Picking up the Pieces

[smash_stuff]

Bruce had commandeered one of the mostly empty garage sections to work in. He'd felt awful about smashing Bucky's bike to pieces while as the Hulk and was currently sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by the broken and twisted pieces. He was a scientist, he could fix this....right? But the more he looked over a book on motorcycles and back at the dented pieces of metal that used to be a bike, the more hopeless this seemed. Bruce ran a hand over his face with a sigh, this was looking hopeless.

[follows this, thread is for americacapt]

Comments

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

Steve was hearing rumors he'd get his bike in the next few days, possibly the next few hours. The unadorned bike came from the shop two weeks ago, and then was sent to California to be tampered and improved upon by mad scientists he and Banner both knew. As he was scouting for where he'd be storing his personal bike, he come upon the doctor going through the mess of what had been ... well, something that had metal. "Dr. Banner? What's up?"

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Bruce looked up at Cap's voice before tossing the piece in his hand into the growing "unknown" pile forlornly. "Nothing...just me trying to pretend I know what I'm doing." There's a few pieces with the colors still intact amazingly if Cap knows Bucky's motorcycle by sight, it won't be long before he figures out what this pile of scrap metal used to be.

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

The said part looked a bit like a bolt and Steve watched it clatter on the ground. He knelt down and picked it up before he turned back to Banner. "What are you trying to pretend? You know a lot of stuff." He notices the color of the bike for a moment and remembers he's seen it prior and... "What happened?"

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Genetics, yes. Gamma radiation, definitely. How to put a bike back together, that wasn't exactly his forte. He could fix a lot of things but this wasn't something he had tried before. Hence the book in his lap, Motorcycle Repair for Dummies. He tries to explain, "I...the Hulk, I didn't realize...and I know it looks bad but maybe I can..." His shoulder slump in defeat, "It's really bad, isn't it? I know zip about motorcycles but I thought it couldn't be too difficult." Trouble was, he wasn't dealing with a whole motorcycle. He was trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle.
"Bucky is alright," he says quickly, realizing this could seem worse than it was. "He helped me get back home actually."

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

Steve was entirely too used to dealing with geniuses who had mechanical knowledge; he knew better than to assume but his experience stated mechanics was something men with higher IQs than his had in common. He walked over and began to paw through the unknown pile, his face not quite darkening but became more concerned with each part that he couldn't recognize. However, he recognized more than what Bruce could and reduce the pile of unknown parts by a good chuck. "It looks bad, but it is salvageable. We've got SHIELD's payroll behind this one? Some parts are beyond recoverable but that's probably obvious." He looked up for a moment and smiled at Banner, "Yeah, I figured that was the case or I'd be one of the first to know." He grinned, "He's a good man, trust him."

"So, how many parts have you classified?"

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Typical Bruce, he'd been trying to do this all on his own. No Shield help or anything. And there was no way he was going to Tony on this one, he felt bad enough already about smashing the motorcycle. He was hoping he could fix it quietly in here before anyone noticed.

He breathes a sigh of relief when Steve smiles, knowing that Bucky was a good friend of his and if there was anyone trust he didn't want to lose, it was Cap's. He nods, "I'll try to."

"Well, um...that small pile there," he moves across the floor to pick up a set of handlebars and something that used to be a wheel. The other one, he hadn't been able to locate.

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

Steve never quite got the 'man on his own' thing. He never quite did because he came from a generation where people truly did have to pull together. And it was agonizing to see that people forgot this ability nearly 70 years later. He studied the parts on the ground for a few moments more. "Mechanics are paid for supplies and time. I could order the parts from SHIELD once we figure out what parts we need to get."

He picks up another part, and is relieved to see it's usable. He gently places it with the pile of items that are salvageable. "I think the only things he minds are getting kicked in the head by mistake and... well. Me getting too maudlin about missing out for 70 years. You'll be okay."

