformation. "You may lie about being scared of me. You may lie about enjoying the power you hide. You may lie to those girls about being a monster. But, there is one thing you'll never have the courage to face..."
Bruce was blinded by a sudden flash of light. "GET BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD," he screamed covering his eyes. Regaining sight, Bruce saw...home. The sun melted everything visible. It was a hot summer day in Dayton, Ohio. All the rage Banner had the courage to summon turned to absolute fear and worry. In front of Bruce was his old house, the house where his father murdered his mother. A familiar green BMW sat in the drive way...his mother's. As he looked around, her car was the only one in the entire neighborhood. The town seemed abandoned, but Bruce knew better. Something was waiting for him inside the house.
Brian's voice whispered into Banner's left ear, "What's wrong, Brucie?"
Bruce turned to find no one in this barren town. "WHERE ARE YOU?" Bruce's increased heart-rate began to pump adrenaline.
Brian's voice laughed in his son's ear, "It's not where...it's WHEN." The sounds of an old car engine began to make Banner's ears bleed. He turned to find the culprit behind the cacophony; Brian's car in the far distance. He drew nearer and nearer by the second. "You'd better hurry, Bruce. Looks like I'm late for your birthday party."
"No, no, no..." All rational thinking left as the mother of Bruce Banner was threatened. Right now, Bruce was nothing more than a scared little boy wanting to save his mother. "MOTHER!" Banner screamed slamming against the front door. Metal clanking came from the doorknob, "Open, dammit!" It was like...it was frozen in time. Bruce was in a nightmare, replaying the worst day of his life. All Banner could do now was wait for his father to kick in the door like he had in the past. But...what would Hulk do? Brian's horrible, dying engine blasted loudly as he entered the neighborhood, making a special pair of eyes morph green.
Splinters fell onto the carpet as Bruce tore the door open, piece by piece. As soon as he stepped inside, nostalgia hit him like a was forced to take a breath. He saw all of his favorite toys on the ground, the old T.V his father always watched and Shel Silverstein on the coffee table. Bruce snapped out of it and looked around to no avail, "Mother!"
A simple and light hum made Banner's blood freeze. He recognized the young boy's voice, his voice. Bruce turned to find a little toddler, sitting in the middle of the room, waving a toy dinosaur through the air. Wrapping paper lay on the ground from his newly opened birthday present.
"Wheeeeeee," little baby Bruce said, waving his toy through the air. Pure innocence radiated from the baby as he played without a care in the world.
"Heh," the greatest, nicest and warmest voice giggled from behind Bruce, "I don't think dinosaurs could fly like that, Brucie." Banner's nightmare changed into his greatest dream as he turned to see his mother. Her beautiful brown hair and hazel eyes showed nothing but love and comfort for her only son.
The sight of her brought Bruce to tears. "M-Mom? Y-you're here. You"re actually here...I never thought I'd see you again!"
His mother smiled, showing off her teeth which were even beautiful. "Yes, Bruce. I'm here. Mommy is here for you." Banner closed his eyes and held his arms open waiting for his mother to embrace him once more. The hug he needed never came. "Mommy's here, Brucie," she said kneeling next to the baby and tickling him.
"Grgrgrg," baby Bruce gurgled and laughed from his mother's fingers. Bruce watched in amazement at a woman who was still able to love and show compassion while married to his father. Bruce's dream changed back into a nightmare as Brian's car pulled into the driveway.
"Oh, no..." His mother's heart filled with worry and fear. "Shushushu, it's okay," she lied, kissing her scared child on the forehead. She ran to the kitchen and made sure everything was how Brian wanted it.
"MOM," Bruce screamed at her, "RUN!" He was right into her face, warning her of the impending doom. "HE WILL KILL YOU, GET OUT OF HERE!" Bruce grabbed his mother by the shoulders and pulled. She didn't budge an inch. It was like, Bruce wasn't even there. Just a breeze of air brushing against his mother. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Banner screamed his heart out. "HE'S COMING NOW AND HE WILL KILL-," Bruce couldn't say another word as his heart stopped at the sight of his father in the door.
