All Heroes Start Somewhere - 001 - video

[teddyalt_man]

[The feed is a little shaky. Probably because Teddy is trembling slightly. He doesn't feel like himself and he's alone. Normally he can deal with that. But he just woke up in a hospital bed with no idea how he got there, and with none of his friends around him. Which means they're dead. Somehow, something's happened. He doesn't know what, he doesn'

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[ironfail]

[Jesus, not more kids. And this one's crying. Great. Just what Tony doesn't know how to deal with. He should probably move on and let someone else handle it, but he figures Pepper will probably scold him if he does that and she finds out. Which is not cool. So he picks up his phone with a long-suffering sigh and answers.]

Calm down, kid. Your friends probably aren't here.

[Okay so maybe he shouldn't have answered at all.]

[teddyalt_man]

[Teddy sucks in a long breath. It calms him down a bit, makes his heart beat a little slower and he doesn't feel like sobbing like a little kid. This was just... an unexpected shock. He knows he has to learn how to deal with those, should have done already as a Young Avenger, but he's never, ever, been alone like this and expected to just... cope. ]

I... I realise that. [Then he stops. Because that voice, that voice he knows. That voice he should be more than a little weary of, all things considered like trying to force Teddy to go back to the Skrull home-world in order to avoid a war. but he can't help but sound a little... excited. Hopeful, even.] Mr Stark?

[ironfail]

Uh, yeah? [Oookay, that's a little weird, but hey, maybe this kid's from the same planet as him or something. Darcy had recognized him too, and everyone knows Tony Stark. Or if not Tony Stark then Iron Man, coolest dude ever.]

[teddyalt_man]

[Now that makes him crack a bit of a smile. More than a bit of one, actually. So Thor might have mentioned Iron man was here, but he didn't think he meant here here, as in, like a normal person you might see getting groceries or something. He just assumed Tony Stark would live somewhere, well, somewhere away from normal people.]

Okay. I know I'm stuck on an alien planet and I know that Thor is here and I know my friends aren't. But I'm talking to Tony Stark. That's so worth it. [He sucks in a breath. Do not Geek Out. Do not Geek out.]

[ironfail]

[To be fair, Tony lets the others do most of the grocery shopping.]

Oh good, Thor did all the explaining then? [Because this stuff is a pain in the ass to explain to people. Tony smirks slightly at that last admittance. He's missed being properly appreciated. Go ahead, Teddy, let it all out. Everyone here just yells at him for being an asshole.] I'd certainly say it's worth it, but that's just me.

[teddyalt_man]

[Teddy nods] Yeah, he... he did explain. I guess I'm still a bit hazy on the details, but I'll work it out. [What does he have that Tony Stark can sign? After all, this is the first time they've met off-the-clock, as it were.] He said I should come and stay with him. So I guess I'll probably get more answers then.

[That makes him grin. He knew that, well, Tony Stark was a little egocentric, but all things considered, he probably had the right to be. He was Iron Man, as well as Tony Stark. You couldn't get much more awesome than that if you tried.] Er- I know this sounds really really stupid but... do you think I could... get your autograph at some point?

[ironfail]

[Thor would invite yet another stray kid to their house, jeez.] Looks like we'll be seeing each other soon, then. What's your name, kid?

[If Teddy thinks that Tony's only a little egocentric then he is in for a surprise. And speaking of surprises -] My autograph? Yeah, sure. As many as you want. [That's new. No one in Aliunde cared enough to ask for an autograph before. Sweet.]

[teddyalt_man]

[So... all the Avengers live together? They all live together and Teddy Altman is moving in. If he wasn't on video, he might have punched the air.] I... I... It's Teddy, sir. Teddy Altman. But they call me Hulkling too. When... when I can do my thing.

[Okay. Okay. Tony Stark just said he can have as many autographs as he likes. That means he can get one for Billy too and take it back with him.] Thanks. I... My friends and I... well you and the other Avengers, you're sort of our inspiration, really. [And as there aren't any other Young Avengers here, the older Avengers can't try and shut them down. So... it's all good, isn't it? He can fanboy as much as he likes.]

[ironfail]

Just 'Tony' is fine, none of this 'sir' crap. ['Sir' makes him think of JARVIS and people sucking up to him and Stark Industries and his dad, and only a few of those things he actually likes.] Do your thing, huh? And what's that? [He grins, amused. A tiny Hulk? How cute.]

[If Teddy cares that much Tony'll sign everything for him, whatever.] Really? That's...surprising actually, if the Avengers you know are as terrible as our little group here. [They are very, very far away from becoming the team Teddy knows.]

[teddyalt_man]

[That's going to be a hard habit to break. His mom- his nursemaid- always told him to call people sir and madam. It's sort of natural now.] Okay... Tony. Tony it is. [Now it's his turn to be embarrassed again, hand once more moving to the back of his head, tugging at the short strands at the nape of his neck.] Erm... I... I sort of end up like the Hulk? Big and green and really, really strong? But... there.... I can... I can have wings if I want. Or sledgehammer hands. Or I can... shape-shift into people. Sort of like... Hulk but not? [Sort of like Hulk, but not? Oh god. Oh god. Tony Stark is going to think you're an idiot.]

