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can i be the max to your grinch?

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It was the next morning when she found Bruce in his lab.

"Oh, Bruce," Cara hummed as she stepped into the room, a new confidence having been found within her.

The doctor looked up, surprise etched in his features. "What are you--"

"It's your turn to help me figure out my secret talent," she grinned a little too cheerfully. "Ready?"

He grimaced. "Uh, yeah, I guess, ready than I'll ever be," he set down the pile of papers he'd been looking through and took his glasses off, pursing his lips. "What do you want to do?" He asked her, shoving his hands in his pockets.

She lifted an eyebrow. "I thought you were the one that'd tell me. Since, you know, this is your lab and all," she gestured to the large space surrounding her.

He nodded. "Oh, right." His eyes left hers for a few silent moments, and then met them again. "So, you're thinking, um, science, right, not..."

"Grinch-ing out?" She guessed.

"Grinch--yeah, whatever." He spread his hands to lead her to a lab table that seemed to be used for almost nothing. Only a few papers were laid out on it, one of them with colorful squares covering it. He cleared his throat awkwardly, and said, "I don't know how much you already know in this field, but I decided to start out small." He held up the sheet of paper in front of her. "Can you name all of these using just the chemical symbols?"

Cara stared at him. Name all of what using just the what? She refused to be shown up to, though, and squinted at the sheet. "I'm thinking," she said in explanation for her silence. After a few moments' time, she smiled widely in triumph, and pointed at one of the squares with a single letter in it. "Oh, I know that one! It's oxygen, because of the 'O.'"

Bruce nodded. "Keep going," he encouraged.

"Um..." She examined the sheet of paper more, but knew it was hopeless. Trying for one more, she attempted at triggering a memory from her eighth grade year. One recollection tickled at the edges of her mind, driving her crazy. "That one's...um, I know that one, I do," she thought aloud, "it's got the first three letters of my name in it." She pointed at the capital 'C' that was occupying one of the squares and screwed her facial features up in thought. "Car--car-something..."

"Carbon."

When the teen lifted her head, Bruce was staring at her with a hint of an amused smirk on his face.

"Okay, I'm not that good at science," she grumbled, "I admit it."

"No, just because you can only name one of the Elements doesn't...necessarily mean you lack intelligence when it comes to physics and other fields of science," he said, but sounded unsure. Cara didn't blame him.

"Fine," she sighed. "What else is there?"

He began to show her...well, she didn't exactly know. The only thing she knew was that it was completely and utterly scientific.

Oh, and that it was ridiculously hard to understand.

"Get it?" Bruce asked after explaining what the difference between a chemical and physical reaction was.

Cara blinked guiltily. She'd spent too much time trying to figure out what he was saying instead of just listening, like he'd apparently expected her to do. She ducked her head. There was no point being outsmarted by Bruce. It would only deflate her confidence. But then she lifted her head.

Fuck it. I don't understand science, that doesn't mean I'm dumb by any means. I understand sarcasm, that's a big enough accomplishment, isn't it?

She smirked. "God, I suck at this. But maybe I could be the Max to your Grinch?" Her grin widened at the reference. She'd only just thought of it, and she prided herself on her ability to think on her feet.

"Who's Max?" He asked. "And why am I the Grinch?"

She stared at him. For once, she'd have to explain something to him? "Oh, you know, when your alter ego comes out, it's all..." She made a few gestures to further get her point across. "Like the Grinch," she concluded, and then added, "and I'd be like the Grinch's cute little dog, Max, the one that pulls the sleigh up onto the top of Mount Crumpit." She smiled. "Get it?"

He shook his head. "No," he ran a hand through his already-disheveled head of hair. "Why would I need a sidekick? I think the Other Guy does enough damage on his own, right?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, I've never seen him in action." She reached forward and poked his stomach. "But--" poke "I talked to--" poke "Tony--" poke--

"Stop!" He said, moving away, turning to face another lab table.

Cara sidled up to stand next to him. "Ooh, what's that?" She feigned interest, hoping to get a reaction out of him. Ever since she'd come here, all he seemed to be was a kind, shy man, but after hearing about his "superpower," she'd been meaning to try some new things around him.

He ignored her. "You know, I think Clint's waiting for you to join him in the gym. Maybe you should go down there," he said, his voice noticeably shaky.

She fluttered her fingers against his middle, chuckling. "Bruce, are you ticklish?"

"I'm sensing some deja vu, here," he muttered to himself, and when Cara proceeded to pinch his arm rather hard, he whirled to face her. "Stop it!" His eyes were dark as he stared at her, their depths filled with black flames.

Cara took a step back, realizing her mistake. "I--I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--"

Then his eyes softened, seeming more Bruce-like. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, calming himself down. "No, I--its fine, I'm just...stressed out," he covered, but Cara knew he was lying. She'd succeeded in getting a reaction out of him, but it wasn't the same as what she'd pictured happening.

All the same, she didn't call him call him out on it, turning around to leave the lab. "Uh, see you later, Bruce," she said, waving lightly in his direction. "Thanks for your help."

He nodded, and looked like he was about to reply when someone knocked on the door, entering anyway.

"Oh, Steve was right." It was Clint, his quiver strapped across his shoulder.

"About what?" Cara asked.

"Nothing, he just said that you'd be here." He glanced at Bruce's figure standing against a lab table. "I hope I'm not interrupting--"

"You're not," Cara answered, while Bruce said a quick, "take her."

She turned back to glare at him, but she didn't blame him for the reaction, especially after her performance. He smiled softly at her.

"Oh," he raised his eyebrows in question, but when neither of them explained, he nodded swiftly and continued, "well, mind meeting me down in the gym?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes."

He nodded in response, and left the room.

When she looked back at the scientist, he smirked. "I told you he was waiting."

She made a noise of annoyance and rolled her eyes, walking towards the door. "Whatever, Banner."