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withmoremeWhat: The day after this, Tony checks in with Bruce.
withmoreme: *may have slept in kind of a ridiculous amount, even for him, today, considering the sudden exhaustion that had hit when he had tried to do anything but go to bed after his discussion with Natasha. he's guessing it's a side-effect of the nanobots producing the suit and saving his ass. he's been awake a little while, now, though most of that has been spent taking care of some SI stuff, and he's just now wandering his way to the lab, protein shake in hand*
brokeharlem: *is already in the lab, though he's not actually doing much in the way of work. instead, he's sitting in his usual chair at the workspace he's claimed as his, staring blankly at one of the screens, a blanket draped over his shoulders. he's also a little pale -- probably because he only managed a couple of hours of sleep before he woke up and unloaded the contents of his stomach as fragments of memory drove their way into his skill -- but he either hasn't noticed or doesn't care. really, it could be either. he looks up when Tony enters, though, and gives him a shaky smile*
withmoreme: *frowns when he catches sight of him, setting his glass aside* You look like hell.
brokeharlem: I kind of feel like hell. It's ... *he pauses, then stops entirely, and shakes his head a little. it's not that he doesn't want to get into what's going on in his head with Tony -- it's more he's not even sure where to start. and so he just sits there, a slow frown spreading over his lips, and watches him*
withmoreme: *he's still frowning, too, but obviously for different reasons. he'll get really concerned really quickly if Bruce doesn't correct him. considering he's already starting to think about what the nanobots first did to him and whether this might have something to do with the Bug Thing* I didn't think you got sick.
brokeharlem: *he can either see or sense Tony's worry, and so he shakes his head again, albeit this time with more feeling* I've been -- *no, bad way to start. backing up* We talked about what it's like for me, waking up from being the Other Guy, memory-wise, right? *he's thinks they have, but he's also kind of at war with his memory right now, so maybe he's imagining it*
withmoreme: *drifts closer to Bruce, leaning against a counter, and nods* Yeah. Bad splice job on the projectionist's part.
brokeharlem: *he nods, too* It's been worse, this time around. More like an invouluntary transformation than one where I'm in control. It's -- I remember ... *and he has to stop, to close his eyes and suck in a sharp breath through his teeth*
withmoreme: *frowns at him for another moment before he seems to have a flash himself of where Bruce might be going with that, considering he knows the Hulk is a lot more perceptive than most people give him credit for, and how he checked Tony over when he went to check on him after things calmed down. still, though, he doesn't want to bring it up if he's reading things wrong, and so...* What?
brokeharlem: *it takes him another moment to answer and when he does, he doesn't quite look at him* I remember the smell of blood.
withmoreme: *and his frown changes at that as he shifts positions slightly, uncomfortably* Yeah. Apparently something managed to get a piece of me in the trailer.
brokeharlem: I get the feeling it was more than a piece. *and he's not trying to be accusatory, he's just ... really fucking shaken, as is evidenced by how he looks, the fact that he almost had another meltdown just spitting that out, and the fact that he's having violent flashbacks in the first place*
withmoreme: *he gets that. he's not trying to be defensive, or write off how concerned he knows the others were, he's just... trying to make as little fuss about it as possible, and that's conflicting with how concerned the others were* I don't remember. JARVIS says I'm missing about a minute.
brokeharlem: *after a moment* Thank God for healing factors, right? *he knows that should make him feel better -- Tony's fine, he's fine, he's like him now, he can't be killed or, at very least, hurt for too long -- but it doesn't. for not the first time since he woke up last night, he wonders if this is how Betty feels most, if not all, of the time*
withmoreme: Yeah. *pauses for a long moment before he sighs heavily again and reaches up to run a hand over his face* Natasha told me in... no uncertain terms last night I needed to get used to people having my back. To... let you guys have my back. I'm sorry I haven't, yet.
brokeharlem: *he shakes his head a little* I think that's something we all need to learn, still. *he's also pretty sure he couldn't have had his back, in this particular instance, between his state of mind, the Spider Thing itself, and then being thrown into a building when it went for Tony. and that's ... part of the nightmare. he couldn't save him*
brokeharlem: *that's twice now. three times, if you count the fact that he didn't -- couldn't -- really do jack when Tony was dying from the nanbots*
withmoreme: Yeah, you're probably right. We're still a little rough on the whole teamwork thing. *even though they're a lot better off now than they were back at the beginning*
brokeharlem: *he reaches up to rub at his eyes* We're better than we were, though. *apparently he had the same thought*
withmoreme: *and he smiles at that, if just faintly* A lot better.
