Chapter 55: Running on Empty

Summary: Bruce and Nat know something is up. 'Anna and Adam talk before parting. Adam has his suspicions. Stephen gets some help running diagnostics.

Notes: Thank you for your patience. Thanksgiving got in the way. Keep sending healing vibes my wonderful Beta gal's way because Autumn_Froste soldiered through yet again despite the challenges. Put on some Jackson Brown and enjoy some soup!

The smell of humus and leaf mold was overwhelming, but he kept up his clawing until the ginger roots pulled loose in a clump. Even though burrowing around in the dirt wasn't his idea of a fun predawn activity, he was collecting ginger root for his "ginger" and that had kept him stubbornly working at it till he had the plant secured. His red mate was not feeling well as she neared the time for nesting and laying in, so he'd left her sleeping early that morning and ventured down from the slopes and into the forest to find the medicinal plant. He'd located the lily-like red flowers exactly where he'd remembered them. His problem was that claws designed for snatching fish and other prey didn't work that well in the soil. Now that the brown clump of vegetation was free, he held it up and sniffed at it. He remembered his mother making him chewed it for an upset stomach, so he knew it was full of spicy heat and not altogether unpleasant. The flowers were an added bonus, so he did his best not to ruin them as he ambled back to the clearing where he could take off without obstruction into the gray dawn. If he hurried, she might still be asleep. His green and black wings beat the damp air as his dark lithe body undulated with the motion from head to tail. He was quickly aloft and skimming over tree-covered ridges as the sun's first rays burst over the horizon. Before long, his heart leapt with joy as he rounded the last granite outcropping and spotted the well-hidden entrance to their home high on the mountain's slopes. He landed as quietly as possible on three legs and approached the entrance, hoping she was still resting, but he heard the low rumbling purr he recognized as her sound for contentment and happiness. As his eyes adjusted, he saw her curled around a clutch of red, green, and purple-black eggs. He crooned a high-pitched sigh and laid the flowered root ball down beside her. They rumbled their greetings and nuzzled their faces and necks, purring and chuckling. She arched her graceful neck and he nipped at her dorsal scales. The mated pair were utterly content.

((o))

Bruce sat up, completely disoriented. It took him a moment to connect the electronic chime with the alarm on his phone, but he quickly shut it off and looked around him at the darkened hotel room. He'd been a dragon flying home to his mate, but hadn't he just said goodbye to Adam? He shook his head trying to clear it. Something was off. Then he thought about the mental burst of information Adam plugged directly into his brain during their conversation. There had been an episode of dragons in that, so his mind must have picked up on the theme and combined it with Natasha's morning sickness. Still, it had been awfully confusing even if part of him had thrilled at the idea of taking flight and heading home.

There was a quiet knock at the suite door, so he turned on the lights and got up from the bed, feeling a bit rumpled. Kayla was checking to make sure he was up and moving. She had an updated itinerary for him on a Stark-pad, which he thanked her for and looked over briefly. He'd been passed out for not two but three hours, so he'd missed some of the disaster coverage. "Anything really important before Tony's address?" he asked her, stretching and not succeeding at holding in a yawn.

"We've had numerous requests for interviews with you, well, a few for you, but mostly the Big Guy," Kayla said, not hiding a smile. Bruce saw no need to hold back either and had a good chuckle. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just keep imagining the press trying to work with his size," she said.

"I know. I was thinking of that, too," Bruce admitted, remembering Tony had joked about putting Adam in a tailored suit the day before. "Now, please don't tell me we agreed to any of them."

"No, Tony said he'd take questions after his presentation at the conference this evening, but we won't put you or the Big Guy on the spot."

Bruce nodded. He made a mental note to make himself scarce afterward, so he wouldn't be a visible target or be dragged up on the stage with Tony.

Bruce's phone intoned "Our Love Is Here to Stay." "It's Natasha. I have to take this," he said as he pulled it out of his pocket.

"That is a great ringtone," Kayla said.

"Used to be 'You Are My Sunshine', but she updated it for me," he admitted.

"Now, that I believe," Kayla noted as she pulled the suite door closed behind her.

He quickly answered the Stark-phone, "Hey, babe, I'm here. What's going on?"

"Are you all right?" Natasha asked.

"Yah, fine. Weird dreams, but nothing worse."

"Good . . . спасибо," she said with relief.

"Why? Did something happen, Nat?"

"No, just a really strong premonition. Is Adam okay?"

"He was when I left him, but he had some serious things happen: visitors. Strange finally showed up . . ."

"It's about damn time."

". . . but he wasn't the only one. Adam occasionally gets visits along the edge of his space from an Asguardian. He calls him Raven, but it's not really just a bird."

"As in Huginn or Muninn?"

"Or maybe an underling. It's not been clear in identifying itself."

"So he's been talking to a bird who's probably a spy from Asgard."

"More of a representative or an observer since it's made no secret whom it represents. Usually it just checks in on occasion and talks to him along the edge, but this time it tried to convince him to leave."

"Leave what? He can't exactly drop everything and step out of your head."

"Well . . . it's not clear how that would happen short of magic, but Raven was quite certain it was possible for Adam to leave."

"How did Adam react to that?"

"Told the bird that wasn't going to happen because he wasn't interested, but of course he was curious about how it would be possible. I can't fault him for that because I'd like to know, too."

"That would be quite the trick."

"I know. There would have to be a way to stabilize his form or make some kind of body or vessel to contain him. Well, anyway, to top it off, those two weren't the only ones who showed up. It's a bit complicated, but apparently it started with Adam throwing a rock over the edge into the void . . . and someone came back to return the rock."

Natasha sighed again. Bruce was secretly glad he and Tony weren't the only ones doing all the sighing. "Aaah! Fool of a Took!"

"Exactly! I didn't say it, but I certainly thought about it," Bruce admitted. Wow, that Lord of the Rings marathon was beginning to pay off. "Well, it wasn't orcs or a troll. That would have been too easy."

"Crap! It was a female wasn't it?"

"Yah, it was," Bruce sighed. "The reason I know this so well is our boy picked up a new mind technique that acts like a data dump right into your brain. I'm still getting random thoughts and images. Him being forced to change into a dragon, but that's kind of confused. I ended up dreaming about being a dragon and bringing you ginger."

