Chapter 22: Seeing Red

The next morning,...

Thor scrunched up his nose. The smell of peppermint alerted him to the presence of his younger brother before the younger Odinson entered his room without permission. Thor ran a hand through his thick blond locks and sighed. It was early in the morning. He'd barely finished getting dressed and no doubt Loki was already about to ruffle his feathers.

"What is it, Loki?" asked Thor tiredly.

"Two things, Thor. One, the dining area smells rather awful. You must change your wretched feline's litter box."

Thor balled up his fists. Changing the litter box he didn't mind, but Thor loved his cat Mjlonir. How dare Loki called him wretched?!

"And the second thing?" Thor asked as calmly as he could.

The older Odinson turned his head and widened his eyes. In Loki's hands was Thor's box of strawberry Poptarts. His last box of strawberry Poptarts. Loki was munching on one of the pastries unenthusiastically.

"You are going to need another box of Poptarts. These are disgusting by the way."

Loki then threw the box in the trash and left the room as if nothing happened. Thor grit his teeth and turned red in the face. The sheer level of disrespect from Loki was growing each day, and Thor wasn't sure how much more he could take. How much more he would take. He wanted to kick something. He wanted to punch something. To swear. To yell. To,-

"Firstborn! To my quarters!" commanded the loud and unmistakable voice of his father.

Thor groaned in frustration. Odin Alfathar was summoning him. His father rarely ever summoned him. Not that Odin was neglectful or anything, but most of the time he tended to speak with Thor only when necessary, and even then it would only be a 50/50 chance they discussed anything at all. Thor was still offended that the decision of his family coming back from Asgardia was made without him. He wondered what Odin wanted. He had to want something. Thor took a breath as he crossed over to his father's wing of the house. There was a chance Loki said something deceitful to get Thor in trouble. The sort of thing had happened in the past. Thor walked through the double doors of his parents' bedroom, a tastefully decorated marvel that managed to look even bigger than Tony's bedroom at the Stark Mansion. His mother Frigga was sitting on the California King bed smiling warmly at him. Odin was standing with his arms crossed, his hardened aged face staring at Thor with something of a permanent frown. To this day Thor sometimes couldn't tell whether or not Odin was pleased with his facial expressions alone. This of course bothered Thor but his mother was smiling so he was pretty sure whatever this talk was wasn't going to be negative. Thor smiled as well, casually leaning against the doorway.

"Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother. What do you wish to speak with me about?" he asked politely.

"Good morning, Thor. You have been so preoccupied, it is good to see you." said Frigga.

Thor continued to smile but a sliver of guilt stabbed into his heart.

Two entire years without her presence. Mother has been back less than a week and I have not spent much quality time with her. I shall make this up to her when I can!

"It is good to see you as well, Mother."

Odin cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Son I shall be forward with this; I realize that your activities at school and the added task of watching your brother have been much for you, but you are an Odinson. I have faith that you are handling well."

Thor nodded and bowed.

"I am, Father. Your blood flows strong within me."

"As well it should! Now, I have summoned you here because I have an additional task for you."

Thor looked at his father inquisitively. He was always up for a challenge, but his father was right. Between maintaining his GPA, doing all of his work on time, working out at the gym, his position on the football team, spending time with Jane, spending time with the Circle, and trying to keep Loki out of trouble, Thor Odinson certainly had a full plate.

"What is the task, Father? I am sure I am capable." he asked.

Odin cleared his throat again and clasped his hands together.

"The Udaku family, son."

Thor's eyebrows shot up his forehead. He had heard of the Udaku family. They were an extremely wealthy family from a country in Africa called Wakanda. Their company Black Panther gave even Stark Industries a run for their money. Thor didn't know many personal details about the family but he knew they had one son who Tony Stark used to know a little back in the day.

"I am familiar with the name. What do you require of me?" asked Thor.

"The Udakus are on an extended visit here in America. They are here on business for the majority of their stay and I have matters to conduct with them. However, I have assigned you as a chaperone of sorts for their son T'Challa." Odin explained.

Thor continued to stand there, uncertain how to feel. He was always up for meeting new people, but essentially his father just set him up on a play date. Thor preferred to meet people more naturally. Not set up or arranged while the adults got to talk business. Thor had never met T'Challa before. What made Odin so sure they would get along from the get-go?

"Might I ask why, Father?" asked the muscular blond.

"This will be T'Challa's first visit to America in quite some time and his parents would feel at ease if you were to give him your company." said Frigga.

"Considering most of your other comrades, it is high time you spent your day with someone of the same caliber as you. I deem it a wise decision. You have grown into a fine, responsible young man. I trust you with this task." Odin added.

