Bruce Them All The Way

Guardians of the Galaxy - Awesome Mix Vol. 1 track 2 The 1:1 aspect ratio is deliberate and gives the same size when watching on your phone regardless if you hare holding it horizontal or vertical. Bruce goes all-in on his Orbison obsession, with some interesting Spanish-flavored brass in the background. “When You Need Me,” Tracks. A Tunnel -era outtake, it’s another discussion about.

Who’s the greatest of them all?

It’s Bruce Springsteen, says Jon Bon Jovi in a new tweet celebrating the closing of the hit “Springsteen on Broadway.”

“Congrats to the greatest of them all..the Boss is also the king of The Great White Way,” Bon Jovi tweeted on Monday, Dec. 17 with a pic of the two on stage together.

More: Bruce Springsteen ends Broadway run with a marathon performance

The Boss, a Freehold native, just ended his critically acclaimed sold-out run, which began on Oct. 3, 2017, at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 15 with a performance of the music play that just missed the three-hour mark.

After the show, he went across the street to Hurley’s Saloon for the wrap party, jumped up on the bar and toasted the crew.

Bon Jovi just returned from concerts in Japan and Australia. The Sayreville-born rocker will be hitting the high seas on the Runaway to Paradise with Jon Bon Jovi cruises, which embark April 12 to 16 from Miami to Nassau and Aug. 26 to 30 from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The centerpiece of the cruises will be a concert on the pool deck by Jon Bon Jovi and the Kings of Suburbia, composed largely of musicians from the Jersey Shore, for 2,000.

Bon Jovi the band has dates scheduled for Europe and Russia this spring and summer, and has just announced a concert for July 25 at Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The pic that Bon jovi tweeted was taken at the “12-12-12” concert for victims of superstorm Sandy at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Dec. 12, 2012. Bon Jovi joined the E Street Band for “Born to Run” and Springsteen joined Bon Jovi for “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” at the show.

More: Top 10 biggest New Jersey entertainment stories of 2018

Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan also knows Broadway. He's the music man behind the Broadway hit “Memphis” and won two Tony Awards for his work.

Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com. Twitter: @chrisfhjordan

Chapter TextThe Tower shivered, and Jarvis stuttered.Down in his brightly lit lab, Bruce looked at Tony. Bruce knew Tony understood Jarvis on an instinctual level, more so than he understood other humans. Tony looked a bit wild-eyed, which meant that Bruce was halfway to doing breathing exercises.“Jarvis, report,” snapped Tony.Instead of a verbal response, Jarvis displayed a video feed of Thor and Loki on the roof of Stark Tower. It was late afternoon and according to the weather report, it should have been sunny. An unexpected rainstorm had come up—and suddenly Bruce realized the storm was Thor’s stress getting all over New York City.Tony took off for the elevator in his grease-stained band tee and filthy sneakers, and Bruce hurried after him.“Step on it, Jarvis. Pepper’s upstairs!”Suddenly, Bruce was fighting gravity as Jarvis rocketed the elevator past design specs. Tony used his right hand to tap the top of his left wrist, and Jarvis obligingly displayed the time: 4:17 pm.Bruce nervously eyed Tony’s right wrist.

The watch on his wrist was not just a watch, and Bruce had no doubt that Tony would use the gauntlet on Loki if he felt threatened. Bruce closed his eyes and willed his heart rate to slow. Deep breaths, in and out.

The air in the elevator was cold and metallic, with a hint of coconut. That was probably the arc reactor, thought Bruce.As the elevator doors slid open, Tony stepped out, slick charm at the ready. The penthouse had been repaired after the battle of New York, leaving a clear line of sight to where Loki and Thor knelt on the roof, heedless of the cold spring rain.

