Chapter Four

"Hey, Doc." Alice said as she walked through the lab door. Bruce looked up from the computer he was at and gave a wave.

"Hello Alison, was it?" Bruce smirked slightly at her appalled expression. She sat down on the metal tabletop next to him before putting her hand over her heart,

"I'm hurt, Doc. I thought we were better friends than that. First name basis, at the least." She said as she laid a hand on his shoulder. Bruce eyed it with raised eyebrows,

"But my first name isn't Doc.." He trailed off making a point. Alice huffed before crossing her arms.

"Okay, okay. I get it. May I call you Bruce then?" She asked while looking at the screen he was working on.

"Only if I can crack Alice in Wonderland jokes whenever I want."

"You wouldn't be the first, or the last."

"Okay. So, Alice, why are you down here?" Bruce asked as he started sliding graphs, equations across and around the screens near him.

"I was assigned to make sure that whatever you needed was available to you." She picked up a random tablet and started swiping data around on it. "Basically, I'm your personal laboratory assistant. Only a lot sexier." Alice looked up at Bruce through her eyelashes to see how he reacted to her statement.

"True." Bruce nodded in agreement before realizing what he had said. He quickly looked up at Alice to find her stifling laughter behind her hand and looking away. The Doctor blushed before walking over to another machine.

"Thank you, Doctor. I think you are quite attractive as well." She said through laughing as she acted as casual as possible looking at the tablet.

Bruce looked up at her, blush still apparent on his face and smiled to himself before going back to his work. After a few minutes of silence and Alice mindlessly scrolling through more data. Bruce looked over at her.

"You have no idea what any of that says, do you?" He concluded as Alice blushed slightly, she timidly met his gaze and motioned to everything around them.

"Well, science and math were never really my forte. Languages, assassination, telepathy, impersonation, any of those I excel. Never was one for chemicals and equations, though." Alice commented as she started to walk around the lab to find something to entertain herself.

"Wait, what? You just casually added telepathy in there?" Bruce asked turning towards her and crossing his arms over his chest. He gave her a pointed look and she smiled over at him.

"I'm surprised that you pointed out the telepathy instead of assassination." She smirked before looking at Bruce. He looked to the wall in front of him, tilting his head from side to side.

"Well, you work for S.H.I.E.L.D, I'm not surprised; it comes with the job description. I half expected you and Natasha to be in Calcutta to assassinate me." Bruce gave a dry chuckle and looked over at Alice, who had a blank stare.

"Bruce?" She started hesitantly. "Honestly, between you and me, I don't think I would've been able to do that." Bruce looked at the tablet in her hands; the screen had gone blank by this point and her eyes were wide with emotion.

"Alice, Ally, come back. Hey." Bruce waved a hand in front of her face. When that didn't get her attention he cupped her cheek with his hand to bring her eyes to meet his. They looked blank for a moment until she came back. "You okay?" He asked quietly. He was honestly quite confused at the moment.

"Yeah, yes. Of course, I'm fine. Thanks." She said slowly giving the Doctor a weak smile. He took his hand away from her face and stepped back. Looking her over once before she responded again. "Sorry for the scare, Bruce. I'm fine really. Just zoned out a bit."

He nodded his head skeptically. "So this telepathy thing, is that the only trick you do?" He asked, trying to engage her in conversation.

"I can read minds, but apparently not yours. Create and control force, as well as the usual telepathy nonsense." Alice replied nonchalantly, she met his eyes as Bruce looked confused.

"Uh, what doesn't work on me?" Bruce asked, he'd obviously misheard something. Alice looked a bit embarrassed. This was the first time she'd be caught trying to read someone's thoughts.

"Well, I can hear thoughts, read minds. Yours, however, doesn't allow me to do so. I can't get anything from in there." She pointed at the side of Bruce's head to make a point.

To say Bruce was surprised was an understatement. To the fact that he was somehow immune to her abilities but even more so to the knowledge that she had activelytried to read his mind.

"You tried to dig around inside my head?" Bruce asked her as he looked her in the eyes. Alice didn't like the feeling she got when he used that voice.

"No! I mean, I didn't dig around in your head. More like tried to see what you were saying, without actually moving your lips. I think that's what I mean.." Alice looked down at the ground before looking up at him. "Sorry, Doctor."

"It's not that big of a deal, Alice. I'd actually be mad if you had read my thoughts." He gave her a reassuring smile, "And we went over this already. Call me Bruce."

"You sure you're not mad, Bruce?" Alice looked up at him with a slight smile.

"Positive. C'mon, show me what else you can do." He opened his arms to gesture her to go on.

"Uh, okay. Hold on." She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before looking straight at Bruce and putting her hands in front of herself. Nothing happened for a few moments in the silence of the lab.

Bruce was about to ask her if she was alright when his feet were no longer touching the ground. He looked around as he got a couple inches off the floor and started to panic. His heart rate spiked as he got higher and he looked to Alice in slight fear. She immediately understood and set him down gently before levitating a bottle of water quickly into her hand for Bruce.

"Sorry! I'm really so sorry. I didn't think that one through. I should've just made your glasses float or something. Are you okay?" Alice fretted over him and put her hands on both his shoulders. Bruce met her brown eyes with his own and smiled slightly.

"It's alright, Ally. Let's just focus on keeping both my feet on the floor, alright?" Bruce chuckled and took a sip of the water before standing back up. "Alright, I'm gonna get back to work now. Maybe you could show me more later." He finished, feeling slightly unnerved and uncomfortable.

Just as Bruce turned back to do his work, four guards walked by the lab windows drawing the two's attention inside. As they watched, a figure in dark green and black clothing walked with his hands cuffed past the window followed by six more guards. He looked through the window straight to Bruce, a mischievous grin grew on his face as he went by. His gaze then landed on Alice and he lifted one eyebrow to show his interest in the woman. He winked just before he walked out of sight, leaving Bruce rubbing his eyes and Alice feeling very uncomfortable.