Summary: Nat and Bruce cuddles. Raven can be a shit. Don't throw stones. Seriously, don't do it. The Master of the Mystic Arts returns. Adam makes coffee for Stephen and Bruce while they talk about constructs, castings, and what's "real". Adam is predictable.

Notes: You're allowed to go build your blanket and pillow fort or just curl up under the kitchen table. Many thanks to Autumn_Froste who Beta-read while her household is fighting off the creeping crud. I'm having the usual issues getting this to post, so I'll post up a cleaner copy on Monday.

Chapter 53: Philosophers, Stones, and Cosmic Speed Dating

"I'm going to spend the next eight months worshiping this," Bruce said as he kissed and gently nuzzled his face against Natasha's stomach. He still wasn't used to calling her his fiancé, but it certainly had a nice sound.

"You can worship it all you want as long as you get up with it in the middle of the night and change its diapers," she said with a snort.

"You know I will," he said earnestly.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Natasha warned as she threaded her fingers through his hair. She knew they were just dreaming together, but everything felt so real and lucid it was hard to tell the difference.

He hugged her middle as they lay there on what looked like their bed with Natasha propped against the headboard and Bruce lying across her thighs with his head in her lap. They were both too tired to do more than kiss and cuddle, so there they lay for a blissful forty minutes or so and simply enjoyed being together. Bruce had to admit, the idea of having sex in this limbo had its appeals, but it could wait till they were both in better shape and back in their real bed in their real apartment.

"So what do you need to talk to Adam about that's so urgent?" she finally asked.

"You'll never guess the name of Lila Lu's new imaginary friend."

"Oh, he was telling me about that. She connected with Adam when we were on the farm in October, and he thought he had her blocked out until she had a rough patch in December with her friends. "

"So we're just talking about two times he's had contact?" That was what Bruce had been hoping.

"Just the two times over the past four months as his cute munchkin self. Nothing untoward or inappropriate, mostly just emotional support, especially the second time. Two kids talking and playing together."

Bruce sighed with relief, "Good. That's pretty much what I thought it would be, but I'll confirm it with him." He shook his head, "Sometimes I think working with him has us half prepped for being parents."

"Can't hurt," she said with a smile and stretched her arms lazily above her head.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked with some concern.

"I'm feeling better here and now, but I'm not sure if this will carry over once I wake up. I think I've kept down Nick's 7-Up and crackers, so maybe the worst of it is over for the day. I was hoping to go back out and look for baby stuff, but I guess sitting up on the couch and shopping online is going to be it."

"I'll help you with it when I get back, so please don't order the furniture yet."

"Aye-aye, Love, but you may have to consult with Happy on this because he certainly has his well-considered opinions on the superiority of barnyard-themed decor."

"Yikes, I was rooting for knights and wizards and warrior princesses and dragons and ogres dancing on the village green," Bruce half teased.

"That may have to be a custom order, but don't give up on it just yet," Natasha said. "As much as I would like this to last all day, I must be feeling better because I want something to eat now."

"Which means you need to get up and eat while you can," Bruce finished and sat up so she could move. She leaned forward and kissed him. "Forty hours?"

"And counting. Be safe," he said and stroked her face with his fingers.

She leaned her cheek against his hand. "As safe as I can. Likewise, you." She faded and he wished he'd stolen one more kiss.

Bruce thought he was beginning to sigh almost as much as Tony as he drew his legs up and rested his head on his knees. He wasn't in a big hurry, but he wanted to speak with Adam about Lila and just talk with him for a bit. Things were moving fast where he could see them and he suspected it was the same elsewhere beyond their normal sphere. Yet, time away from Natasha seemed to drag. One hour, one day at a time and they'd be through it. His senses reached out listening for Adam and found him at the edge of an area he was familiar with. Bruce could tell Adam wasn't entirely happy and he wasn't alone; abruptly, Bruce lost contact with his brother like a stream of water running through his fingers had been shut off. "Dammit!" he swore aloud. That just made Adam annoyingly difficult to locate.

((o))

"One of my favorite things about visiting you, Adam, is you always have food and you're good company," Raven said as he selected a large shell from the rocks near the tidal pool.

"I wouldn't exactly call that dinner myself," Adam said with a look of slight distaste as he watched the bird strike a mollusk against a rock to break its shell so he could gobble the contents up. The emissary usually wasn't this prone to flattering him, so Adam wondered what he wanted. He had hoped the fog would have burned off by now, but the weather was often like this near the edge.

"When in France," Raven croaked as he picked up what Adam thought was a periwinkle and gave it a good whack on the rock. It picked at the crushed shell till it had pulled out the tasty bits and then swallowed them down with a satisfied gulp. That seemed to have satiated the bird for the moment, and it turned its attention to conversation. "So, have you thought anymore about our offer?"

Adam was sitting on a rock above the pool opposite the anthopomorph. "I told you, 'No,' the last time. The situation hasn't changed: I'm happy here."

"If you have what you said you wanted, isn't your work almost done and your mission fulfilled? You ought to be ready for new challenges. Why not think big with your next move?"

"Whoa! This is my life and my home is here, and I have no plans to move on from them. Besides, that's not how it works. You know I can't physically relocate, so working for your 'employer' is not going to happen. It's a moot point."

"Now-now, Big G, who says it's impossible? Broaden your horizons and reconsider the situation. There's no reason to limit yourself to your current circumstance. You're young and powerful and dare I say attractive for what you are—the world should be your oyster, my lad. My employer has almost unlimited means and resources at his disposal. You don't need to be playing second to your brother and his life when . . ."

