#bruceweek2021

[bruceweek]

BRUCE BANNER APPRECIATION WEEK RETURNS!

HELLO FANS OF BRUCE BANNER!

In 2018 to 2020 we had a blast with Bruceweek, now its time for Round Four and we are back with a new event full of love for Bruce!

Once again, the focus for Bruceweek really should be on Bruce and less on Hulk. In order to make sure everyone who loves Bruce can enjoy the content you create, please keep it free of content that is clearly about a romantic relationship. All friendships are very welcome! (If you are unsure about this please ask us.)

We will give two prompts a day, so you can choose yourself which prompt(s) you want to use.

WHEN

July 19th - July 25th 2021

WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR

fanart

fanfiction

mood boards

edits

gif sets

meta

every content you created yourself

all universe versions of Bruce

CONTENT RULES

all kind of “dark” themes are allowed as long as they are tagged appropriately

no content that involves a romantic relationship

stories focusing on the friendship between ships is fine

PROMPTLIST

Monday (July 19): Rescue, King

Tuesday (July 20): Trapped, Shield

Wednesday (July 21): Linger, Journey

Thursday (July 22): Warmth, Breach

Friday (July 23): Hunter, Wander

Saturday (July 24): Snow, Gamble

Sunday (July 25): Grief, Magic

We'll give you two prompts per day, but you don’t have to use both of them in your content (Though you are definitely welcome too, for an extra challenge!) Feel free to match up newer prompts with older ones as well if you’d like.

The prompts are here for inspiration. You don’t have to use them if you have other ideas, we will happily accept any gen/friendship Bruce content for this event.

If you have questions, please ask away ~

Official Tag will be #bruceweek2021

[trekkies-unite]

Day 7- Grief

A small headcanon I have for Bruce is, he carries a family picture with him always. It’s always in his belongings. This picture is falling apart, it’s stained, and his fathers side is “unfortunately” cut off. But he take extra care making sure his mother’s side stays intact. Because some days, he finds himself forgetting what she looked like, what her voice sounded like, how gentle she was, and he has this picture to remind him. And while he doesn’t want the hulk anywhere near it, sometimes the hulk purposely comes out just to be able to see her for himself.

I feel like Rebecca Banner deserves to be apart of the MCUs Bruce’s story line. And fingers crossed that she is maybe brought up in She-Hulk!

[tonybannerblog]

Bruce Week 2021 💜💜💜

Day 1

@bruceweek 

[appleteeth]

Bruce Week Fic #6

Sunday (July 25): Grief, Magic

(Warnings for mentions of domestic and child abuse.)

It was funny, being friends with someone who knew magic. Loki had somehow, after everything they had been through, become one of Bruce’s closest confidant on board the spaceship taking them to Earth. First they would merely nod at one-another in quiet respect, then Loki stopped Bruce in the corridor one day to explain how something seemingly innocuous he had done was actually offensive in Asgardian culture and Bruce, though wary he was tricking him, thanked him. 

Then Bruce would make a habit of finding Loki in the makeshift dining hall and sitting with him, not exactly striking up conversation but letting him know they could talk, if he wanted to. 

A few months into the journey and Loki was spotted laughing loudly at something Bruce had said, and whilst it made Thor a little nervous to see them getting along so well, it was also a relief. They were both part of his Royal Council, after all, so they needed to get along for the sake of his people. 

Then, when Bruce moaned to himself about being unable to find what he needed in the cramped medical bay, Loki produced the vial out of thin air and handed it to him. 

“That still freaks me out,” Bruce told him before taking the vial tentatively. 

“I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t,” he said with a smirk.

“How does it work? Are you pulling items from somewhere else? Are you taught how to use magic or is it instinctual? Could I learn magic or is it an Asgardian thing?”

“No, I was taught by my mother and yes… to an extent. You wouldn’t be able to conjure items or control objects but you can learn basic spells.”

Bruce was excited for barely a second before he frowned. “Are you messing with me again?”

“Bruce, I have come to find you… relatively welcome company. I enjoy our conversations, even if you are a Midgardian.”

“Bit prejudiced, but thank you.”

“So I’m not messing with you,” Loki concluded. “I can give you some basic spells to try that will give you more insight into your being.”

“I, uh, think I’ve had enough insight lately," he said warily. 

And Loki smiled, this time without a mischievous glint in his eye. 

"What if I were to teach you a spell that helped you in ways you never knew you needed?"

Bruce snuck into the medical bay late into the evening whilst the rest of the ship went to sleep. It was the one place he knew he wouldn't be disturbed, especially as Asgardians were so resilient to injury, they barely came to him with less than a severed limb. 

He read through the instructions Loki had written in elaborate cursive, mostly in English but certain words wouldn't translate so he had to work through how to pronounce them before starting. It was oddly pleasant following the instructions step by step, like he was trying out a new recipe, only this was more writing specific phrases in runes than measuring out ingredients. 

He had to write the words as naturally as possible, like he had been writing in the language his entire life, recite them outloud and then… go to sleep. Which was easier said than done when he was expecting something miraculous to happen. He crept back into his shared dorm with seven other passengers and lay down, hoping that whatever was supposed to happen would actually help him.

He finally drifted off and there he found himself travelling, not sure what he was facing was a dream or effects of the spell, but welcoming it nonetheless. 

He was standing in an old-fashioned kitchen, meticulously clean down to the top of the cabinets where nobody would ever bother to look. Whoever's domain this was, it was so well looked after it could very well be a showroom. 

There were a few signs of life, however. There was a small stack of plates ready to be cleaned, a few novelty magnets on the refrigerator, a Captain America action figure on the table…

Bruce stopped, looking at the toy and realising where he was. He had spent so long trying to forget his childhood home he didn't even recognise the kitchen anymore. But he knew that toy like it was imprinted on his mind, having spent many hours clutching it, talking to it, wishing the real Cap was there to save him.

"I'm so sorry I kept you waiting, would you like some water?" 

And he spun on his heel to see her. It was so odd to view her now that he was a little taller than her, instead of being small enough to wrap his arms around her legs. She was still as beautiful as the pictures but she wasn't memorialised in his mind like some sort of perfect being. Her sweater was threadbare at the elbows, her hair was a little frizzy (thick curls like his, almost identical in colour) and she had dark circles under her eyes. She also wore glasses, which Bruce had completely forgotten because she took them off for photos. 

"Uh…" he didn't know what to say to her. 

"You must be parched, here," and Rebecca poured him a glass of water from a pitcher she kept in the fridge. "Piping in new houses is never deep enough to keep water cool, not like the old days." 

He was still trying to find words when he realised a vision shouldn't be able to hand him things, and he shouldn't be able to feel the cool water tumbling down his throat. 

"So, you wanted to talk about Robbie?" 

He nearly choked on the last mouthful and hid it with a loud cough. 

"Um, yes," he said, not sure who he was supposed to be in this scenario but going along with it all the same. 

