GammaCousin

Natasha Romanoff: “Yes it is. I mean. I’m not a good example but-.”

Becks Banner: “Look at this. Look at my Student I.D. I’m blinking.”

Natasha Romanoff: “Your makeup looks good.”

Becks Banner: “I’m a big stinking mama’s girl. You made me this way. You didn’t socialize me properly! Stay for dinner!”

Tony: “Through YOUR door. Not mine.”

Natasha: “Where is security?”

Elloe: “You are truly shaken.”

Elloe Kaifi: “It looks like a bug trapped under a glass.”

Amadeus Cho: “I researched that bug and it’s some sort of demonic cricket that takes chunks out of your skin when provoked. ‘Chunks’ was the term Skaar’s library used.”

Elloe Kaifi: “What do you want me to do? Kill it?”

Amadeus Cho: “I want moral support while I shove a paper underneath the glass-.”

Elloe Kaifi: “Or I kill it.”

Amadeus Cho: “Op. It’s gone. Into the darkness and waiting for nightfall. This is why you use the cup method! It’s fleeing!”

Tony Stark: “Yeah, bogey.”

Pepper Potts: “You’re not mad I corrected you…”

Tony Stark: “No! Not at all. I don’t mind it at home why would I mind it on the golf course? I’m kidding! Golfers, they zing each other all the time! Zing zing. Come on! Next hole!”

———

Pepper: “Oh my gosh! My ball landed on the smooth part!…You weren’t watching.”

Tony: “I was-! Adjusting my visor.”

Pepper: “Would it kill you to watch my shots?!”

Tony: “You didn’t say you were swinging-!”

Stars, Silver, and Sanctioned meetings.

***

Kirby likes pancakes. Morgan leaves her hotel a two star review, and Skaar shows up to work hungover.

———

The worst part of the morning isn't Cho's mediocre tricks and his dry pancakes; It's the lack of accessible, proper ingredients, which is no fault of his own.

No.

Scratch all of that.

It's the look on Natasha's face when the banter flows.

When Amadeus deflects, Rebecca finds herself pushing back. It's when she triple-checks the handwritten recipe in the most domestic of situations, even as she's on a foreign planet, arguing about vanilla.

No one invited Bruce. But his arrival only adds to the chaos, dropping the tools he tries to juggle.

Natasha slow claps regardless.

Kirby is begging.

Amadeus relents by throwing meat into a pan, "This is for you. But no pancakes."

The smell must've called Elloe, who comes traipsing in with red in her mug- Rebecca doesn't want to know.

She sits quietly at the table.

Rebecca snatches two larger pancakes and licks her finger.

‘Odysseus’ needs to tell ‘Penelope’ he did something pretty bad.

Morgan doesn't take Skaar’s news well.

—-

The world is gray.

The smell of blood is lingering.

Scrubbing his fingernails for a fifth time won't do shit.

Skaar's body is ahead of his brain as always.

He feels different; Heavy. Hurt.

And if one more guard bows, mid-pass, he will scream.

The closer he gets to Morgan's garage, the heavier his steps are. His pace quickens regardless, and he doesn't bother to knock once he reaches the door.

She's there when it opens.

Steady. Pretty.

Her soft expression analyzes his every twitch, the way she always does after any time apart.

Her huge eyes peer into his soul, and it makes him want to punch something.

Or, to wrap her up in his arms, hide in her soft hair, and kiss away her oxygen.

*****

Cho brings in coffee and peck Rebecca's cheek.

"Shouldn't you be with my brother?" Rebecca says, cheeks suddenly hot.

"I'm going, don't get excited. Kirby, stay."

The coyote tilts his head, tongue lolling.

Morgan notices the subtle change and grins when he leaves.

Rebecca lifts Kirby's muzzle and shakes her head, "Ridiculous animal."

Morgan is still grinning. It's not the coyote she's looking at.

"What?" Rebecca can feel herself blush.

"Nothing," Morgan's eyes shift between them as she plays with the ends of her hair, "Everything."

Rebecca watches as her best friend leans forward.

"You're glowing."

"Pfffft!" Rebecca spews wordlessly.

The work is important, but clearly, Morgan needs a break soon because she's gone mad.

Yelena Belova: “Twelve.”

Jennifer Walters: “Maybe nine.”

Yelena Belova: “Ten!” *offering a handshake* “Esquire? Looks like you have yourself a junior partner.”

Amadeus Cho: “Being with you seems a little dangerous.”

Rebecca Banner Jr.: “Hit by a car right as we're finding love. I promise I'm not hearing wedding bells. Yet.”

Amadeus Cho: “I mean we barely know each other.”

Rebecca Banner Jr.: “Exactly- What's your favorite movie and your midnight treat?”

Amadeus Cho: “Do you hog the covers or do you overheat?”

Rebecca Banner Jr.: “And your passions, where you're headed, are you driven?”

Therapy

"Good evening, everyone." The strange woman in her black pantsuit addresses the family.

She reaches to shake hands with Natasha, then Bruce, Rebecca, and Skaar last.

"I'm Dr. Gusev."

"No way," Rebecca turns the page of the book on her lap, and half-heartedly shakes the woman's offered hand.

Skaar grunts.

"Alright," she says.

Natasha grins and lays her head on Bruce's shoulder. She holds his hand, and he pecks her cheek...

"There's nothing wrong with us," Bruce finally explains as eyebrows raise, "Half of our problems are at the other end of the sofa. Down there."

"The other half booked the appointment," Natasha adds.

"You're here. That's the first step, often the hardest one," she makes a note.

"Easy now,' Bruce forces a laugh, 'we haven't said anything yet."

"Why don't you two talk about yourselves? How did you two meet?"

"Ohh, boy," Bruce shifts and eyes Natasha.

"You were, uh, abroad." Natasha chimes in.

"I was. Yeah. You were...in the area."

"Working."

"Right. And it was..."

Skaar is making a trigger motion with his forefinger as he whispers, "Bang."

"Immediate sparks!" Bruce cuts him off.

"We started dating," Natasha shifts.

"I proposed-."

"-We honeymooned in Ireland."

"Aww." She makes a note, "You two lovebirds. And then you decided to start this sweet family."