Hey guys, sorry its been so long! I've had lovely college papers interfering with this story...

We all have instincts. It's in our nature to do certain things. We breathe so that we won't suffocate, eat so we won't starve, and yawn when we're tired. We blush when we're embarrassed and cry when we're upset. We're all driven to do these things by some sort of force of nature. Yet, in this moment, I felt like that force couldn't decide what to do with me.

After seeing Steve, Tony, and Thor wander into the control room with Fury, all looking more defeated than ever, I decided to take my leave. I didn't want to hear any more bad news. Dante let go of my hand that he had been grasping onto for the past 45 minutes willingly and didn't argue or give me any sideways glances, he just let me leave. I walked through the particularly quiet halls of the Helicarrier numbly, not caring where I ended up at. They announced that we would be landing for repairs over the intercom. As I turned down another hallway, I noticed Natasha leaning against the wall.

She looked up and her eyes met mine. I noticed a large bruise blossoming on her cheek but I tried to keep my eyes trained on hers as I approached. I stood next to her and then sat down against the wall.

"I've had better days at the office," she joked bitterly.

"I would hope so. I haven't even been here a week and all hell already broke loose."

"'All hell' is actually behind that door."

I looked up at her, confused. She walked across the hall to one of the many doors and I rose back up and followed. She cracked the door open and I peered through. I could see Bruce from the small amount of light that showed from the hallway. He was hooked to wires and an IV and was fast asleep.

"It's hard to think that a man like him could become something so… cataclysmic." She said softly.

I tore my eyes away from his form and walked back into the hall.

"You calmed him down right? You and your brother?" Natasha had taken her spot back on the wall.

"Kind of. Well, Thor had to smash him over the head with that hammer of his to get him in a daze before Dante had him power down. News travels fast, huh?"

"Maybe. I'm a spy, I always keep my ears open."

I nodded and we fell into silence again. That is, until a low rumble emitted from my stomach. I reddened and looked up at Natasha, who wore a small smile. It looked foreign to her face, but gorgeous nonetheless.

"Hey," she said softly. "Let's go see if the cafeteria is in order yet. We can get some food for us and for Dr. Banner and Agent Barton." She noticed my confused look. "Barton, he was compromised by Loki, but he's back now."

"Ah."

I trailed behind her as she led the way to the cafeteria. I saw other agents trudging to and from the same direction, and they shuffled around us. Most of them kept their eyes down and avoided Natasha, not so much as glancing at her, perhaps out of fear or respect. I took a look at the woman ahead of me, she was perfect. I felt a pang of jealousy when I noticed her figure and posture. If she wasn't one of the deadliest women in existence, she'd make a killer model. Then again, she may be a little too short for that.

Look at me, trying to find fault in her to satiate my own esteem issues. God.

I mean, I know that I'm not obese or anything and that I've lost weight, but I just don't look good. I wish I was like Dante, who had a six pack without even really working out. On our missions, I did a lot of the physical stuff, but my tummy was still fleshy. For the longest time, I just wanted to look like the girls on the billboards I saw back when Dante and I were in LA. They were perfect with their collar bones and long slender necks. I had calloused hands and one weird toenail that kind of grew to the left.

At some point when I was caught up in my esteem issues, Natasha had called my name. I looked up at her and blinked.

"What?"

"Do you have enough clothes? The ones you've been wearing seem pretty battered."

I glanced down at myself. I tore a hole in my jeans and my blouse was stained beyond washing. I could feel my roots beginning to curl from sweat.

"Well," I began, growing conscious. "I have some in my room, but a lot of the pants they gave me were a little small. I've been sticking with these as much as I could get away with."

She nodded and we turned into the cafeteria.

"Since we're landing, we should go get some for you."

I felt myself get a little giddy. The girly girl in me LOVED shopping. Shopping with Natasha would be interesting, to say the least. I wondered if she wore her uniform while shopping.

The cafeteria was filled with low conversation and battered agents. A few looked up at us but most kept focus on their activities. I stuck close behind Natasha as she ordered and tried to keep my eyes from wandering. I couldn't stop from hearing every last bit of conversation though.

"-Coulson did a number on-"

"-Thor destroyed a level with-"

"-their guns were-"

"-Loki tricked a few-"

I sighed heavily as Natasha turned to me and handed me two trays.

"Is it hard?" she asked as we made our way out of the large room.

"Is what hard?"

"Being able to hear so much. I'm sure it gets inconvenient at times."

