Bruce leaned back slowly, his hands pressed together as though holding himself steady. The tremor in his voice was faint but clear.
"…All these years, I thought control meant locking him away. Keeping the lid on. But maybe control is… something else."
Alex gave a short nod.
"Control isn't about chains. It's about direction. You don't need to cage him—you need to guide him."
Bruce's brow furrowed, his mind running over the idea like a formula, testing it for cracks.
"So what—you're saying next time I transform, instead of fighting it, I should… acknowledge him? Try to be present, even inside it?"
"Exactly," Alex said, calm and assured. "Breathe. Focus. Even a single word you repeat to yourself—a mantra, a tether—can give you a line back to him. Over time, that line becomes stronger. Eventually, it won't just be Hulk acting while you're a passenger. It'll be both of you, moving together."
Bruce gave a dry laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Feels a lot like training a wild animal."
Alex smirked faintly.
"Not training. Understanding. Wild animals only lash out because they don't feel safe. Hulk's no different."
The words settled heavily between them. Bruce lowered his gaze, staring at the floor like it might give him answers. His voice came low, almost ashamed.
"I don't know if I can do it. What if I try and all I do is unleash him on the world again?"
Alex leaned forward, his tone still steady, unshaken.
"Then you try again. The world doesn't need you to be flawless—it needs you to be willing. And whether you see it or not, Hulk is already part of that world. Hiding won't change that. Facing him will."
For a moment, Bruce didn't answer. His breathing steadied, though, slower and deeper than before. When he finally spoke, it wasn't doubt that colored his tone, but something else—something almost like resolve.
"…If I do this… if I learn to work with him… then maybe for the first time, I won't be running anymore."
Alex gave a single approving nod.
"That's the point, Bruce. Not to run. To live."
Alex leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. A faint grin tugged at his lips as he spoke.
"Alright… now it's time for me to talk to my next step—Hulk himself."
Bruce blinked, stunned, almost dumbfounded.
"Wait… what? You want to talk to him?"
Alex tilted his head slightly, eyes calm but firm.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I? He's as much a part of you as you are of him. I'd like to meet him—not as a monster, but as someone who deserves to be heard."
Bruce opened his mouth, then closed it again. His brain scrambled for a rational objection, but nothing came out. He gave a half-laugh of disbelief.
"You make it sound like I can just… call him up like a phone conversation."
Alex smirked faintly.
"Not exactly. But you've transformed enough times that there's a bridge between you. I'm not asking you to unleash him fully, just… lower the wall a little. Let me reach across it."
Bruce rubbed his temples, muttering under his breath.
"This is insane. Absolutely insane…"
But Alex's voice cut through steady and sharp.
"Bruce. He isn't going away. And the longer you avoid him, the more he defines you. If you want balance, this is where it starts. Face him—not as an enemy, but as… a partner."
The word partner echoed oddly in Bruce's ears. He swallowed hard, his hands curling into fists. For years, Hulk had been rage, chaos, destruction. Partner wasn't a word he ever thought to use.
Bruce finally gave a slow, shaky nod.
"…Alright. I'll… try."
He closed his eyes, his breathing deep and heavy. Muscles tightened beneath his skin as if something primal stirred restlessly, sensing the call. His heartbeat grew louder, thudding in his ears.
Alex leaned forward slightly, voice calm and low, almost like he was guiding someone through meditation.
"That's it… don't resist. Just open the door. Let him know it's safe to step through."
A low rumble escaped Bruce's throat—half a growl, half a breath. His skin shivered faintly with the green hue beginning to surface. His eyes flickered, the brown slowly giving way to an eerie, glowing green.
Hulk suddenly burst forth with a roar, the sound rattling the steel beams of the warehouse. His massive frame lunged, fists swinging with earth-shaking fury, the concrete beneath his feet fracturing as he charged straight at Alex.
Alex sprang backward in a blur, landing lightly several paces away, his boots scraping against the dusty floor. His eyes stayed calm, even as the raw power of the green giant bore down on him.
"Good," Alex muttered to himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "That's why I chose this abandoned warehouse—no one else gets caught in this."
Hulk bellowed again, veins bulging, chest heaving as his rage carried him forward. His eyes locked on Alex, no words—only instinct.
Alex straightened, rolling his shoulders as energy hummed faintly around him.
"Alright then," he said evenly, his voice carrying a steady weight into the chaos. "If this is how we start, so be it. Let's see where this takes us."
Hulk crouched, muscles flexing like coiled steel cables, ready to strike again—this time with everything.
Hulk charged again, swinging a colossal fist that could crumple a tank.
Alex didn't flinch—his body blurred as he sidestepped, catching Hulk's wrist with one hand. With a twist and a pull, he redirected the monster's momentum and slammed him into the cracked concrete floor, sending a tremor through the warehouse.
"Too slow," Alex muttered, almost casually.
Hulk roared, ripping free and leaping at him like an avalanche. Alex's fist met Hulk's jaw mid-air, snapping his head back and sending the green giant crashing through a steel support beam. Dust and sparks rained as the structure groaned.
When Hulk staggered back up, Alex was already there, his boot slamming into Hulk's chest and sending him skidding across the floor.
Finally, Alex stood firm, raising his hand. "Enough."
For a moment, the air stilled. Hulk's chest rose and fell heavily, his eyes burning with primal rage.
Alex's voice cut through the silence, calm but commanding:
"Let's talk."
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