His mother nodded and indicated for him to sit down with her at the kitchen table. Again, it felt so strange to be big enough for a chair he used to sit at every day as a kid, his legs swinging and needing a cushion so he could reach the table properly. 

"His teacher said he's been excelling," she said proudly but then immediately frowned. "You didn't speak to my husband, did you?" 

"No, of course not," and he now knew his role like he had read the script. "Yes, young Br… Robbie has been working really hard and it's clear to see he is clever." 

She smiled, but it was juxtaposed by her sad eyes. "You're going to say he should be in a gifted school, aren't you?" 

"Uh…" 

"Well I'm sorry but he can't. He just… can't." And she sighed tiredly before collecting herself. "I'm sorry, it's just--" 

"I know," Bruce said quietly. "You don't have to explain your reasons. I know you would want the best education for him, but sometimes that can't happen." 

And he couldn't help himself, she was right there in front of him. He put his hand over hers and squeezed it in comfort. 

"Thank you," she said quietly. 

"And it's not like kids won't excel as adults just because they missed out on extra tutoring," he continued. "They'll catch up in no time and go on to do great things." 

She smiled warmly and Bruce recognised his own features in hers. He never thought he looked like her, always hating how he was the spitting image of his father, but he saw himself in her smile. 

"I hope so. Do you know he can name every bird he sees? Even the scientific names. He read about bird watching and within a day he was telling me facts about each one." 

Bruce couldn't help but grin, having forgotten about that particular hyperfixation. "Is that so?" 

"If he could… that is, if we agreed he could go to a gifted school, I suspect he would get a scholarship for college, maybe even go early." 

She looked furious, if just for a moment, letting her guard down enough to show how she really felt. Bruce had never seen her angry; she had hid it well when he was small and already so scared of someone else's anger. She had shown him nothing but smiles and positivity, desperate to make his life as normal as possible. 

But he remembered hearing her crying behind the bedroom door, trying to suppress her sobs so she could go read her child a bedtime story like nothing was wrong. The illusion was shattered that day.

"You are doing everything you possibly can for your son. More than everything. You--"

He stopped himself. Was this really a dream or had he really travelled back? What would it mean if he told her?

"I will lay down my life for him," she finished, eyes defiant and full of fury. 

He felt his facade fading, no longer able to pretend he wasn't who he really was. 

"You're going to save my life. Over and over. Until that bastard kills you for it." 

He cried, clutching her hand and unable to look at her. She shouldn't have sacrificed herself for him. She wasn't supposed to be known as just a wife and mother. She was exceptionally bright in her own right, never one to boast but able to keep up with her husband and nudge her son towards harder sums and thicker books. It wasn't her fault the man who told her he loved her had used that love to control her, to make her feel weak and stupid.

Had she escaped that night, she would have done great things. 

"I know," she said quietly, tears in her own eyes. "I figured I had a shot that night. He usually stays late at the bar and left the car at home, so I thought I had three hours. But I didn't know he had a meeting the next morning and drank a whole bottle of whiskey walking home instead. I miscalculated." 

"It's my fault. You told me to pack but I couldn't find my stupid Captain America toy and…" he wiped his eyes angrily. "I held us up." 

Rebecca reached across the table to wipe the trails of tears from his cheeks.

"You were a child," she said. "It can never be your fault. Hey," and she cradled his face in her hands. "It was never your fault." 

"It wasn't yours either. None of it," he said defiantly. 

She nodded. "Thank you." 

The vision was starting to waver, like an old projection flickering as the film ran out. He clutched her hand desperately, wanting to tell her so much more, to tell her he hadn't wasted the gift she gave him that night. That he had excelled despite everything that happened. That he did everything to make her proud. 

He felt her hand slowly fading, getting lighter in his hand as it faded away. He managed to tell her he loved her before he awoke back on the ship, his face wet with tears. 

The next morning, much to everyone's confusion, Bruce marched straight up to Loki, grabbed him by the shoulder, and hugged him tightly. 

[binouchetruc]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk (Comics) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bruce Banner & Jennifer Walters Characters: Bruce Banner, Jennifer Walters Additional Tags: Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Bruce Banner-centric, Bruce Banner Has Issues, Kid Bruce Banner, Hurt/Comfort, Bruce Banner Feels, Adorable Bruce Banner, Brian Banner's A+ Parenting, BAMF Jennifer Walters, Kinda?, Protective Jennifer Walters, Family Feels, Family Dynamics, Bruce Banner Angst, Light Angst, Bruce Banner & Jennifer Walters Friendship, Comfort, Cute Kids, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Canonical Child Abuse, Bruce Banner Has Daddy Issues, Bruce Banner Week, Bruce Week 2021 Series: Part 1 of (My) Bruce Week 2021 Summary:

Jennifer wants to play pretend with her cousin Bruce outside. There shouldn't be any problem with that game, right?

[angerissue]

Anonymous asked... How would Bruce Banner react to the Sokovian accords? Whether we’re mutuals or not, feel free to ask me about Bruce!

Thanks for sending this question, anonymous, because I've wanted to answer it for some time now! I believe there's only one answer to it, whether we’re speaking about canon or this adaptation of Bruce. I'll be discussing the latter here and using his own experiences, but most of the information works for canon as well, in some sense or other.

Before we go any further, I'm going to mention that Bruce is not someone who hates regulations and wants to abolish them. He appreciates regulations when they're both necessary and beneficial. If we think about it, he has benefitted from regulations from an early age, particularly the time when Brian killed his mother and, because of lawful proceedings, was sent to prison. Bruce is a neutral person at heart, favouring neither totalitarianism or libertarianism. I should also mention that Bruce is under no illusion that the Avengers teams, and enhanced individuals in general, are flawless. He's well aware of his own flaws, and the flaws of other enhanced persons (which I’ll delineate later).

Furthermore, I have classified him as Neutral Good, with a few elements of Chaotic Good that appear in certain situations. His most prominent "Chaotic Good" element is his willingness to break the law when it feels more beneficial, for many people, than following it.

But back to the main question.

Bruce did not support the Accords or even consider them, because his first reaction was horror. And that never really changed.

For reference, below are the main points of the Sokovia Accords as they were initially proposed in this Bruce’s canon. Bear in mind that I've used online sources to find this material, as I don't believe the exact parameters of the Accords had been elucidated in-film.

An "enhanced individual" is defined as any person with superhuman capabilities, whether their powers are innate to their biology or granted from the use of highly advanced technology. All members of the "New Avengers" and other groups that feature enhanced persons, even if a member is not enhanced themselves, are also subject to these terms.

1) All enhanced individuals who do not sign will not be allowed to take part in any police or military activities, or any national or international conflicts.

2) All enhanced individuals who sign must register with the United Nations, and submit to a power analysis and provide biometric data.

3) All enhanced individuals with innate powers who sign must wear a tracking bracelet at all times.

4) All enhanced individuals who use their powers to break the law, or who prove a threat to the safety of the general public, may be detained indefinitely without trial.