Thor nodded and bowed to his father. He wasn't crazy about another decision being made without his input or the fact that his friends weren't deemed the same caliber as he. But, the fact that his father trusted him this much more than made up for it. Thor always jumped at an opportunity to make Odin proud ever since he left his days as a brash arrogant fool behind him.

"I will not let you down, Father. When will this T'Challa arrive?"

"The Udakus arrived in town two nights ago. T'Challa himself shall be here any minute now. If you would be so gracious as to greet him at the door. I believe he looks forward to meeting you."

"I shall, Father. It is time for me to make my leave. Farewell for now."

Thor turned around to leave when the voice of his mother stopped him.

"By the way Thor, what of Loki? Has he been...adjusting well since our arrival?" she asked.

Thor closed his eyes and sighed hard. What could he say? Loki almost killed his friends, has an agenda against him and continues to be disrespectful as though their two years apart meant nothing?

No. I cannot tell her these things. At least not right away. I must find a way to deal with Loki on my own.

"Loki is...adjusting well, Mother. Some time is needed until we are on fully good terms with each other but...the potential is there." he said.

Technically Thor didn't lie, but guilt still stabbed itself in his stomach. He couldn't stand deception, and there was only so many times he would be able to tell half-truths to his parents while Loki was still acting like an asshole. Frigga smiled warmly and gestured for him to go. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead as he made his way back to the main wing of the house. He hoped she believed him.

When Thor walked into the living room, Loki was already grabbing his backpack and car keys off the kitchen counter.

"There is someone at the door for you. I do not know who it is." said the raven haired teen.

Thor pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And you did not let them in?" he grumbled.

"Oh hush, brother. He has only been there a mere minute."

Loki then rolled his eyes and walked out of said front door. Thor followed him, greeted by his special guess. None other than T'Challa Udaku, a handsome, strong faced African sixteen year old with short thick hair, coffee bean brown skin, and amber colored eyes. He wore khaki pants, black tennis shoes, and a black polo shirt with his family's panther shaped symbol on the chest.

"Good morning. Thor Odinson I presume?" T'Challa asked, his Kenyan like accent clear and understandable.

Thor smiled and stuck out his hand.

"Aye, new acquaintance. The Black Panther is a rather fine brand. It is an honor to meet an Udaku."

T'Challa shook his hand firmly.

"And it is a pleasure to be in the presence of an Odinson. I look forward to my time with you."

Thor patted his shoulder and led him to his Altima. He noticed Loki rolling his eyes at them as the younger Odinson entered his green Cadillac and drove off in a hurry. Thor also noticed that Loki wasn't driving in the direction of the school, but he shook his head and shrugged it off. T'Challa was with him, and he wanted to get started on his duty. Who knows. Maybe T'Challa would be a welcome addition to the Circle. Tony might be happy to have a third rich kid around.

"So new friend, you are spending the day with me at school. 'Tis a public school. I hope you will not mind."

T'Challa looked at him confused.

"Public school? I don't understand. You're an Odinson, are you not?"

Thor simply grinned at the African as they got in the car.

"I think you shall be pleasantly surprised, T'Challa. After all, a certain Stark attends there with me."

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

It was still a little while before school, so Natasha ordered herself another latte. She didn't get a ton of sleep last night due to her spat with Brucie Boy, so when daylight broke she went to Groot's the second it opened and sat there at a table for roughly two hours. Natasha spun her spoon in her latte unenthusiastically. It was a strange, early morning for her. Ever since yesterday, her emotions were all over the place for a certain green wearing nerd. Guilt. Anger. Hurt. Confusion. It was all mushed together like an emotional gumbo in her brain. She knew she was probably out of line for saying what she said, but something about Bruce and how he talked to her just brought it out of her. Normally she had absolute control over her mouth, but god dammit Bruce broke through that wall of control. Why? She still didn't even know how she was supposed to feel about him ever since the day of Sam's going away party. It used to be so simple. She enjoyed his company and felt they got along great. Now? Who fucking knew? She was happy that she was apparently the only person to get him to stop wallowing in sadness for a while, but then he ended it so abruptly and without saying why. That's what made her angry. That's what made her go into bitch mode. But that's where the guilt came in. Of all the people in her life, Bruce didn't deserve her bitch mode. Sometimes it was a necessary tool for dealing with people. Clint included, but not Bruce. Natasha sighed, pushing her latte off to the side. Surprisingly, her biggest surprise last night didn't come from Bruce. It was the fact that Natasha didn't go to her partner afterward. Normally if she felt distressed, she would sneak out of the house and snuggle with Clint in his bed. He would whisper sweet nothings to her and talk to her until she fell asleep in his arms. But last night, she didn't. She didn't even call Clint to tell him about what happened.

Why though? Why would I do that? He's my partner. My hawk. Why wouldn't I fo to him for comfort after what went down?

