"You're goin' on autopilot, baby," Tony ordered as his iron suit safely encased his body. "Daddy's too drunk to drive." The rockets in his heels fired up and the latest Iron Man model took off in the direction of the lab. Tony wasn't sure if Beethoven was playing, but whoever it was, the music was horribly out of sync with the Hulk's current tantrum. "Son of a bitch." His computer monitors were cracked, his desk chair was decimated, and one of the worktables had been uprooted from the floor.
The Hulk snarled as Tony's suit approached the glass barrier. He angrily threw his fist at the invisible wall, forcing his bright red target to back away.
"Agent Romanoff is on her way," JARVIS mentioned.
"Think we can get this guy on the roof?" Tony wondered as a punch cracked the glass.
"I would not advise it," the program answered. "We cannot have Dr. Banner loose in this state."
The beast roared and charged at the wall shoulder first.
Tony swore as the hairline crack became more prominent. "Shit, shit… Blasters ready to fire?"
"May I suggest using the tranquilizers?"
"Tranquizili…"
"In your lab," JARVIS continued, aiding with his creator's thought process. "Downstairs. There is a briefcase on your desk."
The controls of the Iron Man suit sent Tony flying towards the elevator just as the Hulk shattered the lab doors into smithereens.
"Damn," Tony grumbled to himself. He forced his suit to freeze in midair so he could turn and successfully deliver a series of bullets to the Hulk's chest. That hardly distracted the beast. If anything, it upset him further, sending him charging at Tony's iron suit. "Didn't this place see enough damage?" he scowled, firing his blasters into Hulk's eyes. "Just finished damn repairs…" The Hulk's large hand swiped at the suit's middle, but Tony was quick to dodge. "New plan. Make Romanoff get the tranquilizers. I'll keep Tarzan busy."
Natasha assumed her ringing phone was Fury with another mission. For her to receive a full night's sleep without any disruptions was rare. Natasha picked up her phone and cleared her throat. The second she saw Stark's name across the screen, her mind immediately went for the worst case scenario. It had to be Bruce. Rather, the other guy. "Stark," she stated in a crisp tone.
"I am afraid this involves Dr. Banner," JARVIS replied.
"The Hulk?" she assumed.
"Mr. Stark requires your assistance."
Natasha didn't bother to change out of her shorts and tank top. "Brief me," she ordered as she grabbed her car keys.
Tony watched as his suit's battery drained from 88% to 64% in mere minutes. His repetitive blasts were doing a number on the power levels, and his missile supply was already depleted. "Some stamina ya got there, Banner," he complimented, though the Hulk wasn't flattered. "Any word on Romanoff?"
"She is on her way," JARVIS assured.
"Been six minutes," Tony drawled, zapping the beast in the mouth.
The Hulk's jaw hung open as his opponent's attack scorched his throat. He howled in pain, but that only allowed for another blast to strike his tongue.
To Tony's pleasure, Bruce's alter ego toppled backwards, creating a hulk-sized crater in the floor. That wasn't enough for Tony to stop firing. He continued as the Hulk snarled in a high-pitched growl.
"Jarvis, connect me to Stark," Natasha barked into her phone as she darted into the building.
The program connected the two Avengers in half a second's time. "Mr. Stark, Ms. Romanoff."
"Where do you need me?" Natasha asked, running straight for the elevator.
Tony had never felt so relieved to hear her voice. "My lab. Jarvis-take her down," Tony ordered. "Remember that tranquilizer gun?"
"Where is it?"
"Desk. I think."
Natasha overheard a growl. "You need me to shoot him."
"The sooner the better." Tony noticed the Hulk's form cringe as the beast willingly stayed in the crater he had made himself. "Jarv, music! Louder!"
Natasha heard a Tchaikovsky piece grow louder as the elevator descended. "How's he doing?"
Tony shot the Hulk in the chest and the giant's gut heaved. "Might've worn himself out…Better safe than sorry."
A set of doors opened and Natasha hurried into Tony's lab. She spotted the gun, along with the briefcase housing the tranquilizer darts. "Ready to get the big guy, Jarvis?" she wondered, checking to ensure the gun was loaded.
"Ready when you are, Agent."
"Let's go," Natasha announced, running straight back into the elevator.