5) The New Avengers will not be a private organization, and will operate under the supervision of the United Nations.

6) The creation of self-aware artificial intelligence is prohibited.

Immediately, you can see multiple reasons for Bruce to take issue with the Accords. The first part that stung Bruce was how, despite being an opt-in choice, the Accords were necessitating the wearing of tracking devices for everyone who wanted to work under the government, or for a peacekeeping team in general. Notice this outline did not say “while on the job” — it said “at all times”. This would've meant that enhanced individuals who signed the Accords could never remove their tracking bracelets, even if they weren’t on shift or otherwise at work. This struck Bruce as extremely Orwellian and ignorant of basic privacy, which he'd always viewed as a human right. The notion of 24-hour surveillance made these enhanced individuals more akin to prisoners than valued members of society, when there was no reason to necessitate that treatment. Being forced to wear a tracking bracelet implied that a person was guilty, and people were supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. Why were enhanced humans made an exception to this fundamental human right? And even if this was a punishment for the actions of the Avengers teams, Bruce believed punishments needed to be carried out on an individual level.

Punish the people who were legitimately guilty, not innocent people who were only guilty because they were an “enhanced person”.

(He could even say this was dangerously close to a new form of systemic prejudice and discrimination.)

Bruce was also disturbed by the suggestion that enhanced individuals could’ve been detained without due procedure. This was especially bad because it didn't recognize individuals whose powers had spontaneously manifested, or powers that otherwise caused an individual to harm the general public inadvertently. Bruce’s own situation had been like this — the creation of the Hulk was entirely spontaneous and could not have been predicted by any known science; furthermore, if the Sokovia Accords had been instated before the accident, even if we forget that Ross himself had attempted to nab him, Bruce still would've been imprisoned and unable to defend himself in any way.

Then, we need to remember the incidents with the Hulk that occurred after the main Gamma Pulse accident. This includes the incidents at Culver University, Harlem, the Helicarrier, and so on. Bruce was rarely the instigator behind these occurrences, and arguably, he was even coerced into starting most (if not all) of them — after all, Loki had been responsible for the explosion on the Helicarrier and he had fully intended for the Hulk to rampage, regardless of Bruce's own intent. And for the others, Ross had long been aware of the Hulk’s capabilities and limited mental capacity, but he still chose to incite Bruce on a populated university campus, in the middle of a city, and in other areas that were almost guaranteed to endanger the public. Yet under the Sokovia Accords, Bruce wouldn't be permitted to use these arguments as a defense, even though they could absolve him, exonerate him, or provide reasonable doubt at the least.

He wouldn’t be able to say anything.

This would put him, and everyone else in his shoes, at the mercy of whoever was in charge of their detention.

The Accords also stated that if someone used their abilities to break the law, they would be detained without trial, and one of these lawbreaking activities happens to be vigilante justice. Vigilantism is usually defined as the investigation or enforcement of justice on criminals, by someone not affiliated with law enforcement bodies, and it could also be defined as simply assisting someone on the streets without permission from law enforcement. In other words, while nebulous, the Accords could potentially have been barring enhanced individuals from helping people on a whim. This didn't sit well with Bruce, because being able to assist people immediately, without sitting around for law enforcement to arrive, was one of the best features of his condition; it allowed him to help in time-sensitive situations where someone could've been injured or killed otherwise. In his eyes, making someone wait around in these situations was asking for a dead body.

And while Bruce wasn’t too familiar with law enforcement as a whole, he was aware that the capacity of law enforcement and their personnel was limited, and moreover, willfully preventing well-intentioned parties from assisting and extending that reach was harmful.

(There's also the fact that Bruce himself, for a few months, had doled out vigilante justice to criminals because he was missing his work at S.H.I.E.L.D., so he may have felt personally attacked and offended by the suggestion that it was somehow wrong or unconstructive.)

Bruce also took issue with how the New Avengers, and other peacekeeping teams, would be functioning under the United Nations. Bruce’s past experiences with Ross had instilled into him the belief that government bodies couldn't be trusted with any form of high technology, like the Iron Man armour or the Hulk, and that they couldn't hold power over enhanced individuals without becoming corrupt and trying to abuse it somehow. No matter how good they seemed on the surface, there would always be bad eggs, and the temptation would always be there. And if the government did end up doing something questionable, Bruce didn’t think they would come clean about it anyways. Back when Ross had allowed Blonsky to become the "Abomination", which led to him rampaging through Harlem, Bruce volunteered to transform into the Hulk and stop him. But after the dust settled, Ross made an official statement about the duel, claiming it wasn't the Abomination who caused the property damage and the deaths, but the Hulk. Ross denied his part in the incident, and scapegoated Bruce's alter ego. There was no accountability.

And if the government allowed this to happen, Bruce wondered what else they would allow.

The fact that Ross' name was attached to the Accords gave Bruce another reason to dislike them. His experiences with Ross had been incredibly profound and visceral in most cases; they were connected to vivid emotional and physical trauma that he was still trying to overcome. All of this fear, anger, and resentment towards Ross was still very pronounced in Bruce when the Accords were pitched, so it was difficult for him to untangle his emotional associations with Ross and those of the Accords. For him, they were one and the same. He could not separate them. And because Ross was a no-no, the Accords were as well. This would've happened even if the Accords were sounder and fairer, because however logical they were, the mere fact that Ross was lobbying them was enough to dissuade Bruce. All Bruce would be thinking about in that situation was, how would Ross manage to exploit the Accords once he received signatures? How would he exploit people?

It didn't help that Ross had recently been appointed as the new Secretary of State, which Bruce believed was somehow contrived. He had long seen Ross as someone who wanted to attain as much power as he could within the ranks of the military, so he automatically suspected that Ross had worked the system in a malicious way to gain that extra power.

(And for what reason did he want that extra power?)

This is simply where Bruce’s mind went, however outlandish or unrealistic, and no amount of persuasion would convince him otherwise.

All of this aside, Bruce was also thinking in contingencies. He didn't feel comfortable associating himself with Ross because, in the back of his mind, something told him that if he signed the Accords, and Ross’ crimes (towards either him or other people) somehow became public after it happened, his own public approval would tank just by association. And public approval was immensely important to Bruce, because for most of his life, he’d been desperately seeking the approval of other people, whether closer colleagues or the general public, in order to compensate for the complete lack of approval that Brian gave him when he was a child. Bruce believed that signing the Accords was a surefire way to set himself back, because once everyone realized that he’d signed a document that was lobbied by Ross; by someone who actively violated human rights on multiple occasions (not only the occasions related to the Hulk, but unbeknownst to Bruce, the occasion where Ross had experimented on captured Al-Haquid terrorists), it would be ruinous for him.  

Or so he believed.