Natasha snorted at that, "Well, at least you were thinking of me."

"Are you feeling better?"

"Much better than this morning."

"Good. You sound better. You've had me worried."

"I'm eating leftover noodles and dumplings with your fancy ginger ale."

"Ah, good, so I wasn't completely off."

"Tell me more about this female from the void."

"Well, Strange confirmed she rules a planet that's a protectorate of Asgard, but it was invaded by some of the bad actors in that region during part of the chaos a few years ago and then 'pacified' by the Asgardians. So you can see how there's a bit of dissatisfaction there."

"So how does someone on the far end of the galaxy find her way into Adam's dream scape?"

"Well, inexplicably, the rock he threw hit her."

"Across the galaxy? Millions of miles and several light years away?"

"I know. It's monsters and magic . . ."

"And nothing any of us were trained for," she finished her own thought from years ago. Skip forward and here she was in love with the monster. The one she'd give almost anything to have home with her right now. "Okay, what is she like? Surely, Adam didn't leave that out."

"If it weren't for the curled horns—don't take this wrong—imagine Malibu Barbie meets She-Ra on steroids in a petite package."

Natasha was quiet for a moment trying to picture that combination of warrior princess. "What did Adam think of her?"

"He was appropriately contrite about the stone, and also pretty smitten with her. I'm not sure what happened, but he won her over once she looked into his mind. The curiosity was pretty mutual, too, so I'm certain it won't be the last he sees of her. Also, to be fair, she backed off when she found out how inexperienced he is." He could clearly hear Natasha sigh with exasperation. "I asked him not to rush into anything and to find out what she wanted and why before going any further."

"Can you tell what he's doing now?" Natasha asked.

"I'm trying to give him some space, a little privacy."

"Just check for him, please."

Bruce looked inward. "As predicted, he's talking to her. I don't want to pry any more than that."

Natasha would have liked to have been a fly on the wall, but she knew Bruce was not going to cooperate without a good reason. "Don't you think this is a little fast?"

"They're just talking."

"Isn't this just a little too convenient?"

"I know. It's bothering me, too, but Adam is as old as I am. He can handle himself, especially in his own realm."

"Are you sure? Even if he's existed as long as you, he doesn't have near the experience dealing with people you have, Bruce."

"He has most of my experiences to fall back on if he needs them. He knows I'm at his call if he needs me."

"Bruce, he's interacted with therapists, teammates, me, the Bartons, Logan, that bird, and Strange. That hardly prepares him to deal with foreign diplomats or whomever turns up on your mental doorstep."

"Trust me. He's doing okay. When will he get another chance to interact with someone he has something in common with? Maybe never."

"Don't treat this like a play date, Bruce. You two are exposing yourselves to an outside influence that could do all kinds of things in your head if she uses magic. She could use mind control and have power over the Hulk part of you both."

"I'm not taking this lightly. Adam has the situation well contained. I trust him. Look, like it or not, he is maturing and he needs to learn to interact with new people. I understand that he has mixed feelings about it. I do, too. Part of him would be happy topping off as an eight year old and being a cute little moppet forever. Who wouldn't want to avoid the 'complexities' of being an adult now and then? On my end, he's easy to deal with when all he wants is a hug and a little company to ask questions, but it's not the totality of who he is. You saw him. He's getting closer to what he might have been that's separate from me."

She rubbed at her temples with her free hand. "Okay, I get that. I've spent time with him. I agree that he's his own person and his situation is improving, but it doesn't get more sheltered than living in someone else's head without the responsibility of even maintaining a body 98% of the time. I mean, it might as well be a different dimension, Bruce."

Bruce had been pacing back and forth from one room of the suite to another while they talked, but what she said about dimensions brought him up short as he examined the idea and his mind started leaping ahead. "Oh, Nat . . ."

"Talk to me, Bruce. I can hear the gears turning from here."

"I think we may have been looking at this wrong. When was the last time you saw him shift between forms?"

"Last night when he came into my dream, but I didn't actually see him do it until we were in his space. That's when I asked what he would have looked like as an adult. It took him a few minutes, and he had a hard time holding it. He ended up scaling back to fourteen or so for most of the conversation. Why?"

"It's just a hunch at the moment, but I think he has a better firewall up than we thought. Proving it is going to be the challenge, but Adam may have already moved out."

((o))

Nyxianna's body shrank as she changed back to 'Anna from her avatar form. Adam noted again that her transformation process was much smoother than his own transition. He wondered if it was through magic or if being in flux was just a natural state for her and that made it easier. By comparison, his own transition certainly wasn't smooth or natural. As 'Anna settled back into control, her eyes grew wide as she took in the situation. It was pretty obvious with them both being naked on the bed and the used condom what they'd just been doing. He wondered what, if anything, she remembered. Well, at least she hadn't tried to kill him just yet.

"What hap . . . Oh, we didn't, Adam." He could tell she was imagining the two of them coupled, green and bronze limbs tangled together.

"Yah, we kinda did." All he could do was give her a shrug and an apologetic look. She put her hand over her mouth and shook her head. He thought she must be shocked. Adam sat up and swung his large green legs over the edge on his side of the bed, turning his back to her. He removed the spent condom, which was perfectly intact and blinked it out of existence, which simply meant recycling the matter. He imagined their clothes clean and folded on the foot of the bed, and they appeared there with the stone seated squarely on his pile like a paperweight. He turned back to 'Anna, still feeling a bit uncomfortable. "You're not too upset with me, are you?"

"Oh, Oolaloon, no! Don't worry. This has been coming on for a long while. Well, it was going to happen for you both at some point. I just didn't foresee you two would manage it so quickly. Are you all right? I'm sorry. I know it was your fist time and hers." She reached over and touched his arm, lightly at first and then more firmly before she took his large green hand in her much smaller golden brown ones. "I sense it was a mutual decision."

