Across the Stars 🕷 Peter Parker [3]

sixteen

Colin

Colin hadn't seen Bruce Banner in a few years, but the last time they had seen one another, Bruce had been a bit... smaller. To say the very least. It was a bit surreal to see the once tiny man in such a large form... permanently. He and the Hulk had become one, which was a bit weird. Colin had always thought that the Hulk and Banner were two different entities, that they had their own separate thoughts. At least, that's how Peter had once explained it. 

"Come on, I feel like I'm the only one eating, here, try some of that." Bruce pushed a gigantic plate of scrambled eggs across the diner table as he downed some food of his own. 

Scott was staring at him, his mind seemingly blown. "I am so confused..." Colin couldn't blame him, it was pretty weird and confusing. 

"These are confusing times," Bruce agreed. 

"Right. No, no that's not what I meant," Scott replied. 

"No, I get it!" Bruce laughed. "It's crazy, right? I mean, I'm wearing shirts now!" 

Colin glanced across the table at Natasha, who just shrugged.

"Yeah, wh-- how? Why?" Scott asked. 

Bruce suddenly seemed very solemn, very serious. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at Scott. "Five years ago, we got our asses beaten. Except, it was worse for me. Because I lost twice. First, Hulk lost, then, Banner lost. Then, we all lost." 

"No one blamed you, Bruce," Natasha tried.

"I did." Bruce sighed. "For years, I've been treating Hulk like he's some kind of disease, something to get rid of. But then I started looking at him as the cure. Eighteen months in a gamma lab. I put the brains and the brawn together! And now look at me, the best of both worlds!" 

Well, as long as he was happy, Colin didn't guess it really mattered that he was now... both. 

Three kids suddenly walked up behind Bruce, seeming a bit nervous. "Excuse me, Mr Hulk?" The girl asked.

"Yes?"

"Can we get a photo?"

"One hundred percent, little person. Step on up here." Bruce took the girl's phone and held it out to Scott. "You mind?"

"Oh, yeah." Scott took the phone and held it up to take a photo. 

"Thanks, say 'Green!'" Bruce said as he smiled, posing for the picture. The kids all said 'green!' as Scott snapped the photo. "Did you get that?" He asked. 

Scott leaned forward to hand the phone back and then smiled a bit. "Don't you wanna grab one with me? I'm Ant-Man." 

The kids all glanced at each other, obviously confused as to what exactly Scott was talking about. "Uh..." 

"They're Hulk fans, they don't know who Ant-Man is, no one does." Scott said, trying to just hand the phone back. 

"Wait, no, no he feels bad," Bruce said, turning to the kids. "No, he wants you to... he wants to..." He turned to one of the boys. "You want to take a picture with him, right?" The boy shook his head rather vigorously. Colin couldn't help but snicker a bit at the awkwardness of the situation. Scott shot him a look, and Colin clamped his jaw shut. 

"He's even saying no, he doesn't. I get it, I don't want it either," Scott tried to play it off. 

Bruce turned to the kids again. "He's gonna feel bad." He then turned to Scott. "Sorry. They said they'd do it." 

"I don't want it anymore."

"No, no you feel bad," Bruce said. 

Scott sighed, leaning across the table to hand the phone back to the girl. "Just take the goddamn phone."