Faux Pas

Chapter Four

"C'mon, get going!"

"Jean, have you seen my bag?"

"Are you still eating? Kurt we're gonna be late!"

The Institute was in full swing the following morning, everyone running about and getting their things together, or forgetting them more likely. The two Avengers were no exception. While Bruce was trying to get his paperwork collected that he looked up the night before, Bridgette was tying up part of her hair and tugging a cap on over her head.

"Tada! How about this?" she asked, turning about. "Do I look like a P.E teacher?" She was dressed in navy sport shorts, a grey short sleeved shirt with the school's logo and sweatpants pulled on over the shorts. The doctor looked up and gave a small laugh.

"Very much the gym teacher cliche'," he agreed. He returned to putting the folders away into his bag and the girl noticed the tense stature, rigidness in his movements and the fact that his tie wasn't properly made. Her brow lowered in concern at the odd change. Papers fluttered free when he didn't quite grip the folder properly. Taking a moment to stand still, hands gripping the back of the desk chair, he closed his eyes and focused on taking a deep breath.

What if he gets angry? Frustrated with a student?

"Hey." Stepping up to the doctor, her hand placed against his back gently. Her other hand slipped up to rest on the top of his shoulder and she gave a reassuring squeeze. "What's up, doc?"

What if the other guy makes an appearance? And he loses his cool, just for a moment? So many kids would be at risk. He would hurt so many, not even meaning to...

A moment passed and he didn't answer, but she could feel his muscles coiling under his skin, pulling tight out of apprehension. A few beats passed where she stayed quiet, listening to the good doctor try to regain control of his breathing, of his pulse trying to settle down, for his calm to surface once more. His hands gripped the back of the chair tightly, the knuckles paling in color. Moving her hands so that her right moved from his back to his shoulder while the other traveled down his arm to rest on top of the shaking hands.

"You're going to be fine, Bruce," she whispered softly. His brown eyes were screwed shut but she could feel the rigidness ebbing by just a little bit. A good sign. "You're not going to lose control, release the big guy, or whatever other negative and completely overanalyzed thought you've come up with in that head of yours. It's going to be fine. It's the first day of class anyway, pretty much a blow off kind of day. Plus, with the way the schedules are lined up, most kids have my class before yours. So I'll just wear them out so they'll be too tired to cause trouble for you."

He gave a shaky breath of a laugh, glancing over to her with his head still slightly bowed. "So you're a mind reader now?"

"Nah," she disagreed, crinkling up her nose. "Mind reading's not really my thing. But I like to think I've got a general idea of your thought process. And I can read body language pretty well too." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before straightening his blue tie.

"Don't worry. I got you, doc." She gave a wink. "Always will."

Steve hasn't come by the cafe lately. Or called me for that matter.

*Beth, a no name waitress at a little cafe, moved about the workplace on autopilot, serving orders and refilling drinks like she was suppose to. It was odd, working without Bridgette Smith. The older girl was chatty and always friendly to the her, making the work floor quiet in her absence. Beth had just been hired a few weeks before the big alien invasion, when everything was turned upside down by the attack. She had been wearing the the awkwardly pale colored blouse, signifying that she was a new waitress, Bridgette's white said that she had more experience.

Ever since then, the aliens, the supernatural attacks, and the arrival of the Avengers. The Avengers, superheroes that came from seemingly nowhere, just out of the blue to save the day. She still had flashes of the attack, when she, and so many others, were trapped in the bank with those awful aliens surrounding them with their eerily glowing weapons. Then, all of the sudden, Captain America arrives on the scene, fighting the aliens with no restraint, using his shield as an offensive and defensive tactic, doing everything he could to protect them.

"Hurry! Get out of here!"

The crowd hurried at the command, herself included. He was wearing a mask, or helmet, she couldn't quite tell. The alien had pulled him into a headlock and he was fighting back, the mask slowly slipping from his face. Before his identity was exposed, she was pushed outside with the flow of people, battered and bruised, more than terrified for her life. Then there was a sudden explosion, startling her so bad that she tripped, most of her fingers becoming trampled as she hurried to push herself back up. To get away from the danger.

Captain America saved their lives. Her life. He was her hero.