"Yes, it was. I'm okay with it. I'm just trying to get used to everything. It's all moving so very fast." He gave her a lopsided smile. "For the moment, I suppose we should take things one step at a time and clean up. You're welcome to join me. It's a pretty big shower." He got up, walked around the bed, and offered her his hand. She didn't shy away from taking it and followed him into the bathroom, which was like a grotto with high-tech showerheads, a waterfall, and toilets that did more than he'd ever have time to check out. He walked over to the waterfall and let its warm water splash over him then dropped to his knees as he transitioned from Hulk back to what he now considered his new normal form. Adam had to give 'Anna credit, without hesitating, she stepped forward and grabbed his shoulders to steady him. Shuddering, he rode the process out to its completion. It hurt. It always did. He realized he was leaning on 'Anna and pulled back. Adam couldn't help but note she was strong and beautiful like her avatar. "Thanks, it's never easy coming down, but usually it's Bruce handling this end. I just go home and sleep," he tried to joke.

She brushed his wet locks back from his face, and he looked up at her as the water splashed around them. "You are quite impressive, Adam," 'Anna told him. "My goddess form soundly rejected all the other suitors I've put forward, but you seem to have won her over."

"Well, it wasn't exactly one of the twelve labors, but I tried to make her happy. I know it's important we get along."

"It takes a little time to integrate my memories, but she clearly favors you. I know that doesn't sound like much, but she generally dislikes most people or simply dispatches them," 'Anna told him.

He chuckled because that sounded in character. "Tell me something. Is she a part of you or is she a separate being?"

"She's an aspect of me, but when she manifests, that part has autonomy, so it takes some time to mentally reintegrate when I'm me again. Her body, however, is separate. It's a tool of the Goddess. You probably figured out that's why it was her first time, too."

Adam breathed in sharply, "Is that going to be a problem? That's not considered defiling her or you is it?"

'Anna laughed, "No, we're not vestal virgins or eunuchs. Believe me, I can tell she has no complaints with you." She looked at him and stroked the stubble along his jaw the same way Nyxianna had. He could see both sides of her there smiling down at him. To his surprise, his other personas rumbled back in satisfaction, too. It seemed two-thirds of him were won over already. He was tempted to just go along with the pleasant feelings and primal urges, but he remained skeptical. Things were never this easy, and they were moving so fast.

"The Big Guy can be pretty charming when he's not pissed off," he joked.

She snorted a laugh at that. "Again with the deflection, Lover. Just how badly did she rough you up?"

'Anna rubbed his jaw where she'd struck him earlier, and Adam smiled, "She certainly tried, but I'm fine. We went for a little swim in the deep end of the lake, and that seemed to calm her down, but we had a few rounds first." Adam felt steady enough to get to his feet, and 'Anna gave him a hand up. Now he could definitely feel the difference between his old forms and his new corporal body. Of course he'd felt pain before, but the stiffness and aches were new. He was leaning pretty heavily on his Gamma reserves, which helped with the healing but apparently didn't filter out his aches and pains.

To his surprise, 'Anna was grinning at him and she stepped in close. "You clearly bested her, so how did you win her over after that? She's not a graceful loser."

Adam rubbed the back of his head, "We just talked. I massaged her feet. We talked some more. One thing led to another." He kept expecting 'Anna to get upset with him and reject him as her memories integrated, but she leaned in close again and reached around him, pulling their wet bodies together. Hesitantly at first, he embraced her then he relaxed into it. Maybe this really was okay with her. He bent down and kissed the top of her damp pale head. It felt so nice to hold her and touch so much of their skin from the softer curves to the harder edges together. He knew deep down he'd been afraid of this intimacy not being something he wanted. He recalled Bruce having a difficult time with most forms of physical contact because of the abuse and trust issues as well. The Banner side of the family had not been touchy-feely types. Their mother had been very demonstrative and Aunt Susan had tried, but Bruce had retreated so far inward that it wasn't until a decade and a half later in his early twenties that Bruce had made a concerted effort to be close to someone emotionally. The physical closeness had followed. Betty and her endless patience had been whom Bruce had needed at that time. Now that Adam had a choice, he knew he'd be reevaluating how he felt about a lot of things. Maybe 'Anna was what he needed?

'Anna looked up into his eyes, "Are you okay with me touching you?"

He nodded his head, "I wasn't certain if I'd feel comfortable, but you make me feel connected. I like having you touch me, and I like touching you. That comes as a surprise to parts of me."

She ran her hands along his sides, back, and flanks, exploring his topography. "You are amazingly without scars, but that doesn't surprise me."

"Shiny, new outside, but the inside has the wear marks and the sharp corners are rounded off." He ran his hands over her back and downward. "You're not new either, but you are beautiful and complete."

She stood up on her toes and he bent down to give her a kiss. His heart sped up, and he breathed in the warm smell of her, wanting to drink in and memorize as much of her as he could in too short of a time. Until today, he'd been resigned to being alone and never considered what sharing a relationship or having intimacy might be like. Part of him was screaming to hold back, that he was going to get hurt, but the rest of him was ready to take the risk and reach out. He could tell that despite their very different circumstances, 'Anna was just as pleasantly surprised as he was. The kiss they were sharing wasn't the least bit chaste, but they had to turn their attention to other important subjects, so neither of them pushed it.

On a hidden shelf, there was an odd assortment of shower products he'd plucked out of memories. 'Anna looked through several before settling on a citrusy all-in-one. To his surprise, she pulled his head down to her level and gave him a thorough scrubbing. Once she was satisfied he was cleaned and exfoliated and rinsed enough, she shooed him out, so she could finish and he could get dressed. Adam toweled off and pulled some olive khakis and a blue oxford from the closet—boring, but serviceable. It occurred to him that he'd never shaved before, so he wasn't about to try that on his own. He ran his hand over what was definitely a five-o'clock shadow: scruffy it would have to be for now. The deodorant was much more user friendly. He pulled the socks and boxers from bureau draws and a pair of oxblood wingtips from a rack in the closet and a belt to match. If there were a white lab coat, he could have gone to work with Bruce. Once he was dressed, he stopped and sat down in a chair to wait.

'Anna didn't take long. Her hair was still damp, but she was very quickly into her clothes. He was fascinated with her efficiency and how the robes and under garment worked together, but he held his curiosity in check. 'Anna stood in front of the full-length mirror by the closet. She'd found a comb and pulled her hair back again. He handed her the hair tie that had fallen to the floor as she dressed. She looked at him in the mirror and smiled. "I'm thinking we should give this time, Adam. You're right about things moving too fast. Part of me wants to take you with me right now and show you my world, but I know there might be very serious consequences for you and your brother."

He placed his hands on her shoulders, "I think you're right. I need to find out what has changed and how before anything else goes forward. I do want to see you though."

