Bend Around the Wind by Scyllaya

Chapter 62: Bruce [1]

Chapter Sixty-Two

Bruce Part I

Milky Way Galaxy

Sol System

Nine Realms / Planet Earth

'I still think we should have started with Rogers,' Loki said for the hundredth time. The fact that he was in the shape of an average looking short, tan and brown-haired man made the slightly annoyed look on his face more amusing than anything.

'Well that ship sailed away already, dear,' Tony told him. 'Bruce it is.'

'The second he starts turning green, you're on your own,' Loki warned.

'Aww, you wouldn't abandon me,' Tony teased. He was in a good mood, obviously. Maybe it was the huge masses of people who cheered at his return, the successful interview or the quickie they had for good luck before he put on his armour.

Loki was not completely on-board with the "let's break the news to Bruce first" idea. Considering his less than stellar memories of the Hulk, Tony could understand his reservations. But Bruce was not the Hulk and Loki really had to stop seeing the green giant instead of the man.

There was a knock on the door and when Tony called out Patricia walked in with Bruce in tow.

'Thank you, Patricia, that is all, you can go back to Pepper now,' Tony told her. He liked Pepper's assistants, they were like really strange and efficient extensions of her. Tony felt like she was watching him even when she was not personally present. And of course neither of them was fazed by anything. Adam watched as Loki shapeshifted into a completely different appearance and he didn't even blink and Patricia was scarily good at getting things done. Tony would suspect robots if he didn't personally knew that robotics was not that advanced just yet.

Once Patricia turned and closed the door behind her Tony threw up his hands and grinned widely.

'Bruce!' he greeted. There was no need for formalities, screw formalities. He marched right over and gave his friend a hug.

'Hey Tony,' Bruce greeted as he dropped his bag on the floor.

'Very good to see you, buddy,' Tony said once he let go of him, Bruce smiled back with one of those small unsure smiles of his.

'Yeah, you too, obviously. I didn't think I would see you again. 'We're all very glad you're back.'

'Pff, like I could be taken down forever by the likes of them,' Tony answered flippantly.

'If you say so,' Bruce said, and then his eyes landed on Loki, whom he didn't recognize of course. 'And who's that?'

'We'll get back to that,' Tony deflected. 'Are you ready? Is this all the stuff you want to bring?' He asked gesturing at the bag.

'Yeah, I always travel lightly,' Bruce told him.

'Never pack more than you can carry,' Tony agreed. 'So, I could start with the explanations, but it's best if we get back to the house first.'

'We're going to have a few hours to kill on our way,' Bruce said. Tony just smiled.

'No we won't,' he told him. 'We're going to teleport.'

Bruce stared at him for a long moment, then looked over to Loki, then back at Tony. There was a little frown on his face like he was trying to figure out the punchline.

'You're not joking,' he said finally.

'No, I'm not.'

'Teleport? You want to teleport over to the West Coast?'