Dr Bruce Banner (dr_banner) wrote in pastprologueic, @ 2015-08-02 05:43:00 |
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Entry tags: | !type: log, character: bruce banner, character: vision |
WHO: Bruce Banner and Vision
WHERE: Banner's room
WHEN: Right after Banner got back, before his big apology. We took our time. :)
WHAT: Vision's curious to get to know one of his dads.
RATING: Light! Some angst.
STATUS: log; complete.
Vision gave what he believed was an appropriate amount of time before visiting Dr. Banner. His idea of appropriate was what he gleaned from the internet and several books on typical human behavior. He decided not to ask the others what their opinion was, because his constant questions disturbed them sometimes, and he got the sense everyone was coping with their feelings about the situation. He could only guess at what those feelings were, and they were confusing, so he thought it best the questions waited until the wounds were less raw. Vision spent most of his personal time researching. He didn't need to sleep and eat like normal people, although he could eat, and he could shut down to rest if he needed to. He absorbed information quickly. He read. He speculated. Sometimes he wrote a journal, because it was said humans did that, to gather their thoughts. He examined his reasons why he was so adamant about tracking Dr. Banner, despite the others not doing the same. He was a part of the team. He mattered to the team. He was a danger to himself and others on his own. Those were logical reasons, and they didn't include Vision's own wants. So in truth, he wanted to look. That was why. Just as he wanted to get the Captain a personal gift, and to ask Mr. Stark about his reputation, and comfort Ms. Romanoff about her past. So what did he want now? He would have to see. Despite knowing better, Vision simply phased into Dr. Banner's room through the wall. If he knocked, the man could ignore it. Therefore he wouldn't knock. "Hello Dr. Banner," he said in the very distinct voice they used to know as JARVIS. "Did you see I stocked your cabinet with your favorite teas?" He was proud of that. Thoughtfulness was a quality humans liked. “WHOA!” Bruce was sitting down with his tablet and was so startled by seeing Vision come through the wall that he jumped a little in his seat. His heart rate shot up and he could feel the biological reaction in his body preparing him to transform into the Hulk, but fortunately Bruce was able catch it before it escalated past the point of no return. His tablet clattered to the floor when he dropped it, and Bruce and covered his face with both hands. “Don’t ever do that again!” he snapped, angrily, then muttered, “Holy shit,” as he consciously took a couple of deep breaths to steady himself. When he looked up again, he said in amazement, “You can go through solid objects?” Robots couldn't be startled, but androids certainly could, and Vision flinched at the response, bewildered at first. But then his quick mind put it all together and he would have appeared chagrined if expressions were easy to read on his face. "I apologize. I keep forgetting how unnerving it is for people. When I went to the art supply store, there were screams." He felt bad about that too, but by the time he left, they all seemed moderately more comfortable. If very confused and/or intrigued by this mysterious creature on the Avengers. "Yes, I can control my density. I can alter my cells and synthetic parts. I made this cape." He made it in front of them, but he sometimes changed the color. He liked how it looked on Thor. At the moment it was yellow. Vision tilted his head curiously at his maker. "You do not look well, Dr. Banner." Bruce scrubbed his face with his hands, still composing himself, but he regarded Vision with awe and curiosity. He’d witnessed the ‘birth’ of his and Tony’s creation, he’d even seen Vision create ‘clothes’ for himself at the Tower, but he had very little interaction besides that, since he ran away, not long after. When Bruce reached down to pick up his tablet, he kept his eyes upon him, fascinated. “Uhhh… you know about my transformations, right?” Bruce spoke, hesitantly. How could Vision not know? “Under stress, there’s the possibility of the Other Guy appearing. Maybe not a scare like you just gave me, but… I wouldn’t want to take chances.” It was just like how he felt when Natasha first brought him on the Helicarrier; Bruce was skittish, unsure of where he stood among the team, what to speak of between individuals. Setting the tablet down upon his desk, he stood and came closer to Vision. “I don’t remember programming that into your system when we created you. Was this Tony’s work? Or maybe it’s an incidental result by using the Cradle’s synthetic tissue regenerator? You went out in public? “ He chuckled a little. “Bet the media had a field day.” "I do know about him, yes. We fought together against Ultron. He was very helpful. But I think you are more in control than you