11423/Long Distance Learning: Banner Style.

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Long Distance Learning: Banner Style.
Date of Scene: 02 May 2020
Location: Computer Lab - Xavier's School
Synopsis: Bruce visits Shannon at the school to discuss their mentorship... and ends up revealing far more about his circumstances than he thought he would
Cast of Characters: Hulk, Nightingale




Hulk has posed:
It's been a bit of a weird few weeks since Bruce agreed to tutor Shannon on the side. There's no set 'schedule', though Bruce has given Shannon advise and even some homework on occasion. It's not full blown teaching, but it's obvious that Bruce cares.

Throughout it all, Bruce has been patient, caring, but firm. It's also clear throughout their interactions that Bruce has an incredible intellect; he doesn't even seem to need to count out complex problem solving... it's just... there.

The connection has also been random and at times terrible; Bruce uses a satellite link on his mobile home, with minimal Starktech for it, and it shows. It's quite clear that Bruce keeps off the grid in many ways.

Today though... Bruce has come back to New York, and has said he'll be visiting soon at the school proper.

Nightingale has posed:
     True, the lessons from Dr. Banner had been sporadic at times, and the homework a very nice challenge. It didn't matter to Shannon. The point was, he took an interest and she loved the work. She was quickly learning to respect both his intellect, and his passion for what he did. Someone who cared enough to give of their time like that, she had no wish to disappoint. Besides, he had been quite honest from the start, contact would sometimes be a bit sketchy. It would all work out, somehow.

     And there was always food for thought, with every lesson. If she could tease apart the ins and outs of her own gifts, could she potentially one day help others with their own? In a way, she mused to herself, she and Dr. Banner had some points in common. Both had difficult gifts to live with at times, both were strong in their own ways, and both could do a great deal of good--but the gifts were sometimes difficult to learn about and gain a fuller understanding and control of.

     When word reached her that he might be visiting, she smiled to herself. Perhaps one day he might consider teaching here, even if part time. How many could benefit from a heart and mind like that? How many lives could be touched for the better besides her own?

Hulk has posed:
It's around the time Shannon is musing that she gets word of a visitor for her. 'Bruce Baxter' is the alias he seems to be using today. Seems he's going incognito to the general school, at least.

Nightingale has posed:
     Incognito to most of the school, perhaps, but Shannon just smiled to herself. It wasn't too hard to figure out who was en route, but neither was she going to say anything outright. When she meets her visitor at the gates, she's in her favorite simple blue sundress, that she had worn on her arrival at the school, and her flip-flops with daisies on the toes, to take advantage of the fine weather that day.

     With glacier blue eyes twinkling with mirth, and her laptop under her arm, she greets Dr. Banner at the gates. "Hi! Really good to see you! Hope you haven't been waiting too long?"

Hulk has posed:
"Not especially." Bruce responds. He's wearing a baseball cap, has his hands in his pockets, and has a slumped, unassuming posture. He's doing everything in his abilit to keep a low profile, and it's clear he's had a lot of practice with it.

Then again, when you're a fugitive for almost a decade, you tend to learn a few tricks.

"Seems quiet around here at least." Bruce notes, watching his surroundings. "Keeping out of trouble?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Chuckling softly, the winged teen shrugs, her feathers ruffling lightly. "That's... sort of relative," she offers, hedging just a little bit. "There /might/ have been a little something... or two... a couple weeks ago." A bit of a sheepish grin tugs the corners of her mouth upwards, as she heads inside the mansion, and in the general direction of the computer lab--which was relatively deserted with most classes out. "It might have gotten a little messy, but could have been worse."

     'Messy' from Shannon was like 'Ooops' from a surgeon.

     "What about you, though? How've things been going for you?" Usually cheerful, her demeanor had turned almost bubbly. It wasn't too often she had visitors.

Hulk has posed:
"The usual, finding a cure to my condition, keeping out of the public eye. Helping here and there when I can. Since the Avengers are quiet, I have time for my main work." Bruce informs Shannon as he walks into the lab, and sits down. Before long, the baseball cap is taken off and he fingercombs his hair.

"A little something? You kids sure do love adventures, don't you." Bruce half-asks as he looks to Shannon.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon grins a little sheepishly at Doctor Banner, scratching the back of her head. "It ummm... well, it /might/ have involved helping to rescue Superman." This was one girl who certainly didn't do things by halves, by the looks of it! She does raise one hand, her cheeks going a little bit red, and cracks a lopsided smile. "Before either you or Cap can ask, no, I didn't go in alone. He managed to drum that much into my head, at least. Talked one of the teachers into going with me."

     Listening to Doctor Banner talk about what's been keeping him occupied, her brows furrow lightly. This was a subject she was curious about, but wasn't quite sure how to broach. "I've seen The Other Guy, and the transition between the two of you... but how did it all get started? I mean... if it's not one of those delicate subjects."

Hulk has posed:
"It's not delicate. Just... Talking about it isn't something most people care about, you know?" Bruce notes as he leans back casually, crosses his arms lightly. "I heard about that, with the Superman thing. Glad to hear he's alive, at least."

Then, he takes a deep breath, "I was working on gamma radiation projects for the government. Gamma bombs were the next big thing in those days. Neutralize your enemies without the lingering radiation and cost in human lives? Any country in the world would love to have that kind of weapon, right? It would make war costly in material, not people."

