#empathictouch

They’d all been forced out into the miserable cold by the collapse inside the caves and though some were making effort to clear rubble it seemed unlikely they’d be able to take shelter inside the mountain again anytime soon.

However, in the inciting events Elektra had some interesting revelations. The first being that she was apparently walking somewhere between the living and the dead, and second had been there was someone among all the flash and chaos of the portal opening that could be just what she’d been hoping to find.

Elektra hiked through the snow along the small encampments that had been cropping up now that shelter from the frigid air was necessary, looking for the same petite creature she’d seen before. Hooded cloak pulled up she methodically traveled across the populated stretch of the terrain, approaching and peering inside the makeshift structures without announcing herself. It seemed most had naturally gravitated to their own groups of allies, taking refuge beside campfires or sometimes huddled together for the warmth. 

When she found her the dark eyed creature with the antennae was keeping company with some of the other refugees. The assassin briefly paused to watch her manner interacting with the others, but it wasn’t long before her own impatience lept into her chest and pushed her forward. She was unused to this sense of urgency, but it had a hold on her now. Whether mortality was flexible here or not, knowing he was out in these freezing temperatures with his injuries was a gnawing awareness. 

“You.” She announced herself with a single word, cutting over the sound of the nearby fire and the wind. “I’ve been looking for you. I’d like to ask if we could speak, but in truth and under the circumstances... I’m going have to insist on it.”

For a while Elektra ran the roof, hoping that driving herself towards heart pounding, muscles burning, and an uncomfortable stretch of recent wounds would be enough of a distraction- that making herself ache could stave off the feeling of dread. Neither the pain or the warm bath that followed could soothe her. Eventually frustration and restlessness drove her out of the bathhouse entirely.

Still seeking a diversion she started to explore the buildings that mostly sat quiet and still in the infinite stretch of shallow water, their silence existing in contrast to the gnawing feeling under her skin. She approached what appeared to be a small temple, it’s doors with chipped ornate paintings and exterior walls covered in vegetation. At the top of a short staircase she pushed her way inside, finding light filtering in from holes in the pitched roof.

She hadn’t really been looking for anyone, but the unique silhouette at least wasn’t one that made her immediately regret the intrusion. There weren’t many faces in this world or the previous one that the Assassin considered welcomed. Unexpectedly, Mantis had joined that short list. 

“I didn’t realize anyone was in here.” She offered, as close to an apology as she was likely to give. “Am I interrupting?”

Bruce's memories of his time as Hulk were a confused mess to him. The same wasn't true for Hulk. He knew what Bruce knew though his thinking was far simpler. His function was to protect them from harm so Bruce's interactions were stripped down to its basic elements.

When he saw the girl, Praying Mantis, like the green bug only not he was wary. He knew what she could do because Bruce knew. Calm was bad for them. Rage coursed through him, more than usual because it was the rage that was healing them, keeping them warm, giving them strength. He couldn't let her take it away.