Brian looked up and down the living room, disgust on his face when he saw his baby. "Rebecca, why is the damn kid on the carpet?"
She responded with fear in her voice, "Y-you've never cared if Bruce was on the floor."
Brian crushed one of Bruce's toys, bringing the child to tears. "Why the hell is wrapping paper, ALL OVER THE DAMN FLOOR?"
"Brian," Rebecca yelled as baby Bruce was crying now, "it's his birthday!"
"Oh...so that's what I forgot today," Brian snorted. He shrugged without a care and opened the fridge for a beer.
"Have you.." Rebecca started to ask, already knowing the answer, "...forgotten your own son's birthday?"
"Yeah?" Brian asked. "What of it?"
"I ASKED YOU TO GET A CAKE-," the wind was knocked out of Rebecca as the palm of Brian's hand smashed into her cheek.
"YOU BASTARD!" Banner began to swing at Brian, screaming his heart out. Every strike landing on his father's face, broke something in Bruce's hands. It felt like Brian was made of metal and the hits weren't doing anything.
Brian leaned over his downed wife; half of her face was bright red. "Were you just yelling at me?" he asked in her ear.
The violence in his voice froze Rebecca's blood. "N-no. I would never yell-," she caught a backhand to the other side of her face.
"What did I tell you about lying?" Brian asked. He grabbed his empty beer can and it bounced off Rebecca's face. "Clean this shit up. Now," he ordered.
"D-daddy!" Little baby Bruce said in the kitchen doorway. His father turned to face him. "D-don't hurt mommy!"
Brain sighed at the sight of his son defying him. "Oh, Rebecca. What the HELL did you teach your son to do?"
"W-what do you-," One of Rebecca's teeth flew out of her mouth as her husband's fist caved in her cheek. "MY GOD," she said in total horror, "Y-YOU MONSTER!" Brian had hit her and Bruce, but never to this extent; he was out to kill.
"YOU TAUGHT THAT LITTLE BASTARD TO TELL ME 'NO'?" Red spots coated Rebecca's face. Baby Bruce grabbed his father's shirt and tried to pull him away. "OFF, BOY," Brian yelled swinging at the boy. His fist did hit flesh, but not of that of his little son's face. Instead, that of a green Goliath's knee.
"SMASH," Hulk roared, emerging to finally end this nightmare. He pulled back his arms and slammed his palms together. Rebecca, Brian, baby Bruce and the house were carried away by the massive winds that went off like a 200 mile-per-hour tornado. "Hulk...couldn't save Banner mother." Hulk fell to his knees in shame knowing he endured Banner's horrible past, not doing a thing to save his wonderful mother.
"Hehehehe," that cold, dark and bone-chilling voice chuckled once more. Hulk was surrounded by the cold darkness that greeted Bruce when he first arrived to this nightmare. "There's my real son! Not that weakling Bruce! Show me, HULK. Show me your true power! We can rule this new world together! Enslave every woman and girl we encounter! All the rage and destruction! The stronger you and I will become! THE ABSOLUTE-,"
"No."
The voice's tone changed drastically, "What did you say to me?"
"Hulk said...NO!"
A cloud of smoke and darkness swelled in front of Hulk, dispersing to reveal Brian in the flesh. He wore the same attire as when he ended his wife's life. "You big idiot. My son, Bruce, is holding you back from your potential! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT? You could be a king if Bruce wasn't such a weakling and didn't want to hurt people! YOU COULD BE THE STRONGEST ONE THERE IS!"
"Hulk doesn't want to hurt people, because Hulk strongest there is," Hulk informed. "Goodbye, Brian. Banner not need you anymore."
Brian said nothing as Hulk turned to find an escape without his help. "How...predictably disappointing. I was hoping you and I could merge, Hulk. Take over this world together. But it seems, that..." Brian said, trying to hide the fact that he wanted Hulk to refuse his offer, "you will have to die! After I kill you and take over Bruce's mind, I'll kill Pyrrha for shits and giggles."
Hulk stopped dead in his tracks, fists shaking in increasing rage.
