Chapter Four
The next day Tony and Bruce arrived at the headquarters, Tony didn't want to keep taking Bruce there but Pepper was going to the meeting that he was missing and everyone else he trusted to keep an eye on Bruce where based at the headquarters that day.
"What book did you bring?" asked Tony was he parked the car. Pepper had got a few books and toys for Bruce the day before. Pepper seem to foresee Bruce would need some form of entertainment and sometime to do to keep him out of trouble for a short amount of time.
"One about dinosaurs…." Said Bruce at once
"What's your favourite dinosaur?" asked Tony, already thinking about how to tease Bruce about his dinosaur obsession.
"A tyrannosaur Rex." Said Bruce at once
Tony thought that was interesting and wonder if this had some psychology links to the Hulk. It would be an interesting theory to discuss when Bruce got back to the right age. "What's the one called with all the horns on the head?" asked Tony
"Trycicotops"
"And the one with the really long neck like a giraffe…"
"Bonacoursaur…."
Tony nodded his head and turn around in his seat, "Okay, once we get to headquarters we need a few rules…" Bruce didn't say anything and just watch Tony carefully "You are only allowed to leave the headquarter with me alright – and if that plan change I will tell you alright." Bruce nodded his head. "And I want you to stay where someone knows where you are….someone you know… so me, Natasha, Mr Fury…"
"What about Mr Captain American?"
"Him too and Clint you remember him?" Bruce nodded his head "And Thor as well…. But you only leaving with me alright, no matter what anyone else say – you are only leaving with me."
"Okay Tony," took a moment for Tony to realise that Bruce didn't call him Mr Tony. Tony took this as a good sign. it seem to take time but Bruce seemed to be slowly trusting him.
They walked into the headquarters "We got to have a meeting," announced Thor at they walked down on of the corridors. "They are things that need to discuss in detail…"
Tony nodded his head and he lend Bruce to one of the small unused officers nearby. "Okay, you got your book?" Bruce nodded his head "And you got some of the Lego Pepper got as well?" Bruce nodded his head again. "You got some food and water?" Bruce nodded again. "And do you know where the bathroom is?" Again another nodded. "Okay, we may be a while – meeting sometimes take a long time – but when we are done. Someone will come to get you for some lunch, and then we make a new plan alright…." Bruce nodded his head with a serious look in his eyes.
"Okay kid, see you soon."
…
The avengers all sat around a desk for a moment in silent. "So, we got some of the arms dealers that escape and they are after the weapon... we need to get Bruce back to normal." Said Steve stated one of the many problems they were now facing.
"So they might attack headquarters," said Natasha sharply "Then Bruce cannot be here – if that happens. We can't risk a code green."
"If he has too stay away from here – Fury wants one of us with him at all times…" said Tony at once
"We take it in turns to watch him then," said Clint simply "How long do you think it will take to reverse this and we can destroy this weapon…."
"How long is a piece of string?" said Tony annoyed. The others seem to think this problem was a simple fix when it wasn't simple at all. They were already one member down - two if they count whoever was looking after Bruce. And this weapon was more Bruce's area of know-how not his.
Thor looked around the table "I can see a problem we may have," Thor make sure everyone was listening "if they attack here do we destroy the weapon before we can cure Banner,"
Tony rubbed his head – this thought hadn't even enter his mind "We'll got to get him back….this isn't even a choice."
"It might be – can we risk the weapon getting into the wrong hands?" asked Thor "What's the bigger risk a child Hulk running about or the weapon used to…. Make people disappear….."
"He's got a point," said Natasha with a tone of retreat in her voice "I don't like it say it – but it may be a choice we have to make…."
"Shit," said Tony shaking his head. "Well, I've better get started trying to undo all this…. But one of you will have to watch the kid."
"Me and Clint have undercover work to do," said Natasha
"Oaky that mean you two are looking after him," said Tony looking at Steve and Thor "Don't you dare lose him….."
They carry on making plans and giving their updates after that. Then they all got up to do their own jobs for the day. Steve and Thor both agree to keep an eye on Bruce that afternoon and Tony led them to the unused office, where Bruce was sitting crossed legged on the chair looking at his dinosaur book.
"Hey," said Steve "Let's get out of here and grab some lunch….?"
Bruce looked at Tony at once "You said I can only levee with you…."
Trust Bruce to follow the rules to the book - it was probably a good thing, "I said you only leave with me unless I tell you otherwise and Captain American and Thor are fun people to hang out with. And I will see you back at the apartment when I am finished…."
"But you are superheroes…don't you have superhero jobs to do?" asked Bruce looking at Steve and Thor with a sight frown.
"We have finish our work for the day," said Steve quickly "Though you wouldn't want to be stuck at headquarter…."
"I don't mind," said Bruce sounding older than six years old
"You will mind if you in another hour or so with no much to do…" said Steve
"I've got my book," said Bruce at once lifting up his book to show them "And I do a lot of thinking – I can think for a very long time."
Tony was trying not to laugh – something told him that Steve and Thor would find coping with the kid a challenge. "See you later Bruce…" he said before walking out of the room with amusement.
"You need to have some fun," decided Thor "What do human child do for fun around here anyway?"
Bruce shrugged "I do not know. I'm not from around here…."
Steve thought of a moment. "Well, do you like going to the park? Or do you play any sports? You do well riding the bike yesurday…."
"I ride my bike to school every day," said Bruce
"Do you play any sports?"
"No," said Bruce shook his head
Steve paused for a moment "Well, how about we try one? Baseball? Football?"
"I'm not a jock…."
Thor started to roar with laughter so much so he couldn't speck "So, what games do you play?" asked Steve
Bruce looked thoughtful for an moment "At school or at home?" he asked carefully
"School," said Steve thinking that if he knew what games he played with other children might make it easily to know what to do with the young boy.
Bruce paused for a moment "I play tag – but I don't think I like it that much. But the other kids do, but me and Jamie something looks for bugs and spiders…but adult don't like doing that...adult just get annoyed…"
"Why, that sounds more fun than playing that baseball rubbish." Said Thor "I used to look for bugs when I was an child….huge buzzing things with big teeth…"
"I always wanted to do that," said Steve having growth up in New York looking for bugs wasn't something he had a change to do "We can go the park and try to find some…"
"I've never seen adults looking for bugs"
"You can't know many fun adults" joked Thor. Bruce didn't answer.
…
The rain had stopped them from looking for bugs but the trip to the local museum seem to be the next best option.
"Doesn't look like they got dinosaurs," comment Steve looking at the information leaflet.
"That's alright," said Bruce looking around with great interested.
Thor didn't find the museum, interesting at all – and he couldn't see how a child would find this interesting. "I've have to get out of this place," said Thor to Steve. Steve had expect this, so wasn't surprised.
"Has he gone to work?" asked Bruce as Thor walked away
"Thor doesn't like museum that much," explained Steve "I'm surprised he lasted this long…"
Bruce and Steve spend the rest of the afternoon looking at different displays and Steve struggle to answer some of Bruce's questions about the object they saw. But Steve was able to talk in great detail about World War 2 and answer much of the questions Bruce had about that period of time.
Steve brought Bruce back to Tony's apartment later that afternoon. "How was your afternoon?" asked Pepper
"He has definitely got a sharp mind," said Steve "He's definably a unique kid…."
"That's one word for it," said Pepper "Sometimes it hard to remember he's only six years old by how his acts…."
"Hopefully it won't be for long," said Steve