For we once so loved the world by HowlingDarkness95

Chapter 27

Bruce woke up in stages. His hearing returned first, the sounds of muffled footsteps in the distance gaining his attention. The soft drip drip drip of water hitting the ground came after. His sense of smell came next, the dank smell of the room he was in clueing him into the fact that he was underground. He shook his head lightly, blinking several times to clear his vision, which returned last.

At first, he thought that he was blindfolded, but, realizing the absence of a cloth-like material over his eyes and that the room that was dim a second ago was becoming steadily lighter as his eyes adjusted, he looked up, finding himself sitting in a chair, his hands and feet bound by – were those shadows? Bruce squinted at them, not really believing that shadows – incorporeal and untouchable – were binding him. He tugged lightly, expecting his hands to slip right through. Instead, he met with resistance and the tugging became more frantic.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, they're not going to come off no matter how much you struggle."

Bruce's head snapped up, finally realizing that there was another person in the room apart from him. "What do you want?" he demanded, still tugging at his bonds.

The boy opposite him – for it was surely just a boy, he didn't look like an adult – gave no signs of having heard him, instead, he languidly crossed his legs, observing the scientist coolly. If Bruce wasn't sitting in a chair being tied down like a prisoner, he would have called the boy opposite him a goth. He had black hair and equally midnight eyes that were far too serious for his age. He wore an aviator jacket over a black shirt, complete with black jeans and sneakers, metallic chains dangling from belt loops on his jeans. His hand bore a silver skull ring, the pits where the eyes would be were studded with onyx gems that glittered in the faint light that lit the room.

Nico di Angelo uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, as he stared at Bruce, "I want to know what you were doing."

"What ?" Bruce stared at the kid, he had been so sure at first that he had glimpsed this boy before he blacked out, but now, he was beginning to doubt himself. "I was – I was fighting!"

Nico snorted, his dark eyes not giving anything away, "Running away with a hoard of those aliens after you isn't what I would call fighting." He said dryly.

Bruce narrowed his eyes, "What do you want with me? Why am I here?"

Nico cocked his head, "You're here because I saved you, as for what we want with you..." the demigod leaned back, "That depends on you."

"If you're looking to control the Hulk then I'm telling you now not to bother." Bruce said stiffly, glaring at Nico, allowing hints of green to seep into his irises.

To his credit, the boy didn't even bat an eyelid, clearly unafraid of Bruce, or rather, what he could do. Nico eyed the genius, saying, "My group, we fight the chitauri, and we came across you being chased. Where were you headed?"

"Who said I was headed anywhere?"

Nico snorted, "You could lie better than that, you ran in a straight line – figuratively speaking – and you didn't turn back or change your general direction. That means you were heading for something. What was it?"

Bruce stared at the younger boy, contemplating his answer. On one hand, he had absolutely no reason to trust this kid at all, he could be another General Ross for all he knew. On the other hand, his gut feeling – the same one as before – told him to trust the boy opposite him. he licked his lips lightly, "I was heading for the Empire State Building."

Finally, a reaction, as Nico's eyes widened in shock, "Why? That is the most outstanding building in New York, you wouldn't have a good chance of hiding there."