"He wants Emily to go to some psych Institute in New Mexico. Alone," Harley informs everyone.

"Ok fine," I agree instantly.

"Are you serious? They won't let a little kid deal with this guy, right Rick?" Betty protests.

"Well..."

"Wow."

"She's qualified for this kind of thing. Her dad's an Avenger," He points out.

"Do you realize how crazy that is?"

"We have to figure out what his plan is. Best way to do that is to ask him," I tell her.

"Or it's the best way to get killed."

"I'm going," I repeat.

" I bet if I say no she'll do it anyway," Rick adds in.

I nod. "That is very accurate. You do know who I used to live with right? They rubbed off on me."

"How about a compromise?" Harley suggests. "She goes with someone in her ear the entire time."

"I'm sorry, was that not a given?" Betty questions.

"No." Harley and I answer in unison.

Betty sighs, "I'm still not sure how I feel about a teenager throwing herself in the middle of this."

"Actually this just supports my theory as to why I'm here. I'm bait so might as well be bait."

"What do you mean you're bait?"

"That psych facility in New Mexico... there's only one reason Sterns wants me to go there."

Betty catches on to my train of thought, "Brian. Your grandfather."

"Why would he...?"

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

***

Rick hands me two small earpieces. "Keep your comms on the entire time."

"Unless I want to turn them off."

Rick sighs, "Get as much info as you can but do not engage."

"Mhm..." I hum.

"You're just going to do whatever you want, aren't you?"

I nod, "I used to be really good at taking orders. Not so good at that anymore."

"Just don't get yourself killed or else I'm pretty sure Iron Man is gonna be pissed."

"Don't worry about him. He's overprotective. He called me like five times a day the first month I got to Calcutta. I'll be fine. I can handle myself," I climb down the helicopter and touch down in front of the mental health institution.

I land in front of the building that houses my insane grandfather. I throw the earpieces down and stomp on them. I walk through the doors of the old building. There's a worn old woman with a blue-gray aura at the front desk playing on her phone.

I take a deep breath before speaking to her, "Hi, I'm here to see Brian Banner."

Her eyes glass over as she looks up, "The spawn of Bruce Banner, I was wondering if you'd come out to play."

Of course. Massive brain comes with brain powers. He has mind control.

"I'm here. You want me to talk to my psychotic grandad? Fine. I'll take you down eventually, "I threaten unapologetically.

Another employee under control appears down the hallway behind the desk. I let him lead me down the hall with flickering lights. We pass rooms filled with the mentally ill. They pound at the doors screaming.

Eventually, we reach a door at the end of a dark hallway. The man hands me a key then walks away. I hesitate before entering. My dad would kill me if he knew I was here actually everyone I know would kill me. The key turns in the lock of the cement door. An old man is sitting in the corner of the room and won't even turn his head to look at me. His aura is a sickening awful beige color.

He sniffs, "I'm not hungry."

"Brian Banner," I call with fake confidence.

He turns his head with sick amusement, "Rebecca? Have you come to drag me to hell?"

"I am the daughter of Bruce Banner, your son. My name's Amelia," I cautiously introduce myself, moving closer.

"He passed on the monster gene, did he? How unfortunate. If I wasn't stuck in here, I would've made sure that didn't happen. Does he know you're talking to me?"

I study the man before me with gray hair and a frail body, "He's not around."

He lets out a sickening laugh, "Then why have you decided to pay me a visit? You want me to put you out of your misery? End the Banner curse with you?"

"You could never take me in your current state. Or at all. I'm not that easy to kill."

"Like my wife? You look just like her. She was always trying to run... one day I made sure she couldn't ever again. You look like a runner. You're cowardly just like your father."

"You don't know me. And you didn't know my dad. Don't pretend to."

"Oh, I know you. I can see the blood in your eyes. The lives you have taken. You're more of a monster than me. You're just really good at hiding it, my dear."

