cape_kore | 004 | Tony Stark

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004 | Tony Stark | Video

[ Although he’s not exactly smiling, Tony’s expression is blandly neutral, relaxed, and his voice is friendly. ]

Normally I’d have my assistant – I guess technically she’s my CEO now - handle the whole public relations thing, but she’s not here so I guess that leaves me doing it myself. Unless I have a volunteer from the audience? No? Didn’t think so.

[ He glances away from the camera for a second, almost like he’s looking at a list. ]

Stiles, I got your bow and arrows here. Any time you want me to stop by and get them, feel free. Alternatively, I can be persuaded to play delivery guy.

Sharon. You wanted some new toys? I got a couple for you.

Party Poison. Not to be confused with the lovely Poison Ivy. We have a bet, right?

[ Twisting his wrist, the video blurs and comes into focus on a large sabertooth tiger reclining on the living room floor like he owns the place. At the attention, he lifts his head, flattens his ears, and lazily bares his teeth. The video blurs again, coming to rest on Tony’s face, who’s utterly unfazed by being threatened by hundreds of pounds of formerly extinct cat. ]

Meet Stanley. And start the countdown.

[ Flashing a smile, he starts to lower his wrist, then pauses and lifts it back. ]

Oh, right. And one more thing before I forget.

[ Anyone who knows Tony might know better here. Might realize that he wasn’t going to forget and has in fact been building up to this the entire time he’s been talking. ]

“Hot Hands.” [ He even makes the air quotes with his free hand as he smiles, like everything’s all friendly like. Much like Stanley, though, it’s really a baring of his teeth. ] Listen. If you touch Bruce again, I’ll break them. And then my big green friend won’t have to show up to beat your ass into the ground. Capiche?

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[ It's a little difficult for Tony to accept that an argument prompted the unexpected arrival of the Hulk. He's argued with Bruce before and he's never seen him start to get a little green because of it. But then Bruce continues, and he thinks that there it is. They started off arguing about something, and then Kobra attempted to do something.

From the Hulk's choice of nicknames, he assumes that that ill-advised action was to lay hands on Bruce in some fashion. Either way, with sex or violence in mind, Tony doesn't like it. ]

And let me guess, that's where his hot hands come into it.

[ Bruce has no idea what Tony's thinking, far too distracted by the already improbable truth. He rolls his eyes, but it isn't a sarcastic or mocking gesture. ]

Yeah. Lucifer gave him the power to create and manipulate fire in his hands. Can you believe that? First that there's someone claiming to be the Devil here at all, and second that he's able to give someone... firepower, and third that Kobra would just take it?

[ He stops, not wanting to get worked up again. ]

[ That's infinitely better than what he's been thinking, and he lets out a relieved breath. ]

Really? That's it? I thought—Good.

[ Not good that it's something that Bruce finds upsetting, though, and he shakes his head. ]

There's no such thing as the Devil. Lucifer, sure. People name their kids stupid shit all the time, but the Devil? Please. He's obviously a nut. A powerful nut, though, I'm kind of offended that I didn't get offered fire manipulation powers. [ Glancing down at his hands, he studies them for a second before he realizes that he's gone off on a tangent and looks back up. ] Sorry, what was—Snake guy, right. So that's what upset you? That he has magic powers now?

I didn't say I thought he was the Devil, but anyone pretending to be who's capable of giving someone the power to make fire in his hands probably is trouble.

[ He narrows his eyes when Tony wishes he had them, and he's not the type to ramble the way Tony is. Instead he grows quiet and serious, his mood shifting almost palpably. ]

He gave him those powers, and Kobra was on his way to attack Sharon with them.

[ Tony would have to be senseless not to notice the way Bruce's mood shifts. So he's serious, then. Serious and worried about...

Oh. ]

He was going to kill Sharon? Why? What'd she do to him?

