2491/Hunt for Green December: Sick

Hunt for Green December: Sick
Date of Scene:	17 July 2020
Location:	Green Mountain National Forest, VT.
Synopsis:	Cape Girl goes in search of the Hulk!
Cast of Characters:	Bruce Banner, Kara Danvers

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Bruce Banner has posed:
The roaring heard deep within Green Mountain National Forest isn't exactly imperceptible to the human ear. Small, woodland creatures have scattered for a mile around and hikers have stood in puzzlement wondering just what it is yelling amidst the dense forest. It's even popped up on YouTube already, having persisted for several days and roaming throughout the expansive Vermont wilderness.

In a clearing, the Hulk is half-sprawled on hands and knees. One bulky arm clutches his stomach, while the other claws and scrapes angrily at the ground. Every so often he heaves his head back to let out an angry roar. Occasionally he staggers to his feet, uprooting a tree with one hand and heaving it off into the distance.

"BANNER TRICK HULK!" he shouts, his voice thick with pain, "BANNER TRY TO ... KILL HULK!"

Kara Danvers has posed:
It's another coffee run. And bagels, donuts and croissants. The need to keep lists when working in the bullpen is essential. Kara makes sure to make a few mistakes to give the egos a chance to get upset with her and instil in their minds that she is totally human like the rest of them.

The moment she is out of the building, she ducks around to the alley, pulls off her shirt and skirt and bursts high in to the sky. That roar, it's taken her some time to understand what she was hearing but now it was coming through as clear as day - that dear creature Hulk who saved her life was crying out in pain.

It's not too common for her to break the sound barrier amidst the city of Metropolis, only when she's in a real hurry - such as two boats about to collide with each other, or a plane whose engines have caught on fire. They are rare occurrences. A pained ally is one of those occurrences. *Kaboom*

Supergirl appears floating in the air above the park, looking down at the Hulk with concern. She flies in close to him, "What's going on there buddy?" She looks at the devastation he's left in his wake so far and looks again to the direction he's traveling. It's forest for quite a ways, but then again he can lob things quite a ways too.

Bruce Banner has posed:
"N-no," Hulk growls, glancing up with pained eyes as Supergirl appears, "No! Cape Girl ... Cape Girl go! Cape Girl get hurt!"

Slowly he climbs to his feet again, broad fists clenched tightly at his sides. He paces back and forth with shuddering stomps, baring his teeth at the air and clutching at his stomach from time to time. A hand is waved urgently at Supergirl as he takes several steps away from her, turning as though about to vanish into the forest.

"Go away! Cape Girl leave Hulk!"

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara looks with concern to her new friend as he grips his sides. She floats back away from him a little more as he instructs. She understands that body language. Her vision narrows on to his stomach and looks within.. the Kryptonite. It's there and it is hurting the Hulk.

"Oh dear," she says and bites her bottom lip, folding her arms, "Well, this is a problem. I'll keep my distance.. but I'm not going to desert you either. Because I hear your pain and I would never let a friend suffer alone." If it were any other substance, she would try and get it out of him herself..

The wind picks up and her cape flutters in the breeze. "Can you.. dig a hole and, uh, pass it?" Well, that's the weirdest thing she's ever asked of somebody before. The pain she sees on Hulks face has her wincing and a little wet gathering at the corners of her eyes.

Bruce Banner has posed:
"Hulk sick," the beast growls at Supergirl, something almost pitiful in his voice, "Banner say ... eat bad rock for Cape Girl! Bad rock not go!"

He doesn't seem to hear her suggestion, continuing to stomp back and forth. The kryptonite is there in his stomach, easily visible to those with eyes to see. But it's no longer glowing, instead it appears glassy and black. The giant tumbles down to his hands and knees again, back arching as he's wracked by what looks like convulsive, gagging turns of his stomach.

He throws out a hand, waving it frantically at Supergirl once ago.

"Go! Cape Girl get hurt!"

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara tilts her head and looks even more closely at the rock. She starts to inch a little closer, bit by bit. That strange coating over the rock - the lack of the glow. Her tensed shoulders start to relax. She has unpleasant and very fresh memories of what that stone did to her. Brainiac sure doesn't like to lose.

With her confidence growing, she moves in and places a hand to Hulk's shoulder, "Cape girl is fine. Hulk has made rock safe for Cape Girl." She smiles warmly to him. That desire to protect her is so touching from the big guy. Never in all her wildest dreams did she think she would meet such a caring creature as the Hulk.