Thor was speaking urgently to Loki, but Pepper wasn’t in sight. If Bruce had to guess, she was in her office.All the other permanent inhabitants of the upper floors had strong feelings about protecting Pepper, so it had come as no surprise that Tasha and Bucky had coordinated with Tony and Jarvis to create a safe room in Pepper’s office. The Other Guy could rip the entire room out of the Tower, throw it down the street, and Pepper would be fine.Wordlessly, Bruce edged away from the main living space. The last thing Pepper needed was the Other Guy busting up her living room.“No, you don’t,” snarled Tony, striding across the living room.

“Bruce, guard Pepper.”Bruce stopped in his tracks. Yes, he could do that.The elevator opened again, discharging Bucky and Steve. The duo was in sweatpants and tees, though Bucky had at least stepped into his combat boots. Steve was barefoot, with the shield on his arm and a face ready for battle. Wearing what Clint referred to as his “murder face,” Bucky radiated danger, even in casual clothes.Outside, the sky darkened and the heavens opened, rain pouring down in sheets. Presumably, Thor was not having a productive conversation with Loki.A pantsuit-clad Pepper stepped into the kitchen, quietly talking on her phone.

“Yes, I’ll hold.”Very few individuals would put Pepper Potts on hold. Bruce raised an eyebrow.

In the corner of his vision, he saw Clint, dressed in a ragged, sleeveless tee and tac pants, aiming an arrow at Loki. Apparently, Clint and Phil had been in Phil’s greenhouse, and were just now making their way into the living space. No doubt, Clint had been napping in the afternoon sun, up on his perch in the greenhouse.

He was a bit like a great cat that way.Phil, dressed in his usual Dolce & Gabbana, stepped inside, showing his phone to Pepper. Pepper nodded and hung up her phone. Two guesses who both Pepper and Phil would call, and only one was needed—Fury. Phil set his phone down on the marble counter, and Bruce realized that he’d left it on speaker.Deciding that now would be a good time for some tea and baked goods, Bruce wandered towards the kitchen.“Anyone else want some tea?” His voice sounded calm, at least. He rinsed out the electric kettle and refilled it, setting it to boil.

Jarvis turned on the undercabinet lights, filling the room with golden light against the dark of the storm outside.Nodding, Pepper said, “Sure. I feel like muffins.”“I like muffins,” replied Bruce. Glancing at the counter, he realized that there was no name on the ID on Phil’s phone.Opening the refrigerator, Bruce saw two pints of tiny Maine blueberries, completely out of season. “Muffins for everybody?”“Good idea,” said Phil.

He stood with his back to the kitchen island, watching Tony talk to Thor on the windswept roof deck.Setting the oven to preheat to 375F, Bruce collected vegan margarine, almond milk, and a pint of the blueberries from the refrigerator. Poking around in the baking cabinet, he found sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder, vanilla, and unbleached flour.After the kettle clicked off, he began making tea. Indulging in Bruce’s need for the ritual of making tea, Tony and Pepper kept a large teapot in their penthouse for him. A rinse with hot water, a tea strainer filled with his favorite soothing blend, and the scent of chamomile filled the kitchen.Finally, Tony turned sideways and ushered Thor in the door, leaving Loki kneeling in the cold rain.Bruce frowned, and Pepper looked uncomfortable, but Phil’s impassive expression didn’t change as he watched Clint’s unchanged aim. Bruce held an invisible phone to his ear, and Tony nodded.Scooping out eight tablespoons of margarine, Bruce added a cup of sugar and began mixing the two as he watched Steve step forward to ask, “Is that safe?”“Tis best,” replied Thor, grimacing. Ozone clung to him, the scent spreading into the living space.Tony chimed in.

“You have him under control, right? You wouldn’t bring him, otherwise?”“Yes, of course.” Thor looked offended, as if someone had just impugned his honor. In a manner of speaking, Tony had done just that.Adding two teaspoons of xanthan gum and the same again of baking powder, Bruce looked again, and he didn’t see a dangerous foe, but a child, huddling in fear.

