#drbannerrp

Betty hopped onto the railing of the terrace and stared down at the city below. It always amazed her how even though the worse of the worse could be going on but the people continued to move forward, they never once stopped. There were moments of rest, to mourn, but then they got right back up and continued fighting. She wished she could just keep moving like that, she had tried. Lord had she tried, but something always came back and knocked her down. Perhaps too much of her childhood was spent in mourning to the point that was her natural state? Who knows? She drew her legs up to rest her head on her knees, skirts barley shifting at the motion while her sleeve pooled making a lovely pillow.

It also always amazed her how the people closest to her love to hurt her. Part of it was not their fault of course, but still. Maybe it was the fact she was always in mourning and they moved on without her? It would not surprise her if she was to blame. She could talk big, she could show up but at the end of the day it still was never good enough. But that was fact and she had to work around it or with it which of course was easier said than done. Betty had managed though, she had managed to continue moving on, and even if she was a couple steps behind she could pose to where it looked like she was right beside them. That was why she laughed when people called her a genius because she had seen the geniuses and she was nowhere close to their level. Part of the reason she had told Sharon no in the first place, she could not hope to be on level with the rest of the roster. It was also cruel to ask her to play pretend while trying to build back what Loki had destroyed.

But at the end of the day she just had to prove herself.

Though she still did not prove it. That whole meeting she ignore Bruce’s presence. She ignore Tony’s slight look and she steadfast ignored the way she just wanted to run away crying. She had shed enough tears for that fucker. And every fucking time, every SINGLE TIME HE CAME BACK, she would forgive him. She would allow him in, give him a safe place and pray he would not simply destroy and leave again. Each time it got harder and harder to let him back in, it drove her mad. Logic demanded no, heart demanded yes and she made it harder and harder for him to leave but he still did. First she went with him and got shut down and sent away. Just like her father had done after her mother had died. This time she begged him to at least tell her and he promised. But so much for that.

Betty fiddled with the sleeves of her green hoodie, curled up in the corner of Nick’s couch. Not that she really expected the man to have one much less his own place but that was neither here nor there. She glanced at the door before relaxing a bit further into the couch, enjoying the plushiness of it. It wasn’t like her cell bed was necessarily bad but it most certainly was not the bed she was used to sleeping on. Loki even had a softer bed for her, but he always wanted her in top shape. Speaking of which. She let out a yawn and brought a hand up to rub at her eyes. She needed to stop doing that, it might worry Bruce.

If he ever showed up anyway.

It had taken her a week of begging Fury and then another couple of days of begging the scientist to let her see him. She just, she needed to see him like she needed a bubble bath. Her eyes glanced up at the weird cat clock, apparently a gift from Coulson before glancing down at the tranquilizers on the table. They were enough to make Steve blink twice which probably meant she would be knocked out. She wasn’t at his level, but still.

Her socked feet moved closer to her while her hands went to play with the strings on the hoodie. She was starting to get way too attached to this thing. Her eyes traveled to the clock once more before she bounced to her feet. Any second he would either show up or he wouldn’t. She couldn’t blame him if he didn’t. Clint had gotten repossessed because of her. She had hurt his lover. There was no forgiveness in that. Nothing could forgive that.

Betty whimpered before playing with the edge of the braid that hung over her shoulder. It was a ‘Katniss’ braid or something like that. She had not exactly been paying attention while Emma did her hair. No she had been trying to choke down a breakfast filled with things to keep her system going. Apparently she had either not been eating enough or not receiving enough as of late and it was starting to concern the doctors. Not that she was worried. She knew her body, well, she used to. At least she hoped the basics were normal. Her eyes travelled back to the clock just to snap to the door when there was a knock.

Was it him?

She practically tripped in her haste to get to the door, pressing her hands against it gently.

Betty fell out of the transformation, falling on the floor in laughing hysterics. Tears were falling from her eyes as her arms curled around her belly in a desperate attempt to stop laughing so hard.

“Doctor Ross, are you okay?”

