Bruce pulled up in front of the security office, parking the bike and crumpling the address into his pocket.

The security guard opened the door before he'd had the chance to walk more than a step. He stopped on the doorstep.


"I brought your bike back," said Bruce, waving vaguely in the direction of the motorcycle. "Wish I could have brought your pants back, but they didn't survive the battle."



The guard's brows rose. "Looks a little different to how she was when you left," he said, eyes taking in the gleaming paintwork and brand new wheels.



Bruce gave him a wry smile. "It suffered a bit of damage. Sta-- A guy I know insisted on upgrading it as well as repairing it. Says he doubled the fuel-efficiency."

The guard's brows rose further, and he walked over to examine the bike from the other side. "Saw you on the television," he said conversationally. "Not sure I would have believed it if I hadn't already met you. Guess you were right about New York."



"Thanks for the loaner," he said. "I don't think I would have made it in time without it." He'd been half afraid he was riding to New York to face an invading army of aliens alone. Being late to the battle was almost a relief.

"You do that sort of thing often?"



Bruce laughed softly. "No. First time."



The guard pointed at him. "Well, if it happens again, you let me know if there's anything I can do for you."



"Thanks," said Bruce. "But if it's something they need me for, you'd be better off running."



"Yeah? Looked to me like you did a good job."


"This time. Next time... might not be good."

The guard gave him an unimpressed look. "Son, I'm not going to give you the self-help book treatment, but your attitude could use some work."

Bruce snorted. "My attitude is part of the problem."

"Well, nobody ever got ahead in life by worrying. Look forwards, not backwards." The guard shrugged. "So where to now? You got a ride out of here or are you stranded again?"

He shrugged. "Figured I'd start walking, see where the road takes me. I think I'll let them catch me again. I don't think they'll let me go alone for very long." Either Stark or SHIELD, he doubted he'd get more than a mile away before one of them caught up.

"You don't seem very bothered by that."

"I think I'm looking forward to it," he admitted.

"Yeah? Well, good luck with that. And I was serious about looking me up. We owe you one."

Bruce walked to the water's edge and dropped his hands into his pockets, surveying the city skyline. From ground level he knew it was starting to look more like a city again, but there were enough damaged skyscrapers to give it a post-apocalyptic feel from this side of the river.

He winced, and shook his head to clear it of that particular thought. You would think without the weight of the worlding hanging on your decision it would make it easier to make. But here he was, stranded in Jersey, undecided. Again.

Behind him he could hear footsteps, but he didn't let himself react until they stopped. There wasn't much he was afraid of, these days. Mostly he was afraid for other people.

He turned, and found himself facing Betty.

For a moment it was as if time stood still. He took stock of the changes in her - slightly different hairstyle, thick-rimmed glasses - and reassured himself that this was really her.

She took a step closer, and he managed not to step away again by sheer strength of will.

"I saw you on the television," she said, then she flushed. "Along with half the world, I guess. I... I needed to know you were all right."

"It's not me you have to worry about," he muttered under his breath. "How did you find me?"

"The red haired lady... She told me you'd be here." She looked uncertain of her reaction, hesitant.

Pepper, he wondered? Natasha? Pepper would know he was returning the bike today, whereas Natasha had tracked him down in Kolkata and therefore could easily track him down in New Jersey.

A number of things wanted to spill out - you shouldn't be here; it's not safe to be around me; why are you here? He bit them all back. If there was one thing he'd learned since the accident, it was that pushing people away just left you alone.

The silence lengthened and stretched out to breaking point.

"I had a job offer from SHIELD."

Bruce's eyes snapped back to meet Betty's.

She nodded. "From before... the attack. I didn't follow up on it until now. I figured they only wanted me to get to you."

"And now?"

"I let them give me their spiel. 'Ms Ross, after the incident in New York I'm sure you can see how important it is to have somebody with your skillset on our side' - because cellular biologists are well known in their ability to fend off alien attacks."

Bruce smiled weakly.

"And then I asked about you. They just gave me a blank look and told me they didn't know anything about a Dr Banner, but afterwards the redhead - she didn't tell me her name - took me aside and told me I'd find you here this afternoon."

So it had been Natasha. But she had to know he wouldn't lie to Betty, so why...?

Spies. He wondered if Natasha even knew which side she was on.

"They offered me a job, too," he said. He thought about the prison, the weapons, the nuke. "I don't trust them."

Betty's shoulders slumped slightly. "I suspected as much. But I hoped..."

"I also have one from Stark Industries." Two job offers, not bad for a man on the run. He almost felt wanted. "That one I'm actually considering."

Betty blinked. "I got a letter of inquiry from them two weeks ago. I just threw it out."

Bruce closed his eyes briefly. How little of his life seemed to be under his own control these days. "I trust them more than I trust SHIELD, not that that's saying much. Tony Stark... is pretty set against weapons manufacturing."

"My father hates Stark," said Betty. "I haven't figured out why yet."

The mention of General Ross dropped into the conversation like a stone.

Betty winced. "Are you still looking for a cure?" she asked quickly.

He shrugged and gave her a wistful smile. "It's more 'hoping' than 'looking' now - I think I've exhausted all the possibilities." He paused. "Although after what happened in New York I'm seriously revising what I think is and isn't possible."

Betty bit her lip. "Is that okay?"

"It's... acceptable." He turned back towards the city skyline. "I controlled it. In New York, I controlled the change. And... it worked. The Hulk helped people, in ways that I couldn't."

She moved to stand at his shoulder. "That's great."

"I'm not saying I can control it if you drop a building on me - which is slightly more likely than I'd prefer, judging by past experience - but I can handle the day to day now."

"Where have you been staying?" she asked, a little hesitantly. He wondered if she thought he was sleeping on the streets, and almost wanted to laugh at the contrast with reality.

"Tony has a mansion near Central Park," he said. "He kind of bullied me into staying there until Stark Tower is repaired."

"Tony... Tony Stark?" She laughed suddenly and waved an apologetic hand in his direction. "Sorry, it's just funny to hear you on a first name basis with billionaires."

He snorted. "Tell me about it. Two months ago I was in the slums of Kolkata."

Betty looked startled. "That's where you were?"

"I wanted to be there," he reassured her. "I was working as a doctor. Helping people." And yet, when he thought about going back it felt like regressing.

"What made you decide to come back?"

"It wasn't entirely voluntary," he admitted. "But... on the whole, I think it worked out okay."

Betty hesitated for a moment. "Listen," she said. "About Leonard... We broke up." At Bruce's guilty look she hurriedly continued. "It wasn't your fault. Well, not really."

He shook his head, not quite ready to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I thought I wanted something normal. Something safe." She shrugged and gave him a wry smile. "But it turned out that wasn't what I wanted, after all."

He turned and they stared at each other for a long moment.

"I only took a couple of days off work. I can't stay long. But... I could give you a lift back to the city," she offered shyly.

He considered refusing, but talking to her had pretty much made up his mind for him. "Thanks. I'd like that."

They stood awkwardly looking at each other for a while. He wondered what she was seeing in his eyes to bring that little furrow of worry into her brow. She always saw too much.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said, at last.

"Thank you," he said, not even sure if he meant for coming to find him, for caring, or for just being herself. "I'm glad you came."

She gave him a bright, relieved smile. "So, if I drop you off, does that mean I get to meet Tony Stark? What's he like?"

"He's exactly as awful as you've heard," said Bruce drily. "But he has some good qualities too. And he's a decent scientist, all things considered."

She laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

END