Why?

That is the word which has flowed through my mind like a raging current every second of everyday for the past several years of my lfie. I begin to reflect upon my actions which placed me in the situation that, yet again, my paranoid mind has put me through. As I run through the vast expanse of trees and plant life, I begin to get a sense of deja vu. It seems as if the only thing I have done for the past several years of my life is run, hide, and fear everything around me, especially myself. I began to think back, as I have so many times in the past, about that infamous day where my life was changed.

Was it preventable?

Was it inevitable?

Or perhaps there is a higher power at work here? Am I a subject of some sort of divine punishment. Did I anger a higher power by attempting to cross the boundaries which separate a man from a God? But wait...I do not believe in God; I do not place my happiness and hopes on a deity that does not answer it's worshipers prayers. I do not seek comfort by wishing upon a being which has no form, or ears to hear.

Pain

Isolation

Fear

Hatred

Despair

These are the trials in which I go through on an everyday bias. I am a man of science, not someone to place all of their hopes and dreams on something that doesn't even exist! I shoulder my own burdens, suffer from my own mistakes, face the consequences from my actions, and live everyday wishing it was the last. If there is a God...then he is not merciful and forgiving; for if he was, it would of granted me the gift of death long ago. Oh how I wish I could die...but...HE wont let me.

Why?

I ask myself this question again as I run blindly through the trees, each step causing a searing pain to course through my body as I am not accustomed to running without some form of protection. The wind rippling across my face, the sun beating down on my nearly naked body, the sound of the grass and dirt being crushed as I run off into the unknown, it gives me a false sense of freedom. As the momentary feeling of liberty passes over my body, my mind reeled back to the earlier events of the day~

30 Minutes Ago

"Sorry Mr. Banner, I hope you do not mind if I leave to answer the door. I promise to come back soon and help you with your wounds. Just sit tight and rest up, I do not want you to hurt yourself again."

The yellow Pegasus began to make her descent down the stairway, the sound of hoof beats getting distinctly smaller and smaller in volume, indicating that she was getting farther and farther away form Dr. Banner, much to his relief. Unbeknownst to her, Dr. Banner was formulating any and all possible escape routes so he could safely get out of the confines of the building and back out into hiding. With as much stealth and speed as he could manage (Which wasn't at all that impressive considering he still suffered a multitude of aches and pains throughout his body) he ripped off the bed sheets and planted his feet to the floor for the first time since he has been in the house. Pain immediately coursed throughout his body as he was mentally (and physically) trying to will the sleepy and sore muscles in his body to obey his commands, and his order was~

"Get up...."

His body began to ach and tremble as he was still suffering from the after effects of transformation from the beast like creature known as the Hulk, into the puny weak human known as Bruce Banner. His body was weary and tired, his bones were stiff and joints were refusing to move. His nervous system was still trying to register itself with the rest of his body. The herbal soup that Fluttershy had made him was, in fact, a medical breakthrough. He studied from other native tribes on his run that some herbs possessed incredible healing properties, but this was ridiculous. Unfortunately, the herbal soup was doing too well on its part, because so far the only thing that Dr. Banner's brain was processing at that moment was excruciating pain~

"Get up...."

His hands clutched tighter and tighter to the bed, sweat was beating down from his forehead and he gritted his teeth as every second he tried to will his body harder and harder to stand up and move. He wanted to, he had too, he needed to get up and get away, and he tried his damned hardest to do that simple task. As the seconds ticked down, he was beginning to doubt escape was possible in his own condition, no matter how hard he tried, he could not remove himself from the bed.

"Dammit...Why can't I get up" Banner said in a tone of both frustration and despair.

Because Banner...You are pathetic and weak.

Hearing the Hulk right now, always in the moment of his failures, set him off the edge. Adrenaline began to course throughout his blood system, his pupils shrank into the size of pinpricks as he went into a rage. The pain that was previously felt was replaced entirely by anger. He was sick of always hearing the Hulk mock and taunt him, sick of always being a failure, sick of always relying on his strength to help him out. Not this time, he would get out of this situation by using his wits, his strength, and his determination alone.