“To leather, to dildos to curry vindaloo” She gasped out, falling backwards till she was lying on the training room floor.

“That’s probably Clint and Bruce’s Friday night.” She quieted for a second before breaking out in pearls of laughter, hand coming up to cover half of her face.

"Doctor Banner, I’ll be honest, I did not like you at first." Phil stirred his coffee a bit before taking a sip. "You gave up too easy and seemed weak to me. But luckily for you a pretty young lady convinced me otherwise. She was too smart to put her hopes into something that did no deserve it." He rose from his seat and gave the other a small nod goodbye. 

tw: suicide

Sing it out Girl, you've got to be what tomorrow needs For every time that they want to count you out Use your voice every single time you open up your mouth

  “Daddy…” Betty started when she heard what her father was talking about with the other soldiers in the room. He had made mom through this huge party because he wanted to unveil his idea. She had not know what it was but now, hearing it, she had to disagree. “that does not seem right though, wouldn’t that hu-“ she quickly snapped her mouth shut when he gave her a dark look and growled.

“Quiet, Elizabeth. This is man’s talk.” She turned her head to shot her mom a desperate look, not knowing what to do. Her dad was wrong, but why wouldn’t he at least let her listen. After pausing in her conversation, her mom made a motion as if telling her to try again, to keep trying till she was heard.

“Daddy,” she tried again, but louder and this time moving more to the center of the circle. “There are so many risks. A lot of people live in those areas that are innocent and our technology is not that advanced, even if Mr. Stark is amazing.”

The group of older men around her began to laugh, one having the balls to tell her to play with her dolls and hush for she did not know. 

Clearly that was not the right thing to say.

Betty huffed up her chest and crossed her arms firmly, looking like the mirror image of her mother. 

“I researched it; I wanted to see what my daddy did. I think I know more than you, especially when it comes to technology. You probably don’t get the chance to read the paper when you are working.” The pout was defined on her lips, though her answer just caused a raucous laughter to escape the men.

“Darling, take Elizabeth to her room, she is being a bother.” Her father said, anger resting in his voice. Her mother swiftly came over and started to direct her to her room, shaking her head slightly. When they reached the room she crouched in front of Betty and hugged her tightly, whispering gently into her hair.

“Never let your opinion go unheard and if you truly believe in it, fight till the bitter end. Never be silenced.” With a final kiss and a whisper of good night, her mother returned to the party, argument to her husband already being formed in her head.

Sing it for the boys Sing it for the girls Every time that you lose it sing it for the world Sing it from the heart Sing it till you're nuts Sing it out for the ones that'll hate your guts Sing it for the deaf Sing it for the blind Sing about everyone that you left behind Sing it for the world

 Betty growled at the people who were talking about redoing the Super Soldier Formula, trying to find a way to make it work this time. Saying things like, ‘oh Banner was just a bad test subject, we need a regular civilian’. Those idiots, did they miss what happened? She stood up and tore the notes down, shoving them all into her bag while the rest just stood around in shock. After all, she was systematically destroying everything that they worked on. After shoving the computer with the data out the window she turned to glare at them, not even flinching at the pity, the pain, the absolute fury she saw in their eyes.

“This project is OVER. It shall not be attempted by these labs again. If I catch wind of anyone trying to repeat this experiment, there will be hell to pay.” She latched her bag shut and headed towards the door, pausing for a second in front of it to turn around.

“You blind IDIOTS, this cost someone their life and you just want to retry it? How can you call yourselves human? You all sicken me.” She shook her head and walked out, leaving all the people in there. Hopefully they took her threat seriously and she just saved an unknowing individual. Betty sighed and headed towards the smashed computers, she would have to take the memory in the computers out.

Sing it out, girl before they kill what tomorrow brings You've got to make a choice If the music drowns you out And raise your voice Every single time they try and shut your mouth

Betty screamed louder over the sound of the tanks, yelling at her father to stop. She turned and started running, no no NO. It couldn’t be him.  She had just got him back. She barley registered her hitting the soldier, crying and struggling against their grip 

“BRUCE.” She called, the tears welling up in her eyes. No, anyone but him, he was not a monster, he did not deserve to die.

