Natasha and Yelena dissapear into the disorderly crowd along with Bucky and Ward. I drag Bobbi onto the sidewalk,channeling all the strength I have to pull her into an alley between two aprtment buildings.
I am slammed into the wall,and a hand is put over my mouth. The man is taller than I am,wearing a brown hoody to mask his face,though I can make out the scruff of a beard beneath it.
He pulls the hood back and looks around as if afraid that someone may catch us. He removes his hand from my mouth and looks down at me."Who are you?"
He eyes Bobbi."Dr. Bruce Banner."
The air is sucked from my lungs as I recognize the name."But they said you were dead. They -"
"Never found my body."
I slap him across the face."What the hell are you doing hiding around like this! Your friends needed you,Bruce!"
"Peggy- Ms. Carter,we can't do this right now. She's dying."
I look down at Bobbi who is still draining of color and blood."What can you do?"
Bruce lifts her from the ground and commands me to follow him. We arrive at a house,tucked away behind the buildings and the bustle of the city. There are few houses on the street and there are three that seem occupied. Bruce drags me into the house and lays Bobbi on the couch, and begins rushing around the house,putting together an IV, gathering bandages,and grabbing a syringe. He stabs Bobbi in the arm with the syringe. He inserts the IV into her arm and begins working to recover her. He checks her pulse every twenty seconds and nods when its ok,and curses when it is not. And when it is bad,he pushes down on her chest and checks her pulse again.
"Bruce I can't stay here-"
"What are you going to do? Once that Midnight Oil is out,there is nothing any of us can do."
"We're working to prevent that,Bruce-"
"As if you can. You may be able to stop the plane from getting it out,but those foot soldiiers still have small canisters of it on their belts. The plane is the biggest and that may help,but a lot of people are still going to die."
I begin to pace back and forth as Bruce returns to recovering Bobbi.
"What do we do then? There's no way I'm just going to sit by and let this happen."
He looks to the ground."I don't know," He shrugs."We are all beaten,battered broken. I don't know how any of you were dumb enough to think that you'd come out here and actually win. Maybe Steve brainwashed you or something. But this is possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard-"
"Why do people always mistake bravery for stupidity. Ignorance. We were put here to save the world-"
"We're we? Because all I do is destory things. Break everything I touch. I destroyed Harlem-"
"Yes and saved it's ass not even 3 years after that."
"I'm not going out there. I'm not throwing myself back out on the train tracks. This country is unstable and there is nothing to fight for anymore-"
"Your partner believes your dead and is flying over Manhattan to find you because she put that in his head. Clint is gone. Natasha-"
"I know about Natasha. I know about Clint. I know about Tony. But what the hell does any of that mean to me anymore? We aren't Avengers anymore. We're broken individuals thrown together like animals in a zoo."
"They are dying for you. They think you're gone and they're throwing their lives on the line all for you. All for Clint. All for that boy Natasha lost to Yelena. The way I see it,they're some pretty extravagant people."
"What can we do? The fate of us is inevitable."
"You're right,Dr. Banner. We're all going to die. How and when,that's a different story entirely. Is it today? We're trying not to."
"All of you are bruised and some are even broken. Mentally,physically and emotionally. None of this is brave,it's just stupid."
"What's wrong with you! You're friends are out there fighting for their lives. One of them are flying a jet for the enemy against his will. Natasha can barely use her legs. What is this! What is wrong with you! Tell me,Dr. Banner. Tell me!"
"Agent Carter-"
"Think of everyone you lost. Everyone they've lost!"
"Stop."
I plop down on the couch running my hands through my hair out of frustration."If anyone is stupid,Dr. Banner,and I do apologize,it's you."
He returns to tending to Bobbi."My life no longer has purpose."
"That's what your telling yourself,Bruce,"I say a qualm of exhaustion pouring over me.
"Can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"How did you keep going? After you lost Steve,after you were accused of something you didn't do?"
"I remembered that there were people out there who needed me. People who were out there worth saving,"
"What if those people hated you? Dispised you. Only liked you because of the people you were around."
"The others?"
"Yes."
"No one will ever be able to take your will to do good away from you,Bruce. No one should ever be able to. And if they do ,well that's a damn good reason to fight them. I can't begin to express how dissapointed I am in you. Letting your friends down-"
"I didn't let anyone down-"
"Yes you did. Yes you did," He sighs.
I stand from the sofa."Is she going to be alright?"
"She needs medical attention. My methods only work temporarily. An hour maybe two before she is need of a blood transfusion."
I nod and walk to the door."Bruce,"
He looks at me.
"Don't let anyone take that away from you. Your friends and I need you. You may be the one who helps us win this. But just remember,despite the descision you make," I smile."You are still loved. And it's not just because of the Avenger name. It's because you are a good person."
