Being a Banner [ 1 of JA ]

50

Never once in my life would I imagine dragging my father in XXXL cargo shorts, but here I was that same morning leaving the cave and forest to hide in the city. We both snuck between alleys to get to our apartment building. The biggest struggle was getting Dad up the fire escape, because we had to climb nine stories to the top. Dad's bedroom window was locked, so as I laid Dad against the rusty bars of the fire escape, I place my hands on the outside windowsill, and kick the window. It took me a few minutes until I made a shatter point in the middle of the window and kicked it in one last time. I kicked away pieces around the frame and stepped inside Dad's room.
I pulled Dad through the window, kicking away pieces of glass as I did. Once he was in, Dad fell down on his bed, laying sideways against the pillows.
"I'll pick up the glass—sorry about the window," I say, bending down to pick up the large pieces.
"I'll get the tiny pieces later," Dad says, "you throw those away and get a shower, I'll do the same. We smell like wet dogs," I laugh as I throw the large pieces away in his bathroom trash can.

While in the shower, I watch the dirt, leaves, and grass wash down the drain. My skin felt gritty and my hair was extremely greasy. While I shampooed my hair for a second time I thought about yesterday. Why was the army there? How did they know? I thought back to the General, and how he looked set on killing Hulk. The army was there already, someone had been watching us, someone knew we were there.
Dalia, who hasn't made contact with us, would never give up Dad. Jax and Levi never knew until yesterday. Who could it have been?
After my shower I get dressed in joggers and an old 'I heart NY' shirt. My hair falls into the part, the thicker side draping in wet strands over my right eye. I brushed it, although thick hair was hard to brush because mine became even more voluminous air-drying. As I walk into the kitchen, I could only hope that Dad had the energy to take a shower too like he said.
Life is going to change, I thought. Jax and Levi are going to see what monster Dad and I are. Will we run away? Are we going to change our names? Who'll be after us?
      Then comes a knock at our apartment door. I freeze, my body going stiff as a voice speaks from the other side.
      "Hello?" it was a man, and his voice was very unfamiliar. "Anyone home?" Quietly but hastily I step towards the door, standing on my tip toes to look through the peep-hole. There I saw a Caucasian man in a nice dark suit with a very neat dark tie.
      "Is this the Banner resident?" He asks. I stumble over my toes in shock and bad balance as I hit the hardwood floor. Shit!
      "Hello? I hear someone in there," the man says. I crawl on the floor until I'm behind the Island counter, squatting around the corner.
      "If you don't open on the count of three we'll let ourselves in," the man says loudly, almost to sound like a threat. There was something about his voice that felt calming for some reason, and an odd one at that since he was threatening me.
      "One—" the door to my apartment breaks open, and dark figures fill in the room. I scream as I hear the cocking of guns and loud voices of men shouting over one another to circle around me. Covering my eyes, I fell to the floor and curl in a fetal position.
      "GET UP AND HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!" One man yells. I do as I'm told, breathing shakily as the men pull me up to my feet. Taking a look at all of them, I realized they were different than the men at the park. They wore no camouflage, and their leader approached the situation calmly.
      "Hey, guys, hold fire she's just a kid," the man I saw through the peephole says, waving his hand around as the army men made room for him. He smiles at me warmly, his blue eyes sparkling with interest.
      "Hi, how are ya?" He asks. I don't reply, but when he tells me to put my hands down I do just as he says. "Look," He says, "Nothing bad has to happen, we would just like knowledge on Dr. Bruce Banner and his whereabouts—"
      "Who are you?" I ask. "Why'd you break down my door? Out of all the homes here why mine?"
      "You're upset, calm down—"
      "Don't tell me to calm down!" I snap, which makes the men raise their guns. "I have no idea who you're talking about!"
      "Who are you?" He asks calmly.
      "I asked you first," I say. He sighs and gives me a tired smile.
      "Ma'am—"
      "Agent," One gunned man says. I look in his direction with everyone else to see him holding out a old framed picture of Dad and I. We were down in Florida with my uncle and his family; I was celebrating my seventh birthday.
"So, this is the right place," the man says with a small smile. His blue eyes look at me and the picture back and forth. "Wow," he says with amazement. "I never knew Dr. Banner had a daughter,"
