Author's Note – Thanks so much for your patience! I promise, I have this whole story outlined…it's just a matter of getting it on paper.

Fourth Interlude

Bruce stared at the couple as they strolled out of his laboratory. 'Confused' would be too mild a word for his current state of mind. 'Bewildered' would be closer.

The entire household seemed to accept him, but they hung back, gave him plenty of space. Nobody bothered him too much, excluding Tony, and they rarely went out of their way to interact with him, excluding Tony and Jane. Now he had to wonder. Clint hadn't told Darcy to stay away from him. His mind ruminated over that.

The archer took Darcy's safety seriously. If there was even a hint of probable trouble, someone shadowed her at all times. Clint usually, or Natasha, but someone always had an eye on her. Even when nothing was wrong, JARVIS and a SHIELD agent would be tracking her one way or another. Apparently Fury was willing to spare the manpower to keep his agent happy. Of course, it might also have something to do with placating a rather touchy astrophysicist who disliked the system anyway, not to mention her demigod boyfriend who would be exceedingly unhappy if something happened to one of his friends.

That was beside the point. Clint hadn't warned her off, and he'd just nodded at Bruce.

Were the others giving him space because he held back? Maybe it had nothing to do with the Other Guy at all. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the previous day – to remember the Other Guy's mood.

Hulk roared as he tore apart the puny metal thing that hurt Bruce. Hulk didn't like guns shooting at him. He looked around. Funny room, weird smells, big windows…small female person. He frowned and her eyes grew big.

"Um…hi?" The small female had a squeaky voice. "Please don't smash me?"

Hulk snorted. Funny female – too small to smash unless she had a gun. He moved forward slowly, tilting his head to look at her, looking for a weapon. He didn't see one. She didn't scream; that was good. Screams hurt Hulk's ears. The small female started talking. He stared at her. Talky Woman talked a lot, but her voice didn't hurt. It wasn't soft like Betty's, but it was good.

Hulk heard a soft noise and something pointy hit his shoulder. He jerked around with a roar. Bird Man hung down from the ceiling. Hulk started to move, but everything got hazy, dark…

Bruce blinked. The Other Guy liked Darcy; he thought she was funny. He liked that she talked to him and didn't scream. Strange…he'd never paid attention to the Other Guy's thoughts before. They were usually too chaotic, tinged with anger or… Bruce's thoughts trailed off as the inspiration hit him.

Fear. The Other Guy's thoughts usually came overshadowed by fear. Could that be part of the issue? He went on rampages because he was afraid? It was something to consider. If he…they…the team could handle the Other Guy without fear, maybe he would be less destructive.

Bruce began to shut down the lab. He needed to meditate, to consider this new data.

Talky Woman, Bird Man. He gave a soft chuckle as the Other Guy's thoughts came back to him. He wondered what Darcy and Clint would think of their new nicknames.