Bruce Banner | 015 | Video

[greenisnteasy]

[ He never knows how to start these things, so this time, he cuts to the chase.

This glowing orb is not Bruce's face, and it isn't exactly a perfect orb, either; its shape changes sometimes, rippling a bit, but it stays mostly spherical. It's glowing blue, sort of a Tesseract-y blue in Bruce's slightly trauamtized opinion, but the Tesseract doesn't have a monopoly on colors.

The camera swivels back to Bruce, his glasses pulled down his nose. ]

Anyone lose a pet? I didn't see a collar, so I've been calling it the blue semiliquid sphere exhibiting properties of organic life fused with some technological readings, probably alien in origin. That is, alien to me.

Sound like something anyone's missing? It's a cute little guy.

[ He smiles and pulls his glasses off. ] Really, I've hit my limit, so if anyone has any tips or if anyone wants to help me poke and prod at this thing, come see me in my lab.

[ Yeah, he claimed a lab. So what! ]

Comments

video.

[brainsqueeze]

Doctor Banner.

[ It had been what... an hour? Maybe an hour and a half? That's how long it had taken before this message flipped up and Maria had learned that she wasn't alone. And it was more than not being alone. SHIELD. But there was something about it a little comfortable, unless she was reading it wrong. He sounded a little settled - working and communicating. He had a lab. Unless he was being coerced in this then something was definitely off, but if this was forced would he be communicating? ]

You're looking well.

[ Calm. Focused. Is as much of an introductory question as it is a hope that he can slip a piece of information, tell the truth if he's being watched, or get any form of answer out. Another answer, other than what was going on, would be to where they were ]

[greenisnteasy]

[ Oh, good. Maria Hill. She's always kind of scared him a little, but here they are, stuck in the Facility together. Bruce has been here for a long time now, since all the way back to the beginning for most people, and even though he disappeared for a while, he has mostly made himself at home here. He's been here long enough; what other choice did he have? ]

Agent Hill. As well as can be expected. Are you just joining us?

[brainsqueeze]

Joining who?

[ Who else was there? Anyone else from SHIELD? Other Avengers? Civilians? And where exactly was she joining them. But it's good to know that he is okay, even if there's still a small matter of concern there. Concern that won't be lifted until the situation is a little clearer ]

[greenisnteasy]

Oh, nobody really. Just a ragtag bunch of people who've been zapped here from all different dimensions and timelines. You're late to the party, Agent.

[ Bruce has been holding onto his general smugness up until now, when he realizes he's about to drop a bigger bomb than she'd probably like. ]

I've been here off and on for about five months. And uh, you should get comfortable because no one's found a way to escape yet. Not on purpose, anyway.

[brainsqueeze]

[ Different dimensions and timelines. Without Banner having to tell her that she could be there a while she was already beginning to sound as if she'd hate it.

But it was all worrying. A myriad of people. He's been there on and off. And there's no escape. Why, really? ]

Who brought us here?

[video]

[laevisilaufeyson]

Oh, I'd love to assist...

[No, really. Look at this smile. Look how earnest.]

...but somehow I doubt that invitation was meant to extend quite so far.

[greenisnteasy]

[ Bruce remembers when Loki was here before, way before, when the two of them were kind of... cool with each other, in the slang definition, but since the both of them came back, he'd say it was more cool like the temperature. That doesn't mean he's opposed to him, but he's still... not sure. Not sure what his motivations are this time. ]

That depends. Planning on trying to rule the world this time? Because honestly, you'd be downsizing there. [ But it's mostly... jovial? As jovial as you can be, joking about that. ]

Do you recognize this? [ But, really, look -- he's just moving on, no big deal. ]

[laevisilaufeyson]

My interest has not been further piqued by the change in venue, oddly enough. I'm afraid this place quite frankly isn't worthy of me, not until the rest of you start brushing up on your decorating.

[The dry tone betrays it for the jest that it is, an easy response to the jab. He knows it for what it is, and chooses to address the intent behind it, all of those unsavoury implications, unabashedly. He's reached the point at which he can do so. Has found in himself a modicum of contentment, at least with what he is if not with circumstances in general.

That he has a throne waiting for him on Asgard doesn't hurt matters either.]

Your little stray is not known to me, but perhaps I have means of seeing it from angles from which you cannot.

[greenisnteasy]

[ In Bruce's opinion, joking about things is an important step in moving on and learning from them, so he'll count this as a strike in Loki's favor. And really, Bruce appreciates a good, salty jab at yourself. ]

By all means. Just try not to make me knock the building down. It's sort of the only one we have, badly decorated as it is.