Terrible? No! You guys are amazing! I mean, you really are. You've saved New York... a thousand times, seriously. And you... I mean, you're all great. You really are. You couldn't be any greater if you tried. [But what does he mean, as terrible as the ones here? He's not come across a bunch of.. evil Avengers from some alternative world, has he?]

[ironfail]

[Tony watches Teddy stumble through the explanation, expression clearly one of amusement.] Like the Hulk but not, gotcha. So not actually related to Bruce Banner, then? [Which will be a relief because imagining Banner with a child or something is weird. Are gamma radiation mutations even genetically inherited? That would be an interesting thing to test...]

[Tony laughs, shaking his head.] That's pretty high praise. If that's what you're used to, you're in for a big disappointment, kid, sorry. [Not evil, just highly incompetent as a team. Mostly thanks to his charming self.]

[teddyalt_man]

[Teddy was bright red then. Tony Stark did think he was an idiot but he was too good to say so. Even so, Teddy was embarrassed. It sounded so completely stupid.] No... not related to Bruce Banner at all. More... er, more related to Skrull, actually. [Karolina was being upfront about being an alien, after all. He should. There was nothing to be worried about, was there?] Half Skrull, half Kree, actually. Sort of the best of both. [Which prompted him to grin uncertainly, not sure if Tony Stark would believe there was any 'best side' to being Skrull or Kree.]

[A disappointment? He doubts that. And he shakes his head, because whatever fannish ideas of the Avengers he has, he knows who they are, who they really are, and that's important] I don't think you could disappoint me, Mr St- Tony. Honestly.

I... Thor said that Captain America and Loki and Ms Potts were here too. Do you... Do you think I'll be allowed to meet them too?

[ironfail]

[Tony probably wouldn't give a shit even if he knew what Skrull or Kree were. Once you can accept Thor being an alien, you can accept pretty much anyone else.] Ah, non-human abilities then. Cool. [Because it is pretty cool. If Tony could fly naturally he'd jump on that opportunity in a heartbeat. Not that he doesn't love his armor like it's his own super awesome child, of course.]

[He laughs again, this time a little less amused and more solemn.] Glad to hear that from at least one person.

What? Yeah, why not? Make sure you shower Cap with praise, he gets really embarrassed about that kind of stuff. [He smirks. Things between him and Steve may still be somewhat strained, but that doesn't mean Tony'll pass up an opportunity to annoy him.] Loki though, things are a little iffy. Did Thor tell you what happened a couple weeks ago?

[teddyalt_man]

[Okay.Iron Man just said that he was cool. Teddy Altman, Hulkling, was cool. He couldn't stop grinning.]  Er, thanks. It is kind of cool. Sometimes it's a bit scarey too because, well, I don't know exactly what the limits are, you know? Or if there are even any limits.

[He was still grinning, feeling like, somehow, he'd just become part of a really exclusive club. It was like being on the baseball team all over again, but without Greg. Without all of that pretending and lying. Oh god. He'd pretended to be Tony Stark. He'd pretended to be Tony Stark and now he was talking to Tony Stark. But... but no one ever needed to know that here. No one at all. Besides, he was part of a shared joke now. That Captain America, THE Steve Rogers, didn't like people hero-worshiping him. He'd try to keep that to a minimum.] Okay. I guess I can do that. I mean... yeah.

Er... Yeah. Thor mentioned that there had been... a fight. He didn't go into much detail. I got the impression he didn't want to talk about it.

[ironfail]

Hey, nothing wrong with that. And if there are limits, you just push past them and keep going. Because limits are for losers. [Sound life advice from Tony Stark. Pepper would suggest Teddy not listen to him.]

[Teddy, once you can shapeshift again, you know Tony's gonna make you shift into him. They are going to get into so much trouble. It'll be epic.]

It...was kind of a huge clusterfuck. [Tony sighs, rubbing his face. He didn't know how much Thor wanted told to random strangers, but they couldn't very well keep someone who apparently knew all about them already in the dark entirely.] Loki managed to take charge of the city for a while, but he kinda went crazy and we had to take him down. Turns out it was all this grand scheme orchestrated by the Head Doctor. We're all pretty pissed about it. [Some more than others, obviously. Tony's unfortunate involvement in the event wasn't the first time he'd ever royally screwed up before, but he felt pretty bad about it on Thor's behalf.]

[teddyalt_man]

[Teddy nodded, he knew that. He'd been told that before. Not exactly the same words, but the same sort of message. Keep going, achieve the unachievable. There is no reason why you can't.] I just... I just don't want to go too far and hurt someone.

[Okay, that actually sounds like fun. Teddy liked being Tony Stark. He sort of liked being Steve Rogers too, and the other celebrities he impersonated. He knew it was wrong, but he never took money. He just went to parties and met interesting people. That was all. And well, if Tony says it's okay, then it's okay, right? ]

Well... I could see why you had to try and, you know, save everyone. That's what you guys do. You were set up, that isn't your fault. [That he knows from his own experience.] And Loki... I know he's Thor's brother and all but... he's not exactly trustworthy. I mean, he's the... the god of mischief, right?[Then he shuts up. Because Thor told him not to say anything about what he knows. And he almost did. He's not going to betray Thor's trust that way.]