hyperkinesia | ( Savrou ) IC Contact

[ Jesus Christ.

His stomach clenches for a moment, and he's probably doing a piss-poor job of not looking stricken, because he knows full well what that kind of incident would mean for Bruce personally—nevermind politically. There's only so much SHIELD can protect them from. There's only so much the Avengers can dodge on good deeds and good graces alone.

He figures a rampage through South Africa probably isn't up there.

And there's another unspoken understanding, too, something his mind immediately supplies as an inevitability to a situation like that ("pitch us against each other," "fighting amongst ourselves"): it would've been on the Avengers to neutralize the Hulk somehow. And that wouldn't be pretty, no matter what form it takes. ]

Hang on. What the hell does "get into your head" mean?

[ He opts for that question before anything else, because he has no idea what Wanda's powers are - only that she presumably has some, if she's on the team at all - and that seems like info he'd like to have on file. Yesterday. ]

Never heard of that.

[ The other one, though, that he has. For now he turns his attention to the box, accepting it from Nihlus, and making his way over to an empty counter nearby so he can carefully open it and take a look inside. ]

Useful. Thanks. [ Neat and organized, despite Bruce's personal views on the matter. ] Do you mind leaving them here for a little while? I won't use them up or anything like that.

[ Bruce is all too aware of the ramifications of something like that. He's been there, lived through it more than once, and he knows how the world takes a rampaging Hulk. People thinking of him as a hero really doesn't matter much, when he knows that all it takes is one moment, one incident, and it would all come crashing down, just like that.

So, he's already played through the whole thing in his head, and he knows— even before he lives through it, he already knows how it'll happen, what the consequences will be. And he knows himself far too well to pretend like he doesn't know what'll happen once it's all over.

The future isn't for him to have. When he meets Wanda, he knows it'll be the beginning of the end. Of his end, his life as an Avenger. ]

It means just that. [ Bruce is actually grateful for the question. Easier to talk about that than literally anything else he's brought up just now. ] It's part of her powers. She can tap into your memories, read your thoughts, and she can make you see things. Simply put, she could likely drive someone insane, if only she wanted to. [ If only she thought she was doing something good or right. And that's one of the things that truly scares Bruce. ]

She can also keep some physical control over people. I'm not sure how strong that hold is— evidently it didn't work with the Hulk, so I assume there's some sort of limit there.

[ For one brief, mad moment, Tony wants to bust out laughing. It would probably sound semi-hysterical, if he did. What was it Wanda had said when he'd welcomed her to the team a few days ago? "You might want to talk to Steve before you say that"?

No fucking wonder.

Too bad Steve isn't the person Tony asked. ]

Jesus, Bruce. [ What more can he say, really? He knows Bruce is playing a constant tug-of-war with the big guy, and that's without being literally mindfucked. The girl must be extremely crazy or extremely stupid to try that on Bruce Banner in the first place. And now Tony's left with the job of trying to piece all of this information together, to form some kind of coherent picture. The only constants seem to be "Tony Stark screws up" and "everything goes to hell", usually with those two realities heavily interacting. He sort of wishes he could be comforted in the knowledge that other people are screwing up too, but that's never been how he operates. ]

You know, I haven't heard a single good thing about our future. How 'bout that? Figures.

[ Based on everything he's been told, what kind of future do the Avengers really have? ]

[ Too bad, indeed. Were this Steve, he'd likely paint the whole situation in other colors, but Bruce doesn't really give a crap about trying to see this from another perspective. His perspective, limited as it may be because he hasn't lived through this yet, is clear enough for him. And he evidently isn't bothering to slap it up on a nice frame and say that the painting's not torn anymore, or that it's just how it is now. ]

Yeah. [ He smiles and chuckles quietly; it comes off incredibly bitter. He looks away from Tony, eyes fixed in some distant nondescript point in the far off distance of outer space. ] Some fucked up future, if you ask me.

[ If there's even one at all to begin with, honestly. Bruce seriously doubts there's any such thing for him, anyway. ]

[ Bruce is bitter, and maybe already resigned. Tony can see that. But Tony, his mind is already running itself through a million alternatives. From what few details he's managed to cobble together from various alarming - and sometimes hostile - conversations, he's imagining every possible outcome to an event that hasn't even happened for them yet.

