Iris

Chapter 1

Note: I do not own Marvel characters or "Outlander."

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Bruce put his bags on the hotel bed and sighed. He had spent nearly ten hours on a plane for a seminar in Russia. He had been working as a as a scientist and part-time agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. for the nearly a year. This mission was simple: Go to the seminar and track down Dr. Stephen Strange to recruit him to the Avengers.

Shouldn't be too hard for a world-renowned scientist, or at least that's what Fury told Bruce. However, Strange and Banner only knew each other in passing.

Strange was a famous brain surgeon who left the practice after a car accident took his ability to use his hands. After that, the man eventually gained control of his hands again with the help of sorcerers. Now, Strange was the Supreme Sorcerer and Fury wanted him for a team of individuals who could make the world a better place.

Bruce remembered being recruited to S.H.I.E.L.D. like it was yesterday. He had come home after a long day of Ross shouting at him about a project. Fury stood in Bruce's apartment looking out the window and hired him on the spot. Bruce accepted, all too eager to leave the military.

He joined the military when he was fresh out of college. General Ross saw his potential when he was a kid. The general didn't want to hire a child, so he waited until Bruce finished college. He graduated with 7 Ph.D.'s and everyone wanted to hire the kid scientist who started Harvard at 11-years-old and graduated at 25, a record for completing that many degrees in a short amount of time. But he turned them all down, devoting himself to Ross from the time he met him. Little did he know, Ross only wanted him for his brain and not what he could do as a scientist.

The man broke himself out of his thoughts and got ready for the evening, switching his normal plaid shirt and khaki pants for a tux. Once the mission was complete, he could go home. All he needed was a yes or a no.

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When Bruce got to the event, he immediately spotted Dr. Strange and made his way towards the man.

"Dr. Strange," Bruce greeted while offering his hand for the man to shake.

"Dr. Banner," he replied, taking Bruce's hand and shaking it.

When Bruce put his hands in his pocket, he went straight to business. "Look, I know you've been in contact with Fury and that he needs you for the Avengers Initiative. Personally, I think you'd be a great addition and you're going to be the most powerful person next to Thor. We need you."

"Look, Banner –"

"I'm asking you to please consider it," he interrupted, practically begging.

"What will you be doing?"

"I'll be working behind the computers and in the lab with Tony Stark, who's also joining."

"Stark is on the team," Strange asked in disbelief.

Bruce smirked and nodded, then said, "Yeah. So is Steve Rogers and Clint Barton. Carol Danvers and Thor will pop in time to time if it gets bad and James Rhodes has a suit similar to Tony's."

"So, in other words, you need more muscle."

"Fury wants an answer. Tonight," Bruce pressed. "He wants the team formed sooner than later in case we have another Loki situation, or skrulls start attacking."

Skrulls had been around since the 90's, but it was only recently made public. Some had gathered and revolted against Fury and Danvers for not finding them another planet to live on. To the skrulls, Earth was not home.

Strange sighed as if defeated and said, "I'll call Fury."

"I'll let him know," Bruce replied, making sure Strange knew Fury would be awaiting his answer and giving the sorcerer no time to put it off.

Bruce wasn't trying to be rude; he was just doing his job. He had recruited everyone except Clint and Carol so far. A few others, such as Scott Lang and Sam Wilson, passed on the offer, wanting to live a quieter superhero life.

The two men bid farewells and parted ways. Bruce texted Fury on his way out of the building. As the scientist walked back to the hotel, which was just around the corner, he cursed at the cold weather in Italian.

He had a habit of cussing in every language known to man. When he was frustrated or mad, he cursed loud enough for the whole room to hear. When he was irritated, he muttered. Fury got so many complaints about it from Steve in the last few months that he put up a swear jar. Clint hated the object and nearly succeeded in getting rid of it until his wife, Laura, caught him.

Fury messaged Bruce saying that he could take a flight out tomorrow, making the man sigh in relief because he didn't have to stay longer. He loved travelling, but he was always more comfortable in New York.

He went back to the hotel and changed back into his normal clothes, deciding to go for a walk. He grabbed his key, wallet and phone, putting them his pockets. He checked and made sure his glasses were in his jacket pocket.

While walking in the dimly lit streets, he thought about New York and annual family dinner coming up. He missed his cousin, Jennifer, who was more of a little sister.

Bruce shook the thoughts of his family out of his mind before it wandered to dangerous territory and focused on the road ahead. It was dark and he wasn't that far from the hotel, but he needed to stay cautious.

Then he heard a strange noise, almost like a humming. It was like his feet had a mind of their own and followed the sound.

Bruce didn't know or care where he was as he got closer to the noise and saw a bight, yellow light in the distance.

Once he was close enough, he crouched behind a tree to see Dr. Strange in his cape, performing magic on a circle made of large stones. When the man was done, he put his hand on one of the rocks and disappeared, but the sound was still there.

Bruce moved from his spot, as if he was transfixed by the musical noise. He realized the humming was coming from the rock and as a scientist, he was fascinated. Against all rational thought, he touched the stone and then it all went dark.