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[Bruce has skipped his jog in the morning to sleep in a little; there's no point in going on a long run to work himself up and wear himself out when the whole day is basically a long expanse of serene idling and keeping active. he's always tired when he goes to bed, which is the goal.]

[and he wakes up with a start at what sounds like a cannon going off, and then another, and there's sounds of alarm all around him; and his heartrate shoots up, so fast and so hard that he thinks he might lose it, and he thinks: use it, don't get used by it.]

[which is why a giant green manlike figure comes bursting out of what used to be one of the shelters, tearing it apart; the Hulk roars, earth-shaking though the earth is already shaking, arms wide and in a ready stance for whatever may come at him. and then pauses.]

[there's nothing to fight but a volcano.]

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[Pepper isn't in the shelter when this happens, but she's close enough to see it and have to dodge debris. it's effortless, her body moving almost of its own accord, and if it weren't for the volcano erupting, she might spare a moment to be impressed. as it stands, the Hulk is something-- someone for her to focus on.]

[cautiously, she approaches him, staying just out of his reach]

[tentative] Bruce?

[tense, breathing in sharp pants; he whips around at the sound of her voice, making a sharp growling noise of warning]

[she's not sure he recognizes her, but not being attacked is a very good start. she doesn't move any closer, thinking about him and the volcano and not about the danger that both of those bring to mind. minimal danger. as if anything or anyone could catch her, right? she's god this. ... is it getting a little warmer here?]

I'm-- no one's going to hurt you. [glancing at the volcano] Except maybe that.

[she's vaguely aware there are people screaming and crying, definitely running. she's very aware that she has no idea what to say to Bruce when he's not-- Bruce.]

[it's at that moment that the volcano chooses to let out another ear-rattlingly loud boom, and he braces himself in the sand against it and roars]

Stoooooop!

[it's not very effective...]

[well, so much for that idea. her ears are ringing a little, and she's not sure if she should run or not, but so far, it seems...mostly safe? she'll take it]

I was really hoping that would work. [moral support? maybe?]

[shifting his weight from one foot to the other, and then he whips around to face her, staring intently]

[Hellboy was in the area and heard the big boom and the alarm. Adrenaline and excitement over finally getting to do something keys him up. His first instinct is to look for what caused the noise, but instinct pushes him in the other direction when he hears a roar that can only be monster. His hand goes to the giant gun in the holster at his side and he runs toward the roar, skidding to a stop on the sand when he sees the green monster that he's only heard about.

He wanted something to fight, didn't he?]

Yeah, yeah the lack of fruity drinks with umbrellas is startin' to piss me off too.

[his head whips around, green eyes narrowing as he studies the demon. he lets out another frustrated roar and brings both fists smashing down onto what's left of the shelter, splintering the fallen wood]

All right, now I know it ain't a Holiday Inn, but it wasn't that bad.

[ he is light on his feet, assessing the hulk as he takes a couple of steps closer, his tail swinging behind him. he probably looks a little like a cat before it attacks. ]

Don't you wanna hit on something that'll hit back? Lots more fun that way.

[green eyes meet Hellboy's, angry and tense, but after a lingering beat he tears himself away forcibly, rearing up to his full height and bellowing]

Won't STOP!

Yeah. Yeah. Sorta figured that.

Let me guess, you're a little shy about making the first move. It's okay. I get that alot.

[ a big jump and swing and rock fist on track to meet green chin. ]

[ he was up. still one of his better night's sleep, but he was heading back to the shelter with a small cache of probably-poisonous berries to show to someone who knows about these things while pretending he fully intends to eat them.

and then the rumbling, which honestly wouldn't have bothered him, because California, but he lives pretty damn far from gang warfare and what sounds like gunfire cranked up to 11 is more startling.

then, you know, it's a fight for his attention between the now-visible volcano and the much more visible Hulk.

he'd approve of the strategy if he knew, but as it is he just goes stalk-still, trying to process way too many things at once. ]

--Damn it, seriously?

