Inside Voices ▷ Bruce Banner | ✓

15 - NAME GAME

IT TOOK HER SOME TIME TO REALIZE THAT SHE HAD YET TO HAVE A NAME. Having grown up without one, she didn't think much of it, especially since she had no one to refer to her by a name unless she was to go out on a mission, but with everyone around her having names, it slowly became apparent to her that she was an anomaly, though it took her some time as the others weren't wholly inclined to point it out to her.

Not to mention Tony's habit of nicknaming everyone in the Tower.

"Cough up the coffee, Legolas, I paid for that," Tony said, dark circles under his eyes, looking more dead than alive as he trudged towards the counter.

Clint, who was drinking straight out of the pot, pointed towards the other pot that was currently brewing, and Tony groaned, resting his forehead against the counter as he waited for the coffee to finish.

"Don't you have one in the lab, Stark?" Clint asked, watching the smaller man with vague interest, still half asleep.

"King Kong is hogging it all," Tony grumbled, and Clint laughed at the name, though she had yet to understand the reference, though Steve had the movie written down in his journal, and he promised to invite her when he went through and checked off certain items.

"How's the work going?" Clint asked, though he seemed uncomfortable with having to make small talk, continuing to drink straight from the pot of coffee in his hands.

"It's going great, but it's hard when we keep getting interrupted by Capsicle and Tinkerbell," Tony sighed, but his tone wasn't irritated, rather fond, and Clint smirked at it, though he did roll his eyes.

She watched the two of them interacting, glancing behind her when she heard footsteps, finding Natasha walking in, looking down at a file in her hands, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and Clint looked up, walking over to her.

Tony looked up as well, turning and leaning back against the counter, bracing his arms, and he glanced over towards her, the two sharing a look; he had been ecstatic when they had been able to do that, as he loved making faces about his teammates in a loving way.

After a good time of silence, Clint and Natasha no longer looking at the file, just communicating through their own series of looks which were wholly unreadable, and it was clear Tony was more than impatient.

"Bonnie and Clyde, care to share?" he called out, and the two turned to look at him, neither looking all that impressed with his quip.

"We asked someone to investigate for us about where she's from," Natasha explained, gesturing over to where the older woman was seated, eating her pancakes on the counter, "We have a few leads to go off of."

"What happened to not telling anyone about her?" Tony asked, crossing his arms, and Natasha waved her hand dismissively.

"That's why we asked only one person, he's the only one we've worked with, he's trustworthy," she said, and Tony visibly relaxed, looking wholly shocked that she was willing to admit that she trusted someone.

"Well, whoever this guy is, let's hope he's good," Tony said, grabbing the coffee pot and heading downstairs, "If you need me, I'll be making sure Dr. Jekyll doesn't blow up my lab without me. I want to be there for that."

The three watched as he left, and she continued to eat her pancakes, looking over to Clint and Natasha who were going over the folder.

"Can I see?" she asked, because if this was about her, she wanted to know about it.

"Maybe later, Cheese," Clint said, and both she and Natasha looked over to him, Natasha looking wholly disappointed and confused at his statement.

"What?" he asked, looking baffled and offended at their lack of support, "She likes cheese, it's like her favorite food, isn't it?"