"You have a rather distorted view of my life. I'm not a free agent, and I don't want to be," Adam said with a trace of growing irritation. He could only imagine how someone in a different realm would want to use him, but he was sure their experience with Ross was a good hint. He had quit listening, but Raven just kept on talking.

"Well, you can work for others and do some trading—you know, show some reciprocity—to get what you want. A person of your talents would make a valuable asset and stand to reap some huge rewards."

"Not interested," Adam monotoned back and pretended to be engrossed in digging in a sandy spot with his toes.

"You could barter your services for other things that could get you free of your brotherly shackles."

"I am free. I have what I want."

"You could be free of this half life you're stuck in."

"I'm not stuck, and it's not half a life."

"Keep telling yourself that, my boy. Your brother gets the girl, gets the family. He has you under his thumb. What are you going to be here in a few months but a fifth wheel?"

"I'm not a fifth wheel; besides, it would be a fourth wheel anyway, and that makes no sense."

The bird found this last remark incredibly funny, "AAWWKK! Do you care to make a little wager?"

"I don't bet, and I especially don't bet with the likes of you, my feathered trickster."

That one hit too close to home for Raven. "You're confusing me with someone else," he sniffed.

Adam took a deep breath. He was still relatively calm considering how many of his buttons Raven was pushing all at once. In the back of his mind, he was furiously thinking through possible motives for this unusually hard sell. The creature enjoyed getting in his head and under his skin, but in their past dealings it had been much more subtle and with a dose of sarcastic good humor. This sudden pushiness was out of character. "Look, Raven, I have said NO more than once, and I've tried to be polite. I value you and those you represent as allies, but you're wasting my time and patience here. If you don't stop . . ."

At that instant, the tide pool erupted with a large splash that sent Raven flapping and launched Adam onto his feet at full alert.

"Missing something?" came a voice out of the fog that was at once menacing and melodiously feminine. Adam held himself on the verge of powering up as a dark shape coalesced out of the fog. If it weren't for the ram-like curled horns and glowing blue eyes, she looked almost human as she floated a few feet above the water. Adam could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up as an overwhelming wave of power and fear washed over them.

"Oh, crap," Raven said in a low voice. "I told you throwing things was a bad idea."

"Hello," Adam called to her. "Sorry about that." He was careful to keep his hands in plain sight and not come any further forward than the water's edge as she glided up to within fifteen feet of him and floated at his eye level. Even with the horns, she wasn't much taller than five feet.

"Don't leave the shore and don't let her touch you," Raven quietly warned. "You're safe on your own lands, but we're on the edge."

The woman was a bronze color from head to foot except for her pale hair, which didn't seem to hold any color. Her clothing was some sort of pale leather and functionally tailored to her curves, covering most of her body from her shapely neck down to her bare feet. Her face was heart-shaped and youthful despite the aura of raw power about her. She had stopped at the water's edge and gave an appraising look around the misty shore. "Small gods with smaller realms should keep all the solid land they have," she said and dropped the rock on the shore at his feet.

"My apologies," Adam said. "I didn't intend to harm anyone."

At that she laughed, "It takes more than a stone to harm Nyxianna, but it did disturb my thoughts." Adam noted her teeth were quite sharp and definitely not human, but she was still quite beautiful. Her feet were a good six inches above the water, and she stared him directly in the eye. Adam realized that once he pushed past the aura of fear, what he sensed was a genuine curiosity and intellectual engagement, quite the opposite of what he'd expected from a powerful being he'd managed to hit with a rock.

"Once more, my sincere apologies, lady. It won't happen again," he said with an honest appeal as he studied her and she gazed intently back at him. Adam was certain what he was seeing was only a façade as this creature coolly assessed him. He stood his ground and didn't try to hide who or what he was as Nyxianna reached out to his mind and made contact. She meant him no harm, but she was insatiably curious, much like him. She latched onto memories of some of his other forms, trying to understand his character and nature. Changeling? Hybrid? No, you're something completely unique! she thought. He felt her delight as she discovered his dragon persona and embraced that part of him, forging connections, and finding him surprisingly suitable and to her liking. He felt amused and a little flattered at her enthusiastic reaction. Adam compulsively reached out to her and a stimulating jolt ran up his spine as he imagined her towering over him in elegant reptilian form, all sharp lines and flowing curves of bronze scales encircling him and drawing out his own great beast of green and iridescent black that intertwined with her and tenderly bit into her long graceful neck, asserting dominance and desire as she writhed beneath him. How he wanted her, a queen among dragons, longing for him to bed her.

As Nyxianna probed intimately into Adam's thoughts, she suddenly pulled back in alarm. By Hoary Hoggoth's Hosts, you didn't say this was your first time, she intoned with surprise and some regret. I had no idea, my gallant. You seemed so mature and willing. It's my turn to apologize. Forgive my mistake. It took a supreme act of will on Adam's part to let her go and pull himself out of the vision with the smoke and salt taste of her in his mouth. Part of him hadn't wanted to stop, and it roared in protest as its desires were thwarted. It took Adam a moment to regain his equilibrium, and Nyxianna looked at him with empathy and more than a little remorse. Adam looked back at her with confusion and longing. How could he have experienced so much in only a minute or so? There were bits and pieces of alien landscapes and people he'd never imagined hailing her as their defender. She ruled over them alone and peerless . . . in need of an heir. He closed his eyes and willed his heart rate and breathing to slow. He made himself look back at her and smile reassuringly to let her know he was fine: No harm, no foul.

The look of concern Nyxianna gave him was genuine. "Take care, Guardian. Not every creature is as principled as I am. Midgard has attracted attention no one wants. Keep your allies close and your friends at your side." She turned to go, but Raven, who was cowering behind Adam, caught her eye. "This little deamon and those whom it serves require careful watching, my green one." Before Adam could even look puzzled, she was gone with a whirl of fog.