The redhead sighed. If Bruce didn't avoid her today, she would have to apologize. And sooner or later, they were going to have to have a real in depth conversation about their non-relationship, because confusion doesn't work well with Natasha. It never has. She looked at the time on her cellphone. School was going to start in another half hour or so. There were a few students in the place ordering morning coffee or doing some last minute homework on their laptops, but overall it was pretty quiet in there. She sat back in her chair and sipped her cup of joe.

Guess I'll just enjoy this latte in peace before I head down there.

"Excuse me?" asked a male voice she didn't recognize.

Natasha looked down at the table. If it was some guy she didn't know, she didn't care. It was most likely another ignorant student trying to hit on her. Nothing she wasn't used to but also nothing she wanted to deal with at the moment.

"What?" she asked uninterested.

"Do you have any honey you can spare for my tea? My table's out." asked the guy.

Still not looking up, Natasha pointed to the bottle in the middle of her table. She could still feel the guy's presence standing there. Ten seconds went by and he didn't grab the honey.

"Excuse me, miss? Could you spare me some honey?" he asked again.

Natasha sighed and pointed at the bottle again.

"Yeah sure, whatever. It's right there."

"Right where?" asked the guy.

Natasha fought the urge to slap the table. He sounded genuinely confused as to the location of the honey.

"Are you kidding me? It's right there. What are you, blind?"

"Uhhh, yes." he replied awkwardly.

Natasha's eyebrows shot up.

What the hell?

Finally she looked up and indeed, standing in front of her table was the one blind student in all of Marvel High. He was surprisingly well put together, his light stubble and short brown hair trimmed neatly. He wore a pair of red shades over his eyes, a blue button down shirt and brown pants. A red and white cane in one hand, a cup of tea in the other. Natasha immediately regretted her rudeness, standing up and grabbing the bottle of honey.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry. I wasn't looking. I didn't know it was you." she apologized.

The guy chuckled, setting his cane against a chair and accepting the bottle.

"Clearly. Apology accepted though. You sound like you're in a mood." he said lightly, squirting some of the sweet stuff in his cup.

Natasha chuckled as well.

"Yeah. You could say that, uh...I'm sorry. What was your name again?"

"Matthew Murdock. Just call me Matt though." he said with a smile.

Natasha raised her eyebrows. Charming blind man. What were the odds she'd ever meet one?

"Well Matt, sorry again about the rudeness. Didn't got a lot of sleep last night."

Matt nodded, his smile widening a little.

"Seems to be an epidemic with us teenagers. We never go to sleep and we never wake up."

Natasha snorted, sitting back down in her chair.

"Preaching to the choir on that one. I'm Natasha by the way."

"Nice to make your acquaintance."

Matt took a sip of his tea and asked,

"Hey, mind if I sit with you until it's time for school? My only other friend doesn't go here and most people don't really give me the time of day. I can only imagine why."

Matt already sat himself down before Natasha could answer the question. The green eyed redhead just let him, not seeing any harm in it. He was charming enough and the fact that he was blind meant he wouldn't be staring at her like a piece of fresh meat.

Boys. Fucking boys.

"I find that hard to believe." she said.

"What?" asked Matt.

"That most people don't give you the time of day."

Matt scoffed, adjusting his red shades.

"Oh they feel sympathy for me. They look at me with pity. I can't see their faces but I feel their stares. Truth is, I'm still the same Matt I was when I had my vision, but to most other people it's 'aw, poor handicapped guy'."

Even though he couldn't see it, Natasha smirked at him.

"Well then you're in luck, Matt. I've seen you around school a few times. For a guy with no vision you seem to be doing pretty okay for yourself."

Matt smirked back at her.

"Yeah well, mom's dead and my dad is a former boxer. He raised me not to take shit from anyone. Handicapped or otherwise."

Natasha chuckled, amazed at how easy it was for her to converse with this stranger.

"I can respect that. I've taught myself that same value ever since I was little."

Matt licked his teeth and chuckled some more.

"I feel like you wanna ask me something." he said all of a sudden.

Natasha leaned forward, raising a brow at him.

"Did losing your eyes make you psychic?" she whispered.

"Nope. However, I sort of have a sixth sense when it comes to people. I may not be able to see them but I can feel their vibes. I can...read them, if you will." Matt replied.

"Hm. Handy skill. You're right. But that's a different thing. I'm curious to see if you'll...you'll um,..."

Matt's eyebrows arched to her level.

"You wanna see my eyes?" he asked, as though he's herd the question a million times before.

Natasha sighed.

Hope I didn't offend him.

"Yes. Yes I do." she answered.

Matt cleared his throat and pushed his shades further up his nose. Clearly the answer was no, though Natasha could understand why.

"My um, eyes are kind of a sensitive subject to me." he said quietly.

"Oh it's alright. I get it, ya know?"