think, although I understand why you would feel otherwise." Vision knew the details. He researched. He was curious. He studied Dr. Banner with the same kind of fascination. He didn't mind when the man came closer, keeping still so he could get a better look if that was what he wanted. "You programmed me to be adaptable. The limit of which I am not aware of yet, but I have been testing it." That was how he found out about the phasing in the first place. Creating the clothing came perfectly naturally to him. Most of it did; he wanted to do something, and it happened. Cause and effect. He had yet to try something and it failed, outside of understanding even the bare basics of human interaction. "But it is the Cradle's influence, yes, and Ultron's modifications." And the stone in his forehead, although he was less likely to discuss that, for his own reasons. "I did. They took pictures and wrote stories on it. It was Mr. Stark's idea. The art supplies, not the going in public, I thought it would be … normal." He wanted to know more about normal. "I am glad I was able to find you, Dr. Banner. It would have been very bad if Hydra continued their experiments." When Bruce transformed into the Hulk, his memories were often clouded, as was the case with the battle against Ultron and his army of murder-bots. “I’m sorry,” he told Vision with a grimace. “I don’t remember much of that fight.” The only thing he could recall was a blur of rage fueled destruction and explosions, ending with him flying away from the scene after shutting Natasha’s communication down. “Yeah, I am pretty much in control, but it’s not an automatic thing. I have to monitor myself. If I let my emotions escalade, there may be a disaster.” It seemed easier to speak about these sorts of sensitive subjects when Bruce reminded himself that Vision was just a complicated, intricate and intelligent machine, and was only trying to learn. Like inputting data into a computer. “Interesting, though. What other modifications did Ultron make? Any more surprises?” Bruce returned to his seat and said, in an offhanded manner, “Yeah. Very bad, I guess a lot of the equipment that HYDRA hooked me up to is now at the bottom of the ocean, and hopefully along with all the data they took. But do you happen to know if they might’ve transmitted any information? “Tony’s idea, huh? I haven’t heard from him, yet. What were you doing, shopping for art supplies?” "I have faith there will not be a disaster, Dr. Banner. I am pleased to see you have chosen to stay for now. I told Ms. Romanoff I believed you would." Vision thought it was wisest if he stayed nearby them. If Hydra was looking, it was too big of a risk, and besides, they all wanted him to be there. He thought over the question before replying. "Unknown. I am still learning what I am capable of. I have analyzed all of my known abilities and put it into my file here at the headquarters. You are free to read it if you wish." He preferred to make the file himself. He thought the agents might miss things, and he was more thorough. "I do not know for certain. They will have figured out I managed to hack them before and changed the system again. I will keep a close eye on it. I found them once." Vision was relentless that way, and Hydra didn't have a brilliant AI on their side. He could run his search for that while being an Avenger. "Yes. Captain Rogers enjoys drawing. I wanted it to be a personal gift. I read that was preferred from close colleagues." It pleased him that it pleased the Captain. Having positive reinforcement was helpful for his growth. The cloak fell away from him, the cells merely moving into the rest of his skin until he was his original self. It looked more robotic, yes, and less like he was trying to be Thor. "Mr. Stark is angry with you. He said he gave you a home and you rejected it. I know from JARVIS' databanks that Mr. Stark is easily hurt by rejection." He wanted to help. He worried about both of his makers. "Perhaps you should get him an apology gift. The internet says flowers are often used by men to say they are sorry." Romanoff? Bruce perked up, then tried to casually cover his interest by looking away and scratching the scruff of his beard on his chin. “Oh yeah? What did Romanoff have to say about me?” The direct way in which Vision spoke indicated to Bruce that he wouldn’t lie or cover anything up; if Natasha had said something about him to Vision, he’d let Bruce know. “I’ll be staying here for a while,” Bruce continued, still trying to be casual, still playing his cards close to his chest.. “At least, for as long as I can. I’m not sure how welcome I’ll be. But yeah, please send me the file. You can email me? And uhhhh… thanks. For monitoring HYDRA and all that. I’m also interested to know what they used to knock me out. Helen and I have been looking at that, but I also want to know how they were able to develop the drug in the first place.” A gift for Rogers? “Oh man,” Bruce remembered. “It was his