FOILS 2

Banner looked at the small invision in Ava's back and frowned. He needed stitches. He was never a good stitcher.


"Yeah, but-" Angela started, but Bruce cut her off.


"Do you know how to sew?" he asked.


"Why?" she said, alarmed. "Oh, no. You don't want me to-"


"It's easy. I've never been good at it because my hands shake all the time. The big guy, you know?"


But Angela looked as if the thought could make her cry, so Banner dropped it.


"Alright. Sorry for asking," Banner said, bending down to stitch Ava up. "Don't look."
 
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Banner straightened his back; Ang cringed when she heard it crack, like a wishbone. He huffed like an old man.


"Okay, time to get up, Ava. You're all finished."


Angela walked over. "She just wakes up, just like that?"


"She wakes up when she wake up, when the drugs leave her system. But her system is different than our system, so I don't know how much longer she'll be out." He looked grim when he added, "I didnt even know if she'd be out all the way through the surgery."
 
"I was not, as you say, 'out' Doctor Banner."


Ava spoke softly, the drugs were still in her system a bit, numbing her.


"I woke up shortly before you started stitching, but I did not want to distract you so I said nothing. I would have offered my assistance with the stitches if they were not on my back. That would have made things difficult so I let you do them." Ava spoke into the pillow her head was on, oxxygen tickling her nostrils from the tubes where it was coming in. She was warm and the bed was so soft. Just like a cloud. She could just float, float away. She could dream again. She didn't have to stay.


But she did. She stayed anyway.
 
"Ava, you can't-" Banner started to say, but threw his hands down. "Oh, let Clint give you that speach. Angela," he said, turning to her. "Tell Clint she's awake, then pack a bag. Ava, does everything feel normal?"
 
"No, but I suspect that will pass. The drugs are still in my system and they are making me feel very comfortable and warm, which is not normal. I also feel a slight pinch in my back from where you operated. Nothing that is concerning."
 
"Bedrest," Banner ordered, standing up. "No training, no leaving your room, until we get back. And no therapy sessions."


---


It occured to Angela she had no idea where Clint was.


And now she was lost again.


Well, she was pretty sure the kithen was to her left. But this habit was becomig ridiculous. Ending up in unmarked hallways wasnt even scary anymore.


"Clint?" she called.
 
Clint seemed to melt out of the shadows behind Angela when she called.


"Yes? What's up Angela?"


Ava said nothing and hoped the Doctor took that as consent. She'd be up in no time. He just did not realize how good her healing powers were.
 
Angela screamed. "You are just as bad as Ava!" she exclaimed.


Just as bad as Ava.


Monster.


Angela shook her head. "Um...." she said. "Ava's awake. Banner sent me to tell you."


-----


Banner might be an old man in a 35-year-old's body, but his ears were young and sharp. He reached the door in three long strides and yanked it open when Angela screamed. She sounded like the blonde in a cheap horror movie.


"Stay there until I get back," said Banner. "I mean it. Don't follow me like they always do in cheap horror movies."
 
Ava watched Doctor Banner leave, and then got up and followed him "like they always do in cheap horror movies". She saw him walk in on Angela and Clint, who were talking.


"Great!" Clint said, then he turned and saw Ava. He frowned at her.


"Um, I'm not a Doctor, but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be walking around. Especially in that getup."


Ava looked down, she was wearing a hospital paper gown. It felt very breezy.


"Doctor Banner did tell me to not "follow him like they always do in cheap horror movies" but he left before I could inform him that I have never seen a cheap horror movie, and therefore will be following him as I usually follow humans." Ava frowned a bit.


"I guess the drugs are affecting me more than I originally thought, otherwise you would not have seen me."
 
"Hey," said Angela to Banner, a tag in her voice. "Cheap horror movies are the best."


"Why did you scream?" he said.


"Ugh." It was a very loaded 'ugh.' "Clint just scared me."


"That's it," Banner said flatly, as if he had been expecting something else. He turned to Clint. "She needs bedrest until me and Angela get back. Can you do that?"
 
"I do that." Clint said, shrugging and smiling.


"I'm just a scary looking guy I guess." He said still smiling.


"Anyway, Ava, go lie down. Right, Doc?"
 
"Exactly. And write down anything out of the ordinary." He realized how insane that sounded when applied to Ava. "If she reacts oddly. To anything. I mean it, Clint, don't just say you'll remember. She could be alright now, but she could have a delayed reaction to the anasthetics."


He turned around. Angela was still there. "I said go pack a bag."


"Well, why?"


"Because... if you get ready in under five minutes, I'll get McDonalds."


As Angela ran off, Banner glanced at Clint, then started to turn away. He felt childish for crossing his fingers under his coat sleeves, but he hoped Clint wouldnt ask what he was doing.
 
