cape_kore | Bruce Banner | 002 | Private video message to Phil and the Natashas

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Bruce Banner | 002 | Private video message to Phil and the Natashas

[Bruce winces into his communicator.]

I didn't know it was a secret, and he asked, so... I told him.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to jump into the middle of this. Did I make much of mess?

[Always making a mess, isn't he? And here he'd thought he had something tenuously okay with Phil and with Natasha. And he has no idea that his Natasha issues are squared.]

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It's not your fault, Banner. I should have told him myself, but I knew how he'd take it.

Hello, Banner. Not sure which 'he' or what secret, so no harm no foul on my end.

[Don't ask, she couldn't tell you how long it's been since she's seen you, last few months have been busy. So.. we can assume longer than that.]

[He's still wincing, actually.]

And he's... Is everything okay?

[Banner?]

Clint finding out that Phil was dead. He sent a message around about it. I guess you haven't seen it?

[Either that or Hulk, went with the lesser of two evils there, brosky.]

Oh. That. I've spoken to Barton, he didn't mention it. Not that it matters, not my Coulson apparently.

Well, he thinks it's his fault and that he got me killed, even though neither of us can remember it and it hasn't happened yet and if I go back to where I was taken from, I'm about to die, so... things are peachy.

If he didn't find out from you, it would have been someone else. Don't worry about it.

[He sighs, looking away from the communicator for a long moment.]

For what it's worth, I blame myself too.

[So he has no advice about whether or not Clint should hold himself responsible. He feels somewhat bad about that, but at least Clint didn't fall under Loki's influence because he lost control. That's something.]

Who knows how this thing works, anyway. We're all in this universe, in this time. Our escape hatch, if we find one, might not send us back to where we were.

[His Natasha has only ever semi-condescendingly called him Bruce like they were friends, but that's okay because that's what he does to most people too.]

Not your -- But I thought you were our Natasha.

[Banner is formal, Stark, Barton... formal. The only ones who don't get formal are Sharon, Steve and James, but then again there are reasons for that. She has reasons for everything.]

A mistake that most have been making.

Don't blame yourself. I don't.

If I do wind up back where I was taken from, I'm still going to walk into that room. I'd rather not do it knowing that you're all blaming yourselves for it. It's my choice. I know that you all win if I walk in there and that's what matters. If anything, it cements that that's what I need to do.

[That doesn't eliminate his fear, of course, but he can handle fear. He can overcome it, like he always does. In the moment, he can take a steadying breath and do whatever he has to do, because that's his job.]

[He can understand Phil's point, he really can, but he won't stop blaming himself. He won't bring it up either, and he nods instead, accepting his answer.]

You know, people talked about you being a hero, after. How much you believed in them, how you were one, maybe the most important one of all because otherwise... [He shrugs.]

I just thought you should know, if you didn't.

[Bruce thinks there's nothing formal about being in his space when you know about the other guy. He won't correct her or protest or anything, but it's unlikely he'll switch unasked.]

So are you from the other universe? With Sharon and Logan?

Yes. We believe we're from the same universe, if not different points in time.

[Phil looks surprised and a little uncomfortable.]

I'm not a hero. I just did what I had to.

[Bruce knows that feeling, but people (Tony) like to remind him of how he needs to see himself differently, so he's... trying to pay it forward. He isn't very good at it.]

That's what they all say. [He smiles faintly, distantly. Those words do sound awfully familiar.]

Anyway. Like I said, I didn't mean to. I'm really good at keeping secrets otherwise, but I have to know they're secrets first.

Okay... I think I've got this straight now.

Sorry for the confusion. Your life must feel like an 80s comedy right now.

Honestly? He's pissed, but it might have been better coming from you than myself or Agent Romanoff. He'll be fine. He always is. He's dealt with much worse than losing his crusty, old boss.

[Phil feels guilty at what a relief it had been to realize just how much Clint would miss him, though. They're friends, of course. They've been friends for a long time, but Phil's feelings have been of the more-than-friends variety for most of it and getting his hopes up is something he tries to clamp down on most of the time. Clint's straight. He can't change that by doing things for him or trying to woo him and he knows that.]

An 80's comedy would imply that it's at least at times partly amusing.

There isn't much about this situation that is.

[Yep, she's even more dry than the one you're used to.]

Aw, go easier on yourself. You're more crisp and middle-aged.

[The joking is more a way to test the waters, to see what kind of ground they stand on now.]

[It's impressive.]

A very good point, though we could be in a bad comedy.

I'd much rather an 80s comedy over the alternative. Even National Lampoon's Island Vacation.

[It really is.]

I suppose it could be.

I'd much rather be at home, but I can make due with this...I always do.

[Phil laughs.]

Thanks. I guess I've still got plenty more hair for Barton to make me lose.

This place does have its benefits over an Indian slum.

Though to be fair, I'd rather be there.

There's looking on the bright side. Hey, there's probably Rogaine in one of these houses, and worse comes to worse, I can loan you some of mine.

I'm glad you can help me keep perspective.

I can't honestly say that i wouldn't rather myself.

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Bruce Banner | 002 | Private video message to Phil and the Natashas

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