Loki’s head was bowed, and he stared at the ground as he wrapped his arms around himself, his face emotionless.“Bring him in out of the cold.” Bruce’s voice sounded strange, even to himself. Looking down at the mixture in the bowl, he began adding in the flour, alternating with the milk.

He missed Clint’s visible befuddlement. Phil swung around to look searchingly at him, eyes widened minutely.“Brucie-bear, I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Tony began, but trailed off as Bucky strode outside, ignoring the rain.Everyone watched, wordless, as Bucky bent down and helped Loki up. As Loki stood, Bruce saw that he was shivering in the cold spring rain, poorly dressed for the weather in a thin tunic, leggings, and a light cloak.Expression defiant, Loki came in, moving as if he was in pain.

To Bruce, he looked terribly young, but of course, Bruce himself was old enough to be the father of half the people in the room. Recognizing the expression from his own face in the mirror, so many years ago, Bruce winced and mashed a half cup of the blueberries with his hand, dumping them in the batter, and turned away to rinse his hand at the sink.When he turned back around, he saw Tasha slide in front of Clint.Eyes flicking to Thor and then back to Clint and Tasha, Loki knelt in front of the pair, making a full obeisance. His arms outstretched and his forehead on the floor, Loki murmured, “You have my most sincere apologies, and though they may be poor recompense for the ill I forced upon you, they are all that I have, and so I give them to you.”Everyone stared in disbelief.“Uh ” Clint began, and then trailed off.Tasha stared suspiciously at the youth on the floor and whipped her gaze to Thor. “Did you put him up to this?”Thor shook his head solemnly. “You are a good influence on him.”Tasha sucked in a breath, but Clint’s face softened. Bruce wondered if Clint saw what was so obvious to him—he had the life experience for it, just as Bruce had.

Gently stirring in the blueberries and vanilla, Bruce watched as Clint stepped around Tasha, putting his bow away to take Loki’s thin hands in his. “Actions speak louder than words, kiddo. But I appreciate the thought.”Tasha glared, but rested a hand on Clint’s shoulder, tacitly giving her approval. Clint stood, and brought Loki with him, the thin youth towering over the stocky older man. Bruce looked away, searching for paper muffin liners and a muffin tin. Of course, Tony had little Iron Man muffin papers.

Tucking twelve liners in their individual cups, Bruce found a good-sized ice cream scoop and began scooping the batter into the paper liners.Audibly inhaling, Pepper stepped forward and said, “You’re sopping wet, and dripping all over my floor. Let’s get you dry.”Before Tony could open his mouth, Phil held up a hand. “I’ll handle it.”“Thanks, Phil,” said Pepper. Delicately, she waved her hand in a wiping gesture, and Phil’s phone shut off. “I think Fury has everything he needs for the moment. Let me fetch some dry clothes.”With that, she swept away down the hall while Phil crossed the room to take custody of Loki.Somehow, Bruce suspected that Phil saw a lost child too. Perhaps it was the way Loki reacted to Pepper’s statement, by hunching down as if ashamed of his height and staring at the floor.

Thinking about what little he knew of Phil, Clint, and Tasha, Bruce suspected that Phil had always had a soft spot for lost youth.“I can dry myself!” Loki’s tone was petulant, and Bruce almost laughed, but caught himself. Laughing at Loki would not help the situation. He turned and slid the muffin tin into the oven to bake, hiding his smile as he set the timer for 30 minutes.Thor merely raised an eyebrow and said, “Go with the Son of Coul. Obey him as if he were me.”Loki looked at the floor, and Bruce could tell that he had been shamed again. Was it the reminder of obedience?Bruce took a moment, and pulled the tea strainer out of the teapot, releasing a fresh cloud of chamomile scent into the room.“Tea, anybody?” He turned to see seven pairs of incredulous eyes looking back at him. “A hot drink does wonders on a cold day.