"All right, I'll write anything 'unusual' down. Just be careful with Angela out there, wherever you're taking her.If you need back up you know who to call."


Clint smiled at his back.


"Not me, cause I'm busy. Call you're science buddy, Stark, or someone. See you when you get back."
 
"Oh." Banner rubbed his eye. "Yeah, i know what you mean. I thought you said another word."


He hobbled off.


----


"Dun nun nun nun nuh, I'm lovin' it," Angela said to herself, zipping a big black purse up.


Purse.


She could imagine her mom holding a purse like this. She'd seemed so professional, under the Starbucks awning, like she was on her way to give a speech on the state of the economy. But with Starbucks.


And then she drove off with some guy in a shiny black car with silver hubcaps, and all Angela had was a greasemonster with windowwipers like cat claws.


Angela hugged the purse close and walked out of her room, humming the McDonalds theme song absently.


"Banner!" she called.
 
Clint had set them up in the gameroom, and this time there was going to be no Emma to disturb there fun.


He had carried Ava to her room to change into pajamas(she wanted to walk but he said no). Then he carried her to the gameroom and set her up with a multitude of pillows and blankets and gotten her a snack called "popped corn". Then he plopped P.J. on her,(He immidiatley curled up and fell asleep on her stomach), and pushed in a movie called "Rise of the Guardians".


Then he plopped down next to her and sighed contentedly.


"Movie night." He smiled as he threw some popcorn into his mouth.
 
Bruce took out his cell to text Nick. As the hot-shot Director, Nick had eyes in the sky and ears in the walls. Even there, among two of his most trusted agents, he kept up surveillance. What Bruce was doing would be no secret once the minicams caught their escapade on-tape. Fury would be furious. Bruce, however, didn't mind stepping on Nick's toes; not having to listen to anyone was one of the perks of being a "giant green rage monster," as Tony had once put it.


The thing was, he couldn't get the stupid smartphone to work.


When Angela bounded to his side from the downstairs, he hande it to her. "I need you to type something for me."


"Yeah?" She plopped the purse she'd been carrying at her feet.


"Be back in a few days," recited Banner. "Clint is fine with Ava. To 'Nick's Second Business Cell.'"


"Who's Nick?"
 
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Movie night went fine.


Just fine.


Clint looked over at Ava a lot, especially in the funny scenes, but all he saw was a look of blank confusion.


Well, he enjoyed it.


"What'd you think?" He asked as the credits were rolling.


Ava took her time, chewing a piece of popcorn and staring hard at the screen.


"Where, where can I find this Jack Frost? Or the Santa Claus, tooth fairy, or rabbit of Easter? I have been all over the world and I have never seen them, I am impressed that they hid themselves so well for so many years."


For a moment Clint smiled, hoping she was joking, the he cleared his throat.


"Well, I have never seen them either, but I never saw you before now. This movie is fiction, it's just a story, but I suppose they all might be real and be very good hiders. Just like you."


Ava frowned and looked at Clint.


"Do you honestly believe there is anyone out there just like me?"
 
While Bruce hunted for his wallet, Angela searched his phone. He had 1,327 unread emails and an overdue bill, according to a finance app, but nothing on a Nick. His contact info hadn't been filled in yet. Or maybe Bruce left it blank for a reason.


It buzzed, signaling a message from Nick. Angela glanced at Bruce, who hadn't noticed, then peered at the message.


'No' it read, shortly.


Just no.


"Give me that," said Bruce suddenly, and Angela handed the phone over reluctantly.


"Were you reading my texts?" he asked.


Angela hesitated. "Uh... no."


Bruce shut his phone off, then tossed her the keys. "It's the old one. Get in the car. I'll be out in a sec."


Angela noticed that he looked like someone had theown dirt in his eyes.


"Are you okay?" she asked


"Get in the car," he ordered. "I got to visit the little Hulk's room."


"Ew! TMI."


Bruce's car creaked in response to Angela's weight. She stepped with her muddy boots on the Burger King wrappers, newspapers, discarded French Fries, plastic straws, and other junk obscuring the floor. He hadn't thought to clean out his half-empty soda bottles which, Angela noticed with amusement, downing the last of one, read 'Share a Coke with Bruce.' Although, it was probably more of a coincidence than anything. She could more realistically envision Bruce on a KMart self-checkout, accidentally grabbing the Bruce coke bottle, and feeling a little embarrased at the coincidence. Maybe he wanted to put it bak, but considered it too much trouble.


The driver's side door opened, and Bruce climbed in.


They were on the road.


Five hours passed. He didn't sleep. Angela felt the passing air with her fingertips, throwing out the occasional, lazy jab. "Your car smells like dog." "These french fries have mold on them." "Did you get this car from Captain America? 'Cause it looks older than him."