"... uh. So do we know what kind of bike it is? I can find a parts list and figure out what we need to get." After all, a puzzle has a picture guide.

you'll have to forgive the mun for knowing nothing about motorcycles :S

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Bruce does it out of habit, being on his own for so long...and trying not to hurt anyone in the process. He did like Cap's plan though and picked up the book in his lap, flipping to the pages he had marked with sticky notes like it was some sort of academic study guide. "I've been able to narrow it down to three types based on what I could recognize. Maybe you could help me narrow it down to one, I didn't see it before it ended up like this."

a true gear head would be upset with me. >_>

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

So it's yet another loner that Steve is going to have to show that having a team isn't entirely horrible. Saved his sanity quite a few times back in the War. Of course... these are the simple basics. He's never quite put a bike together before. And right now, he's not sure if he should ask Banner if they could find another more suited at putting things together. "Uhm..." Steve looks through the pages and... decides on a model... which probably is the wrong one. "So here are all the parts that we need to attempt to look for and match."

meh, then we're both in the same boat :)

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Bruce would probably refuse to find someone else to fix it. He broke it, ergo he should be the one to fix it. He's a little stubborn like that.

He spreads out the known pile a bit, arranging them from nose to tail as it were of the bike. There seemed to be enough for a frame, though it was going to have to be welded and bent back into shape. He starts writing down a complete list of parts in his small neat handwriting.

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

Funny enough, Steve is akin to that mind set. He doesn't like asking for help though he doesn't reject it. There's a matter of pride for him. But then, if he broke something, it was more of a 'you bought it' sort of a deal.

Steve continues to look over the parts, and frowns. "I know we're missing a few." He circles around it, squatting next to the pile of useable items. "This seems... complicated."

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Good to know they were on the same page there.

Bruce rolls up his sleeves, rocking back on his heels to stand and walk over to a workbench. "Guess we should start with the frame..." He picks up a welding torch and mask. And as an afterthought, flicks on the radio which is currently playing Kansas. Music while he works helps sometimes. He hands Steve another welder's mask and the two of them go to work.

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

The result between them will be a masterpiece. And Steve has a funny feeling that things won't end up too smoothly. He takes off his dress shirt, a white t-shirt underneath, and walks over to the bench before selecting an apron.

"Suppose we should," He pulled on the mask on his head and walked over to the pieces of metal that were supposed to be the frame of the bike. But as they went about it, Steve was wondering if a bike was supposed to look like this.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

About an hour later, they had some semblance of a frame and it was pretty sturdy. Perhaps even more so than it had been before. Bruce and Steve had found a rhythm of working together and things were coming together well.

"Doesn't look too bad, right?" Bruce hoped he was right, turning off the welding torch and lifting his face mask.

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

"It... doesn't look bad." Steve agreed. And if they were doing a sclupture, Steve would have been proud of their work. But as he saw it, it looked... not quite entirely like Bucky's bike. But was just the frame. They had to put parts together now.

He wiped his brow as he lifted the mask from his face. "So what's the next step?"

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

So long as it was sturdy and didn't fall apart when ridden, Bruce could live with it for now. Hopefully when the rest of the pieces were on, it would look better.

He puts the torch down, pulling off his gloves and mask. "The engine, which I really don't think we should rebuild from this." Which meant, they were going to have to go buy one. And Bruce had never been to a motorcycle shop in his life.

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

Steve frowned at the frame, because he was not reminded of Bucky's bike. If it had been anyone else, he might have drawn them to the side and just admit they'd have to get Buck a new bike in similar style. As far as Steve knew, the bike didn't have the same emotional attachment as Steve might have with his shield.

"So... what engine are we going to have to order then? I know the internet can do stuff like that." He winced, knowing how lame he sounded on that. "Or we could ask for advice... does Bucky know about this?"

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Bruce fidgeted uncomfortably near the workbench as he was putting the torch and headmask back. "...no, he doesn't." He was hoping to have it fixed and returned to make it up to Bucky. Bruce turns to look at their contraption...looking more downcast the more he looked at it.

"...you don't think we're going to fix it, do you?"