I have muffins baking, too. I think I can find some cookies, too.”Tony’s eyes sparkled with laughter. “You keep the tea, Brucie-bear.

I need a drink. Anybody else?”Steve sighed longingly, but said, “I think I’d rather have coffee. You got a moka pot in there?”“I have no idea.” Tony shrugged. “Jarvis?”“Certainly, Sir. Captain, if you’d direct your attention to the left bottom corner cabinet, I believe you’ll find a large moka pot.” Jarvis discreetly ran through the red/red/gold/gold/green pattern, indicating that Pepper was fine.Steve and Bucky both moved into the kitchen to make coffee while Bruce carried the large, brown English-style teapot to the coffee table, along with a packet of sugar cookies.

Turning on his heel, Tony headed for the bar.Sitting on the sofa, Bruce poured himself a cup of tea. Clint came for the cookies, as Bruce suspected he would, and perched on the sofa, Tasha at his back.Thor shook his head at Bruce’s wordless offer of tea, but sat heavily on the sofa. He looked tired and worn, thought Bruce, and wondered what it would take to make an Asgardian tired.“Want to share with the class?” Tony’s words were snide, but his tone was soft. Behind the bar, Tony busied himself pouring a glass of amber liquid.Thor sighed. “Do you know the first time I heard the phrase ‘tender mercy’“?Waiting, Bruce sipped his tea. Realizing that Thor hadn’t asked a rhetorical question, he shook his head.“I was walking on the street, and I waited for the laughter that should accompany such a ridiculous turn of phrase, but I never heard it. I dismissed it from my mind, as I often find Midgardians confusing.”Reaching for a cookie, Thor turned it over in his hands, but didn’t take a bite.

“The next time I heard the phrase, it was here, during movie night, spoken earnestly, in sincerity. When I cast my eyes upon the room, you all took it as a given, that this was a true statement. I let it go, as the movie continued onward.”Looking around the room, Thor saw that he had their attention, and continued. “More recently, I heard it between you, and you were not sincere.

Your sarcasm was oddly misplaced, as if you believed that ‘tender mercy’ was a concept worthy of respect.”Exhaling, Thor looked down at the soft, pale cookie in his hands. “You are aware that I took Loki back to Asgard to face justice.”He stopped. Swallowed.“Our father’s mercy is not tender, and though he may be tender to our mother, he is rarely merciful with his sons.”Looking around the room, Bruce saw a slow comprehension about the nature of justice on Asgard dawn on the others.Steeling his nerve, Bruce said, “And your father’s word is law.”Thor nodded. “On Asgard, yes.”Bruce quirked a grin. Thor may be young for an Asgardian, but he did grow up at court, and one shouldn’t forget all his years of experience“So you brought him here.

Why?” That was Tony, tactless as ever.“By our standards, Loki is but a youth, not old enough to have reached his majority.”Suspicions confirmed, Bruce looked at Tony, who met his eyes with an exhausted expression. A sullen, emotional youth in an overly powerful body, fallen in with the wrong crowd.Tony took a large swig. “So what you’re saying is that your brother is a homeless runaway with an interstellar identity crisis?”For once, Tony had used his intellect to lay the situation bare. Picking up a sugar cookie and munching on the sweet, Bruce took a moment to be impressed that Tony hadn’t fucked up the conversation.Ignoring the question, Thor turned to Bruce. “I understand that you were once a scholar at a ” and here he paused, clearly searching for an accurate word.

“A place where students congregate to learn?”Bruce missed it, suddenly. He loved working with Tony, was intensely grateful for his lab, and took pride in his work for SI.

But, it could be lonely with just himself and Tony for company. He was honest enough with himself to admit he missed the collegial environment, working with others who had different viewpoints on science and enjoyed discussing them. He huffed a silent laugh, because he definitely didn’t miss the graduate students in all their youthful arrogance. He had been one, after all, alternately slacking off, breaking machinery, and showing breathtaking ignorance. That had been how the Other Guy was born, and oh, how he had regretted it.“I used to be a researcher at a university, yes.”“You have students still?”Tony narrowed his eyes at Thor’s interest, while the rest of the team just sat there and watched the conversation ping pong between the three.