Strings he can pull. Alternatives. Hypothetical ways out of the cave, as it were. ]

Listen—we'll deal with it. That's what we do.

[ That's what Tony personally tasks himself with doing. ]

[ Bruce is kind of resigned with the fact that it doesn't matter what they do, the future can't be changed. What's meant to happen will happen, and anyway they're not keeping any memories of their time here, so even if they wanted to, they wouldn't be able to remember enough to change a thing.

He'll go back, and he'll get a couple more years with the team at best. He'll hurt and kill all those people anyway, and he'll run, because when it comes down to it, that's all he knows.

That's definitely one of the reasons why he's in no hurry to go back. ]

It's not like we can do anything else, is there?

[ Everything in both their lives has been dealt with, by sheer force of will or a complete lack of other options. The latter more applied to Bruce than to Tony, granted, but still. ]

Anyway, that's... that's about all I know about the future so far. Oh, and Natasha has this handy trick that puts the Hulk to sleep. Kind of like a lullaby. Should prove useful.

Scale for measuring technological capability? I think there's a Terran term for it, but it slips my mind at the moment.

[Either way, he's inclining his head in agreement.]

I don't mind at all. Hopefully it'll be another layer of defense for the Cetans. At the very least, it'll be a source of money that isn't dependent on the Captains.

[He's got backup in case something went awry at any rate.]

if you need advice on having sex in public WITHOUT scaring the children
you should've just asked me

[ Oh my god what why. WHY. ]

Let me guess.
You've been talking to Daisy.

what, you need to clarify?
does that mean there's more than one person you've traumatized?
i'm impressed, Banner

No! It was just the one time. God, Tony. Shut up. We didn't mean to, and it's never happening again.

[ Look who's talking, the guy who suggested helping his girlfriend pick lingerie. Like he's not going to traumatize some poor clerk in that store too. BUT ANYWAY. ]

Oh. Kardashev Scale. Got it.

[ And well, it might be the next level of advancement for Nihlus, but not for Bruce. Still. Interesting to find similar concepts that simply have different names. ]

Alright, thanks. I'll start by looking into their composition, then go from there. I'll keep you posted too, and you're free to come by anytime.

[ Like Bruce said, no promises, but he also isn't going to go so far as to destroy these samples either. Worst case scenario he'll end up refusing to help— but he might find a way to do so that doesn't go against whatever morals he has with regards to this topic. ]

technically this is a plain text conversation
i haven't actually said anything

[ What a shit. ]

were you at least wearing gloves and goggles?
lab safety is paramount, doctor

Hilarious.

[ Screw you Tony, seriously. ]

We weren't anywhere near sensitive equipment.
Why am I even telling you this? You're just being an ass and I'm not going to give you the details.

"i'm not giving you the details" he says while giving me the details
i feel like that sums up our relationship

Fine. I'm not going to give you any MORE details. Good enough now?

acceptable
you'll be happy to know morbid curiosity only goes so far, anyway

I am. That is a relief.

[ Because Tony can get a little annoying when he really wants to know something. ]

So how are things going? Settling in alright?

[ Old buddy old pal, ]

you do not want the honest answer to that question

I do want the honest answer to that question.

So: how are things going?

well
i think i've finally reached the point where people are running out of very alarming things to tell me?
so that's promising

unless you've got anything hidden up your sleeve?
i'd recommend getting it out now, if so

[ Anthony Edward Stark presents 'The Art of Not Actually Answering That Question'. ]

Well...
Have you been told about Extremis yet?

[ Robert Bruce Banner bringing you 'Let Me Tell You More Awful Shit That Goes Down'. ]

[ oh jesus christ WHY ]

what
wait, are you kidding me?
no

[ Sorry, Tony. ]

Well, I can just not tell you if you don't want to hear it. But if you do, then that's definitely a story.

( Savrou ) IC Contact

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text; i'm honestly sorry

you shouldn't be

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