Inside Voices ▷ Bruce Banner | ✓

9 - RUNNING TESTS

SHE WAS GENUINELY EXPECTING THEM TO KILL HER. She stepped into the lab, expecting Steve or the other two to restrain her in some way, the others using some method to dispose of her, whether it be lethal injection, stabbing, or snapping her neck. She expected pain to some extent, something akin to the things she had done to others, and they once again, surprised her.

Bruce turned from where he and Tony were working in the lab, giving her and Steve a small smile, and Tony turned as well, though he only looked at Steve, pointedly keeping her out of his line of view, which was understandable.

"Hey, Cap," Tony greeted, and Steve, who had just finally gotten his face back to his usual hue, turned a bright red, looking down at his feet, and she didn't understand why he was reacting the way he was.

Tony, who finally acknowledged her presence, sighed slightly, giving Steve a small smile. "We needed someone to escort her, but I just wanted to say hi and to tell you to stop calling JARVIS, 'sir,' it's getting to his head."

She looked and found Bruce rolling his eyes and shaking his head at the back of Tony's head, turning to Steve who was still red, nodding quickly to Tony who was smirking down at him, and she had a feeling that there was absolutely no reason that Tony wanted him around other than to make him turn red.

With a sigh, Steve turned around and left the lab, casting one more glance over his shoulder, vaguely nodding towards her and Bruce, but his gaze was mainly trained on Tony. 

Once the doors closed, Bruce sighed, "That was just sad, Tony."

The younger man rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Brucie, this is all about tact, you and your PhD's just wouldn't understand."

"Don't bring my PhD's into this," Bruce commanded, pointing a pen towards Tony who simply raised an eyebrow at it before plucking it out of his hand, Bruce sighing and turning away.

He sighed one last time, giving her a kind, yet tired smile. "How are you feeling? You've been asleep for two days, I hope you're not too disoriented."

She wished she could say she was surprised, but she wasn't, as she tended to sleep for long periods of time when she was finally allowed to after missions, and Bruce didn't seem to be surprised either, turning back towards the screen for a moment.

"Figuring that the serum has been completely flushed away, we're gonna run some tests and figure out what we're working with," Bruce explained, looking over to Tony who nodded solemnly, and she wondered what authority Tony Stark had in terms of medical care.

"So if you could just change into this gown..." Bruce said, searching around for the thin piece of clothing, Tony still fiddling with his equipment.

She nodded, reaching for her shorts and tugging them off, keeping her underwear on, setting it onto the table, reaching for the bottom of her sweater, tugging it over her head, freezing when she heard two shouts.

Tugging her sweater back down, she found Bruce and Tony covering their eyes, Bruce turned away towards one of the desks, Tony with one hand covering his eyes, peeking through his middle and forefinger, sighing and lowering his arm when he saw her sweater was still on.

"Bruce," he sighed, motioning to the older man who took off his glasses, using one hand to massage his temples before moving to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Um, you-you're not supposed to just get undressed in front of people, it's not typically how you go about things," Bruce explained, waving a hand, not looking at her, "Was that not something that-that you did back where you're from?"

She shook her head, still struggling to find her voice. "I never bathed without another person to regulate the equipment and I never clothed myself without someone else there."