She nodded, "I've been thinking. I have taken on scholars and students in the past. If Strange doesn't offer to train you, please consider me as an alternative. I can come here if you can't come to me. It's a good cover if we need one, and to be honest, you need the discipline."

"All right," he laughed, but he couldn't really argue with her assessment of him. "That sounds workable to me. How do I reach you?"

"Just do what you did earlier." She picked up the stone from the bed. "Stand near water and think of me."

"By the way," he asked, "what is the marking on the back of the stone?"

"It's a map." She stroked her thumb over it and the lines glowed a subtle blue. "We're both here so there is only one point." She showed him the yellow-green dot of light. "Once I'm gone, stroke it and you'll see just how far away we are from each other." She placed it back in his hand, and Adam slipped it into his pocket. "I'll teach you more when you're ready."

"Thank you for trusting me with it. How long should I wait before I contact you?" he asked.

"You'll know when you're ready. You'll feel comfortable in your own skin, Adam. I promise. You'll know."

"All right, do you need or want anything from me?"

She ran her hands down the sides of his face and studied him, clearly trying to memorize as many details as possible. "No, thank you, memories will do," she said with a sincere smile.

"Wait," he picked up a few of the loose decorative stones from around the plants. He pressed them between his palms and concentrated, pulling together the right atoms and reforming the crystal structure of the quartz to separate and remake it into something else. What he was doing wasn't wizardry, but it mimicked alchemy. "Here," he said and she held out her hand. Adam placed three sparkling multi-colored stones in her palm. "They're fire opals. I've wanted to try and make some. I should have asked how you'd want them mounted, but I thought maybe you'd rather do that to your liking." The largest was the size of a robin's egg and the other two were slightly smaller. All were smooth and tear-shaped, and from one angle they flashed purple, blue, and green, while from another the red, yellow, and orange end of the spectrum shown in bright flecks of color.

"I've never seen anything like these," she said while turning them over in her palm. "They do give me ideas. Thank you, Adam."

"You're welcome. I'll look forward to seeing what you do with them."

At that 'Anna gave him a knowing look before she secured them in a hidden pocket in her robes. She smiled and levitated so that her bare feet were above the ground, and she was at the right level to pull him into a kiss, caressing his cheeks and running her hands through his hair. There was longing and a promise in it, too, and she gave him a quick kiss on his forehead to seal it. "It won't be long," she whispered, and disappeared in a whirl of fog that was soon gone as well.

He shifted to the kitchen in Dayton and sat down heavily in his favorite chair at the table. That was where Strange found him a little later.

"Please tell me you're not the one who planned this out," Adam said aloud when he sensed his friend's presence.

"Sorry, I can't take credit for it, Adam. I'm no Nick Fury."

"Neither is Fury anymore, but I refuse to believe this is randomness and serendipity." Adam gestured to the chair across from him and the former physician pulled it out and sat down. He still had on the blue suit from earlier in the day.

"Do you think Nyxianna is in on it?" Strange asked.

"I don't. I think we're both being played." Adam shifted in his chair and leaned forward over the table. He laid the fourth fire opal he'd made on the surface and spun it like a top.

"Then who would stand to benefit if your meeting plays out to its natural conclusion?" Strange asked as he steepled his fingers, watching Adam.

"'Natural conclusion'?"

"What you're tempted to do," the sorcerer explained.

"Who wants my brother and the Hulk out of play?"

"Or Nix for that matter or just you left vulnerable and out in the open, Adam. It depends completely upon what scale we're discussing."

"Start with Ross at the bottom and skip to the top."

"Thanos followed by Loki and then perhaps the Celestials. There might be others who see them as a threat. If we're talking about people who would like to recruit and use you, it goes up exponentially."

"Well, there's at least one Asguardian on that list, but not that many people know about me. Are you sure you're not, Stephen?"

"I will honestly admit, Adam, that securing Nyxianna's loyalties and those of her people would have been a very useful mission . . . if it had occurred to me before now. However, as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. Honestly, throwing you into the arms of a potential ally in hopes you'd seduce her, did not occur to me."

Adam chuckled. It did sound absurd when he said it that way. "I'm so hurt you didn't think of me," he joked.

"The last time we talked, you had all the libido of Peter Pan, so no, you weren't on my list for possessing that skills set. You weren't on my list for a lot of things, but much of what I was taking for granted about you this morning has changed."

Adam thought there might be a little remorse behind that statement. He had been staring at the opal as it spun on the tabletop between his hands, but now he looked up into the sorcerer's piercing blue eyes. "Please enlighten me because all I have are guesses."

"I don't have much more than that, Adam, but I do have some theories and perhaps a test or two to point us in the right direction."

"Let's do it then."

"First, tell me, how would you describe the place we're in?"

"This is my home. It started off in Bruce's imagination, but now I'm not so certain where it is."

"At what point do you think it may have stopped being in his imagination?"

"Last May, when we met you and once Bruce set me free. The place you took us was so beautiful. I wanted something like that. When we were back in Bruce's head and I was finally able to go where I once lived, I went back to what I'd built for us since I'd first taught myself how to build constructs and amuse Bruce, but almost all of it was gone. Most of it had been wiped clean, but of the parts that were still present there weren't two rocks or bricks left stacked together. There was nothing but rubble for miles and miles: no Rivendell or Lonely Mountain, no Oz, no Treasure Island, no Pern, or even the Robinson's tree house left. It broke me. All I could do was wander in the rubble and the blankness for a few days. I'm still not certain which one of us did it—for all I know it was the Gamma's doing during all the early insanity right after the accident. However it occurred, I promised myself this would never happen again. I put up what I thought were firewalls to contain any future destruction, but now I don't think that's what I did. Is it, Stephen?"

The sorcerer could see how painful it was for Adam to share this information. "You made your home safe, Adam. No one can fault you for that. I'm sorry you went back to such devastation. Forgive me, but it does fit some of Bruce's self-destructive tendencies."

Adam shook his head, "I didn't tell him. Please don't tell, Bruce."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Adam." The former physician changed the subject. "I've been doing some reading about dimensional expansion. Generally speaking, dimensions do not exist within other dimensions with the exception of very small and contained pocket dimensions. For example, bags of holding or the TARDIS would be considered types of pocket dimensions."

