Finally, they reached Professor Xavier's office. He welcomed them without moving his wheelchair out from behind his desk. "Bruce, Storm, do come in?"
Bruce entered the room. "You see inside my mind. Am I two people or one person?"
Xavier's soft voice said, "We are one person for our boss and another for our wife. We all have different parts of our personalities. I can give you a list of philosophy and psychology books to read, but you aren't asking a philosophical question, are you?"
Bruce just looked down at the man. "I just met one of your students."
"Mr. Logan," said Xavier. "He questions your right to be in a school for mutants. You were born a mutant then you had your genes scrabbled by gamma radiation. The Odin cleaned up your scrambled genes and made you whole, again. My old friend, Erik, would tell me once a Jew always a Jew, but that's the rules the bigots play and I rather not play by their rules. I can hire a non-mutant teacher if I choose. However, my students need mutant role models."
Bruce sat down.
"To be a mutant, you would need to be human first, which you are not. You're a scientist. What is one definition of species?"
"Being able to breed successfully," Bruce answered, thinking about his pregnant wife.
"By the way, the next time, Fury asks for a sample of your blood tell him to get one from Thor," said the headmaster. "It would do him the same amount of good. I think being at this school will be a good experience for you and my students. You need to accept yourself as you are, not as you would like yourself to be."
"That doesn't answer the question," said Bruce.
"You need to answer that for yourself." Xavier hit the print button on the computer then, after waiting for the printer shot out a sheet of paper, handed Bruce a list of books to read.
Bruce looked at the list. "Thank you for your time."
-
Janet van Dyne drove a van she rented for the occasion to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. She and Sif had already went shopping for maternity clothes. Janet loved fashion and the Banners were fashion-challenged to say the least. At the door of the mansion, she was greeted by a black woman with white hair, whose hello had more of the tone of go away.
Janet simply said, "I'm here to see Dr. Banner."
"And you are?" asked the woman. A few teenage girls were standing around her. One had on long gloves, an odd-fashion statement, especially on a warm summer day.
"Ms. Van Dyne," said Janet. "I need to take him clothes shopping. He could teach class in his armor wearing that glorious dragon scale cape of his. There is just enough dragon blood on the bear fur trim to tell people that Bruce isn't a giant to mess with. But I don't see that as appropriate attire for a science/math teacher."
The girl with the long gloves said, "I'll get him."
After the girl and her friends left, the black woman said, "Are you an Avenger?"
To that, Janet said, "Are you an X-Man?"
"I'm Storm," said the woman. "Please, sit down."
Janet took a seat on the sofa in the living room. "I'm Wasp."
A few minutes later, Bruce came into the living room. He was wearing the clothes Tony had Hank expand on his last visit to Earth. She needed to get him few button-down shirts and slacks - clothes that said he taught at a prep school. One jacket wouldn't hurt. "You can get any clothes you want. Size isn't a factor since I will have to expand whatever you buy."
"What about shoes?" asked Bruce.
"You'll need to wear the boots you had made on Asgard," said Janet. "Shoes have the toe, heal, sole and the arch-support; it isn't as easy as just expanding the fabric. Sorry."
"Can we also find some kind of uniform for me? You're always so well dressed."
"Do you still have those purple pants Tony made for you?" she asked.
Bruce nodded.
"Then I'll make you a shirt or vest to go with them. Does that work for you?" Janet said, "Hank could shrink you down to 5 foot 8. Then we wouldn't have any trouble finding you shoes."
"This is the size I'm meant to be," said Bruce.
"You're meant to be 5 foot 8," said Janet. "Hank and I will be here when you decide to be less stubborn."
"I zapped myself with gamma radiation. And that turned out so well," Bruce said with sarcasm. "I rather not be hosed with Pym particles. My genetic make-up is odd to say the least. You can't guarantee a good result."
"Everything has risks," said Janet.
Bruce's deep voice was firm. "And I'm not prepared to take those risks." A few hours later, they returned with professional clothes that Janet had expanded to fit Bruce's large body.
Although she had her own money to spend, it was fun to spend other people's money as a professional fashion consultant. She also had expanded a some jeans, tee shirts, socks and boxer's shorts then picked out a leather motorcycle jacket for Bruce, telling him it gave the same message as the dragon cloak in a more Misgardian style. Tomorrow, it would be back to looking at bugs. Bruce was such a good-looking man. She wished he would let her return him to his former height, but she understood his reasons for refusing.