CHAPTER 2: Meeting Up

Bruce walked into Betty's room to a big surprise. Sitting there by her bedside was another girl with wavy brown hair and w silky blue knee length dress. She was pretty and thin and handing Betty another box of tissues. He recognized her face but didn't remember her name.

"Oh hi! You must be Bruce. Betty's told me a lot about you." the girl greeted.

Bruce slid his backpack off his shoulder and set it next to Betty's dresser.

"Hi. I'm sorry but who are you?" he asked politely.

Betty sat up against her headrest. Her dark hair was in a messy bun and her gray shirt was stained with sweat around the collar.

"Hi, Brucie. This is my new lab partner, Jane." she said with a sniffle.

"Betty here is a dream come true when it comes to partners. I heard she was sick so I came by to give her some notes from class today. We got to talking and now, here I am helping her get better." said Jane.

Bruce smiled warmly as he made his way over to Betty's bed.

"Are you trying to replace me, Betty?" he joked, giving her a small kiss on the forehead.

Betty groaned but smiled back at him.

"Oh Bruce, how could I ever replace you?"

"Well, I got you Professor Selvig's assignment. You feeling any better?"

Betty shook her head and slumped further against the headrest, doing her best to keep her smile.

"My fever's gone down some, but I still feel like crap. Hopefully I'll be alright by tomorrow or Sunday. There's a lot of work to get done." she replied, following with a few small coughs into her fist.

Jane stood up from her crouching position and faced Bruce.

"So Bruce, Thor told me he invited you to the party tonight." she said.

"Thor?" Bruce asked, then something clicked in his head when he got a closer look at Jane.

"Oh! That's right! You're Jane Foster." he said.

Jane playfully curtsied to him and giggled.

"Yup. Thor's my beau. He told me a little earlier that he invited you to Tony's costume party tonight. I'm not going but Thor would like to see you there if you're interested."

Bruce looked at Betty, who even while sweating and coughing and with a cold was still the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Betty saw his expression and waved her hand 'no'.

"Bruce, it's alright if you want to go, ya know. I know you've grown to like Thor and when was the last time you were invited to a party?"

"Ten years ago when you turned seven." Bruce replied.

They both smiled fondly at the memory. It was the first time they met.

"I'll admit I'm curious about going to a Stark party, but I'm unsure about going without you." Bruce admitted.

Betty chuckled briefly before coughing again.

"Bruce you're too good to me." she said, closing her eyes and massaging her temples.

"It's okay, Bruce," Jane said, "I'm not going to lie. Stark might get a little crazy, but Thor will be there to keep an eye on things. So will Steve Rogers. You know, class president Steve Rogers?"

Bruce nodded his head. Jane definitely had a point.

"You sure you'll be okay without me, Betty?" he asked.

Betty nodded and reached for her glass of water on her nightstand.

"I'll survive, Brucie. You know I love you but I'm sick as a dog and you clearly need to take your mind off things and have fun."

Bruce let out a breath. He still wasn't one-hundred percent sure about going to Stark's party, but Betty was right. With senior year already in it's second semester, Bruce's mind was fully occupied on a daily basis. He knew he was smart, but it was in him to always study more. Always work more. Earn extra credit. Take every practice exam possible. Memorize a text book cover to cover. Go over which universities he was interested in. Spend time with Betty. Repeat. He grinned at Jane. Slowly, he uttered,

"Tell Thor,...I'll go."

Jane smiled widely as she immediately grabbed her cell from her pocket. Stark Phone. Of course. She was in Tony's circle with her boyfriend. Bruce gave Betty another light kiss on the forehead before heading out. He didn't have a ton of time but he knew which costume he could throw together.

"Don't worry. I'll be here to watch over my new friend while you go have fun with your new friend." said Jane, sliding Betty's glass closer to her hand.

"I love you, Brucie." Betty croaked.

It broke Bruce's heart to see his sweetheart this way, but he could tell Betty meant what she said. Jane was a nice girl. She would be fine.

"I love you, Betty Boo."

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If she saw anyone else standing on the edge of a two story roof staring blankly out to the horizon, Natasha would've been very concerned. But it wasn't anyone else. It was Clint, her partner in crime for the past four years. She knew that with Clint's past training and muscle memory, he could balance himself on the edge of a skyscraper doing a handstand for hours if he wanted to. His storm colored eyes scanned the neighborhood. His razor sharp eyesight saw everything in detail in his line of sight, and Natasha felt good knowing that she was one of the few people he didn't need to distance himself from to see.

"You going to get ready, Clint?" she asked.