Bruce didn’t quite understand where Thor was going with this line of questioning.“Uh, sort of. It’s not the same.”For one, it was a wildly different age range. Persuaded by Tony’s madcap enthusiasm, Bruce taught chemistry, physics, and biology to five and six-year-olds in the SI-sponsored early elementary school on the 38 th floor.Tony snorted. “Bruce’s current students are small children.”“Ah, good, you’re familiar with different age groups. I would beg a boon of you ” and here he trailed off, looking searchingly at Bruce.“Oh, no. I do not need a graduate student.” Bruce shook his head, already seeing where this is going.“Hold.” Steve rarely commanded amongst themselves, but now his face was stern. Bruce was reminded that when the occasion called for it, Steve had a brilliant tactical mind.Steve looked at Thor.

“A personal favor. Or from the crown prince of Asgard?”“Both.” Thor’s face was resolute.Steve looked at Tony and Tony looked at Phil, who’d just come back into the living room. Long hair still damp, Loki trailed silently behind Phil. Loki was somewhat oddly dressed in a pair of Pepper’s yoga pants and one of her oversize tunics. Sneaky, both of them.Bruce closed his eyes and sighed.

Loki looked all of fourteen. Of course, the college kids looked younger every year, and suddenly he felt every one of his nearly fifty years. Opening his eyes, he saw Tony returning his tired gaze.Shrugging, Tony looked at Pepper, who nodded, and then looked to Bruce. “Up to you, Brucie Bear.”He meant it, Bruce knew.

Whatever he decided, Tony and Pepper would back him all the way. How he had ended up with friends like them, he really wasn’t sure, but he was grateful.Straightening his shoulders, Phil reached Bruce and handed him his phone. Reluctantly, Bruce took it.Naturally, it was Fury. “You would do well accede to Thor’s request.”Bruce thought of General Ross, and how very useful having Fury owe him a favor could be in the future.

Then he thought of how much more he did not want to become entangled with the mess that was SHIELD. Possibly he was more cynical about it because he tagged along on Tony’s regular forays into SHIELD’s databases.“Why?” It was a reasonable question. Why would anyone want Loki here? For all his relative youth, he had wreaked havoc, upon Clint in particular.“’There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’ Strategically, it’s a good play, Banner. For you, for the Avengers, for Earth.”That was a hell of a guilt trip. Bruce simply hung up on the call and handed the phone back to Phil.

About the same time as he’d come to some kind of terms with the Other Guy, he’d stopped letting other people guilt trip him. Instead, he looked at Loki, sitting on the floor, wedged into the corner of the sofa while the grownups talked around him as if he wasn’t there.Clint watched Loki with an odd combination of anger and sorrow. Bruce wondered how much of Loki’s mind Clint had shared.Picking up his mug of tea, Bruce asked, “Clint, come help me check the muffins?”Looking at him, Clint nodded. Tasha sat on the sofa, staring at Loki, who was still curled up in the corner with his head on his knees.After detouring so Clint could snag a small cup of coffee from Bucky and Steve, they moved down the hall to Tony’s rarely used study. Darkened from the spring storm, it held a massive desk, a heavy Persian carpet, and a low-slung leather sofa. Clint shut the door behind them, and the sounds from the living room stopped entirely. Soundproofed, then.Sitting on the sofa, Bruce looked at Clint’s shuttered expression and sighed.

“I won’t do this if it makes you uncomfortable.”Clint shook his head and walked to the window, taking the long view. Silence rested easily between them, and Bruce waited for Clint.