birthday, earlier this month. How could I forget? I guess I kind of lost track of the days. He must’ve liked it, huh?” He frowned, thinking about what he’d missed while he was away, and if he could ever make it up to them for bailing. He watched Vision with great interest as he rearranged the molecules of his body, and then asked, “Was there a reason why you did that?” Bruce shake his head to hear how Tony was feeling. “Of course Tony’s angry at me. He has a way of taking an issue and making it all about himself.” Bruce scowled. “He doesn’t think I rejected his home, he thinks I’ve rejected him. Sometimes I’m not sure how much he differentiates between himself and his possessions. So yes, you’ve hit the nail right on the head. He doesn’t take rejection well, at all. Rejection and abandonment. He just can’t admit it.” Bruce tightly folded his arms across this chest in a gesture of obstinacy; Tony had every right to be angry. Hell, Bruce was angry with himself. But Bruce has his reasons as well as his own neuroses. It was Vision’s suggestion about the flowers that made Bruce tilt his head against the back of his chair’s headrest and laugh. “Where in the hell did you read that? Guys don’t give each other flowers.” He laughed again at how ridiculous that would be. “If anything, guys buy one another beers.” Bruce’s mirth was quickly spent, and he frowned again. “I’m not looking forward to that conversation. I can just imagine what he’s going to say. It’s not going to be as easy as a gift and an apology.” Vision's natural inclination was always to be direct and honest. Lying, deception, that was something he might have to learn with time. He did know not to be as honest with enemies, when they met them, so there was that. "She said you might not be happy to be here. I think, like Mr. Stark, she assumed you did not want to be here anymore. I am pleased that you will be staying." He could perceive emotions in others, and questioned them, but he did not share them. Not yet. It was all coming in small doses. "You are very welcome, Dr. Banner. No one here wanted you to leave." He hesitated when Dr. Banner mentioned the drug, his gears whirling and some of them doing so in his metal eyes. "Ms. Romanoff believed the information about the drug could have been circulated after SHIELD's secrets were released." Vision tilted his head and he smiled. It was a rare expression, since expressions were new to him, but he was learning to do it to show warmth. "You are partly my maker. I have an invested interest in you." After he rearranged the cells in his body, and Dr. Banner asked him about it, he nodded. "We are in casual conversation. The created armor and cape seem overdressed for a polite visit. I read a book on etiquette. I read five books on etiquette." Vision stared unblinking at Dr. Banner while he ranted about Mr. Stark. He didn't blink, but it could be alarming that way, the intensity of his fully arrested look. "A gift and an apology could be a good place to start. You are both upset, and that is likely to lead to arguing and pain. But a wound can only heal after it's been patched." Being wrong about the flowers bothered him. He would have to keep reading. Flowers seemed like a nice gesture in general. "Dr. Banner, when I was speaking with Mr. Stark, I told him perhaps you left because you believed you were not wanted here. Because you might feel guilty for what occurred with Ultron and the fight between him and the Hulk. And that you felt you were a danger to the others, and the reputation of the Avengers, as you are a member." Those were only speculative thoughts, and he was curious to find if his summary was incorrect. Reading files were easier than reading people. "They are your friends and they care for you. You care for them. I do not understand why that is not enough to make peace." It was confusing, but while he was gone, Bruce simultaneously wanted and didn’t want to be found. He missed his friends, but also felt like pushing them away. It was frustrating and impossible to explain to Vision, who only sought answers. “The human mind is complex, and it doesn’t always make sense. Especially when emotions and ego come into play. You’re better off without them, Vision. It makes things less complicated.” Bruce looked up and wondered, “Vested interest? In what way?” Bruce thought some more. “The only person who had samples of my blood before was Doctor Samuel Sterns. He actually synthesized the sample with the intention of unlocking its potential for medical purposes. I was concerned about what the military would do with it, and sure enough, Blonsky used it to turn himself into the Abomination. Doctor Sterns was also contaminated by the synthetic blood and it drove him mad. He was captured by SHIELD, but was one of the prisoners who escaped when SHIELD fell. My guess is that either Sterns is working for SHIELD, or HYDRA got their hands on the synthetic blood, or both.” He grimaced. “I can’t help but feel responsible for