If that did happen, it probably wouldn’t be as catastrophic as Bruce imagined in his head. The focus wouldn't be on him, or anyone else who signed the Sokovia Accords, but rather on Ross himself. But we must remember that Bruce spent most of the last decade feeling like he was constantly in danger of being picked out from a crowd and having the spotlight shone directly on him, for the wrong reasons. So his fear of being focused on and scrutinized is very pronounced compared to others’. And his thinking can be very black-and-white in situations that involve sensitive issues overall. Being publicly approved is one of these issues.

Another sensitive issue for Bruce is the fear of making continuous mistakes. He is scared of this because doing so would validate his father’s claims that he'd never do anything good with his life; that his only purpose is to create hardship, just like he’d created hardship for the Banner household and eventually the violent argument that resulted in his mother’s death. Furthermore, in an odd sense, Bruce almost believed that if he signed the Sokovia Accords, no matter how credible his reasoning seemed at the time, it actually would've turned out to be a mistake, and he'd realize that he'd made an error in judgment. And he'd made so many mistakes in recent years that he was extremely paranoid about making one here. This made Bruce less open-minded when he reviewed the Accords.

Phew, that’s a lot of reasons. But we’re not done yet. I did say I’ve wanted to discuss this for a while!

Bruce's reaction towards the Accords also considers the events that inspired them in the first place. He wasn’t present at the New Avengers compound during Ross’ pitch to the team, but he knew that Ross had mentioned specific events to sell the benefits of the Accords — events that brought the most scrutiny and infamy to both Avengers teams, which he labelled as the “driving events” behind the Accords. And while there were some good arguments that Bruce supported, he didn't buy them for the most part.

So let’s deconstruct these events, one by one.

The first event that Ross mentioned was the Chitauri invasion in New York. Here, Bruce believed that the police and the National Guard combined would never have been able to overcome the Chitauri; as if to confirm his suspicions, there was even a canonical exchange between two cops about whether the National Guard and police force even knew what was happening. And while the Avengers did cause damage in certain instances, it was wholly unavoidable, and it paled in comparison to whatever the Chitauri themselves were doing. Most, if not all, of the destruction footage from the invasion revolved around the Chitauri, and not whatever the Avengers did. Bruce had to scoff at how Ross used the Chitauri invasion as a demonstration of the team's culpability, because he knew that Clint Barton hadn't been running around shooting people with arrows, and Tony Stark wasn't indiscriminately firing off reactor beams into crowds. The biggest candidate for destruction was the Hulk, but even with his limited functions, he knew that hurting people was bad, and that it was immoral to bring down an entire building because innocent people could’ve been huddled up inside.

Of course, Bruce was not stupid. He knew that some accidents had likely happened, because the team couldn't possibly have maintained their awareness of every civilian at all times. However, Bruce also believed that any footage depicting these accidents would have been cherry-picked, and the overall amount of footage would have paled in comparison to the amount of footage where the team was saving people. Plus, he could remember how the Avengers were publicly lauded after the invasion (save for the occasional naysayer), not reviled. Had there been a sizable amount of casualties caused by the team, the public's opinion of them at the time would've been far more mixed.

Furthermore, Bruce considered the mentioning of the Chitauri invasion, and the use of difficult-to-watch footage from it, to be a cheap and underhanded way to arouse guilt in the team, despite there being no logical reason for them to feel it. Ross was playing them with this one. Bruce hated this kind of manipulation on principle, and that's on top of the fact that Ross was contextualizing the Chitauri invasion in a way that simply didn’t work.

(Bear in mind that Bruce was not under some delusion that the Avengers were the only team that could’ve stopped the Chitauri invasion, or that the Sokovia Accords would’ve been worthless in this case. He knew that if the Accords were instated, if another peacekeeping team with enhanced persons was conceived, and if another invasion like this happened, that team could have done the job as well. He was only bothered by how Ross chose to present this event as a net negative for the team in spite of how much they helped, and in spite of the ineptitude of the police divisions that basically had them screaming for additional help. And Bruce definitely had not forgotten how the security council attempted to nuke Manhattan entirely, only to be stopped by Tony Stark. If Ross had been less manipulative with his tactics here, and been willing to acknowledge the flaws on both sides rather than firing off the blame towards the Avengers alone, Bruce may have been more receptive. But that didn’t happen.)

After this, Ross brought up the incident with Hydra in Washington, DC, where three Helicarriers crashed and the Triskelion was destroyed. But this didn't convince Bruce either, because the entire incident was the work of Hydra, and the Helicarrier crashes were a necessary evil. It had to be done immediately, no matter where they happened to take flight. Any time they spent deliberating over possible repercussions of certain options, and other technicalities, would’ve led to exponentially more deaths, because once the Helicarriers' systems were online and active, they would've killed dozens of targets per second. Within moments, there would have been more deaths from the Helicarriers' targeting systems than however many casualties occurred from their crashing into the Triskelion. Bruce was not present at the scene, but he knew the logistics of what happened, and he believed that Steve Rogers and his allies made the right call.

If there'd been someone who could ghost into the Helicarriers, and use their abilities to deactivate the electronics without causing physical damage, that would have been preferable. However, that option didn't exist at the time. And even if someone like this did exist now, had they been on a team that worked under the Accords, there would have been red tape and other bureaucracy to deal with before they could be released into the field, and as mentioned above, each second they spent on procedures would have caused hundreds, if not thousands, more casualties. Having a proper response team would have killed too many people, Bruce felt, so the response that happened was ultimately the best one. He was skeptical about why Ross included this event in his pitch.

Then, we have the destruction of Sokovia that was caused by the newborn “Ultron” intelligence. This is one of the rare precedents in Ross' pitch that Bruce understood and felt guilty about, and in a rather immense sense. If someone pressed him about whether he believed he screwed the pooch by creating Ultron, he wouldn't tell them "yes"; rather, he wouldn't say anything at all, which for Bruce, is even more indicative of guilt than any verbal affirmation. However, there is a catch to this. Bruce does feel responsible for the creation of Ultron and the AI's subsequent actions, but we must remember his views on punishment:

Punishments needed to be carried out on an individual level. Punish the people who were legitimately guilty, not innocent people who were only guilty because they were an “enhanced person”.

Thus, Bruce believed it was absurd to enact strict laws for all enhanced people, when Ultron was only created by him and Tony.

(He does, however, understand the reasoning behind the complete prohibition of all self-aware artificial intelligence. He took zero issue with that.)

While we're on this subject, I'll address the argument that if Bruce really felt culpable for Ultron and didn't want anyone but himself to pay for his mistake, he should have turned himself in and requested an end to the issue. However, in his eyes, this likely would have led to further suffering anyways. He couldn't guarantee that Ross would have left him alone while he was incarcerated, or that Ross wouldn’t have attempted to take advantage of it somehow. This was natural for Bruce to suspect, because his last encounter involved Ross attempting to capture him so his abilities could be used in the military and for future research. This is something that Ross had been wanting for years, and that Bruce had been trying to prevent for equally as long, because he believed it would only lead to mass endangerment — whether because the resulting monsters couldn't be controlled, or because it was too much power for Ross and/or the government to handle responsibly. The potential domino effect was too intense for Bruce to reconcile. That's why he didn't step forward; he believed that refraining would've saved more lives than not.