Sometimes, he knew, Clint just needed a minute.Clint took a sip of coffee. “Thor is a good brother.”Others may have seen this as a non sequitur, but Bruce knew it to be the heart of the matter. “He seems to be, yes.”Idly, Bruce wondered what it would have been like to have a good sibling. Someone who fought for you, who’d go up against a shitty parent, and be a safe place.Almost inaudibly, Clint said, “I’m lucky.”From some perspectives, Bruce agreed.

Tasha and Phil had Clint’s back, as did the rest of the Avengers. While Bruce wasn’t exactly fond of the Other Guy, just thinking of anyone hurting Clint made a green glaze slide over his vision.

Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself that Clint was safe and sound in front of him.“Still, Loki’s got two parents, and Thor has interplanetary reach. Don’t hurt yourself for him.” This was advice that Bruce felt confident in giving.Finally, Clint turned to look at Bruce. The whole time, I knew he was hurting, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I mean, I’m not happy about what happened, but I don’t think he’s irredeemably evil, either.”Unspoken was the idea that Clint could do something about Loki now. Like Phil, Clint had a soft spot for wayward teens.“If Thor had anywhere else to stash Loki, he wouldn’t be here,” observed Bruce.Nodding, Clint said, “I vote we keep him, and maybe do better by him than the circus did by me.”Dipping his head, Bruce pushed himself out of the well-cushioned sofa. “You’re sure?”“Mm-hmm.

Are you sure?” Clint looked at him, and Bruce wondered what Clint saw.Shrugging, Bruce said, “It’s a small thing, I suppose. He’s mostly self-sufficient.”-Bruce paused in the doorway. Lit by side tables, wall sconces, and recessed lights, the living room glowed with light despite the rain outside. The aroma of baking blueberry muffins filled the air. Phil sat next to a blank-faced Tasha, his hands on his knees and his eyes on his phone. On Tasha’s other side, Pepper sat chatting softly with Thor, his hair burnished a rich, dark gold in the lamplight.

With his dark head down on his knees, Loki could almost have been asleep, save for the tension in his delicate frame. All the cookies were gone, and Tony stood with his arms folded, talking to a seated Steve, who had a mug of coffee in one hand and his shield on his arm. Clearly watching Steve’s six, Bucky stood at Steve’s back, while Clint perched on the arm of a sofa, watching them all.At his entrance, conversation slowly stopped. Loki looked up, expression wary.“We should talk,” suggested Phil, looking up from his phone.Bruce made eye contact with Thor, who nodded and said, “Loki.

With me.”Placing a hand on Loki’s shoulder, Thor guided him to the elevator. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Tony said, “Jarvis? All force authorized.”“Yes, Sir.” All the LEDs in the room blinked red, and then settled back to their normal resting state. Bruce raised an eyebrow and looked at Pepper, who shrugged.Clearing his throat, Clint said, “I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be held to the stupid shit I did when I was 17.”Blushing, Steve turned to look back at Bucky, who smirked and winked.

Some memories there, then.Phil looked at Clint and said evenly, “You didn’t start an interstellar war.”Shrugging, Clint replied, “Yeah, well, I wasn’t an Asgardian prince, either. I was a homeless runaway, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”Steve flinched and Bucky leaned into him, putting his hand on Steve’s shoulder.

Everyone knew Steve’s story, and it wasn’t pretty.“Bucky?” All the Avengers were protective of Bucky, but Tasha was the fiercest. Uncrossing her legs, she shifted on the sofa, looking back at him.“Same kind of red as my ledger, ain’t it?” Bucky’s Brooklyn came out when he was stressed. Fucking Hydra. It wasn’t even Bucky’s ledger, but he still felt as if they were his debts to pay.Sighing, Tasha looked at Phil.

“I cannot judge Loki for the wrongs I too have committed.”Nodding, Phil took her hand, a rarely permitted display of public affection. In that moment, Bruce was proud to call him friend.Bruce looked at Tony, who plopped down beside Pepper. “Fuck, why not?

