Who: Tony and Bruce What: Picking up the Science Bro! Where: The woods When: Tonight Warnings: Geeking out? IDK
Seeing Bruce's message on the network had been...well, surprising to say the least. Tony had been hopeful that Bruce would be okay, and that he would one day come back to Everett, but to actually have it happen was just surprising in the best way possible. The paranoid side of him reminded him that this may not be Bruce, that maybe it was a Leviathan disguising himself as his friend and teammate, but he didn't let that stop him from jumping into his jeep after receiving the coordinates and speeding off in that direction. Because, whether or not he was really Bruce, he had to find out either way. Tony was armed with two guns - one with regular bullets and the other one with borax, all ready for whatever scenario played out.
If this was really Bruce, he already knew he had so many things to fill him in on. Glory, the love spell, Dick Roman... Pepper leaving. Tony had already started breaching that subject, but he wasn't entirely sure if he really wanted to talk about it in person. Either way, whether or not they actually talked about her, if Bruce found out that the old cabin was burnt down to the ground, he'd realize just how poorly he had dealt with that outcome. He would have to fill him in on Natasha, and Barton, and...Tony felt himself tighten his hold on the steering wheel as he zoomed through the forest at a speed that was probably more than unsafe. He didn't care, though. The anxiety of it all was gnawing at his nerves, and it showed in how he pressed down on the gas to go faster and faster. It wasn't like there would be cops pulling him over, anyway, and by now Tony felt like a damn expert at maneuvering the car through the rough terrain. He would have jumped into the Iron Man suit and made a beeline straight to where Bruce was, but at the last minute he had realized just what a horrible idea that would be. If this was really his friend, then making him fly over Everett probably wouldn't be very relaxing. And, while the Iron Man suit gave him a boost of strength, he knew he wouldn't be able to drag the Other Guy through the sky if he decided to hulk out.
Thankfully his speeding paid off, and he was quickly approaching a man that seemed so lost that it made Tony frown at first as he saw him from a distance. Then he noticed the loose fitting clothes, the beard that was outgrown and wild, and...
Huh. So that was how Bruce looked after who knew how many weeks of not shaving. Interesting.
Pulling up some feet away from him, Tony picked up the small container of borax and put it in his back pocket as he stepped out of the car. The bruising around his eye that Barton had given him was mostly faded, but by now he didn't even notice it anymore. Especially as he took off his sunglasses, walking over to him. His look was casual and even seemed mostly relaxed, but there was a bit of obvious tension that showed in the way he walked. "Excuse me, sir. You seen my friend somewhere around here? Kind of your height, doesn't have a beard that looks like it's trying to eat his face...?"
He was teasing, of course, and the grin that he gave him was proof of that. It screamed smartass and, well, if this was really Bruce, he probably remembered the Tony Stark humor very well, anyway.