(Aside from the fact that he was sort of indisposed anyways, since his alter decided to front soon after Ultron was defeated.)

Another prominent event that Ross mentioned was the Johannesburg duel in South Africa. And this bothered Bruce too, because once again, this was an incident caused by a single individual, but Ross was using it as a reason to regulate enhanced persons across the board. And who was this single person that Bruce felt deserved the blame? Well, actually, Bruce didn't think it was himself, at least in a sense. He did continue to feel guilty about Johannesburg, simply because he was the person who actually went out and attacked people. However, he also understood that he was brainwashed into losing control, and therefore wasn’t completely at fault. It was an odd dichotomy, for Bruce to feel guilty in an emotional sense, yet logically know he was blameless, but it checks out nonetheless. Moreover... Bruce may have blamed himself in an emotional respect, but when it came to the logical respect? Who did Bruce believe Ross should have been blaming?

Wanda Maximoff.

And does Bruce ever blame Wanda. In fact, he blames Wanda for Johannesburg more than he blames Ross for Culver University and Harlem combined. This is because he considers Wanda to be similar to Ross in the sense that she, too, tried to mess with him, despite knowing about his condition and its lethality. But whereas Ross tried to minimize civilian casualties and damages, generally attempting to keep things quiet and sedate him as a precaution (even if it didn't work in most scenarios), Wanda was not so considerate. She intentionally made him lose control. She wanted him to hurt innocent people, in order for the Hulk to become publicly hated in consequence. She viewed the innocent people of Johannesburg as tools — as a means to an end for her retaliation against him.

Here is an excerpt from my “Extended Reading” section on how Bruce views Wanda and her behaviour in South Africa:

Ever since Wanda brainwashed him into wreaking havoc in Johannesburg, and in consequence, caused him to develop dissociative identity disorder, Bruce hasn’t trusted her. He also doesn’t respect her ethical views because months prior, she had become obsessed with undermining the Avengers, siding with Ultron and harming many innocent people in the process, seemingly without conscience. Additionally, as somebody who always needs to be careful with his abilities, lest he causes harm to others, he believes that Wanda was juvenile and irresponsible in allowing her emotions to control her own powers, especially to such a grievous extent. Bruce often argues with Steve about this, who claims Wanda was merely young and didn’t know any better. Bruce, who was not only forced to mature at a young age but also believed, overall, that someone in their late teens and above should already know the difference between right and wrong, could not abide by this mindset.

Is Bruce biased here? Yes. But it’s understandable; it’s easy to see how Bruce would blame Wanda for the Johannesburg incident once we take his past experiences and the context of the incident into account. And because of that, he views this incident as yet another one where a single person should be blamed, not the entire Avengers team, enhanced persons in general, or even himself in a sense (even though he was, technically, the most visible culprit that people could identify). He is also convinced that even if Wanda hadn’t met Ultron, she still would’ve tried to hex him regardless, simply because of her grudge toward the Avengers. That grudge existed well before Ultron was created.

Next up is the incident in Lagos, Nigeria, where Wanda accidentally slammed a dome of telekinetic energy into a building. This incident was a mixed bag for Bruce, since on one hand, Wanda was, once again, the person responsible for the incident, but on the other hand, he also believed the Avengers as a whole were responsible, just because it was their decision to allow Wanda in the roster. Bruce had never wanted Wanda on the team because of her past collaboration with Ultron, and her actions against him in South Africa (which didn’t just result in the arrival of Hulk, but the deaths of many people at his own hands, something he was very sensitive about). For him, the mere idea of seeing Wanda on the team made his stomach roll. Even though Wanda could technically control her abilities and was supposedly converted for good, Bruce spent the entire course of their work expecting a new incident from her. So while the Lagos incident was genuinely a mistake and temporary lapse in control, Bruce saw this as a form of validation for his suspicions. Moreover, he blamed Steve and everyone else in favour of keeping Wanda on the team, because to him, none of them were willing to trust him and his gut instincts about her. In his eyes, Wanda’s place on the team was the fault of Steve and everyone else in favour of it.

But at the end of the day, the destruction in Lagos was not the fault of the team, but rather an individual — Wanda. Furthermore, Bruce believed that Wanda should have been tried in a vacuum, and that the New Avengers, and all other enhanced humans, shouldn't have been lumped into the same boat culpability-wise and punished for it. Bruce did, however, believe that the team’s decision to hire Wanda should have been called into question and penalized somehow.

And this is where things get interesting.

Bruce could even have suggested it was the fault of the United States government for Wanda's incident in Lagos, because they had failed to address her earlier exploits with Ultron, which bordered on crimes against humanity (and that would have been a no-brainer reason to bring her in). In Banner's eyes, they could have nipped all future problems with Wanda in the bud right then and there, but they chose to sit back and do nothing, as far as he knew. Moreover, he didn't like how the entire New Avengers team, and all other enhanced humans, were suddenly being judged for Wanda's own actions... And by authorities that could've stopped Wanda's actions from escalating in the first place, but didn't.

Bruce found this very hypocritical.

And if we go even further, Bruce likely wondered at some point, in his paranoid brain, whether the United States government intentionally let Wanda roam free in the hope they could eventually use her as an example to create the Accords, once she made a second error. (Notice how this reflects Banner's own belief that Wanda was a ticking time bomb, and how he believed it was only a matter of time before she screwed up again; his suspicion towards the government here was almost certainly projection of some kind.) Bruce knew that if Ross was manipulative enough to work situations and move around pieces very strategically in order to achieve what he wanted, it could’ve happened with Wanda as well. A far-fetched idea to someone on the outside looking in, yes, but that’s how Bruce’s mind works.

Because of the above examples, it should be evident why Bruce wouldn’t support the Accords. There are too many reasons for him to be against them, not only immediate reasons that anyone can see on the surface, but reasons that necessitate a little more thought.

Another smaller thing to note is, because Bruce wasn't there for Ross’ pitch and the emotional spanking in it, it’s possible he simply wasn’t swayed by acute emotions as much as his teammates were, at least when it came to the events that were shown to them. So despite his obvious emotional biases, he still could've been less emotional and more level-headed about the situation than others.

Now to address some other points.

