And the Snap Echoes

Green Rage Monster

"How long are you going to keep on working in your lab, Bruce? C'mon man, take a break."

"I can't, Tony. You guys, all of you have something to do outside the lab. Me, I can't do anything out of here. I could earlier, but now the other guy doesn't want to come out. I can't do anything apart from staying in here all along and putting my seven PhDs to use."

"But- "

"You have your armor. Steve has his shield. Thor has his ax. Even Natasha and Clint have their own weapons. Carol has her own fists. What do I have? A green thing inside me who's refusing to come out now?"

"Bruce- "

"I sometimes wonder why am I even on the team, you know? I am more of a destructive force than a helpful one. Remember Harlem? Remember the Helicarrier? Remember South Africa? Wherever I go, I only bring about destruction."

"Don't let Nat hear you say that. And c' mon, you're not all destruction. Remember New York, you punching your way through the Leviathan? Remember Sokovia? You saved Clint's life that day. You helped against Ultron. And from what Thor's told us, he wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you. You helping him against his sister, it was really necessary for him. He couldn't have done it without you."

"Just leave me alone for some time, Tony. I appreciate it that you're trying to make me feel better, but I think I need some time alone now. I am requesting you to please leave."

"Okay then. Think about it. But you know that you can talk to us anytime you want," saying that, Tony left the room.

Bruce locked the door behind him.

"You heard him, big guy. There is good in you. You're just not willing to listen to me!"

"HULK DON'T CARE!! HULK TIRED OF DOING BANNER'S WORK!! HULK MAD!!"

"You're not even listening to me! At least listen to me one time! I need you one last time, Hulk."

"SEE!! PUNY MAN JUST USING HULK FOR HIS WORK!! NO ONE CARES ABOUT HULK!!"

"Big guy, I understand. I really do. I know what it feels like to be used all the time for other people's benefits. They simply use you for their own work, and then when they're done, they discard you as if you were trash."

"THAT'S WHAT HULK FEELS LIKE!!"

"It sucks - being used and then being discarded. But listen to me, Big Guy. Half the universe is gone. We have never faced anything like this before. Thanos is the toughest opponent we have ever faced. Not Loki, not Ultron, but Thanos. This is the fight of our lives. I need you, Hulk. The world needs you. The goddamn universe needs you."

Just then, Natasha walked into the lab.

"How'd you get in here? I locked the door."

"I'm a trained super-spy, Bruce. You think a locked door can keep me from talking to you?"

"You know that locks were invented for added privacy, right?"

"Who were you talking to?"

"Who was I talking to? No one. There's no one in the room here to talk to."

"I heard you, Bruce. You were talking to someone."

"I must've been talking to myself then."

"You've been avoiding me."

"What?"

"Ever since you returned. You seem normal when we're with the others. But when I call after you, you simply run off to here. What's up?"

"Okay, you're right. I have been kinda avoiding you."

"And why exactly is that?"

"I've been having problems with the Big Guy. He- I don't even know."

"I haven't seen him ever since you came back. You told us that you had problems Hulking out, right?"

"It's more than that. I've been having conversations with him - I've literally been talking to him in my head."

"What is he saying?"

"He feels as if everyone is simply using him for their own benefits. They don't care about him. That's why he's refusing to come out."

"Oh Bruce, why didn't you tell me about this?"

"There really wasn't anything you could do. And besides, we had more important stuff on hand."

Natasha pondered for a while.

"Remember there was a time when I could bring you back from Hulk form by simply touching you? What if- "

"The same thing could be used to get the Hulk out of me?" Bruce completed her sentence. "It's worth a try. Please step back."

"Not happening." Saying that, Natasha placed her hand on Bruce's forehead.

"Hey, Big Guy. Sun's coming up. Time for you to come out as well."

Bruce recoiled at the touch. He immediately knew something was different this time. Natasha stepped away.

AAAAGH!!

Bruce felt the other guy ripping through, attempting to come out. But unlike before, he did not find the need to sink in himself. Earlier, he would sink into his own body while the Hulk would take over. This was different. It was almost as if he and the Hulk were attempting to work side by side.

And then, suddenly, there was nothing.

"Bruce?" Natasha's voice seemed far away.

He opened his eyes. He was lying on the ground, she was kneeling next to him. She helped him get up.

"What happened?"

"I don't really know. I feel different. It's almost as if the Hulk and I merged into one."

"Is that even possible?"

"At this stage, I'm not gonna mark anything as impossible. I've been through too much weirdness."

"Is there any way to check your new thing?"

"Step back." She did.

Bruce clenched his fists. He yelled in defiance with everything he had.

AAAAAGH!!

He felt the things around him growing smaller. No, he was growing taller. He towered over Natasha. As he grew to his full height, Bruce realized that he was still in control.

"That's new," he thought.

"Big guy?" Natasha called.

"It's alright. It's me." Bruce replied.

"How- ?"

"As I told you, nothing's impossible."

"We need to tell the others. I'll call for a meeting."

Bruce willed himself to return to his ordinary form. To his surprise, he found himself getting shorter.

"Whoa!! Since when could you control the transformations?"

"This was my first time."

"Well, you handled it pretty well then."