Dr. Bruce Banner (purpleshorts) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2013-07-15 11:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, bruce banner (mcu), gwen stacy (mcu) |
Who: Bruce Banner and Gwen Stacy
When: BACKDATED to... we'll say mid-June.
Where: SHIELD labs
What: Gwen interviews for a position with Dr. Banner
Warnings: nada
Status: Logged; complete.
Gwen couldn’t sit. Even though the receptionist had told her to have a seat while she waited for Dr. Banner to get back to her, she had only been in that chair for maybe half a minute before she was back up and roaming the lobby.
She was a confident girl, mostly. She knew well enough that she can work in a number of places if she wanted to and if she put in a whole lot of effort. She’d been a valedictorian in school, had experience with lab work already, and was getting top marks in all her college courses so far. And she wasn’t just smart; she was ambitious. Sure she felt a slight nervousness when she was applying at OsCorp but only because she’d hope she’d be picked from the other top students in the New York City area that had applied to the same position.
This was completely different. She felt more nerve-wracked than usual because she was hoping she’d get a position here to get away from OsCorp. Which was... a bit disappointing. When the heck did her self-confidence get so worn down?
“Ms. Stacy? You can go up.”
Gwen spun around and smiled at the receptionist with a thank you before heading for the designated floor to find Bruce Banner.
Dr. Bruce Banner wasn’t usually the one to show the newbies around the lab the first day. In truth, the trainers usually broke in the new hires slowly, culminating in a glimpse of Banner working away that left some more nervous about working alongside the Hulk than with working with dangerous chemicals and equipment. However, he had requested a chance to meet with Ms. Stacy, much to the surprise of the head trainer. Bruce wasn’t social as a rule, but he’d made a promise to Peter Parker to help Gwen settle in and get as far away from OsCorp as they could manage. Getting to know the young scientist would help Bruce figure out which project to nudge her way.
That didn’t mean that when he met her that he wasn’t really, terrifically awkward. It’d been more than a year since he’d met Darcy (in an elevator, momentarily refusing to shake her hand), and while Bruce had gotten better at socialization, that didn’t mean that he came off particularly well.
“Ms. Stacy,” he greeted her, a rumpled lab coat over his equally rumpled jeans and button-down. “I’m Dr. Banner. Welcome to the SHIELD labs.” His words were even enough; only his hands had begun to work against themselves as they did when he was nervous.
“Nice to finally meet you, Dr. Banner.. and please, call me Gwen.” She gave him a smile that could easily mask any nervousness she had been feeling. And that was all hardly from the fact that she was in the lab with the Hulk. Not much scared her anymore considering what she’d gone through and what she’d been told.
If anything, there was just a bit of fangirling going on in her head right now at being around Bruce Banner.
She kept her hands to her side, one of them gripping the strap of her handbag. Handshakes would only happen if he was going to hold out his hand first and it seemed like he didn’t do them often. “Thank you so much for having me here. OsCorp’s been... well, I just had to get out and SHIELD was always on my wishlist.”
“Gwen,” he said, giving her a nod of his head as he tried to remember the motions of socialization. “Bruce is-- likewise fine.” He’d used to be one of those students who insisted on reminding people of the Dr. portion of his name, such was his arrogance, but he’d long since chilled to the habit. Being on the run the greater part of the decade forced you to drop a lot of your pretensions; they were too heavy to sustain.
He gave no visual indicator that he had the slightest idea of what OsCorp had done to deserve her ire but instead focused on the second part of her statement: SHIELD. “I think you’ll be satisfied with the opportunities available to you, here,” Bruce said, handing her a folder with current projects to review - although he knew one in particular that would catch her eye. “Page 44 details some medical testing in the beginning stages to ensure the health of the refugees.”
Gwen skipped straight to that page, although she got a chance to glimpse at one or two in between. As if her interest wasn’t peaked already when he handed the file to her. “I remember you said you had needed someone for a monitoring project. This is it, I’m assuming?” She wanted to just skim the page to familiarize herself, but she found herself drawn in and preferring to read everything.