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Well, his fault for not asking sooner, Steve supposes as he puts his own things away. He neatly folds up the apron and places the mask on the hanger before taking a step back. He glanced at the bike before walking over to it and slowly circled it. It did look like a bike frame. In the Claus Oldenburg kind of way.

"I think... he might notice something is different." He tried to say neutrally and reached up to rub the back of his head.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

He didn't really hear what Cap said, too busy being frustrated with himself for not being able to fix this. Not being able to do things was something Bruce was unfamiliar with. He had always been smart and he didn't want to give up on this as unfixable but it was looking that way.

His hand balls into a fist in frustration, stupid why couldn't he fix this?? It was his fault, he had to beepbeepbeepbeep... Bruce lets the fist go with a breath out. No, can't hold onto that line of thinking. He'll just end up smashing the bike again.

Time to cut his losses, Bruce runs a hand down his face with a sigh. "How hard would it be to get a new one?"

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

In some ways, Steve was like Bruce in the hating to give up. Steve knew he wasn't good at everything; just a few things. Fighting apparently, military tactics, drawing, and making people smile sometimes. But to give up was... it was a hard thing. But they both lacked knowledge and someone's life wasn't at risk for quitting.

He lifted in head, alarmed, when he heard the beeping and watched fora moment, watching the other man breathe deeply in and out before he calmed down.

"Not too hard. I don't think you can replace it without him guessing. But that's apart of honesty. I'm also to blame for some of it."

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Bruce puts a hand up to show he was ok, no Hulking out today for him. "He already knows this one is broken so...maybe I should." A new one, maybe a better one. At least Bucky would have his transportation back, even if it wasn't his original bike.

Bruce walks over to the computer screen, one of Jarvis' and asks for a list of motorcycle shops in the area. It comes up with a short list for them.

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

Steve took a breath before walking over to the ma and gently nudging some of the parts. "Perhaps it can be a coproduction of abstract art. Whatever money we get out of selling it we give it to Bucky." He was half serious on the thought. If his name was on it, it might sell for wrong reasons.

"I'm going to suggest," Steve began as he walked over to Banner, "That we get an Indian Motor cycle. It looks a bit like what I saw Bucky with a few times."

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

Bruce gives the broken bike a sidelong glance. "If someone calls that art, they probably need glasses." But who is he to judge?

He nods at the suggestion, touching the screen to pick out a few local shops that carry that kind of bike. "There's one a few blocks from here."

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

"Apparently did all they could do with art while I was gone." Steve explains, trying not to smile too widely. "Now just about anything can be considered art. I swear I'll donate money to a charity."

"So we pool our money and buy the bike?" And Steve will talk to SHIELD about covering Bruce's expenses. That's what insurance should be for, for those times when people make mistakes.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

"I'm no judge of art so...have at it if you want it." Bruce grabs his hoodie, pulling it on.

He shakes his head, "I'm buying the bike. You're the..." and this almost gets him to smirk, "...bike consultant." Again, Bruce broke it, he's fixing it. But he does appreciate Cap's help.

And either they're walking or Cap is driving because Bruce doesn't trust himself behind the wheel of a car.

[americacapt.livejournal.com]

"Not until I ask Bucky, who'll probably look at me just the same way you're looking at me." Steve smiled warily, "I'm really taken with the philosophy of modern art. Regular joes like me couldn't really do art until the turn of the century."

He turned to smile at the slimmer man with an unsure grin, "Consultant? Do you really trust me on that? I've got my own bike and Bucky's taste are pretty similar but... well... we'll find something."

Steve doesn't own a car, he does own his bike though and he does have a passenger helmet. Seriously, even back in the 30s and 40s, driving was a pain.

[smash-stuff.livejournal.com]

"I trust you with bikes a lot more than I trust myself."

...in that vein, his next statement sounds pretty silly. "Maybe I should walk, I can meet you there." Bruce is picturing himself hulking out on the back of Steve's bike should anything bad happen on the way. He already avoids taxi cabs.