Adam felt a moment of vertigo that lowered him to his knees. It quickly passed and he found himself staring at the stone he'd accidentally summoned her with. A crude letter "N" was carved into its surface. Adam picked it up and found it was still warm to the touch. He stood up and saw that Raven was physically shaking. He pocketed the stone and held his hand out to the bird. "It's all right. She's gone." The dark bird hopped up his arm to his shoulder, much like Natasha nimbly climbed him when he was Hulk. Raven leaned in close to Adam's neck and said nothing for several minutes.

"What can you tell me about her?" Adam asked once Raven had calmed down.

"She's a granddaughter of night and a descendant of Helios on the other side. You can tell by her sunny disposition whose line she favors. She's some level of demi-god or might as well be. Her planet is a protectorate of Asgard, but it's pretty obvious she didn't approve of the pacification. What more do you need to know? She's obviously taken a fancy to you, kid."

"Aspects of us seem compatible, but she was more interested in my intentions and capabilities than other things. She's quite alone," Adam thought aloud.

"Adam, my child, sometimes you're so dense. You were probably about three heartbeats away from death by hot dragon sex. If she'd laid a hand on you, no contract would have been necessary. You'd have chosen to be her slave or at best her paramour until she'd used you up or grown tired of you."

Adam looked rather shocked. He hadn't gotten that impression from her; besides, it was all a bit pointless. "But you know I'm physically tied to this place. I can't go beyond it."

"Have you been listening at all? Couldn't you feel the power pouring off her? Her innate magic is strong enough to undo what binds you here whether it's natural or unnatural. It's what I was authorized to offer you if you were willing to come back with me. It takes strong magic, but it's quite possible."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Adam shook his head. He wanted to argue that, just like people who tried to recruit Bruce, Raven's "boss" only wanted to use him as a weapon. He knew in his gut that even if separating him from Bruce were possible, there was no guarantee how long they might survive apart or if both of them would be left responsible for becoming Hulk. They were just finding their footing together. He gave the bird on his shoulder a long side-glance, "I still don't want to go, Raven."

"I know, and I won't harass you about it again for a while. I still think you might change your mind once the offspring arrive, er, arrives," Raven corrected.

"Why couldn't she put her feet on the shore?" Adam asked, puzzling over the details now.

"Rules. This is your home, your 'realm' per se, so you'd have to give her permission. It's kind of like the ancient rule about a vampire can't cross a threshold until someone invites it into the house. You know, hearth magic. It's a kind of guest-host relationship thing—very old and widely respected across the realms. It would be a huge taboo to break it."

"Would you be here without my permission?" Adam queried as he thought the concept through.

"No, but that's also good manners on my part because I did ask," the bird added defensively.

"So, if I had to, could I disinvite someone?"

"Yes, but some beings would leave more messily than others." Raven looked at Adam guiltily, "You're not going to kick me out are you?"

Adam tried not to smile inappropriately. "No, not as long as you mean no harm to me and mine. You're still a friend in good standing."

"Thank you, I didn't want to part on bad terms today. I'm sorry for what I said earlier. Anyway, your sibling has finally tracked you down. If I've learned anything in this lifetime, it's not to come between siblings. May the wind be at your tail, my friend. Thanks for the shellfish!"

"You're welcome." Adam watched the dark bird fly off into the dampness and the void. He sat down to wait for Bruce to arrive. Now that he was alone, Adam realized he was truly feeling the dampness for some reason, but he dismissed it as the backwash from two outside visitors so close upon each other's heels or whatever it was birds had . . . spurs? He really didn't get that tired and seldom had to sleep, but this was probably what being tired felt like. He ran his hand down his face to his jawline and felt the beginnings of rough stubble. Did he actually need a shave?

"What are you doing out here at the edge?" Bruce asked from close behind him.

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough to make a guess who your feathered guest is, but not the one you were talking about who left first. Sorry for eavesdropping. Sound can really carry here," Bruce said as he sat down beside Adam.

"Would you believe that I came out here hoping Strange would show up? I nearly hit Raven with a rock that instead ended up summoning I'm not sure what, but her name is Nyxianna." Adam turned so he could face Bruce better, "Let me try something." He reached up to cup Bruce's cheek with his right hand and stroked down the center of his forehead with his thumb to give Bruce an infusion of his memories from the past thirty minutes or so. Supreme mimic that he was, Adam had puzzled some of the technique out when Nyxianna used it on him.

Bruce pulled away as if he'd been shocked and put his hands to his temples. "Okay, for future reference, give me some warning first or just tell instead of show me like that. Second, that was too much information, especially about the dragon lovemaking. My God, she seduced you then she backed off when she realized you were a virgin. I'm not sure what to make of that. Are you okay?"

"Yes, but I'm really confused. Did I do something wrong?" Adam implored.

"No, I mean, she initiated it. Were you willing or was this unwanted?"

"It was awfully fast, but it wasn't unwanted. I mean, I wanted to know her better first, but she sort of used a shortcut—like I just did—so we knew we're possibly compatible. There was some chemistry there. Part of me really wanted her, but it was the dragon part of me she found the most, uh, intriguing . . . useful? It . . . I didn't like being told no almost in the middle, but I respected that. I didn't force myself on her."

"Talk about cosmic speed dating. I don't think you were wrong then, Adam. If anything, the fault is hers for using her power to do what she wanted without really getting your consent first."

"I never did say no to her."

"But did you say yes?" Bruce asked.

"No, I didn't," Adam said, but he still felt responsible.

"Then it's a good thing she backed off. There's no delicate way to put this, but what she did comes very close to rape." He paused to observe Adam's reaction.

