The Invincible Girl and The Giant Green Rage Monster.

I Don't Get A Suit of Armour

“The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig’s reports of the Tesseract. But it’s going to take weeks to get it all processed.” Bruce said. I was sat on a step, not really listening to them as the went on but tuning in when Bruce started talking again. “All I packed was a toothbrush.” he laughed softly.

“You know, you should come by Stark towers sometime, top ten floors all R&D, you’d love it, its candy land.” Tony said. I rolled my eyes at him. 

“Thanks but last time I was in New York I kind of broke… Harlem.”

“Well, I promise a stress free environment. No tension, no surprises.” Tony said and stuck him right in the side with a zapper. 

“Tony!” I scolded. 

“Ow!”

“Are you nuts?” Steve asked Tony harshly as he walked into the room. 

“Jury’s out.” I mumbled, scrolling through my phone for some music. 

“You really have got a lid on it, haven’t you? What’s your secret? Mello jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed?” Tony questioned, ignoring Steve. 

“Is everything a joke to you?” Steve asked him. 

“Yes.” I mumbled. 

“Funny things are.” Tony said smartly

“Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn’t funny.”

“No offense, doc.” Captain said. I rolled my eyes, I hate when people say ‘no offense’ because it’s inevitably follow by an offensive remark.

“It’s alright. I wouldn’t have come aboard if I couldn’t handle pointy things.”

“You’re tiptoeing, big man, you need to strut.” Tony told Bruce. 

“You’re talking, Tony, and you shouldn’t be.” I mumbled. 

“And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark.”

“You think I’m not?” Tony asked defensively. I decided I didn’t want to hear the conversation about how Tony hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D’s private files and tried tuning them out but their voices got louder. Everybody knows the saying ‘If you cant beat them join them,’ so I got up and walked over to stand by Bruce. 

“Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What  isn’t he telling us? I can’t do the equation unless I have all the variables.”

“You think Fury’s hiding something?”

“He’s a spy. Captain, he’s the spy, his secrets have secrets. It’s bugging him too, isn’t it?” 

“Uhh… Ummm…I… I just want to finish my work here and-” 

“Doctor?” Steve interrupted. Bruce sighed and took off his glasses.

“A warm light for all mankind, Loki’s jab at Fury about the cube.”

“I heard it.” 

“Well, I think that was meant for you two.” Bruce said, pointing at Tony and I, Tony offered him a blueberry. Bruce got a handful and held out his hand so I could have some too. “Even if Barton didn’t tell Loki about the tower it was still all over the news.”

“The Stark tower? That big ugly -” Captain stopped right there as Tony shot him a glance and I giggled. “building in New York?”

“It’s powered by an arc reactor, self sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for, what, a year?” Bruce asked, looking between Tony and I.

“It’s just a prototype.” Tony told him. “We’re kinda the only name in clean energy right now, that’s what he’s getting at.” Tony said to the captain, who looked very confused. 

“So why did S.H.I.E.L.D bring him in on the Tesseract project? I mean, what are they doing in the energy business in the first place?”

“I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into all of S.H.I.E.L.D’s  secure files.” Tony said nonchalantly.  Then Captain got his panties in a twist. 

“I’m sorry, did you say-”

“Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge. In a few hours I’ll know every dirty secret S.H.I.E.L.D has tried to hide. Blueberry?”

“Yet, you’re confused about why they didn’t want you around?”

“An intelligence organization that fears intelligence? Historically not awesome.”

“I think Loki’s trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war and if we don’t stay focused he’ll succeed. We have orders, we should follow them.” 

“Following’s not really my style.”

“And you’re all about style aren’t you?” 

“Of the people in this room which one is, a, wearing a spangly  outfit, and ,b, not of use?”

“Alright, ladies, you’re both pretty.” I groaned and pulled Tony back a little. I could see Bruce trying not to laugh and he started talking. 

“Steve, tell me none of this smells funky to you.” Bruce said. Captain swallowed hard and started walking away. 

“Just find the cube.” he said and closed the door to the lab. 

“That’s the guy dad never shut up about?” Tony asked me. “I’m wondering if they shouldn’t have kept him on ice.” 

“Tony he’s a nice guy.” 

“Yea. ‘And you need to focus on the problem,  Mr. Stark.’” he mocked. 

“Tony…” 

“Sara…” he mocked me.

“Bruce.” Bruce piped in. I laughed at him and he laughed a little more, then Tony made a heart with his hands and looked at Bruce and I through it and made a really stupid face… so I flicked him off because the truth is, it’s starting to become true. “But the guy isn’t wrong about Loki. He does have a jump on us.”

“What he’s got is and Acme dynamite, kit. It’s gunna blow up in his face and I’m going to be there when it does.” 

“Yep, I’ll read all about it.”

“Mhm, or you’ll be suiting up with the rest of us.” 

Bruce laughed softly. “Nah, you see,  I don’t get a suit of armor. I’m exposed, like a nerve. It’s a nightmare.”

“You know, I’ve go a cluster shrapnel, trying every second to crawl it’s way into my heart. This,” he said tapping the arc reactor in his chest, “stops it. This little circle of light, it’s part of me now. It’s not just armor. It’s a terrible privilege.”

“But you can control it.” 

“Because I learned how.”

“It’s different.”

“Hey.” Tony said,  wiping the screen to clear all Bruce’s tabs. “I read all about your accident. That much gamma exposure should’ve killed you.”

“So are you saying that the Hulk… the other guy saved my life? That’s nice… that’s a nice sentiment, saved it for… what?”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

“You may not enjoy that.”

“You just might.” Tony said.