After talking with Steve at the coffee shop, Clint and Natasha stayed there for another hour or so in comfortable silence. Natasha filed at her nails after she finished her coffee and Clint munched on nearly a dozen muffins. Clint's appetite always amused Natasha. Some days he would eat nothing more than a turkey sandwich and some almonds. Other days he would eat an entire pizza and ask for her leftovers. Steve had intrigued them, and somehow his charm won them over. However, Natasha wasn't completely sold that going to Tony Stark's party was a good idea. Steve was a nice guy, but she was sure that something could and would go wrong. She and Clint didn't have to look at Tony for more than ten seconds before coming to the conclusion that he was nothing more than a conceited, spoiled brat. One who just happened to be smarter than your average millionaire. Why good natured folk like Steve and Pepper Potts hung out with him was beyond her. But, Clint was convinced, and that was all she needed. She figured if she was going to go to the birthday celebration of an over the top teenage millionaire, then she might as well go with Clint and try and have fun. He turned around and smiled at her, and it made her heart melt. Few people got to see this side of Clint and she considered herself lucky.

"Nat can I ask you a question?" he asked.

Natasha put her hands on her hips.

"Would it even matter if I said no?" she joked.

Clint chuckled before he continued.

"Am I the only reason you're going to this party?"

Natasha's smile vanished, replaced by a frown as she looked down at her shoes. Damn. Clint really did know her too well.

"Maybe," she said, knowing it was childish to play coy when he already knew.

"but it's not like that's mattered much in the past with us. Why now? Why did you even agree to go to the party?"

Clint crossed his arms and looked straight at her.

"Something about what Steve said." he said.

Natasha looked back up, her green eyes at level with his.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely skeptical about going to Tony's party. The guy's a class A prick no doubt. However, when you asked why would we of all people be at a party like that, Steve said 'why not'. And he meant it. I don't know. For some reason it just struck something inside me."

Natasha gave a closed mouth smile as she took a few steps and closed the distance between them.

"Clint, you know on one hand I can count how many people I like. Steve Rogers may be Wonder Boy or whatever, but you know how I am and how I can get. I trust you and your judgment so yes, you're the only reason I'm going. I'll try and enjoy myself, but I make no promises."

Clint gave Natasha a quick peck on the lips.

"Nat, it's just a party. I know full well how you are but something about Steve assures me we'll be fine. Speaking of Steve, you're right. Lets get our outfits ready. We gotta meet him at his house soon."

Clint spun away from her and grinned as he performed a perfect backflip off the roof and onto the lawn of her backyard two stories below. Natasha smiled and shook her head. They'd known each other for years now and he still felt the urge to show off for her now and then. She shrugged and followed with a flip of her own.

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Some time later after Thor went home and fed his cat Mjolnir, he showered, took a short nap and woke up just in time to receive two messages on his phone. One from Steve and one from Jane. Steve's was simply a reminder to come to his house before they went to Tony's. As he placed his costume in his overnight bag, Thor smiled when he saw his text from Jane. Just met Bruce while at Betty's house. He said he'll go. He seemed nervous though so please just watch out for him. He nodded to no one. He was given a task, and he would make sure he accomplished it. No worries, Jane. We shall have a most exciting time. I will see you when it is over. His response said. Excited and filled with joy as he went outside to his car, he went to his contacts and dialed Bruce's number. He remembered the gentle young man gave it to him in case he had any extra questions about his project. The phone rang three times before Bruce picked up.

"Hello?"

"Friend Bruce! It is I, Thor."

He heard Bruce chuckle on the other end.

"Hi, Thor. Jane tell you I was going?"

"Aye, new friend. I am calling to ask if you would join me."

"With what?" Bruce asked cautiously.

"I have gathered my costume and I am going to Steve's house before we head to Tony's celebration together. Would you care to join me?"

"Steve? Steve Rogers?"

"Indeed."

Bruce went quiet for a few seconds, leaving Thor concerned. He was being nothing but open and friendly with the green wearing science lover. Why was he still being hesitant when it came to talking with him?

"Okay,...yeah, why not? I'm gonna need a ride though if you don't mind."

"It would be my pleasure, Bruce. I am entering my car as we speak. Where are you now?"

"Oh I'm home."

"Most excellent. Text me your address and I shall be there soon."

Bruce let out a nervous laugh, a habit Thor noticed his new acquaintance did a lot.

"Alright, Thor. I'll see you in a bit."

"Aye!"

