hyperkinesia | ( Eway ) IC Contact

Do you have a minute?

Sure. What's up?

Have you talked to Fitz since he came back?

Only very briefly.

[ Bruce has a feeling this isn't going anywhere good. ]

Why?

[ Well, that pretty much answers Steve's question. He'd been right to assume that Fitz wouldn't have told Bruce. This isn't something that can be kept from him, though. ]

It might be better if we do this in person, if you don't mind.

[ This does not sound like the kind of conversation Bruce would like to have in person, but... ]

Alright. Meet you outside the mansion? Or would you rather do this elsewhere?

[ Steve may be old-fashioned at times, but this is not something he wants to do over text. And maybe it's a good idea to be away from the mansion, anyway. ]

How about we meet by the forest? It's pretty secluded there.

[ If Bruce wasn't sure whether he was going to like this conversation or not, now he's absolutely certain he won't. The forest is secluded, granted, but Bruce sees no reason to pick that over the gardens or any other spot closer to the mansion other than the fact that whatever Steve has to tell him is pretty grave. ]

Alright. I'll be there as soon as I can.

[ Bruce wonders if they'll cross paths on their way there or if Steve's coming from elsewhere, but either way, he takes off towards the woods, and after a while he's waiting for Steve by the line of trees where the forest starts. ]

[ The only reason that they don't cross paths is because Bruce happens to get there a little bit before Steve, but he doesn't make him wait more than a few minutes. Steve can see even as he approaches that Bruce is antsy, expecting the worst. Well, in this case it's understandable.

Still, there's a few points that Steve wants to make completely clear about the situation. Bruce can't be held accountable for his Mirror's actions. ]

Hey. [ He offers a quick greeting once he's close enough. ] Thanks, you know, for meeting me.

[ Steve has to be more than familiar with Bruce's track record to know that's not going to work out so well. He blames himself for everything the Hulk does, it only seems like the reasonable development that he'll blame himself for whatever his Mirror did too.

But he doesn't suspect that's what this is about yet, so he waits, not jumping to conclusions. ]

It's no problem. [ He smiles faintly at Steve, tipping his head in a nod. ] So do we talk here?

[ At the question, Steve takes a look around. No one else seems to be in the general vicinity, so they could talk here, but that seems a little awkward.

He shifts his gaze toward the woods. ] Want to walk and talk? [ That might be a little less suffocating. Steve can already guess that Bruce isn't going to take this well, even if he believes that the blame doesn't lie with him. It's always different when you're the person with the homicidal Mirror -- or so Steve imagines. He's pretty sure that his hasn't actually killed anyone, just attacked them. Because that's so much better. ]

[ Bruce nods, trying not to look too fidgety, even if delaying the conversation is starting to get to him. ] Lead the way.

[ Once Steve starts walking, he follows along, hands holding each other until finally he just crosses his arms over his chest. He looks at Steve, like simply watching him will make him figure out what they're here to talk about, yet at the same time showing every bit the same level of patience he seems to have regarding nearly everything else. ]

What's this about?

[ Even though Bruce is being extremely patient (as usual), Steve can tell that he's anxious and wound up. It shows in his body language and somehow the nervousness just seems to bleed into the air. Steve realizes he's been kind of cagey and ominous so far, so he doesn't hesitate to jump in now that they're alone and on the move. ]

How much did Fitz tell you? [ That's still vague, so he tries again. ] About the circumstances of his death.

[ No one should be able to tell anyone about their own death, but all bets are off here in Wonderland. As they walk, Steve's shoes crunch over dead leaves. Fall has definitely arrived and most of the trees around them are red or brown now. ]

[ Bruce isn't a particularly impatient person, far from it actually. But right now he can't help feel a thrum of that unusual feeling hammering away in his head. His mind is making leaps into conclusions before Steve's even started telling him what this is about, and while he doesn't try to rush Steve, chances are he's going to make his own guess if Steve doesn't get to the point soon. ]

Not much. Actually he didn't say anything. He just said he needed some... help. With a project.

[ Something that had left Bruce feeling more than just a little suspicious, especially considering how Fitz had stopped replying to his texts so abruptly. Something he now shares as he remembers it. ]

He didn't seem to want to talk to me. I just... figured he needed time. [ To deal with the whole thing. But now... well, now he's thinking differently. ] Did I have something to do with it?