My eyes narrow, "I'm not that person anymore. I've grown past that. I'm different."

"Are you sure you haven't just grown into something much worse?" Brian mocks. "Maybe you should finish what you once started. I can-"

I pin Brian up against the wall. I glare at him coldly, "Finish that sentence. I dare you. Let me repeat again, you do not know me. I'm not a puppet and you cannot pull my strings."

"Go on. Do it. Put me out of my misery."

My fingers tighten around his neck before ultimately dropping him to the floor. "No. I'm not going back to that place. Not for you."

"You think you're strong. You think you can be anything more than what they made you? You're wrong. I bet you still see them. They haunt you, longing for vengeance. I see your future. You'll be the end of everything. An even bigger monster than your father ever was. He'll end up realizing what I already know. You're an evil being. You can do no good. The only thing you have the capability to do is harm."

The lights in the room flicker as my eyes burn. "And you're just an old man everyone has forgotten about. A sad old weak man."

I spin on my heel and get out as fast as possible. As I speed down the hall the lights above me flicker and some even blackout. I push the glass doors open, breathing heavily as I walk down the road. He's wrong. I'm a good person. I can be good. Right?

Another employee walks behind me, "I take it the conversation didn't go so well."

I whip my head around. angrily. "What was the point of that? Why would you have me to talk to him? What could you possibly hope to gain from me talking to a maniac?"

"He's your family," The man simply answers. "Yet he seems to have upset you. I thought you were all about family, girl."

I slow my breathing. "What's your plan Sterns? What do you want?"

The man tsks, "I'm not letting this be easy for you. You'll have to wait like Amy."

"I'm going to- wait, was that a Doctor Who reference? Did you really just do that in the middle of our little confrontation thing? I don't... what is your problem? It wasn't even a good reference."

"I thought it was pretty good," He mutters.

"If you're gonna do that you have to slide it in. That was way too forced."

"Okay, you know what? I tried the improv thing. It didn't work, let's wrap the conversation up and forget that ever happened. Let's move past that."

"Um, no? You just made me meet my physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive grandfather then you just made a crappy Doctor Who reference through a puppet-man. I'll remember this conversation when I punch the lights out of you."

"So violent. Can't really blame you. You were basically born with a tiny knife in your hand. You and your father have that in common among other things. He's the reason I am the way I am. I suppose I owe him for that. I never would've unlocked my full potential if it wasn't for him."

I close my eyes briefly as I collect my thoughts, "I'm putting you back in a cell, Samuel."

"Did they ever tell you why I was in a cell? What I did that was so bad to get me locked away? They were scared of my potential. Scared of what my brain could do. But by all means, try your best."

"I'll do better than that. I'll stop you."

The man falls to the ground holding his head in pain. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding in. I pull my phone out and call a person I consider family and isn't currently running from the law, "Tony?"

"Emily? Are you okay?"

"Um, well I just met my grandpa. He's insane," I tell him.

"What the hell? Why would you do that? Is this because of Ross? I knew I shouldn't have given him your location. I'm going to kill him."

"I'm fine. It's just he said some things and I really needed to hear your voice."

There's a short silence on the other side of the phone, "That's it. I'm coming to pick you up."

"Tony, I can't stop now. For some reason, he wants to play a game with me and I have to go along with it. I have to stop him. Whatever his plan is."

"Ross said you'd only be tracking him not fighting him. You're supposed to be relaxing. This isn't your cross to bear," He mutters.

I sigh, "It became my cross the moment Dad told me I was his kid. He isn't here to clean up his mess so I have to do it."

"Careful kid, you're beginning to sound like a hero," He warns jokingly.

"Heroes don't have the kill count I do. I am just the only person capable of defeating the person that is currently bothering me," I reply, I hear the sound of helicopter landing nearby, "I have to go, I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, you better." The phone clicks off.

I glance at the man on the ground and put my phone back into my pocket. What did I just get myself into?