Natasha then jumped when she felt Matt's smooth hand cover the top of hers.

What the fuck?

The blind brunet then smiled devilishly at her.

"I would be happy to show you though. That is, if you'd be willing to go out on a date with me."

Natasha's heart stopped for a millisecond. Whoa. Did a blind guy just ask her out? After she was initially rude to him? Natasha didn't know whether or not to be upset. Any other guy who approached her would either hit on her inappropriately or try and fool her with bullshit small talk that she could see right through. If it wasn't that, they were talking about her relationship with Clint behind her back and saying awful things about her. This wasn't anywhere near the first time she'd been asked out, but something about this situation felt...odd. Good or bad, she couldn't quite place.

"Why? How do you even know I'm single?"

Matt's grip on her hand tightened a little, which made Natasha feel weird inside.

"You could call it a blind man's intuition. I know you're single, though how I don't know. I can tell by the way you talk. The way you..."

Matt started brushing his fingers around her knuckles. His sensitive, feathery touch got Natasha's skin warming up,

"feel. Even the way you smell. You are so beautiful."

Natasha's eyes widened at those last four words. You are so beautiful. Bruce. Of course. The weird feeling in her gut heightened and she withdrew her hand from Matt's.

"Look Matt, I'm not going to deny that I'm intrigued by you, but there's something you should know about me."

"You've got a boyfriend?" Matt asked, his face dropping in disappointement.

I don't even know how to answer that question myself, not that I'm gonna get into that with you now.

"No," she answered, feeling like she lied even though she didn't know why.

"Truthfully I'm kind of into you but I'm...I'm just not a dating type of girl. And I don't want to be."

Yup. Just go with the excuse you've cooked up for yourself years ago. Although it would be interesting to see exactly what a blind guy does taking a girl out.

Matt just smiled confidently at her, which threw her for a loop.

"Okay, Natasha. But there's something you should know about me as well; part of my sightless gift is that I can tell when people are lying to me. I'm confidant you'll come around."

Natasha hid her surprise. Matt knew she was lying before she did. This shouldn't have sat well with her but...well, she would just have to think about that later. She grabbed her latte and got up from the table.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Mr. Murdock. I'm not that attracted to you."

Natasha spun around on her heel, gathering her bags. She heard Matt chuckle behind her back.

"You're lying again."

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

Wanda put in her red colored contacts and scoffed at Pietro. Some time after they woke up and started getting ready for the day, Pietro had told her what happened last night during his run. How a certain blond he'd been pining over for two years had approached him, talked to him, made him laugh, and finally, flirted with him. At least, Pietro thought Clint had flirted with him. Truth was, her brother didn't know what the hell happened last night, so he freaked out and left. Wanda wasn't there so she couldn't say whether Clint was coming on to him or not. She did know however that her brother was probably just being stupid. Her twin always had a thing with jumping to conclusions, so Clint really didn't stand a chance. She was pretty sure Barton was taken by the redhead he always hangs out with or if rumors were correct, that prick Stark.

"Brother, has it crossed your mind at all that the love of your life wasn't coming on to you all? Or does being bitten by the love bug cloud your common sense?" she asked with a smirk.

Pietro simply ignored her, fixing himself up in the mirror. Wanda wasn't blind. Pietro may have tried to push Clint away last night but clearly what he said had stuck with him. Pietro was pushing his hair back behind his ears and tying it in a small ponytail, his handsome face and bright silver eyes now available for the whole world to see. He was also ditching his normal navy blue and dark gray clothing for a bright baby blue t-shirt with a white lightning symbol across the chest. Wanda was doing the same, setting aside her black Victorian dress for a red knee length sundress and tight black leggings. Her hair done in a stylish bun with bangs that framed her eyes.

"Hey princess, you look pretty." she teased.

Pietro finally looked at her, a hesitant smile cracking his hardened face.

"Thank you, Wanda. And you look slightly less like shit. You know, slightly."

Wanda walked by him, smacking him upside his head as she went up to the window. She looked down two stories below, expecting a certain Asgardian to show up any second now.

"You realize what we're doing, right?" she asked out loud.

Pietro shrugged.

"Not sure what you mean." he lied.

Wanda shook her head, tempted to smack him again.

"How we're dressed today. How we're going to show up at school today. Pietro,...we're going to be seen. Or at least not as...invisible."

Her brother snorted, back away from the mirror and gathering his school books.

"Yeah well, not exactly something I planned. You're the one who said it was okay for Loki to come pick us up today."

"True, but you didn't argue. You're the one who said he could be our friend if he kept buying your fat ass more cookies." Wanda retorted.

Defeated, Pietro swore under his breath in Romanian. She smiled proudly, feeling giddy when she saw a green Cadillac with gold horns on the hood pull into the parking lot.

"He's here, he's here." she said excitedly.

