bakerstreet | (no subject)

[Pick your poison:

A.

Future Sorcerer Supreme, part of the X-Men. Wiser and calmer.

B.

Bad end Wiccan. Rougher, angrier, and still pretty powerful.

C.

Future Sorcerer Supreme, bad Doctor Strange cosplayer, and evil.

Also open to any other kind of future AU!]

[He'd come back expecting to have to kill Billy, honestly. And after that- after that hadn't mattered. Without Billy, very little did. But he supposed he'd vaguely expected to either go back to his own time, either the old one or the fixed one, or maybe stop existing altogether.

But instead, he'd ended up stuck here, in the past. And okay, part of him was happy that Billy had managed to save himself, that his past self would never have to go through the loneliness and sadness he had. But it left him adrift, without purpose or people or even duty. His kingdom didn't even exist yet, and he certainly wasn't stealing that from his younger self, either.

But life had to go on. He has an apartment, now, provided by the Avengers from some sort of pity, most likely. A job bouncing at a bar catering to the powered set, who seem kind of bemused by a very quiet not-Hulk but don't care all that much as long as he can stay on top of keeping the troublemakers out.

He isn't expecting to literally bump into Billy in the supermarket, really. And not the Billy of now, either. This one is older, doesn't look like he's shaved or smiled in decades, and yet- he's still unmistakeably Billy. He doesn't even realise what he's doing until he's walked over, arms folded, face set to hide his uncertainty.]

...Billy?

[Figuring out this world is exhausting sometimes, so is not... being recognized or seen by anyone he'd rather not be seen by. He's seen his younger self here, seen Teddy. They're happy-- or at least it seems that way, and he's not going to complicate it. He doesn't even really know how he ended up in this world, hadn't intended for his magic to send him that far away...

But here he is, and he's just... trying to live. Make it as well as he can.

Thankfully, he'd learned a lot from his colleagues back home, enough that he can get by on offering some of his talents for money, and what he can't earn there (sometimes Billy doesn't have it in him to take the pay after all), he can figure out in other ways.

He's bundled up in a jacket, collar turned up as it always is. Blending in, being as unnoticeable as possible is what he tries to do after all, as often as possible. So his carefully guarded expression falters when he hears that voice, that name. It's different, but still so undeniably Teddy.

He looks back, eyes going wide.]

What?

[It's not terribly articulate or anything, but he's not sure what to say. Should he deny it? Just-- go on?

Ask him what the hell he's doing here and why he's so... different.

He can't get any of that out of his mouth though.]

I thought so...

[He hesitates, not really sure what to say. Time travel is always complicated, if it even is time travel and not just some other universe, and he has no idea what kind of world this Billy came from.

But all the same... he's missed Billy. He's lonely, here. And if Billy is just as alone, maybe- they don't have to be. And he did promise he'd look after him, is still kind of hiding the ring with his crossed arms.

He takes a deep breath, trying to think of what to say.]

I'm not even sure how to start this. Hey?

Where are you from?

[Perhaps it's not the warmest greeting, and Billy has fallen right back into guarded, but... being friendly or warm hasn't really been much of a thing in a long time, especially when he's not entirely sure what the hell is even going on.]

You're too old to be the Teddy from this world. I've seen him, and the Wiccan from this time... [From afar, but still. He's rather sure about this one.]

So either you've been displaced like me or there's time traveling involved... neither one is very good, I'm sure.

[He's used to keeping his feelings to himself, is actually pretty glad for it right now. It's not exactly theresponse he hoped for, but then again- he guesses most alternative worlds and futures seem to end up pretty bad. So he keeps his face- not neutral, exactly, but locked down, opinions and emotions very firmly out of sight, a talent he's had to learn after years of chasing his husband around as he destroys everything and everyone having an opinion on it.]

Future. Something went wrong, we came back to fix it. Now I'm stuck.

[He nods at Billy, looking him over.]

I could say the same about you.

I'm sorry.

[And he does mean that, if the way his expression softens around the edges is anything to go by.

He shifts a bit, shrugs his shoulders as casually as he can manage.]

My world ended, you along with it. And now I'm here, stuck as far as I can tell... but then, there's not much else to go back to, I guess.

Don't be. It got fixed, after all.

[And if Billy and Teddy can have a better future than him and his, then- they deserve it.

But he guesses he owes this Billy a silent apology, too. No wonder he's so touchy, if that's how it is. He makes himself unfold his arms, expression falling to merely neutral, not grim.]

I'm sorry, too. And I think we got off on the wrong foot a little there, so- hey. Nice to meet you.

[Billy shifts a moment, looking a bit conflicted. He can't help it. This was a shock to the system... and really, he's not used to just talking to people anymore, let alone Teddy.

But he holds out a hand after a moment to shake.]

... It's nice to meet you too, Teddy.

[He takes Billy's hand, although less for a handshake, more to curl his own around it carefully for a moment. It's still Billy, after all, and some gestures are just still automatic, even after so long.]