But it was half-hearted and harmless, and Angela fell into the rythn of the road enough to fall asleep.


-----


The sun was like a yellow spear in her eye. With a little groan, she woke up. Weak stars still dotted the sky like faint freckles; Angela wondered how long they had left.


She looked at Bruce and laughed. "How long have I been asleep?"


"Twelve hours," he guessed, with a glance at the clock.


"What?!"


"You snore. Don't do that anymore." If Bruce was tired, he didn't show it.


"Did you drive for a whole twelve hours?" Angela asked, incredulous.


"I pulled over around midnight and got a few hours of sleep. Then I hit the road again." He pointed to their shared armrest. "I got burgers from Dennys."


"Oooo."


They drove on. Angela felt as if she should have been worrying about something, but didn't really care until after she crumpled up her wrapper and dropped it on the floor. Then, she remembered.


"So, Bruce," Angela started, looking at her lap. "Is this field trip actually allowed?"


"You liar!"


"What?!"


Bruce pulled over next to some half-dead trees and a dead Quickcheck. It was three in the morning. The bags under his eyes resembled caverns. Angela felt afraid.


"You wouldn't say something like that unless you read Fury's texts," said Bruce.


Angela looked confused. "Fury? Fury... Nick Fury?!" She jumped; her head slammed into the roof. "That Fury?!"


"I have him as Nick for security reasons," Bruce explained, as he opened his phone. He sighed when he saw the screen. Angela suddenly believed how old he felt he was.


"Yeah, I read one," she said. "He said no."


They sat quietly in the gas station parking lot at three AM, on the border of New York, as Bruce checked his messages.


"There's a lot more than one."


"What? Lemme see."


Angela peered over Bruce's shoulder. Nick Fury had texted Bruce 21 times and called 3 times. All because he'd taken a girl out to New York.


"Why's he so concerned about me?" she asked. Bruce snorted a laugh.


"He's not concerned about you. He's concerned that you'll lose control, freak out, and cost SHIELD a billion dollars in city repair." He said this with the bittner scowl f a man who detested the facts.


Angela frowned. She thought she undertood Bruce's sentiment.


"But I'm not dangerous," she said, halfheartedly.


"I know how it feels to think like that," said Bruce. "And you have to stop that right now. The old you wasn't dangerous. The Angela Graham who tool her medicine correctly, played video games all day, and kept quiet at school. This Angela Graham- who you are now- isn't that. So you need to forget about her, and control you. Or else people will die, and you'll have caused it."


Bruce breathed in, shakily. He looked like a man who needed a cigarette, but settled on some Cheese Nips. Angela bit her quivering lower lip.


"But...." she said meekly, tightly holding the seat edge. "I'm not dangerous."


Bruce frowned. "Did you forget why we have to go to Orange Regional Medical Center to see your dad?"


Had she forgotten? So easily? What kind of a person was she? To forget something loke that? Angela dropped her head to the window, staring absently at nothing.


"I didn't want to hurt anyone," she muttered as thet pulled out.


"Me neither."
 
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"Will you please!"


Clint sighed and started again.


"Ava, please do not toss the dog up in the air like that. You hear those yelps he's making? That's because the experience is unpleasant for him. Just, just lie back down. We're spending the night in here tonight."


Clint eyed the door where he saw the shadow of feet running back and forth. It was nearly 3 a.m. and they'd already checked on them about sixty seven times. There was no chance a paranoid kid was sleeping through that, as he had tried to explain, but they kept doing it anyway.


"Ok, Ava. I'm gonna pop another movie in, or read to you."


Ava kep staring at her dog, who had whimpered finally and curled up on her chest. Clint ran his hand through his hair, he was not getting paid enough for lack of sleep.


"I'll read to you. Let's see what we've got here."


Clint went over to a little bookshelf under the DVD's. He smiled as he picked out the Hobbit.


"My mama used to read me this. Ok, comfy?"


"Why are there people running outside?"


"Bruce took a fieldtrip I think."


"Is Angela with him?"


"Yup."


"Can we go?"


Clint looked at her, his eyebrow raised. Her metal collar was rising and falling slowly , in sync with the puppy on her chest. Ava hadn't gotten any color back since she'd come here, but Clint liked to think she had a bit more meat on her bones. Her hair was a bit longer too, it fell in her eyes a lot and she could push most of it behind her ears. It was almost chin length. He smiled in spite of himself.


"We can't go on this one, no. Maybe another one, if you're good. Now hush, listen to the story."
 
"...particularly the ones who... zero tolerance of guns..."


CRASH


click


"...power consumption in China...."


click


"...it is five after nine on Fox News...."