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I’m pretty sure that by the time I was his age, I’d killed more people than he has. Wait a minute. Jarvis, in human terms, how old is Loki?”Jarvis ran through the calculations for them.

“Given that the Asgardian lifespan is around 5,000 years, Loki was born in approximately 945 A.D., and the average human lifespan is 72 years, Loki is not quite fifteen and a half in human terms.”Groaning, Tony banged his head against the sofa and said, “Fuck. He really is a runaway teenager with an identity crisis. Just what I always wanted.”Pepper cleared her throat. “I’ve been doing some work with the Maria Stark Foundation, and homeless underage teens are at an increased risk for sexual abuse and exploitation, addiction, discrimination, and in the long run, have lower levels of educational attainment. It’s more difficult for LGBTQ youth, who are approximately forty percent of homeless youth, despite being only five percent of the youth population.”“Have I mentioned how much I love you?” said Tony. Smiling, Bruce watched as Tony wrapped his arm around Pepper, holding her tight. Closing her eyes, Pepper turned her head and buried her face in his neck.

As far as Bruce could tell, Tony would do anything for Pepper, anything at all—and what Tony Stark could do was quite something.“Shall I let Fury know that we’re keeping him, then?” asked Phil, who’d somehow ended up with Clint under one arm and Tasha under the other.“I’d be grateful if you dealt with Fury, but keep this to only Fury. Not the rest of SHIELD,” ordered Steve. “Don’t we need paperwork?”“Mm, I was discussing that with Thor earlier,” said Pepper. Tony had scooped her up, putting her on his lap. Now she lay against his chest as she spoke.

“We’ll have Thor sign a power of attorney authorizing Bruce to make decisions regarding education, medical needs, and legal status. The only way Thor could persuade Odin to relent was that the Other Guy is one of the very few beings in the Nine Worlds capable of bringing Loki to heel. Loki will still need a passport and other papers.”Nodding, Phil tapped his phone. Thor and Loki were Asgardian princes, but Pepper had lawyers, accountants, and lobbyists. Bruce knew which one he’d put his money on, here on Earth.Already bored with the conversation, Tony was working one-handed on a holographic display. Bruce realized that Tony was adding Loki to the list of vital signs that Jarvis monitored at all times.“Jarvis, ask Thor to bring Loki back, please.” Tony’s voice was bored, but his arm tightened around Pepper.-“As a condition of Loki’s parole, he is to wear this,” said Thor, pointing at a slim, silver band on Loki’s wrist.

Loki stared off into the middle distance, ignoring them all. Clint and Tasha were sitting next to each other, talking softly while looking at something on Tasha’s phone. Steve and Bucky had moved into the kitchen, probably looking for a snack. Pepper was working on a tablet, still on Tony’s lap. The scents of the coffee and blueberry muffins filled the room.Tony glanced up.

“What does it do?”“Ah, it is hard to explain. Mother designed it for Banner’s safety, when he is in his original form.” Thor held out his own wrist, and with a motion that Bruce’s eyes couldn’t quite follow, took off a matching silver band. “I must adjust this one for Banner, since he doesn’t have seiðr.”Bruce pressed his lips together.

“I’m not in this form all the time.”“Oh, it will adjust with you.” Thor looked apologetic.“I hate magic,” muttered Tony, returning to his holographic display.Bruce held up his wrist, and Thor gently placed the silver band on it. A moment later, Loki’s heartbeat hung at the edge of his consciousness, and another schema overlaid his senses. Without understanding how he knew, Bruce could feel exactly where Loki was standing.“Well?” Tony was looking at him impatiently.“Ah, it’s like one of those electronic ankle bracelets, I think,” answered Bruce.“Ooh, fancy.” Tony rolled his eyes.With a serious expression, Thor said, “This will keep both Bruce and Loki safe. On Asgard, we use it for small children and the elderly, to connect them to a competent adult at all times.”Bruce took a deep breath.

