milliways_bar | (no subject)

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he had slept on and off for days and now he comes abck down and settles at the bar. He asks her for a glass of water and gets it along with a note.

He blinks at it and goes paler yet. He drags himself, and his water, and the note to a booth and sits there, staring into space, in shock, his mind still roiling from fear and nightmares and worse things. tears, silent and unnoticed, slowly track down his face.

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"Hey," says Steph, looking at him anxiously. She doesn't know him, but since when does that matter in Milliways?

It's a short drop from the rafters above the bar to the seat beside him, and she makes it with grace. "Hey, are you okay?"

he blinks at the new voice, the new face and smiles a little, but it fails to light his eyes and the misery in them.

"Not really."

He takes a long draught of the water in front of him.

"Yeah, I figured," Steph says, lightly. "'S why I came over. Is there anything I can do to help? I mean, if it's a problem with someone else or something, I'm totally on Security."

She hasn't seen the notes yet, though.

He sighs.

"Not really. I dont think there is anything anyone can do to help. Not now."

He looks down and then back up at her.

"My name is Bruce Banner and I think I may be wanted for questioning by Security..."

His voice is tired and miserable and just hoarse from crying and more.

"Wanted for questioning?" Steph repeats, curiously. "I haven't heard - but I've been distracted lately." She tucks her legs up underneath her and looks at him, thoughtfully. "I'm Steph. What's it about?"

"I have a condition... have you ever heard of Multiple personality Disorder?"

Steph nods, still listening cautioiusly. "Yeah. Yeah, there're quite a few --" (crazies) "- people in Gotham we had to watch out for, with that. You, huh?"

"Yeah. It never manifested until I had an accident with a testuing facility, Gamma radiation, a kind of energy that suns put out. I was irradiated and it charged my body, bringing out latent powers. But the kicker was that the powrers only show up when my other personalities take over. They do so most often when I am angry, or stressed, or in physical danger. "

he shakes his ehad.

"I become amonstrosity that most on my world call the Hulk."

"Mmm," Steph says, noncommittally. "And Security wants to talk to you for something you did while you were this Hulk?" She's not accusing, just asking, voice still light. He totally doesn't look like a bad guy.

"Something I may have done... I think. I dont know if I did or didnt. When I am the Hulk, the other pesonalities are in control and when I change back, I dont remember anything."

he sighs and rests his ehad on his hands.

"Someone was attacked recently, at the same time as I was the Hulk, in apparently the same area... and I dont know.... if I did it, or if... I didnt... I... I have nbo idea what to do."

he groans, tears shimmering in his eyes.

"Well, we can find out," Steph reassures him, anxiously. She hates seeing people cry, especially guys. "There's magic users and everything. They'll be able to, like, trace where you were, and stuff. And there's people everywhere in the Bar, someone'll have seen you. Or him. Or however you're supposed to refer to it."

She brushes Bar's surface gently, murmuring, and a box of tissues appears, which she hands over to him.

"We'll find out. And, look, if it was Hulk, I don't think anyone's gonna hold you responsible. Security's a smart bunch. They'll know the difference. And if they don't I'll tell 'em."

He smiles faintly at her.

"Thank you. I just fouind out from a friend that they might be looking to talk to me, so I figured I would come down, but I haven't seen anyone from security save you. Not that I actually know anyone from security."

he chuckles darkly.

"I'm tired. This place was a refuge, a place to hide from this madness, and now it has happened here too..."

"Yeah... I know how that feels," Steph says, thinking back to the time - well, before Billy. BC and AD, pff. It's Before Billy and After Billy, now. "I can take you into the office, and we could wait for someone there, if you want?"

He shrugs.

"Whatever works. I dont know how security works here. For a man with my life, I have managed remakrably to not get in trouble here yet. Um.. whatever sounds best to you?"

He looks at her helplessly.

"...I don't know when anyone'll actually be around, though," Steph says. "Maybe - hmm. Do you live in the Bar? Have a room?"

He nods.

"Yes. Room 1004."

He cocks his head at her.

"Idea?"

"Well, do you have to leave the Bar, for any reason?" She tilts her head, thinking. "I could leave a note saying you know they're looking for you and you're available whenever, but it wouldn't work so well if you were out of the Bar when they wanted you."

"I will be here. Normally I am off when things get bad... but this is... as close to a home as I have. I will be here in Bar as long as I am needed."

He nods.

"I can be found either in my room or here, for meals."

He looks down again, tired to the bone.

"I appreciate it. A lot. Thank you, Steph. I just want... to get whatever over."

"Hey." She puts a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be okay. Things are never as bad as you think, y'know?"

A tired, bitter chuckles is forced out.

"If it is so here, then it willbe the first time ever that this has been so for me, Steph, but thank you."

he sighs.

"Bar, some soup please?"

A large bowl appears and he eats some before glancing up, tiredly.

"You are a good person."

Steph laughs, and it's not nearly as bitter a laugh as it would have been even two months ago. "Nah, I'm just me. Wouldn't be human if I didn't care about others, would I? I'll go put that note in the office, then, and I'll tell them you're just as worried as we are. Room one-thousand four, was it?"

"I have met some remarkably uncaring humans in my time, but I understand. Thank you. And yes, 1004."

he smiles faintly, but it is a true smile.

"Thank you a lot."

"For real, don't worry about it," Steph says, smiling at him. "I'll let you know how things go."

She uncurls her legs and jumps up, into the rafters again, and is gone. Quickest way across the room, of course.

He glances after her and then goes back to his soup. He knows things are darker thasn she says, but... maybe not so dark as he feared.

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