kindacatchy | Post IW shenanigans

[Yes, there he is. In a wall. He can't get the leverage he needs, can't move the arms to use the repulsors, can't. get. out. of. the. wall.

It's a little embarrassing.

That said, he's never been so relieved in his life to see Tony, even if he looks like he's been through just as much hell as the rest of them.]

Hey Tony. Can you... uh... get me out of here?

That's million dollar question, isn't it?

[Tony is amused. Strangely. In the light of things he wonders how he can even talk. But here they are. Could be the fact that he is relieved to see Bruce alive.]

But why would I, it suits you. [It really does. However pathetic the sight may be, Tony is trying to memorize every little details of it.] What about the other guy, he doesn't wanna help?

Would I be in this suit if he did? [Bruce has the most unique case of erectile dysfunction in human history.]

Come on. It can't be that hard. I think Thor left me in the wall just for you.

[A smirk. Tony just nods, agreeing to his defeat. Though it's concerning either way.]

Did he, now? [That may be true, Tony wonders as he is searching the area for a moment. Maybe Thor is also trying to help in his strange way.]

Alright, fine, I'll see what I can do. But first, tell me something... The Hulkbuster? Really?

[Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.]

It's been kind of all hands on deck around here. [There's a whine of servos as the suit tries to replicate Bruce's shrug.] Only one of us gets to be scared and hide at a time and it guess it's his turn.

[Hear that, Hulk? Bruce is calling you out on being a chicken.]

Edited 2018-05-03 17:11 (UTC)

[Tony will laugh. Later when he will realize that laughter didn't die in this world. Although, he's pretty amused as it is. This image of Bruce trapped in one of his suits will surely get him going for a few weeks.]

So, it only needed a galactic war for you to take my offer for a suit. I see how you are, Dr. Banner.

[With a groan, Tony moves closer and puts his hand on the suit, wondering where he should start at all. God, he feels empty and tired.] How much can you move? Show me.

Smart? Yeah, it's a thing.

[The suit vibrates under Tony's hand as Bruce tries to get it to move. The most he gets is one foot twitching.]

It all happened so fast I'm not even sure what this looks like from the outside. "Stuck in the rock" is what they told me.

[He's calm though. Look at how calm he is. Actually, he could freak out and Hulk would just stay put, right? Maybe he should give that a try; it would be cathartic.]

Too bad it doesn't really show right now.

[He's watching the suit move, but the wall clutches it tightly. At some parts it almost look like it's morphed with the stone. Damn wizards.]

That's exactly how it looks. You're one of the stone now, the stone is you. Do you want to accept it as your rock and savior? [He talks, but he's climbing up as much he could to gather some idea just what had happened here and if Bruce is in any danger.]

Trust me, I'm giving you my smart face right now.

[Yeah, funny thing about having someone use a bunch of infinity stones in your face...]

Pretty sure if I were one with the stone the other guy would come off strike at least long enough to get our ass out of it. It's a funny world where he's the pacifist and I'm kicking ass.

[A beat.]

Was kicking ass. It was kind of cool.

Then we're all doomed, doctor.

I told you and you didn't believe me. Gosh, I wish I could have seen it... [Tony looks up at Bruce at the confession, smiling a little. He really wished he was there. Maybe even fighting side by side. But no, he had... other things to do.] It's strange to think the green guy benched himself, though.

[He kicks the armor, but it doesn't budge. Even if a stone wall, it's solid as a rock. Ha. Ha.] Alright, have you tried the emergency catapult?

[He manages not to say, "No, just half of us," and congratulates himself for keeping a Hulk-sized foot out of his mouth.]

I wish you could have seen it too, but you look like you've got your own stories to tell when I--

Emergency catapult?

[Yes, he had some input in this thing's design, but...]

It's been a long couple of years, Tony.

[Mentioning the emergency catapult has the suit's systems flashing at him while they come online, waiting for him to give the order.]

[Fuck his stories, Tony wonders to himself, he doesn't want to tell them, not this one. It was enough to go through it. So he just takes a slow, deep breath and grins up at Bruce.]

Emergency catapult. [He repeats, with a nod.] This guy can't be saved, but you may get a chance. [Even the Hulkbuster is busted by Thanos, what is this if not the saddest reminder of the battle?]

The longest indeed. Now hit it, cowboy. [And with that Tony moves a bit away.]

[Yeah, there's a lot of that going around but literally half the stories in the universe can no longer be told by the people who should tell them.]

