Valen: A Collector's Item

What the fu-

Bruce swiped his hand down his face. He rubbed his eyes a couple of times to make sure his eyesight was working. "Valen?"

"Can I come in?" She nodded her head at the open door he was blocking.

"Yeah. Yeah, come in." He moved out of her way but confusingly watched as she sat down on his couch.

It was a small apartment. One bedroom, one bath. The kitchen was mixed with the dining and living room. It was enough for him.

Before approaching the girl that he was sure was a hallucination or dream, he poured her a glass of water. When she refused it, he drank it himself. "You said you needed my help? Do I need to call someone? Does Tony know you're here?"

"I do, no, and no. And you can't call him." She hastily said.

"Not sure he would believe me if I did." He whispered as he took another sip

"He would."

"He would?" Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"He would."

"Oh ... he would." He wasn't completely surprised. Tony has many secrets. This wouldn't be the first one to spring up on him like this.

Valen rubbed her hands together. She felt awkward and didn't know what to say. Instead, she looked around his apartment taking in the zero decorations she could accidentally destroy.

"I don't need much." He answered when he saw her about to question his taste in home decor.

She nodded her head. "Cool, cool, cool, cool."

"Why are you here, Valen?"

Her instinct was to question if he didn't want her here but then again she did come unannounced. "When we first met, you agreed to help me figure out all I can do. If there was more or how much I could control of what I did have. I need your help answering those questions again."

"Valen, I don't have that research with me anymore. It got destroyed a while ago. Did you hear about the bombings?"

"I did. I came home because of it." She bit her cheek hard enough to bleed to stop herself from feeling all those emotions again.

"Who all knows you're alive?"

"Almost half of everyone now. Still a few I haven't seen or talked to. Technically, no one is supposed to know."

"Glad to know I'm not the last one." He chuckled but cleared his throat wanting to explain himself. "I'm not too surprised. There was no funeral and Tony seemed off more than usual. Nat, too. I figured something was going on. I guess it was to try and keep you prot-"

"Stop." Valen raised her hand to stop him in his tracks. "I get it."

"Right. As I said, Valen, I don't have anything relating to what we worked on. We would have to start from scratch."

"I have some things. New information. Theories. I can send it all to you and what I don't have we can figure out together. If you knew what was going on-"

"What's going on?" He interrupted.

"I don't know. It's all new but not at the same time. It feels out of control and worsens when I'm angry." Valen started to bounce her knee as she recalled the moments when she was angry and the actions that followed. Her eyes started to water at the hurt and pain she felt.

Bruce's water swayed side to side in his cup. His hand was still, but inside the glass, it was as if it were a stormy sea. When the water reached the rim and spilled over the side and onto his carpet, he reached for Valen's shoulder.