The Banners

Hunger Games

Bruce Pov.

I was sitting on the couch staring at the T.V. and wishing Clint would let me leave. He was forcing me to watch the Hunger Games. For the fiftieth time. Actually, only the fifth time. He was forcing me to watch it over and over again until I liked it. After the third time, I lied and told him I liked it, but he said he didn't believe me. Nat attempted to save me, but apparently his fear of her did not extend to watching the Hunger Games. Tony also attempted it, but Clint punched him, and he went crying to Pepper, leaving me to fend for myself.

I watched Katniss shoot at something for the millionth time and glared at Clint. "Please, please, please let me leave!"

He shook his head. "Never! You must watch until you like it!"

I groaned. "Come on, Clint! I will never like this movie! You're worse than Tony!"

He stared at me with a look of terror. "I am not!"

"Then let me leave!"

He turned back to the movie and pouted. "Fine. Go. Be free."

I leaped up and left the room as quickly as I could. When I got to our room, Nat looked up from her computer in surprise. "He let you go?"

I nodded and collapsed on the bed. "That is a horrible movie. How can he watch it over and over and over?"

She laughed. "He's got a crush on Katniss."

"Or Peeta. Every time Peeta came on screen, Clint freaked out."

She made a face. "Yeah, Laura says Josh Hutcherson is Clint's boyfriend."

I laughed. "That makes total sense."

Nat stood up and sat on the bed by my head. She ran her fingers through my hair and smiled at me. "Tony wants his 'science bro' to come play with him in the lab."

I shook my head. "No."

"That's what I told him." She poked my cheek. "He says it's your fault Clint punched him, so you owe him."

There was a knock on the door. "Hey, it's Tony."

I groaned. "I don't want to!"

Nat laughed. Tony poked his head in. "Fury's skyping us. Says he needs everyone there."

I glanced up at Nat. She shrugged and stood up. I followed her and Tony out of the room and down the hall to our conference room. Steve, Scott, Sam, Thor, and Clint were already there. Clint was pouting, probably because Tony dragged him away from his movie. Wanda, Vision, Pepper, and Jane were on their way in. Fury was waiting patiently for us to sit.

When we finally settled down, Fury smiled at us, which was almost scarier than him angry. "Good evening, Avengers."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Can't we just jump right to what's wrong?"

Fury glared at Tony. "Fine. Agent Barton." Clint looked up. "Your family has been pronounced dead."

Clint and Laura stared at Fury in shock. "What?"

Fury nodded. "Ross announced it."

I shook my head. "That doesn't make sense. Ross saw Clint at the hideout."

"I believe that someone else made this decision. Ross has become a figure head. He's not making the decisions, but he will take the fall if anything goes wrong."

Tony looked at me and back at Fury. "Why? Do they expect something to go wrong?"

Fury shrugged. "I have no idea."

Nat looked over at Clint and Laura. "Why pronounce them dead? What does that do?"

Fury shook his head. "It would end the search, but they did that before. I don't know what the motivation would be." Fury looked over at me and than at Thor. "Ross also saw you two, but when he was asked if he knew where Thor was, he said that he had no idea."

Nat glanced up. "What about Bruce?"

Fury looked over us. "He said they found his crash cite in Fiji. They also said they found a body."

I looked up. "So, I'm dead, too?"

Fury shrugged. "Not exactly."

Steve looked up at me. "What do you mean?"

"Ross announced that he saw Bruce when he raided the hideout." Fury said.

I stared at him. "They think the Hulk killed someone?"

Fury shook his head. "No."

Thor stared. "What?"

Fury watched me. "They're saying that the cause of death was being shot."

Nat stared at me. She looked terrified. "What?"

Fury looked down. "They're saying Bruce, not the Hulk, murdered someone."

Tony ran his hands over his face. "Did they say who?"

"Yes." Fury looked up at me. "Betty Ross."