10/16 Instance: Bruce Banner: Intern of S.H.I.E.L.D.

[Svartfreja]

Current Timeline.


<Carol> Carol frowned at the security monitors, watching the truck make its way up the long access road and willing it to turn around and go away. Whatever it was, she didn't want to deal with it. But, unfortunately, she was not blessed with psychic powers so it just kept on coming. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Carol got out of her chair as it reached the parking lot at the front of the building and went to see what it was about. Hopefully she wasn't getting fired.

<Bruce> "-n conclusion: aye - Tridium would work. If it were possible to synthesise it without destroying the bloody planet," came a northern English voice as a young male climbed out the back of the truck, escorted by two armed guards. A third climbed out behind him with a clipboard and pen, immediately spotting Carol and waving her over.

<Bruce> The young male looked up to see her also, "Well, there's a tasty bit o' treacle, 'ey, lads?" he smirked, pulling out his glasses from his coat pocket and sliding them on.

<Carol> Oh God, what now? Clipboards were never good. She groaned internally, her expression all business though as she made her way down the steps to them. "You better have a good excuse for interrupting the only downtime I'll get this week..."

<Bruce> "Not my intention, ma'am - believe me" the clipboard-bearer frowned a little, looking visibly less confident that he might be causing her concern. Something about the S.H.I.E.L.D issue flack-jacket lost its protective value when Carol Danvers was unimpressed with you. He gestured back at the young man, "Personnel transfer. This guy's been added to your roster."

<Bruce> He held the clipboard up, "His credentials, S.H.I.E.L.D report and transfer papers. You can read 'em or just sign 'em away. Bottom of each page if that's convenient?" - he appeared to hope it was.

<Carol> Carol snatched up the clipboard, her irritation tangible. The last thing she needed was more idiots to watch after. She scanned the papers, a scowl developing as she read them through. She was going to call Fury later and rant his ear off. Taking the pen from the top of the board, she signed the papers and thrust them back at the escort before turning to the new guy, "Come on, I'm sure you're freezing your ass off..." she turned back for the building.

<Carol> After a few steps, she paused and turned back to the escort, "You have five minutes to leave the property, if you haven't managed it I'll use you for target practise."

<Bruce> The entourage of three stood to attention and acknowledged hastily before vacating the area and getting back into the truck as quickly as their combat-clad bodies would allow them. The young man couldn't help but laugh at how much respect she commanded - he did love a woman in power.

<Bruce> Realising that he'd probably end up being chewed out if he didn't do as he was told, he hopped to attention and followed, "T's not really tha' cold, I din' reckon," he commented, holding his hand out politely, "Bruce Banner: Intern of S.H.I.E.L.D.," he patted his little laminate with his left hand.

<Carol> "Uh-huh," she shook the hand, "Most people would be whining by now - I don't even notice it's cold." She gave a shrug and headed for the doorway again, "Leave your luggage in the hall, I'll grab some coffee and show you around."

<Bruce> "Oh, they told me tha's being delivered separately," Bruce confirmed, following her towards the new building and adjusting his glasses. It wasn't incredible by his standards - not after all the aptitude tests in fancy government buildings or the special schools in the back end of nowhere - but it was big. And big meant potential for all kinds of things.

<Bruce> He glanced back at Carol, "So, what, are ye fillin' in fer what's-his-face? The bald bloke?"

<Carol> "No." She wrinkled her nose, "Feels like it, but no, that's not my job. Erik has that unfortunate title. I work for SHIELD, obviously, my job is to keep all of these crazy people - including you - out of trouble with psycho-terrorists. So far, so good." She led him down the hallway in a straight line from the front door to the kitchens.

<Carol> "First door on the right is my office, by the way, the one opposite is Erik's. If my door is closed, do not disturb unless it's a life and death emergency. I will break you."

<Bruce> Bruce opened his mouth and raised his finger, immediately holding his tongue. He was absolutely sure that someone had told him something about a 'Carol' and making a comment like the one he was about to. He couldn't recall what 'something', but he got the impression it didn't end with him having a very good first day.

<Bruce> "Understood, ma'am," he smiled, just as easily. Rule number one was 'keep out of trouble'. Though he wasn't very good with those, breaking them on the first day was just plain rude.

<Carol> "Oh, God, please don't 'ma'am' me. You're not military... 'Sir' me if you have to but don't 'ma'am' me." Coffee! Glorious coffee! She grabbed a mug to fill it, "Also, stay out of the weapons lockers until you've been drilled by me personally - I don't trust any of the others to do it right." She waved the jug at him in offer of a cup.