Tony kept a close eye on Bruce's green form, scanning for any signs of him reverting back to normal. He caught the Hulk giving him a cold glare as he hovered close to his face. "You in there, Banner boy?"
Hulk scowled and flipped onto his side.
"Still got some fight in ya?" Tony drifted several feet back, arms outstretched in preparation for an attack.
The Hulk took the gesture as a challenge and sprang to his feet. He hunched forward to bare his yellowed teeth at the metal man.
"So still feeling it…Okay." Tony sent a repulsor beam in his direction, but Hulk ungracefully spun away, slamming his side into the wall.
"Hey!" Natasha shouted from behind Iron Man.
The Hulk's attention flickered to her. He glowered, wild-eyed as she pointed a gun in his direction.
Natasha fired the instant his large foot lifted up from the ground. "We tried music… How about working on your breathing?"
Hulk's limbs felt like lead as a dart lodged itself into his chest. He muttered a jumbled chuff as his body stumbled backwards.
Natasha watched as the Hulk's form began to shrink and his green colour faded. "What happened?" she demanded as Tony's suit folded into itself.
Tony incoherently grumbled.
She knew he played some part in this. He reeked of booze and his eyes were slightly puffy.
"Talk to me when I'm sober," he sourly advised.
"Stark!" she spat. Natasha raised the gun to his head, but Bruce's groans forced her to lower the weapon.
"Tasha…" Bruce fumbled with his outstretched waistband as he remained on the cold floor. "I'll handle it…" He attempted to raise his head, but his neck muscles ached and his eyes were fighting just to stay open.
Natasha gave Tony a dirty glare as she approached Bruce's side. "Let's get you to bed," she murmured. "Can you stand for me?"
Bruce managed a weak nod. He rose to his feet, but he was positive that Natasha was doing most of the lifting. "Had a nightmare," he mumbled as Natasha helped drag him away from shards of glass glistening at their feet.
"That bad, huh?" She noticed a slick coat of red in between his toes as they walked past Tony.
Tony bumped arms with Natasha as he proceeded to walk in the opposite direction.
Natasha's fist had a date with Tony's face once the idiot sobered up. Until then, she had a doctor to tend to. "I think you'll sleep just fine," she assured Bruce. His weight shifted, but Natasha kept an arm secured across his waist, hugging him close.
Once in his home, Natasha sat Bruce down at the kitchen table and showed herself to his bathroom for a washcloth and his first aid kit. After dampening the cloth, she knelt before him and began wiping blood from the soles of his feet. She discovered six shards of glass, four in the left, two in the right, which she carefully removed with some tweezers. Natasha glanced up at Bruce before applying the antiseptic, only to find that he was fast asleep in the chair. "That tired, huh?" She bandaged his feet, then forced him awake long enough to bring him to his bed.
A small smile crossed his lips as his head hit the pillow. "Thanks…"
Natasha smirked at his sleeping form. "Looking at you has me exhausted…" She kicked off her shoes and made herself at home beneath his comforter. "You don't mind, right?"
Bruce didn't hear a word she said. He drew his arms close to his chest, allowing Natasha the unoccupied half of his bed.
Natasha turned her back to him as she made curled up into a ball. Her pillow smelled like soap and generic aftershave. She was used to men's scents, but Bruce's was one of the few that helped her relax.
Like Bruce, Natasha soon fell fast asleep.
He rolled onto his back, uttering a light groan as he stretched his arms. Bruce slowly opened his eyes and brought his attention to the sunlight filtering through his curtains. Last night felt like a nightmare. Never had he ever had an incident like that one. Bruce recalled Tony's slurred words and alcohol breath and felt sick to his stomach. He could've killed his best friend… Bruce rolled onto his left side and tightly shut his eyes. He feared having to confront Tony about his Hulk-out. Bruce knew they would have to talk things over, and he was prepared to leave given that Tony kicked him out. If alcohol was a new trigger, then Bruce wasn't safe with the billionaire. His eyes slowly opened and a new shock occupied Bruce's mind. A head of short red hair was splayed against his neighboring pillow, forcing him to hold his breath as he stared. He didn't know how she got there. Bruce cleared his throat and Natasha's form shifted beneath the covers. Fearful of waking her, he did his best to sit up as carefully as possible, but the mattress shifted beneath his weight and a woman's groan followed.
"What time is it?"
