I've got a poll up and would really appreciate some votes on it. Thanks!:)
"Hello, Agent Coulson," Dr. Bruce Banner picked up the phone as he worked in his lab in Stark Tower later that afternoon and spoke calmly to the man that up until a few days ago he hadn't known was even still alive. "I confess, I've been expecting your call."
Startled by that, Coulson almost yelped out the word that he asked – "How?"
Bruce smirked as he took his screwdriver back in hand. "I have been living with Tony and Pepper since the Battle of Manhattan. Do you really think that I'm not going to be suspicious when they suddenly announce that they have to go somewhere with Maria, but they can't tell me where? And do you really think that if I were to ask Tony for some information that he wouldn't tell me everything he knew? You know him better than that, Coulson."
"You're angry with me, too?" Coulson said with a sigh.
"I'm always angry… but sometimes more than others, yes."
"So… did Stark tell you we're trying to rebuild SHIELD?"
"And that he was going to lobby for me being recruited."
A pause and then Coulson asked, "Are you willing to give it a shot… in an underground base?"
"Put me on the housing level nearest the sky and I'll try it on for size."
"And what if your size were to miraculously… change?" Coulson asked with a thread of discomfort in his voice.
"Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Bruce answered with confidence that he was kind of startled to actually feel. "I honestly do have more control over my friend that what you probably think I do."
"Alright then. We could use you in the labs here and Stark's being an a** without you down there to help him. Are you sure that this is a good idea, though?"
"I'll be fine, Coulson," Bruce repeated with a sigh.
"Well, in that case, do you mind if I have a couple people fly Stark's jet back to his place to pick you up tomorrow morning?"
"Sounds great," Bruce answered with a small smile, surprised to realize that he was a little excited at the idea of getting the components of his favorite "time bomb" back under the same roof.
This was definitely going to be the most interesting thing that he had ever done – or at least among the top five.
"Guess what I did yesterday?" Tony demanded once he and Bruce were settled in the passenger area of Stark's jet.
"Cured world hunger," Bruce drawled.
"No!" Tony pouted. "You're not even trying; no fair. I got into the new base, met everybody, and made a kid a text-to-speech device from scratch – it's a long story; I'll tell you in a minute – and then I convinced that same kid to admit his feelings for her to his partner!" He was like an overly excited, spoiled little kid – which Tony kind of was – when he asked, "Aren't I awesome?"
"Absolutely indescribable."
Tony either didn't catch or simply ignored Bruce's continued sarcasm as he said, "And you and I are going to be living on the same level of the base – the top level – with Pepper, just like old times."
"Tony," Bruce pointed out. "'Old times' were just three days ago."
"I know, but it feels like so much longer for some reason. I missed you, bro," Tony admitted. "Everybody's super excited to get you back with us."
Bruce smiled as he admitted, "I'm really glad to be back, Tony."
"Speaking of super! They brought in the Winter Soldier with Cap… and Legolas and Spidey! Have you heard about them yet?"
"No, Tony," Bruce answered, his smile sliding into a tolerant one as he let his best friend bombard him with all the news needed to catch him up to speed.
In times like these, having people around actually did a strangely good job of calming his nerves, and he was glad he had agreed to once again begin working with all his friends.
"Is there any way," Melinda came into Phil's bedroom and asked him later that evening. "To get Thor away from his lady friend long enough to make him willing to join up with us?"
"Who, Dr. Foster?" Phil asked. "I've been thinking about that whole situation, and I'm really not sure. Honestly, I'm really not sure that we'd have to separate the two of them."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that Dr. Foster is an astrophysicist; she's got to be worth something in the labs, right? We know that having Thor would be a huge asset, so why not call him up in London and see if he's game for moving in with us without Jane, and if he's not, we can offer to take her too?"
Melinda thought this over for a minute and then shrugged before saying, "It's worth a shot."
"I know; that's why I suggested it."
Melinda rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at him from off his bed before she turned to go back to her own room for the night.
"I love you, sweetheart," he called softly after her, so that just she could hear.
"Love you too, boss man."
"Hey, I like that title! You should use it more often."
She turned around just long enough to roll her eyes in good humor one more time at his smiling face and then shut the door with a firm thud as she left. Phil just laughed as he fell into his bed.
Thor was still not one hundred percent used to some basic technology of the Midgardian realm, and so it was with some awkwardness that he spoke into Jane's landline phone the next morning, not turning down Coulson's offer, but not immediately excepting it either when he said, "I am afraid I do have others that I must hold in higher concern than even the Avengers."
"We are aware of that," Coulson answered. "Which is why we'd like to extend the offer to Dr. Foster as well - and anyone that the two of you would like to clear with me as also being a useful asset to SHIELD is welcome to come as well, for that matter."
Thor's eyes instantly darted toward the breakfast table and the three occupants there besides his Jane - Dr. Selvig, Darcy, and Ian.
"I believe I know of a few, yes," Thor agreed. "Let me discuss it with my friends today and then I shall contact you again at this time tomorrow morning with their thoughts on the matter. Is that satisfactory to you?"
"Sure, why not," Coulson agreed. "I'll look forward to your call."