After that it was a blur, the sounds of explosions and bullets rung out loud. There was fire and destruction everywhere. She remembered the green eyes, so full of pain, so full of suffering.

She remembers going to the cave with him, curling up with the creature they mistakenly called a monster 

She remembered how she swore that night that not another person would try to kill the Hulk if it was in her power to stop it. Even if she had to run in front of the bullet herself, neither Bruce nor the Hulk would be harmed by her father again.

Despite his best efforts to shut her up, SHIELD was willing to make her above his influence and she was an idiot not to take such an offer.

Keep running! Girl, you've got to be what tomorrow needs

Betty stared at the other park goers, not really noticing those who were passing by her bench. She wasn’t exactly sure how she had gotten here, but she had. The only thing she really knew is that she had left her apartment, it was starting to close in on her and the questions and facts kept getting louder and louder. She did not even set down her morning cup of coffee; it was still clutched in her hand.

She let out a slight yawn, fingers drumming against the cup. She had been banned from her lab for the next two days; apparently she had started to break down more than the other scientists were comfortable with. Something about her movements and mutters had made them believe that she needed a break. But what did they know? It wasn’t her fault that everything had started to collapse.

Bruce had ran away, only the reassurance from one of the agents that Agent Barton was going after him kept her from running after him herself. If only to make sure he didn’t hurt himself or run away again. And then there was Fury dogging after her. ‘Why don’t you have the test results from Captain Rogers’ blood yet, Doctor Ross? Why do you not have any information on how to stop the Chitauri?’

Either way it had landed her out here, watching people go about their normal lives. Betty looked down at her empty coffee cup, wishing it was full. Though that might make her eleventh cup in the last 24 hours. She wasn’t entirely sure what the unhealthy limit was, but Tony Stark was still alive and he had to drink twice as much as she had.

Betty reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, going through her contacts till she landed on Bruce’s. She had a picture of him when he was asleep on the couch with her. It wasn’t the most flattering of pictures but he had looked so adorable, she couldn’t resist. Her thumb hovered over the call button; if he was back he probably wanted to be alone for a bit. He always got so paranoid after a transformation, always scared he would switch back and the Hulk would hurt the nearest person.  He never understood that he needs a cuddle just as much as the Hulk does.

“So, when did you fist know that the Hu- Dr. Bruce Banner was a hero?”

Betty turned in confusion to see the collection of scientist that gathered around her. She replied without thinking, the first thought coming to mind.

“Well, it could have been the night he helped me get through my mother’s death anniversary, but that’s not what you are looking for, now is it?” A collective head shake gave her, her answer.

She leaned back in her seat and thought about it for a minute. When was the first time she realized Bruce was a true hero? Hell, when was the first time she realized Hulk was the hero? It was more just a collective group of thoughts before numbness.

“Well, the first time I realized that Bruce Banner was the hero was when he left after the accident.” She paused, letting the familiar pain in her chest have its moment before shutting it back down. “I realized it then because, he gave up everything he knew and loved. He gave up home just to protect everyone. He took the..” She paused and shook her head, jesus, it felt selfish to her. “unselfish way out. It was then I realized how much of a true hero he was. Giving up everything, just to protect everyone.”

She tapped her fingers on her arm. Now to think when she first thought Hulk was a hero. She probably thought they thought it would be the Harlem incident. It wasn’t, not really.

“I first realized Hulk was a hero when he protected me from my own damn father and then protected Bruce by bringing me along.” She felt a fond smile cross her lips. She truly did treasure that time in the cave. When all that she believed was right there in front of her.

“He knew, don’t ask me how, but he knew Bruce shouldn’t be alone anymore. He protected me from harm even though the damage being done to him was high and then he thought about Bruce. Even in the heat of the moment, he knew that Bruce would need someone afterward. That was truly the first time Hulk stood out as a hero in my books.”