Babysitting a Superhero (Stark's daughter X Peter Parker)

32. The Incredible Hulk

Burning Pile - Mother Mother

All my style, all my grace
All I tried to save my face
All my guts, try to spill
All my hole, try to fill
•••
It goes all my troubles on a burning pile
All lit up and I start to smile
If I catch fire then I'll change my aim
Throw my troubles at the pearly gates

When Amara had finally made it to the Hulk's cell, she began to grow a bit anxious. She did not know that this was how today was going to end.

She had been expecting anger, frustration, violence from him, but definitely not what she was face to face with, now.

There he was, the Incredible Hulk, sat in the corner of his cell... reading? The newspaper?

What the hell?! Amara thought to herself.

She slowly approached the barrier between them, "Hulk?"

There was no answer, but he looked up at her, a cold, hopeless expression on his green face.

She put her hand on the barrier, "It's me, it's Amara."

He only grumbled.

She breathed in shakily, "You probably don't know me, but, I was friends with Bruce Banner, he was my uncle. We were pretty close. And I don't expect you to remember, don't worry, you don't need to," she was met with more silence, "I just came here to see if you were okay...you, the Hulk, not Bruce, he's not here," she clarified, knowing that Hulk becomes restless at the mention of Banner.

She smiled at him, trying to reassure him, "I'm sorry you're in this cell. You don't deserve this. You're a good person, I know it... anyway, I just came down to make sure they're treating you well. If you need anything, just shout... on second thought, don't shout, you'll probably scare a lot of people," she chuckled, slightly.

As she turned to walk away, she heard a deep, gravelly voice, "Starkette."

She froze, "What did you say?"

"Starkette. Remember you," he said, repeating Bruce's oldest nickname for her. The one he had given her when he first met her all those years ago.

She smiled, and let out a laugh of relief, "You know me? A-and you can- you can talk. That's, uh, that's new..." she smiled.

"Hulk always talk. No one listen," he said, standing up and getting closer to the barrier.

She felt a pang for sympathy for the Hulk. Now that she though about it, Amara realised that they had only ever interacted with him when they needed something from him, specifically for a mission. Otherwise, they'd do everything they could to get Bruce back, almost instantly.

"I'm sorry," she looked down, ashamed.

"It's okay. Hulk used to it. No one want him. Hulk big and angry and smash things all the time. Hulk only know to hurt, not to help."

"That's not true. You've helped plenty of people. And there are people that are grateful for what you've done."

"Yes. That's why they put Hulk in cage," he mused. God, the Hulk can muse! That's insane!

"You won't be in a cage forever," she looked at him through the barrier. "I promise you that."

"Just when Banner come back," he stated, sulking. "I tried to bring Banner back. He not listening. Nobody listen to Hulk."

Amara narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean, you tried to bring Banner back? Did you try and change back?"

"Yeah. Didn't work. Banner stuck. Hulk stay. And if Banner stuck, Hulk stays in cage."