( open ) wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes?

[hyperkinesia]

Who: Bruce Banner and YOU!
Where: Gardens, kitchen, hallways, lab, rooftop, or literally anywhere
When: During the next few days
Rating: PG13 for nudity, don't expect anything else but will update if need be
Summary: Bruce falls into Wonderland. Literally. He falls from the sky. Then he spends the next few days trying to be invisible and failing miserably.
The Story:

ARRIVAL, GARDENS; (open to only one person—first come first serve)

Anyone looking outside today will see blue skies. Blue skies, a shining sun, a seeming state of peace that's almost unsettling— then a strange sight breaking that calm. A figure falls from the sky, at a steadily quicker speed, literally dropping and landing in the middle of the gardens with an audible thud, hard enough to leave a mark in the ground. To those not paying much attention, it could be anything, but to anyone with a good eye, it's fairly easy to tell that it's actually a man.

He doesn't move, either. It stands to reason that after a fall like that, he wouldn't have survived. Should anyone venture outside to see for themselves, though, they might be surprised to find out that the man is not only very much alive, but also unharmed and completely naked.


ANYWHERE ELSE;

Bruce has been in some pretty far off places, but this still takes the cake.

The whole pocket universe and alternate realities deal is actually easier to wrap his head around than the fact that this place exists. This place as in Wonderland. Not just modelled after the story, but actually real. He's starting to feel like he really is mad at this point, which is all funny in that sort of ironic way if it weren't for the fact that he's stuck. He's stuck and he feels trapped, and he doesn't particularly like that feeling.

The place looks open and big but it's really little more than a glorified cage. And Bruce wouldn't mind much being here if only he were by himself— but no, let's pull in the guy who could tear this whole place apart in minutes and shove him in here with a bunch of other people. Brilliant idea.

But anyway. He tries not to focus too much on that, and instead worries about the ways he can try to keep distance from everyone else. Sadly, he soon realizes he can't do much about that either.

The choice of room (or more accurately, floor) is very much intentional, because as much as he wants to avoid being too close to certain people, he also feels the conflicting need to make sure they're alright. One of the first rooms in the seventh floor leave him somewhere close enough to the stairs, but not too far down the hallway, too close to everyone else's rooms. Could be worse.

As for the rest, it's... well, things could always be worse. Most times he manages to go to the kitchen or even the library without getting too much attention, but he still makes it back to the room pretty quickly. He holes himself up there for hours on end, blankets thrown over mirrors once he knows what's on the other side, looking out the window and musing how he would be better off just getting lost in the forest indefinitely. Probably.

He knows where these thoughts lead him, though. Eventually he forces himself to do something, and that starts with exploring the rest of the mansion. He goes to each open area and takes a look inside, taking his time when it's something that interests him more, makes it all the way down to the basement where he ends up looking around the lab for a little while, and goes up to the rooftop and stands somewhat near the edge for a while, looking over the expanse of land within sight. (And no, he's not thinking about jumping, if anyone might be wondering.)

It's too much. Too much and too little, too small, too confining. Every invisible limit makes his skin crawl with the urge to run, but he knows he can't. It's a particular kind of helplessness not even he is used to, and right now he has no idea what to do, where to start. If he can even do anything at all to change things.

He used to think he could. Change, do better. But he doesn't even know, doesn't even believe that anymore.

Comments

[agentxthirteen]

She straightens a little more, hands on her hips as she watches him. Her breath is still coming a little too fast, a little too heavy.

She doesn't know whether she dodged a bullet or not. Is there another Bruce, from another universe, or is this the same Bruce, but from a different point in time? Is there a potential, rage-induced monster tucked away somewhere, it's co...body? Host? Whatever. She'll figure out if it's still around later, and if it's still upset with her for lying about her occupation in an attempt not to upset its Bruce.

This is the convoluted, messed up life that she's somehow become accustomed to.

But this Bruce isn't that Bruce.

"Uh, sorry." She steps forward and offers her hand, keeping her movements slow enough that she won't startle him. "I'm Sharon. Nice to meet you, I guess." She looks at his water and fruit and frowns. There are more important things to address here, she tells herself, immediately before ignoring that little voice in her head completely and saying, "That's not all you're eating, is it?"

[hyperkinesia]

Not even he is sure what or who he is in relation to the other Bruces who have been here in the past, although so far it sounds like they were from the same universe, just with the memories of this place gone. For all he knows, he's the exact same one, he just forgot all about Wonderland and all his time here.