Her mind starts to ponder how she could help.. heat vision cut it out? ..ouch, even for the Hulk that might be too much. Massage it out? a bit of a super tummy rub might help get things moving. Get him to relax? may be.. she doesn't understand how he works, but it is //incredible//."You saved Cape Girl, now Cape Girl will help you." what a dang cute name the big green guy gave her, she can't help but be tickled by it.

Bruce Banner has posed:
"Rock safe?"

Hulk's brows furrow at that news, turning between heaving gasps to peer at the young superheroine. The gears are turning behind his eyes, even if his intelligence is more raw cunning than anything even remotely academic. His eyes narrow, and he steadies himself and then with one almighty heave ...

His mouth opens, and spilling out along with all the gamma-irradiated viscera is the chunk of now-inert kryptonite. It's unique radiation completely drained, it bounces wetly across the ground before coming to a stop. The Hulk glares at it for a second and then, with a raised arm, he pulverises it to dust by slamming his fist down upon it.

"Rock safe."

Kara Danvers has posed:
This is a first for Kara. The first first was discovering that remnants of her destroyed home world were now poison to her - that was a heart breaking betrayal of the nth degree. This new first -- that Kryptonite can be disarmed, destroyed even. But, it cost her new friend a lot of pain and agony, not something she would wish on him ever again.

Still, smashing that rock up is cathartic and she nods her head, "Rock safe," then picks up a boulder and deposits it with a might throw at the smashed stones the Hulk has made. Sometimes it does help to smash things. Kara has her life frustrations too, things she cannot share with anyone but her cousin.. or that doppelganger of hers. But dumping her emotional load on her cousin or twin is not always possible or desirable. Smash, smash is a good substitute. "Hulk is //my// hero," she says with a smile to him. "And my friend."

Bruce Banner has posed:
"Hulk not hero," he grumbles, his tone more bitter than outright aggressive, "Puny men chase Hulk. Hear their planes. Puny men want Banner! Stupid Banner!"

To say the Jade Giant's temper was on a hair trigger would be an understatement. It seems incredibly easy for him to fly into a blind rage with almost no provocation. He lets out another roar and pulls a boulder up from the ground where it has likely laid for centuries. With barely a grunt he heaves it into the sky, so fast and hard that a new, miniature satellite now briefly orbits Earth.

"No Banner! HULK!"

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara's eyes refocus as she looks up in to the sky, watching that rock go sailing. She is very impressed with his pitch and smiles, nodding her head. There is some space junk up there she had intended to dislodge... so why not join in? She gathers up a big rock with a grunt and does a twirl, sending it flying up in to the sky too. She watches with interest as it hurtles through the orbit, knocking away the various bits of junk up there. She nods, feeling quite satisfied with this action, even if that stone will take hundreds of years to find its way to the sun.

"It sounds like this Banner person is causing you all kinds of trouble." She has never actually met Dr. Banner nor knows much of anything about him. All she knows is Hulk, and Hulk she adores. "Well, I like Hulk. Hulk throws real good."

Bruce Banner has posed:
"Hulk strongest there is," he assures her with a grunt, nodding his head as he watches the second stone disappear into the sky, "Hulk strongest."

A sense of ease has come over him now. Brought about, in no small part, by Supergirl's kind words. The anger at the chase, the desire to be left alone, the rage at Banner - it all subsides now. Despite the trail of destruction, he has left, this woodland clearing is quite peaceful and already the birds can be heard twittering in the trees as they no longer sense the volatile rage that scared them off.

"Cape Girl nice to Hulk. Hulk like Cape Girl."

But the price of the Hulk is fury. And without fury, he cannot exist. As soon as he begins to calm, he settles down on the ground. He lays down, as though suddenly overcome with a great fatigue. Then, before Supergirl's eyes, he changes. He shrinks back down until all that remains is a sleeping, skinny man.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara smirks as Hulk declares himself the strongest there is. She's not entirely sure if that's true, but then again she's never had to fully exert herself and suspects if it were a test of strength between them both she wouldn't have the heart. This big guy is her new most favourite thing on this planet.

So when he starts going a little quiet, she turns back to him, the birds singing seems strange when he starts to shrink, "Hulk!." She has not seen this transformation before and she flies to his side, taking his hand, "Hulk are you okay, what's happening to you?" The man before her is unfamiliar to her and she pats his cheeks, "Hulk, wake up, answer me..."

Her hearing focuses in on his heart beat - it sounds regular, human like. He's breathing, he's not bleeding anywhere. Is this the 'Banner' he was talking about, do they share a body somehow? too many questions, but a great deal of concern as she leans over him, shading his eyes from the sun with golden locks and a look of worry on the girl of steel's face.

