Bruce

"See? Candyland. I told you so." Tony proclaims triumphantly as I follow him into one of the many labs of Stark Tower on my guided tour of my new home.

Yes, home. Tony – after a few weeks of incessant whining, pleading, poking, and shocking – had convinced me to come and stay with him at Stark tower. And, I had to admit, the place was really nice. Top of the line equipment, heated tile, exotic foods…

"Bruce?"

I jump slightly and look at Tony, who is standing in the middle of the lab, leaning against one of the tables, and looking at me strangely.

"Anyone home up there? I've called your name like five times."

"Oh." I rub the back of my neck uneasily. "Sorry about that…"

He just shrugs. "No problem, big guy. Now, as I was saying, you don't have any problem with teenagers do you?"

"Depends on the kid." I narrow my eyes at him. "Why?"

I get no response, Tony just continues across the lab like he didn't hear a word I just said. I sigh and follow him to the other door, leading to another part of the tower, when a detail stops me in my tracks.

One of the tables near the door is cluttered with papers, tools, wires, and scraps, all around an open and running laptop, showing coding and graphs onscreen. It definitely looked used, that's for sure.

"Bruce? Are you coming-" Tony starts to ask when he notices I've stopped, then he turns and sees me staring at the workspace. He then shoves his hands in his pockets and sighs, like he's expecting – anticipating – whatever I'm about to say.

"Is this yours?" I wave a hand towards the table.

"No." he replies, unusually clipped and brief.

"Okay…will, if not yours and obviously not mine, then who…?"

He sighs again. "Jarvis, can you call up Taylor please?"

"At once, sir."

I jump at the sophisticated British voice emitting from the ceiling.

"That's just Jarvis." Tony explains, smirking slightly at my reaction. "He runs the house. He's my AI, my second greatest creation."

"What could be greater than an AI?" I wonder aloud, but Tony ignores that question too, instead opting to look at something past me.

"You called?"

I jump – again – and turn to see a teenage girl casually standing in the doorway, wearing a white t-shirt covered with a plaid over shirt and a pair of light wash jeans and a pair of black sneakers, headphones slung around her neck.

"I did." Tony answers her question. "Taylor, this is Doctor Bruce Banner, your new housemate."

Housemate?

"Ah, Doctor Banner." she greets my in a similar manner to Tony, hand extended. "Nice to meet you. Big fan of both your work and your lean, mean, green machine of an alter ego."

"Uh…thanks?" I reply unsure as we shake hands and she steps back to stand next to Tony.

Tony sighs. "So…introductions. Taylor, meet Doctor Bruce Banner, aka Hulk – sorry, the Other Guy. Bruce, meet Taylor…Stark. Taylor Stark, my fourteen year old daughter."

My jaw drops, although it really should have been more obvious, looking at the similarities between the two. Same brunette hair, same casual air, same genius twinkle in their eyes. Although, her eyes are blue while his are a hazel-ish color.

"So that's why you asked if I liked teens."

"Yep." he nods. "That's her station," he nods towards the table I had noticed earlier. "Speaking of, I think your diagnostics are almost done." he reminds Taylor, who nods and jogs over to the table, focusing entirely on the laptop.

"So…you're a dad?" I turn to Tony as he walks back over to me.

"Yep. Since May 30th, 1999."

I hum and nod slowly. "If you don't mind me asking…the mother?"

He winces. "A sore subject."

"Right, right. Sorry." I backpedal quickly. "So, how are you on the father front?"

He points at Taylor, who is now sitting with her feet propped on the desk. "Taylor Stark: second smartest person in the world, MIT sophomore, and a really fast hacker. At fourteen years old."

I nod with a grin. "I expected no less."

"Also," he adds, "Iron Beta: teenage superhero and my sidekick."

"Hey!" she protests. "I heard that. I am no one's sidekick."

"Yes you are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are – I am not doing this with you."

She laughs and turns back to her computer. "I won."

He just rolls his eyes and turns back to me. "Hope you don't mind me not mentioning this."

I shake my head. "No, not at all. I understand. Plus, it never really came up in conversation. "Like, 'hey, a maniac alien god is taking over Manhattan, we need to save the world, and oh by the way I have a daughter.'"

Both Starks almost fall over laughing, and soon I join in.

I said I like teenagers depending on the kid.

I think Taylor Stark and I will get along just fine.