tampered | (no subject)

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(no subject)

When; September 20
Rating; PG
Characters; Bruce Banner

infernoandhearth
Summary; Bruce has worked out who Luke is and after a couple of days of thinking about it, he has requested a face-to-face in Xanadu.
Log; Bruce is a smart guy. Arguably, he's one of the smartest guys in his generation, but he's had a blind spot when it came to thinking about alternate universes and alternate versions of the same... archetype.

In this case, it took Luke's t-shirt to push the fact home. He's spent too much time considering the implications of every word they have exchanged since he arrived, and all he's really decided is that he and Luke have to get this out in the open.

Thus, he's out in the open. Xanadu is just as nice as the City guide said it was. He hopes it stays that way.

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[A glance to the side, and Luke looks more closed off when he looks back at Bruce.]

Can you trust me when I tell you I didn't?

[A shrug and he puts the sensor back in his pocket.]

There are points for and against you on that. I've done a lot of reading. If you think Xanadu's interesting, you should try the library in a city like this one.

Is there a lot on me? I've not found that. It kept giving me books on snakes, which I call rather rude. I didn't do anything to your sensors. I'm interested in working out Fangsey as well: it would be counterproductive, and please don't ask me about Fangsey now. I'll get to it later.

[And the conversation is ALWAYS THE BLOODY SAME. It's really boring. He's beginning to rethink his methods for this particular trick. Does nobody pass things on through word of mouth???]

I don't know if there's a lot on you or not. That's kind of the point. Which one are you? Which world are you from? Which book would be right? It's like I have a clear, sparkling, faceted stone that I want to research. Am I trying to read up about diamonds? I'm getting book after book about quartz and cubic zirconia and herkimer diamonds, and maybe this book is about diamonds, but may it's the right book and maybe it isn't.

[And he was angry at first, and he's still frustrated because he shouldn't be stuck researching a myth like it's something real. Only it's more than something, he's someone.]

[Pausing to consider for a moment, Luke decides to be very nearly forthright.]

Every book I've seen is right to an extent, but they mostly seem to be in the context of, well. I'm not the Devil. I'm not evil. And even then, it's worked out like gossip. So many people have told it to each other that they've messed up parts in the telling. Was there anything in particular you wanted to know? I can't promise I'll answer, but you can try.

It doesn't help that you're my third Loki. The first two didn't make the best impressions, and I'll tell you that the first one walked around in his own personal cloud of crazy.

Oh, Serrure's alright. His Odin is rubbish. I expect that explains a lot of it. [Not....really, Luke.] What did your first one do?

Mass murder, alien invasion, attempted fratricide. Although I might give him that last one. [He ducks his head a little.] If the t-shirt thing was true for him too.

And he used me. Or the "beast" inside me at least. I did mention the grudge thing.

It only becomes increasingly repetitive for me to do that, especially now an alternate self is involved.

[A headshake.] Thor isn't my brother. Odin is. [He laughs slightly, amused.] Thor actually came and apologised. I've no idea what your Thor is like, but if he's still a hero, he can't be all that different.

I described Thor as a jock to Sif. [No, that really is a faint smile.] Then had to carefully define the word.

[Luke, being from the British 70s, is a little vague on that term, but he gets the gist. And he doesn't like not fitting in, so he doesn't mention it.]

He is, rather, if not as much as Tyr. Though I've no idea if you even have one. Your Asgardians are a bit out of date, aren't they?

I don't know. I've only met Thor and Loki... and Sif, I guess, but anyone I meet here is suspect. Even if someone looks familiar and sounds familiar, they might be from a universe one step over from the one I think of as mine.

That's true, but does it really matter, if you don't remember this place when you go home anyway?

You're asking a man who is currently trying to collect data on the City and its environs. What do you think?

I mean, does it matter whether or not they're from your universe, other than academically?

Are you academic? You're a real person and you're really interested in both my sex life and my... condition.

Well, you ought to choose one, then. Is every individual separated by their universe? Will you stop judging Serrure based on your Loki? Or do the people one step along the chain of worlds have exactly the same relevance to you as the one you know?

[Bruce bends, almost folding over his midsection as though he has stomach pain, before he straightens again.] Questions I've asked myself. I probably haven't been fair to Serrure.

Not particularly. [That doesn't look healthy.] Would you like a moment?

[He's surprisingly resilient.] No, I'm okay. I'm not going to lose it, if that's what you're worried about. [Probably. Maybe. Probably.]

I'm not worried. [He actually isn't. He grew up with Jotunns. He's fine.]

I'm fine. [But he takes a moment to shift restively, run a hand over his face, and take a deep breath before getting back to the matter at hand.]

I'll try to give him a little more slack. [A little more rope with which to hang himself is more like it.]

Hm. [No thank yous from Luke. Only a considering face, directed towards Bruce.] The Other Guy isn't pleased with the notion, I take it. I wonder how he feels about me.

[He huffs air through his nose in a faint laugh.] The Other Guy isn't so good at being fair and rational, and I think it's fair to say that he and I are of one mind when it comes to wondering what you're really after.

[Good question. What is he EVER really after?]

Even Lokis have friends.