<Bruce> Taking the jug with a nod of thanks, Bruce went about preparing his own cup, "Weapons locker? So this isn' 'xactly a second 'XU' as opposed t' a S.H.I.E.L.D operations base?"

<Carol> "It's not Xaxier's University anymore - didn't you see the sign on the gate? It's the Danvers Institute... the name's a coincidence. It used to be the Danvers State Asylum." She took a sip of her coffee and leaned against the counter, "The weapons lockers are there, as with the SHIELD personnel, to keep the staff and students here safe. Every Agent on the property, regardless of specialty or internship, gets training just in case."

<Bruce> "Interestin'..." Bruce affirmed with a nod, sipping his coffee. Black kept him alert and looking more adult, he felt - even if it did taste like asphalt. "So, y've got students here then, aye?"

<Carol> "Yeah, everyone that stayed after New York, the staff too... and a couple extras we picked up along the way." She gave him an appraising look.

<Bruce> Bruce smirked, "I was an X-Man before it was cool," he boasted, "New an' old, eh? Sounds like a decent recipe for disaster - not that I'll contribute to it, mind." He raised his cup to his new 'headmaster' by way of a lazy salute.

<Carol> "You sure? Strength class of a hundred and you're trying to tell me you won't contribute to disaster? I don't believe you. At all."

<Bruce> Instinctively, Bruce put his cup down and checked the watch he'd been given by the tech-heads at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. Instead of time, it monitored his heartbeat and chemical levels. He showed its green display to Carol: "This will keep me out of trouble. But it's worth sayin' - not had an incident in eight months."

<Carol> She laughed, "I give you a week. Don't worry about it. Same strength class and an anger management issue," she thumbed at her own chest with her free hand. "I break things."

<Bruce> Bruce smirked wryly, "I'd rather not have t' find out who's better at it," he confessed, reaching for his coffee again, "It's still somethin' I'm learnin' t' control."

<Carol> "Hey, I've had over a decade to practise and I still suck at it. The variation with energy absorbtion doesn't help, even now my limits are still growing. You never learn to control it fully, I don't think. Just manage it better.... and speaking of managing things, how are you with physics?"

<Bruce> "Physics?" Bruce raised an eyebrow, "Well, am pretty well versed, aye. Better at Biology and Biochemistry a'll admit." he shrugged, "Why?"

<Carol> "Well.... there's this thing in the basement that the bug kid built that ripped a hole in space-time and little blue teleporting kleptomaniac demons keep coming out of it and stealing all our shit. Fortunately, Miss Kincaid and I managed to resecure all the SHIELD tech they ran off with but I'd really like the portal to be closed now."

<Carol> She took another sip of coffee, "I don't like not knowing where it goes and I don't like the feel of the energy it puts out either... but Broo and Danger seem more content to study the damned thing than close it."

<Bruce> Bruce blinked, "...wait, wait - few things..." he listed them on his fingers: "One: there's a portal that spews demons beneath the building, two: there's a child named 'Broo'? And three: there is a portal!?"

<Carol> "Yeah there's a bug kid called Broo, he's really smart which is awesome but extremely problematic - case in point: the portal in the basement.... Which I could just show you because it's not off-limits to staff and that is me. I am staff... also I declared it off-limits in the first place." She straightened up and gestured for him to follow her.

<Bruce> Doing as beckoned, Bruce left his coffee on the table top. He had a feeling a comical 'tea-spit' was not the kind of humour someone who managed a building full of hormonal super-powered teenagers and science paramilitary would be incredibly impressed with. "So ye'hve all been busy(?)"

<Carol> "Yeah, every day comes with a band new headache inducing drama." She headed down the stairs to the basement and hit the switch for the lights. Nothing happened. "Oh for the love of God, not again." She rolled her eyes, holding up a hand and charging it with photons so that she could find the generator at the bottom of the stairs and kick it.

<Bruce> As he was led down, Bruce scanned the walls and ceiling, "Not had an interior decorator in, have y'?" he jibed, "Y'know, Guthrie wouldn't stand fer this level of decay anywhere."

<Carol> "She wouldn't be seen dead in this place - half the students and staff are convinced it's haunted. It's kind of hilarious." Finding the generator, she gave it a whack with her fist then kicked it - it roared to life and the lights came on. "Probably doesn't help that the place was actually used in a horror movie."

<Bruce> "Oh. Well, tha's a fun fact..." Bruce scratched his head. Great; it was going to be worse than a sparse night in that Dracula-house in Westchester. "Well, y've at least got flowin' water and workin' latrines, righ'?"

