Stark's Little Stardust

6: Secrets and Consequences

As the Avengers headed out with Fury, Tony lingered by the door, glancing over at you and Bruce. "Alright, kiddo," Tony said, giving you a quick wave. "Be good for Uncle Banner. I'll be back soon." You waved back, knowing full well that Tony trusted Bruce implicitly and felt reassured leaving you in his care.

Once Tony left, the lab felt quieter, and you noticed Bruce watching you thoughtfully. As he turned back to the screen, his brow furrowed slightly. Then he muttered, "2019...?"

He paused, his eyes widening as the full implication hit him. "You're from 2019?" His gaze snapped to you, his voice rising in shock. "Through time-travel?!"

You froze, remaining silent for a solid five seconds, desperately wishing the ground would open up and swallow you whole. Finally, you gave an awkward laugh and said, "Uhm... Uncle Banner, would you believe me if I say no...?"

Bruce's eyebrow rose, and he crossed his arms, looking at you with that classic no-nonsense expression. "Kid, please. Be honest with me. This is serious, and I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on."

Realizing there was no way out, you took a deep breath and started explaining everything. The reason you came back, the things you hoped to prevent, and the lengths you had gone to reach this point. Bruce stayed silent, his expression shifting through surprise, concern, and a twinge of sadness as he processed your words. By the end of it, he seemed almost overwhelmed.

He exhaled deeply, his gaze intense but not angry. "You... did what?" His voice shook slightly before he took another breath to steady himself. "Forget that. J.A.R.V.I.S becomes someone named Vision... Tony, Nat, Loki, and I..." He swallowed hard. "I become Hulk forever?" His eyes shifted with alarm, his hands beginning to tense as if he were fighting to keep himself calm. "And some guy named Thanos is the reason for all of this?"

Seeing Bruce nearly on the edge of becoming the Hulk, you quickly attempted to steer him away from that line of thought. "Well, Uncle Banner," you said, searching for anything that might help, "if it makes you feel better, Uncle Thor becomes... um... fat."

Bruce's eyebrows furrowed as he blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, what? Thor becomes fat?" The sheer disbelief in his voice was almost comical.

"Yep," you nodded enthusiastically. "He spends most of his time eating, gaming, and drinking in the future."

Bruce let out a short, baffled laugh, seeming to relax for a moment. Then he eyed you with suspicion. "Wait a minute... Stop trying to distract me, kid. I don't care if Thor becomes fat or stays buff. His ego would fill the room no matter what shape he's in."

You couldn't help but smile, putting out your pinky finger toward him in a mock-solemn gesture. "Pinky promise me, Uncle Banner."

Bruce looked at your small hand and shook his head in amusement, linking his pinky with yours. "You Starks are going to be the death of me, honestly." He let out a sigh but smiled despite himself. "Be glad I love you guys. Now I've got to figure out how to get you back to your time without causing too much damage to this one."

You grinned up at him, a warm feeling of gratitude swelling in your chest. "Thank you, Uncle Banner. Dad and I love you so much, too."

Bruce smiled, his eyes softening as he shook his head. "Kid, you're going to have to be careful. Loki's still in this timeline, and if he gets even a whiff of what's going on, we're in for a world of trouble." He crossed his arms, giving you a serious look. "As for your secret, it's safe with me. But promise me you won't do anything that could risk it getting out, alright?"

You nodded solemnly. "You have my word, Uncle Banner. I won't do anything reckless. I understand the consequences."

Bruce seemed reassured, but before either of you could say more, a familiar voice cut through the room.

"What consequences?"

Both you and Bruce froze, exchanging panicked glances as you turned to see Steve standing at the door, looking between the two of you with a curious frown.

"Uh-oh," you whispered to Bruce under your breath.

Bruce cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. "Nothing serious, Steve," he said, giving a tight smile. "Just... lab talk."

Steve raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Lab talk, huh?" He glanced at you, his gaze narrowing as he tried to piece together what he had just walked into. "You both look like you were hiding something."

You forced yourself to look as innocent as possible, shifting slightly closer to Bruce as he put a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "Well... you know, science-y stuff, Captain," you said, hoping the vagueness would help. "Just things about, uh, particles and... and... molecules!"

Steve blinked, and Bruce looked away, fighting to keep his composure.

Steve continued to look skeptical. "Right... and these particle conversations have consequences?"

Bruce coughed, clearly stalling as he searched for something believable. "Well, science does... affect things," he said, smiling nervously. "There are always consequences, you know... cause and effect."

Steve's frown deepened. "Do you really think, you fool a soldier?"