O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Bruce Banner was 8-years-old when he got his first black eye. His dad had walked in on an experiment he was conducting in their small kitchen. The fork in the microwave caused a fire which Bruce was able to put out with the combination of water and his father’s suit jacket. The experiment’s results were inconclusive, but the fist in his face was not.

Bruce once told Tony that the secret to controlling the Hulk was that he was always angry. At that time, it felt like anger was encoded in his very DNA. (And, in a way, it was.) After getting to know the Hulk better (after getting to know himself better), Bruce realized that his issue wasn’t with anger—it was with self-hate. It wasn’t the Hulk that made him a monster (as much as he had claimed such in the past), but it was the 8-year-old boy with a black eye and ruined science project that made him guarded, untrusting, and prone to some pretty self-sabotaging behaviors.

Over the years, the tendency to run away, to push others out, to shut down, to harm himself, waned. After Hulk, after Brazil, after Loki and Hela and Thanos, Bruce inexplicably found himself with a strange family of heroes who took one look at his trauma and said, “you too?” He had been an incredibly lonely kid (and young adult), who stumbled into a community of people who had shown more love to him in the past 12 or so years than his father ever had. He cherished these people. Tony’s brotherhood, their mutual love of science, Thor’s loyalty, Nat’s gentleness, Clint’s teasing, etc. etc. etc. They were a wounded, flawed group, for sure, but if anything came from the Thanos event (other than his own withered arm), it was a promise to be there for each other no matter what, as soon as they were called.

Which was how he found himself flying on a quinjet with Hawkeye, Captain America (the retired one, respectfully, as Sam liked to remind them all every time he was put in a room with Steve), and the Black Widow. Bruce had planned on a quiet holiday, especially after Tony had called him a few days ago to change their plans. He was originally going to watch Morgan while Rhodey and Tony went to Caltech, but when Morgan decided she didn’t want to be left behind, Bruce was encouraged to take some time for himself instead. The last he heard from Tony was a string of texts complaining about (in Tony’s words) a “punk ass, know-it-all kid too smart for his own good” who was giving them trouble on a project they were consulting on. So when Clint texted him an SOS and he found Natasha staving off a panic attack while preparing for a rescue mission, Bruce was thrown for a loop.

But this was Nat. And if Nat said something was wrong, then something was wrong. Bruce realized his soft spot for her was a mile wide, but he trusted her with his life.

“I still don’t understand.” Steve was less trusting. But at the end of the day, they all knew there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to save Tony—and if this mission turned out to be a wild goose chase or a figment of Natasha’s imagination, Bruce knew he wouldn’t really care. Especially since Morgan was involved. Sure, they all loved Tony, but Morgan was the center of their universe. “Start from the beginning. What are we walking into?”

Thus began a story Bruce found wildly unbelievable. It was a testament to his experiences with the unbelievable that he didn’t interrupt—especially when the best spy in the world said she was trusting a message from an vibrating bracelet she couldn’t remember receiving.

“So, it said ‘Prentiss House’ which I am assuming is—”

“Dr. Albert Prentiss.” Bruce interrupted. “He is a well renown professor of quantum physics and has doctorates in several fields. Tony told me that he asked him and Rhodey to consult on a groundbreaking discovery that might be the cure for cancer. It’s fascinating research, really. Apparently one of Dr. Prentiss’s students came to him with the design.”

“Is his name Benjamin Fitzpatrick?” Clint shared a look with Natasha.

“Yes. That’s him.” Natasha nodded and pulled up a hologram of a boy who looked no older than twenty. Bruce blinked at the familiarity.

“Do we know him?” Steve was looking carefully at the picture.

“No. But it seems as if no one does. Rhodes asked me to look into this kid after they met him yesterday. Apparently Morgan ran away from their hotel room last night to go to his dorm room. When they found her, she told them that he was her brother and that Pepper had told her to find him.” The jet was quiet. Bruce remembered the conversation he had with Tony several months ago when they sent Morgan to a therapist after talking about intrusive dreams she was having about her mom. Natasha continued, “I tried to find information about him but nothing came up. It’s almost as if he appeared out of thin air this year. No family history and a fake transcript provided in his application to Caltech. Nothing else. Except,” she pulled up another hologram showing a bank account, “his tuition is being paid from an account tied to Oscorp Industries.”

“Oscorp. Osborn. Didn’t the message say something about Osborn?”

“Yes. And if it is accurate, then that’s most likely who’s behind holding them hostage. We are assuming that Rhodes and Hogan are with them, possibly Fitzpatrick. Fitpatrick is a possible hostile, and most likely who arranged this in the first place. He’s entirely unknown, so be careful engaging him.”

They continued talking as Clint flew west. Something about 7-Eleven and slurpees. Bruce let it wash over him and only protested half-heartedly when they told him he was on med alert. (“Not that kind of doctor, guys.”) He kept staring at the picture of Benjamin Fitzpatrick, trying to grab at a thought that was just out of reach. He startled when he felt a hand on his back. Natasha was sitting next to him. “You okay?”

“It’s just. When I look at him, he seems so familiar. I know we know nothing about him, but he doesn’t feel like a bad guy, you know? I don’t know. It’s stupid.”

She shook her head. “No, I know what you mean. He seems safe. It’s the eyes.” Bruce looked at her and she smiled. “Then again, I always have had a soft spot for the boys with sad eyes.” She patted his arm and walked back to the cockpit.

Bruce noticed they were landing about 10 minutes later, in an abandoned parking lot behind the closest 7-Eleven to Dr. Prentiss’s address. This, apparently, was part of the strange protocol Natasha barely remembered. They had briefly considered ignoring this part and going straight to the house, but Clint suggested they start here. (“It won’t hurt, and may give us time to fill Edwards in on what’s happening. The base commander there is a good friend of Rhodey’s and they’ll have medical standing by to assist. First priority is getting Morgan out safely, so if there’s a chance she’s there, let’s make sure we take it.”)