"Things larger on the inside than the outside," Adam noted.

"Correct. However, another kind that exists parallel to ours that overlaps it is the Mirror Dimension. The reason I'm bringing this up is I think we can do a simple test. If we're still in Bruce's head, it won't manifest, but if you've made or found a separate dimension, there should be a Mirror Dimension to it."

"Will there be any negative consequences if it fails? I don't want to hurt Bruce."

"No, he won't even be aware of it. The spell will just fail."

"All right. Give it a go then," Adam agreed.

Strange stood up and faced away from the table and toward the backdoor. He waved his right hand in a clockwise motion and then tapped and glass-like shards became visible. Adam was standing just to the side of the sorcerer's right shoulder when Strange turned his head and laughed. "Congratulations, we're not in Kansas, Toto."

Adam had grown quite pale. "So that's a Mirror Dimension?"

"Yes, it's a good place to practice magic safely or observe your reality from without being seen." Strange looked at Adam. "Are you all right? You're not looking well." He dismissed his spell and turned to Adam. "Sit down," he said as he guided Adam to a chair. "Bruce mentioned he tends to run hot. Do you, too?"

"Yes," he acknowledged. "I think I've been running on Gamma reserves longer than I should. I'm not tapped out, but something doesn't feel right. I'm lightheaded and hurting a bit in the middle." With that, his stomach growled.

"I'll ask the obvious," Strange said, "when was the last time you ate?"

"I don't eat. The only times I have as Hulk it made Bruce ill."

"You don't eat here? You did have coffee with Bruce and me earlier."

"I only did that to be sociable. I have a running debate going with Raven over whether food is even real here."

"Let me see your hand," the former physician demanded. Adam complied and Strange pinched the skin on the back of his hand to see if it sprang back. "Adam, you're dehydrated." He turned and looked through the cupboards for a drinking glass." I don't care whether or not you think this is real. You're going to drink some water."

"To the left of the sink. I'm not arguing with you. The evidence is mounting against my hypothesis, so I have no trouble changing it."

Strange let the water run for a moment before thrusting the glass under the stream and filling it. "Drink this down."

Adam drank the clear liquid without complaining and set the glass on the table.

Strange asked, "Do you have anything easy to digest around here?" Adam stared at him blankly. "Seriously? You had cocoa mix before."

"It was there because Bruce imagined it and knew what it tasted like."

"Can't you imagine what farina or mashed bananas taste like?"

"I don't even know what the first one is, but I know about banana splits. Okay, would ice cream work?"

"It wouldn't be a bad start. Do it."

Adam got up from the table and opened the freezer door. There were several plastic dishes with flavors he'd tasted the day before at the ice cream shop in Cincinnati. He picked out the blue cotton candy flavored one and the bowl of Dutch chocolate. He placed the chocolate ice cream on the table in front of Stephen's chair and the blue ice cream in front of his own. Adam retrieved a couple of spoons from the silverware drawer and slid one across to Strange. "Sit down. It's Dutch Chocolate. I promise it's excellent. I imagined a Madagascar Vanilla if you're allergic or like vanilla or something."

"All right. In the interest of being sociable then," Strange said as he sat down. "Pray tell what is that blue stuff you're eating?" he asked with a dubious look.

"Cotton candy flavored. Wow, this is pretty cold."

"Don't eat it too fast or you'll get brain freeze."

"Is that a real medical condition?" Adam enquired.

"It happens when the blood vessels in your upper palate constrict and then expand suddenly and it interferes with the flow of blood. It can be very painful but it only lasts a few minutes."

"Good thing to know," Adam said between bites.

"You're right. This is good ice cream," Stephen admitted. "However, your body is real and you're not going to survive on even the best ice cream alone. If you're willing, I'd like to propose an experiment. I'm reasonably certain my physical body could survive here. I think it's also the case that you could survive in normal reality. The stone and lilac sprig you gave me made it through intact and without complications. They appear to be quite stable and operate using the same rules of physics."

"'Anna was able to make some sort of portal using the connection we shared and water or mist to bring her physically through. She said it was possible for me to return with her, but we didn't know what that would mean for Bruce or Hulk. We agreed to take our time and make certain it was safe first."

"That's a wise decision because there could be some serious complications. Wait here for me. I think I know someone who might help." The sorcerer stood and faded.

Adam blinked the dishes away to recycle the matter. He pulled the stone from his pocket and laid it on the table beside the opal. He'd studied the map and the distance between his green dot and her gold one. Bruce had been right about it looking like Yggdrasil because the tree was a metaphor for existence and included the Nine Realms from its top to its roots. The green dot wasn't far from Midgard while the gold one was beyond Asgard. He wondered what 'Anna was doing. She'd called him a "little god" when she first saw him. It was meant as an insult, but she probably sensed the nature and scale of what he'd done better than he understood it. She recognized he and his realm were real from the start. Adam simply thought of himself as some sort of an idiot savant who stumbled into bigger things while solving smaller problems. He certainly didn't think of himself as a god. He was unique, yes. His circumstances were unusual, but other than that, he really didn't feel special even if his circumstances were. So far he hadn't hurt or killed anyone with what he'd made. He really wanted to keep it that way. How had Bruce put it? Hulk smashes. Banner builds. Well, surprise, he'd built something all right.

He sensed Strange and someone else were coming and granted them access as orange sparks appeared in a circular pattern before the backdoor. The fireworks soon broadened into a wheel of fire, and Adam stood up to face whomever was stepping through the portal. The sparks opened into a wider circle revealing what Adam thought might be a library on the other side of the portal. Strange stepped through and Adam knew this was no astral projection but the man inhabiting his actual corporal form. The Sorcerer Supreme breathed in deeply to test the atmosphere and grinned, "I think it's a go, Adam." He stepped further into the room and turned to introduce a squarely-built man of Asian descent standing just on the other side of the fiery portal. "Adam Banner, may I introduce Master Wong. He is one of my teachers from the Kamar-Taj. Luckily, he was available to act as a backup for me in case that little stunt didn't work and he's going to help me examine you if you're willing to submit to one."

Adam nodded, "You are welcome here, Master Wong, for as long as you mean no harm to me or mine. Come and go in peace."

