001: Video

[hulkbusted]

[The man on the screen looks utterly exhausted. Haggard might even be apt considering the greyish pallor of his skin under his dark stubble and the even darker circles under his eyes. When the video jostles in his hold for a moment, it displays his bare chest before coming up to his face. He looks like he tried to wash off some combination of mud, sand, and various other things best not examined too closely and didn't do too great a job of it. Despite that, he tries for a tired smile and a finger taps the screen before withdrawing.]

First off, I'd like to say that Tony Stark makes the world's most durable phone. I'd do a testimonial commercial, but that might be in bad taste.

Second, I've read some of the information available and I think you'll understand it's not the easiest thing to swallow, but I'm going with it as a working theory for now. Don't ask why, it's a long story.

Third... [He trails off and turns his head away from the camera before looking back at it] I don't know what the third is, let's say I want to issue a blanket apology and leave it at that.

[ooc: The Hulk ended up getting stuck outside at sundown and fought (pounding and getting pounded on) all night. Between that and a chitauri invasion, I figure Bruce is feeling a little run down.]

Comments

[blondejokes]

I wouldn't know, he didn't really expand on it.

How did you ... turn back?

[hulkbusted]

[Have a tiny fraction of an explanation.]

I took a nap.

[blondejokes]

...That's it?

[hulkbusted]

Did you want something else?

[blondejokes]

I tried putting you to sleep with a genjutsu but it didn't work.

[hulkbusted]

A what?

[blondejokes]

Genjutsu. It's an illusion.

[hulkbusted]

People have tried stronger things than illusions that didn't work.

[blondejokes]

I'm not surprised.

[hulkbusted]

The next time you see something like that, you might want to listen to the expert and run.

[blondejokes]

I'll keep that in mind.

[hulkbusted]

I'd appreciate it. The other guy isn't really the forgive and forget type.

[blondejokes]

'The other guy', that's what you call it?

[hulkbusted]

[Oh what the hell, the cat's already out of the bag anyway.]

I do, but a lot of people call him the Hulk.

[blondejokes]

Huh. It fits.

I'm Ino, by the way. Ino Yamanaka.

[hulkbusted]

Bruce Banner.

I guess it does.

[blondejokes]

Is there any other information you need on this place?

[hulkbusted]

I don't suppose you know anything about the Core or who's guarding it?

[blondejokes]

A little. For starters, both of the factions here are guarding it and refusing anybody to even try to fix it. There's another entrance to it in the lake, I was told.

Its a machine that can bring people back from the dead, from the past and future, and completely different universes.

[hulkbusted]

No one said anything about bringing people back from the dead. [That's the most far-fetched of far-fetched things in his day.]

[blondejokes]

That's what it does.

[hulkbusted]

I have already reached my quota of believing six impossible things before breakfast.

[blondejokes]

You might want to expand your quota limit.

[hulkbusted]

I'd rather not. My quota's met, my dance card's full, my weeble has been wobbled. I think it's in everyone's best interest if I go somewhere and [freak out] meditate.

[blondejokes]

Weeble?