asgardeventide

Did you know it is actually possible to pick up ghosts with an EMF detector? Though it's also perfectly possible that this thing is just picking up general ambiance, I mean, the bracelet, for one, she really seems to set it off.

[Bruce murmurs, almost to himself, vaguely aware that he's broadcasting but honestly more focused on the shade in front of him, and the strange collection of scraps and stripped wires and pen lights that he's rotating carefully. It's sort of tricky to make sure it doesn't fall apart as he does, and the spirit ahead of him seems to be intent on complicating matters by moving inexorably closer to him.

He's almost distracted enough by the device that he doesn't realize until she's a few seconds away, at which point there's a sort of jar of realization as she murmurs;]

I would have made it out on my own, if I hadn't had to go back to get-

[Her voice is somewhere right between sadly mellow and fingernails on slate, and what she's saying makes him swear in surprise. The video ends abruptly.

He is going to be significantly motivated to deal with this problem.]

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Because you're more equipped to handle the supernatural than I am?

[He challenges, before powering up the device. Which, anticlimactically, spits sparks.

It is not supposed to be doing that. He turns it off in a hurry, muttering abuse under his breath. It'll take until Tony's visit to get it working well enough to do a test run.]

You're just a guy now. Don't forget that.

[ he might be just a guy sans hulk, but she's still a highly trained operative, assassin and spy. which yeah, kind of makes her a bit more qualified, sorry, bruce. hey, look at it this way; in one sense, she's saying she'd die for you.

not that she wouldn't be pissed once she got revived and sent back. ]

I'm assuming that's .. not normal?

I'm still capable.

[He points out, quietly. A long time living on the run, and a reasonably advanced training in martial arts from more than one corner of the world...

But for the time being, his challenges are purely technical. He starts taking the component that's the culprit apart.]

It'll be fine. I just need parts that Tony's bringing over.

[ he's got more than a point there. maybe it's just the overwhelming ... green that makes her forget that. ]

I suppose we've hit a wall then.

While you've given yours the slip, you should get some rest. Want to borrow my room for half an hour?

[Catnaps are how you survive situations like these, he's intimately aware.]

[ why is she even considering this. bad spy. ]

.. There are .. a lot of them. I wouldn't want to do that to you.

I'm sure everyone says this, but objectively speaking?

I really don't rattle easily.

[He can handle her demons.]

[ she studies him for a long moment, glancing over at the pair of ghosts and then nodding, slowly. this feeling .. it's uncomfortable, trusting someone. if Barton were here, she wouldn't hesitate to let him do this for her - but he'd saved her life, in a way and that was different. this was .. something else. ]

All right. But if it gets to be too much, you wake me up, ok?

I will. I'm not just saying that.

[He assures her, shortly. He won't get in over his head so she can get an extra half hour, that would be more stress than the catnap was worth.]

Go. The more time you can get, the better.

[ well, if he insists. she heads into the other room, pausing in the doorway to toss a glance over her shoulder. it seems strange .. to just go without saying something. but what to say? finally, she settles on: ]

.. Thanks, Bruce.

Sleep well.

[He answers, distractedly, elbow deep in his tinkering once more and happy as a clam about it, even with all the dead people.]

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