I'm not liking the catapult part of this emergency catapult.

[He's scanning the HUD and relieved to see that there are safeguards and he isn't just going to be catapulted twenty feet in the air and left to fall without backup.]

I have some design feedback for the next iteration...

[He triggers the catapult and the helmet and shoulders grind open before a combination of the suit and a repulsor harness throw him up out of the suit to drift down toward the ground. Before his feet get anywhere near the ground he's yanking up his pants leg to finally get at an itch on his ankle that's been low key driving him nuts.]

It's the best part, Banner, come on.

[Tony crosses his arms and focuses on the suit and if it's doing what it should. He's already pulling up plans on how to smash the rock, but that would leave Bruce exposed to... the debris. Probably. So it is a relief the emergency protocol works. Tony is very proud of himself. Only not really.]

Very nice, ten outta ten. [He walks back, showing two thumbs up as if this was a damn game show.] I'm listening, except if it's another safeguard protocol. Those goes for Pet-- [NO. ABORT. Tony wipes his hands on his pants for some reason.] I mean, I'm listening.

Thanks. [Dry, but he's still damn glad to see that Tony didn't go the way of so many people. He'd had to watch, helpless in his Hulk-sized prison, and that was just a bit too on the nose.]

Lost an arm. A little more control on the detached parts, a little better stabilization when running. [The stabilization issue is almost certainly a matter of not having any practice in the suit or any suit, but it's keeping his mind focused on something they can do something about instead of what they can't.

He's trying for casual, but Tony's about to get another hug if he doesn't stop Bruce.]

I'm so glad you made it.

You were not supposed to lose an arm, that's where all it starts. This guy has the strongest joints of them all, and the most stable, how could you even-- You know what fine, I'll make it more of a tank. [Tony retorts immediately. It feels good, normal somehow, bantering about tech like this. It comes from the gut and not from the heart, if that makes sense. Even after all these years... it's like Bruce had never left.

But then he has to go for that hug. Usually Tony is would just freeze up and pat Bruce on the back; hugs are not for him. He didn't take the skill points for that. But this time, as he's standing there, his shoulders drop. He didn't even feel that they were tense. His arms come up to hang onto Bruce's shoulders. He's not glad he made it, he should have been gone instead of...]

I'm glad you stayed too. [He truly is, damn it.] It'd be hell of a ride without any brains around. So I'm- I'm very thankful. For that. Are you alright? Have you been eating well? Your greens too?

Hulk did a number on the arm before. I would have thought you'd have put some more work on it after that.

[Only Hulk was gone for two years. Maybe it wasn't a priority, ya think, Banner?

He's exhausted, terrified, freaked out, and so unspeakably grateful that Tony just hugs him back. Crawling back inside the Hulkbuster isn't an option, is it? Too bad. He's just going to have to go with taking some comfort with his friend.]

Who's had time to eat? [He reluctantly lets Tony go and takes a step back.] I can't wait for you to meet Shuri if you want brains. [Sucks to be effortlessly schooled by a teenager, so he'd like to see Tony enjoy-- What if she was part of the lost 50%? He loses some momentum and all of his smile because he just doesn't know.] If she's still around.

[Indeed, Banner. There have been... distractions to say the least. And Tony is really, really glad that you are back. His heart also breaks, finally seeing Bruce up close and witness how terrible he looks, no offense.]

Well, you look terrible, maybe you should've considered some blueberries. [But indeed, who has time to eat? Or sleep? Tony pockets his hands, looking over the remains of the 'Buster.] Shuri? [He may have heard that name somewhere, but the part about her may not being around just yet another kick. Jesus, just how many exactly is the half of the universe? And he could almost stop it... almost...] She is. She must be, because- because apparently, brains survive. Here's me, and you, so... [He motions with his hand, but he doesn't look at Bruce. Just at the suit. If he's concentrating on how to repair it, it will keep him sane for a while.]

But I met a cyborg. A real one. A 'she', actually.

You know how to make a guy feel good. [He's sore as hell, but he's alive, so sore, bruised, bloodied? None of them are all that important other than making sure no one is exposed to his blood.] Shuri's the king of Wakanda's sister. Did you know he's-- was enhanced? He was giving Rogers a run for his money out there.

[He keeps his eyes down on his shoes scuffing in the dirt before he twists around to look back toward the city.] Speaking of... I, uh... called Rogers. You going to stick around or do I have to get Thor to scruff you both?