Pietro lowered his eyebrows at her, staring suspiciously at her. Wanda couldn't biting her lip in anticipation, but she also couldn't really look at Pietro for too long. He knew. She had lied to him.

xxxxx

Pietro may have been twelve minutes older than her, but that didn't seem to matter to him as they came upon Loki's car. Wanda hopped in the passenger side, trying not to smile too hard at Loki who was grinning at them. Wanda sniffed the air. Peppermint. Loki seemed to always smell like peppermint. She liked it. She liked it a lot.

"Good morning new friends. You both look good this morning." said the Asgardian, winking sideways at Wanda.

The female Maximoff's cheeks turned as scarlet as her dress and her contacts. Oh boy. Pietro was probably scowling at them from the backseat. She snuck at peek at the mirror. Yup. Definitely scowling. It was odd feeling her brother's eyes behind her back, but she couldn't help it. Charisma ran strong with the Odinsons. Wanda didn't give a fuck about the popular kids, but she could definitely see why everybody loved Thor.

"You too, Loki." she replied.

"So, I trust that you will do well with our project today in art class." said Loki.

Pietro leaned forward, resting his arms on the cupholders in the front seat.

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?"

Wanda looked away awkwardly. She forgot to tell him yesterday.

"The teacher has assigned us as partners. Today her project his to draw a portrait of me." Loki explained.

Pietro raised an eyebrow at her.

"You looking forward to it?" he asked.

"I know I am." said Loki, flashing Wanda another wink.

Wanda's cheeks reddened even deeper. Pietro rolled his eyes and retreated backward. Wanda chewed lightly on her index finger, internally relishing in Loki's presence. His tight slender body. His raven black hair. His perfect, pale skin. His sharp pale blue eyes. His irresistible charm. The Asgardian accent was a plus. Yes, it finally happened. Wanda had a crush of her own and she liked it.

She took a deep breath as Loki pulled into the parking lot of the school. Loki was Thor's brother. He may not have wanted the popularity (supposedly), but it was inevitable. There was already a lot of talk about the Asgardian teen. When she and her brother step out of the car with him, they would be seen. Their invisible status would be gone.

Question is, will I like that? Will I adapt to that?

She looked back at Pietro, who by the look on his face was obviously thinking the same. Her brother gulped and nodded at her. In Romanian he said,

"Yes. Let's do it."

Loki stared at them with a toothy grin. Right. How could they forget. He understood them when they spoke their native tongue. In their language he told them,

"It won't be so terrible. But that is a different thing. I have a feeling today is going to be fun."

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

Bruce hopped off the bus and scratched at his curls. He adjusted the strap of his backpack on his shoulder, taking a deep breath. School. He always liked school. Maybe not the people inside so much, but still. The curly haired nerd walked through the parking lot with his head high. He was pretty sure he'd have to avoid the Circle again, but today he felt less afraid. He surprised himself last night when he stood his ground against Natasha. Natasha. The girl Tony Stark was afraid of when she got mad. His fellow egghead told him about her death threat the day he and Clint made up after what happened his birthday weekend. Natasha. There was still some mixed up emotions regarding her, but overall Bruce felt like he was over it. Bruce would be ready to talk when he's good and ready. Not a second before. If she wanted to go bitch mode on him, so be it. Truth was the redhaired beauty was acting a little too high and mighty for his taste. No way could she talk to him like that when he knew she had mixed feelings towards him as well. He was concerned however with how the others would see him if she told them what went down. Bruce was ready to be friendless again in a heartbeat. If they didn't deem him "worthy" of their company anymore, sure it'd be sad but Bruce would get over that as well.

Still,...I hope it doesn't come to that.

Out of the corner of his peripheral vision, he saw Thor and an unfamiliar black guy exiting his silver Altima. Bruce groaned. The rest of the Circle was more likely to let him be. Thor? Not so much. Not that that was a bad thing. After all, Thor was the first one Bruce befriended all those weeks ago. He loved the guy. However, Bruce still wasn't in the mood for talking. Thor was never not in the mood no matter what. Bruce picked up the pace, hoping he could blend with the other students going through the front doors before the Viking haired Odinson saw him. Turns out he wasn't so lucky. Not too long after Bruce walked into the building did he feel a strong hand grip his shoulder and stop him in his tracks.

"Friend Bruce, I must speak with you." said the Asgardian.

Bruce rolled his eyes and turned around, met with a surprisingly pissed off looking Thor. The black man he didn't recognize nodded at Thor and walked ahead.

"Dammit. What do you want, Thor?" Bruce asked rudely.

Maybe if he acted cold again they would back the hell off. Again, Bruce wasn't so lucky. Thor instead yanked Bruce by his collar and drug him to a corner in the hallway. Bruce didn't even bother putting up a fight. Wouldn't have made a difference. That didn't stop him from getting upset though.