brokeharlem: *he tries for a smile, too, but it doesn't really work for him*
withmoreme: *and his fades again into a more chagrinned expression* You know I'm fine, right? And I already promised Natasha I'd be more careful next time.
brokeharlem: *and that does get him to smile, though it's a fairly wry one* I get that, yeah. I just ... *he shakes his head a little, not really sure where he's going with that*
withmoreme: *arches his eyebrows at him, just as unsure how to respond when he doesn't know where Bruce was going with that*
brokeharlem: *after a long moment* It's kind of hard to -- to get that when I can't -- I can still ... *smell the blood, his blood, every time he lets his mind wander. it's probably all in his head, an aftershock of the earthquake that was being there, knowing Tony was bleeding and potentially to death, but still. it makes it kind of hard to let it go and coupled with the fact that he keeps thinking that this is the third time he couldn't catch him, for lack of a better metaphor? yeah* Sorry. I guess I'm just kind of screwed up.
withmoreme: *lets out a humorless breath of a laugh, at that* Well, you're in the right place, at least. We're all right there with you. *he's... honestly feeling worse about what happened now than he was last night, because yeah. he never meant to get hurt? but he also definitely didn't think about how the others would react to it*
brokeharlem: *he feels bad for making him feel bad, because he realizes he is. he's not trying to guilt him, he's just -- Tony's his best friend. the first person to really see him, no offense to Betty. and he's not sure what he would have done if he'd died. all that in mind, he looks away, frowning* ... sorry.
withmoreme: *frowns at him again* No, it's not.... *runs a hand over his face again* I don't... *he has no idea where he was going with that, either, and he tries starting over again* Like I told Pepper back when all this started... I'm not out to get killed. Sometimes I just... if risking myself keeps someone else out of harm's way.... *and he seems to realize that's not going to make Bruce feel any better and stops, again*
brokeharlem: *after a long moment and very, very softly* Maybe you'd save someone's life, but you'd destroy ours. *he's not trying to talk Tony out of being the hero, obviously -- that'd be a little hypocritical, even if he's technically indestructable -- but ... *
withmoreme: *congratulations, Bruce, you've actually managed to strike Tony speechless. for a long moment, he just looks at him. they've had this discussion before, of course, but it still just... stuns him, sometimes, that he has people who care this much about him when, other than Rhodey and Pepper, he hasn't. ever. and he finally drops his gaze, shaking his head a little*
brokeharlem: *he mumbles an apology and curls in on himself, tugging the blanket tighter around him*
withmoreme: *waves a hand at him* Don't. Don't apologize.
brokeharlem: ... okay. *and that's probably the most ... ineffectual thing he could have said, but he's not really sure what to say*
withmoreme: *neither is Tony, which is the problem, really. and, finally, he lets out another wry breath of a laugh* We're ridiculous. We can run headlong at an army of aliens trying to kill us, but conversations turns into... *gestures between them, at the awkwardness*
brokeharlem: *he laughs a little, too* Actual conversations, you mean. I'm pretty sure we've got random banter down pat.
withmoreme: *echoes that laugh, nodding* Point taken.
brokeharlem: *that said, he's silent for a moment, sobering, before taking a deep breath. Tony has a point. if they can do alien armies, they can do this* I get that it's hard to understand how people can care about you. It still -- I don't ... *he makes a vague gesture. he's gotten a lot more comfortable with himself and who and what he is since coming here, yes, but he still has days where he thinks he's a monster or that Tony's going to realize that he's made some kind of horrible mistake in letting him stay here, or that Betty will, or ... the list goes on, really. as much as his life has taken an upswing on so many levels over the course of the last few months, a lifetime of insecurities doesn't just go away that fast* But we do. *a beat* I do. I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but you're ... *he pauses and then a little helplessly, somehow* ... my best friend. And if something happened to you ... *his expression darkens all at once and he shakes his head a little*
withmoreme: You realize how many people would say you're insane, right? You know how many people would tell you hanging around me for too long only means more opportunity for me to lead you to ruin on some scale. *hell, Obie had said as much, and even if Bruce doesn't remember what the other man said, Tony sure as hell does*
brokeharlem: *wryly* I'm pretty sure I hit ruin somewhere around six or seven years ago. *a beat and then more seriously* You gave me my life back, Tony. I think that's ... as good an indication as any that they're wrong.