"Or..." Brian said taking deep breaths, "...I could start with the small girl! RUBY, I THINK HER NAME WAS!" Veins popped up in his neck, his pants and shirt began to tear as he readied to confront Bruce's rage.
Hulk's fist raised high in the air, ready to end this once and for all! He swung with all his might, "HULK SMA-Bigger Hulk?" Before his eyes stood a massive thirty-foot beast, its skin an ugly mix of orange and brown coated with rough scales. Glowing red eyes distracted from the hundreds of shark-like teeth in its massive mouth. Brian was a Hulk! He was the evil voice within Banner that wanted nothing but violence and destruction!
The evil voice that tormented Bruce and Hulk spoke from the beast's mouth, "YOU COULD HAVE JOINED ME, BRUCIE! BUT NO, YOU DISAPPOINT ME MORE AND MORE!"
"Not Banner..." Hulk still shook from Brian's remark about Ruby and Pyrrha. "...Only, HULK!"
"YOU ARE NOTHING," this 'Devil Hulk' roared. "I am the natural stage in our Gamma-evolution process, the next HULK! You are destined to become me, Bruce. Don't run from the truth. You are nothing but a frightened child crying out to be loved!""
"I. Am. HULK!" Hulk pounced with absolute rage and strength flowing through his body. He didn't care who this man or thing was to Banner. Now, this monstrosity needed to be smashed!
"YOU. ARE. WEAK," Brian screamed back at Hulk. His gigantic arm slammed down like a sledge hammer toward the Hulk. The nightmare chose to summon Bruce's old neighborhood as the arena for the monsters to battle to the death. Their attacks connected, setting off a nuke right in the middle of the town.
Sparks flew as Pyrrha's spear and the Arc family sword clashed.
Pyrrha gritted her teeth as she pushed back against the force of an improving Jaune, "Im...pressive."
"Thanks...comes from my dad," Jaune teased knowing it was actually Pyrrha who had helped his abilities exponentially.
She went along. "Oh? It wasn't me taking hours of my day for weeks on end to help you?" She jumped back and slashed at Jaune's chest armor.
More sparks flew as Jaune caught the attack on his blade. "Okay! No holding back," he told himself. If he wanted to have even the slightest chance of victory, he had go on the offensive. He put the palm of his free hand on the back side of his sword and pushed away from the standstill. "RAHHHH," Jaune yelled throwing stabs and strikes that Pyrrha taught him the other night!
She smiled and easily blocked strikes that showed Jaune was improving. "Very impressive, Jaune! Now, don't forget what I taught you; don't let anger consume you. Let it empower you!" Jaune had to get himself mad to find strength. He thought back to the times he wasn't strong enough to save his team from Bruce. Back when he tried to protect Pyrrha from a boulder that crashed onto both of them.
"STOP TREATING ME LIKE A CHILD," Jaune screamed. Out of fury, he brought his sword back and stabbed at Pyrrha's leg.
Out of instinct, Pyrrha swiped down to counter the anger-filled attack. "Jaune..." She felt bad for her choice of words. She was just trying to encourage the leader of her team. "I didn't mean-,"
Jaune smirked as he took his opportunity during Pyrrha's downed guard, "GOT YOU!" The Arc family sword stabbed in-front of Pyrrha's face as she turned to evade. The great Pyrrha Nikos, evading a stab, let alone a stab from someone who cheated to get into Beacon? Had Jaune's determination and warrior spirit lead him to almost landing a strike on the Great Pyrrha Nikos? Yes! Jaune didn't hesitate as soon as he knew he missed his strike. He had to keep going in order to have a small chance of damaging the best combatant in Beacon.
Pyrrha couldn't believe it. She HAD to go on the defensive! She leaned back as Juane slid toward her on his knees, putting all his weight behind a slash aimed for the exposed stomach her armor showed. Jaune's sword followed up from the momentum and slashed up, bringing him back to his feet. Pyrrha's spear turned horizontal, barely catching Jaune's sword that swiped down. Her green eyes showed nothing but happiness and acknowledgement for her leader's improvement.
"OWWW," Jaune yelped as his backside smashed onto the roof top from Pyrrha's fast and deadly sweep.
