Inside Voices ▷ Bruce Banner | ✓

23 - OUT ON THE TOWN

THE SEARCH FOR HER MASTERS WAS STIFLING. Fury was around more often, and if he wasn't there in person, he was calling in, and it wasn't that she didn't like him, she just didn't like how blunt he was. They were very similar, but he chose to be blunt, she simply knew no other way. But he had good intentions and Arabella was always happiest whenever he was around, so she decided to hold her tongue, if only to keep the peace.

"We're chasing down leads, we had to backtrack to contacts of people who probably could pay and would be willing to pay to get rid of some of the people that you killed," Clint explained, groaning as he sprawled out along the couch, his mouth stretching out widely as he yawned.

"Okay," she replied, because there wasn't much else she could say.

"Are you okay with this?" Clint asked, raising his head, "Because we're digging pretty deep, and Bruce said you don't wanna know anything about anything, is that still true?"

"Yes, I don't want to know anything," she insisted, shifting in her seat before sighing and setting her tablet aside to look at him, "I don't want anything to do with them. I just want what I have now."

Clint nodded in understanding, licking his lips as he looked over towards Natasha and Arabella who made their way up, laptops in hand, hands a blur as they moved as quickly as they could, Natasha tossing Clint's over towards him.

"We've got some leads, I tabbed the ones you need to vet," Natasha explained, falling into the seat in the middle, Arabella next to her.

She watched as the three agents began working in tandem, their fingers flying over the keys as they worked, eyes narrowed, and it was amazing to watch as they fell into a focus she had yet to see from them except when they were in the training room or playing board games.

She looked over to find Tony, Bruce, and Steve climbing up the stairs, Steve and Bruce engrossed in conversation while Tony listened idly, making a beeline for the fridge, opening it and groaning a few moments later.

"Bruce...we're out of food..." Tony whined, turning around to look at the older man, "Help..."

"Tony, I can see food right there," Bruce scoffed, motioning behind him and Tony whined again, shaking his head, causing Steve to stifle a laugh and shake his head.

"We ran out of the yogurt," he explained, and Bruce nodded in understanding, running a hand through his hair.

"I'll go out and buy some more then. We ran out of bread and milk yesterday anyways, we might as well stock up," he hummed, already making a list in his head, allowing his gaze to turn towards the couch where she sat.

"Marnie," he called out, catching her attention, smiling when she looked up, her eyebrows raised, "You wanna come with me, we're running to the store."

Everyone reacted, all of them surprised with the offer. 

"Are you sure it's a good time, Bruce, she hasn't been out yet and we still haven't found the bastards that did this to her," Steve asked, reaching out to touch his arm, and Bruce turned to look at him, shrugging.

"It would be good for her to start interacting with the outside world, all she knows is us, and it'll just be the store, I'll be with her the entire time and you know I just keep to myself, it'll be like people watching. Acclimating to a new environment instead of diving headfirst," Bruce reasoned, but then he looked over towards her shrugging, "But it's up to you, Marn."

She sat there for a few moments, mulling over the choice in her mind. She had yet to go out into the outside world and she had more than her fair share of trepidations. After all, she had yet to meet a person who didn't understand what she had been through and there was always the fear of regressing, of hurting someone else, she couldn't risk that.