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Bruce is sleeping when JARVIS awakes him.
“Excuse me, Dr. Banner, but the program Agent Barton installed has been activated remotely. My protocols are to alert SHIELD immediately. Would you like me to proceed?”
Bruce rubs his eyes tiredly and asks, “What happened?”
“There is a distress call coming from Kazakhstan.”
Bruce springs out of bed and begins getting dressed. “Yes, please tell SHIELD and wake up everyone.” He rushes to pack a small travel bag. All he’s going to need are clothes for after he transforms from the Hulk, because he already knows what’s going to happen.
Clint spits out blood and winces at the wire cutting into his wrists. He’s lying on his side and his friendship bracelet lies torn in front of him. At least he knows the others are coming, hopefully sooner than later.
He hears a voice he doesn’t fully understand, and then feels the butt of a rifle hit his temple. Still, Clint doesn’t cry out or indicate he’s in any kind of pain.
It was silly, really, how his identity became compromised. He didn’t realize he had an extra arrow head in his pocket, and when it fell out, the “business men” he was negotiating with immediately suspected something was up.
He’s been undercover for six months, and he still has no information that could help SHIELD. All Clint knows, is that this is not a normal terrorist cell. At most, it’s just a cover for something far bigger.
Clint’s about to pass out from exhaustion, dehydration, and hunger. He’s lost track of how long he’s been in captivity, but he knows they have all intentions of killing him if the others don’t extract him soon.
All he can think about is how he told Bruce he’d come back alive and well.
Well, at least I didn’t promise. Clint rubs the promise ring between his fingers and slips into unconsciousness.
Before they can even land the jet, Bruce has jumped from the back of the plane and transformed into the Hulk. He doesn’t need the coordinates; he has them memorized in his head. He could smell Clint from a mile away, would be able to pick out his voice or cries from even farther. He runs in the same direction as the jet, roaring with anger.
Clint’s awoken by the sound of something loud growling, and the sound of walls caving in. Suddenly, there are frantic shouts and commands, but they sound futile as the ground shakes beneath them and an inhuman roar shakes the building.
Clint smiles and listens to the sound of his best friend tearing people apart.
On the jet, Bruce is still angry, mostly at the condition Clint is in. Even as he cleans Clint’s wounds and hooks him up to an IV to get him properly hydrated again, he has a stern look of consternation on his face.
“Hey, I’m okay, alright? The bracelets worked, didn’t they?” Clint asks quietly. Everyone else on the jet tries not to watch the two, but they’re all listening.
Bruce shakes his head. “Your leg wasn’t properly healed. The skin is torn. Not as deep as before, but you shouldn’t have taken the mission because of that!” Bruce hisses. “You’re so stubborn sometimes and it’s going to get you killed.”
Clint’s face transforms from shock to anger within a second. “Look, I have a job to do, okay? Sorry I don’t have a comfy job where I get to sit on my ass all day and play with my lab kits.”
“You think this is about jobs? Then you’re stupider than I previously thought,” Bruce laughs cynically.
“Oh, so I’m stupid now?”
“Oh it’s not just now. You were pretty stupid to begin with.”
Clint snaps, “At least I don’t play shy to cover up the asshole I am inside!”
“I don’t have to try because everyone already knows! I turn into a monster and I become an asshole!”
“No,” Clint shakes his head. “You’re an asshole even as a regular human being.”
Bruce gives him a cold stare. “I’m not a regular human being. I think that gives me a little leeway to be as much of a dick as I want. You’re not much better.”
“But I don’t pretend to be.”
Bruce pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. “Look, we’re both clearly aggravated right now, so maybe we should just cool down and take some time apart.”
The look that crosses over Clint’s face is best described and fearful disappointment. “Are you breaking up with me?”
Bruce looks up and can’t help but smile. “No, I’m not breaking up with you. Sorry I yelled. I was just really worried.”
Clint gives him a playful shove and returns the smile. “I’m sorry about being such a dick.”
They can hear Tony’s eyes roll and the faint sound of disgust from the front of the jet.