And a few minutes later, when Bruce found himself comforting a panicked and hysterical Morgan, he was beyond thankful for their decision.

“Take a few deep breaths, Morgs.” Bruce showed her with his own while rubbing her back. Steve handed her a slurpee, and walked away to answer a phone call. Morgan hiccupped several times, but tried to slow her breathing.

“U..unc…ucle Br..uc..e..” He leaned in, trying to hear her better. “Are they going…t..t..t..o…kill dad…?”

“No, honey. Natasha and Clint are going to get them. Your dad will be fine. I promise.” Bruce tried not to let his uncertainty show. He had no idea what they would do if Tony was hurt—Morgan had lost so much. Her face was white and her hands were clammy. Bruce put a blanket around her shoulders. She fiddled with a bracelet around her wrist.

“Nat has one of those.” Bruce said it lightly, as if he were commenting on the weather. “Did you give it to her?”

Morgan’s brow furrowed. “N..no. No, I don’t think so. I can’t remember where I got it.” She sniffed and wiped away more tears, “Fitz took it from me this morning and tapped a message on it. I didn’t even know it could do that.” Bruce stilled.

“Are you talking about Benjamin?” She nodded.

“Fitz. He’s my friend. Dad gets annoyed with him, but I think he secretly likes him. Fitz told me to come here.” She leaned in and whispered, “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course, Morgs.”

“I think he’s my brother. No one believes me. Uncle Bruce, he’s just like my dreams. I mean, how did he know about Aunt Nat if he wasn’t my brother? It just makes sense.”

It did and it didn’t. Honestly, Bruce didn’t know what to think, other than the fact that things were getting pretty convoluted. His head started to hurt. Steve ran over to them.

“Bruce, we have a problem.”

A few minutes later, Steve, Morgan, and Bruce were flying the quinjet above a large ranch house. Steve landed and told Morgan to stay inside. She nodded, as he and Bruce ran out. Bruce grabbed the med kit and met Happy at the entrance to the jet.

“Quick. In here.” His nose was bleeding and he was carrying his wrist as if it were broken. It was absolute chaos inside. Bruce stepped over several bodies and Clint was on the phone. He heard him mention the hospital and was pretty sure he was talking to Helen Cho. He and Steve followed Happy into a smoky dining room.

For just a moment, Bruce wasn’t sure what he was seeing. Rhodey was kneeling next to Tony, who looked unconscious. Natasha was next to another body, and as soon as she saw him, she waved him over. Her eyes were wider than he had ever seen them and as he walked over, he realized why.

Lying on the ground was the boy with sad eyes, the one who looked so familiar. Benjamin Fitzpatrick was still. His brown hair was matted with blood, and looking closer, Bruce retched. There was a hole in his temple that Natasha was attempting to manage. At first, Bruce didn’t understand. Triage for that kind of gunshot wound to the head was nonexistent. Dead people didn’t come back to life.

She shouted something at him and Bruce found his feet bringing him closer. He bent down and exchanged looks with Natasha. She put Benjamin’s wrist in his hand. Unbelievably, Bruce felt an uneven pulse. It was thready and barely there, but there was no mistaking it. His eyes traveled up and down Ben’s body, cataloguing injuries and trying to figure out their next steps.

“Bruce. Look.” Natasha’s eyes were impossibly wide. He looked back at Benjamin’s head as the wound began to close. A faint, orange light began to emanate from his temple. It reminded Bruce of one of Strange’s portals, and for a second, he looked around as if the sorcerer were with them. It was a ridiculous thought, but Bruce was having trouble thinking straight.

More people poured into the room and someone picked up Benjamin and put him on a stretcher. They put oxygen over his face. Bruce stood back as Clint told the medics to take Benjamin to the hospital and that Cho would be meeting him there. He heard Rhodey in the background. “He’s Spider-Man.”

Bruce looked at Tony who was surrounded by a few other EMTs checking his blood pressure. Bruce pulled Natasha aside. “Is he okay?” She nodded.

“It looks like he just passed out. Benjamin jumped in front of the bullet. Osborn is missing.”

“And he’s Spider-Man?”

Natasha pursed her lips, “Seems like it.” She wasn’t happy with that revelation. Bruce knew she had spent a long time looking for a lead on their fellow hero. They had all assumed he was dead, and it was a tough loss for the team. Knowing that he was alive all along was a tough pill to swallow. And made no sense.

“Dad!!” Bruce turned and watched as Morgan ran into the room and over to Tony. He was sitting up with a glass of water in his hand, having come to a few minutes ago. He dropped the glass and clung to Morgan. Bruce could hear her crying.

Clint walked over to them and whispered something in Natasha’s ear. She nodded. In the middle of the confusion, the police and fire department had arrived and were putting up caution tape. Rhodey had gotten up to talk with a couple of military officers. Bruce sat down next to Tony and Morgan.

“How are we doing over here?” Tony looked up, eyes red. Bruce had rarely seen him look so vulnerable. “Is he…” Tony cleared his throat and looked at Morgan, whose head was buried in his neck. He tried again, “How is he?”

“I don’t know. Helen’s meeting us at the hospital. He. He was still alive.” Tony choked, tearing up again.

“H…how?”

Bruce shook his head. “I don’t know, Tony.”

They sat there a few more minutes as people moved around them. Eventually, they got up and walked back to the quinjet. Edwards Air Force Base was a ten minute flight away and Helen had called to say that Benjamin was going into surgery. An uneasy silence settled among the group. As they flew to the base, all Bruce could think about was Benjamin, orange light, and sad eyes that screamed safe.