Then, he leans forward, "The first test was meant to help calibrate the yield. No one living was supposed to be on the field... except someone was." He shrugs, "I got the kid into a safety trench in time.... and I did not. Boom, bathed in enough gamma radiation to kill anyone no matter how non-lethal it was supposed to be."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon nods, listening quietly. "Except it didn't kill you. It actually made you a whole lot harder to kill." Now, she actually smiles, canting her head slightly as she peers over at him. "Even then, you were protecting someone else. Something that The Other Guy does, from what little I've seen, like when he brought my best friend home."

     A light sigh escapes her. "On one hand, it can be a very powerful blessing, being able to protect others like that. On the other, though, I can only imagine how difficult a gift it is to live with." She looks down at her hands. "A tiny bit like being able to heal others, but having it hurt you at the same time, in its own way."

Hulk has posed:
"'Gift'." Bruce almost curses the word. "I keep hearing that word as if it applies to him." Bruce tilts his head, bringing up a hand as he counts off fingers. "I'm a raw nerve. One touch to the sensitive sides of it, and it gets set off. I lose all control and wake up hours, days... weeks in the future without any idea how I got there... or who I might have managed to piss off this time."

Another finger, "I have fools constantly hunting me as they try to find ways to use *me* to control The Other Guy... as if we're somehow linked." Another finger counted, "The Other Guy is constantly destroying everything around him, as the only thing he knows how to do is punch his way out of trouble... and I get blamed for it." Another finger, "I can't have any meaningful relationships and stay in one place, or else I put those around me in danger.."

"Some gift."

Nightingale has posed:
     Struck to silence, the winged teen simply listens, the furrows between her brows deepening by the second. Her eyes mist over as the full impact of what Doctor Banner has to deal with on a daily basis hits home. "I'm sorry," she whispers, reaching over to gingerly touch his hand. "Is there anything I can do to help?" What more could be said?

Hulk has posed:
"Most people only see the Hulk, and think 'wow, that's cool! I'd love to be a super cool green guy who can take on anyone!' Without considering the cost or the implications." Bruce notes. For the first time, using the name given to his alternate self. "What they really mean to say is 'I want to be a mostly mindless rage machine of destruction without a care for the collateral damage I cause without any control over it!'"

He smiles, bitterly, "I understand The Other Guy is powerful, and sometimes means well, but that doesn't mean I'm not left with the mess he makes. He doesn't think in terms of good or evil. He defends himself and those around him to a point. That's it." Then, he shakes his head, "There's nothing anyone can do for me, unless they can somehow stop my body from generating gamma radiation."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon shakes her head, her own smile a bit on the bittersweet side. "I can't do that. No idea where to even begin." She tilts her head, glacier blue eyes peering over at Doctor Banner. "But I can be here to listen, and if there's something I can do to help in your work, I'm more than willing." The ache to do something to help, and the frustration of being unable to do so, both vie for dominance in her expression, a single tear spilling its banks to trickle down her face.

     Yet, the one thing lacking is fear. She does not pull away, or cringe.

Hulk has posed:
"I never expected it. I'm the worlds foremost expert on gamma radiation and amongst the best in biology... and everything I've tried has just made my resistance to reversal stronger." Bruce brings up a forearm, pulling down the sleeve. "You could say that I'm not even fundamentally human anymore. My physiology is unique... and more towards the mutant scale than anything else. If I were mostly human, my cells would have reverted by now."

He looks back to Shannon, "suffice to say I'm pretty sure at this point I'll be this way for the rest of my life... and I can't even say for sure I still have a human lifespan."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon smiles a little bit at that. "Funny thing is, neither can I. Something to do with my healing factor, which has only grown stronger every time my body repairs itself from healing someone else." She shrugs, and looks out the windows towards the backyard, and the lake shimmering like a pool of liquid silver beyond. "I've heard of others with that as well, right here at the school."

     She goes stock still for a moment, a thoughtful expression settling over her youthful features. "You just said your physiology was likely closer to a mutant's than anything else. What if that's the place to begin, then?" She cracks a small smile, a glimmer of hope beginning to displace the utter helplessness and despondency of a few moments before.

     "I was wrestling with some rough stuff at the time myself, and wound up having one of those long talks with Cap over it, around the beginning of this past autumn. One of the things he told me about the school was.. "There's no place in this world like it, with the collection of minds 'nd abilities on display.'" She smiles somewhat wider, letting that sink in for a moment. "Maybe that could hold true in this case as well. Think about it. If your theory is that your changes have gone more towards the mutant end of things, then this could be a place to start. It couldn't hurt to at least talk to Mr. Summers and Miss Grey about it, if not possibly the Professor himself."

Hulk has posed:
"I don't know if it's actually *true*" Bruce points out, "But it can't hurt to try, I suppose. If nothing else, the Professor might be able to help me get some blood samples easier. Is he around, do you know?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shakes her head, and shrugs. "I haven't seen him since a little earlier in the winter, but I've seen both miss Grey and Mr. Summers around. I've got shop class on Monday mornings with Mr. Summers. If you like, when I talk to them next, I can ask they contact you, or relay a message from you if that's better." Yeah, she hadn't forgotten how Doctor Banner was often on the move out of necessity.

Smiling a little bit wider, she ruffles her wings. "Seems both of us could have a lifetime of questions to ask, and not even know how long that lifetime is. But, at least neither has to ask those questions alone."