This isn't the kind of news you take lying down, especially when it adds still more context to Tony's volatility. Bruce pushes himself back upright and leans forward, elbows on his knees.

"Tony, I--" --have no idea what to say to that. He's damn well not going to offer to take that off his hands. He's not a leader. He's not really a follower, either. Just call him the freelancer.

The problem is, Tony's better in that category, too, and leading's clearly just one more thing to eat him up.

"I want to help you." He doesn't want to stick his foot back in the crazy that is the Avengers, but running away obviously hadn't helped. "With no Hulk and knowing that I'm not leading anything bigger than a team of lab techs."