“OK, let’s set down some ground rules. First, Loki, you will follow directions, both the spirit and the letter of the law.”Thor’s laughter boomed into the room. “You know him already!”Bruce winced, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Humiliated, Loki stared daggers at his brother.Begin as you mean to go on, Bruce told himself. “Keep your hands, feet, and other objects to yourself.”“What about training?” asked Steve. “Bruce, I think these muffins are finished.”“If they don’t stick to a toothpick, you can pull them out,” replied Bruce. Turning to Loki, he said, “We can adjust that rule to prevent yourself from immediate harm, but not future harm.

You’ll need to come to me for help in the long run, understand?”Sullenly, Loki nodded, but still refused to look at Bruce.Steve returned from the kitchen with the platter of muffins in one big hand and a mug of coffee in the other. His shield had been slung over his back.“You can come to all of us,” said Steve, handing a muffin to Bucky, and then another one to Loki, who stared for a moment before allowing Steve to place the blue tidbit in his hand. Steve took a bite of his muffin before settling himself on the sofa with a book, Bucky reading over his shoulder.“Yeah, nobody messes with us,” added Clint, still absorbed in Tasha’s phone.

Tasha nodded and took a muffin for them both.Grabbing a muffin for Pepper, and then one for himself, Tony nodded agreement without looking up from his holographic display.“Next, come prepared to work,” said Bruce, deliberately calm.“Work?” Loki looked horrified.“You’re to be my student, yes?” Bruce queried.Loki looked at Thor, who nodded.“I suppose,” came the grudging response.“Then you will work for me,” answered Bruce. “For example, Natasha makes a weekly meal plan. You may assist her. The aquaponics lab requires maintenance. We’ll figure it out as we go.”Without waiting for Loki’s response, he continued, “I’ll expect you to wait before speaking.”“What does that even mean?” Loki was dubious.“You’ll figure it out,” said Bruce.

He didn’t think this would be difficult for Loki, who’d shown little inclination towards random chatter.“Finally, I expect you to be courteous and respectful of others and yourself, both in the long term and in the short term.” Bruce eyed Loki’s comfort with Pepper’s clothing. “First lesson.

I use ‘he’ and ‘him’ as pronouns. What about you?”Loki was visibly confused. First nouns?”“When I use a pronoun for myself, I use ‘he’ and ‘him.’ For example, if Tony was asking Jarvis if I needed more saline solution for the lab, I might hear, ‘Bruce used his saline solution on the agar plates.’” Bruce stopped, unsure how to go on.

How well did Allspeak handle this? Did Asgardian even have pronouns?Holding the remains of her muffin, Pepper jumped in to help.

“My pronouns are “she” and “her,” but some people use “they” and “them” for both the plural and singular. It’s common to use “they” when you don’t know the gender of the person you’re talking about, but we also consider asking for someone’s pronouns to be basic manners.”Wide-eyed, Loki looked at the ground and scowled.Bruce frowned at Thor. “No one ever asked?”Looking helpless, Thor tipped his head to the side and shrugged. “Tis a Midgardian custom.”“Well, no answer is needed right now. In my experience, those rules should cover all the main situations.”Shaking his head, Thor asked, “Do you require anything else?

While I was downstairs, Jarvis helped me contact my lady Jane, and I thought to go to her.”Bruce looked at Loki, who looked a bit sick. “I think I’ve got it from here.”“Farewell, brother.” With a quick pat on Loki’s shoulder, Thor stepped outside, Mjolnir at the ready.Outside, the rain had stopped, and the predicted sunny afternoon was returning. Watching from the corner of his eye, Bruce saw Loki take a tentative bite from the blueberry muffin. Eyes widened, Loki flicked a glance in Bruce's direction.

Smiling, Bruce focused his attention on his tablet. Around him, the permanent inhabitants of the Tower sprawled across Tony and Pepper's living room, nibbling on their own sweets.