Being a Banner [ 1 of JA ]

61

Dad and I were forced to pack our things and then be dragged out to a helicopter on the tower's landing roof. Well, we weren't dragged, but my feet slumped against the ground.
I kept looking back to see if Tony, Howie, or Pepper were following. None of them were in sight.
The propellers were blowing my hair around furiously, and making my split ends poke my eyes. A few of the soldiers stay behind as the ones who walk Dad and I guide us into the helicopter. My hair dangles in front of my eyes, as Dad leads me into the chopper. I turn to the back platform to see it closing, having Stark Tower disappear in front of my eyes.
We haven't taken off and I already feel unsafe.
As soldiers and Dad get situated with seating, I brush my hair out of my face and look around. However, I don't see much when two bodies take hold of me. I realize it's a hug, yet I'm not so sure who's hugging me or why I deserve it.
"You're okay! Oh thank God you're okay," I hear.
I pull away to look at the bodies hugging me.
Brown eyes, brown and black hair, warm smiles.
"Jax? Levi?"
"You've got a lot of explaining to do, but let's start with the fact that Tony Stark is your uncle!" Levi exclaims.
Dad takes notice of the boys, and is in the same state of shock as me.
"Bruce," Jax says, slightly staggering back.
Dad looks between the boys, lips pursed into a frown and brows furrowed.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Levi asks.
"The same reason why I didn't tell her," Dad nudges his head at me. "Couldn't risk hurting you guys."
The boys are silent for a moment. I can see the conflicting emotions behind Dad's eyes.
Levi scoffs with a smile, "Well, green looks good on you."
Suddenly, a smile crosses Dad's face as Levi laughs, prompting Dad to begin laughing as Jax and I try to hold back our own giggles.
"Sit down for take off," General Ross yells from the front. Dad and Levi sit in seats across from Jax and I.
"What are you guys doing here?" I ask. "And believe me, your moms will get a huge apology for this."
"Well," Jax buckles himself in his seat. "We're your guys' closest witnesses. They thought we'd know where you are. We had to sign a lot of papers."
"Don't worry," Levi says. "My mom's lips are sealed."
"Your parents know?" Dad asks, his fear returning.
"Yeah," Levi nods. "That old man told us all about you, Bruce."
"As weird as it sounds, the day at the park made a lot of sense as to why we realized you'd been acting strange." Jax explains.
I nod after buckling myself in. "He's my grandpa."
"Who?"
"General Ross," I say.
Levi, buckled in his seat, leans forward, not much though to look at Ross. He falls back and shakes his head. "I don't see it."
"Wait," Dad says. "How come you're on the helicopter?"
Levi looks to Jax, and I know that they know something I don't.
"Guys, I'm going to start being honest with how I feel starting right now. Tell us what's going on." I say, a little demanding.
"They're going to relocate you." Jax says. "We wanted to say goodbye."
      I look across the way to Dad, who wears a face of disappointment.
      "They said we can't keep in touch," Levi sighs. "Before Ross realized we didn't know where you were, we begged him to let us stay so we could say goodbye."
      "All of New York knows what's happened." Jax says. "It's just a matter of time before the rest of the world knows."
      The world. Now that's terrifying.
      Looking back at Dad, I ask, "Where don you think they're taking us? If the whole world is about to know about Hulk, where are we going to go where no one can find us?"
      Dad shrugs, "From my experience, no where that's like home."
      And just like that, the apartment I grew up in vanishes from my mind. My old walls, bedding and personal items just disappear, just like I will soon. And then I'm back to being nobody important, except I have Dad with me this time. This time we're together, but now we're really nothing like family. We have no house, no privacy, nothing that makes us look normal.
      Then again, we were never normal to begin with, just like Dad said.
From the corner of my eye I catch Ross staring at me, so I look at him. He looks away, and his words are back in my head. You look so much like your mother.
      "Where are you taking us?" I shout to him.
      Ross hangs tightly onto the side of the helicopter and shimmies his way down to the four of us. He's closest to me and Dad.
      "We're relocating you to Arlington, Virginia. But first we're gonna drop these two back to their home." He says, pointing between Jax and Levi.
I look across to Dad, who doesn't look the least bit surprised as I do. When he catches my look, he shrugs.
"At least we're together this time." He says.
I nod and smile, then look to Jax and Levi, who force sad smiles on their faces. And suddenly my world is crumbling again, slowly. Painfully slow.