It's a little jarring, having all these people addressing him like they're friends or at least friendly acquaintances. Most times it's easily brushed off, but it can make for some awkward situations too. Thankfully so far that doesn't seem to be the case with this woman, and when she reaches out and introduces herself, he sets down the pear in his hand and takes hers for a brief shake. "Nice to meet you. Again."

The completely unrelated remark gets a raised eyebrow from him, pear picked back up as he looks at it, then back to her with a flicker of a smile. "It is right now. Why?"

[agentxthirteen]

She nods and shifts her stance. She catches a whiff of herself and steps away from him. Then, realizing how he might take that, and realizing what might happen here if he gets upset, she says, "Sorry. It's not you. It's me. I just got in from a run." She looks down at herself and shakes her head. "Obviously."

She takes half a breath and nods at the pear. "Because that's not a well-rounded meal."

She switches her weight to her other hip and studies him. "Look, I've got to ask. I know... what you can do. When you lose your temper. What are the odds that that's going to happen here? Have you learned how to... I don't know. But could he come out and hurt people?"

[hyperkinesia]

He's not that volatile, so really, she doesn't need to be that worried that he might lose control. Sure, there's probably a lot of things lurking around in this place that could easily set him off, but nothing in this conversation would do it. Despite what might have happened in his past, and despite being terrified of it happening again, he has better control than that.

"Maybe I already had a meal. Maybe this is just a snack." Said with relative humor that easily vanishes when she speaks again, and his smile turns tense and not at all genuine anymore.

"Why? Think I should lock myself up somewhere, just in case?" He presses his lips, inwardly kicking himself for his harsh tone. He knows why she's asking, and he knows she has all the right to. People should have a right to feel safe, to know they might not die at the hands of some rampant beast.

"Sorry. I'm... not sure I can answer that question. I'm fine right now, and I don't plan on losing control, but from what I hear, this place is far from stable. So I don't know. Maybe I'll manage to stop anything from happening, but it's just as likely that some event will trigger me. I couldn't tell you for sure."

[agentxthirteen]

Oh, shit. There she goes, sticking her foot in her damn mouth and possibly pissing off someone who should not be pissed off. Especially not at all. She tenses, then forces herself to relax. It isn't entirely successful, but hey. She's trying.

"I'm not sure there's a cell here that could hold you," she says honestly. "Unless Wonderland wants you held."

Crap. Maybe that's too much honesty?

She nods, looking away briefly before remembering her training. She doesn't want to treat him like a threat, but the fact of the matter is that she has no way of knowing if or when he will be a threat. She watches him for a couple seconds.

"Anything I can do to help?" she asks. "Other than maybe not ask if you're going to lose control?"

She crosses her arms, makes a face at the feel of sweat on her skin, and sets her hands on her hips again. She nods at his fruit. "Sorry. I'm just used to... people being really stupid about taking care of themselves." She swallows. For a spy, she sucks at coming up with lies. Or ways to sugarcoat things.

In her defense, there are so many idiots here who have no preservation instincts. None whatsoever.

"Good eating habits, though," she commends awkwardly. Her eyes flit to the doorway. She smells like a gym sock that died in a locker, and her conversation skills are reminding her of nearly flunking some of her classes at the Academy.

[hyperkinesia]

It takes a whole lot more than that to piss him off, honestly— not to mention that Bruce can get mad without completely losing it. It's the things that mess with his head that affect him the most, actually, and Sharon's definitely not doing anything like that.

What she says next doesn't get a hostile reaction either, only a look of resigned acceptance, and most of all, agreement.

"You're probably right. And I imagine if it did, it'd have done that already."

He kind of wishes it had, honestly. At least he wouldn't be a constant risk to everyone else just by being here.

"It's fine. I don't mind that you ask. I just can't give you a good answer because I'm... my condition isn't exactly all that stable. And I haven't been here long enough to know how much it'll affect me."

That said, he lifts the pear and turns it a little, still hesitant to take a bite. "My handle on things is closely tied to keeping a certain routine, and healthy eating and sleeping habits are definitely part of it. You don't need to worry about me." Said like he doesn't want her to. Not about this or anything.

Then he looks to the door too, raising an eyebrow. "You can leave if you want to."

[agentxthirteen]

She nods awkwardly. "And Wonderland can..." She casts about for the proper phrasing before giving up and twirling a hand next to her head. "Mess with you," she said at last.