Adam simply shook his head. "I feel much more frustrated right now than I feel like she violated me."

"Okay, this certainly isn't a cut and dry case, but you may feel differently after you've had some time to think about it." Bruce was still trying to process everything his brother had downloaded into his head. "Lord, Adam, the consequences if this had gone on to play out in reality! I mean, she wanted you for a purpose." Bruce didn't want to admit it, but he was imagining half-alien space dragons with Adam's (and his) DNA. Bruce rubbed his temples, "Even if it turns out there was no physical contact, I don't even want to think about the possible consequences. Imagine the STDs that could be involved much less what offspring you might father in that form. You probably just dodged a bullet here, Adam."

"I know, more dating, less mating. I get it, but it's not like this," he gestured to his adult body, "came with an instruction book and a box of one-size-fits-all condoms. And this is just one of my forms." Bruce grimaced and kept shaking his head, so Adam moved on. "You know, practically speaking, whether or not this is 'real' is something Raven and I don't agree on. He's dead set this is all real, but I don't believe it is. This was what, a vision in the dreamscape? Does that make it 'real'? I can't manifest a body in your reality."

"Plato would say yes, it is 'real,' but I'm not so sure he'd still say yes if he was here to judge in this situation. Did you believe it was happening?" Bruce asked.

"Well, in some sense, yes. It did happen and I felt it tactilely and emotionally, but it's only the memories and emotions that are left. And this . . ." Adam reached in his pocket and pulled out the stone with the "N" carved on the surface. It was still warm with his own body's heat. He handed it over to Bruce who examined it, flipping it over to reveal another marking Adam hadn't noticed at all. It looked like a rune or symbol.

"I'm guessing this is the World Tree, Yggdrasil," Bruce said, "but I don't know the full significance without looking it up. (There's never an Asguardian around when you need one.) This is the stone you threw and she brought it back to you?"

"Yes, but I don't think the rune was on it when I first picked it back up, just her initial. It was pretty warm to the touch, too. I thought it was only a token, something to remember her by or a reminder not to throw any more rocks," Adam said with a rueful shrug.

Bruce handed the stone back. "No, feel it. She did more than leave her marks on it."

Adam looked at both sides and closed his hand around it. He could feel the sentiment attached to it and then the mix of their two auras from that brief moment when they were about to create life together then some sadness and a bit of hope. Hearth magic! Hints of her and their brief moment had been infused into his construct. Part of him wanted to laugh at the bitter irony of this. He'd just been goaded by Raven tempting him with a life of his own and not flinched. Now, here was something much more concrete, outlandish, and seductive, but he couldn't quite believe it was genuine. What a sad fool he must be refusing to come out of Plato's Cave. Yet, he had walked out here to Nietzsche's edge to stare into the void and maybe get some answers, but it had indeed stared back and bit him in the ass. Now his head was even more crowded with questions and double-edged possibilities. Life would be much easier if some ideas and hopes were drowned before they were born he thought miserably.

Bruce knew the look on his brother's face all too well because he'd seen it in the mirror so many times. "I know hope can seem cruel, but don't give up just yet, Adam. You kept it alive all those years when we were walled off and I was drowning in self-pity. Your belief in me paid off. I'm back with you now, so there is no need for you to face anything alone. This is new and unnerving, but you can lean on me." He put his arm around Adam's shoulders, and Adam rested his head on Bruce's shoulder.

"I keep thinking this is some cruel trick that's being played out by Loki or another entity when really it's just how things are," Adam said in a resigned voice.

Bruce turned his head and regarded Adam until he looked up and made eye contact, "It's what we make of it. You know, if we keep things on schedule, we'll be out from under the worst of the Agreements before the baby is born. We're making our shared life as full of a life as possible. If you want to try and find this Nyxianna, we'll put out queries. If she's real, we'll find her."

"She is most certainly real, and she's not someone with whom to trifle," replied a deep resonant voice from the fog.

"You certainly took your sweet time," Adam said with a grin as he and Bruce stood up. "One might think you're someone not to be trifled with either."

The fog cleared from the beach with a gust of wind and the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Stephen Strange appeared, standing across the tidal pool from them in a dark blue suit with a Nauru collar. He was smiling with amusement that reached his piercing blue eyes. Strange stepped briskly around the water and embraced Adam and Bruce. "Let me look at you both. Two flowers, one root, but both in full bloom now." The taller man pulled back and looked fondly at Bruce. "I see fatherhood agrees with you already."

Bruce nodded, "I suppose good news travels fast, but I'm not the one who's feeling sick and throwing up either."

"As fast as electricity and Wi-Fi signals. If you and Natasha had both been confined in Stark Tower, it might still be a secret, but it was rumored even before you left the building yesterday." The men looked at each other and both shrugged their shoulders a bit. All of them knew they were being watched. It really couldn't be helped now, but Bruce had his suspicions. "And you," Strange turned his attention to Adam, "I see you've finally caught up to yourself. I rather liked you at six, but this is finally who you are. I understand you're already attracting attention from across the galaxy, wanted or not."

"About that, maybe you could enlighten me on how it happened and just what exactly did happen," Adam said.

"I will tell you what I know if we can go someplace further in from the edge and away from a body of water," the sorcerer requested.

In less than a heartbeat, they were standing in the kitchen in Dayton. Strange looked around, "Your childhood home in the late 1960s?"

"Right, but early 1970s," Adam said. "Military housing is always a little behind in the style department."

"Your sanctum sanctorum?" he asked Adam.

"That would be under the table," Bruce said with a grin as Adam playfully elbowed him.

"Ah, I myself am a firm believer in the sanctity of the blanket fort," Strange countered with a mostly straight face.