Satisfied with the opportunities... that was an understatement. “What with not just different superhuman powers but with different species even this... is amazing. How you’ve got it all classified.”
“This is it,” he confirmed, crossing his arms over his chest to give them something to do. Not the most-outgoing of people, Bruce’s classification system had been something he’d poured over with copious amounts of research - and, to be honest, some googling (“Who is Daryl Dixon?”) to figure out the specifics behind every refugee. Because heaven forbid he had to ask anyone questions.
Still, he was fairly proud of the comparisons he’d drawn, even if they lacked a control group - or basic scientific knowledge of the health of these people on a good day. “I think - if I might offer a word - that the natural consequence of this would be pooling together those in the medical field who have come through the Tesseract to get a decent mean of the basic facts - blood tests, blood pressure, that sort of thing. Obviously for some people, New York is going to be more longterm than short.”
Gwen gave another moment for herself to read on before answering him. She was basically running everything she knew in her head that could help her get the job. Though it was possible Bruce knew already considering the information she had submitted about her experiences in the lab. And as far as weird and unusual was concerned considering arrivals of alternative universe and fictional characters, Gwen had had a taste of that herself. She wasn’t in charge of it, but she’d read Dr. Connors’s theories on cross-species genetics.
“Wow, those are.. some interesting-looking fibroblasts.” Gwen looked up then, remembering Bruce had said something. “Sorry, just got a little distracted. Yes, that would be extremely helpful. I imagine it’s hard to tell what sort of environment each and every person has been exposed to, but having this information would be... essential. If this is what you need me to monitor, I’m definitely your girl. I know all the works.. lab safety, aseptic technique, PCR, monitoring cell lines and cell strains...”
Bruce already knew she was qualified for the position. The fact that she hadn’t seemed bothered by meeting him and not someone who wouldn’t turn into a raging beast when angry was a mark in her favor considering that a lot of their work would dovetail. Still, he needed to know that her ambition and dedication wouldn’t flag under duress: “I’m sure you’ve had experience with a typical lab - and even an atypical one, given OsCorp’s... predilections - but scientists here have a particular responsibility given their proximity to-- uh... me.” He managed a shrug because he was pretty sure expanding upon that was unnecessary. “We need someone with a cool head who can make sure everyone’s out and alert SHIELD if there are any complications. Is that something you feel prepared to do?”
Gwen gave a nod before she said anything. Sure they would know what she’s done for OsCorp, what study she might have gotten submitted and published, and who she worked under. Especially who she worked under considering he went green and crazy. She would expect green here. Hopefully not the bad kind of crazy though.
She took a moment to figure out what to tell him, pressing her lips together as she did. “I don’t know if this is much of an assurance but it’s just something that wasn’t -- or wouldn’t -- be written on any document. I was in that building... the OsCorp building, when, uhh, when the Lizard attacked. I was the last one there because I was attempting to get people out.” Her mind went back and forth on whether telling him any details would help. It didn’t seem like a good idea for his self-esteem to admit that she even had a face-to-face encounter and she can totally handle him because of that reason, because so not the same thing.
“What I’m basically saying is that I’ve done it before. And that situation was an improv, basically, because... well, who could have predicted such a thing? But, yes, I’m sure I can handle actual protocol for this. Run me through it and I’ll be good.” She followed that up with a smile for emphasis and affirmation.
Bruce studied her for a second more and nodded, making a note on the piece of paper he was holding. “All right. Well - with any luck there won’t be any Lizards here.” Not that the Hulk was better, but at least the Hulk was a known quantity.
“Well, your background is just what I’ve been looking for, and your test scores are impeccable. The decision isn’t solely mine, but I’d like you to know that you’ve got a very good chance at working here.” Bruce couldn’t promise any more than that, but he felt safe enough to be honest that far. “I’m hoping a final decision will have been made by the end of June, as all the candidate interviews will be complete by then.”
