《A Twist Of Marvel || Infinity War》45. Nice Guy
Advertisement
The camera was still rolling, but the Hulk was no longer in frame. Instead, Naomi Swanson stared at Bruce Banner through her screen, too shocked to say anything, or even put down the phone. Bruce himself was even more stunned, finding himself seated in a giant, semi-destroyed concrete room with a strange woman filming him. He was pretty used to being half-naked by this point however, so that wasn't too high on his priority list. For a moment, he stared into the camera, and idly wondered what the woman had captured with it.
"Bruce.." She breathed, and finally ended the recording. Fumbling, Naomi shoved the phone into her armor's empty thigh sheath, and gently took a few steps toward him.
"Uh, who are you?" He croaked out, his voice rusted from not being used for a long time. Bruce gathered up the Hulk's shorts around him, and eased himself into a standing position.
"Um, my name is Naomi Swanson, i'm, uh," she hesitated, sensing that launching into the whole 'movie dimension' bit wasn't the best option at the moment. "Im with Thor." She decided. Bruce eased visibly, though he still clutched the shorts around him tightly, and his eyes were wary.
"Is he here?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah he is." Naomi nodded, shifting her weight from foot to foot. In all her meetings with superheroes, this had to be the most uncomfortable. The man just woke up half naked with her filming him, who knew what he could be thinking.
"Can I see him?" Bruce asked. Clearly, he was thinking about Thor.
"Oh, of course! Yeah, I'll take you to him." She grinned, and motioned for the scientist to follow her. "We'll get you some proper clothes too." Bruce nodded bashfully, and followed her out the door.
Advertisement
The two strolled down the hallway, palpable tension in the air. Bruce walked at least a foot away from Naomi, and kept sneaking confused glances at her. "Where are we?" He asked tentatively.
"Um, Sakaar. You're not on Earth anymore, Dr. Banner." She said. Naomi shrugged apologetically, shifting to face him, and walking backwards in the process. She could only pray that she wouldn't run into anything in front of an Avenger. Bruce's eyes widened, and his gaze darted about the hallway he now knew to be alien architecture. Unfortunately it was a pretty boring hallway, and an anti-climactic introduction to another planet. "Earth is fine, though." Naomi added. "For now, anyway." His head whipped toward her, and that confused stare landed on her.
"What does that mean?"
"I'll explain later, best to get you settled in here first." Naomi toyed with her fingers, switching back around to face forward to avoid a staring contest between them. Unfortunately, this led to silence as they rounded the next corner, something Naomi normally appreciated, but couldn't stand in that moment. "Big fan of your work, by the way." She blurted, grimacing when she realized what a terrible impression she was probably making. Perhaps she couldn't be friends with all the Avengers, even if she desperately wanted to.
"Oh, uh, I guess you met the Hulk." Bruce spoke up behind her, his tone tired. Eyes widening when she realized her mistake, Naomi turned around again to correct herself.
"No, well, yes I've met the Hulk, but I meant you." She explained, watching his perpetually confused expression. "I'm a fan of your work."
To Naomi's elation, her compliment earned herself a half-hearted smile from the man. She knew how important the distinction between Banner and the Hulk was, especially to the two men. "Thanks." Bruce said. Naomi took note of how calm he was, or at least, that he wasn't freaking out. "So you have met Hulk?" He clarified.
Advertisement
"Yeah, Hulk's a nice guy." Naomi smiled. Not to her surprise, Banner stopped in his tracks, and reverted back to his confused puppy expression. No doubt he had never heard anyone use the words 'Hulk' and 'nice' in the same sentence before. Naomi stopped as well, and her own smile dropped as she rushed to assuage his confusion before he began to get stressed out. "He's matured a lot lately- trust me- and he even recorded a message for you!" Bruce simply stared at her with a gaping mouth as she held out her phone to him, revolutionary footage of the Hulk within it.
"Um." He managed to get out. "What?" His expression read that he wasn't processing everything she had told him, and Naomi figured that if he watched the video now, he would probably just faint or something. Sighing, she dropped her hand to her side, and returned the phone to its sheath. Her training armor was surprisingly useful for carrying things, since she hadn't bothered to grab any knives or weapons. The gun from Tony was still in her bag, and Naomi felt confident enough to leave the knife work to Loki.
"Sorry. We can go over it later, for now, let's just get to Thor, okay?" Naomi said, softening her tone unconsciously. She was well aware that she was speaking to a man many years her senior, who also happened to have seven PhD's, and could turn into a giant green rage monster. But Bruce was clearly in distress, and even though he had no idea who she was, she was the online to comfort him at the moment. If he noticed her vaguely motherly tone, Bruce didn't mention it, and simply nodded. As they resumed their walk, now side by side, but still with a noticeable gap between them, Naomi found the tension somewhat lessened.