"Sorry!"
"N-No...it's fine," Jaune said rubbing his aching back.
"Jaune, that was such an amazing showing," Pyrrha cheered.
"I-I actually did good?" Jaune chuckled as he got to his feet.
Pyrrha nodded, "YES! You almost got me twice. Your sword-play has increased exponentially. I couldn't be more proud of you!" Her arms went around Jaune, embracing him in the moment.
"O-Oh, Pyrrha!" Jaune's face showed more color than Ruby's cape. "I...I couldn't have done it without you!"
Pyrrha pulled away from the hug. "We can't stop now! You're on fire and it'd be foolish to let that flame die out tonight. Come on," she smiled sheathing Milo and Akouo, "we have just enough time to work on aura before curfew."
"Actually, Pyrrha," Jaune rubbed the back of his head, "I think I'm good. I think we can skip aura for tonight, I'm fine with just a jog or something."
"Oh, come on," Pyrrha smiled. Jaune had to be playing a joke on her. He was never the one to quit early; he had the heart of a warrior and went beyond what was needed. Pyrrha laid her hand on her leader's shoulder, "I know you get frustrated, but that's no reason to give up now!"
Jaune frowned, knowing Pyrrha wouldn't understand. "That's...not it. It's about the dance..."
"Oh," Pyrrha said disheartened. She knew it was about his attraction to Weiss. She smiled the best she could for the boy who didn't love her back. "I'm here to listen! I don't know what type of help I could provide, but I'll-,"
"I want to take you to the dance!"
Pyrrha's heart skipped a beat. "E-excuse me?"
"Me, Juane Arc, would like to take you, Pyrrha Nikos...to the dance tomorrow." His body began to shake, ready for the 'NO' he'd receive. "That is...if you haven't been asked already."
"I..." Pyrrha began to shake as well from all the excitement she was feeling. "I don't know how-,"
"It's okay," Jaune sighed, "you don't have to say anything. I, Jaune Arc, someone who had to lie and cheat my way to Beacon asking the great Pyrrha Nikos out to the dance? Yeah...I really don't belong here if I ever thought I'd have a chance with you."
Pyrrha was speechless. Was Jaune confessing to her? She would never have that courage.
"It's okay," Jaune sighed. "This is pretty crazy, I know. Me just asking you out of the blue? But the truth is, I've grown feelings for you since the first day I was here. Yeah, Weiss is pretty, but she isn't my type. Time and time again, you save me. Save me from Grimm, bad grades and even Banner. And," Jaune took a shaky breath, "I would do the same a thousand times over for you." Pyrrha was going say no to him, but it was okay. Arc's were brave and this Arc was brave enough to ask out someone who was out of his league. He smiled brightly at Pyrrha, "We can get back to training and aura. I just had to get it off my chest-,"
Pyrrha connected her lips with the young Arc. She pulled away and smiled deeply, "I would love to accompany you to the dance tomorrow night, Jaune Arc."
"I beg your pardon?"
Pyrrha let out a huge laugh at her leader's denseness as she spoke, "I, Pyrrha Nikos, HAHAHAHA, will happily, HAHA, accompany you to the dance!"
Jaune looked behind himself. "Ren? Nora? Did you set Pyrrha up to this?"
"Jaune," Pyrrha gently moved his head back to face her, "no one did anything. I was hoping you would ask me to the dance."
"Oh," Jaune nonchalantly said. Then it hit him. "OH! Y-YOU DO?" He had finally kissed a girl, checking off a goal on the bucket list! "YOU WANT TO GO TO THE DANCE, W-WITH ME?"
Pyrrha couldn't help but give into the excitement in the air, "YES!"
"I-I need to get a dress!" Pyrrha had been so sure she wouldn't need to go since no had asked to take her.
"Me too! Wait...NOT A DRESS THOUGH."
All Pyrrha did was smile. "Come on," she took his hand and headed off the roof, "I bet there will be plenty of stores still open."