Still using Billy?

Yes, mostly.

[He doesn't draw his hand away when Teddy tries to hold it... it's probably wrong, but-- the touch is nice, honestly. Nicer than anything he's felt in a while. He manages something like a more pleasant look, he hopes.]

What have you been doing around here? Still a superhero?

[He relaxes a little when Billy lets him hold his hand like that. After Billy had been infected, the little touches- they'd stopped, over time, as Moridun got more and more control, became less and less concerned about hiding. After a moment, he even tries a small smile, although he's fairly sure it doesn't do all that much for his expression except the corners of his mouth. He hasn't had much reason to smile in a long time, especially not socially.]

Not really. The world doesn't really need two Hulklings, after all, and- I needed some time to work through some things. Besides, I think I'd just embarrass myself, or at least my younger self.

[he shrugs. More to the point, he'd forgotten how much of an idealist he'd been, when he was young, hadn't realised how jaded he'd become until he'd seen himself again. He needs time to think about it, try to work out what he should be doing, how he needs to change.]

You?

Not really.

[His own smile feels a little strained, unnatural, but... he'd be lying if he said the hint of one on Teddy's face didn't make his heart skip a beat.]

As it turns out, I know a fair amount about demons and magic now... sometimes I can still help people, but I'm hardly a hero. I'm just not entirely sure how to do much else.

[Magic is all he knows for the most part. It's all he's been wrapped up in for too long.]

I do other odd jobs too. It gets me by, I suppose.

I can't even really do that. I have a job at a nightclub, bouncing.

[He feels a little ashamed. Billy might claim not to be a hero, but he's clearly still trying, at least. He always was better at being a hero than Teddy, honestly.

But it's nice to see the faintest beginnings of a smile on Billy's face, his own widening a little in response.]

You know- maybe in the middle of the aisle isn't the best place to talk. Maybe we could move the conversation to over coffee, instead?

[It's an impulsive offer, and he surprises himself with it. But it's been so long, and this- is still Billy, and he wants to.]

A bouncer...

[There's a hint of amusement that he can't hide as he looks Teddy over.]

You do sort of have the look down.

[He looks around them and-- ah okay. Maybe Teddy has a point. It was easy to get wrapped up in the talk forget where they were for a moment.]

Sure, coffee sounds good. I think there's a shop not too far.

[He folds his arms and gives Billy his best mildly disapproving look. He likes to think he has that one down, at least.]

Some of us don't have useful skills past looking impressive...

[And he's taken what he could get, honestly. Being king of space hasn't actually qualified him for much else.

But Billy agrees to coffee so easily, he can't help a little surprised but sincere smile.]

Sure. I haven't even really started yet, so unless there's anything you need, we can go now, if you want.

That's not your only skill, Teddy. I'm sure of it. And you-- do still like Teddy, don't you? It's not Theodore now, right?

[Though honestly, he prefers Teddy, himself.]

No, it's fine. I can come back. Follow me?

[He shouldn't do this, but-- it's Teddy, and he's been so alone.

One coffee can't hurt, right?]

It's always Teddy, to you.

[It probably didn't fit all that well with the thinning temples and obvious muscles under a maybe slightly too small t-shirt, but he couldn't imagine being anything but Teddy to Billy.

He sort of wishes he'd dressed better now, though. But it's hard to find clothes for even his human height, and honestly, this meeting had been pretty much unthinkable this morning.]

Sure, let's go.

[That gets another smile, soft and fond, before he starts to walk back towards the exit of the store.]

You grew, in more ways than one. You must be even more impressive as Hulkling... or whatever you call yourself now.

[He supposes nothing, if Teddy is retired now.

Billy isn't nearly as impressive, he doesn't think. He's slimmer now, thanks to more than a few missed meals back home, and he never really grew enough to be able to compare with Teddy now. He feels even smaller in comparison to him... not that it's an entirely bad thing or anything.]

I don't call myself anything. People settled on King Hulk back home, but that's embarrassing when you're not king of anything any more. And if I'm not heroing, there's no real rush to find a new name, either.

[He shrugs, looking away. He knows he should probably want to go back, keep his kingdom safe, but... there wasn't all that much left of it, anyway. He's not even sure his future still exists, honestly. Moridun had seemed pretty determined to bring it all down.]

I don't even know how tall I am, now. Too tall, probably.

[He towers over Billy now, feeling almost unnecessarily bulky. He really had grown, and Billy is still the same height he always was. But Billy still looks perfect- even with the beard.]

King Hulk. So does that mean you eventually left earth in your world?

[Billy's-- feelings have always been complicated about that. He's never wanted to lose Teddy, have him go so far out of reach.

On the other hand, it would have saved him from the fate he'd faced in his own world.

Not that this is the same Teddy.

He looks back over at Teddy, smiling slightly as he nudges at him.]

... You know I don't personally mind tall.

[Not that this is a date or they've got anything, but old habits die hard, Billy guesses.]