I have seen some interpretations of Bruce that suggested, to my consternation, he would back the Accords because Tony Stark was his friend and he wanted to offer him moral support. I do not agree with this. Bruce wouldn't back them just because Tony was backing them. No matter how the movies have depicted their relationship (sometimes as an awkwardly manipulative one, where Tony would cajole Bruce into doing certain things, but that's beside the point), Bruce is still someone with his own autonomy and experiences, and said experiences are not insignificant in this case, as explained in previous paragraphs. He is sensitive about topics pertaining to personal freedoms, and topics he has a strong emotional connection to, such as Ross and his motivations. And because of this, Bruce cannot simply say, “I support the Accords if you do”. He is loyal, but his moral compass is extremely strong and immovable, more than his loyalty to any one person. He’ll walk away from people if their actions breach his definition of immorality. For someone to claim otherwise, and suggest that Bruce wouldn't refer to his past experiences (something that survivors of trauma do all the time, unconsciously or not), just because he's "friends with Tony", is wishful thinking. It's a nice sentiment (ba dum tss), but it is unrealistic for Bruce Banner and not true to his characterization.  

And imagine how Bruce must have felt when he realized that Tony was supporting the Accords. Remember that Tony was well aware of Bruce's (legal) innocence when it came to the Hulk's past incidents, and that he was understanding when it came to his concerns and misgivings about his condition; it is not a stretch to say Tony would understand how much Bruce had been hurt by Ross, too. It had been in Bruce's body language and the way he spoke. All those tiny affects and suspicions, collected from incident after incident. Furthermore, because Tony knew about Bruce's experiences with Ross and just how much they had affected him, Bruce believed he would never support anything Ross touched — especially because if these Accords were passed, by definition, Bruce would be one of the individuals who should be detained without trial, having committed crimes with his abilities (coerced or otherwise). Tony couldn’t possibly condone this, could he?

So when Bruce realized that Tony was supporting the Accords, he was shocked. And for him, it wasn’t just a matter of supporting a document. He interpreted this as Tony supporting the idea of imprisoning him without trial, and supporting all of Ross' past actions towards him. After all, Ross was one of the main individuals who drafted the Accords. And once Bruce’s initial shock wore off, he simply felt hurt. Because Tony’s decision genuinely hurt his heart, and he took it very personally. It was this situation that, once it escalated, led to Bruce’s alter attacking Tony and catalyzing his exile into space.

We'll put Tony Stark aside now, and discuss the Raft. For those unaware, the Raft is an underwater prison in the Atlantic Ocean that was built to incarcerate people with innate abilities. This prison would receive lots of new inmates upon the ratification of the Accords. Personally, Bruce sees the Raft as a necessity for people who genuinely cannot be rehabilitated, so he agrees with it on a conceptual level. Some people need to be imprisoned, and some people need more security than others, especially some enhanced individuals. The Raft provides this additional security. However, due to the lack of fair procedure as mentioned in the Accords, people who are sent to the Raft could be anything from legitimately evil to innocent and deserving of freedom. For that reason, as the Accords currently are, Bruce sees the Raft as an inhumane and government-approved way to lock up enhanced persons and throw away the key, regardless of their innocence. 

Bruce is so opposed to the current Raft that, if he'd been present rather than off in space, he would've helped Steve Rogers storm the prison and break out their former teammates. This harkens back to his "Chaotic Good" archetype, where he’s willing to break the law if it benefits many people. Here, he would break into a prison to rescue people who were unfairly incarcerated.

And finally... After reading all of the above information, someone may wonder how Bruce could potentially change his mind and support the Accords. What would need to happen?

For starters, everyone responsible for overseeing the Accords, and all of the resulting divisions, would need to be vetted extensively, without bias. Any questionable people would need to be expunged of both their relevance and power when it comes to the Accords. This means that Ross would need to go (along with anyone else who has a history of immoral or objectionable behaviour, but Ross is the main one). Once he is ousted, Bruce would have less reason to suspect that something sinister is going on, or could eventually happen, albeit he’ll never be entirely convinced. He does, after all, have other reasons to distrust the government.

The proposed laws would need to be edited too, so they don’t feel so authoritarian to Bruce. This means the following amendments at the least:

1) If an enhanced person signs the Accords and works on a peacekeeping team, tracking bracelets must be worn on the clock. They can be removed afterwards, guaranteeing freedom of movement and privacy, and insulating their individual actions from their duties as a peacekeeper.

2) Enhanced persons must be given the right to a fair trial. Detainment without trial must be abolished. 

3) Enhanced persons who choose to partake in vigilantism or other immediate responses to crimes must be given a fair trial, and absolved if their actions were deemed not excessive, and necessary for the well-being of the individual in peril. The Good Samaritan Law must apply to enhanced persons.

4) Enhanced persons who sign the Accords and work for a peacekeeping team must consent to a duress and ability test, to determine their level of control over their abilities. This will remove the need for constant surveillance as it pertains to potential loss of innate control.

If those conditions are met, there won’t be as much contention from Bruce. Because again, he does support laws and regulations that promote greater safety if they come from a fair place and don't overlook basic human rights. The Sokovia Accords as they were proposed, sadly, did overlook that.

Bruce’s final suggestion? Reach out to people from successful and non-authoritative worlds beyond Terra, and see how they oversee enhanced persons. And, determine if those persons are actually content with the laws.

However — even then, there’s no real guarantee that Bruce will support the Accords. He's a stubborn person and tends to become narrow-minded if he’s passionate about certain issues. He is also flighty and doesn’t trust easily because of past experiences; not only this, but once someone or something gains his trust and then loses it again, it's very difficult to rebuild that trust. This is a defense mechanism for him, to prevent him from getting into similarly traumatic and uncomfortable situations again. Even if Bruce can logically argue himself into a position where he accepts something; in this case, supporting the Sokovia Accords, his gut instinct and emotional discomfort on a more fundamental, deep-seated level is way more difficult to overcome. It may never be overcome.

But who knows.

[tonybannerblog]

Bruce Week 2021  💜💜💜

Day 3

@bruceweek 

[tonybannerblog]

Bruce Week 2021  💜💜💜

Day 5

We love Bruce in all his forms! 

@bruceweek 

[trekkies-unite]

Day 5- (Pokémon) Hunter!

Listen. Listen. This was my immediate reaction to this prompt. So here’s some fun headcanons for Pokémon trainer Bruce!

-Bruce is a walking Pokédex. He can rattle any information off before you can even look it up.

- He takes “catch them all” to the extreme. He doesn’t move on from areas until he has found all the Pokémon he can. Leading to him walking around in forests by himself for long periods of time.

-He catches every Pokémon he can find, but he has a hard time evolving Pokémon he gets attached to. He hates the thought of their bond changing, so now he has a max level Bulbasaur.

-Grew up wanting to be a nurse at a Pokémon center. He still gets flustered when he has to talk to them.

-He once gave Natasha a Garbodor named “Clint” and Clint didn’t speak to him for a week.

Bonus!

POV: The Odinson siblings and Brunnhilde are approaching. They are all very pretty, but Bruce knows Brunnhilde just caught a fire Pokémon and is ready to annihilate him.

[trekkies-unite]

Day 2

I didn’t use either prompt for today, just a sleepy little scientist.

This is inspired by all the 2012 Avenger tower fics where Bruce is always passing out in the labs.