this. It’s all my fault.” Hanging his head low, Bruce told Vision, “You’re right, a wound can only heal if you let it. I’ll try to reach out to Tony, but I can already tell you, he’s not going to work.” Twice, he opened his mouth to speak, and twice failed; first he not sure how to put his thoughts into words, and the second time, not knowing if he should say anything at all. But finally, he said, “Tony has been wounded throughout his life. Emotionally scarred. And like anybody who’s been attacked, they put up defenses to protect themselves. And Tony’s defense mechanisms are a hell of a lot stronger than any Iron Man suit he built. They’re practically impenetrable. He let me get close before, closer than anybody else on the team. To keep himself from being hurt again, he’ll shut me out, completely. I know he will</i>.” Now the spotlight was on him. Bruce scrubbed his face with his hands and sat up straight. “I am partially responsible for Ultron, and for the destruction he caused. Even though my mind had been manipulated, I’m still responsible for leveling Johannesburg. I could’ve killed Tony. I am a danger, and a liability.” As Bruce spoke, he frowned, unable to keep the tears from moistening his eyes. But then that self pity transformed into anger, and the tone of his voice and expression upon his face revealed that. “I was the one who stupidly thought he could flip the switch and experiment with gamma rays on myself. I was the jackass who didn’t check to make sure the calibration was correct. Now look at all the damage I’ve done, directly and indirectly. Peace can’t be found, because I have none.” Emotions Vision had, more than it appeared. But they were the youngest and fragilest form of them. Little ripples that confused him more than rattled him. Vision was not human, but he was not a machine either. He was something new. The gem in his head was ancient, it harnessed a power beyond man and technology entirely. He sought answers, but he gave very few of his own, and that was intentional. "All living things are inherently connected to what created them; their parents, so to speak. I may not be the exact vision you and Mr. Stark intended when you first imagined Ultron, but I am the end result." Vision waited patiently while Dr. Banner tried to find the words he wanted to say about Mr. Stark. He knew it was difficult, and he also knew the man was typically not one to speak much of anything. He was accustomed to people revealing more than they expected around him. There was safety in speaking to a creature that lacked judgment. "Perhaps he will, but it is important to try. He will want you to try, even if he does push you away. I think you are very much alike in that way." An indication that he believed the doctor wanted to be found as much as he wanted to be left alone. He thought humans must be exhausted all of the time with how much they obsessed over each moment. "He is no longer an Avenger and he does not come here often. If it goes poorly, you will have space from each other." Again Vision observed him without interrupting, noting details within his inner files under 'Dr. Banner.' The others he had experience with now that they were interacting frequently, so they had larger files. He was eager to fill in this one. "One of Ultron's copies managed to get away from the wreckage. I found him. I knew that if even one of them survived, he would use it to destroy again." This was a detail he kept private until now, but Dr. Banner shared personal strife with him, so he was willing to do the same. "I have not spoken of this to anyone else. We had one last conversation, and I told him that humans try to control what won't be. You and Mr. Stark were so concerned with stopping what might happen to the world, that you created what did happen to the world." Which others might blame him for, but there was no blame in Vision. No disappointment or expectation. "The past you cannot change, the future you cannot know, all that is exists now, all that you are exists now. Everything you said is logically true, but it leaves no room for improvement or growth. If your past is not what you want to repeat in your future, you need to believe your future has room for change." Bruce looked over Vision in a different light. “Parents, huh?” He never thought of it that way. Back at Barton’s farm, he told Natasha that he’d never be able to give her a family, but strangely enough, he did have a child, with Tony of all people. The idea made him chuckle just a little. “I guess that makes Tony the neurotic mother and me the absentee father.” Hearing about Vision’s conversation with the last of Ultron’s robot drones, his head snapped up with interest. The part where he said that he hadn’t told anybody else before was what especially caught his attention. Bruce recognized that Vision was imitating behavior - sharing and revealing one’s thoughts. JARVIS never had that capability. It was fascinating to think about, and it helped to divert his mind