Frustrations
Banner had been enjoying a warm cup of chai tea in one hand and a book about how to conquer your own emotions in the other.
Though the be honest, he was only enjoying one of those things.
Even if he was the one who picked out the book among the vast selection within the “Self Help” section, he couldn’t help but get annoyed by the low effort writing. Everything was written in this writers point of view and it only accentuated the fact this guy had no idea what he was talking about.
Your feelings are like a caged lion, watching the gazelle in the nearby habitat. It watches until an outside force slips up and leaves the door open, leaving your emotions the opportunity to escape first chance it got to wreck havoc on that gazelle.
Was this book seriously trying to insinuate that emotions are not something to be worked on? That they are just pre dispositions of who we are at the core? That there’s no changing that? No bettering?
The people around you are the zoo keepers. Who knew before they decided to take this job, the dangers that come from caring for an apex predator. Who through irresponsibility, left your cage open.
Was this dude gaslighting victims of his apparent rampant shitty behavior by making the excuse:, ‘it’s not my fault I’m reacting like this. It’s just my feelings. I have no responsibility on how I act?’ Who the hell is the Gazelle in this metaphor?!
Like the lion, you cannot feel bad for how you react to the world around you, as an Alpha-
Bruce slammed the book down on the table, causing all the the things on his table to shake, making the other customers turn their heads towards the commotion in morbid curiosity.
Bruce sighed. “That’s enough reading for today.” He said exhaustingly as he rubbed the sides of his temples. This is what he gets for reading self help books rather then see a professional he supposed.
His attention was then caught off guard by an unfamiliar ringtone coming from his phone. But the song was familiar and so was the name.
“Tony did you really hack my phone so that ACDC plays when you call me? Don’t you think that’s a bit juven-
“We can talk about my great taste in music later. I need you to focus up for me.”
“What’s up Tony? Worlds ending again? Need my expertise in Gamma radiation? Because I told you I’m not helping anyone else with-“
“God! I forgot how much you talk.”
Bruce was taken aback by that remark. Sure Tony had that kind of crude personality, but usually he was kinder to him. He immediately assumed something must have been eating at him.
“Ugh, sorry… Listen B, my protege, he’s in some serious techno-medical trouble…” there was an obvious worry in his voice though Bruce could tell he was trying to hide it. “and unfortunately I think I might not be enough to figure this one out on my own. You think you could-“
It was his turn to interrupt. “Say no more Tony, I’m on my way.”
There was obvious relief in Tony’s words. “Thanks Bruce.”
“No problem, you’d do the same thing for me. Anyways I owe you for what you did for me in Jakarta.”
There was a small chuckle. “Yeah, we’re both banned from that casino, but man was it worth doing what we did…” There was a brief awkward pause and Bruce was about to hang up when he heard; “Please Hurry.”
“I’m ten minutes away.” He hurriedly said as he hung up and got up from his chair
Leaving the Starbucks within the bookstore he was in, He pulled out a sharpie from his messenger bag and wrote a little note for whichever misguided kid decided to trust in the opinions of this fool and placed it back where he found it.
Then headed straight to Stark Tower.
*Not worth the read. Talk to a therapist instead. It’s never to late to stop fetishizing your “black pill” behavior. Your responsable for you.
- Bruce Banner*
***
The whole place was on lock down and if not for his previous “science gang” hangouts he’d previously had with Tony, getting into the building would have been a lot harder to do.
“Initiating retinal scan.” A small horizontal green line of light guided past over Bruce’s eyes and there was an unmistakable beep that led to his welcome in to the heavily fortified building.
“Welcome back Dr Banner.” Friday greeted Bruce as he walked through the long corridor with Friday opening up every locked hanger door within a few feet of him. Matching Bruce’s speed.
“What’s with the extreme lock down?”
“As you know Peter Parker has been taken to the infirmary room. Though we do not know the exact cause of his injuries, which is why you are here Dr. Banner, Tony is more than eighty-six percent sure what ails the boy was ment for Tony.”
