Ch3

"Hey! You must be Bruce Banner" Pepper Potts greeted the bemused scientist at the airport, smiling slightly at his awe at the size of Tony Stark's personal airspace.
"It's huge for just one guy," Bruce chuckled at the irony and followed the red haired PA to the awaiting car. Pepper turned to Bruce, worry and slight awkwardness present in her features.
"If Tony gets too much and you get a bit 'agitated', you can come down to my office to cool down" Pepper offered, knowing too well about the doctor's anger issue. Bruce chuckled kind-heatedly
"I'll keep that in mind but I think I'll be fine. Thank you for the offer" and smiled back at her.

"Brucie! You came!" Tony's voice warbled through the overly large Stark Tower and Pepper grimaced a sorry at the man. Bruce rolled his eyes and followed Pepper into Tony's workshop to greet the drunkard who was slumped over a robot arm which was apparently trying to hold the man upright. Pepper stomped over to the drunk and grabbed him by the arm, hauling him onto a chair.
"Geez Tony. At least be sober to greet your guests!" she chided then left the two men to it. Bruce grinned a little at Tony's slightly vacant expression and ruffled hair. He placed his 'kit' onto a cleared table and sat down next to his new lab partner and shook his shoulder slightly, handing him an aspirin and glass of water Pepper had left before.
"Thanks mate" Tony grabbed the pills and guzzled the water, sloshing the liquid down his AC/DC shirt making Bruce find it hard not to snort in laughter. The guy was such a mess. He wasn't going to be much help till he had sobered up. Realising they, Bruce hauled him up and dragged the man into the living room; plonking him heavily down on a vacant sofa (the cleared table's old contents covered the other chairs).

Tony entered the lab about two hours later, eyes slightly blurred but otherwise sober. Bruce waved at him, not taking his eyes off of his microscope.
"Hey Stark. Nice nap?" he asked the man, glancing sideways slightly. Tony stretched and yawned, hitting a desk and wincing slightly.
"Better thanks Banner. Sorry about before. DUMMY didn't do a good job of hiding the liquor" he admitted with a grimace and the robot arm from before seemed to whine in apology and Tony patted it slightly before moving to sit by Bruce. Picking up and scanning the notes that SHIELD had already made on the blue glowy box thing that they were supposed to be examining, Tony noticed that the power radiating from it was off most moderate scales and pretty high on modern ones. Tony whistled at the figures, jerking Bruce in surprise, then he realised what Tony was whistling at and rolled his eyes and then rubbed at them when things became blurry.
"Yeah they're pretty high figures" Bruce admitted and then there was a ding at the door. Tony yelled from his bench "JARVIS who is it?" and the overhead voice answered "Agent Coulson from SHIELD is here with a guest. Coulson says he is help for you".

Loki stood at the door to the stupidly tall, skyscraper with a slight nervous twitch. He'd hacked into SHIELD's files on Banner and Stark and neither seemed like healthy co-workers. One turned into a raging monster when provoked and one had a major ego and alcohol problem. Coulson knocked on the door and an overhead voice answered "Enter Mr Coulson" as the door slid open. Loki, still freaked slightly from the overhead voice, walked into the vast living space which seemed to be covered in junk and clothing. Coulson sighed as he sifted through the junk, making a path for them to walk through. Loki followed the man through into the lab. Loki blinked slightly at the sight that greeted him. There was a man (Bruce) scribbling furiously whilst almost glaring at a fizzing test tube and another slumped at a desk, obviously asleep (Tony). DUMMY raced over and began to poke his creator awake and after five attempts, succeeded and wheeled happily into the corner. Loki looked at the device, stunned. It seemed to have been given a personality and everything.

Coulson started yelling at the barely awake man and Bruce looked over, spotted Loki and smiled apologetically. Loki shook his head. Well, this should be fun. He preferred being stuck with Jane and her clumsy friend. Walking into the room, he made to introduce himself.

"Loki Laufeyson. Pleasure to meet you" he announced, snapping Coulson and Tony out of their argument and Bruce walked up to the man.
"Bruce Banner. Pleasure" he smiled and they shook hands. Then Tony shimmied over
"Tony Stark. Pleasure extraordinaire" he smirked at Loki's confused expression and shook his hand. Bruce flicked Tony and explained "Tony's a bit of a lady's man. That's what he means. But you probably didn't want to know but ah well, now you do" Loki wrinkled up his nose. This guy was just like Fandral. That annoying womaniser that Thor enjoyed hanging with.

"Indeed" Loki responded and replied "Well I am male so your 'skills' are irrelavent. Do you wish to show me any previous discoveries you have made?" Tony looked stupefied at the first person to out-sass him and slowly gave Loki the results that he and Bruce had been collecting. Loki looked over them seriously and nodded.
"Right then. Where do you want me?" he asked and he sounded so serious that Tony didn't dare make a joke out of it and simply began to explain the equipment to the man. Loki winked at Bruce out of the corner of his eye causing the man to chuckle and turn back to his work. This was going to be an interesting time.