Heroes Assemble!

I've Got The Power, Man

"Hello, Bruce."

"What are you doing here, Betty?" Bruce blurted.

The question wasn't harsh or demanding, more desperate than anything else. It wasn't even as though Bruce had intended on leading with it. He'd intended on being polite, to greet her, perhaps even ask how she was. But it kind of just forced its way out his mouth, the urgency of needing that answered overriding everything else in his head.

"I should have come before this," Betty replied and it was easy to see how nervous she was in the way that her eyes darted about and the way her hands played with her skirt. "I know that. And I want to apologise but I know that you don't like apologies. I am sorry, though. I shouldn't have allowed others, allowed him to dictate my actions. And I did. But I'm here now and I'd like ... I'd like ... Oh, Bruce, I just needed to see you, to see that you were alright, to see what kind of life you've made for yourself, to see ..."

Bruce held up a hand and took a step closer to cut off her ramblings.

"Don't get me wrong, it's nice to see you again," Bruce said. "It's just, after all this time, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed."

"I can get that," Betty smiled. "I'm feeling pretty much the same."

"Really? I never would have guessed. Would you like to sit down?"

She nodded and moved closer and for a fraction of a second, Bruce was sure that she was going to hug him. Or perhaps it was that he was going to hug her. In the end, it didn't matter for the moment passed and the two moved to sit on one of the couches, their bodies turned to face each other.

"Before anything else, I've got to know. The General, your father, does he know that you're here?" Bruce asked.

Betty shook her head, her hair swishing hard from side to side.

"No. He'd have a heart attack if he did; you know what he's like," she replied. "No. I left everything behind when I decided to come. You know that he's Secretary of State now? Well, that hasn't stopped him from ensuring that his map for my life has progressed pretty much exactly how he wanted. The only way for me to come was to leave it all behind."

"All? You left your whole life behind to come see me?" Bruce asked. He removed his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "If it was so important to see me, to do that, why now? Why'd it take so long?"

"It wasn't that I didn't want to, but after seeing what happened in South Africa, I finally made the decision. That was the worst that I've ever seen the Hulk. He was ... you were beyond rage. It was primal, the most bestial that I've ever seen. I know you, Bruce, even after all this time, I know you. I knew that you'd be beating yourself up about what happened about what could have happened. I decided right then to come, to see you to remind you that you're not a monster."

"You're right, I did beat myself up about it, still do in fact," Bruce admitted. "But there were circumstances, things that you don't know or understand that made the Hulk lose control like that. And it's not like I'm alone, I have people around me these days who support me."

"The Avengers. See, I was right, regardless of your form, you are a hero," Betty smiled and Bruce couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, I guess I am. At least the Hulk and I, we're finally doing more good than harm, the books are finally beginning to tilt back the other way," Bruce said.

"I know. I've been keeping a watch for anything about the Hulk," Betty admitted. "You should see the scrapbook that I've got. Well, had; I had to leave it behind as well. But it's got every newspaper articles, magazine clippings, every photo that I could find in it."