4th Command; Video

[aggravating]

Apparently we're in some sort of web of inter-dimensional transmissions, huh?

Awesome.

This is Tony Stark - but if you didn't already know that you're probably not going to be much fun, today - otherwise known as Iron Man.

Consider this my ET Phone Home moment.

[He's... really not expecting much from today. But hey. All the cool kids are doing it.]

Comments

[aggravating]

[By his grin, he knows that's a yes]

I'm jealous. You're probably getting to play around with all the toys, huh?

Yeah, uh, pretty sure I'm from before him. He's still a pretty solid chunk of ice as far as I know.

You hear about Flushings? New York? 2010. I'm somewhere in that mess.

[gammabruce]

Not just me. JARVIS, too. Last I heard, you were hacking into their systems. "Even their secrets have secrets". I heard that from somewhere.

[A small laugh. He's taunting you with... you. How bizarre. Touching all the things on screen, doing that pretending-to-be-working thing. Just in case anyone walks in.]

I didn't hear about that, no. I've been travelling extensively.

[aggravating]

Right, the little- [He's snapping, clapping his hands - a nervous gesture - lips pursing to the side as he tries to think of the most apt description...] road trip you're on. How's the military handling it? They're kind of shit at finding people. You should try a cave in a desert.

[He is arching his eyebrows, though, sort of leaning in towards the screen, curious as to what, exactly, Banner's poking and prodding at.]

"Their secrets have secrets". One of mine? Sounds like mine. Something I'd say about the spies on steroids thing they have going on. So what you up to, Doc?

[gammabruce]

I'll keep that in mind. [He'd point out they still found you, but... lalala playing innocent here.] From what I heard, Fury's group were tracking me the entire time, never too far away. I'm still not sure how I feel about that. If you mean the normal military, well, let's just say they're less than pleased.

[Another button press, then a thoughtful pause. Is that a sly grin? It just might be.]

Just how connected is your network to this one?

[Read between the lines, past!Tony. Hack in.]

[aggravating]

.... Are you tempting me with hacking? Oh my God, you're tempting me with hacking. Is it my birthday?

[But as excited as he is for all of five seconds, it doesn't last] Yeah, no. This isn't gonna work. These communicators of ours literally run on paperclips and string. Sometimes tubes of melted down fudge.

I'm still wrapping my head around food-based systems. So until I learn to hack with a piece of licorice and a lollipop, I'm stranded in Willy Wonka's Factory with no way back to sanity.

[gammabruce]

[Have a chuckle from your future science bro. It also doesn't last, fading soon to disappointment.]

If anyone could learn how to do it, I'm sure you'd be the first.

[A window of the Tesseract in wireframe comes into view. Some finger presses later and its shrunk down to a more manageable, though still visible, size.]

That is what we need to find. A crazy demi-god got access to it and what his plans are mean mass destruction. I'm working on a tracking outlet for it now.

[aggravating]

[He. Just. Really wants to be on your timeline right now, Bruce]

Working on it. I'm thinking, mm, another few days? Pretty sure I just got a spark from a gumdrop earlier.

[He's leaning forward, eyebrows arching up and lips drawn down in an unimpressed frown]

Fury called in two of the best minds in the world to find a glowing box? Tell me it at least does something cool.

[gammabruce]

[Join our awesome future, Tony! We have shawarma! And bromance!]

That's what we're trying to figure out. Or you are. Remember when I mentioned JARVIS? Your hacking? I'm trying to find it, as requested "nicely". You want to dig out their secrets.

[Not even trying to seem disapproving. He's curious, too.]

What we do know is it has unlimited power and energy. With a demi-god who stole it? That could mean anything.