self_inflictedexhile | open rp } { dc/marvel smash

[What do? What do? How about ...

... completely blow Bruce's cover by being a giant nerd. He's making his way into Jitters, basically looking for a cup of coffee so he can head in to work when he spots one of his scientific heroes just sitting in the middle of Jitters like this is any ordinary day.

Okay. Okay, Barry, be cool. Let's just casually stroll past his table, super casual, just so he can get a closer look and when he does ... he promptly loses all his chill.]

... Oh my God. You're Bruce Banner.

[ARE YOU READY FOR THE ONCOMING GEEK STORM?]

[he's really not]

[on the plus side, a geek storm will be an improvement from what he thinks this might be -- someone working for Ross, someone who put two and two together from Culver, from Harlem, from New York, something along those lines. which probably explains why he's staring up at Barry like a deer in headlights] No -- I'm not ... [shit]

[can he get up and make a break for it, now? he's definitely thinking he might]

[HE'S NOT GOING TO LET YOU GET AWAY THAT EASILY. Probably. If Bruce tries to move Barry's just going to step into his way which is probably dumb, but he's the overeager giddy kind of nerd and tends to overstep as a general rule. He's not even going to acknowledge the denial and is just going to keep rambling.]

Your paper on anti-electron collisions was mind-blowing. Your theory about their impact on detection and manipulation of gamma radiation?

[His hands come up over his head as he makes an explosion noise.]

Edited 2016-02-21 01:17 (UTC)

[oh, shit this kid is trying to -- ]

[ -- to -- ]

[ -- congratulate him on science?]

[forgive him, Barry, while he looks purely baffled for a moment] You -- [what. what is going on here? not that he's complaining, mind, this is a nice change from what he expected, but what?]

I've read all of you papers.

[a beat.]

Well, all your old work, you haven't exactly published in a while for understandable reasons, but still - when you break ground in a new field like that, it's hard to forget where it all started.

[yeah, he still can't quite wrap his head around this]

You're probably the first person in awhile -- [since Tony] -- who's tried opening a conversation like this. [a beat] For understandable reasons. [not that he's threatening him, he's not. most people take the screaming and running in the opposite direction route, however. or the trying to put him in chains route]

What?

[He looks honestly confused by that, but Barry has a habit of ignoring the downsides of his heroes for the amazing things they've done. It usually blows up in his face later.]

You saved New York. I mean, they took a hit, yeah, but ... you helped a lot of people.

Maybe, but ... [he shrugs, offers Barry a thin smile. they can be baffled together] Most people still have a problem with the Big Green Elephant in the room.

Fair enough.

[Probably half the reason Barry is so calm is that he knows he's fast enough to evacuate everyone in Jitters before the Hulk can smash. But Bruce doesn't know that.]

I guess it also helps that Central City has had it's fair share of science mishaps.

[no, he doesn't]

I'm not sure if that means I picked the right place to hang out, or ... [or the worst possible place]

[He grins a bit.]

Well, so long as you only smash our giant mutant sharks and not destroy our infrastructure, I think you'll be fine.

[Or something.]

You know, if you want to come by STAR Labs, I think it's a pretty solid place for a scientist on the run to hang out.

[He is, in fact, hiding the Earth-2 doppelganger of his old mentor there. And he knows Cisco would get a kick out of this.]

I'm -- not sure that'd be a good idea? [a beat] I mean, I'm not planning on smashing anything other than giant mutant sharks -- [seriously? is that seriously a thing here? whatever] -- but I kind of ... [(i don't every time get what i want)] Being in a lab setting didn't really work out, last time.

[last time he destroyed the helicarrier. never mind the fact that there's no Loki here, this time. there's still honest fear of a repeat performance, there -- and honest fear that this might be some kind of trap. maybe Barry isn't with Ross, but yeah, sure, lure the walking science experiment back to a lab with a bread crumb trail of science and then pull the string on the stick holding the box open]

Edited 2016-03-13 18:32 (UTC)

[He shifts awkwardly for a moment before nodding.]

Right. That makes sense. Sorry.

[He's not going to put him in an awkward position. Especially when Bruce doesn't know he's the Flash.

Yet.]

So ... what brings you to Central City?

[and in time with his apology:] Sorry. [it's not that he doesn't appreciate the offer, it's just that he doesn't want to hurt anyone. or get hurt]

[still, though, against his better judgement in the case of the latter, he eases slowly back into his seat, finally. it probably helps (or doesn't) that he can't really go anywhere, even if he wanted to, with Barry still blocking the way. at least this way, he can curl back up around his tea]

I'm kind of just passing through?

[he's heading west, to Texas, then south, through Mexico. he won't go back to Brazil, that's too predictable, but he's decided he likes south. less a chance of him freezing to death, metaphorically speaking since he can't die, when he wakes up after an episode, if and when he has one]

Right.

[Geez, Barry, way to get over excited. Though it would be kind of nice to have another older superhero around to learn from. One that is probably unlikely to stab him in the back.

Or shoot an arrow in it, in the case of Oliver. Though that was under the guise of "training."]

Right, you're right. That was weird. I just ... can't help thinking the Flash might like the chance to talk to you.

The Flash. [a beat] That's the, uh -- [vigilante? no. Mask? no. superhero? no. he's trying to find a word that's neither offensive nor ridiculous and coming up blank, and so he lets it go. he figures Barry can fill in the blank] -- running around here, right?

[He nods his agreement.]

Yeah. I mean, from what I've seen he's kinda new at the whole superhero thing. And it was a freak accident that made him what he is, so ...

[Stuff they have in common.]

[he flashes him a wry smile]

Sounds familiar. [a beat] I'm gonna guess it's working for him, though? [since, you know, he hasn't seen anything like his own press making the papers]

[He nods a bit.]

For right now. He's got some good people helping him.

[A beat.]

I mean, that's what it seems like, anyway.

Oh, yeah?

[tell him about what his life could have been, if Ross hadn't run his name through the mud and convinced him he was a monster. never mind the fact that Bruce could have that life, surrounded by good people, if he'd just stop for five seconds]

[He gives a small shrug.]

I mean, he seems like he has it together. He's helped keep a lot of dangerous metahumans off the street.

[not what he was looking for, but eh. he'll take it]

Must be nice.

[Well, more than that is a nice, much more involved conversation that's not for the local coffee shop.]

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But he's taken down people who have done a lot of damage.

[Bruce hums, and -- well, something seems to occur to him, if the fact that he squints at Barry for a nice, long time following is any indication. he's not the best at reading people, no, but this is all a little evasive, and for more than just the fact that Barry might not know much. he should at least have one cool story to tell, just based on something he saw in the papers or on the news or, maybe, personally, but this is all suspiciously lacking. hm]

[not that he's sure he wants to call Barry out for any number of reasons, and so, after a moment, he looks away, wetting his lips with his tongue] Well, at least there's that -- that he's doing good work.

Yep.

[And with that he will get up because now he is already something he shouldn't ever really be with super speed: late. He gets up and holds out his hand to him.]

I gotta go. But ... it was really great to meet you.

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