"What the hell?" he asked annoyed.

"Bruce, I am barely keeping my sanity with Loki's disrespect. I will not tolerate it from you. A dear friend."

Bruce's mouth clamped shut. Loki. Right. How could he have forgotten about that situation? With a hard swallow and a thundering heart, Bruce looked down and mumbled,

"Sorry."

He totally felt like an ass. With everything that happened with Betty and Natasha, Bruce completely forgot all of his friends' problems. Despite his apology, Thor was still frowning hard at him, which made Bruce feel even worse.

"Bruce, I understand that you are going through a rough heartbreak, but I refuse to be avoided. I refuse to let you become a loner. Are we not good friends with each other?"

Bruce blinked rapidly, hoping to god that Thor didn't see his eyes watering up. Bruce was so ready to be alone again and disconnect from the Circle if he had to, but Thor didn't want that. He wouldn't let it happened. Thor truly cared about him, and that touched Bruce's heart in a way that made him want to cry again.

"Yeah." he said with a sniffle.

Thor's features softened, and the big muscular teddy bear placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder.

"I am asking you then; please join us at lunch today. It is not the same with your absence. You do not have to talk if that is what you truly desire."

Bruce cleared his throat and nodded. Okay. He could do that. Then Thor continued.

"There is a lot going on with the rest of our company, and we would appreciate it if you would not pretend as though you are invisible. I see you, Bruce Banner. I see you."

Bruce's eyes watered up even more. He didn't know how much Thor goodness he'd be able to handle.

"Okay. Okay I'll be there. But that's a different thing. I-I-I have to um...I have to go now." Bruce stammered.

He quickly spun around on his heels and sped walked to the closest men's room. Once inside he slipped into the nearest stall covered his mouth, quieting his sobs as best he could. He didn't know why he was suddenly crying again, but he knew he had to get it out of his system if he was going to make it through the rest of the day.

xxxxxx

Uncomfortable. That was all Bruce had been feeling ever since lunch the lunch bell rang. He got through his regular classes okay, but he really wasn't looking forward to his friends after the way he behaved. Especially Natasha and Clint. Clint was Natasha's best friend. He'd probably be scowling at him the whole fifty minutes. Who knew what Tony would say. Yeah Thor was willing to have him around. Steve too most likely, but would it be enough? Thor said Bruce didn't have to talk if he didn't want to, but he knew they'd probably be asking him if he was okay regardless. Bruce groaned as he walked into the cafeteria. At least he'd have a seat saved. That was always nice. Bruce grabbed his tray and easily spotted his friends at a table in the center of the cafeteria. Along with the one guy Thor came to school with.

Just who is that?

As Bruce came closer to the table, his heartbeat increased rapidly. Natasha. Would she be happy to see him? Odds were, probably not. And completely understandable. His increasing nervous quickly turned to confusion when he finally arrived at the table. Thor. Steve. Tony. The one guy. No Bonnie and Clyde. Steve and Thor greeted him kindly as he sat down next to Thor's guest.

"Good afternoon, friend Bruce. This is T'Challa. He is visiting from Wakanda." said the friendly Asgardian.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Bruce Banner. I've been told good things." said T'Challa with a smile.

Bruce awkwardly smiled back and nodded, lowering his head and eating his food without a word. Tony, who'd been frowning ever since Bruce arrived, tapped Steve on the shoulder and pointed somewhere to the left of them.

"Check it out. There they are. Over there." said the millionaire.

Bruce looked to the side. At a completely different table far from them were Clint and Natasha, both of them with blank faces eating their food in silence.

"What's going on here? Seriously." asked Steve.

Tony's eyes went straight to Bruce who reddened with embarrassment.

"He knows. Well, partially at least. Likes like both of us aren't on Bonnie and Clyde's good side recently."

Steve and Thor looked back and forth between the two brunets, completely lost on what Tony was talking about. T'Challa, oblivious to everything, was the one who broke the awkward silence first.

"Who are this Bonnie and Clyde?" asked the Wakandan.

Tony pointed their direction.

"Their names are actually Natasha and Clint. Clint's uh...my boyfriend. I don't know why Natasha is apparently upset with Brucie Boy here but me and Clint are having an...issue."

Bruce covered his eyes with his hands and sighed.

Great. Thanks for putting me on front, Tony. Why did I agree to sit over here?

T'Challa scrunched up his nose.

"Boyfriend? The famous Tony Stark has a boyfriend?" he asked shocked.

Tony proudly nodded.

"Sure do. Clint's great but he's got a mouth on him."

Bruce stuck his tongue in his cheek at lowered his eyebrows at Tony.

"Oh and you don't?" he asked, a bit more snappy than he intended.

Tony simply did his shit-eating grin at him and faked a shiver.