CRASH


The power went dead. The waitress behind the bar sighed as the TV's mounted on both end of the restaurant shut down.


"Sorry, guys," she apologized.


"That channel sucked, anyway," Angela remarked.


"You don't like the news?"


"Are you kidding? Bor-ring."


CRASH


Banner pressed buttons absentmindedly on the remote control. "Some storm out there tonight, huh?" the waitress remarked, takig his empty plate from him. He grunted in agreement.


"Do you think this is... This'll sound weird, but...." Angela waited until the waitress disappeared with their dishes to the kitchen. "What if we arent supposed to go see my parents? And that's why its storming? I'm just saying, it feels like karma."


Banner wrinkled his nose. "You're using the wrong word. Coincidence, maybe."


Angela shook her head. "Nah. Like, foreshadowing."


"Isn't that something authors use in books?" asked Banner.


"Well, you can use it in a real-world sense, too," said Angela defensively.


Banner put the remote aside. "It's just rain."


"Yeah...."
 
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After an elongated while (another drink, desert, lets get to-go for the ride home, another drink, another drink, please Bruce, im thirsty) the storm ebbed enough so that the TV's zapped on again. Angela found that alien conspiracy theory channel and insisted they stay for the entire episode. Banner looked as if he would force her out if she didnt stop messing around soon.


"Stop putting it off," he said.


Angela hesitated, then chuckled weakly. "Put what off?"


Banner gave her a hard look.


"It's too late to go, anyway. Visiting hours are over, probably."


"It's only six o'clock-"


"I didn't even want to take this trip."


Angela looked guilty. Banner scrunched his face up, confused. Their plates were taken away silenty, by someone uncomfortable with the atmosphere they'd just created.


Banner frowned. "We're so close, though."


The hospital was twenty minutes up the street.


"That's why. I thought I wanted to see her, but now I'm scared. Banner, she's not going to like me, I'm not what she wanted. I'm not like I was when I was little." She picked the sparky green nail polish off her nails as she spoke, slowly, with traction.


Bruce sighed. "You wanted to come out here, though."


"I didn't know what we were doing until after we left, though. You didn't tell me. You're forcing me into this. Just so I can reunite with my mom."


"Angela, why are we going to a hospital?"


She hesitated.


"Because you put your dad in the hospital. Because you're a freak of biochemistry, just like me, and what's worse, you can't control it. You don't have room to argue about anything right now, after what you put him through."


Angela fell into a pit of deep silence, that lasted through the rest of the night, until she and Banner reached the hospital, and parked in the parking lot, and stepped through the doors and asked to see "William Graham, please."
 
Clint snored softly as the book rose and fellow top of his chest. Somehow he had read them both to sleep. The scene made Emma smile a moment.


There he was, the mighty hawkeye, his arm around a young girl who fell asleep on his shoulder looking at the pictures of the book that was still held by Clint. The little dog, P.J?, had snuggled up in the crook of Clint's elbow and was curled on Ava's stomach, not noticing the gentle up and down motion of her breathing. When she was asleep she looked so young, and so old. Dreams played across her face like a mirror, showing the turmoil within the blank exterior. Hair fell lazily in front of her eyes and nose, lifting slightly with each breath.


Ava must be losing her touch, Emma mused, she hasn't heard me yet.


Emma smiled again and took a picture with her phone.


"Clint."


At the sound of his name the archer's eyes flew open without a sound, and he looked around, then carefully extracted himself from the snuggle fest, waking Ava accidentally. She sat up and looked around, confused for a split second, before her mask kicked in. Emma smiled. A second was all she needed. One crack can lead to many after all.
 
The desk lady blinked at the redheaded girl who was concentrating very hard on looking adult. Brows drawn down over comically huge eyes, lips tight pouting, fingers tapping on the counter, she seemed to be showing off for her companion. A man with steel-wool hair licked a ketchup stain off the corner of his mouth, standing idly behind Carrot Top, who stood an inch taller than him.


"It's one o-clock in the morning," the attendent said slowly.


"Yeah?" Carrot Top looked nervous.


"You can come again tomorrow, maybe?"


"Oh, well, oops." The girl chuckled weirdly. She didn't look happy with the bags under her big, green eyes. "Banner, see? Everyone's sleeping, we gotta come back tomorrow."


The man- Banner- spoke with a very different accent, as well as with a different twang of nervousness. "But you said yourself that your dad's an insomniac."


"We don't want to- what's the word- disturb the other, uh, patrons." Carrot Top turned back to the attendent and grinned, showing the gaps where several teeth should be.


"What's your name?" the attendent asked.


Carrot Top frowned. "Angela Graham."


"And your relationship with him?"


"I'm his daughter."


The attendent smiled as fakely as a Colgate model. "I'll let him know you stopped by."
 
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