[video]

[wolfofmidgard]

[Meja looks at the sphere curiously, trying to place it as a Dwarven or Elven creation. Or Asgardian, even. But it doesn't seem to match any of them, not exactly. Were it a creation of any of the three, it would have solid, identifiable markers.]

I can come have a look, if you'd like, but my area of knowledge is magic, not science.

[greenisnteasy]

I'm not ruling out magic, or science-fueled magic, as the case may be. [ He's heard some things from Jane, after all. ]

Any new eyes right now are better than none, if you think you can offer anything up.

[wolfofmidgard]

It's difficult for me to get a feel over these devices. I might be able to sense something about it to give you something to go on. But no promises. Which lab is it that you've taken to?

[There are a fair few of them. Luckily, or unluckily. Depending on your point of view.]

[greenisnteasy]

Yeah, of course. I think it's Lab 5. [ He's chosen one of the ones that look the most like labs he recognizes, but with the least amount of bizarre bodies in jars. ]

Video

[cinereoargenteus]

[Garrett only understood about half of what Bruce said, most of the science words going over his head, but he replies anyway.]

Looks like a svith from back home. Has it tried to lead you anywhere?

[greenisnteasy]

[ Oh? That's an intriguing response. ]

Nothing so far. He hasn't been very friendly. Tell me more about this svith.

[cinereoargenteus]

[He thinks for a moment, trying to remember all the old stories and legends his Clan used to tell around the fires at night. He never thought he'd actually run into a svith, but in this place, anything was possible.]

They are the souls that get stuck. They are halfway here and halfway to the next world. They are sort-of good and sort-of bad. What they like most of all is leading people to wander. Either they show you a quicker way to get where you are going or you are never seen again.

[Which doesn't sound ominous at all.]

[greenisnteasy]

Oh, good. Like any of us need any help with disappearing around here. What are you supposed to do with a svith? Anything you can do to help the soul along?

[ This is a pretty promising lead, and Bruce doesn't see why one of these things couldn't be zapped in here by the machine out of his world after all. ]

[video]

[dontgetcarter]

[Well, you've caught her attention. Carter's looking intently at something on her screen - looking over the sphere again, likely - like if she stares hard enough at this image, it'll tell her what's going on.]

I don't know about semiliquid organic alien technobabble or anything, but I'm alright with magic, and that looks like it could fit the bill. It almost looks like something I've seen some of the agents that came by my school use! That always had some crazy-looking equipment involved, though, so I don't know how much it works without that.

Do you mind if I take a look?

lmao and i was worried my technobabble wouldn't be good enough

[greenisnteasy]

[ Another lead! Bruce is honestly glad to have something to test against the svith theory; one theory is good, but the more the better when he's just getting started. ]

Absolutely not. I wouldn't be surprised if this thing has magical properties. [ Even though he's still not sure he likes the term magical. He's more on board the idea that science can explain most of that, just an alien kind of science. ]

What... kind of agents and what kind of school, by the way? You can fill me in when you get up here.

[dontgetcarter]

Alright, I'll be there in a jiffy! I'll, uh, try to give you the annotated version.

[She clicks off the video. It takes her maybe a bit longer than she'd like to find the lab, but it isn't too long before she finds him. Immediately on finding him, of course, comes the realization that, not only did she forget to ask which lab he was in in the first place, she has no idea what his name is.

Carter raps her knuckles on the frame of the door, leaning into it from the hallway.]

Uh, hello? Sir?

[greenisnteasy]

[ With these hallways, it doesn't always matter if you don't know the room number anyway; the center will take you there if it feels like it. Bruce twists around on his stool and calls out. ]

Hey, come on. Our friend's over here. [ Glowing quietly over the table. ]

[ video ]

[foundacause]

blue semiliquid sphere exhibiting properties of organic life fused with some technological readings, probably alien in origin? Bit of a long name, isn't it?

Your mother never teach you not to play with glowing balls of goo?

[greenisnteasy]

Well, I grew up to be a scientist, so... no.

[ He's smiling because he's too old for "your mom" jokes, but science + his childhood isn't the happiest story. Especially the idea of playing with potentially radioactive blobs of goo. ]

To be fair, though, sometimes it, you know. Has an unexpected ending. [ Haha, the Hulk. ]

[foundacause]

Most people call their pets short, simple names like Bob. Or Cas. Or Dean. Scientists just have to be different, I guess.

By unexpected ending you mean the ones where you don't die? Good to know.

[greenisnteasy]

Oh, that's its registered name. I'm thinking about entering it in competitions, once I figure out what it is. I've ruled out dog and horse, at least.

[ Funnily enough... Bruce tilts his head, probably too amused by that. ] Yeah, actually I do.