When he politely informs her that she can leave, she glances at the door, then away. She shifts her stance. "I used to work for SHIELD," she says after a moment. "I know you don't always get along with them, but you should know that."

She meets his eyes. "And if I think there's a chance you'll lose it and hurt people, I will find a way to put you down. Not for good, since death doesn't stick here. But I'll put you down so you can't put other people down."

She takes a breath. "And this place won't let you have stability, doctor. You'll figure it out if you haven't realized it yet. There will be times you can't sleep or eat, there will be times it might even brainwash you, play with your mind."

Her shoulders relax. "I know it's unpleasant, and we don't really know each other, but I thought you should know. And even if you don't tell me about any contingency plans you put in place, you need to tell someone."

She takes a long, slow breath. Conversations like this are why she doesn't have a lot of friends, she thinks wryly.

"For what it's worth, I'm... sorry. This place is bad enough for people who don't have your... challenges."

[hyperkinesia]

"I've been told plenty about this place so far. I know how it works, and I know my chances of keeping any sort of control." Honestly, it's getting a little tiring hearing from people left and right how this place is dangerous for him, and how in turn that's all the more dangerous for everyone else. As if he's not the one who knows in all the worst possible ways how it is to live with his condition.

Her lack of insight into it all is all the more obvious when she says she'll find a way to stop him somehow, and he can't help but let out a huff that's more dismissive than anything else, his lips curving bitterly. As understanding as she's trying to be about everything else, that remark is what sticks with him, because she's not the first, nor will she be the last, having those sorts of plans, then tripping up all over them and making things even worse. She has no idea what she's dealing with, it's what Bruce thinks.

"I've lived with this for a decade now. I know what it's like, and I know what my problems are. You don't understand this, but take this warning as a very solid advice: when you go on your little quest to... put me down," like he's some sort of animal, "—do try your best not to make things even worse. Because believe me, if there was a way to put me down, I wouldn't be standing here right now. And I've seen people time and again trying to stop him, and it never worked out. If anything it only ended up worse, with more innocent people losing their lives."

It's a warning because... well, Bruce is the one who ends up with most of the guilt, while everyone who also had a hand in antagonizing the beast is only left with a vague weight on their chest and the feeling that they tried their best.

"You want to stop him from hurting people? The forest. That's where he needs to go. And he needs to be shoved in there by someone who can actually take him up. There's nothing you can do, nothing that can stop him. At least there he'll be lost and won't find a way back out to hurt anyone. And I've got more of a chance to steer him in there than you do of doing anything other than making him angrier."

[agentxthirteen]

She clenches her fists as she listens to him. She doesn't like people thinking she can't handle something, that she's too weak or stupid or inexperienced. It doesn't sting any less to know that he's right, that she doesn't know how to manage the Hulk. She's never met him back in their world, and she'd barely had anything to do with him at Wonderland.

"Sorry." Her tone comes out a little harsher than she'd intended, and she takes a breath. "Sorry," she repeats. "You're right. I can't take on the Hulk in a fight and expect to survive." But there was the rub. She hadn't expected to survive. What mattered was getting civilians to safety.

She taps her fingers against her arm, doing her best to ignore how awkward and frustrating this conversation has become. She hates being told she can't do something, that she isn't enough.

But what can she do against the Hulk? She's heard the stories. Saw the footage of the Battle of New York.

"Any way to lure him out?" she asks, grudgingly. Her eyes shift toward him, and she tries not to look as helpless as she feels. Because she isn't helpless, damn it. Not really. Not completely. "I can't do nothing. Not if someone might get hurt. Is there any way to lure him away? Or talk him down?"

[hyperkinesia]

This has nothing to do with thinking that she's weak or can't handle herself. He doesn't even know her, after all, but he knows the Hulk— a little too well, even—, and ultimately, that's what this is about. Not her, not her abilities, but the monster he has to live with, as well as the very real possibility that he might lose what control he has over him.

He gets where she's coming from, gets that she wants to help, but he has seen what people trying to help has done before when going up against the Hulk, and he seriously needs people to stop trying to shoot him down, because it only makes things even worse.

He's just about ready to keep up that argument too, but then she apologizes, and some of the tension eases up. He takes half a step back, shoulders hunching again as he looks away.