“Shit…” Bruce let that all sink in. So someone’s after Tony. Though that’s not surprising, given who Tony is, hitting Peter though? That’s a low blow.
“Which is why the moment he and the boy touched base on to the compound, I was instructed to place the building on level five lockdown.”
“How’s the kid?” He asked out loud knowing full well Friday could hear him. Though still feeling weird at times to just talk out loud into thin air and hoping to get an answer.
“He’s unconscious at the moment.”
Bruce finally made it to the last hanger door and it opened up to another hallway with a bunch of medical rooms on each side.
Bruce watched as Tony emerged through the last locked door on the left and saw the panic look in his eyes mixed with obvious signs of worry.
Not hesitating he walked over to his best friend. “Lead the way.” He spoke gently as he placed a calming hand on his shoulders. “I’ll do everything I can.”
***
Hours later with the help of the whole robotic health staff in the building, they we’re able to get through more than a dozen tests done to cross out a bunch of severe diagnosis.
Tony let out a long yawn he didn’t know he had been holding on to. From the morning patrol, to the van hijacking, to finding Peter in bad shape, he’d been in a wired state unable to really relax.
Though having Bruce around did help a little with his fried nerves.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he looked up from his microscope to watch Bruce cross out some things off his clip board and gently pulling out a thermometer from under Peters tongue. He appreciated how gentle he was with the kid. He wouldn’t ever say it out loud, but Bruce would probably make a good father.
Should he ever let himself be one.
“We’ve pretty much exhausted every outward test here Tony. It’s fair to say, in my less then perfect medical expertise, that whatever is in Peters body is not acting like anything remotely like a living organism.” He spoke while flipping through more pages on his clip board. “This is not a parasite, worm, bug... etcetera. It’s definitely acting more like a machine.”
“Did you really just say the word etcetera?” Tony teased.
But that light hearted banter quickly turned to worry as he watched the kids eyebrows knit together in discomfort. His tiny body tossing in the sheets.
“Yeah well, my point still stands.”
Friday did say it was nano-tech in nature. But they both wanted to make sure. Wanted to make sure that these things weren’t going to leave any lasting effects on the body when they finally figured out how to purge them from their youngest avenger.
These were basically robots.
And robots were very different to organisms.
They could be hacked.
The two smartest people in the room looked at each other as if the same thought were weighing on their minds.
“I think its time we start raging against the machine.”
“Faraday Cage?”
“Faraday Cage. Friday, initiate Black-Out.”
“Of course.” And with that the lights went out, along with a whole host of other electrical things, and were replaced with the soft glow of what appeared to be leafy green plants wrapping around the bed Peter was laying on. Which Bruce did not expect to see or even noticed the whole time he’d been in the room.
Though he’d admit. He wouldn’t put it past Tony to come up with a strange work around to having no lights.
The light level was abysmal, compared to regular lights, but it was dim enough the men could see each other’s faces. Especially the raised eyebrow on Bruce’s incredulous look.
“Really Tony? Bioluminescence?” He spoke through an exasperated sigh as he touched the surface of the plant. “Is… is this Watercress?”
“Nano-particles actually.” Tony responded while smacking Bruce’s hand off his precious micro greens. “This is luciferin… among other things. It’ll last for about four hours.”
“The stuff that makes fireflies get there glow?” Bruce watched intensely under the low green light as Tony’s face lit up into a small smirk.
“Right as always Dr Banner.” Bruce chuckled at his friend resorting to calling him by his professional monicker. “When I saw a few MIT students using Nano-particles to make plants glow I was inspired by the entire idea of it all and sent a rather large donation to their division. Of course this is just the beginning stages of the possibilities. But there endless in the grand scheme of things! Soon we’ll be replacing streetlights with trees that produce enough light to cut out electrical pollution by the thousands if not millions!”
