Power

Bruce

 The helicopter ride was amazing. I almost felt better. When we arrived, I was left speechless. The Stark Tower (as this was apparently how Tony preferred the tower to be called- why am I not surprised?) was HUGE. It consisted of 93 floors and more rooms than I could even count. Everything was really modern and there were machines and technology everywhere. There weren't any Avengers on the floor we were on. We entered the elevator (also pretty huge and with a blinding neon on the ceiling) and Tony pressed the button that said 75.

It took about a minute and a half for the elevator to get there, so that unfortunately gave us plenty of time to talk.

"Don't be nervous, kid. Bruce is great. He does have some anger management issues, but I don't think you could get him to turn into the Hulk. You can't possibly be that annoying." he said, as the elevator started moving.

"I'm not nervous. And the annoying part? Don't underestimate me." I replied.

He smiled. We kept silent for a moment, then he asked:

"Kid, why were you all crying and shaking? Did it hurt that bad?"

I looked down. What do you reply to that?

He put a hand on my shoulder. I wanted to push it away, but I felt like I didn't have the energy to. It was really weird being comforted, but it also felt pretty nice. I felt like I melted and relaxed and I was so incredibly exhausted. I felt small tears burn my eyes and start blurring my vision, but I tried really hard not to cry.

He looked at me, but didn't say anything. I was really grateful for that.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened to a dark corridor. Tony headed to a dark room. The glass doors opened automatically and we entered. There were no lights on, but there were plenty of machines spreading a blue light around. I saw some robotic arms and creepy cylinder devices. My stomach clenched in fear. I was now nervous. I saw a lot of shelves and tools I didn't recognize.

I looked at Tony, frightened. At first he didn't understand me, but then he realized.

"Oh! No, no, these are not for you! Silly kid. These are for Bruce's research and you don't qualify as a suitable guinea pig."

"What??"

"Kidding. Bruce! Where are you hiding?" he yelled.

A door on the back wall opened and a man in a white lab coat and glasses came out. He didn't look scary at all. I relaxed a little. Was this really the Hulk?

"Tony?" he asked. "W- Oh!" he exclaimed as he saw me. he looked back and Tony and then he turned to me and said:

"Hi! I'm Bruce!" he shook my hand.

"Hannah." I smiled shily.

"Bruce, can I...talk to you outside for a moment?' asked Tony, tilting his head towards the door.

"Very subtle, Iron Man" I thought.

"Uh...yes. Sure." he said, taking off his glasses. "Hannah, feel free to take a sit, uh...anywhere you want."

"Thanks".

The only sitting spot I found was the table. I sat down and swinged my legs over the edge as I waited for the two to finish talking. I took in the science lab's furniture and floor. It was pretty cool, not gonna lie. It looked futuristic with all of its devices. Microscopes, jars with unidentifiable compounds, flasks, droppers and funnels aligned neatly and a lab coat with a pair of goggles next to me. But what was it with all the blue light?

Bruce came back in. I saw Tony giving me a thumbs up through the glass door and then texting someone on his phone.

I looked at Bruce.

"Well" he said. "Let's get you checked out" he gave me a soft smile.

I nodded slightly.

He looked into my eyes with a flashlight, asked me to follow his finger and touched my forehead to try and feel a skull fracture, perhaps.

"So, I'm gonna ask you some questions now, ok...?", he said, taking out a piece of paper.

Oh, God.

"Did you feel nauseous or vomit?"

"I threw up" I said, embarrassed for no reason.

"Did you feel dizzy or lose consciousness?"

"Uh...both"

He raised an eyebrow and wrote something on the paper.

"It's bad, isn't it?" I asked.

"Oh, don't worry. You might have a slight concussion, but you just need plenty of rest. Now, how did the injury happen?" he raised his eyebrows, probably waiting for the truth.

"I, uh...I hit my head on the edge of the sink".

"Did you fall or...?" he asked.

I knew where he was going.

"Yeah...uh, yeah, I fell" I laughed nervously.

"Hannah" his voice was soft and concerned, not angry as I expected. "Where'd you get all the bruises? The black eye, scraped knees...swollen lip?"

I was sick of lying. I didn't know what to say. Clearly they didn't believe me. I mean, come on, they were the Avengers, of course they knew I was lying.

"My knees, I scraped against a wall" I said, relieved that I at least said something true.

"And the other injuries?"

I looked down, my leg shaking nervously.

He sighed.

"But we can help you, Hannah".

I felt my eyes getting watery.

"T-They..." but my voice got lost.

"Whose they? Your parents?"

I didn't want him to put my parents in jail or something, they never would've hit me.

"...no. No, it wasn't my...my parents".

"Then who? Other kids?" he insisted.

"Please just stitch me up so I can leave" I said in a brittle voice.

I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't look up.

He stayed silent.

"Ok" he replied calmly after a while.

He gathered his tools and then said:

"This will sting a little" as he got up a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide.

I almost started laughing. He thought that would hurt? After everything I've been through?

"I'll be fine' I said, smiling, although I don't think he smiled back.

I didn't even feel the stitching process. I was staring at a wall, zoned out, thinking about my plan of never running into the girls again. My eyes went watery as I remembered the events.. I fought my tears once again. I decided I had to stop weeping like a baby all the time.

He looked at me, surprised.

"Sorry. Does that hurt?"

Was he talking about my head or my heart? 

"No. No, it's not that...sorry', I said, wiping my eyes.

"Don't be."

He paused.

"Hannah. I'll give you Tony's phone number and mine. Can you promise me something? That you'll call one of us if you need help? Or at least text us? We can come get you".

I wasn't planning on doing that at all, but I still nodded.

"Okay".

He smiled softly as he bandaged my cut.

"You want a band-aid for your knees?"

"No, it's fine. Thanks, Bruce".

"You're welcome. Stay strong and call us if you're in trouble" he said, handing me 2 business cards.

"Alright".