      The wooden spoon I had used from the night I found out Dad had an alter ego was on the island counter top. I grabbed it quickly and pointed it at the man.
      "Is that a spoon?" One of the army men whisper.
      "Who are you?" I demand slowly but firmly. The man waves his hand to let the men with guns lower their weapons.
      "I'm Agent Phil Coulson, I work for a top secret organization that takes care of strange sightings around the world, and we find people like you,"
      "People like me?" I ask. "There's nothing special about me,"
      "You are Banner's kid, right?" He chuckles lightly. "We know what happened yesterday, it was us who sent the location of you and your father to the military. Bad move on us, old Thunderbolt made sure that this was his mission. If you tell us the whereabouts of your father, I promise that the military, FBI—whoever—won't be able to find you."
I grip the spoon tighter, and my brows furrow deep down. "If I did know where my dad was, I'd never give up his location, not for my own benefit." I see Phil shift his jaw, his eyes in concentration.
"You're too young to understand any of this—"
"It's you, isn't it?" I ask, taking a risk. "P. Coulson? You've been calling my dad, trying to take him away from me—"
"No—"
"Yes!" I shout. "He's what you want! You want to use him—classified work, right? He couldn't even make up a lie to make me fall for it. All I know is that he didn't want to go, you're a pain in the ass, and you're never going to find Bruce Banner!"
Phil stares at me, his brows raised in what looked like surprised. He nods slightly before he flicks his hand, which make the men around me lower their guns. I lower my spoon slowly, resting it on the counter. I sigh in relief as the men start to make a like to walk out the door. That was, until one guard from the back shouts.
"I FOUND HIM!"
Suddenly, it's a stampede of soldiers running to the bedrooms of the apartment. I scream as a soldier grabs me from behind, holding my arms pinned to my sides. In seconds my poor, tired father is pulled into the living room by two soldiers, while others forcefully point their guns at him.
"No!" I scream, thrashing in the soldier's grip. Dad hangs his head low, his wet curls dangling over his face. When he lifts his head, Phil walks over, studying Dad as the soldiers stand him up.
"I thought Fury was pulling my leg when he said you have a daughter—"
"Tell him to let her go before I do!" Dad snaps.
"I can't do that Bruce," Phil sighs. "You both are accounted for in the destruction of the park, people saw the two of you—or three of you," Phil smiles and turns to me. "B-Because the Hulk, the Hulk was there too—"
"Yeah no shit," I snap. "You were the ones who told the army we were there! It was them Dad! They sent the military after us!"
      Dad looked at Phil, his facial expression hurt as he stood up straighter.
      "You sent Ross after us?" Dad asks.
      "Bruce, listen," Phil says slowly. "We got a hit a month ago just a few minutes from here at a lab. A room was destroyed and it was big enough for the Hulk to make—"
      "We handled it! A coworker of mine made a report saying someone left the radiation machine on, there are no cameras in there because it could potentially—"
      "You're not getting out of this!" Phil yells. "I'm sorry, I really am—you seem to finally have a perfect life, with—might I say—a beautiful daughter, but you're back on our radar. Shield can't risk you staying in a place like this after an accident—especially since yesterday. There are two boys who know you're the Hulk and we have to contain them here in our New York sector and try to find a way for them to keep quiet!"
      "Those boys," I say. "Are they okay?" Phil looks a bit puzzled but nods.
      "You know them?" He asks. I should've kept shut, but I needed to know. Dad stared me down, shaking his head.
      "Yes," I whisper. Phil sighs and holds his head in his hand. "They're my friends—please!"
      "We can't keep you here now!" Phil shouts. "Someone call Agent Hill, tell her to meet me at the airport,"
      "What?" Dad frantically asks. "What? Why are we going to the airport?"
      "You're not," Phil tells Dad. He turns around and looks over at me. "She is,"
      "What?" Dad and I yell.
      "No! No! Please! You can't take her away from me!" Dad yells as the soldier holding me pulls me to the door. "She's all I have left! Phil, please!" Dad's voice strains, almost like he's crying. Before I'm out the door, I turn back to see Dad and his glossy brown eyes.
      "I'll be okay Dad!" I shout as I'm being pushed out the door. "I'll be okay!"

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Phil Coulson is my man, my fav agent ;)