The Avengers aircraft landed at the Avengers tower in New York where Clint was taken by Dr. Cho to have his wounds tended to.
Hill walked up to Tony and said, "Lab's all set up, boss."
Tony pointed to Steve and Bucky. "Uh, actually, he's the boss and he's his second. I just pay for everything, and design everything and make everyone look cooler."
"What's the word on Strucker?" Steve asked.
"NATO's got him," Hill replied.
"The two enhanced?" Steve and Bucky questioned.
"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins. Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building. Sokovia's had a rough history. It's nowhere special but it's on the way to everywhere special."
"Their abilities?"
"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neural electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation." Steve and Bucky looked at her oddly, and she rephrased the statement so they could understand. "He's fast and she's weird."
"Well, they're going to show up again," Steve said.
"Agreed. File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments. It's nuts."
"Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?"
"We're not at war, Captain."
"They are," Steve and Bucky replied.
BANNER'S LAB
Bruce, referring to Clint, asked, "How's he doing?"
"Oh, unfortunately, he's still Barton," Tony replied.
"That's terrible."
"He's fine. He's thirsty." He walked over to the computers. "All right. Look alive, JARVIS. It's play time. We've only got a couple days with this joystick so let's make the most of it. Update me on the structural and compositional analysis."
"The scepter is alien," JARVIS informed. "There are elements I can't quantify."
"So there's elements you can."
"The jewel appears to be a protective housing for something inside. Something powerful."
"Like a reactor?"
"Like a computer. I believe I'm deciphering code."
Natasha asked Dr. Cho as she tended to Clint's wounds, "You sure he's going to be okay? Pretending to need this guy really brings the team together."
"There's no possibility of deterioration. The nano-molecular functionality is instantaneous. His cells don't know they're bonding with simulacrum."
"She's creating tissue," Bruce explained.
"If you brought him to my lab, the regeneration Cradle could do this in twenty minutes."
"Oh, he's flatlining," Tony commented. "Call it. Time?"
"No, no, no," Clint argued. "I'm going to live forever. I'm gonna be made of plastic."
Tony handed Clint a drink. "Here's your beverage."
"You'll be made of you, Mr. Barton," Dr. Cho told him. "Your own girlfriend won't be able to tell the difference."
"Well, I don't have a girlfriend," Clint said.
"That I can't fix. This is the next thing, Tony. Your clunky metal suits are going to be left in the dust."
"Well, that is exactly the plan," Tony replied. "And Helen, I expect to see you at the party on Saturday."
YOU ARE READING
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ActionFlora is on the run, trying to escape her past while struggling to remember who she is. Midway through, she is joined by one who may know her better than herself; at least for the time being. An AI, created to better the world, turns against the m...