[ The fiery jazz hands don't really bother him all that much, but the thought that someone's going to kill a not-quite friend? That does. ]

I don't know. There's some bizarre rivalry between Sharon and some of others. Whatever it started out as, it's gotten pretty serious, and Kobra really has it out for her. We... fought about it before, actually. When Lydia went missing. [ He sighs. ] I thought I'd gotten through to him somewhat, but if I did, it wore off.

So you caught him about to hurt Sharon, you argued about it, and whatever happened during the argument prompted the Hulk to take over?

[ That doesn't sound like sex, which is a relief, but it does sound like violence, and that doesn't sit well with him. Even if the Hulk is invulnerable. ]

What did he do that worried the Hulk enough to come out to protect you?

[ Bruce isn't sure he approves of Tony's turn of phrase, that the Hulk gets worried and that's why he emerges. He's not worried; he's in a blind rage, and that's completely different. Tony's humanization -- no. Tony's tendency toward sympathy with the Hulk is all well and good, but he still slips into these rages and hurts people. There's no justification for that. Which, in a way, is what he was arguing about with Kobra. ]

I got angry, Tony. That's it. [ He shrugs, but he's not really okay with that answer. ] It snuck up on me and I lost control. I...

[ He squeezes his eyes shut. ] I haven't been sleeping all that well. Since the tiger hunting, when I let him out. I dream for a few days after I come back from something like that, and even if this time they haven't been nightmares, it's still... not restful. So maybe I was tired, or maybe he was... I don't know. [ Or maybe he does and he's afraid of it. ] Closer to the surface. I've never changed this many times in close succession before. New York, then after I was kidnapped, and then recently...

That’s not just it.

[ He doesn’t want to argue with him. He doesn’t want to make any of this any harder on Bruce than it already is. But Tony can’t help thinking that it could be so much easier for him if he’d just open his eyes and see the Hulk for what he is. Yes, he’s dangerous. Tony knows he’s dangerous, but he believes that it’s the danger of someone who doesn’t know his own strength, who can be taught enough control that he isn’t a danger to innocent people anymore.

So he keeps his voice quiet and gentle, as far from argumentative and as close to understanding as possible. ]

He told me you were scared. You were angry and scared, and that’s why he came.

[ Maybe not in so many words, but Tony’s been extrapolating the things the Hulk’s been telling him and weaving them into a cohesive narrative. He wants to protect people. He likes people. Bruce needed protecting. It doesn’t seem so difficult to understand. ]

Maybe he’s closer to the surface because of what’s been happening. This place is dangerous. The stuff in the woods, the toxins in the air, starving, people dying, it’s like we’re trapped in weird Pleasantville hell. You got abducted. Bruce, I’m scared, and I don’t have anyone to protect me. You do. So I can understand why he might assume the worst and overreact if he feels your fear. Because sometimes, it really is the worst happening to us.

[ Bruce doesn't see how they can argue over this. He's the only one who can say what he was feeling or not feeling -- and that discounts the Hulk too because how could he know when the barrier between them isn't so translucent? -- and he wasn't scared. He was angry -- angry that Kobra would be so willing to hurt someone who's innocent, by which he means a woman. ]

No, I wasn't scared. I wasn't going to let Kobra hurt Sharon; he wasn't going to get through me. I was frustrated and then I was angry that he couldn't see how he was letting his anger control him to the point that he thought murdering her out of nowhere might be the solution. How he was going off on a rampage because he was so blinded by his rage. [ Sound familiar? ]

Okay. You'd know better than me.

[ Backing off seems like the best course of action, and he does it, all but lifting his hands in surrender. ]

I only know what I'm told. And that's not always accurate. I get that. And okay, good news? Sharon's safe. So, he didn't do anything.

[ He hates to see Tony back off like that, but he also doesn't like it when people tell him how to feel, or try to police his feelings. He does that enough on his own. ]

Yeah, and I'm glad he's okay too. He's okay, Kobra is. He just has a lot of problems, and I'm not sure how to get through to him.