"Those are good, too. Have a seat, Stephen," Bruce invited him, pulling out a chair from the kitchen table.

"Would you like some coffee?" Adam asked. Strange raised an eyebrow at that.

Bruce smiled at their guest, "Adam doesn't often drink it or think it's 'real', but he still makes a decent cup."

"All right then, I'll have a cup." Stephen was quite curious to see how this worked. He was already quite impressed with the complexity of the surrounding mental construct. The sorcerer could feel the layer upon layer of detail and 'solidity', which extended to enhancing all three of the men's forms. If he didn't know they were in a mental space, he would have classified this as a pocket universe or a small dimension of its own.

Adam went through the ritual of brewing the coffee in the standard Mr. Coffee Maker on the counter with Mrs. Folger's ground coffee from a one-pound metal can from the pantry. He pulled out three mugs from the cabinet and lined them up. "Cream?" he asked as he pulled the small cow-shaped pitcher out of the refrigerator and placed it on the table beside the sugar bowl. He knew Bruce would probably want it with the "industrial strength" brand of coffee though he bet Stephen took his black. Adam was going to try and be sociable and have a cup, even if the coffee ice cream hadn't been his favorite the day before. He decided to imagine it was cotton candy-flavored if he didn't like it the way Bruce remembered the coffee tasting. Adam "made" the coffee and almost everything else here, but his brother supplied the sensory details since it was his input and experience Adam had to draw from most of the time. Adam was looking forward to expanding his sensory vocabulary, but he was pretty doubtful he'd ever like anything that registered as so bitter on Bruce's palate.

Bruce pulled three spoons from the silverware drawer and put one in each cup like they remembered their maternal grandfather doing. "So what finally brings you here?" Bruce asked. The physician rested his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers, "I knew you might be curious as to why you're now so available to each other. I also wanted to check and see how you both were doing since this was all very sudden and probably quite unsettling."

Adam had crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the counter now that the coffee was brewing, "You said this would happen either when we were ready or when we needed it. Well, which is it, Stephen?"

"It appears to be the former, but I've not ruled out the latter just yet," Strange said. "Make no mistake, the chess pieces are now on the board, and some are likely in motion on the far side. However, we still seem to have a bit of breathing space."

Bruce and Adam looked at each other. Both felt a little relieved, but they knew no one was off the hook just yet. The Mr. Coffee blew out its last belch of steam, so Bruce poured the coffee and Adam brought over the mugs, so they could sit and face each other comfortably across the kitchen table. As Adam predicted, Bruce doctored his with milk and sugar and Strange took his straight up black. Adam poured cream in his, and Bruce slid an envelope of hot cocoa mix he'd snagged from the pantry across the table to him. Adam looked at him quizzically. "Try it. That's how I eased into drinking coffee," Bruce said.

"Mocha?" Adam asked as he knocked the powder down to the bottom of the packet before tearing it open and carefully pouring the mix into his mug.

"Yah, it covers up some of the bitterness," Bruce said as he blew across the surface of his own drink. "You can back it off to half an envelope once you get used to it."

Stephen had been watching the brothers as he blew on his steaming, dark coffee. They interacted like they'd had a lifetime together, starting and finishing each other's ideas and sentences, watching each other to gage how to react. The contrast since he'd last seen them the previous May was quite profound. The physician finally took a drink from his mug and swallowed down the hot liquid. "Wow, that reminds me of my residency days!" He took another sip. "So how do you do this, Adam? I've seen pretty convincing illusions before, but this is a very authentic tasting, smelling, and feeling cup of coffee."

Adam had just taken a drink, so he was making a slight face as he swirled the bittersweet liquid around his mouth before swallowing. Strictly speaking, he specialized in making mental constructs, which were meant to be stable and permanent such as the room and the house they were inside now or the facsimile of Bruce and Natasha's apartment. The coffee, on the other hand, was temporary and cast much like he understood a magic spell was made; hence, he categorized it as a "casting" rather than a construct, but he wasn't sure if Strange would understand his vocabulary. "Something interactive like the coffee is sort of a mutual effort between me and whomever experiences it. I drew on Bruce's memories and mine to set the casting up, but he has to fill in the details like how it should feel, smell, and taste. I assume yours reminds you of hospital coffee because that's what you expected it to be the most like."

The sorcerer nodded and stroked his bearded chin, "Next time I'll remember to imagine espresso. Do you have to think about a casting, or is it like second nature to you?"

"If it's something simple and repetitive, I don't really think about it because it's become like a shorthand command. The way I like to cast is I'll make my actions part of the illusion, so I can take my time and set it up well—like the coffee. Going through the ritual of making it is much more satisfying than pulling it out of thin air. If I don't have the luxury of 'making' it, I'll keep what I do simple, but I don't like casting on the fly—unless I want to surprise someone. Otherwise, it unnerves people. I'd much rather be subtle and have some give and take like a partnership or collaboration. It's not as if I have a big audience to work with, even if it is sort of a captive one." Adam ticked people off on his fingers: "Bruce, Raven, Lila, Natasha, and now you. I'm not sure that Nyxianna counts since she initiated the vision."

"Believe me, she counts," Bruce said and shifted uneasily in his chair.

"I wouldn't call what we did a casting or a construct though. It was something different that bent time," he looked at Stephen who was listening intently to him. "Bruce didn't like this very much, but I can show you."

"Only if you take it easy," Strange said with a chuckle, but he held out his hand willingly enough. Adam reached across the table and grasped Strange's hand lightly and stroked down the palm with his thumb. He'd tried to slow the rate of transfer down, but the other man tensed as Adam's vision washed over him. "By Orion's Belt, are you all right, Adam?"

