Author's Note: So, any of you able to decipher the chapter title knows what's coming. Eeee! Wendy needed some love, am I right? Anyway, thanks so much for all the kind reviews, and to anyone who decided to follow or favorite me. You guys make this fanfic worth it. Little update: Whaddyou think about Monday, Wednesday, Friday? What can I say, I like a challenge!
"Here." I said, as I plopped a bottle of beer down on the table next to Bruce. He looked at me like I was from Mars. "Okay, so I stole some alcohol from Fury's private stash. So sue me."
"It's not that. Though that isn't something I support." I rolled my eyes. Bruce had been working his ass off for days on his new theory about gamma radiation. I really didn't understand most of it, except that it had something to do with the reason he is, well, the way he is. "I like a beer every now and then, but so does the other guy, if you know what I mean." Of course. I was such an idiot. "If I drink too much…"
"No, no I get it. You don't have to explain." I put the beers back into my special "hidey bag". "I'm sorry, I should've realized." He smiled. Then he came over and sat down on the table next to me.
"You're getting better, you know." I looked up, and the right half of my face twitched, like it now does every fifteen or twenty minutes. "Your outbursts are fewer and further between. You're starting to actually be nice to people. And how long has it been since you had a blackout?" I counted the days in my head. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months. Two months. No, two and a half. He must have noticed me doing the math in my head. "See? You could be getting that collar off sooner than you thought." I smiled, somewhat proud.
"You know, as soon as I get out of this thing I'll wreak some kind of havoc on this world, you'll see." He smiled.
"Can't wait." He said This was fun, talking with him like this. It always was. I was about to say something, but in an instant I felt his hand on my chin. Pulling my face towards his, my lips towards his own; Bruce was kissing me. something snapped.
"Don't." I said, standing up quickly and angrily. "Just, just don't. I've had enough of this kind of thing for a lifetime." I stormed out of the room, my collar buzzing.
"Wendy!" I heard him call after me. I ignored him, walking as quickly as I could to my room without tripping over something in a cloud of tears. Dammit, I was crying. That never happens. I threw myself onto my bed, and had a good two minutes of lying there overthinking everything before there was a knock at the door. "It's me, Bruce." I didn't answer. The door opened. Oh yeah, I thought; it only locks from the outside. I rolled over on the bed to face the wall, as he shut the door behind him and sat down next to me. "Wendy, I love you. I've loved you for months, don't tell me you didn't notice." I said nothing. "You're the only person in this world who really understands me. You see the man, not the beast." He paused for a second, as if he was thinking. "What did you mean you'd "had enough of this kind of thing", Wendy? What happened?" I gathered my courage. Sat up. And looked straight at him.
"I know your type." I said, my voice ringing with disdain. "You're into bad girls, right? You probably think you can "tame" me or some shit like that, you'll be the knight in shining armor riding along to help make me normal. But give it a few weeks and you'll get tired of me, just like the rest of them. You'll get bored, or just tired of dealing with my shit, and you'll break my heart and leave me to pick up the pieces." My body shook. My fists clenched and unclenched, the collar buzzed, and my vision started to blur. And Bruce rushed to my side.
"It's alright." He whispered gently. "Shh, shhh. It's alright." He held me and rubbed my back up and down, whispering into my ear. I made no move to stop him. "Look at me, Wendy." I kept my head down. "Wendy, look at me!" I lifted my head to look into his eyes. Those deep, dark, soulful eyes. "Do I look like a man who would be so heartless?" He said. "Any man you've ever been with before hasn't deserved you, I can promise you that. I love you, Wendy." I fought the urge to just jump up and kiss him right then. But I buried the thought, and pulled away from him.
"Go." I demanded. "Just, just go." He stood up, dismayed.
"Okay." He said. "I'll go." He walked out the door. I buried my face in my pillow. What did I just do? The only man in this world who actually likes me, and I just drove him away! I lay there for a good four hours before the call came for lights out. It was over. Or so I thought.
The next morning I got a call on the S.H.I.E.L.D issue buzzer in my pocket; Fury wanted to see me. I walked down the many hallways and took the umpteen elevators to his… office? I still just call it "the giant room with the window". He was standing with his back facing me, looking out the window. I was starting to think he got into that pose on purpose before anyone entered the room.
"Trescott, there you are." He said, turning toward me. "I've got a task I need you to perform."
"And what am I doing this one for?" I said sarcastically. "The ever-so-special privilege of control over the TV remote?"
"Not quite. If you're up to the task, completion will mean a visit home. You can bring anything with you back to the headquarters that you can carry." My eyes widened. Anything? Did that mean- "Except for any weapons." He said. My face fell.
"Not even Cassie?" I protested.
"No. Wait… who's Cassie?" I put my hands on my hips.
"Cassie is my silver 44. Magnum revolver. She's my baby! She can't be alone too long, she needs practice to stay sharp!"
"No weapons. Period. Besides, the use of a weapon would set off your shock collar."
"I wouldn't use her, I'd just… maybe I could keep her under my pillow?" He sighed.
"Fine." He said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Yay!" I squealed. "I'm gonna hug you now!" I did; It was awkward. "So, what's the mission you've got me on?" I asked, stepping back.
"There's a man out there we could use in the Avengers. He's powerful alright, and clever, and he could be a great asset. Unfortunately, he can be a bit stubborn."
"So you're sending me to negotiate. Because, what? I'm disposable?"
"No. Because you're the new kid; you get to do the dirty work." Fury seems all business most of the time, but he loves making fun of the agents. And me.
"So where is this guy?" I asked.
"Well," Fury began. He was cut off by one of the agents stationed at one of the many computers in the room.
"Sir, something's wrong with the computers." She said, looking worriedly at the screen. Fury walked around to the screen to see windows popping up full of code, scrolling down at a fast pace.
"Someone's trying to hack us." He said. That's when we heard the crackling of the PA system. And a voice rang through the headquarters.
"Testing, 1, 2, 3. Testing, 1, 2, 3." I recognized the voice immediately. It was Stark.
"What the hell is he doing on the PA?" I exclaimed.
"This is a message for a Ms. Wendy Trescott," He continued. "Bruce would like to go out with you." My face turned red as I realized everyone in the room was staring at me.
"Stark!" I heard Bruce's flustered voice from the background. "What are you doing?"
"Helping you, now shut up. Whaddyou say, Wendy? Let's have an answer." An answer? Could he hear me from… wherever he was holed up? Did I even want to go on a date with Bruce? Think, Wendy, think. You messed it up royally last time; don't blow your second chance.
"Um… yes?" I said to the air.
"Good. He'll pick you up on the tarmac, tomorrow at four." The PA crackled out.
I heard Coulson's voice from behind me.
"Pay up, Fury."