Past Friends

Part 71: Junkyard Party

For the rest of the car ride to New York City every time you managed to calm down one of the three guys would repeat the words "Puny God" in your ear while doing their best Hulk impression. Every time they did it you couldn't help but start laughing again and they in turn they couldn't help but find it very entertaining as well as kind of adorable. You felt terrible for laughing at a situation where Loki got hurt but you couldn't help it. You eventually were all laughed out as you reached the city, you had finally calmed down enough and put your goggles and face mask back on.

After calming down you talked with them and decided that Bucky and Sam would drop you guys off and keep the jeep with them so they could take Sarah and the nephews around. You and Peter didn't mind and the Big guy didn't care at all, you could always find a different way back to the Compound if necessary. Besides it would probably be a lot easier traveling around New York with a vehicle when you had two little kids with you. They drop you off and you wave goodbye before Bucky and Sam hightail it out of there so they weren't late to meet Sarah.

You looked down the road and could see a small town in the distance, it looked like a nice enough place but something seemed off about it. You swear you could see someone or a couple of someones staring at you from off in the distance. You dismissed the thought, paying it no mind as the three of you entered the Junkyard.

You enter into a massive Junkyard, it was the biggest one you've ever seen. Cars and other vehicles were stacked high, there were so many piles you kept losing count and you could see so many cool destroyed appliances hidden among the piles. You wanted to go run off and look around, there was something cool about exploring a spooky tech graveyard.

You were approached by a man who was very excited to see Hulk, and he quickly introduced himself as Rick Jones, owner of the Junkyard. Apparently Hulk and Rick met in New Mexico a couple years back, near a town called Vista Verde in the desert where Hulk saved his life. Since then they've been best friends and sometimes Hulk stops by to crush some cars, then they would usually get lunch together after selling off the crushed metal.

You and Peter were a bit surprised that Hulk had other friends outside the Avengers, and this one was a 'civilian' to boot. You knew that it was difficult for Hulk, considering what most people saw was just a giant rage monster, and although he was big and angry there was so much more to him. It was usually easier for superpowered individuals to understand Hulk, considering they could understand and empathize to a degree about what it was like being different. This Rick guy didn't have any superpowers but was super cool, positive, and funny, you were glad that Hulk had a friend like him.

Rick offers to show you around seeing as apparently it wasn't too hard to get lost in the Junkyard. "You'd be surprised how often people get lost looking around. Hell even I get lost from time to time when it's dark out" Rick says before telling Hulk about the cars he could bring out for him and his friends to smash and Hulk gets excited. As it turns out most of Rick's profit came from selling scrap metal and the like, not too big of a surprise considering it was a Junkyard. What did surprise you was his clientele, mostly artists and shop teachers looking for cheap materials for art projects.

You then asked Rick if he had any wooden pallets in good condition, and as it turned out apparently he had a building near the back of the Junkyard full of shipping pallets he couldn't get rid of. You take off your jacket, leaving it in his place, he lived on the property and actually had a nice place on the second floor above his shop and workspace. You open up your bag and pull out some tools, nails and work gloves to the surprise of Peter and Rick. You ask Rick if he has a hand saw you could use, seeing as it was the only tool that you didn't have but that you knew you needed. They can see you didn't come to play, you came to build, and build you would.

Rick tells you he has several and leads you back into his place showing you to a closet in his shop where he kept his tools. While you were picking out a nice hand saw and other tools to use Rick grabbed a car with his crane for Hulk to smash and an old computer for Peter to look at and pull apart. Rick then takes you through the huge piles of stacked junk pointing out to you a couple of the older vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s along the way. There was even an old school bus from the 1950s, it was absolutely destroyed but still really cool to see. Rick then asks you what you were planning on building and you respond with "I'm not 100% sure Mr.Jones". He insists you call him Rick before asking you what you've made in the past using wooden shipping pallets. "I've made large flower pots, a couple benches, a dog house or two and even a hot tub one time. Well the shell of a hot tub, the pump and water I didn't make... obviously" you reply and Rick laughs about the hot tub thing but you didn't think it was all that funny.

You get to the small building and it's pretty much just an over sized shed, nothing too impressive but when he unlocks the door for you it was a different story. There are several neatly stacked piles of wooden pallets, a large work bench, an old but super comfy looking couch as well as a couple larger wood related tools. It looked like a classic wood shop in a junior high school from a 90s tv show and you became super so excited. Rick didn't think it was all that special but seeing as you never went to a junior high school you thought it was so cool, you were living out an old dream.

It was probably more than a little weird that one of your dreams was making stuff out of wood in a shop class but you didn't care. You could pretend that you were staying late after class to finish your overdue project. Your teacher Mr.Allen acted all tough but was secretly super cool and understanding, plus he gave great life advice. He even ended up giving you an 'A' on your overdue project after learning your lesson about honesty.

Weird dreams aside you still had to pick out something to build but you weren't completely sure what. You could always build something that you built before but you wanted to try something new. As Rick was leaving to go back and get a few more for cars for Hulk to smash you pull out your phone to look for inspiration.

While Rick walked back to the front of the Junkyard he was in a super good mood. His best bud Hulk had more friends and was comfortable enough to introduce them to him. Hulk briefly mentioned the "Bug Man", the "Tin Man", and a few others but Rick was finally happy now that he knew the Avengers Hulk worked with saw him as friend and not just another monster. Rick smiled and whistle a happy tune as he made his way back completely unaware of the mercenary clad in dark red and silver bug themed armor watching and waiting in the distance.