Thor ended the call and started the engine of his silver colored vehicle. Bruce texted him his address almost immediately, and Thor's Stark Phone instantly gave him the fastest route to Bruce's house. Thor shook his head as he brought his car to life and went on his way. The technological marvels of Tony Stark and the rest of America would never cease to amaze him. Like Steve, he used basic functional tech back in Asgardia. The things that people could do with these devices, and everyone acted like it was no big deal. Tony found it amusing how Thor was fascinated by a "meager" Stark Phone. According to him it was a model from last year and basically worthless at this point. Thor begged to differ, promising to cherish his gift from Tony. He arrived in front of Bruce's house in seven minutes and saw the short young man sitting on his front porch with a gray plastic bag next to his shoes. Thor honked his horn twice, signaling that it was he who arrived in front of Bruce's residence. He saw Bruce smile as he grabbed his bag and walk to the passenger side.

"Hi, Thor. Nice ride." he complimented, gently tossing his bag in the backseat.

"Thank you, Bruce." Thor replied.

Thor put his foot on the gas and started driving the car to Steve's house. Bruce smiled warmly at Thor, but the boy kept quiet for most of the car ride. Thor didn't do well with long silences, so he broke it first.

"So, friend Bruce, what shall you be going as this evening?"

Bruce scratched his nose and said,

"Freddy Kruger."

Thor looked at him puzzled. The name sounded familiar, but he still had a lot of catching up to do with popular American cinema. Like, a lot.

"You know, from the Nightmare on Elm Street movies?" Bruce asked when he saw Thor's expression.

"Oh. Is that the film series with the man in a strange mask who stalks babysitters with a knife?"

Bruce laughed lightly as he shook his head no.

"Wrong franchise, big guy. That's Michael Myers in Halloween. Nightmare on Elm Street has Freddy Kruger, the guy with razor fingers who kills teenagers in their dreams."

Thor frowned slightly at the description.

"I see. I remember being quite disturbed at the film during one of Tony's movie nights."

Bruce laughed again, this time harder. Thor was a little embarrassed, but it was nice seeing Bruce let go a little.

"If Nightmare on Elm Street scares you then I'm afraid you've seen nothing yet with American horror movies."

Thor suppressed a shudder. He wasn't looking forward to experiencing more of that anytime soon.

"What are you going as, Thor?" Bruce asked.

Thor's winning smile returned, happy the subject of scary movies was past.

"It was not my idea, but Tony suggested it and everyone else agreed with such enthusiasm that I could not resist."

Bruce's eyebrows arched out of curiosity.

"Oh really? Who is it?"

"New friend, I shall be going as Hercules!"

Bruce went into another fit of loud laughter, clapping and snorting as well.

"Oh my god! Thor that is the perfect costume for you!"

Thor's booming, throaty laughter accompanied Bruce's own.

"That is exactly what Steve, Jane and father said!"

Steve's house came into view as their laughter calmed down.

"Here we are, the Rogers residence." said Thor, parking in the drive way next to Steve's red convertible.

Thor and Bruce grabbed their bags out of the back of the car and began walking toward the front door when another purple car blasting hard rock music pulled up behind Thor's. Thor and Bruce turned around to see a familiar pair step out of the car. One a curvy redhead girl licking a cherry flavored sucker and the other an edgy blond boy with purple shades. Both of them had large bags of their own.

"I see we're not the only ones here to meet Steve. You know those two?" Bruce asked Thor quietly.

Thor shook his head.

"They seem familiar but I do not know them." he replied.

The redhead and the boy with purple shades strolled up to them, looking them over with curiosity.

"More of Steve's friends I take it?" the boy asked.

Thor felt Bruce shift behind him, the boy's shyness seeping back. Thor however was unphased. He enjoyed seeing new people.

"Why yes. I'm-"

"Thor Odinson. We know who you are." the redhead interrupted.

She gave her sucker another lick, smiling coyly at them.

"I am sorry. I am not able to say the same. Who are you if I may ask?" Thor asked casually.

"I'm Clint. This is Natasha." said the blonde, lifting his shades.

Thor flashed his bright white teeth at them.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance!" he said, roughly shaking hands with Clint and bowing slightly to Natasha.

"Yeahhh, same I guess." Clint replied with uncertainty.

He looked over to Bruce who had yet to say anything.

"Who are you?" he asked, a little more harsh than he meant.

"I'm um, B-Bruce. Bruce Banner." the curly haired brunette answered.

Natasha smirked at him, her eyes the same shade as Bruce's button up shirt. The four of them walked together up the driveway to the door.

"Pardon me for asking but, why do you two seem familiar? I do not recall sharing any classes with you." Thor questioned.

Natasha shrugged.

"People talk about us." she said plainly.