"O-Ok." Jaune had held onto Pyrrha's before, but it was usually so she could pull him to safety. This was different. "This will be so much fun, Pyrrha! Thank you for-OW!" Pyrrha had come to a dead stop, accidentally slamming her shoulder into Jaune's chest.
"Sorry," Pyrrha said. Her voice wasn't cheerful and cutesy when she said it this time. She was serious. "Do you smell that?" she asked as she reached for her shield.
"Yeah..." The Arc family sword was held in Jaune's hand, "...blood."
The smell came from Glynda's classroom. The door slightly opened.
"Don't the Professors always lock their doors when they're done for the day?" Jaune asked.
"Yeah." Pyrrha stopped herself from pushing the door open and going in headstrong. She turned to Jaune and whispered, "Shouldn't we go get one of the Professors or alert someone?
"Pyrrha, we both can smell blood. There's someone in there, either dead or wounded. And in our job as Huntsmen and Huntresses, we are obligated to help anyone in danger." He took a deep breath and exhaled, "Team attack, Arkos starts...Now!"
Jaune rolled, stabbing the sharp bottom of his shield into the ground as he stacked Pyrrha's on top his own. The butt of Pyrrha's rifle flicked on the lightswitch as she slid into the room. The lights revealed Pyrrha kneeling aiming her rifle using Jaune and their shields to cover her from gunfire.
Pyrrha aimed finding the body of a man lying on the ground in a pool of blood. "BANNER!" She rushed to his aid and lifted his head from the ground onto her lap.
"What's wrong with him?" Jaune asked ignoring the blood that freaked him out.
"I-I don't know! It might be a seizure of some sort."
"Shouldn't he have, oh, I don't know, Hulked out or something?"
Pyrrha was thinking the same thing. If the Hulk hadn't come out when Bruce needed him, he had to be in serious danger. "Jaune!" She got his attention away from freaking out, "Go get help!"
"What if he Hulks out-,"
"JAUNE, GO!"
"All right!" Jaune raced off heading to Beacon Tower to get Ozpin or anyone who could help.
"Bruce...please," Pyrrha said in fear of the worst. She couldn't let the man who helped her out of a depression only days ago die. If he did, how would Ruby react? She and Bruce had made a cute little friendship. It'd shatter Ruby's heart. "Bruce, wake up!"
Banner's breathing began to slow down as he continued to face off against his father for control of his mind...
A backhand crashed into the front of Hulk's body. He felt his spine and ribs crack from the massive hit. He soared through the air and brought a mansion to the ground.
"HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH, BRUCIE?" The monster roared from halfway across the neighborhood.
Hulk groaned in pain from the attack. His fists dug into the pavement, pushing himself back to his feet. "Hulk..." he coughed and was forced to kneel from the pain. He had to get up. He had to stop Brian from taking control of puny Banner's mind! A piece of debris hit a truck and its sirens went off, catching Hulk's attention.
"You...are...NOTHING!" The huge beast covered the distance between he and the Hulk in one pounce. He raised his fist into the air and brought it down to bury Bruce in pain and death.
"HULK IS HULK!" Hulk swung a massive uppercut with a fist covered by a boxing glove made from a truck.
Brian's arm was knocked back from the impact of their fists. He screamed, enraged from actually being overpowered by his own son, "DIE!" His leg aimed back and swung to punt Hulk as far way as possible. Brian roared in pain as Hulk deflected the attack by slamming his fists into the monster's ankle. The huge devil shook the ground, falling on his back with a broken foot.
Hulk jumped onto the huge monster's chest and wailed on him. "HULK IS STRONGEST," a fist went into Brian's blackening eye. "HULK PROTECT BANNER," teeth flew out of Brian's mouth. "AND," Hulk grabbed Brian by his throat and readied another punch, "HULK PROTECT THEM ALL!" He thought about Ruby, Pyrrha, Glynda and everyone who didn't deserve to be in the middle of everything. "SMASH!"
Brian's head slammed into the street as Hulk delivered a punch that destroyed the rest of his make-shift gloves. Hulk grabbed Brian at the throat, ready to deliver more. He turned and spat out blood and teeth. Brian looked back up at his son and mocked, "That all you got?"