[ A project? That's not something that Fitz had mentioned to Steve during their own text conversation, although he can make a guess at what it's about. Something to make sure that the Mirrors can't hurt them again, he assumes.

It's not like Bruce would have any way of knowing that his Mirror was involved if Fitz hadn't told him. Steve can understand why it would be hard to deliver that kind of news when you were the one who'd suffered, but Bruce can't just go on not knowing either.

At the question, Steve quickly shakes his head. He wants to establish from the get-go that Bruce isn't to blame, although he knows that he'll come to his own conclusions. ]

Not you. Your Mirror was involved, though. That's probably why Fitz was treating you a little strangely. [ Steve glances over with a frown set into his brow, waiting to see how Bruce will take the news. ]

[ The project's a little more specific than that. Something that Bruce immediately associated with himself, though at the time he didn't ask too many questions. Probably because he was too scared to know the answers.

Right now, though, it seems he's going to get those answers anyway. It's a strange and conflicting mix; he both wants to know everything about it, especially if he was involved in any way at all, but at the same time wishes he could remain in ignorance, being none the wiser, even if he knows he'd resent anyone who knew for not telling him.

The instant Steve elaborates, even if he doesn't get into the details, Bruce's mind is already leaping to conclusions. This time he jumps to the right conclusions, though, and his heart sinking in his chest, his eyes widen. ]

He killed him. [ Bruce stops in his tracks, staring at Steve. ] That's what you're telling me. It was him, wasn't it?

[ As soon as Bruce stops, Steve does the same, his shoes scuffing through the soil of the forest floor. He knows that this isn't something that he can walk away from, and so he doesn't want to give that impression. They all have to deal with the Mirrors one way or another, even if most of the time it's in the form of cleaning up their messes.

Maybe they can do better next time. Maybe they can take this as a lesson and take precautions so that their Mirrors don't take more lives. It doesn't matter if people revive; the damage is still done in one way or another.

Steve doesn't avert his eyes or shy away under Bruce's gaze, just nods slowly. ] That's what he said. I don't know why he'd lie to me about it, but I can see why he might be uneasy about telling you. But I didn't think it would be right for you not to know.

[ Maybe Fitz will blame Steve for going over his head and telling Bruce anyway, but Bruce is a friend and it's his right to know this. It might not be an easy thing to hear, but better he finds out now than sometime down the line, or even from his Mirror himself. ]

[ Bruce lets out a sound. It's somewhere between a scoff and a laugh, except he's not really laughing. His smile is tense and gone almost as soon as it shows, a defensive mechanism through and through. This isn't funny, it's not a joke. Bruce may as well be close to panicking right now.

In hindsight, the forest's a good choice. God knows how Bruce could react poorly to hearing something like this. ]

He wouldn't. He wouldn't lie. [ He and Fitz might not be the closest of people, but Bruce is absolutely sure of that much. That if Fitz said Bruce's mirror killed him, then it's because he did. ] He killed... Jesus.

[ He puts a hand over his mouth, turning away from Steve. It's irrational to blame himself, but he does. His mirror is a byproduct of himself, after all. A reflection of his darker side, of the things within him that scare him the most. How could he not be a monster, a murderer? ]

[ While Steve had never thought that Bruce would transform after hearing this, the forest had still seemed like a good idea with the fresh air, the privacy, and the shielding of the trees surrounding them. It might be a subtle effect, but even something minor is important in a situation as delicate as this one.

When Bruce turns away, Steve doesn't try to stop him. He doesn't grab for his shoulder. He doesn't even say anything at first. He realizes that Bruce needs a moment to let the horrible truth sink in. Steve can only guess how he would react to this kind of news, and it wouldn't be good.

For Steve it's always easiest to think about the next step, about solutions. He wonders if it might help Bruce to focus his efforts and that brain of his on some way to prevent this from happening again. ]

The Mirrors don't cross over here that often, but it's bound to happen again. We should have some sort of game plan ready. [ Steve's pretty sure that including Bruce in this discussion speaks for itself, that he doesn't hold any of what happened against him and never will. ]

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