[appleteeth]

Bruce Week Fic #2

Tuesday (July 20): Trapped, Shield

They could tell they were in trouble, but nobody wanted to make the call to retreat. It was clear the building was unstable from the fight with a villain who enjoyed throwing photon beams their way, but they didn’t know just how bad. Tony’s suit was off the grid, so he didn’t have FRIDAY to warn him of the structural damage at the foundations. Their comms were emitting a sort of pathetic whine from yet more blasts that wiped out pretty much any communication above waving their hands frantically, so any Avengers out of the building couldn’t tell them just how much the building was swaying.

So they had exactly ten seconds to get the heck out of dodge when they heard the floors start to collapse underneath them.

Bruce waved them away, ready to go down with the ship, so to speak, so he could continue the fight with the supervillain without pause. Hulk had climbed out of much worse than thirty floors of steel and concrete. The team members who could fly or teleport grabbed anyone who couldn’t and crashed through the windows, and they had done this so many times, Bruce wasn’t even scared of the impending doom around him

HULK NOT BANNER’S LACKEY.

“What--” but the floor was collapsing and Bruce fell into darkness before he could finish.

He immediately knew this wasn’t like the other times. He wasn’t waking up from having transformed and having helped save the day. Instead, he was waking up in enough pain to know he was in trouble.

He took a deep breath before he tried to move anything, and found his left arm was either broken or felt like it was, his right was trapped under heavy rubble and his right leg was impaled on a large metal pole. He knew he was bleeding in various places as the concrete beneath him felt wet but in his current state, he couldn’t do a thing about it.

BANNER EXPECT HULK TO HELP HIM NO MATTER WHAT.

The sound of Hulk in his head was so much louder when he had a head injury. It felt like he was screaming out into the world, and for a moment Bruce couldn’t hear anything else.

“Hulk… could you pick your moments a little better?” he asked with a hacking cough in replace of a laugh.

NOT FUNNY. BANNER DON’T APPRECIATE HULK.

“It’s hard to appreciate… ow… you when you’re refusing to help me right now.”

BANNER NEED TO LEARN TO APPRECIATE WHAT HULK DOES FOR HIM.

“I do! When do I not?”

BANNER HATE HULK.

Banner sighed and closed his eyes in desperation. Why couldn’t Hulk have had this argument with him when he wasn’t slowly dying? Why couldn’t he have screamed at him this morning, before the supervillain decided to destroy a whole city block?

“I don’t… hate you.”

Even he wasn’t convinced by his words.

“Okay, maybe I do."

Hulk snorted in agreement. That angered Bruce and if he could throw his hands up in surrender, he would have.

"I’m sorry, no, I do. I never wanted this life. I wanted to be a scientist, I wanted to marry Betty, I wanted kids. I wanted a normal damn life with the height of excitement being getting to go to conferences in different countries.”

Hulk didn’t answer this time, so he continued.

“And instead… I lost it all. I had to run for years, hoping my own goddamned government didn’t catch up with me and experiment on me, or worse, turn me into Patient Zero as hundreds of others become what I am. I had to abandon everything. And even now, when I’m supposed to be part of this incredible team, I'm still nothing more than your handler. And all because I’m not allowed to keep even the clothes on my fucking back when I so much as trip over a damn curb.

“So yeah, I don’t appreciate you. I hate what I’ve become and I can’t help but blame you for it.”

There was silence once more and Bruce just listened to the faraway sounds of rubble still moving and things still crashing through what was left of the floors.

Hulk saved Banner. Banner would have died when Hulk appeared. Wouldn’t’ve got the life he wanted anyway.

And boy, he couldn’t argue with that.

Hulk always in Banner. Gamma only made me real. Hulk with Banner when Banner was kid, getting beat up by dad.

“Bullshit,” Bruce rasped, although he felt his defences were slowly collapsing like the building around him.

It’s true. Banner too smart for dad. Banner tried to be good kid but dad hated him. Hated us. Killed mom and said it was our fault.

A sob escaped Bruce’s lips before he could try to stop it.

Hulk always been there for Banner. Hulk always saving Banner.

And it all came flooding back. The blackouts as a kid and waking up to see his bedroom in disarray, like a beast had torn everything to shreds. It was his only way of coping with the abuse. His only way to gain some sort of control when he felt so helpless. His counsellors said he acted like he was a completely different person, but Bruce didn't remember anything that he did. He wasn't sure he even believed them.

And then, when his dad died, when he finally got away from the misery that was his life, he assumed he was cured. How stupid had he been?

He had buried so much of his past, hated who he was even when he was too young to even process hatred. He suppressed everything because that way he might stop the pain. And that had created the creature he now shared a life with.

Banner needed Hulk, Hulk said, much gentler this time, knowing everything Bruce was thinking, feeling everything he was feeling. Banner always need Hulk.

“You… saved me," he finally replied weakly.

Still do.

“Is this why you wanted to bring this up now? When I’m trapped and can’t refuse to listen to you?”

Banner stubborn. Like Hulk.

“That’s fair.” he sighed and wished he could wipe the tears falling down his face. “I’m sorry. You saved my life. You keep saving my life. And you’re a hero.”

Banner hero too.

He was surprised by that. He always assumed Hulk thought of himself as the hero between them. And then he realised something else.

“I always thought you hated me.”

Resent, not hate. Never hate.

“What can I do to help you? To show you I don’t hate you?”

Let me out when not angry. Let Hulk feel something more than anger.

Bruce nodded feverishly, his vision starting to blur and his body going numb.

And let Hulk eat ice-cream.

He choked out a laugh as his body succumbed to his wounds and felt Hulk envelop his mind, releasing him from his pain and healing him. Saving him yet again.

[appleteeth]

Bruce Week Fic #1!

Monday (July 19): Rescue, King

It was an odd concept - the thought of finality. The thought that he would leap from this spaceship and give himself up for good. Not die, never die, but be thrown to the back of Hulk's mind and never return. Would he have the ability to think, to speak to Hulk from time to time, like Hulk had done in the past, or would he be nothing but a memory? 

He wasn't sure what was worse but he had made up his mind and expected that the last thing he ever saw was the beautiful shimmering glass of the bridge rushing up to meet him. 

Only it wasn't.

He opened his eyes after an unknown amount of time and found him looking up at a number of familiar faces. Thor. Valkyrie. Loki. And others that his subconscious told him he had met whilst he was taking a backseat. 

"Welcome back, Banner," Thor said with a warm smile that this time wasn't forced in order to keep him calm. Bruce blinked in acknowledgement but he was still getting used to the concept that he was back in the driving seat. 

"Here, let me…" and Bruce was helped to his feet before he had any idea if his feet were working. Wobbling but otherwise able to stand, he then turned to see a crowd of people in front of him. 

And then he saw beyond them to the hundreds of people looking directly at him. 

"Uh… what…?" 

"My people would like to express their eternal gratitude for saving them." 