“Hopefully not,” Gwen said with a slightly nervous laugh which she had been trying to make sounds less nervous but had probably failed at that. “Though I’ve heard differently in... in the other world. But, hey, you learn something about your future and you strive to make sure something doesn’t happen, right?”
Right. Better topic. This internship. Gwen ducked her head down back at the folder in her hand, and she leafed through one or two more pages before she closed it. “I’m really looking forward to hearing back. And crossing my fingers for it. If it hadn’t been for getting the OsCorp internship back in high school, I would have really been trying for this place, but, uh... I assume SHIELD doesn’t have any internship programs for high schoolers.”
Her nervous laughter - and her pointed reference to the ‘other world’ had caught Bruce’s attention, though one had to know Bruce Banner in order to read the particular tilt of his eyebrows as anything specific. Still, Gwen sailed right past her odd statement and into the safer territory of inquiring about SHIELD. He knew a cover when he saw one, and took off his glasses to clean then. “I think you’ll find that I tend to prefer leaving the other world out of it,” he said, and then realized that that sounded like a reprimand. “Not that - I don’t mean for you, Ms. Stacy; you’re free to talk about what you learn as much as you’d like. But I mean - for me.” Realizing he wasn’t being very clear, he exhaled and smiled lopsidedly. “I don’t think any of us really wish our lives to be ruled by whatever’s lurking in the other worlds.”
Her face would have turned red if she really thought that had Bruce hadn't corrected himself there. Gwen suddenly felt a margin of burden lift off her shoulders. Just somewhat. But she returned the smile and gave a nod. “Don't worry. I wouldn't ask you what you've learned.” Assuming he had, although someone wouldn't have behaved in that way if they hadn't; Gwen herself understood that much.
“But, yeah... we really don't. Or at least I don't imagine many people would but... but I think it just depends on what you hear and what else is connected,” Gwen held out the file for Bruce to take back.
“It’s appreciated,” Bruce answered dryly, even if he had no intention of recounting it. After all, he’d had an Incident when he’d learned about the Red Hulk back in the other universe, and while he’d had time to get used to it, it wasn’t something he was prepared to dwell on. Taking the file back from Gwen, he managed a smile, thinking of the wonderful quiet of his laboratory. “I think we’ve got all the paperwork finished that we need, Ms. Stacy. I wish you luck and hope to see you again soon.” She was a little younger than his usual candidates, but he’d been young, once upon a time. Some people were simply gifted early.
“Gwen,” she corrected him. “And thank you. It really does mean a lot that you took time out of your work to meet me.” It definitely didn’t seem like he did it that often and the fact that he had made this whole transition even more worth it. Maybe later on she’d start hyperventilating over the fact that she had just gotten up and walked away from an internship she had thought was the best thing that had ever happened to her, but standing right there, she actually felt... secure.
In front of the guy who could turn into the Hulk. Ironic, but she knew enough to compare monsters and Bruce Banner was far from it. Which was probably why she trusted him enough to let out her next words. “Um... Osborn would, uh.. he would eventually kidnap me. And kill me. Or, rather, he did so in the other world. And there have been too many similarities for me to take the chance. So... I have a number of reasons for being here, and I’m not going to hide them from you, but this position would still be considered one of my dream jobs otherwise.”
“Gwen,” he repeated, politeness warring with her approval. Bruce rarely used first names; it implied a familiarity that he often attempted to avoid. At her explanation for her application, his face moved into a mixture of concern and dismissal: concern for her fate in the other world, dismissal because he was hardly the man to worry about motivations given his own complicated relationship with SHIELD. “I’m not worried about your reasoning, M-- Gwen,” he assured her. “All I care about is your performance. And if we might avoid the pitfalls of another world, well... we’ll be the better for it.” A lopsided smile, and he adjusted his glasses.
“Good to hear!” It didn’t exactly make her feel any better having told him but it was out there. “And I won’t disappoint.” Gwen stepped back, about to head for the door, and gave him one last smile. “And the next time you’ll see me, you’ll know that I got in.” It was time to start bringing that confident Gwen Stacy back.