Kakashi sat on a comfortable couch in Tony Stark's large New York mansion.
The room was full of light and modern design. Everyone who had fought in the Battle of New York was there and Clint.
Tony, Steve, Bruce, Natasha,Thor, Creel, Blonsky stood around talking and eating.
Stark Tower was too damaged from the Chitauri attack, so Tony had invited them all to his private home. The mood was tired but happy. They had won. Earth was safe.
Kakashi chatted quietly with Clint near the large window that looked over the city.
Clint shook his head slowly. "I can't believe I was mind-controlled. That glowing scepter in my head. It's going to be in my nightmares for years."
Kakashi nodded. "It was strong magic. The Mind Stone is not something to take lightly."
Clint looked at him with a eagerly expression. "You have to teach me some of those ninja tricks to protect my mind. I never want to be someone's puppet again."
Kakashi thought for a moment. Konoha had developed several ways to resist mental attacks like the Yamanaka techniques. They could work against magic too. It worked a little when Enchantress was trying to mind control him.
"I might have to," Kakashi said. "Loki is still out there with the Mind Stone. We cannot let him control you again."
Clint smiled, relieved. Then his eyes lit up with mischief.
"Oh, I almost forgot to ask. What about that woman who fell madly in love with you? The one who chased you across the galaxy? Enchantress, right?"
Kakashi grunted at the name.
Clint laughed. "I heard she was completely obsessed. Sending magic messages, appearing in dreams, the whole thing. Natasha said she was ready to start a war just to get your attention."
Tony walked past with a drink and joined in. "Come on, Hatake. Spill. Was she beautiful? Crazy beautiful? Did she send you magic flowers or something?"
Kakashi narrowed his eyes, "She tried to control my mind and turn me into her personal slave. Very romantic."
Clint pretended to swoon. "A goddess wants to own you forever. Most men would be flattered."
Kakashi gave a dry laugh. "Yes. I was so flattered that I put her in a illusion and tortured her for three days inside her own head."
Tony raised his glass. "That's one way to say 'it's not you, it's me'."
Kakashi smiled under his mask, but the smile did not reach his eye. "I told her I fell in love too. Then I killed her. I like to kill the people I love, after all."
The room went quiet for a second. Clint and Tony stared.
Kakashi realised what he had said. The joke had truth in it. Too much truth. Rin's face flashed in his mind. Obito's. Minato's. His father's. All gone because of him, or because he could not save them.
He shook his head quickly to push the memories away.
"Bad joke," he said quietly. "Forget it."
Clint put a hand on his shoulder. "We all have bad jokes, man."
Kakashi nodded and changed the subject.
Bruce Banner walked up a minute later. Clint saw the serious look on Bruce's face and excused himself to talk to Natasha.
Bruce stood in front of Kakashi, looking nervous. His hands shook a little.
"I watched what you did with Blonsky," Bruce said. "You put something in him, a seal, and now he can control the transformation. I need that. I need to control the Hulk."
His voice broke. Tears formed in his eyes.
"I can't live like this anymore. Every time I get angry, I lose everything. I hurt people. I run. I hide. I just want to be normal. I want to walk down a street without being scared I will turn into a monster. Please. If you can help me, I will do anything."
Kakashi looked at him for a long time. He saw the pain. He knew that pain.
"I am sorry, Bruce," Kakashi said gently. "I do not have a cure. The seal I used on Blonsky works because his change is different. The Hulk is part of you. He is not a foreign thing I can lock away."
Bruce's face fell. The hope in his eyes died.
Kakashi continued. "My advice is to learn to live with him. Control the anger. Make friends with the green side. Accept it. Many people carry monsters inside them. Some of us learn to walk beside them instead of running."
Bruce looked hollow. He nodded slowly.
"I guess I hoped for too much."
He walked away toward the drinks table. His shoulders were lower than before.
Steve Rogers had been listening from nearby. He walked over after Bruce left.
"In my time, the biggest problem was Hydra," Steve said. "We fought men with guns. I thought that was hard. Now there are aliens, gods, monsters, and men who can make gravity do whatever they want. People like you protected Earth from thousands of aliens today. I am proud that my fight helped build a world with heroes like you. But sometimes I feel like I do not belong anymore. Like a man out of time. Do you think the world still needs Captain America?"
Kakashi looked at the man in the stars-and-stripes uniform. He saw the honest heart behind the shield.
'I know exactly how you feel,' Kakashi thought. 'I am from a different world entirely. Everything here is strange to me too.'
He spoke aloud.
"The world always needs symbols of hope, Steve. You are not just a soldier. You are what people want to believe in. Honest. Brave. Kind. You stand for something bigger than yourself. That never goes out of style. People look at you and remember they can be better. That is rarer than any power I have."
Kakashi inwardly thought, 'You are like what Naruto was to Konoha after Pain's attack.'
Steve listened carefully. His eyes were wet, but he smiled.
"Thank you. That means a lot."
Kakashi gave a small nod.
"Besides," he added with a lighter tone, "someone has to keep Tony from buying the entire city."
Steve laughed softly.
-----Author Notes---------
Y'all can now read the next 15 chapters of the fanfic on my pat*reon.
Also you can also now read exclusive one shots on it.
https://pat*reon.com/Charizard6
[No star]