And as one, the crowd bowed low, some even kneeling on the ground in gratitude. Bruce wanted to laugh, because it was incredibly funny to be treated like some sort of saviour. All I did was jump, I didn't even help…

But then he turned to see Thor and, even more surprisingly, Loki, bowing low and with the utmost sincerity. And he realised that the jump was his choice. He was ready to essentially die for this group of people. For a planet he only heard through stories Thor had told the team, sounding more like fairy tales than anything in reality. He had seen the wolf and knew he could help. So he did. 

And was being recognised for it.

"You will surely be welcomed to the eternal halls of Valhalla for your bravery. You have a true warrior's spirit." 

Bruce didn't have any words, not even his usual modesty that waved away any and all praise. He just smiled warmly through grateful tears as Thor raised his fist in celebration. 

"To Banner, the Midgardian saviour of Asgard!"

[trekkies-unite]

Prompt: King

Happy bruceweek everyone!

My mind went: King… Crown… flower crown… BRUCE IN A FLOWER CROWN

Now my main reasoning for picking the flowers I did was to pick flowers with meanings that I thought represented Bruce well.

Blue hydrangea: love, harmony, peace

Hyssop: health, cleanliness, sacrifice

Chamomile: Energy in adversity

[trekkies-unite]

Day four- Warmth

“The faults of a superior person are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them; they change and everyone looks up to them.”

Warmth=Sun=Sun and moon

Listen, I’ve been playing loosey goosey with the prompts. I have no excuse.

[appleteeth]

Bruce Week Fic #4!

Thursday (July 22): Warmth, Breach

Today was a bad day. Not the worst day, no he couldn’t compare it to the days that haunted his dreams, but it was bad enough that he felt utterly miserable. 

It was the anniversary of his mother’s death. Something Bruce tried very hard not to remember, much like his birthday and major holidays, but he could not erase the date from his mind no matter how hard he tried. So he decided today was not a good day to see people, or interact with anyone in any capacity. He really wanted to spend the day curled up in his own subconscious as he let Hulk take the reins, but his other half was fairing no better. He knew what day it was too and wanted the same as Bruce - to just disappear for the day without needing to explain his mood to anyone. 

So he hid in his room, not wanting to even leave his bed and just let old wounds resurface and fester. He was fine for the rest of the damn year, could even make sly jokes about his crappy childhood with the rest of the team; exchanging terrible memories to each other in solidarity. But not today. Not the day he lost her and in the worst way possible.

The problem was, had he thought ahead or assumed he would be just as miserable today as he had the other forty-odd years, he would have food stashed away for such emergencies. No such luck and even though he felt so low he had no interest in eating, his body told him he had to and he hauled himself up and out of his bedroom. 

Hoping the coast would be clear, he searched the communal kitchen for snacks that he could quickly bring back to his room. Nobody needed to see him looking so pathetic.

"Uh oh, Banner needs a pile-on,” someone sing-songed and Bruce didn’t have a chance to react before arms wrapped around his chest from behind and pulled him in tightly. Steve laughed and hugged his friend closely, having seen him looking sad and knowing that meant the man would need comfort. 

Usually the feeling of one of his teammates hugging him would make him feel a level of comfort and safety he thought he would never feel again after the accident. He would usually grab them back and bury his face in their shoulder or chest and breathe deeply, needing that all-encompassing warmth that only came from another person. 

But this wasn’t usually.

“No, please, not today… I don’t…” and Bruce fought Steve off of him with far too much force to pretend it was a joke.

“Hey, hey,” Steve said gently, hands raised, face concerned. “I’m sorry. Too much?”

“No, it’s just… a really bad day,” he finished, not wanting to elaborate any further. He had probably told Steve the significance of the date before, but he didn’t want to mention it. He didn’t want to acknowledge it at all, even if it would explain his behaviour.

“What can we do to help?”

And he wiped his face tiredly, sighing as he looked up at the ceiling. 

“Nothing. There’s nothing… I mean… I’ll be fine…”

“Bruce,” Steve said firmly, although his voice was still one of comfort and care, “what do you need us to do?”

And he crumpled, letting Steve grab hold of him before he fell to the ground in a mixture of exhaustion and pent-up despair. He was shaking as Steve held him close, trying to apologise as tears flowed down his cheeks. 

“I need… you. All of you… I need…” He had never felt so much like a child, like that scared kid who just needed love and support in the face of such devastation. “I need some comfort.”

“You got it,” Steve said and kissed the top of Bruce’s head kindly. 

The entire team gathered in the movie room, having been called on the official emergency channel and told, without a hint of humour, that Bruce needed help. Some people knew the significance of the date and immediately came to help, but the rest who didn’t came just as quickly. It didn’t matter his reasons anyway, all of them had needed a ‘pile-on’ from time to time. Just two weeks ago, Bruce had told everyone to congregate in Rhodey’s room to spend the afternoon looking after him. 

All the plush chairs and sofas had been pushed back, and instead cushions and blankets had been thrown onto the floor to create a large, soft area for everyone to sit on.

“Oh shit, we’re nesting,” Clint said happily. “I call Bruce’s right!”

“I call behind,” Thor said, pulling his boots off before clambering into the pile. 

“Do we have snacks? I brought potato chips,” Sam said and dumped an armful of them on the blankets. “Bruce, I can be on food duty if you don’t want to move.”

“I’ll order pizza,” Scott said excitedly. “Bruce, is that okay?”

Bruce was sitting in the middle and, after nearly telling Steve that he was fine now and didn’t need the rest of the team seeing him so upset, was starting to become overwhelmed as the team arrived. As each member made sure he had everything he needed, they all formed a circle around him and gave him the comfort he so desperately craved.

They all got close to him and found ways to hug him, even if it just involved putting a comforting hand on his leg or holding his hand. The only thing they asked him once they were all settled was what movie to put on and, once Bruce had picked something, they all snuggled down with him to provide him love and support. 

He tried not to cry at the warmth radiating off of them, holding him close and letting him know without words he was going to get through today. And the next day. And every other day of his strange life because that was what families did. Some days would be harder and this wouldn’t be the last pile-on he’d ever need, but at that moment he felt nothing but content. 

[bruceweek]

Bruce Week 2021: Prompt List

Here is our final prompt list for Bruce Week March 2021! A special thank you to the people who sent in prompts :D Bruce Week will be running from July 19th - July 25th 2021 this year!

Monday (July 19): Rescue, King

Tuesday (July 20): Trapped, Shield

Wednesday (July 21): Linger, Journey

Thursday (July 22): Warmth, Breach

Friday (July 23): Hunter, Wander

Saturday (July 24): Snow, Gamble

Sunday (July 25): Grief, Magic

We’ve given you two prompts per day but you don’t have to use both of them in your creation (though you are definitely welcome to for an extra challenge!).

Feel free to match up newer prompts with older ones as well if you’d like :)

The prompts are here for inspiration but you don’t have to use them if you have other ideas, we will happily accept any gen/friendship Bruce content for this event :D

Have fun, we can’t wait to see what you all come up with soon!