That's me. [Tony smiles, but it's not a happy one, more like a wince.]

Huh. That's interesting. Now I very much like to meet her. Is she making suits too? [Anyone who can make tech that puts up with Captain America takes Tony's respect immediately.

Although he falls silent. His eyes are still on his suit, but he's seeing the phone in his hand. Even after everything that happened Steve promised to come and help when needed. And he did. But Tony is still not sure how to handle that issue at all.] Good call. I mean, literally too.

[He takes a shaky breath, scratching behind his ear. How is he even going to start on all this? His eyes find their way back to Bruce.] Will you stick around?

[No one is happy. No one. They both know that with the highest stakes in the universe in their hands, they weren't enough.]

I don't know, but she had some observations on how we constructed Vision's neural network that pulled the rug out from under my feet.

[He comes back to put a hand on Tony's arm, just trying to pull his attention away from yet another ruined suit.] I didn't leave in the first place. Come on, we both need... I don't know. Blueberries? Can't get those here.

[Observations? About Vision's neural network?! That thing was enough to keep Tony on his toes and someone just observes it? Tony sighs. That excitement in his chest about a fellow genius will always be welcomed. He really hopes this Shuri is still around and that they can meet in person, so she can tell him all about her work.

So this is what hope does to people. Hope makes them go to get their ass kicked again and again, he wonders. Tony hates hope and almost glad he seems to be abandoning it.

The touch catches him off guard.]

And you didn't contact me. [With both Steve and Bruce out of the picture... it's been pretty difficult. Almost lonely. It's good they are back... but at what cost? He feels his leftover strength leaving him.] What I need... is a drink. Without ice. The whole bottle. So, back to the compound? Is it still intact?

[Hope's a bitch, Tony. Take it from a guy who's been smacked in the face by hope more than once. Don't go Bruce's route; the universe has lost enough people as it is.]

I wasn't running the show for most of the past two years. [He takes his hand back and uses it to rub his forehead. That reinforced vibranium wall that he spent years building in his head between him and Hulk feel like it's little more than sticks and spit at this point.] Most of the fighting was over here; the compound's still standing as far as I know, but if that's where you want to go for a drink that's going to take some of us longer than others to get there.

[He doesn't wait for Tony to join him, just sucks in a breath and lets it out in a heavy sigh before he starts trudging back toward the city.]

((ooc: oh god I re-read some of my tags from last night and they were terrible, I'm so sorry.))

You were the 'other guy' for two years? Is that even-- How's that possible? [Losing control for. Two. Years. It baffles Tony. He can't even imagine how that would feel. Wait, no, he can. He's lost control too many times in his life. But for two years? Two years?

He doesn't follow Bruce right away, but reaches for his earpiece to call FRIDAY for a flight. Because of course Tony has helicopters on auto-pilot and he hopes they are not too damaged to pick them up. He hurries up to fall in step with Bruce, his hand involuntarily finds a way on his back. Damn, Tony is glad Bruce is still here, alive under his palm unlike some others.]

We're gonna be one of the firsts then, I arranged a ride. [He squeezes Bruce's shoulder a little, before letting go.] Or you'd rather walk?

Meanwhile, I need details of those two years. And I need them now, while my blood alcohol levels are low. Talk to me, Banner. [Just talk to him, just a little, until this screaming goes away. God, this must be how Bruce feel like all the time.]

[ooc: Dude, seriously not a problem. Sorry for dropping out here. I got off work and said, "I'll take a nap," and woke up at midnight, seven hours later.]

I'd tell you to ask him, but he's on strike. [It doesn't baffle Bruce, it terrifies him. He doesn't even know where to begin slotting it in with his Hulk dysfunction, how he remembered Thanos, or... well, pretty much anything in his life just that moment.

He's actually kind of grateful for the weight of Tony's hand as an anchor because just losing his shit does seem like it could be a viable option. Then it's gone and he's just going to have to figure it out for himself, but what else is new?]

A ride's good, but I can only tell you so much about the past two years. Banner no estaba en casa. I don't even know how he got off planet, but he's spent the last two years or so on a planet called Sakaar. It's like the literal dumping ground of the universe.

[He doesn't really want to talk about what Hulk did, but amazingly, they're surrounded by enough worse that it's the least of evils if if keeps them both from dwelling on how they failed and what it cost every single person alive everywhere.]

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