InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You are loved."

i_nevermiss (i_nevermiss) wrote in expresslogs,
@ 2012-05-18 22:42:00

Entry tags:

bruce banner, {clint barton

Who: Bruce Banner (greenskin) & Clint Barton (i_nevermiss)
What: Old/New friends meeting for a chat and drink.
Where: #5 Dining Car
When: Back-logged to May 17, after their Network chat
Warnings/Ratings: TBD
Status: Closed, Ongoing

Clint Barton was uncomfortable and slightly itchy. Estranged from his home plane (was that a good name for it? Clint had never been one for physics or any other of that sciency mumbo jumbo) where he didn’t know practically anyone and was stuck in his Kevlar lined fighting suit. It wasn’t meant for extended wear, that’s for sure.

But sure, he’d met Lucifer (and wasn’t that a mind-fuck, meeting the Devil himself), Jo (Clint was glad he’d gotten that chance for sure, she was pretty awesome) and he’d talked to a handful of others over the network thing that the train had set up. But that was completely different from actually having someone he knew.

Then Bruce fuckin’ Banner had made an appearance on his little chat and Clint could have wept from relief. This Bruce, however, had been taken by the train about a year before the conglomeration of events that included the assembling of the Avengers Initiative and Loki almost taking over the world, and Clint was another two years into the future of that.

Yes, another mindfuck, but Clint would take it happily as long as he got the see the Bruce’s face.

Clint didn’t much have a family before the Avengers, sure Barney was his brother and the circus had taken them both in, but that was a can of worms stuck in a bag full of cats -- twelve kinds of super crazy complicated that he didn’t want to think about on a good day, much less when having a panic attack after being kidnapped by a semi-sentient evil train.

So the Initiative had kind of grouped together after Stark had rebuilt Avengers Tower and become this hodge-podge of family that none of the members ever really got the chance to have. It was weird, but it was home and Clint was missing it something crazy, even just after a few days.

Bruce showing up had been a tiny miracle that Clint wasn’t about to pass up. He could just hope he didn’t kind of freak the guy out, knowing him in a way that Bruce didn’t know Clint in return. That could get messy if Clint wasn’t careful, he didn’t want to suppose Bruce was the same person as his Bruce in the future.

Clint shook his head to try and muddle through his thoughts as he trudged from car to car, pretty much ignoring anyone he happened to pass. It only took a few minutes to reach the forward dining car that Bruce said he’d meet him in.

Taking a deep breath, Clint opened the door and took a few steps in, eyes surveying the area without conscious thought.

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i_nevermiss
2012-05-20 06:03 pm UTC (link)

Clint nodded in mock disbelief, "It's pretty crazy. He sacrifices himself on a weekly basis to save the world, gave up his beloved Stark Tower, and gives the team cool Stark-Tech upgrades that are much better than the ones from SHIELD R&D." A gulp of beer smothered his smile as Clint reached over the table to grab the nuts. Popping them open, Clint grabbed a handful before scooting the container closer to Bruce.

"Ah, well, it's kind of in my nature. I didn't get the name 'Hawkeye' by growing feathers. If I want to narrow my field of vision, I squint." Clint shrugged as he spoke, smile firmly in place. Clint had always liked Bruce, the man knew what to say and in a way to say it that kind of made him unassuming but all-knowing at the same time. Clint decided it had something to do with genius level intelligence.

Clint's grin morphed into a considering line, "So far, I kind of agree with you. It's not too bad, especially since I've found some people on here. It's the people I've left behind that I'm worried about." Clint turned away, scratching the back of his neck before forcing a few beernuts into his mouth.

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greenskin
2012-05-20 06:25 pm UTC (link)

Huhn. So Stark had found a heart. Interesting. Bruce wondered how, and when. But then, it had probably been in that year he was missing. He sighed. That would become annoying, he was sure. Or, really, already had.

