The Howler (Bruce Banner/Hulk Fanfiction)

Epilogue

    When Fanggo finally came to, he was in what he had learned as an alleyway. It was mostly silent and Fanggo was relieved. His head was absolutely throbbing and his paws felt like he had been running for moons. He lifted his paw to his muzzle and gave it a firm lick. The pads burned under the ferocity of his tongue and grit seemed to become lodged in them.

    "It's alright," began a calm voice that Fanggo immediately recognized at his brother. "We really need to stop meeting this way."

    Fanggo couldn't help but chuckle. There was his brother, always trying to cheer him up. "Yeah, I suppose so," he rasped with his ears pinned against his head. He glanced around as fear spiked through him. "Wait! Where's Bruce?!"

    Fingo stretched out his broken foreleg and rested his paw on Fanggo's shoulder. "It's alright. He just went to get a few thinks to drink and eat and then we're going to think of a plan," explained Fingo as he crawled into the makeshift den beside his brother. "You've been out for almost a day. We've been laying low, or as low as we can possibly lay without moving too much. Bruce says that we'll leave the area as soon as you're okay."

    "We're slowing him down," seethed Fanggo in frustration as he thrust a paw against the ground roughly. "It's not right to have him care for us. We can look after ourselves. It's clear that he's not going to be able to help us. He's just saying that."

    Fingo's eyes flashed in hurt and surprise. "He's trying. Even if he can't, he's still good company. We won't fit in anywhere else. We may be able to fit in with him."

    Before Fanggo could answer, there was the sound of footsteps behind them. "Fanggo, you're awake!"

    Fanggo glanced up and his tail slightly thumped against the ground as Bruce came toward him. He had a bag full of something and kneeled down beside him. He involuntarily rubbed his hand over Fanggo's neck. "I was a little concerned when I woke up and you weren't. Fingo reassured me that that was normal, but I was still concerned."

    He was a bit taken aback by the level of Fanggo's concern. He nodded slowly. "I'm alright. Just really tired. What happened?"

    "I'll explain it later. SHIELD agents are after me. Now they're after you two and I'm sorry for that," he confessed as he rubbed the hand against the back of his neck. "You don't need to come with me, but they might still hunt you."

    Fanggo and Fingo exchanged a worried glance. Fingo then gave a distinct nod. "We're with you. If you've risked this much to protect us and you hardly know us, then we're not going to leave you. We're a team now and we're in this together."

    "A pack isn't just made up of wolves," Fanggo added to echo Fingo's thoughts. "A pack is just those that you surround yourselves with."

    Bruce offered a tiny smile. "It won't be easy, but it'll be doable. Right now we just have to worry about where to go next."

    "Where should we go," Fingo asked. He hadn't been nearly anywhere besides the forest and here. He had no idea how vast the world was.

    Bruce tapped his foot almost against the ground before he recalled a small sign that he had seen, asking for help from a far removed place. "I can put my doctor's skill to good use. We'll go to India."