Bruce couldn’t help but be enraptured by Tony’s enthusiasm. It didn’t happen often but when Tony could see the possibilities of something so small. It was hard not to get intoxicated by his elation. He always found it so amazing Tony still found things about the world to get excited for.
“Earth to Tony, don’t forget why we shut the lights off In the first place” He hated to break the happy atmosphere, but there was a child who needed their help.
Tony sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly. “Right, sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. When this is all over you can visit my lab and tell me all about your glow in the dark salad.” He felt, and then wasn’t surprised, when a playful punch hit the side of his shoulder.
“Ha. Ha.”
Peter started to stir from his peaceful slumber and an eyelid opened just a wink. Too tired to fully open them.
“He, hey… why the lights out?” He spoke softly as if trying to match the overall vibe of the room. “Where am I? Mr Stark you there?” He lifted a hand out into the open not really able to see much through his half closed eyes.
As Tony reached out for his hand a sharp pain hit his back and he sucked in a painful breath. Recoiling the outstretched hand back to hugging himself. “Oo, that hurt.”
“Your still in the med bay Peter. Are You still an eight buddy?” Tony matched his volume and gently rubbed the boys leg in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.
“Yeah… but m…kay.”
“Your not feeling any different?”
Peter thought about the question and really focused on his body. “Pain in my back-n-hips still hurt a-lot.” He responded with shallow breaths. As if every word hurt to speak. “Not nauseas anymore tho…” He tried to shrug playfully but, when the men heard the sharp intake of breath, they knew immediately Peter was joking on the amount of pain he was feeling. “A positive I g-guess. But I’m super tired.”
“Why don’t you go back to sleep Peter.” Bruce encouraged.
"Mr Banner that you?” Peter was kinda confused as to why he was here.
“Yeah it’s me kid. I hear you got hit?”
“Nah… no one hits me.”
The two men looked at each other both matching in worried looks. Clearly the kid was so tired he was beginning to get delirious.
“You gunna fix me green man?”
Bruce chuckled. “That’s the plan. I’m helping Tony to figure out what’s wrong with yeah.”
Suddenly they both heard small hiccups from the bed and Bruce walked closer to see Peter… crying?
“I’m so s-sorry I couldn’t stay awake.”
If Tonys heart could shatter it probably would have at the boys tiny confession. Even hurting the amount he did, the kid was feeling guilty for being what? A burden?
“Shush, everything is fine Peter. Nothing to feel guilty about. Rest your body.” Tony spoke in such a gentle voice it caught Bruce off guard. He didn’t know he could sound so tender.
“Ok.” Immediately Peter closed his eyes and was overtaken with exhaustion falling back asleep in seconds.
The two scientists just sat in silence for what seemed like hours until Bruce said the obvious.
“These nano-bots are either preprogrammed and currently following orders or there’s a magic component keeping them going even inside this cold spot.”
Tony took the thumbnail he’d passively been chewing without realizing and made a sound that could only be described as frustration. “Damn it. Friday, get back on Hush-a-bye.”
But nothing happened.
“Wha-“
“We’re in a Faraday Cage Tony. Remember.”
“Yup! I do now!” He stomped over to the door and manually opened a hatch accessible by a key he kept in his pocket. There inside was a basic button and latch that he pressed and pulled.
The room roared back to life. Bright lights flickered back on.
The background hum of machines waking back up filled the room and the men blinked a few times trying to adjust themselves to the light.
“Welcome back sir, I hope your break from technology brought fruitful results.”
Tony was already half way out the door when he chided back. “Sure if my produce was rotten from the start. Friday, hush-a-bye, now.”
Though a disembodied voice in the ceiling couldn’t possibly hold any real emotion. Bruce could have sworn he heard a certain amount of melancholy in her response.
“Of course sir.”
“Where are you going Tony?”
The stubborn man walked with irritated purpose down the corridor.
“To get more equipment!”
Bruce decided not to follow and instead sit down and watch the rise and fall of Peters laboured breathing.
He sighed. “I hope we can figure this out.”