Bruce
"We have to assess our losses."
Bruce is as surprised as everyone whose heads turn to him at his words. He wouldn't have thought out of all of them -- captains and generals and colonels and spies and gods -- he'd be the first to, well, not to recover, but to speak. To work through unimaginable grief toward the practical.
But maybe it makes sense. His rational brain explains it as compartmentalization and sure, he is a civilian through and through, despite the monster inside him and all his previous Avenging. But he has also come straight out of another genocide, straight out of captivity, straight out of space and a universe too wide…all as an observer, more or less.
Maybe it helps him in a situation like this.
Or maybe it doesn't matter why. Maybe it just has to be someone.
"This -- this is catastrophic, Steve. On a, uh, a logistical level. Around the world. It's gonna be chaos."
He hopes he doesn't sound too callous. He hopes Steve understands what he's trying to do, trying to get everyone to consider. The horrors they’ve just witnessed — their only relief, if it can be called that, is the fact they know what’s happened. The rest of the world doesn’t have that luxury.
"He's right. We've got to check in with -- with everybody."
It's Nat speaking instead of Steve Rogers -- who remains despondent, still sitting there beside Vision's lifeless and gray body -- and Bruce somehow finds it easier to look at her now after all of this than before. He wonders briefly what that means, but only gives her a silent nod before another voice chimes in.
"I must find my prin -- I have to find Shuri."
It's General Okoye rising now, who looks like she's just swallowed a century's worth of pain and simultaneously as though she is prepared to suffer more. She looks around at them all.
"Wakanda has resources. Surveillance equipment. Transport."
Bruce doesn't voice what must be on everyone's mind -- that that would be incredible, that this insanely advanced country was well-equipped, by his observations, to do just that, to look over the world, but that it had also suffered absurd losses, both on the battlefield and now, with...this.
Was Princess (Queen? Was that how that worked?) Shuri even alive?
"I, too, will help you regroup."
The Asgardian's deep tones are laced with the newfound authority he's acquired since Sakaar, the one that totally lacks arrogance. Bruce finds that he feels very safe around the god of thunder now, more at ease. He eyes the new axe in his hand and makes a mental note to ask his friend about it, along with how he'd managed to survive.
Later.
"My suit's working," Colonel Rhodes pipes up, stepping heavily over to the rest of the group. "I can give us eyes in the sky, over the field at least. For now."
"Thor, can I come with you?"
It's the raccoon speaking and Bruce feels no surprise about the talking animal, not with everything he's seen already. He senses Nat's wariness, and maybe even some from Rhodey, but neither say anything.
"I am not certain yet where I am needed."
"Doesn't matter."
Bruce understands. Whoever this raccoon is, he's seen Thor in action and he trusts him.
"Right."
Steve slowly rises from the ground and all eyes turn to him. Bruce sees more than age in the timeless soldier and it's clear to him now how much has weighed on him for so long. He wishes he could understand what had happened -- what had fractured the Avengers so deeply that Tony had looked panicked — scared, even — when he'd told him to call the man, his friend.
Oh God, Tony. Where was he?
"Let's get ourselves and Wakanda situated. We owe everyone here that much," Steve exchanges a look with Okoye, who nods stoically. "Rhodey, take Nat and the general back up to the palace. You two can set up a base while Rhodey goes out to the field, focus on anyone who needs medical and bring them in. Banner --"
Bruce looks at him expectantly, shifting inside of the enormous Hulkbuster.
"Is that something you can help with too? How's your armor?"
"I'd feel a lot more comfortable on my own feet," he admits. Steve nods reassuringly before turning toward the raccoon.
"I'm sorry. I didn't get your name. I'm Steve Rogers."
The raccoon blinks at him, apparently confused before his expression tightens and he shrugs.
"Name's Rocket."
"I wish we could meet under better circumstances, Rocket. You seem like you know your way around weapons and tech."
A quick glance around shows Bruce he is not the only one amazed by Steve's intuitive and everpresent politeness.
"If you're up for it, we could really use you and Thor to help us reach the people who aren't here."
Bruce thinks that's a good idea and one he hasn't considered himself. It feels like everyone else seems reassured too. He imagines Nat wants to check on Clint, that Rhodey has his own people. He has no one, but finds himself itching to reach out to Pepper.
Rocket looks over at Thor and shrugs again, but there's a nod there too. Thor looks at Steve.
"Do you think it wise for non-humans to travel the Earth in this moment?"
Steve shakes his head. "Probably not. But the world knows you and has...a lot else to be worrying about. I was hoping Rocket might handle the comms. If -- I just feel we're going to have a lot of issues on that front. Satellites down. That kind of thing."
Steve narrowly avoids putting a name to the disaster they are experiencing. The slowly thawing atmosphere of their circle in the woods tenses again until Bruce inadvertently grunts too loudly.
He's trying to escape the Hulkbuster armor and it won't let him out as he scrapes ineffectively at the metal hinges. Bruce can feel his face redden with his embarrassment, but it takes no time at all before Rhodey, Nat, and Thor are all at his side, anchoring the damn suit and prying it open. He gracelessly falls out of it, rolling to the ground where Nat stops him with her foot, but he's never cared much about appearances.
"Let's get to work."
Bruce thinks he sees the ghost of a smile on Captain America's face before he motions for everyone to get moving.