Heroes Assemble

Chapter 4: The Gathering

A long ways away from New York, was a small town in India called Calcutta. There was a lot of diseases and very few medical assistance or scarcely any necessities. It now had one doctor. Bruce had come there to escape Ross. He helped whoever he can with the medical supplies he had on him or could acquire. No one has found him, so he's stayed put. They spoke Hindi there, and a little English, but Bruce was fluent in several languages, thanks his schooling and the Institute. He was working on two sick children while their frantic mother looked on. Bruce spoke Hindi in kind tones to her.

"They're doing a lot better than they have been the past times I've been by." explained Bruce in a deep, humble, smooth voice as he was washing his hands and equipment. "If the medicine and other treatments go just as well as this, they should recover in the next two days, I'll try to stop by then."

The scientist was dressed in brown pants, shoes and a brown suit jacket. A purple shirt was on under the jacket. He did indeed have bushy brown hair and kind brown eyes. The woman had dark brown hair, brown eyes, dark skin and was dressed in a tan and green dress.

"Thank you, doctor." she said joyfully.

"You're welcome." replied Bruce giving her a smile.

"Where's the doctor?" a frightened little girl's voice asked from the stairs of the rundown second story clay building.

"Go, there's sickness here!" the mother shooed.

She was worried that this child may get sick as well. The girl was in a short tan dress and no shoes. She had black hair that reached her waist. Her brown eyes were wide with fear.

"My father is sick too!" The child wailed. "He has a fever, and is moaning, but he won't wake up!"

Bruce felt his heart sink. He hated seeing children so helpless and scared. He's seen it way too many times with his patients and the X-Men. He quickly shoved the supplies into a worn doctor's bag as the girl held out a bundle of money to him, pleading for his help. He knelt down and gently pushed the money to her chest.

"Take me to your father." requested Bruce gently in Hindi. "We'll see what we can do."

"Thank you." she said smiling faintly.

Bruce went out of the building and did his best to follow the child through the dirty, crowded streets. She lead him to the outskirts of the city. Bruce followed her into a lean to shack, with torn cloth for a door and window coverings, where she disappeared out a back window. Bruce sighed to himself.

"Shoulda got paid up front, Banner." Bruce murmured to himself in English.

"Interesting place you've gotten yourself to, doctor." said a woman's voice in Russian.

"Who's there?" Bruce replied in the same language.

The Black Widow came out of another section of the house. Bruce instantly tensed. It was a trap. These people have been after him for years. Now... they had him.

"I assume the whole place is surrounded?"asked Bruce, putting his bag down,

"Just you and me."

"Who are you?"

"Natasha Romanoff."

"Are you here to kill me, Miss. Romanoff? Because that's not gonna work out."

"No." She corrected. "I'm here on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"How'd they find me?"

"We never lost you, doctor, not since you left the Institute. We've kept our distance and kept everyone else off you due to a request from Professor X."