"- Wait. Backing up one second. You literally shapeshift when you go Chaotic?" 

"Yes. I literally shapeshift. And it's not--I don't do silly pranks and throw candy. I tear down buildings and crush people. I can avoid risky situations but it's never perfect, I can never be sure, so I need to live somewhere there are as few other people around for me to hurt as possible." He's pulled his other leg up into the chair with him and his hands are laced tightly on his knee.

Ronda's entire expression suddenly shifts. She's watching him almost hungrily. She licks her lips. 

"We'd rack in so much if we take you down to the gladiator pi–" 

"Ronda," Layne says, sharply. 

She goes very still for a moment. 

"- I am so sorry about that." 

"- Veth? Are you all right?" 

- where is she - what's she doing in this room - who are any of these people and why does it feel like she knows them -

"...Veth?" Layne reaches for her shoulder. 

"- Huh? Uh, sorry, I spaced out for a second." 

She is really hoping that's all she did because aaaaaaaaah. 

Layne gives her the piercing look that means 'we'll talk about this later'. 

Laylie sighs and waits for the teenagers to sort themselves out. They're young. Accidentally leaking Chaos in incredibly awkward circumstances is pretty normal and expected, drawing attention to it will just embarrass them more. 

"Bruce? Listen to me. It's all right. We'll figure something out. Maybe that means somewhere out of the city, but I'm not jumping straight to that. Having to set things up to make it easier for certain people not to leak Chaos on the Surface is - well, it's not usually quite as high-stakes but it's something we have experience with." 

Everyone freaking out is very reasonable. Him in a gladiator pit would be the worst possible idea but they seem to understand that.

"I'm--very glad you want to help me. I was able to be part of society, at home, mostly. I hope I can eventually do the same here."

He remembers Tony Stark, in New York. It's good to meet you, Dr Banner. Your work on antielectron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster. Remembers him showing off the suit. I can fly. Can you fly? And the unspoken real meaning, I can stop you if I have to. You're not the only line of defense.

"I'm sure you will." She ducks her head, not smiling but still radiating motherly reassurance. "Can you - go through a list of all the times this switch happened by accident? And what triggers you use for doing it on purpose?" 

He lists off incidents, softly, haltingly. The initial gamma irradiation. The argument that first made him realize anger could trigger it. The time he got shot in the head (he hopes they don't ask how). The two times in Brazil. "And I don't know why I would want to do it on purpose."

She listens, calmly and patiently. 

"I'm sorry. That all sounds like pretty much the worst circumstances imaginable for exploring Chaos. I can understand why you didn't want to do it on purpose! But - it's important, right. One of the best ways to reliably avoid triggering something by accident, is to have enough practice at doing it on purpose." 

A pause. 

"Anyway. I think you're low-risk to stay with Veth and her family, especially given that now we're all aware of the issue and can take measures to avoid tripping it for you. All right?" 

Veth nods. Doesn't seem concerned or scared. "We'll be polite and non-threatening and no one's going to pick a fight with you. - I mean, on the Surface in general no one's going to do that, but especially in our house, Mom would throw such a fit." 

She's heard all that and she still wants to let him stay at her house. "Really? Thank you. If it's okay with your parents I mean." He is not at all sure he would be that nice to a stranger, even a nonthreatening one, and it makes him feel like a parasite. "I'll try to get my feet under me soon."

"I'll call again and check, but yeah, I can't think why it wouldn't be." 

"You can borrow the phone in the room next door, if you want. Bruce, in the meantime, why don't we go through the basic census info for you? Educational background and medical history, at least, those are the top priority for now." 

Nolita is starting to fidget a bit. 

Layne can guess why. "Hey, listen, we've both got an exam tomorrow, so if you've got this covered, we'd better head out." A smile at Veth. "See you tomorrow?" 

"Sure, see you tomorrow." 

"I'll stick around. Perks of not being in school, no more exams ever again!" 

"Not to mention you practically live at my place anyway." 

Laylie ignores the banter, focuses on Bruce with that same intense aura of 'I have this under control' as before. 

"So, what was your field of study?"