Wong stepped through the portal, and it closed behind him in one last shower of orange sparks. He looked around the room before his gaze settled on Adam, "This is definitely the homiest dimension I've ever seen. Thank you for letting me enter, Mr. Banner."

Adam stepped forward and offered his hand, "You're welcome. Please, call me Adam. May I offer you some tea or coffee?"

"Please put some water on to boil, Adam. However, I've brought the tea and a few other things," Wong said as he set a rather large knapsack and a brown handled shopping bag on the table. Adam was pretty certain the Master didn't have those in hand as he came through the portal, but that really didn't surprise him. He filled the copper-bottomed kettle at the sink and then turned on a gas burner on the stove under the kettle.

Adam leaned back against the counter and watched his two guests unpack the knapsack and the shopping bag. He recognized the incense, medicinal herbs, and the purifying sage, so he guessed there was going to be a ritual of some sort performed. "Gentlemen, what's the plan?" he asked.

"Number one, you're going to eat this soup before it gets cold," Strange told him and slid a plastic container across the table to him. Adam opened the lid and recognized the savory umami smell of hot and sour soup, one of Bruce's favorites. His stomach growled quite audibly and they all three men laughed.

"Good call, Stephen," Wong said as he finished unpacking a set of small stone figures. "Adam, you are definitely running on empty." Strange had both an incense crucifer and a shell with sage smudge ready to light and what looked like some wooden jewelry caskets containing who-knew-what lined up. Adam retrieved a soupspoon from the silverware drawer and took a tentative first bite. As with his other senses, he felt like a layer of insulation had been removed because everything smelled and tasted richer and deeper than he was accustomed to experiencing through his brother. He would have liked to have taken his time and just enjoyed the pleasures of eating, but what the sorcerers were doing was far too engrossing.

"So, is it a purification ritual or an exorcism you're planning first?" Adam asked between mouthfuls.

"It's actually closer to a diagnostic tool," Master Wong explained. "As I understand it, you've been connected very intimately to your brother for most of your life because of lacking a corporal body. Now that you have a physical body, are you still connected to him? Are you still connected to the Gamma—for lack of a better name for it—or are you completely independent from them? If not, what is the source of your energy? Because you are most definitely tapping into a substantial power source to do this," Wong concluded with a nod to acknowledge the rest of Adam's dimension beyond the room.

Adam set the empty soup container in the sink with his spoon. He certainly felt better with a full stomach. "Just a suggestion, don't you think we should consult Bruce or at least tell him to sit down if this might effect him?"

Wong gave Strange a reproachful look, "I believe I brought that up."

"Oh, all right. What should I tell him?" Stephen asked.

"Ask him to please sit quietly for the next thirty minutes or so," suggested Master Wong.

"He's not done his full yoga routine in a couple of days. Suggest he give that a try," Adam offered, trying to be helpful. Strange shook his head, pulled out his cellphone, and tapped out a text, but he laid it on the table without sending it. He then pulled out what looked like a pair of brass knuckles, which he placed on his left hand while he gestured with his right hand and moved it in a counterclockwise circle. A smaller version of the fiery portal opened and Strange took up his phone and stuck his arm through into his library until the screen showed a full compliment of bars before he pressed send. He waited until it noted the message was received before pulling his arm back, but before he could close the portal, Bruce had texted back, "WHY?" to his request.

"Just tell him it's a diagnostic test and he'll understand," Adam suggested. "Using 'please' doesn't hurt either."

The sorcerer was fighting off an exasperated sigh and an eye roll. "Smile and give him a thumbs up," said Strange and he took a selfie with both of them in it. "We'll see if a picture speaks a thousand texts." He typed a short message and held the phone through the portal to send the message. "If I knew where he was in Cincinnati, I'd just go get him," Stephen grumbled under his breath as he closed the portal.

Adam was watching everything Strange did intently. "I know exactly where he is. Let me try."

Wong chuckled, and Strange turned and gave his old mentor a disapproving look. As an acolyte, it had taken him an unusually long time before Stephen was able to open a portal, so it was a bit of a sore spot with him. "Adam, I know you're quite talented, but opening a portal takes practice."

"You concentrate and envision the destination then you gather inward fire and outward air with your counterclockwise gesture to open the portal," Adam theorized.

Wong tried unsuccessfully to stifle a snort, "He's pretty close."

"All right, Adam," Strange invited him with a bowing gesture. "Have a go then." He clearly thought the novice was going to fall on his face, which always made Adam more stubbornly determined than ever. He and Bruce had that in common.

Adam relaxed and thought of the bedroom in Bruce's suite at the Cincinnatian. He held out his left hand with the palm facing the anticipated doorway, knowing he didn't have the odd brass jewelry as a focusing object and compensating for it. With his right hand he mimicked Strange's two-fingers to palm and three digits out hand gesture and pulled strings of fire-fueled energy from inside and combined them with the force of the air to create the portal's tunnel. As he moved his right hand in a counterclockwise motion, sparks began to appear and the portal began to form . . .

"Adam, stop. I'm sorry. Let's do this right," Strange said, feeling suddenly remorseful and a bit alarmed at how easily the magic was coming for the beginner.

Adam dropped his hands and relaxed, making his face a pleasant mask as 'Anna had described while he absorbed the energy back into himself. He looked at Strange intently, but he remained respectfully silent and waited for the sorcerer to go on. The last thing he wanted to do was weird out a potential teacher by showing off.

"My apologies, Adam. That was very rude of me. Here," Stephen took the ring off and handed it to Adam. "This is called a sling ring. It's designed to help you focus and stabilize the portal. You were doing fine without it, but we don't want a collapse at a critical moment."

"It's okay, Stephen. I understand. Do we really need Bruce here or not?" Adam asked as he examined and analyzed the ring for future reference before he handed it back.

Strange and Wong looked at each other before Wong spoke, "No, we don't, but depending upon what we find, we'll need to bring him in to discuss possible repercussions. However, that can wait."

Adam nodded. Although he'd been eager to learn how to make a portal, he didn't want to drag Bruce away from what he was doing in Cincinnati for nothing. If Bruce disappeared, everyone was going to freak out. Repercussions, always repercussions. "Okay, then what can I do? What do you have planned?"

"You've probably never had an MRI, have you?" Stephen asked.

"Well . . . I'm going to take the Fifth on that."