"I think I'm okay, but I'm still processing parts," he said. "Who is she and how did throwing a stone attract her?"

Strange let out a long breath that puffed his cheeks. "I don't know any of this firsthand, but as I understand it, she rules Nix, which is beyond the Nine Realms, but a protectorate of Asgard as the raven told you. When the Badoon and the Sakaarans invaded that quadrant after the destruction of the Bifrost Bridge, the planet was overwhelmed and occupied, but Nyxianna's forces were well along in the campaign to take it back when Odin's forces finally returned and insisted on 'pacifying' and occupying the planet. This did not sit well with Nyxianna or her people who felt their home had been used as a battlefield and looted by both waves of 'invaders'. The diplomacy was touch and go, but the situation is currently stable, and she reestablished control without having to go to war with Asgard. However, that doesn't mean she's forgotten anything."

Bruce and Adam took this information in for a moment until Adam finally asked, "So how would a rock I tossed off the edge here make it to her, especially if she's beyond the Nine Realms?"

"Now we're headed away from what I do know and off into conjecture, Adam. You and I both recognize you have some talent with time and space manipulation among many other things. If circumstances had been different, you might have been identified and trained properly to use them; be that as it may, you still have the raw talent to cross from here to the Psychic Plane into reality. Unfortunately, your control has yet to develop in full, so there is no way to tell exactly what you did to send a 'stone' that far."

Adam shrugged and shook his head. In other words, if he'd been born he could have gone to Hogwarts, but being 'body challenged' really put a crimp in that possibility. The image of Hulk in a school robe assisting Hagrid with the thestrals flitted through his head, but he shoved it away for later amusement. "Well, I was at the edge, hoping to make contact with you there. I felt frustrated, so I picked up a rock of my own making and threw it into the foggy void as hard as I could. I expected it to hit water, but it disappeared without a sound."

Strange shook his head, "In other words, you essentially took a piece of yourself, a construct of your own crafting, and physically threw it with the intention of it traveling as far away as possible and finding someone you wanted." The physician pushed an unruly forelock back from his forehead as he considered his words. "Adam, you may know nothing of formal spells, gestures, forms, and incantations; however, whether you intend to or not, you do indeed 'manage things on the fly' better than most magic users do with practice. The Vishanti help us all when you actually want to focus and do something."

Bruce had long since finished his coffee and was now occupying his hands by quietly running the spoon handle between his fingers. "You're theorizing he sent it there on purpose, and it was as solid as it is now when it entered our reality? I don't know. It would make more sense to me if he'd hit you with it on the Astral Plane," he said with a wry look at the mystic.

"It's a construct, a very small part of a much larger construct that probably anchored it across whatever planes it passed," Adam surmised. He finally took another drink of his coffee concoction and found the second mouthful was more palatable than the first. Bruce must have really like it at some point.

"May I see the stone?" Strange requested, and Adam handed him the object. "My, this isn't just your construct anymore, is it? The magic is very rudimentary, but so deep it has permeated it."

"Raven called it 'hearth magic', I think," Adam added. "He said it was very old."

"You're dealing with a demi-goddess, Adam. All her magic is going to be old as is some of her thinking. She may have mistaken it for either a challenge or an invitation," Strange guessed.

Adam slid his empty mug away, "I had the impression she tracked its origin down, suspecting it was a threat, but changed her mind when she saw me. I think she's been looking for something or someone for a while."

Bruce snorted a humorless laugh. "That's easy enough. She needs an heir," the physicist deduced. "That's why she was excited when you had two forms that were so similar to hers, despite you being unique, which she also seemed to like. I would guess there aren't that many eligible demi-gods around to date in her neighborhood who meet her expectations and aren't Asgardians."

"Raven seemed to think that if she touched me, she'd have control and could even take me with her somehow," Adam reported as he stared at his empty hands. "He didn't call it a glamor or a binding spell, but that's what it sounded like."

"I'm not convinced that's possible, Adam. I think she could make you want to follow her, but I'm at a loss for how she could make that happen beyond the Astral Plane."

"Don't forget that's something Raven was also prepared to offer," Bruce reminded them. "Giving Adam independence is something I've wished that I could do with science," he said with a longing look at his brother, "but the price of it would be very high for both of us, so I've not pursued it."

Adam reached across the table and squeezed Bruce's hand. "Thank you for considering it, but no, I don't want it." He'd gone over every consequence and possible side effects in his head—as he knew Bruce had—and none of them were true wins for both of them. The segregation after the accident had nearly unhinged them both. They had seen what losing JARVIS had done to Tony even if it had created a being as wonderful and full of hope as Vision. What Bruce and he had was deeper than the Gamma in their bones, and Adam refused to abandon his responsibility to help control it.

They all three sat lost in their thoughts for a few minutes. The sorcerer bit on a knuckle as he considered something. "Tell me, Adam, are you a construction or a casting or something else?"

Adam considered that for a moment, "I'm going to say something else. This isn't easy to explain, so bear with me. I'm grounded here in what stands in for Bruce's imagination or dream space. I can exist on the Astral or Psychic Plane as a Projection and maybe as a kind of solid construct, too, but it's outside my 'realm' so I probably can't do things there that I can do here." He looked from Strange to his brother, trying to think of a way to explain his own composition and use of energy. "For example, Stephen, you're an Astral Projection or Form here and so is Bruce, but as long as you're here, I make you substantial and solid. That's how we can sit here and drink coffee. Both of you could actually travel to the Astral Plane in your Spiritual Forms as a type of ectoplasm, a bit like a ghost's. That's not quite the same as what I use here. I pull energy and make substance from the Gamma, in part to keep it in check, and its energy supplements my psychic energies while here, but I don't know if the Gamma will transfer elsewhere or if I'm limited to only my own psychic energy. I imagine I have my limits when not in my home, but it's not like I've been on the Astral Plane enough to test that hypothesis and be certain."