After the battle had been won and safety was theirs once more, life returned to as normal as it could get after such an earth shaking event. She went back to work as did Bridgette. Not long after that, Bridgette's friend started to come by the cafe more often. Steve Rogers. He had visited their cafe once before and she had waited on him while he worked in a little sketchbook at one of the outside tables. Then he became a regular, causing her to blush and stumble over her words if she ever took his order. He and Bridgette were good friends, which was odd as girl with glasses never mentioned any friends outside of work. Awhile after normality returned, Bridgette went suddenly missing after receiving an urgent text message regarding some "family emergency". Another oddity as she never once mentioned her family. Never, under any circumstances, had Beth heard anything regarding Bridgette's home life. She wasn't at work for days then after. Steve didn't come by the cafe either, for the same amount of time.

Then she returns and is back to work like nothing ever happened, Steve at his regular table, ordering his meal and sketching in his little book. Not a hair out of place. Whenever Beth tried to ask about the "emergency" Bridgette would always evade the question or simply say that it was resolved, not divulging any other information. Sensing that it was a tender issue, she didn't push the matter.

Time passed again and things fell into a rotation of sorts. Normal. Regular. When Steve came in on a Sunday, she didn't think anything of it as she jotted down his usual before even asking. What she didn't expect was for him to ask her out, rather than ordering his tea. She had dropped her notepad out of shock. She was so stunned that this very attractive man was even vaguely interested in her, let alone interested enough to ask her on a proper date. Of course she saw Bridgette's knowing grin, the meddling waitress of a matchmaker.

And they did date. It was a very cautious type of dating. They didn't know how to act around each other, carefully tiptoeing in a slow kind of dance. Very formal, very polite, but also fun. For instance, Steve was not tech savvy. At all. More often than not, he was struggling to work his simple flip phone, the screen or the size of the buttons. A trait which Beth found endearing and it was unique to him, as she had never seen anyone other than her grandparents have so much difficulty with modern day technology. She liked being able to teach him the ways of the cellular world and teach him modern references, that was another thing he was completely lost with. Modern jokes and quotes. He was a very serious man, stern in expression and intense, so much that it almost overwhelmed her.

Life was going well, he had even kissed her chastely after their recent date. She remembered her heart wanting to beat its way out of her chest at the action. Cheeks flushed pink as she finally rose onto her toes to return the gesture. Life was wonderful.

But then it had all happened so fast. Her mom and Tommy coming to visit her at work. Tommy becoming upset and rushing out the door, right into the busy city traffic. She couldn't remember how to breathe as she watched her little brother dash into the street, too upset to realize what he was doing. Steve had started forward, shouting:

"Bridgette!"

Confused by his call, it was as if her world had slowed down as she watched her fellow waitress drop the pitcher without a moment's hesitation, crashing against the ground. The other girl ran into the heavy traffic after her brother. Then there was a semi truck and Bridgette stood right in front of it and proceeded to stop the truck with her bare hands. Her bare hands! With the car horns blaring and hitting one another, the doctor that Bridgette was seeing ran out as well, but not before shape shifting into the massive Hulk that debuted during the alien attack. There was roaring and smashing of metal, Bridgette picking up Tommy and returning him to her mother. Bridgette had looked her, guilt written clearly across her face as she handed her apron over to the blonde.

"Consider this my two weeks notice?" That was the last thing she said before running back to the Hulk and the pair took off down the street, footsteps thundering.

It was all so much to take in, it made her head spin.

How did Steve know to call Bridgette? How could she stop a truck with only her hands? Why had the Hulk suddenly appeared? What did it mean? What was their history together? What were they even? Human?

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure he asked me if I was a superhero. Weird, huh?"

"Not a bad role model, that Captain America."

"But mom, she is!" protested Tommy. "She told me so, that day at the clean up! Ask Beth's boyfriend, he was there-"

Waving to the other waitress, a brand new hire in Bridgette's place, Beth signaled that she was going to take her break. Once in the break room, she pulled out her phone and used the internet access to hop online. Taking a breath, she typed into the search bar, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Who is Captain America?

The soldier worked diligently at his desk, fingers typing away at the keyboard. The computer gave a small 'ding' and a new window was pulled up for him to view. Inhaling sharply, he reread the information he just received to be certain. He had to be one hundred percent positive before passing along the new intel. They had heard a few loose rumors, some reports but nothing concrete. Hitting a button with a bit more force than necessary due to nerves, the file began to print. Gathering the file into his arms, he quickly rose from his seat and made his way to his authority's office.

Sooner rather than later, he knocked on the heavy door that was properly labeled for the figure residing inside. A brusque confirming order was given and the soldier took a quick breath before stepping into the office. Of course it was his luck to bring the man the news of the utmost sensitive matter.