"Everyone with a y chromosome has unsucessfully put the moves on Nat, and I've been in a few fights." Clint added, his tone just as casual.

Not wanting to open that can of worms, Thor and Bruce decided not to question them anymore on that subject. Thor knocked and Steve was there almost immediately. His ear to ear smile made an appearance when he saw the four of them together on his doorstep.

"Hey, guys! Come in, come in!"

Steve's home was warm and welcoming, just like the young man who lived there. The smell of pumpkin and cinnamon candles permeated the air and tasteful kick-knacks decorated the various tables and stands throughout the house. Surprising no one, there was an American flag posted above the fireplace in the living room. Most of the furniture were varied shades of red, white, or blue, and Steve's wardrobe was no different. Whether or not that was intentional was anybody's guess.

"Thor, always good to see you. Clint. Natasha. Glad you could make it." Steve greeted as he set out chairs for his guests to sit in in the living room.

Suddenly Steve looked to Thor's side and saw Bruce.

"This is Bruce I presume?" he asked.

"Uh yeah. Hi, Steve. I voted for you."

Steve gave Bruce's clammy hand a firm shake, his smile unfaltered.

"Nice to know. You guys go ahead and make yourselves comfortable and get dressed and what not. I'm gonna go upstairs and do the same."

Steve practically bounced his way out of the living room and up the stairs two at a time.

"Zany little bastard, isn't he?" Clint panned, earning him a sharp elbow to the ribs from Natasha.

"Steve's downstairs bathroom is that way." Thor informed, noticing Natasha's obvious discomfort in dressing in front of three other males.

Natasha gave Thor a knowing nod and went down the hallway. Bruce went to the corner of the living room behind one of the tall chairs, Clint in the middle of the room and Thor in the kitchen.

Five minutes later, Thor came back to the living room, fully dressed in his Hercules costume. His hair was gathered behind him in a rolled up ponytail, his biceps showing in all their glory from his brown sleeveless tunic. His brown kilt and leather sandles were accompanied with a fake sword tied around his waste and his black arm guards rested comfortably on his forearms.

"I am ready, my friends!" he announced, proud of his homemade creation.

"Jesus, Thor. You sure this isn't how you normally dress outside of school?" Clint joked.

Thor simply grinned, basking in the admiration he knew he would receive.

"I'm with Clint on that one. It just fits you, ya know?" Bruce chimed from the chair he was sitting in.

Bruce looked slightly less uncomfortable around Clint now that he was in costume. He didn't have time to paint any burn marks on his face, but the rest of his outfit was set. Brown fedora, red and green striped sweater, and brown glove on his right hand with fake blades on the fingers. Thor gulped at the sight. The Nightmare man was still fresh in his memory. Then his eyes went to Clint and he frowned.

"What are you supposed to be, Clint?" he asked.

Clint was dressed in a purple Hawaiian floral printed shirt, low hanging green swimming trunks, purple flip flops, and his neck sported two pukka shell necklaces. He was wearing a wig of bright blonde hair that went down to his shoulder blades, a backwards baseball cap, and his shirt was open in the middle, revealing his surprisingly sculpted navel.

"You can't tell? I'm a surfer dude." Clint replied, putting on his best California beach goer accent.

Thor and Bruce snickered loudly at him. It sounded terrible.

"You guys look great!" they heard Steve call from atop the stairs, who with his black haired wig and long red cape they instantly recognized as Superman.

"Ha! You and Thor are unsurprising, really." said Clint with a grin.

Steve shrugged it off as he came downstairs and joined them in the living room. Thor looked around and suddenly it him,

"Where is Natasha?" he asked, looking at Clint who shrugged.

"Right here." they heard her say from the hallway.

Thor, Steve, Clint and Bruce turned their heads and in that moment, all of their jaws dropped. Natasha stood there, donning a strapless blood red grown that hugged her body and accentuated her already ever present curves. She wore elbow length purple gloves, purple heels, and had her hair so that much of it covered the left side of her face while the rest spilled down her back.

"Somehow I knew that's what you were going for, Nat." said Clint.

"Is..is she uh, uhhh, uhhhhhhh,..." Bruce mumbled, but the sight of Natasha made him lost for words.

"Jessica Rabbit." Steve finished for him, clearing his throat and tugging on his collar.

"Natasha, I must say you look rather incredible Thor complimented.

He had to admit she looked pretty damn desirable, but it was in him to always respect women, and he decided to look away at something else to keep from staring at her. Though it was very tempting, and the way Natasha was posing with her hand on her hip and grinning wasn't helping at all.

A/N: I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Tony's party will be next. Do you have a favorite moment or character?