Inside Voices ▷ Bruce Banner | ✓

7 - TOUGH CHOICES

SHE WAS EATING HER SANDWICH WHILE THEY SPOKE. They hadn't hurt her, despite what she had expected, instead escorting her up to the penthouse common area she had seen when she first broke in, the two men glaring daggers at her, on the offensive and ready to act should she so much as make any sudden move. She quickly identified them as Steven Rogers and Anthony Stark, though they referred to each other as much different.

She was sitting in the corner eating her sandwich while the others all spoke. It took her some time to identify the names of the two that she hadn't been aware of—the woman with the gun and the man with the bow and arrow, whom she quickly learned were named Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, though she had been told they didn't live at the Tower—but she was able to recognize the others, Arabella Rivendell seated between the two, Steven and Anthony—they were called a variety of name variations—standing and facing Bruce who had placed himself between them and her.

"She's harmless, Tony," Bruce pressed, one hand clutching the arm that was outstretched desperately, "She didn't try to hurt me since JARVIS trapped her."

Tony scoffed, pointing a finger towards her, looking at his friend in disbelief. "She tried to kill you, Bruce. Tried to kill us, she—" he took a deep breath, raising a hand to his mouth, "She tried to kill you."

"But she didn't," Bruce groaned, looking over towards the others for help, two of which she had been told do not reside within the Tower regularly, "You understand."

"Tony's right, Bruce," Steve said, Tony making a sound in the back of his throat, "She came in here with the intent to kill all of us, and you told us your findings, she was enhanced. Just like I was."

"Not quite the same, yours was a serum, hers was like a drug, it has to be replaced every so often, she's practically detoxed at this point," the older man said, looking over towards where she was eating her sandwich, awaiting her sentencing.

"I'm sorry, are you saying she's not completely?" Tony demanded. When Bruce didn't react immediately, the man groaned, clutching at his head. "Brucie! Are you insane?"

"She was a victim, Tony, she doesn't know anything, she's been kept in total isolation," Bruce continued, looking towards Natasha who was eyeing the woman with a careful eye, "We don't know what they did to her or what they made her do."

"Considering she tried to kill us, I have a few ideas," Tony snarked, and Bruce held his gaze, forcing himself to take deep breaths, the younger man softening slightly, "Bruce, it's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust her."

She nodded along with his statement, taking another bite of her sandwich. He had no reason to trust her, what with her being sent to kill him and his teammates, but she didn't understand why he was the most upset, especially considering she had clearly failed, yet the man was nearly close to tears, shaking with the force of his anger and fear.

She could see the fear in his eyes and in his body, she didn't need her serum to be aware of that.

"Well, what do you think we should do, Tony?" Steve asked, and she wondered if she was afraid at the prospect of the man being in charge of her fate.

The man seemed to flounder, opening and closing his mouth before sighing, burying his face in his hands. "I don't want to hurt her, I just want her gone. I don't want her here where she can hurt you—" he choked, shaking his head.

"Tony," the blond whispered, reaching out to touch his arm, and Tony pulled away, shaking his head, "Tony, we're all okay. But I agree, I don't know how safe it is for her to stay here."

Bruce seemed to be getting more agitated, his voice growing deeper, pointing a sharp finger towards her. "She's sitting there eating a sandwich three feet away from us, does she look like a threat."