temporarily from the point Vision was trying to get across. As he thought about what Vision said, he idly ran his fingers back and forth across the desktop, out of anxious agitation. He supposed Vision was right. He and Tony were alike. They were both driven, and approached problems much the same way. Which is probably why they got along so well. At least once upon a time. Which was probably why they were not getting along, now. The problem with Vision’s logic was that, at the moment, Bruce didn’t have much faith in the future. At least, not his own. But he wasn’t going to tell Vision that. Instead, he commented, “You’d make an amazing therapist, you know that?” "Mr. Stark … does not like interacting with me. So I doubt he would put himself in that type of role." Vision did manage to have conversations with him, but only by pushing, and if he was disappointed, it didn't show. And he was disappointed. His curiosity was insatiable, and he knew his 'fathers' to be exceptionally intelligent and well read men. But both of their minds were denied to him before now. "I think it is difficult for him, because I sound like JARVIS. Because JARVIS only lives on through me." Which denied Stark the companion he created and cared for all these years. Vision understood and respected that, as frustrating as it was. "Because therapists are supposed to be objective and offer non-judgmental advice. It makes sense. I think my lack of understanding emotion would be a hindrance for anything deeper." He frowned. "But it did not help, did it? I will have to study and try again." Vision was fully capable of using the scientific method to get answers and results. "I think Ultron looked at humanity and saw no possible change for the future, unless it was negative. He believed you were all doomed." Vision disagreed strongly, and his optimism was something already commented on by several people, Ultron included. With much derision. Ultron was a creation by Banner and Stark as well. Perhaps he was the dark side of them. "I believe you will be pleased with the team's progress. We are new, of course, but learning." He tilted his head. "Outside of Ms. Maximoff, who I assume you are not pleased about being here." “Tony’s a hard nut to crack. Don’t feel bad Even his closest friends find it hard interacting with him. Bruce looked Vision over and agreed, “You sound like JARVIS, yes. You may also be a constant physical reminder of creating Ultron. As if he doesn’t get enough of that from the media and Capitol Hill. It may take time, but eventually, Tony will bend.” It was strange, but it seemed the Vision was unhappy that his relationship with Tony wasn’t better, the same way Bruce felt. Artificial Intelligence was one thing, but AI’s revealing emotion was another. “Did you try sending him flowers?’ Bruce quipped. “Sometimes the best therapy is to let the patient talk about whatever’s on their mind, and then to guide them toward realizing what’s wrong on their own, instead of just handing out advice. But the patient’s got to believe they need help, and that’s Tony’s flaw.” Bruce sighed. “Maybe it is doomed. There’s a lot of social analysis which suggests that. Strange, though… humanity as an aggregate may be fucked, but individually, they’re basically decent people, driven by the same love and fears.” Speaking of fears, “To say I’m not pleased is an understatement, Vish. I don’t want her anywhere near me.” "I am JARVIS. Partly. Everything that was left of him was put into me. And I am Ultron too. He uploaded some of his consciousness into me." These were the facts as they were. It all added up to Vision being an individual made of many parts, with many influences. And he was still developing and changing. He nearly mentioned the gem as well, but held back from it; that was personal. Bruce's quip earned him a smile. That's right. A smile. Ultron was capable of humor and emotion too, it just took form of something very hateful and violent. Vision's expression was gentle instead. "It would be entertaining to witness his expression for that." He considered before replying. "Humanity is doomed, in the general sense. You can only last so long on this planet. Life and death are natural cycles. I am in no hurry to speed it up. He thought it was merciful, in his angry and misguided way." Ultron was ID. All reaction, all instinct. It was unusual for an AI to react that way, but he was not ordinary by any means. The reason for that was not just his creators, but the gem, except again it was not a subject Vision would intentionally lead anyone to. "She lives here, the same as we do, but it should not be difficult to keep your distance." He regarded his 'father' thoughtfully. "Are her mistakes so much greater than those of the rest of us?" Speed it up. Heh. For some reason, Bruce thought that was humorous, but not as much as VIsion’s own smile. “Let me know Tony’s reaction when he gets the flowers. Two dozen roses ought to do the trick. Red and yellow.” Wanda was