Bruce Banner has posed:
"Ugh, mmrrr," Banner groans as his cheeks are patted, shifting to roll over onto his side and away from Kara like a cranky teenager trying to oversleep. But eventually her persistence pays off, and he slowly rises up into a seated position with his hands pressed to the ground behind him. He blearily looks about, surveying the destruction, and lets out a long sigh.

"Please tell me this didn't used to be a camping ground or something."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara sits back as he sits up and peers at him with a mild look of annoyance, "Well you're not Hulk. I guess you must be Banner." She stands back up and folds her arms. Her gaze turns back over the path of destruction. "No, just the Hulk being a hero, saving lives. Poor guy was in a lot of pain."

Her blue eyes look over him searchingly, trying to find a trace of the Hulk she just knew - this guy seems like a fairly regular human, but then she hasn't looked too closely. That'd be rude. "I'm Supergirl," she says as if the big \S/ on her chest wasn't obvious enough. I fought with Hulk against the alien invader Brainiac. Does any of that ring a bell?"

Bruce Banner has posed:
"Not ... really?" Banner's voice is unapologetic, and he winces a little as he looks up at the young superheroine, "I mean, last thing I remember is a Sbarro and eating something awful."

He lets out a mildly pained grunt as he pushes himself to his feet. His hand drops just in time to keep the tattered pants he wears from falling far enough to make him immodest. He holds them up with one hand, squinting a little as though he's having trouble seeing clearly.

"Yeah, I'm Bruce Banner. Don't suppose you can tell me where you are?" he sniffs the air, "Smells like New England. Maine?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara turns her back to him as he grabs at the tattered pants. She folds her arms and clears her throat. "Uhh, Vermont," she replies with an awkward squeak to her voice, uncomfortable in the presence of him almost naked. "Near Mount Tabor, in the Green Mountain National Forest." She points toward the mountain without looking for fear she might see something she doesn't want to see.

"The Sbarro took a hit. Hulk doesn't like Sbarro." There's a fondness in her voice when she talks about him too. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Though, how you are both a Bruce Banner and a Hulk is. Well. Unexpected."

Bruce Banner has posed:
"It's ... not much of a secret, really. Kind of made the news back when Loki attacked New York. I don't advertise but, yeah, Bruce Banner is the Hulk. Or at least that's the layperson way of looking at it. The truth is a bit messier but I'm not sure I could afford your therapy fees, Supergirl. The Avengers don't pay me much."

There's a pause, before he adds: "Uhh, keep looking the other way, okay?"

The pants are removed, and he begins to dig around inside them. Patting at the inner lining before he finally comes away with something, yanking it free with the sound of popping stitches. In his hand is a sewing kit, a book of matches, and a bank card. He breathes an audible sigh and stands back upright, scratching his stomach idly.

"Vermont. Right. So, I can probably hike down to Manchester Center. Pick up some fresh clothes. Don't suppose you brought a car?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara furrows her brow. This guy is.. like the opposite of the Hulk. It's like his personality flows inward, while Hulk's flows outward. "Uhh.. right. No I don't have a car. I don't know how to drive." Is this guy for real, did he not see the \S/? well, she did her duty. "Hey. This is a pretty big park. If you need a lift to Manchester.. I will help you out. Because Hulk helped me. I can't have you dying out here from exposure." She tightens her folded arms a touch, "I fly and I'm fast."

She pointedly keeps looking away from him, unsure if it's safe to turn around yet - probably not. "You know there are people trying to find you Mr. Banner, Hulk said so."

Bruce Banner has posed:
"There's always people trying to find me, and the Hulk is paranoid."

Banner folds his tattered pants in half and slings them over his shoulder, apparently having forgotten entirely about modesty in the moment. The offer of a lift to Manchester prompts a thoughtful look, but in the end he just shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head.

"No, thanks. I'm not a fan of heights. I know you Super-people are all about flying and carrying people to safety, but if you drop me? It's Hulk o'clock again. No thanks. Gotta keep the big guy behind bars."

"Don't worry about me. I'm pretty practiced with keeping myself alive."

That said, he begins to trudge off in the direction of the road. At least his sense of direction is working.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara turns with her mouth agape, "Behind bars?," she says as he is walking off, butt exposed, "You don't know what you're talking about Mr. Banner." Flustered for words she points a finger, "The Hulk is preferable to this," she says motioning to his torso in general. "Fine.. enjoy your walk. Hulk is not paranoid.. just so you know," she says placing a hand to her mouth so her voice carries just a little bit further.

"Argh. At least now I know how to get the sensible one back if needed," she shakes her head and huffs. "And it was such a nice day too." With a leap she takes to the skies, glances down at the man walking through the forest, "Errlk," then flies back to Metropolis.