<Carol> "Oh hey, this is the only part that's still like this. SHIELD have spent a fortune fixing the place up, building a hangar, apartments, staff housing, a reservoir. You're lucky to be posted here, it's comfortable.... and the people are good." She offered a smile, leading the way to the portal. Now that she'd attuned to it, she could already sense the energy and her posture shifted toward tense.

<Bruce> Bruce felt something also. It wasn't something he could describe, nor even identify, but it felt like he was 'aware' on a level beyond awareness that something was amiss. As if his mind could tell something that did not, somehow, belong in the world was near to him. It was a mixture of excitement and discomfort that followed. Static-like interest and fearsome trepidation mingled in the air.

<Bruce> "I'll look forward t' not sharing a room if a'm lucky..." he kept up with small talk as he felt the air become somehow unstable as they walked on.

<Carol> "Well there's plenty of space, none of the students have to share their rooms though I like to keep the SHIELD guys with bunkmates because it keeps them out of trouble... so I guess it depends where you want to be put." She glanced at him as they reached the room in question.

<Bruce> Bruce had forgotten the conversation at once as he stepped into the portal room. He blinked a few times at the rift, unable to really register what it was his eyes were seeing. He removed his glasses, as if that might help - which it immediately did not - and squinted.

<Bruce> It felt warm, but not. Though it looked like a lightning storm suspended in the air it didn't make a sound. It was as if someone had spilled the connotations of the word 'energy' into the air and that rubbing it with 'sense' had just made it a glowing blur of impossibility. Yet there was something orderly about the chaos of its countenance. It was unexplainable - impossible - and right there.

<Bruce> "....tha's an interdimensional portal." Bruce said in a dry breath.

<Carol> "Yep. Some of the students think it's a portal to hell... if it is, hell is dark and full of naked blue things that reek when they teleport... sorta went through it."

<Bruce> "Incredible...." Bruce took a step forth, raising his hand to feel the mysterious heat sensation coming from the phenomenon, "An' that's no understatement comin' from me." he glanced quickly back at Carol, unwilling - and his mind unable - to look away for too long.

<Bruce> "It's another world!" he laughed, "Tha's amazing! Where did i' come from!?"

<Carol> "Broo. He just... builds things. Usually he doesn't know what they do until he turns them on... and he has no idea what powers most of these things. I really need someone to watch him all the time..."

<Bruce> Bruce nodded, "Some kid just....built something that split local space-time..." he laughed a little, "Jus' when a' thought the world was done with surprisin' me." he smiled at her, "He needs a....supervisor?"

<Carol> "Yes. Because all the robot does is enable him." She took a sip of coffee, "Both of them."

<Bruce> "Well, a' do love group projects an' that..." Bruce gave the portal another look, "...d'ya think we'll be able t' step through again?"

<Carol> "Probably... that's why the basement is off-limits. I figured if the students found out we went in there, they'd all want a go and then we'd lose half the school in there - the portal on the other side is sorta hard to see or find."

<Bruce> "Makes sense." Bruce nodded, "If a' remember the people in this place - if half o' them are still here - it's probably a sensible thing." he concurred, "Y've got more information I can look over abou' this?"

<Carol> "No, not my remit. I'll show you where the bug kid hangs out though, if you can find him in there you can ask him about it all... or one of the Dangers." She gave the portal a wary look, "I'd rather not spend more time near that thing than I have to."

<Bruce> The younger man was suddenly aware again of the eerie feeling in the air. Again uncomfortable. He nodded and took a step back towards the door, "We can leave, a'll probably wanna leap in maself. Dying of curiosity!"

<Carol> "Well.... if you do find you can't help yourself, come and find me and I'll come with you. The landing is... not great on the other side." She still couldn't get that image of Cessily oozing all over the rocks out of her head.

<Bruce> Bruce frowned a little, "You alright there, Miss Danvers? Y'seem a little distracted there..."

<Carol> She nodded, turning for the door, "I'm fine, it was just not a good experience..."

<Bruce> "Alrigh'." Bruce nodded. That was certainly a no-go area, then. He took one more look at the portal and the magnificent terror it seemed to represent. He couldn't help but grin a little regardless of the warning - a portal to another world, a second chance at a haven for mutants, how could it possibly go wrong?

[steyn]

Heeeehehehehehehe





Broo should really meet Bruce, introduce himself properly, and then create magnificent creations to RAWK THIS WORLD.