withmoreme: *he's said that before, but it's still nice to have the reassurance, and Tony smiles again, at that for a moment before he sobers again. and again....* I'm not trying to get killed. But there's always going to be something that the guy in the suit of armor can do that the spies can't, or the guy that can fly can do that Cap can't. And... you guys are more reason to be careful than I've had in a while, but I don't know that I can promise more than that.
brokeharlem: *he breathes out a sigh* Honestly, I don't think any of us can. *except maybe him. not even Thor can make that claim, since if the Hulk can make him bleed, he could probably kill him. not that he's planning on murdering Thor, but ... yeah*
withmoreme: *and again his expression says "fair enough"* But I will be. *more careful, that is*
brokeharlem: *it's probably staggering, how grateful he looks* Thanks.
withmoreme: You're welcome. *a beat, before...* And thank you. For... worrying.
brokeharlem: *he shrugs a little* You matter. *a beat* You're welcome, though.
withmoreme: Even if the big guy's the sturdiest of us all, so do you. *just to make that clear*
brokeharlem: I'm less worried about me for that very reason, but ... thanks. *and he means that*
withmoreme: *and the smile returns* Yep.
brokeharlem: *he's silently grateful that Tony didn't mention how little good that did him when Obie attacked, because yeah, he gets that. but at any rate, he sighs again and reaches up to rub at his eyes. and after a moment, because his brain has circled back to it ... * ... you ... smelled different, but he still ... *knew it was him. and yeah, he gets how creepy that sounds, but*
withmoreme: *he's not even thinking about that, right now, if just because he's very careful not to think about that. he raises an eyebrow, at that* I smelled different? Like... he smelled the blood, or...?
brokeharlem: Both the blood and otherwise. *he squints at Tony, though it's obvious he's not really looking at him* Like -- like metal, but not like you -- *a beat and then a little lamely* -- not like you usually do. *he shakes his head a little and raises his eyes, which have drifted as he went through that, back to his face. he takes a handful of slow, steading breaths afterwards*
withmoreme: *just looks impressed by that* Huh.
brokeharlem: *he shrugs a little* Things I'm Just Now Figuring Out About the Other Guy, Six Years Later for a thousand, Alex.
withmoreme: *chuckles* Well, you had more important things on your mind for a while there. *like staying away from Ross and his goon squad*
brokeharlem: True. *he was also trying to get rid of the Hulk for four of those years, which ... probably didn't help*
withmoreme: *not so much, no* But, reason number sixty-two we have the holodeck. *grins*
brokeharlem: *he nods a little* One of these days, we'll have to go downstairs and put him through the paces. *because, really, it's staggering how little he knows about his own power*
withmoreme: *nods, too* We'll have JARVIS set something up. *a beat, before* I need to figure out what the suit can do, now that I know I can actually use it.
brokeharlem: We can have him set something up for that, too. Take turns. *Tony can stand around and take notes or whatever on the Other Guy; he can do the same for him with the suit*
withmoreme: *grins* You're on.
brokeharlem: *he flashes him a little smile in return*
withmoreme: *returns the smile, though it fades a moment later. and, a moment later, he tilts his head a little* You okay? *are they okay?*
brokeharlem: I think ... I might avoid running water for awhile. *since this started when he got up in the middle of the night, had a moment of paranoia over how quiet it was and, after checking with JARVIS to see where everyone was, decided it was a good idea to do like the Hulk did with the fire hydrant and splash some water on his face* And I think I might need something to take my mind off of ... *he makes a vague gesture. again, with his brain trying to creep back in that direction every time he stops for a few minutes* I'll be okay, though. *and they're okay. that really shouldn't be a question. seriously, Tony*
withmoreme: *he didn't think it really was, but he had to make sure.* Good. *as for that, looks thoughtful...* Are we working on anything right now?
brokeharlem: Not really? *and by not really, he means no. he was trying to read an article on a new theory that could lead to the invention of a more accurate particle collider, when Tony came in. and by trying, he means he'd mostly just given up*
withmoreme: *still looks vaguely disconcerted by that* Anything you want to be working on?
brokeharlem: *that's he's not working on anything? or that he couldn't focus long enough to even read an article?* ... nothing's coming to mind, right now. *maybe if he wasn't so scattered ... *
withmoreme: *the former. he's trying to help think of a distraction* Yeah, me neither.
brokeharlem: *he breathes out a sigh of a laugh* Two of the smartest guys in the country, and we can't think of something to do.
withmoreme: Oh, I can think of some things to do, but then we'd have to clean the burn marks off the ceiling.
