Sorry for the delay in updating, I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always let me know what you thought in the reviews! If you want to be updated on when I upload a new chapter, be sure to follow this story to be notified when it happens! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chapter 4: Hope

As Steve awoke to a now calm atmosphere, soaking from the sea water, he attempted to move upwards being careful not to make the crate begin to jolt again and knock him out like it did last time. He tried to focus on his surroundings but it was pitch black and all he could hear was the seagulls and waves moving about outside. He rubbed his head and felt a cracking scab on his forehead and he felt a pain in the side of his ribs but other than that he seemed ok, apart from the fact he was alone and stranded in a crate transported by an alien man away from his normal calm home and away from Bucky. Bucky… what on earth was he going to do about that? Was Loki going to come back for him? Steve felt sick to his stomach even thinking about what that monster would have wanted to do with Bucky and why he would even want Bucky in the first place. Bucky was just a college student like him… or was he?

Steve began to question how much he actually knew about Bucky and other than the fact that they went to the same college and that his father was part of S.H.I.E.L.D there was literally nothing else he could think of. Maybe it was to do with his dad, maybe his dad had enemies and Bucky was being used against him… Steve shook his head at the ridiculousness of his imagination, but could it really be so stupid to think that after what he had just witnessed? Still sat down Steve felt around his pockets and brought out what is now a dripping plastic what was iPhone, wonderful. Steve wasn't quite sure if he was dreaming or not and he prayed he would wake up any minute to his mum shouting "Stevey" from downstairs for some toast and jam, oh what Steve would do right now for some toast and jam.

As another wave crashed into the side of the crate, he heard a muffled groan from across the room… well that's what it sounded like, although it could be him making the noise because he wasn't sure of his senses anymore. He didn't even feel alive. There it is again, the groan. Steve called out and heard another low groan from across the room, could it be Bucky here with him in the same torture as Loki wanted them, could this be where Loki put them both? Steve prayed with all his heart that it was him so said his name in the loudest whisper he could produce.

Silence, the person didn't recognise the name; it wasn't Bucky. Steve groaned in despair at the thought of him and Bucky apart and worse of all he wasn't sure if this person was a threat or not and what they would be doing here. He heard the person shuffling, shuffling towards him and Steve spoke, louder this time, demanding him to say who he is.

When he spoke, he spoke with a croaky voice as though he had been in this crate for 20 years and said "p..p..please, don't shout at me I..I… am just back to n..n..normal and don't want t..to lose control ag..g..ain" What did he mean again? Steve became puzzled and asked him who he is and what he meant by losing control. "Didn't you see me? When you were plonked here? This place had been still for almost 2 days after I got here and then when you arrived it began again and I nearly killed you I didn't mean to sir please believe that"

Steve became silent, what could he say to this man? Was he an alien too? Steve's questions just kept piling up and up to a point where he couldn't even ask them he was too confused to even start, thankfully the man continued. "My name is Bruce Banner and I'm a threat to human kind so S.H.I.E.L.D kept me hidden in a crate until Loki thought it would be funny to chuck it into the ocean. S.H.I.E.L.D hasn't been able to track me down since and I thought you may be help when you arrived but then the crate began to rock and I tried so hard not to kill you I really did and I'm sorry for your broken ribs and then you were out cold and I must have gotten back to normal just before you awoke. So sir, are you here to help? Are you from S.H.I.E.L.D?"

Steve sighed, feeling guilty that he was no more help to him here or not and said "no Bruce, I'm sorry. Loki tricked me and stranded me here and took my boyfr… my friend and I don't know what he is going to do to him and I am so scared I don't even know how long I'm expected to stay here and I really don't want to be here being useless and my friend is in trouble and…" Steve felt tears fall off his face as he began to cry the most terrible cry he thinks he has ever had and Bruce shuffled closer and hugged him tightly trying to comfort him by saying that they will find a way even though both him and Steve know it would be nearly impossible to even attempt to escape this trap.

"I just… I just… I just… want some toast and jam and for my… my… mum to give me mummy cuddles and to just see that amazing pointy toothed grin of Bucky's and to just… to just… go on the date I was supposed to go on and… and… and… I'm so sorry I'm such a mess." Steve whimpered into Bruce's arms for what seemed like days which finally ended with him falling asleep in his arms, all dry face and saw eyes from crying so hard.

When Steve next awoke he saw the crate was lit and he could see what it looked like, Bruce was stood by a table playing about with tools and Steve sat in awe at the amazingness of light and felt himself begin to smile at the fricking sight of well… sight! If Bruce could turn on a light, what else was he capable of? Steve asked him how he did it and Bruce explained that he was always into science and just played about with the wires a bit and there you go he did it. When Steve carefully crawled over to the desk Bruce was at, being wary of his ribs, he saw that Bruce was drawing something… it was an escape: it was hope.

"Have you found a way out?" Steve asked, hopefully.

"I think so, you see the one flaw within this crate is that it's only meant to withhold the strong and the beast that I become but it cannot withhold the weak and the not so beast, like yourself."

"When you say beast, what exactly do you mean? You don't look like a beast?"

"As I said, I liked science and I played about a bit. Believe me, you don't want to know what I meant by 'beast'"

"Okay, but if you go from normal to beast then surely this crate would hold both?"

"You would think, however trying to get out would frustrate anyone, especially me and when I'm frustrated it isn't pretty and so then I become beast and the whole trying to escape fails again whereas you don't have that flaw so you can work your magic."

"What do you need me to do?" Steve was so ready to do anything, broken ribs or not he would try anything to get out, any glimmer of hope to ever see Bucky was the most important so anything is possible.

Me and my cliffhangers eh, haha hope you enjoyed! Thankyou again for reading.