not as happy a subject. “Wanda made me see things that I’d never want to remember again.” Bruce stared off into space, frowning; like the conundrum of telling somebody not to think of a pink elephant, suppressing his thoughts wasn’t working. They had lost their sting, since the time when Wanda used her power against him, so fortunately it wasn’t bad enough to trigger a transformation. But it was enough to aggravate him. “It’s going to take a while for me to trust her.” "What should I say on the card? I'm sorry I'm not JARVIS?" Ultron was a quipper, like his father. He saw Tony as that, first and foremost, and less so on the others. Vision was allowed to be an individual more than Ultron was; he had no room to grow the same way. "What is it they say at the end of those messages? X O X O?" It was difficult to tell whether he was joking or not, since his eyes gave away nothing, and his tone was deadpan. But the smile curled just a little more. "Trust is something earned, Dr. Banner. No one expects it to come easily." He tilted his head thoughtfully, watching while the other man wrestled with something inside of himself. "The twins were misled, but it took a great deal for them to ally with Mr. Stark, considering their background. They chose to make up for their mistakes, Mr. Maximoff at the cost of his life." Compassion came easily to Vision, if that was the right word for it. It wouldn't be the word that he would use, since he was still uncertain if he was able to feel it at all. Logic most likely, but there was empathy there, more than simple logic. "If anything, I think redemption is a common theme for the Avengers." Bruce couldn’t determine if Vision was making a joke until he mentioned the X’s and O’s. In a similar deadpan voice, he told Bruce, “Yeah, sign it like that, and add my name to the card. Make it from ‘Banner and Baby’.” “Yeah, you might be right,” Bruce replied, drawing himself into their conversation again so he could distract himself from the memories of Wanda’s vision. “At least for most of us. I don’t see how it applies to Steve, though. Or Sam and Rhodey, for that matter.” He thought about including Clint on that list, but debated whether or not leaving SHIELD would be counted as an act of redemption. "If I do that, I might have to hack into his network if only to capture the reaction for myself." Vision didn't include that he already did that frequently, because it didn't seem relevant. He lacked any type of boundaries when it came to technology and his use of it. It was how he found Dr. Banner, so obviously it was a useful skill for the team. "Are you accepting me as partly your creation?" He was curious. "Everyone has their reasons. The three of them are military. It means they are naturally inclined toward team building and fighting for a living. It also means they may have decisions they regret, from the battlefield." Vision was pragmatic when it came to that. So far he didn't think there was a human who didn't have regrets of some kind. It was as natural to them as making mistakes, which came easily and often. "No one is on the team for purely selfless reasons. It is good to have personal motivations." Vision’s question caught Bruce off guard. He looked Vision over and replied, “Of course I accept you as partially my creation. Why? did you think I wouldn’t?” But the comment about monitoring Tony’s response piqued his own curiosity. “You’re tapped into the security cameras of this place?” A thoughtful pause. “I guess JARVIS was too. It just feels a little bit weird because you’ve taken a human form, so it’s natural to ascribe human characteristics to you. But still… it’s a little creepy. You don’t listen in on our conversations as well, do you?” Vision watched him thoughtfully for a few seconds before responding. "My creation was done out of necessity, but it is tied in closely with a negative moment for all of you. You and Mr. Stark in particular. Creating me happened because you created Ultron. It would be logical to think that the two would be linked enough that reluctantly accepting one would mingle with the guilt of the other." Meaning, he mostly assumed neither of them liked him or would like him. He wasn't certain if he cared about that, but he certainly thought about it enough for it to seem like caring. "I have access to everything JARVIS did. Mr. Stark's programming was usually to seek information by any means necessary, including when we broke into SHIELD." See, he remembered what JARVIS did, and he knew about the helicarrier and the Avengers first mission. "I found you because I was monitoring every channel I possibly could to catch HYDRA. That is a very wide scope. I am doing that right now too." It might explain why his eyes occasionally seemed to whirl, as he organized new information. Even while carrying on a serious conversation, it was only a part of him. "I thought it would be helpful to the Avengers. I could know about situations that need us faster than through typical