Bruce focused his attention on his over-stretched waistband. "I… I just woke up…"
Natasha grabbed her phone off the nightstand and sat up. "10:32. Damn, I never sleep this late…"
Bruce sheepishly turned his head to meet her stare. "You stayed?"
She shrugged with a smirk. "It was late. Besides, seeing you knocked out made me tired," Natasha laughed.
"Did…" He rose from the bed, careful to keep his pants at waist-level. "Did I hurt you?"
Natasha gave him an honest stare as she shook her head. "No one got hurt. Well, you did," she corrected. "Stepped in some glass. But I patched you up."
The pads of his feet felt sore and he could feel the medical tape securely wrapped around his toes. "You're sure I didn't hurt you?" he wondered with pleading eyes.
"I'd rather know about you." She kicked the comforter aside and brought her legs close to her body. "Stark didn't say anything. He seemed kinda pissed…"
Bruce slowly exhaled before sitting on the bed's edge. "I'm terrified to see him…"
"Get into a fight?" she assumed, eyes focused on a faded scar across his right shoulder blade. It was a thin and jagged line no longer than her thumb. Natasha had an eye for things like that-she wore several scars of her own, each one its own story.
"I snapped," Bruce evenly replied.
"You don't seem like that kind of guy," she answered with a hollow laugh.
Bruce grew quiet. "I imagined my father."
Natasha wasn't sure how to respond to that. She didn't even know why Bruce hated the man.
"Tony was drinking," he began. "And…I must have been bothering him. He seemed irritated."
Stark triggered it. Natasha figured as much.
"That's never happened before." His fingers gripped the sheets until his knuckles turned white. "God, what if it happens again? I-I can't stay here, I-"
Natasha crawled over to him and placed her hand over his. "Yesterday was rough on you," she reminded him. "I'm sure that's what caused this."
Bruce turned his head to watch her thumb lightly stroke his fist. "I can't stop thinking about it…"
"You know that's going to make this worse…"
Bruce felt an invisible hand smack him across the cheek. "You didn't know him," he warned in a low growl as he remembered the dead look in Brian Banner's dark eyes. "That man was scum…" A memory of his mother pulling down her sleeves just to hide the dark bruises on her arms made his blood boil. "The bastard was heartless…"
"Bruce." Natasha rested her hands on his shoulders. Anger was the last thing he needed. "Breathe."
He knew she was trying to help, but she didn't know what a monster his father his father was. She didn't know anything about the helpless Bruce Banner who let himself be shoved around and beaten. She didn't know just how useless he was, sitting back and letting others feel Brian Banner's wrath. She didn't know how he could've saved his mother…And that he wouldn't have to be plagued with an unyielding guilt…
The grown man broke into sobs and Natasha pulled him close to her chest. "Shhh," she hummed. "Shhh…" Her fingers carefully stroked his hair as she felt his arms embrace her.
Bruce had no intention to bring his burdens onto her, but Natasha had a comforting presence. He needed the shoulder to cry on, and she welcomed him without a word in protest.
"Deep breaths," she murmured.
Bruce sniffed and pulled away from her warmth. "I'm wasting your time."
She fired a warning glare at him. "You're not," Natasha promised.
He shook his head. "I'm sorry…"
"Bruce." She rested her hand against his tear-stained cheek. "You're a mess."
A choked laugh managed to escape his throat.
"But so am I," she continued. "I want to stay."
He placed his hand over hers, pressing the warmth of her palm to his skin. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified of myself."
"We all fall, Bruce," she offered. "But then we get back up again."
She made his problems sound so simple to fix. There was a growing part of him that wondered if her words were for her own benefit in addition to his. He didn't know Natasha's story, but he did know that beneath her strong façade, she was just as broken as he was. "I'll remember that," he nodded, his eyes boring into hers.
Natasha felt the tension weaken and she brought a smile to her lips. "How about we get breakfast?"
Bruce lowered his eyes and left the safety of his bed. "I think I'd rather settle things with Tony. Alone, if you don't mind."
"Okay." She slipped on her shoes before grabbing her phone. "Dinner this week. My treat."
"I'll call you," Bruce promised.
Natasha caught herself staring at him during a long pause. "Stark loves you too much to hold a grudge. Keep that in mind."
With a forced grin, he nodded. "Goodbye, Natasha."