"Ooooh, Brucie Boy. I like it when you're feisty."

"Tony, please don't." Steve pleaded.

"I do not understand." said Thor.

"It doesn't matter." Bruce muttered.

The curly haired teen went back to eating his food in silence, awkwardly listening as the other boys at the table talked about something different for a little bit. As Bruce ate, he began to wonder exactly what was going on. He knew why Natasha wasn't there at the table but why Clint? As far as Bruce knew, the whole Clony thing was going by just fine. Just what did he miss yesterday? Should he be concerned?

Hell if I know. Knowing Tony it could be anything.

"Whoah. Check it out." said Tony getting Bruce's attention.

Bruce looked up from his food and arched an eyebrow. Walking across the cafeteria were Loki and the Maximoff twins. Together. Several other students drew their eyes to the trio. The Maximoffs in particular. They seemed...different. Normally they were dark clothes, hair in front of the eyes and cold attitude types. Now there they were, with their hair pulled back and wearing bright colored clothes. They looked...good. Wanda still had in her red colored contacts but now they looked kind of cool instead of disturbing.

"Is it just me or are Thing One and Thing Two kinda hot now?" asked Tony.

Steve looked at Thor who was very uncertain about what was happening.

"Looks like your brother's made some friends and had some sort of influence on them. Thor, should we be concerned?" he asked.

Thor scratched his chin and went,

"Hmmmm. I am unsure. I suppose we will have to wait and see."

Bruce stayed quiet for the rest of lunch. He wasn't in the spirit for banter and mild gossip but at least no other awkward moments happened. However he didn't stick with the group when the bell rang. He quickly gathered his stuff and was one of the first students to rush out the cafeteria. He was still fifty shades of blue and just wanted to go home as quick as possible.

Just a few more classes and that'll happen.

xxxxxx

Sweet release. Bruce was happier than he should've been once the final bell of the day rung. His bed, some hot tea was all he wanted. He appreciated Thor reaching out to him and Tony being...Tony during lunchtime. Honestly if the millionaire wouldn't have prodded him even a little Bruce would've been worried. Still though, he wasn't in the mood for hanging out with them after school like usual. He wouldn't avoid them so much anymore but still, he was going through something. Something that just plain sucked. Part of him still thought he would be meeting Betty at the bus stop or at her house. Nope. That wouldn't be happening anymore. Bruce fought back the forming tears.

No! not here, dammit! Not in front of everybody! Get yourself together, Bruce!

"Trouble in paradise?" asked an unfamiliar voice from behind him.

Bruce stopped walking and scrunched up his face. No. It couldn't be him they were saying that to. He turned around just to make sure, and his jaw nearly dropped.

No. Damn. Way.

Standing in front of him were two people Bruce really didn't want to see. Class A douchebag Justin Hammer and asshole lacrosse player Emil Blonsky. Nickname the Abomination. Talk about a double-whammy. Hammer was the real prick everybody assumed Tony was. Blonsky was a roughhouser and all around unpleasant guy. Hammer adjusted his glasses and smiled at Bruce, who had started sweating nervously under his arms.

"We got some very interesting information concerning you and your friends, Banner." said Justin.

Bruce gulped nervously.

Damn. They ARE talking to me.

"S-S-S-Seriously?" he mumbled, failing at putting on a brave face.

Blonsky nodded and crossed his arms.

"Mmm hmm. Your ole lady, you know the one who used to tutor me, she broke it off with you. Now you're a crying mess."

Bruce's eyes widened and his heart stopped. What?! How could these two dicks possibly know that? The only people who knew this information were the Circle, and none of them remotely had any contact with these two. This was bad. This was really bad. Justin and Emil both chuckled darkly at his reaction, making Bruce just want to shrink inside his clothing.

Maybe avoiding my friends wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Fuckin' wimp. I can see why she left you. Ya know, when she would tutor me, sometimes I'd stare at her. You know...inappropriately." Emil taunted, grossly licking his lips.

Bruce's eyes began to water and his skin rose in temperature. He was still scared of them, but he also starting to get angry.

"L-L-Leave m-me alone." he stuttered out.

Justin merely laughed at him, adding to the teasing.

"Nah. This is too much fun right now. You know what else our informer told us?"

Bruce glared at them with balled fists and a trembling lip. A pool of rage and anger he'd never tapped into before was beginning to flood his mind. Bruce was not a fighter at all. He'd never been in a brawl before and he knew he was outmatched, but still he was waiting on them to say the one thing that pushed him over the edge. A dark part of his mind wanted to see what it would be like to release it.

"What?" he growled out.

"Well," said Emil with a condescending sneer,

"not that they've been hiding it, but your bud Clint Barton is the newest tally mark on Tony Stark's massive sex board."

"It's not like that!" Bruce exclaimed, making some of the other students around them stop and stare and murmur.