"It's fine." Well, it's not fine, but not because of what she said. Bruce can easily move past that, at least. He looks back to her for a brief moment at the question, evident that he has an answer to that but is just reluctant to offer it.

"Natasha. Natasha can do that." He crosses his arms tightly, lips pressed. "She can calm him down, turn me back to normal. I'm... not sure if it works in every situation, but it's the best chance we have in this place. Otherwise, anyone strong enough to take him on can just shove him into the forest, I guess."

[agentxthirteen]

"So, basically, run and get help," she says, her tone grimly amused. She sighs and wishes she could say she'd ever be capable of taking on the Hulk, through fighting or through talk, but it seems she can't even do the latter.

She couldn't beat Rumlow, couldn't stop the Helicarriers, couldn't protect Steve, couldn't survive zombies, couldn't figure out what was going on at Wonderland... There are a lot of things she can't do.

Funny. When she was young, she'd thought she was capable. Ha. Ha.

"Okay. Shit goes down, I tell Natasha ASAP. From our universe, I take it." She studies him a moment. "Does exercise help? With control? Or whatever it is you use?"

[hyperkinesia]

He nods, looking about as defeated as she does. He wishes he could tell her something else, offer some other way she could stop the Hulk, some kind of magic trick to knock the monster out or render him effectively useless, but he can't. There's no secret off switch, no pressure point— barring the beast's peculiar relationship with Betty, Natasha's lullaby is about the one thing that's managed to calm the monster so far. That, or just punching him repeatedly until the hole he digs into the ground is deeper than the Hulk cares to climb out of at that particular moment.

"You mean there's more than one? Wait, never mind. Don't... don't answer that." No offense to Natasha, but one of her is more than enough, thank you very much. "Yes, uh... exercise and meditation." And certain drugs he designed himself, but he's not about to share that with her.

[agentxthirteen]

Her spirits don't lift when he questions there being more than one Natasha, but after a moment, she forces a grin. "One is my neighbor. She's okay." Sharon likes her, at least. And she knows that Natasha better than the one from her own universe.

"I talked to someone here who talked about how a bunch of people from our world are actually comic book characters. I've been picking at them." She shrugs. "Can't recommend them, though. They're really... head-twisty."

She glances behind her as she debates internally for a moment. Decided, she turns back. "I can help with the exercise, if you want to risk it. It helps to keep fit for the events here, so I go for a run every day. I also operate the sparring facility on the first floor. Maybe I can help with self-defense stuff in a very slow, controlled fashion? If you think that would help?"

[hyperkinesia]

Bruce has no doubt that she can be as nice as the Natasha he knows is (at times), but that still doesn't change the fact that she's not the same. And maybe Bruce is just stubborn and paranoid enough to be naturally suspicious of any alternate version of people he's close to and cares about.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to stay away from those," he comments with a dry half-smile. He's not even going to ask if he also features in those comics because he sure as hell doesn't want to know if his problems, his issues, his whole life is printed onto paper somewhere out there for the whole world to see.

That smile turns a little more genuine, if curious, at her offer. "I do that too. All of that. Running, sparring. Martial arts, uh— I practice jiu jitsu, mostly, but I've also tried capoeira." It's obvious her offer's appreciated, though. Even if he's a little cautious when he speaks again. "Are you sure? Most people don't jump at the chance to spar with me."

[agentxthirteen]

Sharon shrugs. Is it too blunt to say that she thinks it's the only way she can help? After all, if she can't help people when he's the Hulk, the least she can do is help Bruce stay Bruce.

"If it helps, it helps. I'm trying to encourage everyone here to learn more about self-defense and keep prepared for dangerous things here. If you've already had some training, that's even better." She shrugs. "And if you're actually interested in doing all that, it's..." She waves a hand as she tries to find the words. "It's a relief, actually. Not everyone gives a crap."

She grins uncertainly. "And I don't have a lot of sparring partners. Just... if things get too much... Say something? I don't want to push you too far." Both as Bruce and as the Hulk.

[hyperkinesia]

It's a surprisingly nice offer, coming from someone who just moments ago was practically threatening to put him down if he was about to lose control. But Bruce doesn't take that to heart because he knows why Sharon said it, and he actually understands her point of view all too well.

"That would be much appreciated," he huffs a little, smiling. No one would want to see Bruce being pushed too far. Luckily he's got an array of trigger responses if he feels himself getting too close to his limits. "Alright, uh... that's actually pretty nice. I'll take you up on it, sure."