Re: Bruce B/Steve R
[After a very, very, very long time. He's thinking.]
Tony, Hank, Janet, Thor and myself were the original Avengers, even before we found you in the ice. I found out very early on just what the rest of them thought of me, so I left very early on. They came to find me, and not because they wanted me to come back because they thought I'd be a danger to the world if left to my own devices.
That's when they found you. You became an Avenger. Tony, Cap, Thor, Hank, and Janet...The founding Avengers.
Hank stuck around, and he's the one who wound up going crazy. My only crime was wearing my crazy on my sleeve. His was undercover for a long time. But he got to stay stayed. I was the one you guys called when things got complicated. When you needed the help. And then the next time I turn around they're all trying to put Hulk in a cage. I get it, sometimes I wish they'd succeeded. And it just...Never stops.
You know in the future Tony and his buddies send the Hulk to space to get rid of him? I haven't gotten there yet. Hulk gets sent to space and when that plan goes to complete shit (when you've got three hours I'll tell you all about it)...It's Bruce they lock up three miles under the ground.
I understand why Hank is the way he is, I understand what it's like to have something bad inside of you. The Hulk wouldn't even exist if I didn't have something bad inside of me to begin with, mental illness isn't easy to deal with. So yes, I liked Hank. I liked all of them. I still do. I'm bothered that he's causing problems because it's a reminder that it's only going to be a matter of time before I'm causing problems.
Sorry.
I'm very, very sorry. I'm sorry that I told you all that, and I'm sorry that Hank's crazy got to you in the way that it did. I'm sorry, Steve. I'm so sorry.