She must've noticed my annoyance in the cafeteria.

"Yeah, sometime it is, but you learn to have great concentration skills."

She nodded and grew silent again. We came back to our hallway and she opened the door to the room left of Bruce's. She looked at me then, nodded, and walked inside, closing the door behind her. I guess she expected me to do the same. I stared at the door and shuffled my feet. He may find it creepy if I just waited for him to wake up. Or he may find it sweet. I haven't known him long enough to guess, I listened to the inside of his room. I mostly heard the sound of the machines running, but I heard his even paced breathing as well.

I decided to suck it up and enter. I opened the door slowly and peeked in. Bruce still lay there, only now he was stirring a bit. I crept in and closed the door softly behind me and found a light switch. I thought about hitting it, but I realized that his head may not be able to take it, considering how hard Thor had hit him. The small amount of light in the room was enough. I found a small counter next to his bed and set the trays on it. That's when I noticed the straps around his wrists that bound him to the bed. As if that would stop the Hulk.

I rolled my eyes and found a small stool in the corner of the room. I took it and sat next to his bed. I heard footsteps and clanking metal come down the hallway, stopping at Barton's room. I listened as Natasha explained that she and I were watching over the "patients" and they were each going to guard by the doors. Though I wasn't too sure on who they would be guarding.

Bruce suddenly groaned next to me and I turned to him. His head rolled on the pillow and his eyelids cringed. I suddenly grew fearful. He probably wouldn't appreciate it if I leered over him and watched him wake up. But I was already in the room and the guard was outside so it would be weird if I walked out and walked back in because then the guard would assume that – OK. Alyss, stop being stupid.

I sighed and looked back at Bruce's face, attempting to ignore the bare upper half of him.

"Bruce?" I asked quietly.

His eyelids fluttered open. He looked at me, but obviously had to wait a minute for his brain to catch up.

"…Alyss?"

I smiled and nodded. He groaned again he tried to move his arm. When he met the resistance of the strap he looked down at it and sighed heavily.

"Great…" he muttered.

Without a second thought I went to undo his restraints. I heard him chuckle after I had the first one undone and had stood and leaned over his bed to the next.

"What?" I asked, seeing him smile at me.

"They may get mad at you for undoing them."

I scoffed. "In case you didn't notice, I have plenty of reasons to be mad at them too."

I sat back down as he raised his hands to his head, being careful of the wires connected to him. I looked away, trying to be polite.

"Alyss?" I turned to look at him but his hands still covered everything put his mouth. "Is there any way you can get me water?"

I smiled. "Way ahead of you."

He dropped his hands and watched as I picked up his tray. He pushed himself up the bed and into a sitting position before taking the tray from me. He immediately took to the bottle of water. I smiled to myself for being helpful.

"So you've gone from secretary to personal assistant?" he asked after taking a long swig of water.

I laughed. "I guess so; I just thought you may be hungry after… What happened." Way to go Alyss, make it awkward for everyone.

I chomped down on my bottom lip, cursing myself, but Bruce didn't seem to notice.

"Well, you were correct."

He smiled sincerely at me and my face flushed. This guy was too nice. He began to work on the contents of his tray and I did the same with mine, setting it on my lap. I could hear Natasha and Agent Barton speaking to one another softly in the next room. She was undoing his restraints too, so I probably did the right thing.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Bruce said, breaking my concentration.

"Oh, it's just… Agent Romanoff, she's next door with Agent Barton and she's undoing his restraints too. So I guess it's ok that I undid yours."

"Wow, those ears of yours can hear a lot, can't they?"

I nodded. "If I really wanted to, I could hear the blood go through my veins, but it isn't the most pleasant thought."

"You should become a scientist. We'd kill to have hearing like that. To hear reactions before they can be seen."

Before I could reply, I heard the sound of multiple people's footsteps. One of them was definitely Steve's. Bruce gave me a questioning look and I gestured to the door. He sighed and leaned back against the pillow, understanding my concern. A moment later, the guard let Steve and several medics into the room.

"Dr. Banner. Alyss." He greeted both of us. We nodded back and he continued. "Alyss, would you come with me while the medics check on Dr. Banner?"

"What are they going to do with him?" I asked in the coldest voice I could muster.

"I assume just a check on his progress-"

"Then why are the carrying guns? And cuffs? What are you hiding Steve?" I stood up now and the medics backed away.

"'Alyss,'" Steve and Bruce said at the same time. They looked at each other and Steve stood down. I turned to Bruce and met his sad smile.