Strange looked at him with surprise, guessing rightly that Adam was implying his alter ego had been scanned. "Okay, I'm going to pretend I didn't ask. Let's just say you're going to have to be still while we take some readings."

"I think I can do that," Adam said, biting back on the snark he felt coming on. The teakettle finally came to a boil and the clear whistle cut through the air. Adam was nearest the stove, so he turned off the gas and moved the kettle to a different burner as the whistling died down. He used Wong's tea that the Master had laid on the stove to make a pot of tea, letting it steep three minutes before removing the leaves.

As he turned around, Adam noted that Wong and Strange had cleared a space in the middle of the room and set up the eight stone statues in a circle on the floor. "Please take off your shoes and lay down with your head in this direction and your feet down there," Master Wong instructed. Adam complied, lay down on his back, and stared up at the ceiling while Stephen sat down at his feet and Wong stationed himself near his head. "The first part is a purification ritual, so just relax." It only took a few minutes for the incense to make Adam feel drowsy. "It's okay if you fall asleep, Adam," Wong told him. His eyelids kept getting heavier until finally he closed them. Wong smiled to himself when he heard Adam's breathing deepen, "I know you're not into the incense, Stephen, but it has its uses."

"He was already dead on his feet," Strange said in a low voice. "It's been an eventful day and it's only half over."

Wong studied his friend, "Please remind me why you've not made more of an effort to train him. His limitations would have been a challenge, but you can't deny the great potential here."

"I didn't want to call attention to him considering what a potential target his brother already is. Also, Adam is managing rather well on his own, considering his situation." Wong's look was still quite reproachful. "I've been monitoring him as I can, but clearly I should have been more hands-on. I had no clue he'd be making friends across the galaxy today. I had seen Nix in his future, but I thought it would be because Bruce traveled there."

Wong harrumphed. "The Kamar-Taj has several Masters who are well qualified to work with him. If you're too busy, I must insist that you name someone to go over the basics with him before he finds his own teacher or something unfortunate happens."

"You're right. I'll speak to him before we leave." Wong nodded his approval.

The two masters set the incense and herbs aside and worked to cast their a spells in earnest. First came a protection spell that sealed the room and prevented outside interference and contamination. The next was a spell for identifying and tracing energy patterns. It was particularly useful for finding blockages and isolating problems, but Strange had found he could read it like a 3D scan of mystic energies. He was rather surprised that Adam's aura flickered and shifted before settling into a blue and green pattern. "Why do you think it's doing that?" he asked Wong.

"How long did you say he's been in this body?"

"He probably started building it early last May," Strange estimated.

"That is impressive. Children's auras tend to shift more than an adult's. He's still new in his corporal home," Wong concluded. "It is interesting how contrary the two aura colors are and they seem to flicker as if there are two rather than resolving somewhere in between or settling on one."

"There are two. In fact, I'm certain he still has access to Hulk, so that's probably what's happening. All right, let's see how the energies are flowing and then the chakras." The two moved their hands in unison and released a small amount of psychic energy that settled like a golden dome or bubble over the circle to see what part of Adam naturally pulled at it or repulsed it. The energy kept its equilibrium going for several seconds until it slowly collapsed straight down into him and Adam gave a sharp intake of breath but didn't awake.

"Before you ask, Stephen, no, I've never seen that before" Wong noted with surprise. "Usually, energy attracts like to like, and it will travel to the base chakra at the bottom of the spine or a chakra that's a little higher."

"That sounds like something is blocked. Before today, I would have said his sacral chakra was off balance. His creative energies are at the top of the chart, but he has been repressing the sexual side of that energy—a total denial of his status and power as an adult in order to avoid conflict."

"Not into adulting?" Wong asked. "Too much responsibility?"

"No, he's as responsible of a person as his brother, but adult males in his formative experiences have been abusive or out of control. Why be like that if you can regulate and slow down your development to avoid being an aggressor or an abuser?"

Strange languidly waved his hand over the lower part of Adam's torso and pulled up an image of a red rotating wheel of light from Adam's lower spine. He and Wong both watched it for a moment and concluded there were no problems with its speed or balance and replaced it. Strange repeated the gesture a few inches higher on Adam's torso, just below his navel, before pulling out the orange sacral wheel and watching it rotate.

"Well, it appears Peter Pan's time in Neverland has come to an end," Wong noted. "At least the chakra looks well balanced between creative and sexual energy."

Strange studied the wheel's speed and rotation. "And his denial ended with something much louder than a whimper."

Wong gave another harrumph, "Would you have expected less from someone who faced down and then won over a triune goddess?"

"My, gossip travels fast," Strange noted with dry disapproval.

"Gossip, my foot. That's a prophecy. If you paid attention to the incoming reports, you'd know the Bells of Nix rang a little over three hours ago."

"Isn't that overdoing the fertility ritual a bit?"

"It had nothing to do with that type of consummation. The three bells rang to acknowledge what SHE did—not what he did or they might have done together. She found someone who is compatible with the Goddess, the Dragon, and the Mortal Queen. It confirmed the passing of a test, which hasn't happened in living memory—centuries, in fact. They rang because a ruler of Nix has found a match: nothing more. Even if nothing happens between them, her successful hunt strengthens the monarchy and gives the queen breathing room and good will."

"It still sounds a bit ominous," Strange considered.

"Only if you've picked a fight with Nix or were planning on it. They're not known for making plans of conquest, but there are radical factions there who would like to depose the monarchy and seek retribution and empire and spoils with a sword. Hoggoth knows they've been on the opposite end of that calculation often enough."

Stephen hadn't considered that. "Any idea who stands to gain if Nix's influence is waxing instead of waning?"

"As you know, the Nixians have their grievances with any number of warlike races, but the Badoon and Sakaarans are the most recent. I'm sure Asgard will take notice since Nix is under its protection."

"So what is the prophecy connected to this?"

"Nothing too apocalyptic. Avoid getting in a fight with them while their thrice-blessed queen reigns. Ah, yes, and hope she doesn't take a fancy to war because Nix will bathe in the blood of their foes or something like that."

"Just another Friday night in that sector of the galaxy, and we still have no idea who's likely orchestrating this other than the usual suspects."

"Don't waste your time worrying about it then. Let's get the answers we can find here and help your friends. The better Adam's spiritual and mental health, the more likely he'll make sound decisions," Master Wong concluded.

