"Maybe One Of Us Can Come Back Limping Anyways," Bruce Teased Suggestively, Grinning At Andie.

"Maybe one of us can come back limping anyways," Bruce teased suggestively, grinning at Andie.

"This isn’t an office. It’s Hell with fluorescent lighting."

"I know, I know but we have to be here, otherwise I’m gonna get in trouble with the Professor for not doing my job."

"This institute isn't a place they go to be... fixed," Bruce said, his fingers rolling up into his palm before he stretched them out. "There's nothing to fix. These are incredible skills your daughter has, and we want to help her with them."

Bruce recognized the type of parent this was; though she might not abuse her daughter, he saw his father in her, in how she thought of her daughter, in how she acted. He raised an eyebrow at her and refused the seat across from the woman in favor of standing.

"This isn’t an office. It’s Hell with fluorescent lighting."

"I know, I know but we have to be here, otherwise I’m gonna get in trouble with the Professor for not doing my job."

"I, uhh..." Bruce laughed breathlessly. "Yeah. I don't usually let myself... let go like that, but... Yeah."

Wow.

"That was ten different kinds of intense."

"Well, we received a notice on your daughter, Clara, and her... special skills," Bruce explained. "We think she would be a perfect fit at our institute." Bruce struggled not to react instinctively to this woman, who immediately rubbed him the wrong way. He peeked past her into her house.

"This isn’t an office. It’s Hell with fluorescent lighting."

"I know, I know but we have to be here, otherwise I’m gonna get in trouble with the Professor for not doing my job."

Bruce glared at Marcie for a moment. "You know," he said, and Marcie looked up from the form at him, "Your daughter is a blessing, and it appalls me that you can't see her for the gift she is, special skills or no." Bruce paused for a moment, then left her there, following Andie to Clara's room.

When the young girl opened the door, Bruce immediately took a step forward; she looked unnaturally pale, likely credited to too many days kept inside, and unnervingly sad. She stared up at Bruce and Andie and trembled visibly.

"I could hear you talking," Clara said softly. "Go away, because I'll scare you, too." She shook again, and slowly morphed. Bruce suddenly found himself looking into the eyes of the Hulk. "I can't control it."

"This isn’t an office. It’s Hell with fluorescent lighting."

"I know, I know but we have to be here, otherwise I’m gonna get in trouble with the Professor for not doing my job."

Bruce's smile fell away for a moment before he forced it back on. He craned his neck to look up at Rebecca.

"You're a very big girl," he said, squeezing her ankles. "Almost an adult, my goodness."

"They take after you with that temper."

"You really think so?"