brokeharlem: ... should I even ask?
withmoreme: *grins at him* Considering you know me?
brokeharlem: Good point.
withmoreme: *may have slept in kind of a ridiculous amount, even for him, today, considering the sudden exhaustion that had hit when he had tried to do anything but go to bed after his discussion with Natasha. he's guessing it's a side-effect of the nanobots producing the suit and saving his ass. he's been awake a little while, now, though most of that has been spent taking care of some SI stuff, and he's just now wandering his way to the lab, protein shake in hand* brokeharlem: *is already in the lab, though he's not actually doing much in the way of work. instead, he's sitting in his usual chair at the workspace he's claimed as his, staring blankly at one of the screens, a blanket draped over his shoulders. he's also a little pale -- probably because he only managed a couple of hours of sleep before he woke up and unloaded the contents of his stomach as fragments of memory drove their way into his skill -- but he either hasn't noticed or doesn't care. really, it could be either. he looks up when Tony enters, though, and gives him a shaky smile*withmoreme: *frowns when he catches sight of him, setting his glass aside* You look like hell. brokeharlem: I kind of feel like hell. It's ... *he pauses, then stops entirely, and shakes his head a little. it's not that he doesn't want to get into what's going on in his head with Tony -- it's more he's not even sure where to start. and so he just sits there, a slow frown spreading over his lips, and watches him*withmoreme: *he's still frowning, too, but obviously for different reasons. he'll get really concerned really quickly if Bruce doesn't correct him. considering he's already starting to think about what the nanobots first did to him and whether this might have something to do with the Bug Thing* I didn't think you got sick. brokeharlem: *he can either see or sense Tony's worry, and so he shakes his head again, albeit this time with more feeling* I've been -- *no, bad way to start. backing up* We talked about what it's like for me, waking up from being the Other Guy, memory-wise, right? *he's thinks they have, but he's also kind of at war with his memory right now, so maybe he's imagining it*withmoreme: *drifts closer to Bruce, leaning against a counter, and nods* Yeah. Bad splice job on the projectionist's part. brokeharlem: *he nods, too* It's been worse, this time around. More like an invouluntary transformation than one where I'm in control. It's -- I remember ... *and he has to stop, to close his eyes and suck in a sharp breath through his teeth*withmoreme: *frowns at him for another moment before he seems to have a flash himself of where Bruce might be going with that, considering he knows the Hulk is a lot more perceptive than most people give him credit for, and how he checked Tony over when he went to check on him after things calmed down. still, though, he doesn't want to bring it up if he's reading things wrong, and so...* What? brokeharlem: *it takes him another moment to answer and when he does, he doesn't quite look at him* I remember the smell of blood. withmoreme: *and his frown changes at that as he shifts positions slightly, uncomfortably* Yeah. Apparently something managed to get a piece of me in the trailer. brokeharlem: I get the feeling it was more than a piece. *and he's not trying to be accusatory, he's just ... really fucking shaken, as is evidenced by how he looks, the fact that he almost had another meltdown just spitting that out, and the fact that he's having violent flashbacks in the first place*withmoreme: *he gets that. he's not trying to be defensive, or write off how concerned he knows the others were, he's just... trying to make as little fuss about it as possible, and that's conflicting with how concerned the others were* I don't remember. JARVIS says I'm missing about a minute. brokeharlem: *after a moment* Thank God for healing factors, right? *he knows that should make him feel better -- Tony's fine, he's fine, he's like him now, he can't be killed or, at very least, hurt for too long -- but it doesn't. for not the first time since he woke up last night, he wonders if this is how Betty feels most, if not all, of the time*withmoreme: Yeah. *pauses for a long moment before he sighs heavily again and reaches up to run a hand over his face* Natasha told me in... no uncertain terms last night I needed to get used to people having my back. To... let you guys have my back. I'm sorry I haven't, yet. brokeharlem: *he shakes his head a little* I think that's something we all need to learn, still. *he's also pretty sure he couldn't have had his back, in this particular instance, between his state of mind, the Spider Thing itself, and then being thrown into a building when it went for Tony. and that's ... part of the nightmare. he couldn't save him*brokeharlem: *that's twice now. three times, if you count the fact that he didn't -- couldn't -- really do jack when Tony was dying from the nanbots*withmoreme: Yeah, you're probably right. We're still a little rough on the whole teamwork thing. *even though they're a lot better off now than they were back at the beginning* brokeharlem: *he reaches up to rub at his eyes* We're better than we were, though. *apparently he had the same thought*withmoreme: *and he smiles at that, if just faintly* A lot better. brokeharlem: *he tries for a smile, too, but it doesn't really work for him*withmoreme: *and his fades again into a more chagrinned expression* You know I'm fine, right? And I already promised Natasha I'd be more careful next time. brokeharlem: *and that does get him to smile, though it's a fairly wry one* I get that, yeah. I just ... *he shakes his head a little, not really sure where he's going with that*withmoreme: *arches his eyebrows at him, just as unsure how to respond when he doesn't know where Bruce was going with that* brokeharlem: *after a long moment* It's kind of hard to -- to get that when I can't -- I can still ... *smell the blood, his blood, every time he lets his mind wander. it's probably all in his head, an aftershock of the earthquake that was being there, knowing Tony was bleeding and potentially to death, but still. it makes it kind of hard to let it go and coupled with the fact that he keeps thinking that this is the third time he couldn't catch him, for lack of a better metaphor? yeah* Sorry. I guess I'm just kind of screwed up.withmoreme: *lets out a humorless breath of a laugh, at that* Well, you're in the right place, at least. We're all right there with you. *he's... honestly feeling worse about what happened now than he was last night, because yeah. he never meant to get hurt? but he also definitely didn't think about how the others would react to it* brokeharlem: *he feels bad for making him feel bad, because he realizes he is. he's not trying to guilt him, he's just -- Tony's his best friend. the first person to really see him, no offense to Betty. and he's not sure what he would have done if he'd died. all that in mind, he looks away, frowning* ... sorry.withmoreme: *frowns at him again* No, it's not.... *runs a hand over his face again* I don't... *he has no idea where he was going with that, either, and he tries starting over again* Like I told Pepper back when all this started... I'm not out to get killed. Sometimes I just... if risking myself keeps someone else out of harm's way.... *and he seems to realize that's not going to make Bruce feel any better and stops, again* brokeharlem: *after a long moment and very, very softly* Maybe you'd save someone's life, but you'd destroy ours. *he's not trying to talk Tony out of being the hero, obviously -- that'd be a little hypocritical, even if he's technically indestructable -- but ... *withmoreme: *congratulations, Bruce, you've actually managed to strike Tony speechless. for a long moment, he just looks at him. they've had this discussion before, of course, but it still just... stuns him, sometimes, that he has people who care this much about him when, other than Rhodey and Pepper, he hasn't. ever. and he finally drops his gaze, shaking his head a little* brokeharlem: *he mumbles an apology and curls in on himself, tugging the blanket tighter around him*withmoreme: *waves a hand at him* Don't. Don't apologize. brokeharlem: ... okay. *and that's probably the most ... ineffectual thing he could have said, but he's not really sure what to say*withmoreme: *neither is Tony, which is the problem, really. and, finally, he lets out another wry breath of a laugh* We're ridiculous. We can run headlong at an army of aliens trying to kill us, but conversations turns into... *gestures between them, at the awkwardness* brokeharlem: *he laughs a little, too* Actual conversations, you mean. I'm pretty sure we've got random banter down pat.withmoreme: *echoes that laugh, nodding* Point taken. brokeharlem: *that said, he's silent for a moment, sobering, before taking a deep breath. Tony has a point. if they can do alien armies, they can do this* I get that it's hard to understand how people can care about you. It still -- I don't ... *he makes a vague gesture. he's gotten a lot more comfortable with himself and who and what he is since coming here, yes, but he still has days where he thinks he's a monster or that Tony's going to realize that he's made some kind of horrible mistake in letting him stay here, or that Betty will, or ... the list goes on, really. as much as his life has taken an upswing on so many levels over the course of the last few months, a lifetime of insecurities doesn't just go away that fast* But we do. *a beat* I do. I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but you're ... *he pauses and then a little helplessly, somehow* ... my best friend. And if something happened to you ... *his expression darkens all at once and he shakes his head a little*withmoreme: You realize how many people would say you're insane, right? You know how many people would tell you hanging around me for too long only means more opportunity for me to lead you to ruin on some scale. *hell, Obie had said as much, and even if Bruce doesn't remember what the other man said, Tony sure as hell does* brokeharlem: *wryly* I'm pretty sure I hit ruin somewhere around six or seven years ago. *a beat and then more seriously* You gave me my life back, Tony. I think that's ... as good an indication as any that they're wrong.withmoreme: *he's said that before, but it's still nice to have the reassurance, and Tony smiles again, at that for a moment before he sobers again. and again....