[ With a sigh, he runs his hand up Tony's arm and settles it on his shoulder, his thumb tracing along his collar bone. ]

[ The last person Tony cares about in this mess is whoever the fuck this Kobra is. GI Joe seemed to think he was bad news, and after what he tried to do the Hulk, and Sharon, he thinks he was on to something. ]

In my experience, people don't change unless they want to. Or they're given a damn good reason to do it.

[ His experience being largely himself and the people who tried to convince him to be a better person for the majority of his life. He shakes his head. ]

I don't know what to tell you. My feelings on the issue are a little clouded right now.

How are you holding up?

[ He knows Tony can carry a lot without ever letting on to how much it's bothering him, and Bruce hopes that maybe he'll stop, but that will be a long process too. Tony's right -- people have to want to change. ]

With what, snake guy? I still want to punch him. Maybe not multiple times now, but the urge is still there.

[ He shrugs, not worried about admitting it. After all, it's true. He's not as angry as he was, but it hasn't completely gone away yet. ]

Tomorrow it might be gone, I don't know. I'm not going to go all jealous boyfriend on him and shoot him, if that's what you're worried about.

Well good, because there's nothing there to be jealous about. He's more of a... I feel like a mentor to him. [ He wrinkles his nose as he slips a hand into Tony's hair. ] Plus he and Lydia have some kind of... thing. Or they did. Kids these days.

[ He tugs lightly on Tony's hair and then threads it through again gently. ]

I'm just worried about you. This is a lot of baggage to suddenly be saddled with.

You'd be surprised how easily I can get jealous.

[ It's not something he's proud of, and considering how rarely he gets involved with someone, not something he has to deal with often. Which, if he thought about it, might be why he finds it so easy to get jealous in the first place. But he smiles at Bruce and leans into his hand.

Until he mentions baggage and Tony's attention snaps back to him, forehead scrunching up in genuine confusion. ]

You mean about Sharon? I wouldn't call that baggage. I hardly know her and anyway, it's not like I'm not used to dealing with threats to people. It's nothing I can't handle and it's certainly nothing we can't handle. Don't worry. We'll take care of it.

[ Tony's jealousy sounds like it might be troublesome if only because Bruce makes an effort not to be jealous -- on top of so many other negative things he tries not to be -- and he's willing to work with Tony, but he also doesn't want to limit his close relationships. That's not healthy.

But, change of subject. ]

No, I mean dating someone who sometimes goes on rampages through the town, and you get to deal with the aftermath.

[ The good news for Bruce is that Tony equates having connections with people as having a reason to stay, and the more positive relationships Bruce has, the less likely it might be for him to up and vanish. And he believes that he's been alone long enough. Tony wants him to have friends. He just doesn't want to have to share. ]

You mean dating the guy who occasionally turns into another one of my best friends? The friend who wrestles tigers and saves my life and gets into tickle fights with me? That guy who turns into that friend? I'm still not seeing the baggage.

I'm really not. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody loses control. Most of my life has been a series of me losing control of myself in public places. There's no baggage for me in this, Bruce. None at all.

I mean finding yourself having to deal with the way other people react to me, or the way he reacts to other people. The PR, the damage control... I'm sorry you have to deal with all of that too.

Do I really strike you as the kind of person who puts up with things? Especially things I don't want to deal with? It's fine. Stop apologizing.

[ He leans forward to give him a kiss on the forehead. ]

Seriously. You don't have anything to apologize for.

No, you shoulder things and care too much. [ He smiles and pulls Tony down for a real kiss. ]

But I accept your answer.

[ Tony would argue that he doesn't care enough, but it's easier just to kiss Bruce than it is to argue. ]

You don't have to accept it, but it isn't going to change. And, you know, it's easier if you just do. [ He grins. ] Or I can convince you. That's always a possibility.

Edited 2013-04-01 10:29 (UTC)

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004 | Tony Stark | Video

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