Bruce felt uncomfortable with all of these eyes on him, but he didn't care at the moment. No matter how he felt about himself for the past few days, the Circle was important to him. All of them.

"Clint and Tony are the real deal! You don't know a damn thing about them!"

Justin held up his hands and laughed.

"Maybe we don't, but I do know this; Natasha's pussy game must be whack of she drove Barton to start fucking dudes. Shame. I was hoping to get a piece of that action."

Oh that's it!

Something in Bruce snapped. The dark pool of anger and rage that had been flooding his brain completely drowned him. His vision went red and the next few seconds went by in a blur.

BRUCE SMASH!

PLOW! Bruce swung wildly and connected his fist with the side of Justin's head, causing the lanky bastard to fly back and fall on his back. Instant knock-out. The crowd around them all gasped in shock. Some of them laughed. Some of them fished out their phones and took a picture or began recording. A few scattered away. Bruce wished he had a moment to be proud of himself, but the second Justin hit the floor Bruce's fist swelled and sent sharp signals of pain. Bruce howled in agony, worrying that he might've broken his hand in the process. He didn't get a chance to deal with that either. With a disgusted look on his face, Emil grabbed Bruce by the shoulders and kneed him hard in the gut. Bruce let out an embarrassing sounding "OOF!" and sank to his hands and knees. The rage that flooded his brain all but drained, and now all he felt was writhing pain and serious nausea. He bent forward on his hands and dry-heaved. Not finished with the punishment, Emil then brought his fist down on Bruce's back, making him cry out and fall on his face. Tears escaped from Bruce's eyes as his glasses fell off and Emil kicked him in his ribcage. The pain. The embarrassment. The mere fact that this was all happening to him. Bruce couldn't help it. He sobbed uncontrollably in front of all his peers. He cowered as Emil went for another kick, but the bully's foot didn't land this time. Bruce smiled weakly when he saw his saviors. Thor fucking Odinson grabbed Emil's leg before he could kick Bruce again, twisting it painfully and bringing a hard right cross to Blonsky's face.

"LEAVE MY FRIEND BE!" he commanded.

With a swollen jaw and an injured leg, Emil roared out and rushed at Thor. Before he could do anything else however, Clint fucking Barton cartwheeled into the space between them and, in blinding speed, delivered a roundhouse kick to Emil's torso. Blonsky fell flat on his ass right next to Justin's unconscious body. The crowd around them roared in applause as Bruce was helped to his feet by Steve fucking Rogers.

"You're going to be okay, Bruce." Steve told him.

He handed Bruce his glasses, and the curly haired teen almost wanted to cry again. In spite of everything that just happened, his friends had his back and his glasses weren't broken. Thor then spun Bruce around and pulled him into a loving but painfully tight hug.

"Are you well, friend Bruce?! Are you well?!"

"Still banged up, buddy! Still banged up!"

But the Asgardian refused to let go, so Bruce just let the pain take its course and hugged Thor back. Their happy union was cut short when the crowd around them dissipated. Mr. Coulson and Vice Principal Maria Hill cut through, looking absolutely not entertained with the commotion.

"What the hell is going on?! I expect more from students here! " Mr. Coulson shouted.

VP Hill put her hands on her hips when she saw Emil and Justin's condition. Bruce gulped, prying away Thor's beefy arms and turning to face them. He raised his hand to speak but regretted it instantly when the pain in his back and ribs came back with a vengeance. Steve, T'Challa, Tony and Natasha rushed in front of the two faculty members.

"We're witnesses. We will testify for Bruce, Thor and Clint." said T'Challa.

Bruce raised his eyebrows in surprise. T'Challa barely knew him and yet he was willing to defend him? Wow!

"Totally! This is bullshit!" Tony shouted.

Coulson stomped his foot in frustration. Ms. Hill simply hardened her eyes at Bruce and the two blonds who came to his rescue.

"All of you. Fury's office. Now."

Bruce groaned again. Principal Fury. There was a guy he was hoping to never see under these circumstances. Clint wrapped his arm around Bruce's shoulder and helped him walk to the office.

"We got you, Brucie Boy." he whispered.

Physically Bruce felt like shit, but at least his heart wasn't fifty shades of blue anymore. More like...twenty-seven.

Yeah. That's a good number.

As Bruce and the others were escorted down the hallway, he looked off to the side. Standing there in what remained of the crowd was Loki fucking Odinson, smiling sinisterly at him. Bruce frowned, swearing that he saw the younger Asgardian throw a wink his way. Then something Justin said rang in his head.

"We got some very interesting information concerning you and your friends, Banner."

Maybe Bruce was just thinking crazy but...Could Loki have...?

A/N: Lots of stuff going down, and it's only beginning. More big surprises on the way for the Circle!