"It's alright; just go with Steve, ok?"

I frowned but didn't argue. I hesitantly left the side of his bed and exited the room with Steve, after throwing one last concerned look at Bruce and the medics. Steve closed the door quietly behind us and met the glare that I threw at him.

"I'm sorry Alyss," he said.

"What's going on?"

He sighed and leaned against the wall opposite the room, "Fury and the rest of SHIELD are trying to figure out what to do with him. The medics are in there just to be sure he's stable."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "And if he wasn't, their guns would do what to help them?"

"Nothing, of course, but they protect themselves with what they can."

"Are they going to stick him inside that cell they were holding Loki in?"

Steve opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by Maria Hill, who had come walking down the hall.

"Unfortunately, that is not possible." The sound of her heels hitting the floor rebounded loudly off the walls. I had the distinct feeling that she was doing it on purpose.

She stopped beside us. "Before Loki escaped, he attempted to send Thor down in the cell. Agent Coulson shot him and Thor managed to get out, but caused the cell to fall out of the ship doing so. He couldn't get to Coulson before…" she looked down then, her hard exterior faltering for a moment. "Before he was terminated."

We remained quiet, and let her words hang there for a moment, almost out of respect for him.

"Then what will you do with him?" I asked quietly.

Hill shook her head, "We don't know yet. Director Fury should be devising a plan now."

I straightened up and headed down the hall, vaguely knowing where the control room was located.

"Alyss!" Steve sprinted to my side. "Where are you going?"

"To find Fury."

"Alyss, this isn't your job. Fury, he'll come up with –"

I stopped abruptly and turned to face him, "Fury will come up with another cell. He'll stick a perfectly sane man inside of a cell. That will be his solution; but it doesn't need to be."

I watched as Steve stared down at me and then his shoulders visually relax. "Ma'am," he stated. "I will support you in whatever solution you come up with for Dr. Banner, but please, let it be a reasonable one."

I smiled up at him, "Captain, I assure you that Fury will not be able to refuse."

I turned and we continued our walk to the control room.

"That doesn't mean it's reasonable." He muttered.

Once inside the control room, Steve and I found Fury and Tony in a fierce argument. Well, it looked fierce on Fury's side.

"-Stark, you WILL NOT threaten the safety of my ship-"

"-I'm not, you are. Seriously, isn't driving with one eye illegal-"

"-This isn't the time for games Stark, Banner is-"

"-Banner is the reason we found the Tesseract and will more than likely be- OH HEY!"

Tony caught sight of me and Steve in the doorway and rushed over to me, pulling me by the arm back over to Fury.

"Ask his secretary! She knows."

I blushed at Tony's use of my nickname but Fury ignored it.

"I'm done with your foolishness Stark." He said, glaring at Tony.

"Director, we have to talk as well." I said.

Fury gave me a defeated look. "Can't you all see that I am directing a giant ship belonging to an import-"

"Leave Bruce to me and my brother."

Fury looked taken back at my statement.

"We took him down last time, we could do it again."

Fury sighed heavily and leaned against the railing of his control panel. "Alyss, you're asking for a lot here."

"And you owe me for not letting a giant green rage monster wreck your ship any further than it already did."

"She has a point," Steve said, from behind me. "This girl has moxie and I'm sure her brother is the same way if they took him down, with or without Thor. They could do it again, if need be."

Fury looked at all three of us warily until he was certain that we were not wavering on the subject. He turned away from us and faced his control panel.

"For now, I leave him to you and Dante, but I make no promises for what happens after were done with the Tesseract."

I smiled and turned to leave the room.

I found Dante walking down a hallway sometime later and called out to him. He jumped and looked back at me uncertainly. I ran up to his side and smiled at him.

"What's up with you?"

"We're in charge of Bruce now."

He blinked at me, not grasping what I was saying to him.

"What?"

"We're in charge of Bruce. If he Hulks out again then we're taking him down."

"And you're smiling."

"What?"

"And you're smiling. This was your idea."

I looked up at him sheepishly. "It was better than any plan Fury could've come up with."

Dante sighed and then looked me up and down. "Fine, whatever. You need a shower kid."

I laughed, knowing that I looked like a complete and total mess.

"Do you even know where our rooms are? Or if they've been blown up?"

He smiled cheekily. "No and no. I say we go find out."

I nodded and we headed off down the long hallway.

Another chapter down! I hope you guys don't mind the plot change. Oh, and I love reviews!