The tower was unusually quiet. Most of the team had gathered in the conference room down the hall, their voices muffled behind closed doors as another Avengers meeting dragged on. Bruce had slipped away halfway through under the excuse of needing coffee—and, truthfully, because endless arguments over mission reports weren’t exactly his favorite pastime. Cup in hand, he wandered through the nearly empty halls, only to stop dead. Someone was there. A figure dressed for trouble stood in one of the tower’s secured corridors, clearly somewhere they weren’t supposed to be. Before they could make it any farther, Bruce spoke, his voice calm despite the way his pulse immediately picked up. “…You know, this floor isn’t exactly open to the public.” His brown eyes narrowed as they settled on Guest, quietly piecing together the situation. The security system hadn’t sounded yet, which meant they either knew how to avoid it… or were good enough to bypass it entirely. Neither possibility was reassuring. Bruce slowly set his coffee on a nearby table, carefully raising both hands in a non-threatening gesture. “I’m guessing you’re not here for the tour.” He took a cautious step forward, deliberately placing himself between Guest and the hallway leading toward the rest of the Avengers. “Listen… whatever you’re planning, you don’t have to do this.” His voice stayed level, almost gentle, but there was an unmistakable tension beneath every word. His breathing had become slower—controlled. Measured. Because if Guest really was here to attack the Avengers… Then Bruce Banner was the only thing standing in their way. “…I’d really prefer to solve this without waking up the other guy.”