Cold-Blooded

[]Chapter 6[]

I woke to the sound of what appeared to be tortured groans. My eyes wandered to the digital clock I had put in my room. 3:27. Who would be up this early? I whined in my head and swung my bare feet out from under the warm covers, and wandered into the hallway in search of the noise.

Through the hallway, I put my ear up to the door and listened for the sound, until I came to the one I was searching for. A name was written in gold letters at the top. I squinted, and just barely made out, "Bruce Banner." An eyebrow rose up higher on my forehead, but I entered anyway.

The room was dark, of course, and Bruce himself was tossing and turning. I crept over quietly, trying not to disturb his unpeaceful slumber yet. My exhaustion clouded my rational thinking at the moment, so I pondered whether or not to wake him.

Another groan. I decided it was better to wake him, so I shook his arm gently. "Bruce. Br-uce," I sang quietly, hoping he wasn't too deep of a sleeper. Thankfully for me, his eyes blinked open- uncomprehending. Finally they caught sight of my face.

"Astridr?" he murmured. I nodded. "Why are you here?"

"You were having a nightmare, so I came to see if I could help in any way. Do you want to talk it out?" I whispered, standling beside his bed. 

He shook his head. "Not really."

"That's fine. Goodnight, Bruce. Dream good dreams," I responded, patting his hand which had reached out for mine.

"Wait." I cringed, as he spoke so loudly. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking, "Yes?" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Do you mind staying until I fall back asleep?"

I shrugged and pulled a chair up, grasping Bruce's hand in mine once again. His eyes were already closed, so I started softly singing a lullably my mother used to sing to me, when I was nothing but a small child with no care in the world.

"Over the hills,

And through those trees,

The farmers tend their mills,

Those sheep roam free."

"Everything is still,

Peace has fallen,

She sits at the window sill,

Brushing those golden locks."

"And oh, how those stars shine,

The moon dancing in its own li-ight,

How I wish they were mine,

To hold in my ha-ands."

I stopped, hearing a snore. Banner was asleep. My head nodded and I gently pulled my hand from his grasp and made my way back to my room. Nothing but Bruce's quiet snores could be heard.

The door was left slightly ajar. Strange. I swear I closed it. Cautiously I made my way into my room. A snicker was heard from behind me as the door closed with a click and a cloth pressed over my face. Black dots danced on the edges of my vision, and I collapsed into the darkness.

~*~

I woke in a metal chair, hands bound behind my back. My weakness being metal, of course, I found myself completely and totally at the mercy of my captors. I still had a cocky note in my voice as I called, "Care to face me?"

A light shone brightly on me, like in one of those crappy spy movies. The rest of the room was shadowed, and a figure made it's way from one of these places. The creature almost made me lose whatever food was in my stomach.

Malice radiated from its lavender hued skin, or rather scales, and deep, sinful pride screeched from every corner of the crimson eyes. I chuckled in the face of my potential death, trying to be brave for my own sake.