"That actually makes a good deal of sense, Adam. I had wondered if you tapped into the Gamma or if there was some other source of energy to create all of this," acknowledged the physician. I hope we'll have more time soon to talk physiology and psychobiology because now I'm incredibly curious how everything works together."

"Join the club," Bruce said. "We'll have a membership drive once the Agreements are complete and put to rest. Until then, everything is mostly on hold."

Strange nodded, "Believe me, I understand. Now, let me ask another hard question, how psychically secure are you here in your 'realm'?" Strange asked.

Adam quickly replied, "I have what you'd consider basic wards and psychic defenses, but I know once people have found their way here, I tend to have an open connection to them, so the welcome mat is out, so to speak, for those people. Otherwise, I'd know if something was trying to invade and confront it directly."

Bruce looked at Adam, "I guess that explains Lila's visits?"

Now it was Adam's turn to shift uncomfortably in his chair. "The first time she found me was as my younger self sleeping in the construct of her family's house that you made for me, Bruce. I reworked the foundation, thinking there must have been a flaw since it was your first attempt, but I've never been absolutely sure how she made her way in except that it was a familiar place and we'd made some sort of connection earlier in reality. When I was Hulk and we were talking, I told her my real name, and we felt something almost like a static discharge. Our hearts synched for a few moments, and I knew I'd be able to find her if I needed. I suppose that might work both ways. I explained to her we wouldn't be meeting like that again, but in December she was really distressed, so I visited her in her dreams to make sure she was okay. We just played and talked it out. If Lila needs me, I feel obligated to be there or at least communicate with her. I'm fairly limited when it comes to doing that in reality, so we dreamed together."

Strange couldn't help but smile fondly, "You've soul or spirit bonded with her, Adam. That's not a bad thing, even if it is a bit awkward. I would bet she thought you were in distress the first time and came to your aid as soon as she could, just like you did for her."

Bruce nodded, "Lila had just seen you in pain as we transformed, so she probably had to confirm you were okay for herself. Appearing as a boy her age was probably the cherry on top for her, so now she's imagining you as her super-secret best friend." He bit his lower lip to keep from grinning because he could see that revelation bothered his brother.

Adam flushed quite red and stared into the sticky dregs of his empty mug, "I should probably apologize to Laura and Clint, but I don't think I can break the bond."

"Don't try," Stephen recommended. "Just let the psychic connection stay dormant by not using it from your end. It's a shame she can't just pick up a phone and talk to you, but you could try the really old fashion thing and write or text."

Now Bruce cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, "Oh, be careful. She's not that far away from being a preteen, and I know whose phone and fingers you'd end up using. Unless Laura or Clint suggest it, let's please not go there. We all trust you, Adam, but there are just too many things that could go wrong and look improper from the outside."

"I know," Adam said resignedly. "I guess I might as well add that bonding with you, Bruce, is a given and Natasha isn't that far behind. We've walked into each other's dream spaces."

Bruce knew how restlessly Natasha slept, so this news made him pause. "Is that such a good idea considering her proclivity for nightmares?"

"I was able to help her out of one, but I hadn't intended to be there for that reason. I was checking boundaries and went right through one into her space. A bond helps explain why," he added quietly.

"Well, Adam, with whom else have you become this close?" Strange asked with his brows raised a bit.

Adam looked at Bruce who sighed and nodded his head in wordless agreement. "I'm pretty certain I connected with Nyxianna, but I'm not certain to what degree."

"Do you think you could turn her away?" Strange asked.

Adam put his spoon in his empty mug and slid it to the middle of the table with Bruce's mug. "I don't honestly know. If she were hostile, I'd have no trouble slamming the door shut, but she's not presented herself that way."

"She seemed more curious than hostile to me, too." Bruce added, "I'm not saying I want her running unchecked through either of our dreamscapes. It's better to keep the sanctity of boarders intact for the present, but if she's respectful of you and your space and nowhere near as pushy as Raven, use your best judgment, Adam. If you get in trouble, I'm always your backup."

"Be that as it may, Adam, my advice is to avoid close contact if you possibly can. She may come in an appealing package, but she's still quite powerful and alien in her thinking and customs. Don't trifle with her, my friend. Do you understand?" Strange asked him directly.

Adam looked the Sorcerer Supreme in the eye, "Of course, Stephen."

Strange held his gaze for another full second before relaxing, "I don't think that I have any further questions, gentlemen. Do you have any left for me?"

"Not unless you want to put your sleuthing skills to work and tell us who Ross is in cahoots with at the moment," Bruce suggested.

"That answer will take more time than I have to uncover it, but you already have better brain power to solve that mystery at your disposal than I might add. Take Deep Throat's advice and follow the money plus motives," Strange advised.

"Ever the cryptic one," Bruce laughed as he stood up and collected the used mugs and spoons to take to the sink.

Adam and Stephen stood up and shook hands. "Might I ask a favor of you?" the older man asked.

"Sure."

"May I have a rock or another object you've made to take with me? I'd like to study it," said Strange.

"I have plenty of rocks and soil samples galore outside, but there are a couple of nicer specimens on the windowsill." Adam reached past Bruce's shoulder and picked up a rounded piece of quartz and handed the walnut-sized stone to the physician.

"This will do nicely."

"Would you like a casting as well?" Adam asked.

"If you have one to spare."

"Give him that bottle of United Dairy Farmers' Chocolate Milk you've kept hanging around the fridge," Bruce suggested.

"I was going to make a something else," Adam said as he gave his brother a sideways look of disproval.