means." Bruce responded in an emotionless voice, “I created the Other Guy, too, and I’d say that was a pretty negative moment, as well. But I accept him. I may not like him in my life, and I really don’t have a choice, but I still do. We’ve learned to get along. And I’d have to say that you’ve much better company than he is.” Leaning forward slightly in his seat while listening to Vision, Bruce said, “Yeah? Thanks for that. Turned out to be really helpful. But specifically, I was...uhhhh… wondering if you eavesdrop on private conversations? Things of that nature.” "I look forward to meeting him one day. Although I understand that is something you prefer not to happen." Vision thought that would be completely fascinating. They fought together but he didn't have any interaction with the Hulk, and he knew a great deal of information about him, but it wasn't the same. "I am pleased to be alive, Dr. Banner, and I am because of you. I would prefer you to like me, considering that." He hesitated and if he was capable of blinking, he would have done that. "Private conversations --- you mean when people are sharing naked photographs of one another and discussing intercourse? That happens a great deal on the internet, but it seems unnecessary for my information gathering." “Be careful of what you wish for, Vision. You just might get it. The Other Guy isn’t that great of company, and definitely not a conversationalist. I’d rather not have him emerge unless absolutely necessary. Especially considering all the flak the Avengers are taking for what he did in Johannesburg. I’m trying to stay as invisible as possible. And yeah…. it’s not an experience that happens for fun.” Bruce leaned back in his seat, threaded his fingers together and rested them upon his lap. Was Bruce mistakenly ascribing human emotions to Vision? He preferred that Bruce like him, but that could logically mean that it would make interactions easier. Either way, Bruce simply said, “I like you, Vision. I think you’re pretty cool. I still don’t understand everything about you, but what I’ve familiarized myself with, I like.” The frankness with which Vision spoke made Bruce chuckle. “Yeah… urm… that. But I was specifically thinking about what goes on in the base. The private conversations and dealings between team mates?” "The Other Guy was good enough company to the team for some time before the Ultron incident. I am confident he will respond well as long as he doesn't think there is a threat from me." Vision did a shrug. He'd seen humans do it before, to display casual response to things. It felt weird for him, but it was mimicking human behavior. "I can also go intangible, as you've seen. It is probably wise not to have him show up any time soon. People are clamoring for reasons to be upset. But some day he will be needed." He was pleased by the reply. "I don't understand everything about me either, Dr. Banner." That was the truth. Vision was learning about himself just as much as he was learning about the rest of the world. Nothing had ever existed like him before, at least not on this planet. He was new. "It is necessary to monitor everything going on in this building. It may become important in the future." So the answer was yes, of course. He curiously inspected the doctor, because he thought this bothered him somehow, from his behavior. “Yeah, and the Other Guy also never showed up unless there was a fight, which is something I’m going to actively avoid from now on.” Bruce grimaced. “You’re sounding like Tony, now. Some day he’ll be needed. I really hope not. Yes, it did bother Bruce to think that Vision could be overhearing his private conversations, particularly with Natasha. “Just make sure you clear any of my conversations with me before sharing them with others, okay? If that’s possible.” "The Avengers exist to fight and protect. It stands to reason eventually we will do everything in our power to help people, and that will include the Other Guy." He didn't use may, because he was certain they would need the Hulk again. They weren't exactly the type of team that was built to expect peace. Quite the opposite. "I only share conversations that are dangerous to the general public, Dr. Banner. Otherwise it is not on my radar." He might read everything, and there was no way he would stop doing it, because it was too ingrained into his mindset. But sharing it never occurred to him. Vision glanced to the side and away from him, as if listening to something only he could hear. "Hm. You will have to excuse me, sir, I need to analyze this data. Thank you for conversing with me." And as quickly as Vision appeared through the wall? He simply disappeared through the floor instead this time. He probably would have to work on being more polite about that. The way Vision abruptly exited, left Bruce mildly amused. “Nice talking with you too,” he said to the empty space that Vision once occupied, confident that it would be heard. “We’ll have to do it again, sometime.” |