* I'm not trying to get killed. But there's always going to be something that the guy in the suit of armor can do that the spies can't, or the guy that can fly can do that Cap can't. And... you guys are more reason to be careful than I've had in a while, but I don't know that I can promise more than that. brokeharlem: *he breathes out a sigh* Honestly, I don't think any of us can. *except maybe him. not even Thor can make that claim, since if the Hulk can make him bleed, he could probably kill him. not that he's planning on murdering Thor, but ... yeah*withmoreme: *and again his expression says "fair enough"* But I will be. *more careful, that is* brokeharlem: *it's probably staggering, how grateful he looks* Thanks.withmoreme: You're welcome. *a beat, before...* And thank you. For... worrying. brokeharlem: *he shrugs a little* You matter. *a beat* You're welcome, though.withmoreme: Even if the big guy's the sturdiest of us all, so do you. *just to make that clear* brokeharlem: I'm less worried about me for that very reason, but ... thanks. *and he means that*withmoreme: *and the smile returns* Yep. brokeharlem: *he's silently grateful that Tony didn't mention how little good that did him when Obie attacked, because yeah, he gets that. but at any rate, he sighs again and reaches up to rub at his eyes. and after a moment, because his brain has circled back to it ... * ... you ... smelled different, but he still ... *knew it was him. and yeah, he gets how creepy that sounds, but*withmoreme: *he's not even thinking about that, right now, if just because he's very careful not to think about that. he raises an eyebrow, at that* I smelled different? Like... he smelled the blood, or...? brokeharlem: Both the blood and otherwise. *he squints at Tony, though it's obvious he's not really looking at him* Like -- like metal, but not like you -- *a beat and then a little lamely* -- not like you usually do. *he shakes his head a little and raises his eyes, which have drifted as he went through that, back to his face. he takes a handful of slow, steading breaths afterwards*withmoreme: *just looks impressed by that* Huh. brokeharlem: *he shrugs a little* Things I'm Just Now Figuring Out About the Other Guy, Six Years Later for a thousand, Alex.withmoreme: *chuckles* Well, you had more important things on your mind for a while there. *like staying away from Ross and his goon squad* brokeharlem: True. *he was also trying to get rid of the Hulk for four of those years, which ... probably didn't help*withmoreme: *not so much, no* But, reason number sixty-two we have the holodeck. *grins* brokeharlem: *he nods a little* One of these days, we'll have to go downstairs and put him through the paces. *because, really, it's staggering how little he knows about his own power*withmoreme: *nods, too* We'll have JARVIS set something up. *a beat, before* I need to figure out what the suit can do, now that I know I can actually use it. brokeharlem: We can have him set something up for that, too. Take turns. *Tony can stand around and take notes or whatever on the Other Guy; he can do the same for him with the suit*withmoreme: *grins* You're on. brokeharlem: *he flashes him a little smile in return*withmoreme: *returns the smile, though it fades a moment later. and, a moment later, he tilts his head a little* You okay? *are they okay?* brokeharlem: I think ... I might avoid running water for awhile. *since this started when he got up in the middle of the night, had a moment of paranoia over how quiet it was and, after checking with JARVIS to see where everyone was, decided it was a good idea to do like the Hulk did with the fire hydrant and splash some water on his face* And I think I might need something to take my mind off of ... *he makes a vague gesture. again, with his brain trying to creep back in that direction every time he stops for a few minutes* I'll be okay, though. *and they're okay. that really shouldn't be a question. seriously, Tony*withmoreme: *he didn't think it really was, but he had to make sure.* Good. *as for that, looks thoughtful...* Are we working on anything right now? brokeharlem: Not really? *and by not really, he means no. he was trying to read an article on a new theory that could lead to the invention of a more accurate particle collider, when Tony came in. and by trying, he means he'd mostly just given up*withmoreme: *still looks vaguely disconcerted by that* Anything you want to be working on? brokeharlem: *that's he's not working on anything? or that he couldn't focus long enough to even read an article?* ... nothing's coming to mind, right now. *maybe if he wasn't so scattered ... *withmoreme: *the former. he's trying to help think of a distraction* Yeah, me neither. brokeharlem: *he breathes out a sigh of a laugh* Two of the smartest guys in the country, and we can't think of something to do. withmoreme: Oh, I can think of some things to do, but then we'd have to clean the burn marks off the ceiling. brokeharlem: ... should I even ask?withmoreme: *grins at him* Considering you know me? brokeharlem: Good point.