"What is it, Private?" asked the man. He was older, as indicated by his thick white hair and creases by his eyes and mouth. There was the clip sound of paper stacking as he regarded the young soldier with a stern gaze. "I've got work to do, so be brief Johnson."

Johnson took another breath, stepping closer to his desk after closing the door. The topic was very hush hush, and not meant for everyone on the floor to hear until the General gave the order.

"Sir, they're together. In the same location."

"They?" he repeated, eyes scanning his own paperwork. The soldier nodded, stepping forward to set the file on his desk, mouth dry.

"Dr. Banner and Bridgette Erskine, sir. They've been spotted together. The panic that upset traffic in the city the other day was because of them. Erskine stopped a semi truck with her strength and Dr. Banner, well, turned into the Hulk in response. Sir." Swallowing with difficulty, the young man watched the General with a wary gaze, heart beginning to pound.

He flipped open the file, images of the pair filling the pages, notes typed neatly underneath, underlining traits that tied them to previous cases. To be certain. His eyes sharpened into a glare as he studied the pictures of the green gamma beast and the glitched soldier girl. Dr. Banner, the man that had been in love with his daughter and had created the berserker known as the Hulk, a manifestation of his own rage and adrenaline. Then there was Bridgette Erskine, subject of the famous super soldier serum. The science division known as Hydra had contracted the United States military in order to better their chances at recapturing her as she had escaped. Allowing the US Army to share the rights to her, as she was Hydra property.

She had moved much faster than he had anticipated, appearing before him on the tank. With a flicker of strength she had lifted him from his spot and pinned him down on the metal harshly. The wind blew her unevenly cut hair about her face but she didn't care, blue eyes biting him in a glare. His men trained their weapons on her, not shooting for fear of hitting their leader.

"How well do you trust their shot, General?" she asked softly, German accent still evident, his collar twisted in her grip. "Not well enough, I'd guess. I wouldn't. They may hit me, but that's of no concern. May hit you though. Can't say it'd break my heart. But you're not willing to take that chance, are you?" She lifted him and slammed him back down, glare blazing with hatred.

"Are you!"

"No," he croaked, vision blurring from the hit.

"Tell them to stand down," she hissed, grip tightening if possible. "Now."

"Stand..." She shook her head, lowering her face near his, jaw tight as she growled through gritted teeth.

"Louder."

"St-stand down," he spoke up, as best as he could with her hands locked at his throat. There was the shuffle of men, small sounds as they disarmed their weapons, doing as their general instructed them.

"Let's get one thing straight, General Ross," she seethed. "I'm no one's property. Not Hydra's and certainly not yours. I don't care what they offered you in exchange for me, what they promised. I belong to no one. Do I make myself clear?" When he didn't answer her, simply holding a stare of his own, she shook him for good measure, his body pinned under hers.

"I said, do I make myself clear, General?" He managed a vague nod of his head.

"Yes..."

Then she was gone. Bridgette Erskine had humiliated him before all of his men. Not only that, but it only encouraged his hunger for her ability. Resistance to force. The ability to repel bullets. Enhanced strength and speed. To imagine that power in the hands of the United States military would render wars and fighting null and void. They would be unstoppable. Always victorious.

The General pulled the file toward him, flipping through the pages. "You are dismissed."

The soldier nodded before exiting in a proper fashion. General Ross turned the page, stilling at the most recent picture of the pair. Dressed in rather normal attire, standing just outside of institute titled Bayville High School, simply talking together and smiling. The berserker powerhouse and the walking shield. Two targets.

Reaching out, he picked up his phone and dialed the number from memory. They were two birds, and he had just the stone to take them out of the sky.

"Dad?" answered a woman on the line.

"Hello Betty. We have new intel regarding Dr. Banner..."

REVIEW! Hello again! Yes, a bit of a filler, but I wanted to explore the other perspectives to get everything rolling for the story, yay!

**Beth=Grace. Because I'm dumb. I finally got around to watching the Avengers on my laptop and I had no idea that you could actually read the name tag on the blonde waitress during the end of movie interviews. (facepalm) I'm the Queen of bad vision, I'm sorry! I already corrected her previous chapters, so everything should be straightened out now!

A little bit of Bruce x Bridgette bonding. Beth digging into Captain America's history and link to Bridgette. General Ross and a grudge against our favorite duo! What will happen next?

I hope you enjoyed!

P.S: I start the Insanity workout tomorrow, so in case I die, you readers know why. G'night!