Awakening

Oh by now everyone should know, everyone should know, oh by now everyone should know, that I own nothing!

A large smile sat on my face as I watched Tony and Bruce leave the Bridge, they were going to best of friends; and that was something the both of them really needed.

Once the door slid shut behind the men Thor broke the confused silence.

"Did the Man of Iron intend to be insulting? For it was quite a ….strange...approach." The Asgardian asked, looking around at everyone in the room.

I burst out laughing as everyone else sighed and they all looked like they wanted to strangle my father. Sliding out of my chair and sneaking up behind Thor I whispered in his ear,

"Insulting and confusing, it's how Tony works." To my surprise he didn't jump or flinch at my voice, and I once again wondered if he had been able to hear me the whole time.

I saw Fury's eyebrow twitch and had to restrain myself from electrocuting him right there and then. I would have time for that later.

Suddenly, Dad's voice filled the com. "Penny, come here please."

My eyebrows furrowed at the strange tone in his voice but turned towards the door anyway.

'Wonder what that's about.' I asked myself as I phased through the door and strode out into the bland hallway.

I shrugged as I continued down to Bruce's lab; it couldn't be anything too bad.

Bruce's POV
Few Minutes Before

"This way," I said happily as I led Stark towards the Bridge's doorway.

While I looked very happy and excited on the outside, within there was a storm of other emotions brewing.

Ever since Stark had entered the Bridge I had sensed something else also there, and swore that I had heard a faint whispering echoing the room. At first I had dismissed it, but when Hulk kept mentally poking me to pay attention, I tried to focus on the sound. At first I had only heard buzzing, but after a moment of intense focus the buzz like whispered had transformed into hysterical laughter. At first I had been extremely confused, but then I had recognized the laugh as Penny's.

That had caused me to relax a bit, and I had to stop myself from laughing at the SHIELD agents' horrified expressions.

Then, as I heard Penny's next words it had taken everything I had not to freeze and yell out in shock. Because I was certain that my young friend hadn't meant for me to hear her.

Either way the words, Hey, Dad, I think we broke Rogers were branded into my brain forever.

As I tried to get my brain to start working again Hulk had started chuckling at me and sent me a smug feeling. That of course had irritated me; Hulk had known but hadn't told me! Hulk hadn't replied to my mental questions, just continued to send me smug feelings.

Eventually I gave up and started to play peacekeeper on the Bridge, I didn't think that Penny would be very happy if I let SHIELD eat her dad.

The revelation had me thrown in a loop for the rest of the 'meeting' though Penny's commentary definitely made the whole thing more enjoyable.

Watching Tony I came to another realization, I should have pieced it together as soon as I saw the elder Stark. The two of them were too similar for their own good. At least now I knew who to blame for Pen's personality.

Of course, my favorite part of the meeting was when Tony and I had officially introduced ourselves, Penny's commentary for that almost had me shaking with laughter.

"Dad, Bruce and Hulk. Bruce, Hulk...Dad."

This time I let myself chuckle as Penny's words echoed through my mind. I pulled myself out of my thoughts and back into the conversation that Tony and I were having about the idiocy of SHIELD.

(The wonders of having two personalities in your mind, you become very good at having multiple lines of thoughts and mentally multitasking.)

"I agree." I whispered to him, agreeing that SHIELD seemed to have one collective stick shoved up their asses.

I waited till we were all the way in the hallway, and the door was firmly behind us before I said, "I must say, don't know why I didn't see it sooner, the two of you are too similar for your own good."

"What?" Tony breathed back to me in shock, his eyes comically wide and a flicker of fear appeared on his face.

Internally chuckling, I felt bad for the man. But I couldn't help the small smirk like smile that appeared on my face. "It seems that a certain little redhead wasn't the only one to forget that I have better hearing than most."

Tony's face relaxed slightly, though his stance remained tense as he glanced around the hall.

"Not here." Tony whispered before turning on his heel and continuing down the hall.

With a shake of my head and a silent chuckle I followed after Tony, after all, he had no idea where he was going.

"Well," I thought to Hulk as I nodded Tony down the right hallway. "At least we now know our little flame isn't alone."

Hulk grumbled in return and shock flooded through me as he actually answered me, how many times was this now in one day?

"Bruce and Hulk protect Fire Girl…and Fire Girl family."

"Talking more, aren't we?" I commented to Hulk but didn't get a response. Shrugging, I agreed with his statement.

We did protect family, and Penny was the only family we had; although it seemed possible that our family was about to grow.

I showed Tony to the lab, but for once he didn't comment. After entering the lab he shut down all of the cameras in the room and called Penny.

I hadn't really been surprised to learn that they had their own private com system. It made sense in retrospect after all.

After doing those two things Tony just plopped himself down on a desk and sat there, his face coldly blank and his eyes dimmed. I could tell his was thinking deeply about something, what it was though, I had no idea.

Leaning back against the left wall I gazed at Stark in slight worry.

"...you don't think we broke him? Do you?" I asked my other half in worry.

I wasn't surprised when my only reply was laughter. I should have been expecting that after all.

I wasn't angry that Penny hadn't told me about her parentage, I could see the sense in keeping it a secret.

I was just glad to know that the girl wasn't as alone as she always seemed.

Hey everyone, yeah I know it's been a bit longer than usual lately, but I was busy all day a few days ago and got sick….yeah…

Anyway, Hope you like it. I know it's shorter than its predecessors, but oh well.

I always loved the fact that Bruce figured it out for himself, and like I said the first time around I hadn't planned it that way, it just happened.

Thanks to everyone!
Cp