dear_mun | (no subject)

[Have a blink.]

About...?

Us. Our world.

[Don't be a dick, Tony.]

I mean, I'm just curious.

Just the basics, and some specifics. Neither of us are very well informed on it. We know it mostly through what I think is called 'word of mouth osmosis'.

So... specifically.

If I say "space"...?

Planet Hulk?

[Very, very wryly.]

[And a flinch.] Yeah, okay, I asked for that.

So... we don't start fighting? Because I'd rather not.

I don't want to fight.

[Quietly, now.]

It's not like fighting is going to solve anything. [Or make things any better.]

Good. That's good, I... [Ugh, fuck sincerity.]

I'd prefer not to add to the list of people that want to break me in half. You know. Just for today.

You and me both. [A sadder smile now, because... yeah. It is sad, but what can he do when he's not from there?] I'm sure there are other people who'd like our spots instead.

[Nothing, but Tony isn't expecting that. He's just trying to avoid more fighting at the moment.]

Oh, plenty, but they can't have them. Can you imagine the problems that would start?

[A small laugh.]

Not wholly, but I'm sure that its bad enough.

It could be worse. Everything considered... It's not a total loss.

[He's not a hundred percent convinced, but he's trying hard to be.]

You and I aren't killing each other.

There's one victory down, at least. A million more to go from there?

A million and one on my last count. But that's our job.

That's what heroes are for.

Heroes, huh? I guess that's true.

[Yeah, Bruce totally doesn't consider himself as one.]

Heroes. It's that catch-all word for people we like.

[Yeah, nice try. Tony's danced around this one before.]

We do what other people don't or can't. It's easier to fit into that term than you think.

Maybe for your world.

[Not for where he comes from though. It's different.]

For people. But it's not just about the word.

[Don't even.]

I'm not saying there won't be naysayers and critics. But what you do now matters, and that's the point. If I didn't believe that much, then I'd have no business doing any of it. We're making things better. You're making things better.

Heroics aren't all about publicity.

Its not really the publicity and critics that I'm worried about.

[Its just, you know. Himself. How can he be a hero when he just hurts people?]

You're not allowed to skip over this, Banner.

You make a difference. A good one. I don't put myself out on a line just to watch everyone else give up.

There's hardly anything good about me.

Bullshit.

Sorry, but I'm not just going to let an Avenger from any world play it off like that. People need you around. Look, it's easier to run away. I get it.

It's also... something you'd regret.

[A small smile.]

I've been regretting a lot of things in the last couple of years. This won't be the first.

Then I'd regret it.

Don't you like it? Doesn't it feel good to know for once people have your back on something?

[Yes, he does like it. Which is really kind of the problem.]

All the more I don't want to hurt them.