"HULK SMASH DEVIL-," he was cut short as he fell into the jaws of the Devil Hulk.
"Tasty~," Brian taunted as his teeth ground and stabbed into he Hulk's thick hide. Brian could taste the gamma radiation in Hulk's blood, energizing and healing him from the Hulk's beating mere seconds before. Brian swallowed, but choked as his tongue was being ripped down the middle by Hulk's grip.
"Hulk...not...FOOD!" Hulk tore off tongue as he used it to propel himself up, flinging himself out of the monster's mouth.
"YOU WILL DIE," Brian roared tasting his own blood. He reached out, catching Hulk with his teeth. Hulk was between a sharp place and another sharp place. Huge fangs dug into his palms and soles of his feet from a beast with a bite-force able to crumble mountains.
"SMASH!"
Brian's jaw snapped right in half. "You...bastard," he panted with his jaw droppped low.
Hulk looked right at the injured monstrosity that was known as Bruce's father. "Hulk win."
Brian's huge eyes exploded with red veins. He wasn't going to let his son win. "NEVER!" he screamed as he formed a fist and swung.
Hulk caught the giant fist within his hands, filling with rage once more. "HULK SAID, ENOUGH!"
Brian screamed in instant pain and regret. Sinew and bone snapped as his left arm was ripped off and thrown to the side. "No..." he begged as Hulk moved to the next arm. "STOP!" Hulk grabbed Brian's right shoulder and shook his head.
Hulk took a step back and stared at the armless pitiful monster on his knees.
"Son, I never meant-" Brian was silenced as his head flew into the air from a massive uppercut.
"SHUT UP," Hulk roared at the body as it fell on its side. The body began to shrink.
"B-Bruce..." Brian pleaded as he returned his human form, "Daddy is sorry...I'm sorry!" he began crying at Hulk's feet. "Don't kill me! I don't deserve to die!"
"Hulk not kill you," Hulk said filling Brian with hope.
"T-Thank you, my son!" Hulk began to shrink into Bruce. "There you are," Brian said with fake emotion. "My beautiful baby boy! I only did the things I did to make you stronger! S-son?" he questioned.
Bruce's eyes were still green and staring right into Brian's soul. He clenched his fists, "Shut...up."
"What...what are you going to do?" Brian began to crawl away. "WAIT, NO!" His face was pushed in from his son's fists. "GIVE ME ANOTHER CHA-,"
Blood coated Bruce's fist as he stared at his father's body. "Goodbye...father." He no longer felt regret about beating Brian to death those many years ago. Brian's body began to fade along with all of the horrible memories he had left in Bruce's head. The whole scene slowly faded until Banner was standing in a black pit of nothingness. "It's time to leave this place, forever." He closed his eyes and an image of Brian and Rebecca holding him as a baby warmed his heart.
"BRUCE!" he heard Pyrrha scream for him to wake up.
He slowly opened his eyes. "I'm...here."
"Thank the gods!" Pyrrha hugged Banner's head. "What happened?"
"It's...not a tale for your ears."
"Then maybe for mine," Ozpin said walking in the room with Jaune not too far behind. "Thank you, Mr. Arc," he nodded as Jaune walked in the room panting from all the running.
"Ozpin," Bruce said in a daze. He felt as if he had woken up from a dream.
"You not need say anything," Ozpin assured. "Pyrrha and Juane, you are dismissed to your dorm."
"But what if-"
"Miss Nikos," Ozpin smiled, "I am sure Bruce will be safe within my quarters."
Pyrrha nodded. She and Jaune left.
"You think they'll be okay?"
"Jaune, if there is anyone here I trust the most, it's Ozpin."
Banner sat up, wiping sweat and blood from his face. "He's gone, Oz."
"Who?"
"The voice that wanted me...to kill everyone and everything. The voice that would have made me cause ultimate destruction." Bruce cleaned up his blood from the floor and headed out.
Ozpin placed his hand on his shoulder, hindering him. "You know you can tell me everything, right?"
"I know. And I thank you." Banner left, leaving Ozpin questioning if it was even safe to let Bruce attend the dance.