"Is anyone else here?" Bruce asked, glancing over.
"No, none of the Avengers." They rounded the final corner, and the Hulk's door came into sight. "Thor is just through there. But, there is someone you should know about..." Naomi trailed off, knowing that mention of Loki would undo her work to calm Banner down. Unfortunately, they were already at the door, and in traditional Marvel timing, Naomi was unable to finish her sentence before Bruce swung it open, and was immediately greeted with the sight of the exact wrong person.
"Hello Bruce."
Advertisement
- In Serial246 Chapters
Maou Shoujo Magical Chaos
Volumes 1 to 7 are available on Amazon! The books are going onto a different track, so don't miss the new adventures of Chaos! Death and Reincarnation. Kuroe Makoto, the tomboyish ace of her high school track and field club, never spared a thought for these things before. However, when she falls asleep in her Tokyo home after an exhausting marathon and wakes up in a fantasy world, those concepts become her reality. And unlike in the common light novel setting, she isn't reincarnated as the naturally good-looking and talented human hero who gathers a harem effortlessly. In fact, she isn't reincarnated as a human at all. She is reborn as 'Chaos', child of the demon queen and heir to a kingdom at war with humanity. Maou Shoujo Magical Chaos puts the Japanese high school girl in a tentacle monster, in this strange tale of a sound human mind possessing a horrifying creature's body. Join Chaos on her oftentimes humorous but also perilous journey through a world of sword and sorcery, as she discovers a newfound appetite for life, terror, and demi-human girls. This story features just yuri, as the female protagonist only has interest in other females. Current Release Schedule: One to two chapters every week. Expect an announcement if I can't keep to that. Pledge of Completion: With the release of the ebook on Amazon, I pledge that this series will never be dropped, and see completion. Standalone spin-off featuring Senka: Red Mantis and Avenger Doll Cover art by Peperon.
8 178 - In Serial6 Chapters
The Humans are Here
There are newcomers to citadel space. And they are a rather strange bunch that do not play by the established rules. See how the humans appear on the galactic scene from the eyes of alien species that seem completely normal and ordinary in comparison.
8 121 - In Serial8 Chapters
System
The story takes place on the world known as Edge, a place of fantasy and wonder. William Crow is an orphaned teen on the cusp of manhood, and is also a member of a class known as "soulless", for in this world those who do not develop their own "soul skill" become known as such. Soul skills vary in range and rarity, having many different functions and uses; however, not having one automatically makes an individual have incredibly low standing amongst society. William's inability to develop his own soul skill, along with the loss of his parents at a very young age, drives him into the corner of life. Making him a reserved and often frightened individual. However, his life changes drastically when he is chosen for one of the "Scouting" lotteries, in which the capital city forces some of the soulless to scout potential danger zones for monsters or enemy units. It's during this "mission" that he discovers the power that lies within him: System.
8 163 - In Serial30 Chapters
The Hero Is Unchained, But Not Free
In a world divided, there are two types of people: the Uni and the Typpe—those with superhuman abilities, and those without. Uni are given jobs based on their abilities, becoming either Hero or Villain, and their battles are used to entertain the masses. All looks to be at peace, but a war brews in the shadows... Author Ivy McLaughlan is down on her luck. Losing her status of bestseller, she is disowned by her wealthy family and forced to take refuge in a dilapidated apartment in a city far from home. There, she meets Satsuya Harada, the most powerful Uni alive...who works as a bartender and barista. Unwittingly entangled in a war for the use of Satsuya’s abilities, Ivy uncovers not only the secrets behind the Uni, but the secrets behind her own life. Now—if only she can stay alive long enough to make use of them. Updating Tuesdays and Thursdays through the end of May, then on hiatus until September. Support my work on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/foxunderfire This story was a finalist in the “ongoing serials” category of the Laterpress 2022 Genre Fiction contest! Text, and Cover Copyright Fox Under Fire (Alexandra Lanc) 2021
8 202 - In Serial8 Chapters
I Tripped Over Satan
Perhaps it had not been such a good idea to drink that night after all... To be fair, she hadn't known it would lead to a deal with the Devil. Oops?
8 167 - In Serial19 Chapters
Unburnt
He remembered being a better person, in another life. That was before he was reborn into a royal family of unparalleled power, and into a world that wouldn't feel out of place in a fantasy series. Seriously. There was magic and everything, it was totally whack. Self-Insert with angst, mental issues, and no knowledge of Avatar: The Last Airbender.This story doesn't belong to me.
8 111