He absently took some nuts and chomped them while listening. "Sounds like a neat trick, and a good skill to have. When I squint, I just get headaches." His smile was warm. "What do you do, with SHIELD and all? I can understand someone like Stark, making weapons and defenses, but I am curious to know more about all of us." Would he recall any of this? Probably not.

Bruce stroked his chin. "There are currently two warring theories that I have heard. One says that we are split off of ourselves when we come here, and that another us is there, living out our lives as we would. A second says that we are taken by time travel means, from between one moment and the next, and that when we leave here, we are slotted back into that moment." He shook his head. "Either way, it's a headache, but the world wont miss us."

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i_nevermiss
2012-05-20 07:28 pm UTC (link)

Clint cocked his head to the side in consideration, gathering his thoughts a bit before he spoke, "I'm a Specialist for SHIELD, they wrangled me up quite a few years back when I was in my twenties and I've been with them ever since. Codename Hawkeye because... well, it's pretty self explanatory. I have excellent vision, rivaling only that of the hawk. I'm a sharpshooter and marksman, been said to be the Greatest in the World, actually." Clint munched on the rest of the nuts in his hand before wiping the salt from his fingers.

"There are quite a few on the team now. Me, you and the Big Guy, Natasha Romanoff who's also a SHIELD Specialist, Tony Stark in his Iron Man suit, Captain America who we found frozen solid but alive in the ice caps, Thor Norse God of Thunder and lover of poptarts. We've met a few others along the way -- the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Spiderman who I was telling you about before. I lot has happened in the last little bit. More than I could explain over a few beers, I'll tell ya that." Clint shook his head, before emptying his beer in a few more swallows.

Placing his empty bottle back on the table, Clint pondered on the two theories for a moment. Clint really didn't like the first one. Made him think of doppelgangers or Skrulls -- like there was another him that wasn't really him because he was on the train. Dislike.

The other was a bit more comforting, though Bruce was right, they were headaches just waiting to happen and Clint had never been one to give the sciencey mumbo-jumbo much coherent thought. That was Bruce's job, and Tony's. He'd leave that to the experts.

"You're right. I'm just going to go back to not thinking about it too hard. Can't do anything about it anyway, no use in fretting over it I guess." Clint shrugged.

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greenskin
2012-05-20 08:03 pm UTC (link)

Bruce listened and nodded, taking in everything the man said, noting his words and his looks as he spoke them. Studying people had become second nature to Bruce as he went on. Studying them, and finding out new things. And it helped him when he needed to know fast, how to act.

"Sounds like an interesting career. Not sure why I'm on the team, but it sounds like you all are having way too much fun." Way more fun than Bruce ever wanted to have, truth to tell. An exciting life like that was exactly what he did not want to have, and he would do his damnedest to avoid it.

Bruce rubbed his face, thinking. "How did I get invovled in this, anyway?"

Then he chuckled at Clint's words. "No worries. You keep people from busting my head open and I'll figure out the science stuff." That much he could do.

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i_nevermiss
2012-05-21 03:11 am UTC (link)

Clint frowned as Bruce mentioned that he didn't know why he was on the team, "Dude, don't sell yourself short. You're a fucking genius and a good man. You and the Other Guy are vital assets and you complete the team. You may always be angry, but so are we all -- you happen to be able to control it where we can't, along with Big Green, who you are not only assimilating into the world, but teaching how to care as well. You," Clint pointed a finger Bruce's way, "are a marvel."

It was... nice to say. Bruce had always been of the mind that he didn’t belong, that he was a monster who couldn’t be controlled, that the whole team was a ticking time bomb. It was refreshing to give the man reasons which Clint thought explained perfectly why Bruce was on the team.

As Bruce asked why he was brought on in the first place however, Clint found himself pausing. He was debriefed after coming back to his senses, courtesy Tasha and her 'cognitive recalibration', but Clint wasn't exactly sure of the reasons, besides the Tesseract gave off Gamma radiation. Clint doubted it was as simple as that, though.