Stephen nodded and finally replaced the image of Adam's sacral wheel. "At least her majesty set this to rights. No more blockage." He then move up to the solar plexus and examined its yellow gold wheel and replaced it. Adam's heart chakra shown bright green as Strange pulled it forth for inspection. "How did I know joy and compassion would be his forte?" the sorcerer murmured as he shook his head.

Wong smiled, "It's not a surprise. Overcoming trauma in one area can enhance strengths in others. This chakra is in fine shape. Let's see the last three before he wakes up." They moved on to the throat and coaxed its blue wheel to turn a bit faster before returning it, hoping to encourage communication. The third eye of clairvoyance was a bright indigo and the crown chakra of the higher self a still brighter violet. Both turned steadily, so neither required any adjustment.

As the final wheel sank back into place at the top of Adam's head, both masters gestured and the stone figures glowed to start the next part of the evaluation. One by one the statues connected with lines of white energy that arched over Adam's body. Strange and Wong lowered their hands and then raised them and Adam's body began to float. Wong gestured with one of his hands and Adam's arms and legs stretched out so they were extended from his torso.

Soon, the light grid intersected and mapped out Adam's body. Strange stood up to have a better view of what the spell revealed. An outline of Adam's form glowed through his clothing. Strange gestured with his arms in angular directions to move past the surface and into the types of energies that followed the bloodstream and then the neuropaths, looking for anything unusual. That's when the bones began to glow a pale green that darkened considerably in the longer, larger bones. A similar glow in blue came into focus throughout Adam's body with a higher concentration along his hips, shoulders, and spinal column.

Wong had also stood up to get a better look. "Stephen, notice the energy hidden in the marrow of the bones? It's like a well: it runs so deep. I think that's the power source. It's not the one he was drawing from when he created the portal, but it's quite considerable. I'm sure it's what he's drawn on to create everything here."

"It's what he calls the Gamma. Be careful. It has a baseline sentience, and it's usually angry," Strange warned.

Wong warily probed the image and easily found what Strange had described. The entity was clearly taxed or it would have had a more aggressive resistance, yet he could tell it was more than just an unhappy or negative presence. If fact, it was destructive and wanting to lash out. "You weren't kidding. I think this something has attached itself to the energy. It knows we're scanning it." The older man paced before he turned back to address his companion. "Stephen, you weren't around to see the last exorcism done at the temple."

"No, but I've heard and read about it. A malevolent ancestral spirit possessed a child, and it resisted letting her go."

"It took three days: one to diagnose the problem and two to remove it. The girl was in a coma recovering for a month afterward before she finally woke up."

"So you think this is something similar?" Strange asked.

"It has that same angry possessive feel to it, but it's not something that's attached itself later like a parasite. This thing seems to have been incorporated as part of the power source. I doubt that we could remove it without destroying his body or unleashing the power. Probably not something we want to do since it would create the equivalent of a gamma bomb blast."

"Definitely not," Stephen agreed. "I think we're going to have to leave well enough alone for now. On the brighter side, look at how efficiently his body is storing the radiation and not being damaged by it. Adam said he'd not really eaten before today, so he's been running completely off the Gamma as he's built this place and his body. Unbelievable. I would bet he's taken several steps forward in his genetics, but we'll leave it up to him to follow up on his own."

"Well, he's still human in every way that counts, so I don't think the genes matter so much where we're concerned," Master Wong noted.

Stephen stroked his beard and smiled, "He's more human than most who were brought up to be."

Both men studied the images playing across and through Adam for a few more minutes before acknowledging they'd learned everything they could for the time being. They sat back down and gently lowered Adam onto the floor and dispersed the energy from the statues.

"I always hate waking people when they look this peaceful," Wong said. "The only chakra we adjusted was the throat, so let's hope it helps with his communication and expression of ideas."

"He's already come so far. Even when he's Hulk, you might not think they were the same person from nine months ago," the sorcerer mused and he stroked his beard.

Wong continued to study Adam's face, "Do you think he's still the Hulk?"

"I'm pretty certain. He has the Gamma, and the cell clusters that showed blue are most likely part of the condition as well, but we will have to see if he can physically transform. I'm not sure where this leaves Bruce and whether he'd have control or Adam would if he can still manifest. The worst case scenario is that he could still physically become Hulk, but neither of them have control."

"Best case?" Wong asked.

"Well, that really depends upon one's perspective. Bruce views his condition as a curse, so I imagine he'd be happy to be rid of the transformations. I'm not so certain about Adam. As long as one of them is able to control the Hulk, the rest of us can breathe a lot easier."

Although he knew he might regret it later, Wong came to a decision. "Stephen, if you're too busy to take him on as an acolyte, I'd be willing to work with him. He's done well enough on his own so far, but we both know he's going to need a lot more guidance."

Strange nodded. He felt like he'd dropped the ball on this one, so he was glad to have the offer. "Let's work out a plan together and see if he's willing."

Wong nodded his approval and turned back to Adam's prone figure. With his right forefinger he traced a symbol of blessing on Adam's forehead and he stirred. Adam sat up and shook his head to clear the cobwebs. He turned and looked at both men. "Please, I want you to teach me. I know enough to get into trouble and almost enough to be dangerous. That's not going to work if I'm around people. Please help me so I don't hurt anyone."

Wong and Strange both smiled at each other. "Lesson one," Master Wong said, "Go pour the tea before it gets stone cold. I'm not at all fond of cold tea."

Adam eagerly rolled to his feet. "Cold tea won't be a problem, Master Wong. I have warm hands."

Wong turned to say something to Stephen, but the Sorcerer Supreme spoke first, "No, you may not have him all to yourself."

End Notes: Don't worry, we're getting to more Bruce x Natasha next chapter, but there are mysteries to solve and presentations to give and much more coming.

This is the last week of classes and next week is finals, so I'm going to be pretty busy getting grades done. It may be another three weeks for the next installment, but rest assured it is coming!

So who's Hulk or not? What's with the Gamma? What does Bruce think of that selfie with Stephen and Adam? Adam may be ready for the world, but is it ready for him? Have you ever dreamed you were a dragon?

Hope you enjoyed Wong. We'll see more of him and Strange as we get Adam settled.

Still living for the comments!