[ he said, to no one, in an undertone ]

[he spares a glance at Tony, just for a moment, but very visibly decides to ignore him, taking a few quick steps to the edge of the beach and tearing up a tree to hurl at the volcano with another challenging roar. that'll probably be very effective]

[ super effective. he's very aware of his lack of suit, in this moment, and the words exposed, like a nerve come back to bite him, not really for the first time in recent history.

he takes a breath. thinks of half a dozen ways this could go really, really badly. then does it anyway ]

Have you considered the Olympics? Javelin throws are just like that, except with applause instead of futility.

[he edges back a little, watching the volcano no less warily for the fact that it does not seem cowed by his display of force, and ignores Tony]

Flattering. Remind me to complain to you when you're normal-sized and pink again.

[ if he loses the edge of glib, he might really freak out :|a ]

[ here's another girl who was sleeping in the shelter, enjoying what, in her second year of college, still feels like the rarest of pleasures: being able to sleep in, because she didn't schedule any classes before noon. ]

[ but, of course, that pleasure is short-lived this morning, and the next thing she knows everything is exploding and the shelter walls are coming apart all around her and okay it's not like they were made out of reinforced steel or brick or anything but-- ]

I was really hoping to go through life without ever knowing how the three little pigs felt.

[ she's working on getting outside, where it's safe, and so unprepared for the sight that greets her when she turns to face the shelter on her left and--

--and sees this big towering green monster, just standing there, and then he roars and she can feel it in her bones and that is just -- so not okay ]

[he crouches down and then flings himself easily over a hundred feet in the air, swinging one massive fist to smash a flaming rock right out of the sky. welcome to consciousness!]

[ thanks! she'll just be flinching like crazy, and only realizing after a beat that he not only didn't hit her but apparently wasn't aiming for her.

it's a weird realization that doesn't do a lot to help with the sick feeling in her stomach.

she's been around so many monsters before, and she's been in over her head, too -- but this feels different.

she doesn't need him to effortlessly catch a punch to know that he is so, so, so much stronger than Adam. ]

[he lands again with a huff of air, far more harmless debris skittering into the sand around him, and he hunches on all fours, glaring up at the volcano. he doesn't seem to notice her]

[ that must be nice, because she can't notice anything but him. she flinches and -- comes up behind him, maybe, just. watching. cautious and nervous ]

Do you -- I don't mean to interrupt...

[ and then she stops, because this is ridiculous, she can't talk to you when there's a volcano erupting in front of both you and her ]

[ Volcanoes and now giant green maybe-monsters.

There are worse ways to wake up in the morning.

In a second, Hawke will, of course, help out and try to not undermine the efforts of the people trying to keep others from panicking. But for just a brief moment, she is standing on the beach with a massive grin on her face.

These are the days she loves. Days of action and adrenaline. ]

Shame there aren't any dragons, isn't it?

[he swings around, green eyes focusing on her, teeth bared. but after a beat, he only turns away again, hunkering down and watching the volcano warily. maybe waiting for something]

[ Well, that reaction was unexpected. She keeps one hand on her pouch of miasmic flasks as she approaches, more curious than wary, but she isn't stupid. ]

Do you speak, then? [ Not to distract him from watching the volcano; she waves some ash out of her face. ] Perhaps when this is over you might rip some trees out of the ground like Sif... [ Musing, musing. ]

[he makes a snorting sound, so perhaps he's listening and he understands, or perhaps it's just a coincidence! but he doesn't say anything. watching the volcano. waaaatching it]

[ The snorting sound, plus his genuine-seeming lack of interest in her make Hawke think he's probably not as huge of a threat as he might look. So she settles for standing beside him, her arms folded loosely over her chest, and joins him in watching the volcano. ]

Do you think it will go anywhere? I don't have much experience with volcanoes, you know. Who's to say they won't just grow legs eventually?

[another noise from his throat, although he continues watching the volcano. then he rumbles] Can't help.

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