Chapter Text
[ YOUNG GIRL nods and holds up a wad of cash. YOUNG GIRL (in Hindi; emotion): Please! ]
“Poor thing.” Someone says, sympathetic.
Bruce snorts, “I’m the only poor one in this situation.” He says, making Natasha smirk.
Everyone else looks at him in confusion.
“What do you mean by that, Mr. Banner?” Peter asks.
Bruce grumbles, “You’ll find out soon.” He says, still a bit bitter.
[ SLUMS, CALCUTTA, INDIA - NIGHT
A YOUNG GIRL sprints across a busy street. She runs through
a crowd of people, rushing down an busy alleyway. She runs
into a house and up the stairs.
CALCUTTA WOMAN approaches her. BRUCE BANNER, the alter ego
of the Incredible Hulk, is treating the ill.
CALCUTTA WOMAN (in Hindi): Who are you? Get out! There is
sickness here!
YOUNG GIRL (very fast in Hindi): Are you the doctor? I need a
doctor. My father. My father’s not waking up! He has a fever and he’s moaning but his eyes won’t open.
Banner hears and moves over to the YOUNG GIRL. He kneels
before her.
BANNER (in Hindi): Slow down.
YOUNG GIRL (in Hindi): My father
BANNER (in Hindi): Like them?
Banner points to the people in the house that are sick.
YOUNG GIRL nods and holds up a wad of cash. YOUNG GIRL (in Hindi; emotion): Please! ]
“Poor thing.” Someone says, sympathetic.
Bruce snorts, “I’m the only poor one in this situation.” He says, making Natasha smirk.
Everyone else looks at him in confusion.
“What do you mean by that, Mr. Banner?” Peter asks.
Bruce grumbles, “You’ll find out soon.” He says, still a bit bitter.
[ OLD ABANDONED SHACK, CALCUTTA OUTSKIRTS:
YOUNG GIRL is rushing to reach the shack but Banner, a little suspicious, grabs her -- slowing her down.
A truck drives by very slow, Banner glances at it as it passes.
Banner and the girl rush across the dirt road.
The YOUNG GIRL sprints into the shack and Banner follows slowly.
OLD ABANDONED SHACK
Banner enters in time to see her escape through the window. He’s been ditched and he realizes he’s been set up.
BANNER (quietly to himself): Should have got paid upfront Banner. ]
“Ah.” Peter says, understanding why Bruce was bitter.
Like Peter, many other people understand now.
[ NATASHA: You know, for a man who’s supposed to be...
Natasha reveals herself to Banner from behind a curtain.
NATASHA: ...avoiding stress, you picked a hell of a place to settle.
BANNER (putting his bag down): Avoiding stress isn’t the secret.
NATASHA: Then what is it? Yoga?
BANNER: And you brought me to the end of the city. Smart.
(peeping through the window)
BANNER: I- uh- I assume the whole place is surrounded.
Natasha removes her scarf.
NATASHA: Just you and me.
BANNER: And your actress buddy? She a spy too, they start that young?
NATASHA (a little nervous): I did.
BANNER eyes her.
BANNER: Who are you?
NATASHA: Natasha Romanoff.
BANNER: Are you here to kill me, Ms Romanoff? ’Cause that’s not going to work out for everyone.
NATASHA: No, no. Of course not. I’m here on behalf of SHIELD.
BANNER (a little mad): SHIELD. How’d they find me?
NATASHA: We never lost you, Doctor. We’ve kept our distance, even helped keep some other interested parties off your scent.
BANNER: Why?
NATASHA: Nick Fury seems to trust you.
But now we need you to come in.
BANNER: What if I say no?
NATASHA (seductive, sturn, smiling): I’ll persuade you. ]
All the teens frown or gag in disgust—much to the adults’ amusement.
[ BANNER (a little sad and reluctant): And what if the- Other Guy says no? ]
“Other guy?” Someone questions and Remus notes the way Bruce is shifting.
[ NATASHA You’ve been more than a year without an incident. I don’t think you want to break that streak. Banner pushes at an old wooden cradle, it creaks.
BANNER: Well, I don’t every time get what I want.
NATASHA: Doctor, we’re facing a potential global catastrophe.
BANNER (chuckles): Oh those I actively try to avoid.
NATASHA: This
(takes a seat)
is the Tesseract.
Natasha slides a cell phone along the table.
On it is an image of the Tesseract. It has the potential energy to wipe out the planet. Banner puts on his glasses, approaches and picks up the touch screen cell phone.
BANNER: What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it? ]
“Can he?” Unknown to each other, both Pietro and James asked the person next to them—that being Wanda and Lily.
Both girls rolled their eyes and turned back to the screen.
[ NATASHA:
He wants you to find it. It’s been
taken. It emits a Gamma signature
that’s too weak for us to trace. No
one knows Gamma radiation like you
If there was, that’s where I’d be.
BANNER:
So Fury isn’t after the monster?
NATASHA:
Not that he’s told me.
BANNER:
And he tells you everything? ]
Steve eyes Natasha at this and she rolls her eyes.
[ NATASHA:
Talk to Fury, he needs you on this.
BANNER (immediate response):
He needs me in a cage?
NATASHA
No one’s going to put you in a—
Natasha started to say but was cut off.
BANNER:
STOP LYING TO ME!
Banner yells, crashing his hands down on the table. ]
Everyone—baring Bruce and Natasha—jump, not having expected such a violent reaction.
“Wow, you have anger issues.” A student comments.
“Oh, you have no idea.” Bruce says, confusing the wizards.
[ Natasha stands, pulling a gun and aims at him.
BANNER draws back, smiling.
BANNER: I’m sorry. That was mean.
(smiles)
I just wanted to see what you’d do.
Natasha stares at him, a little teary, scared out of her
mind.
BANNER: Why don’t we do this the easy way
where you don’t use that and theOther Guy doesn’t make a mess?
Okay?....Natasha.
Natasha lowers her weapon and speaks into an earpiece.
NATASHA (quietly into her earpiece): Stand down. We’re good here.
The horde of armed guards surrounding the shack lower their weapons.
BANNER: Just you and me?
Banner questions.
Natasha realizes he knows and stands silent.
She knows she revealed her hand. ]
Sirius snorts. “No wonder you have trust issues.” He says, making Remus hit him in the shoulder.