With a sigh, Clint laid his thoughts out on the table, "To be honest, Bruce, I only know the barest of details. I wasn't there for the gathering of it all, just the fight. Which is a long story in and of itself," Clint shook his head, "but you were brought in to help track an object that put off gamma radiation, you decided to stick around after that.

A grin lit Clint’s face as Bruce spoke of Clint ‘keeping people from bashing Bruce’s head in’.

“Hah, of course man. Especially while Jade Jaws’ body is on vacation. You can surely count on me to have your back.” Clint reached across the table, grabbing another beer. After popping the top off, he held it up to Bruce in cheers to that.

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greenskin
2012-05-21 05:32 am UTC (link)

Bruce stared, with an open mouth, and stared some more. It took him a long moment to even absorb that, and eh slowly closed his mouth and nodded. "I-er, thanks." Bruce rubbed his face. It was a little much to suddenly hear someone you barely knew talk about you like that. Clint was a good man, and the Avengers all seemed nice people, but... Bruce felt acutely aware that they knew him, intimately, and he didn't know them.

"Thank you. " Bruce met Clint's bottle with his own, just finishing his first before opening another. "It's nice to... to not be alone." It was also weird, and it would take some adjusting to. He had run for decades, and now... suddenly, he wasn't alone. Weird.

"So, ah, tell me about the rest of this team, the main group?"

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i_nevermiss
2012-05-21 11:11 pm UTC (link)

It hadn't occurred to Clint that what he said could have some adverse affect on Bruce until the other man kind of stumbled on his words. As Bruce rubbed a hand down his face Clint had to look away, slightly embarrassed that he'd come out and said those things to a person who barely knew him. Clint was just a stranger to Bruce, but not only that, Clint knew a great deal about the other man while Bruce knew next to nothing about him. Not only was it not fair, but it had to make Bruce uncomfortable.

Yeah, that brain-to-mouth filter would have come quite in handy about that time, but Clint's mouth never seemed to want to bother the upstairs. It was kind of sad, really.

Clint looked back to Bruce as he spoke again, this time in thanks to Clint's offer of support and protection. It was nice to see that Clint hadn't freaked him out too awful bad with all his feels.

"Y'got that right, buddy. For sure." Clint took a quick swig of his beer as he pondered on the rest of the team.

"Well," Clint licked his lips quickly before continuing, "Like I said, there's me and you, but the other SHIELD agent is Natasha Romanoff, she's a spit-fire who used to work for the Russians. That's just another very long story that we should skim over for now. She's actually the one who went to get you for SHIELD when they first needed your help.

Next came Captain America. He'd been frozen for the last seventy years and had just thawed out before the big fight. That was weird, lemme tell ya. S'kinda awkward having one of your Heroes suddenly become real life." Clint took his time pausing to take another drink of beer. He swished it around in his mouth for a moment before continuing.

"Iron Man joined to help you figure out what was going on with the object and you quickly became awesome science bros. It's kind of adorable actually, if only because I can't understand a word you guys say." Clint interrupted himself with a laugh, "But then there's Thor, and that's also also a long story. He's the Norse God of Thunder and Awesomeness. He's really the life of the party."

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	greenskin 2012-05-22 02:12 am UTC (link)
	Bruce stroked his chin as he listened, and shook his head. So much information. "Okay, well... it seems like you have some amazing adventures." He smiled at the man. "I hope to meet them all some time, if the train doesn't get mad and like, bring Emil here." The Abomination would be a real killjoy if he showed up, that was for sure. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	i_nevermiss 2012-05-22 09:36 pm UTC (link)
	Shaking his head, Clint agreed heartily with Bruce on that front, "Oh yeah, Blonsky is not someone I would want to meet ever again. But especially not here of all places. Not fun times." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	greenskin 2012-05-22 09:54 pm UTC (link)
	Bruce nodded and raised his beer. "To finding ways to cope, and to rediscovering the future." He sipped from his beer and nodded. "I have a feeling this adventure will get weirder before it gets more normal." he knew that sounded odd, but it felt that way. (Reply to this) (Parent)

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