Unexpected

The Not-Quite Therapy Session

Once I had the report up on my screen I nodded to Tony, letting him know that he could start as I held my fingers over the keyboard. He closed his eyes, his face thoughtful, before beginning in a rather dramatic voice like he was narrating some sort of cinematic tragedy, "A famous man once said "we create our own demons.""

I rolled my eyes at the drama queen before me, realizing that this report was actually going to be some sort of therapy session mixed with a performed story-telling. Well, it was too late now to interrupt him... it was obvious he was already on a roll as he continued, "Who said that, what does it even mean? Doesn't matter. I said it 'cause he said and so now he was famous and it basically being said by two well-known guys, I don't... uh..." he trailed off with a bit of a groan, "I'm gonna start again... Let's track this from the beginning."

I grinned, nodding my head as the billionaire shifted and started his story again, going way back to New Years Eve at the turn of the century. My fingers flew over the keys of my computer, trying to keep up with all the details Stark laid out as he continued with his story describing the beginnings of his relationships to Maya and Killian and the more modern happenstances that lead up to our fight at the oil rig on Christmas Eve. I must admit his story was interesting, and I gathered all I could about how he'd figured out that there was something weird about the Mandarin explosions and his trip to good ol' Tennesse, meeting the kid Harley and all, and how he'd infiltrated Trevor Slattery's mansion. After that point his story went right along the one I'd told in my own report to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Banner, on the other hand, didn't seem to be quite as interested as I was in the tale. His head slowly started drooping as, out of the corner of my eye, I watched him doze off. It took everything in me not to smirk and giggle at it, but at the same time I didn't want to direct Stark's attention to our sleeping companion. Let the man sleep. I needed to keep Stark's attention on the report anyways. Holding back my amusement, I only interupted Stark occasionally with clarifying questions.

"So, your suits... all of them... are gone?" I asked near the end of his story.

"Yep." He answered simply without hesitation.

I blinked astounded, "Wow."

"Yeah, well, I have an excuse in being so grandiose." He shrugged, his eyes still closed, "I am me after all."

"True." I smiled, glancing over what I had written so far, which was the narrative section that covered the events Stark went through, seeing if I needed to ask anymore questions, "I think that's it... I can use this information to fill out the rest of the report forms. You've been very helpful."

"Yeah, you know, and thank you, by the way, for listening."

"Well, it's kinda my job." I shrugged.

"Just something about getting off my chest and just getting it out into the atmosphere instead of holding this in. I mean, this is what gets people sick. Wow, I had no idea you were such a great listener."

I sucked my lips into my mouth, unsure of how to answer him. He was talking to both Bruce and I here, but he had no idea that Bruce had conked out straight at the beginning of his story which was maybe two hours ago.

"Being able to share all my intimate thoughts and experiences with someone, it just cuts the weight of it in half, you know?" His eyes opened, looking at the wall in front of him. I nodded my head, still pinching my lips closed between my teeth trying to not let any snickering escape me, "It's like a snake swallowing it's tail. Everything comes full-circle."

Then Bruce's glasses dropped. I'd been wondering for the last half hour or so how he'd mananged to keep ahold of those while asleep, but now they'd escaped and the sound of them dropping startled the scientist awake. Shifting, he groaned as he was suddenly startled into consciousness again.