“You have to go Rick,” Bruce said. “I have to do this on my own.”
“No way Doc,” Rick said. “You saved my life. I owe you and you can’t just do this all on your own. The military’s after you…”
“And after you, too,” Bruce said. “I can’t… I don’t want you to be in danger because of me, okay Rick. Just… just get out of here. Find a place to stay where they can’t find you. You’ll be fine.”
“I don’t have any place to stay!” Rick snapped. “I don’t have anybody! I told you that.”
Bruce sighed. “Look I’m sorry but you can’t join me. You’re not in danger from the military but also…”
“I don’t care,” Rick said. “You saved my life and I’ll always be grateful for that. I’m with you till the end of the line, Doc.”
Bruce smiled. He placed a hand on Rick’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
When Rick wasn’t looking, Bruce picked up a metal pipe he saw lying on the road.
Rick turned around. “So, where we headed Doc…”
Rick crumpled to the floor. Bruce knelt down to check his pulse and thankfully the boy was still alive.
“I’m sorry,” Bruce said, choking on his words. “I’m sorry.”
He left the boy on the side of the road as he disappeared into the desert.
…
The Journal of Elizabeth Ross
It’s been a long time since I wrote in this journal, the last time was when Bruce proposed to me. Since then, it’s been months and the heartache isn’t getting any easier. Oh, Bruce.
The official story is that Bruce died in the gamma bomb explosion. I don’t know what the government and dad has covered up behind red tape. Ever since the government incident there have been sightings of this big green creature around the area. The biggest incident being one in a small town in New Mexico where the creature they call the Hulk caused major damage to all the buildings. That’s what they’re calling him, the Hulk.
But what bothers me is dad and his fixation with this Hulk. Dad has always put duty above his family but this time around it seems like he’s obsessed. He barely eats, barely sleeps. He’s been raking up a lot of debt with the weapons he’s been buying from Lex Corp and Stark Industries. Right now, he’s in the middle of a contract with a man named Will Magnus for the use of his ‘Metal Men’ whatever the hell that means. I don’t have the best relationship with ‘Old Thunderbolt’ Ross but his recent behaviour has me worried.
And then there’s this call I got just a few days ago from Bruce. I thought it was a prank but there was no mistaking his voice. There was a lot of apologies and a lot of things I couldn’t begin to understand but there was one thing he said that stuck with me.
He was always there.
It left me with a cold pit in my stomach. Bruce didn’t have the best childhood and he has some unresolved issues but he’s always been fine. A little meek sure, a little bit of a pushover but always fine. He was always the kind-hearted man who approached me at a party once fumbling all his words and remained that way.
But there were times, times he would get angry and… He was never abusive, thank god but seeing him like that made me feel as if I was talking to an entirely different person. A person I never want to know.
…
Betty Ross didn’t think much of it when her doorbell rang. She just went to the white door of her apartment and opened it, surprised to see her fiancé standing right in front of her looking like he had fought through a tornado.
“Hey,” Bruce said, stumbling into the apartment as if he was hungover. “They’re coming. I don’t have much time.”
He walked into the apartment, breathing it in as if it was the last time he’d ever be there. “I can still smell your perfume,” he said turning to her, his smile buried underneath his scraggy beard.
“You can just walk in here after months dressed up like a homeless person and acting all mysterious,” Betty said. “What’s going on?”
“Your father has someone waiting by your house,” Bruce said. “They’re not going to be long.”
At any other moment in her life Betty would be pissed her father sending someone to spy on her but at this point she was not surprised.
Betty sighed, crossing her arms. “So, tell me. What’s wrong? Why are you acting so… so cryptic?”
“Remember when we used to talk?” Bruce said. “About my past? About my father?”
“Well, we never used to talk about that,” Betty said. “You always used to change the topic.”
“Yeah well,” Bruce said, sitting on a sofa and grabbing his head. “Things are happening so damn fast now and I don’t…”
“Hey, hey,” Betty said in a soothing voice. She placed a hand on his arm to calm him down. “Slow down. Let’s… let’s talk about it.”
“I have dissociative identity disorder,” Bruce said. “Uh… multiple personalities. My dad he was… he was abusive and my mum tried to protect me but…”
Bruce clenched his fists. He could feel the rage slowly start to build up in his body and it took a lot of energy to stop it from consuming him.
“And I don’t know what was in that gamma bomb,” Bruce said. “But my altar, the Hulk, he… he…”
Just then he heard someone slamming the door. “They’re here.”
“Come out with your hands up, Mr. Banner,” shouted a voice. “We’ve got you surrounded.”
“Bruce…” Betty said with a high voice.
“Get out of here,” Bruce said with a harsh voice. Bruce could feel his clothes start to tear and his muscles start to grow.
Betty tried to hold him. “Bruce…” she said with a shaky voice.
“GO!” Bruce roared, his eyes glowing an eerie green.
Betty screamed.
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