Avengers: Reversal of Fortune

Reversal of Fortune

Ch. 1: Fun With Space-Time Continuum



"I can't believe I'm skeptical that this'll work," said Tony Stark, tightening a bolt on a piece of metal paneling.

"After everything you've built," chuckled Bruce Banner with a smile, "you shouldn't be. And anyway, it's about time someone invented one of these."

Tony rolled his eyes as he straightened up, rubbing a sudden kink out of his lower back.

"Where do you get your puns, Brucey? The 'Other Guy' throw that one at you?"

Bruce didn't reply as he began typing furiously at a computer set up near the large metal container.  After a few minutes, Banner spoke.

"Where should we go?" he asked in an excited tone of voice.  Tony took a quick look at the doctor's eyes, making sure the neon green glow hadn't shown up.  It hadn't. This was just Bruce Banner being as giddy as a schoolboy.

"Shouldn't it be when? This is a time machine after all."

Since the events of the Battle of Manhattan, Tony had given the timid physicist a job in R&D at Stark Tower. The first thing the man came up with is the idea for a time machine. Stark knew he and Banner were going to get along quite well, no matter how the 'Other Guy' intervened.

"Well, yeah. Let's think about it this way: anything you ever wanted to take back? Go back and change if you could?"

The billionaire inventor mulled it over for less than five seconds.

"Nope. Though, there was that one time I got the clap from that Vegas showgirl. 'What stays in Vegas' my ass…"

Bruce turned a slight shade of red and cleared his throat.

"Erm--thanks for sharing, but that's not what I meant," he said.  "I'm going back and preventing the 'Other Guy' from ever showing up."

Tony took a step back at seeing the bright green tinge to Banner's normally dark eyes. It flickered for a moment before fading. Banner had succeeded in chaining his other side back.

"That's a shame, Doc. If that happens, I guess you'll still be playing Dr. Jekyll at Culver?"

"Are you trying to guilt trip me, Tony?"

"Maybe."

"Look, I'll still be around, I promise. I'll just be more…level-headed."

Tony sighed as he stepped into the metal chamber.  The interior was dimly lit, the main light source being a computer console.  Bruce stepped in beside Tony and sealed the door shut.  

"What date do you want me to type in?" Tony asked, raising his voice against the sound of a magnetic lock clicking into place.

Bruce smiled, his eyes flickering between brown and green.

"January 12th, 2006."