"All right, Maestro, go for it," Bruce said with a chuckle.

Adam rubbed his hands together to gather the heat and a bit of Gamma before he breathed into his palms and a cluster of perfect lilac blossoms with their dark green heart-shaped leaves appeared. Their sweet, fruity perfume hung in the air for a moment before growing subtler. "May I?" Adam offered, and Strange nodded his permission to slip the sprig into his suit's front breast pocket. "I hope they make it," he wished.

"I'll do my best to keep them intact," Stephen assured him.

"It's been good to see you," Bruce said as he efficiently wiped the last of the dishes dry and hung up the towel. He shook Strange's hand and they both leaned in for an embrace.

"If there are any changes on the larger game board, I'll let you know if you're affected," the sorcerer said. He tilted his head to look at Adam, "I'm counting on you to stay out of trouble and get your brother home safe and sound."

"I will. We're almost down to 38 hours and counting."

"Then I'll show myself out, gentleman," he said with a nod and let himself out the backdoor and was gone.

"Thanks for doing the dishes, Bruce. You know that's totally unnecessary, but it was still thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome. Got to keep the hands busy, Bro. Come here," he said and pulled Adam close with his right hand on the back of his brother's neck so they touched foreheads. "Look, I know she's going to be back, and I can't stop you from seeing her. Please just promise me not to rush into anything before you really know her and understand what she wants and why." He patted Adam's shoulder as he let him go.

"That's just it. She showed me possible futures and in some of them we're together. Most of them we weren't, but in a few there were children that I didn't get to help raise. I don't understand how I would ever let that happen and accept it willingly, but the really weird thing is that I was able to be with her at all. I'm attracted by the idea of being with her, of having children, but what's bothering me most is the purely selfish motivation to find out how I could possibly be in the real world."

"Having mixed motivations is perfectly normal, Adam. If you didn't have them, I'd worry about you more. Frankly, I would love to know the same thing because short of making you a synthetic body, I've not come up with anything remotely workable yet."

Adam finally smiled. "I'm sure Vis would enjoy the company, but I have no plans to leave you alone with the Gamma and other shared responsibilities. All I want to know is how it's possible."

"Take it nice and slow," Bruce told him and patted Adam's shoulder again. "My alarm has gone off."

"Go. Everything here will be fine. Tell Tony to break a leg."

"I will." Bruce smiled and faded.

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. His immediate impulse was to find a body of water and test out why Strange had asked to avoid it. However, he was fighting his instincts, and he felt tired. He wondered if the soaking tub was large enough to count as a body of water, but decided if he was going to do it, he ought to go big. When he opened his eyes, he was standing on one of the large flat-topped boulders along the shore of Tony's lake. He stared down into the clear water's glassy depths to the rocky bottom, but he saw nothing unusual. After several minutes, he sat down and took off his shoes and socks, so he could dangle his feet in the water. Adam rolled up his jeans a few turns before he stuck his feet into the lake. It was quite cold and he shivered despite the warm sunlight. He finally pulled out the stone with the markings from his pocket, and it occurred to him they should have asked Stephen about Yggdrasil. He turned the stone over and stroked the markings on both sides, surprised at how warm it was.

"I hope you don't intend to throw that again. I still have a bruise from the last time." She was dressed in looser fitting clothes of some soft woven fabric of dark royal blue. Her well-muscled arms were bare and so were her feet as she hovered over the water. She came closer and closer until she was a few feet from him.

"I didn't give you permission to come here," he said quietly.

"As long as I don't set my foot down, I'm not trespassing."

"If I gave you permission, what would you do?" he asked.

"I would sit and talk with you if that would be agreeable to you."

"Do you plan to take me from my home."

"No, I have no plans, especially if you want to stay."

"Will you swear upon what you find holy that you will not harm me, mine, or anyone else here or on my planet."

"I so swear upon my life by the Light of the Vishanti. No harm will come to you or any of these by my will or by my hand."

He felt nothing but truth in her with a bit of growing excitement bubbling beneath as they approached a threshold. "I grant you Nyxianna permission to sit and talk to me," he said with his lopsided grin. "I would like to know you better."

"I accept your invitation, Adam who was Guardian who was Echo and uses the names Hulk and Banner." She stepped onto the rock near him and gracefully sat down just outside his arm's reach. Her long pale hair was tied back, and the bright glow of her eyes was contained so that he could see they were a dark blue-gray like a stormy sea. Her skin was still golden bronze, but he noticed warmer pink tones beneath it and a scattering of light freckles across the bridge of her nose and down her finely toned forearms. It took him a moment to realize she no longer had the curling horns. "Where do we start?" she asked.

"Tell me about your family," he said.

"This may take some time," she warned him as a shy smile touched her lips.

"I'm listening," he encouraged her. "I want to know as much as you're willing to tell me."

She skimmed her toes in the water and took a deep breath. "Perhaps I should start with my grandsires . . ."

End Notes: I'm really hoping I don't have to revise this after Doctor Strange opens because I put in way too much time researching the magic, mystic, and cosmic elements and terminology for this chapter.

Hope you liked the Bruce x Natasha cuddles. Our boy is growing up, even if he takes hot cocoa in his coffee! What do you think about Nyxianna the dragon lady?

There's a bunch I'd like to talk about. Just bring something up!

End Notes: I'm really hoping I don't have to revise this after Doctor Strange opens because I put in way too much time researching the magic, mystic, and cosmic elements and terminology for this chapter.

Hope you liked the Bruce x Natasha cuddles. Our boy is growing up, even if he takes hot cocoa in his coffee! What do you think about Nyxianna the dragon lady?

There's a bunch I'd like to talk about in the comments. Just bring something up!