"UNNGHHH!!!!"

Gritting his teeth and straining every muscle in his body, sweat trickling down from his body as every fiber of his being was being tested, his mind trying to over come the body. Banner finally forced himself to stand up, nearly vomiting from the strain it put on his body. His vision went blurry and he almost collapsed from over exerting himself in his current state; luckily though he was able to catch hold of the open window to help support himself. Though his breathing was heavy and his head was down, there was a feeling of success now present on Banners Face. He accomplished his goal of getting out of bed, and now looking around the room, he was about to "kill two birds with one stone". Dr. Banner, now regaining more control over his body, placed his head slightly out of the window to get a better understanding of how high he was from the ground.

"Doesn't seem too high, probably around 20ft from my current position. Hmm...." (Banner began to scan the room around him, noticing the bed sheets lying across the floor.) "That...could actually work."

He began to slowly, taking careful precautions with each step, make his way towards the scattered linens lying on the wooden floor. Using his creative mind (and the ideas inspired by many movies) he began to construct a make-shift rope out of the bed sheets, making sure each knot was tight and secure so it would not fall apart when added weight was applied. Once he was finished making the instrument of his escape, he moved over to the window sill and secured the rope onto the back of the bed to provide a steady resistance so he wouldn't fall. Everything was going smooth and according to his plan of escape~

KAAABOOOOMMMM!!!!!

As the loud, destructive sound of wood and cement being destroyed echoed through the building, new thoughts appeared within the confines of both Bruce and the Hulk's conscious. Emotions that were once dormant began to creep back into the morality of Banners mind; as the sound of chaos raged from downstairs, he realized that he was in fact about to abandon his new friend. Sure, isolation and solitude were ideal for the mutated doctor, but to his surprise, he was starting to become quiet fond of the company the wolf offered to him. Plus the fact that the strange equine did assist with his injuries, provide him a comfy place of rest, and food to help restore and replenish his body, and he was about to just run away, right when they seemed to be in distress. Banner stood ready at the window, the rope already tied off and secured, with a slight hesitation, he began to climb out of the window, placing his feet on the outside of the wall to make sure he was steady and would not plummet to the ground.

I should of known you would leave them.

Banner halted in his decent down to the wall and hung his head down in deep thought~

What more do you expect me to do huh? Our involvement in their situation will only make it worse, you know as well as I do that everyone we try to help always gets hurt more.

That is bullshit and you know it Banner; whether you like it or not, these creatures helped us, WE owe them, and you are just going to leave just like that. After the kindness they have shown us, you are just going to ignore the plea for help; you are nothing but a FUCKING COWARD!

*Sigh*

No Hulk... I do it because we have to...to survive, find peace, and to be.....Alone.

As his feet touched the dirt beneath him, he un-secured himself from the rope and looked up to gaze at the cottage. Now being able to observe the structure from the outside, he noted some very strange objects and designs all around such as the large variety of what appeared to be bird houses; a seriously ridiculously amount of birdhouses of all shapes and sizes. It was covered in forest life such as vines and roots coverage a portion of the building, but not to the point of making it look decrepit and broken. To Banner, it looked like he literally stepped into a fairy tale and at any second he would be attacked by the 'Big Bad Wolf' (Which, in all actuality, already happened).  He began to walk away when he saw something (or somepony) exit the building and fly off, he assumed it was her friend which she was going to get. Strange thing he noticed about the flying pony was that when it was a good distance away, odd green flames appeared around its body for a few brief moments.

Banner was left slightly stunned as the blue Pegasus that was flying away turned into a creature of pure black with many holes going through its appendages. He noted the other prominent features that were on the strange black creature such as its horn on its skull, the insect like wings, and its sharp and more than likely carnivorous fangs. He began to doubt that such a creature was the friend of the shy and timid Pegasus, who wouldn't surprise him even if she was afraid of her shadow. It seemed to him that this creature was a predator, did it make those sounds in the house? Was Fluttershy and Vekk really in danger, could their lives be put at risk? Banner didn't know, and slightly cared, the only thing that concerned him was getting away from the area as fast as possible. He began to run, and run, and Run.