sporadic | avengers

THIRTY-TWO / when hulk was a substitute teacher

"Class, settle down! Everyone sit, please."

Everyone settled, through some power greater then them. He leaned against his desk and addressed the class:

"My name is Doctor Banner and I'm your substitute teacher today. We're going to start by reading an excerpt from this week's reading and then we will discuss the moral behind it. Any questions?"

He chose the only kid raising his hand.

"Mister-Doctor Banner? Are you a real doctor?"

"I have the paper work. I'm not a medical doctor though. I'm a scientist, usually. And a teacher when needed."

"What're we doing?" the boy asked.

"Everyone's going to sit on the circle rug and I'm going to read a story book and then we'll talk about it. Okay?"

The boy nodded. All the four year olds got up and ran to the rug and Bruce pinched he bridge of his nose. He asked the universe for strength. And patience.

He shouldn't have agreed to a preschool subbing job. It wasn't the most calmly and least maddening thing in the world.

He needed, and knew he had, the composure to not Hulk out. He couldn't do that to kids. It'd truly be the worst incident...

No. He wasn't going to. Instead, he sat down among them and read a story about cars and mechanics and a town and its villagers.

He explained that to be a good person is to be good to others and treat them how you'd treat yourself. Some kids asked questions, or added their pure thoughts. He urged them to play nice and gently.

Bruce gave them until lunch to play, draw, or build.

While he sat at his desk, reading the day's newspaper, a girl with pigtails and bows trotted up to him. He folded his newspaper and sat up to give her his full attention.

"Doctor Banner," she said and dropped her voice to a whisper, "I know your secret."

He arched and eyebrow curiously. She handed him a green piece of construction paper and walked away. Bruce looked at the image scribbled with black crayons.

There lay a child's distorted image of the Hulk. Bruce tucked the image away. He opened his newspaper, and only behind its safety did he shake his head in perfect confusion. Children have a sixth sense, he thought to himself.