Live to Rise (Avengers Bruce Banner Fanfiction)

Chapter 13

"Here." I says and hand Bruce the energy scanner. He scans the blue power source of the staff. "It looks a lot like the cube to me. Couldn't it be of the same elemental design?" I ask

"Yes. The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports of the Tessaract." He tells me. "But it's going to take weeks to process."

"If we bypass their mainframe in a direct route to the homer cluster we can click this at around 600 teraflops." Tony says as he works his own computer.

"Dang. That like what a million million floating point operations a second?" I ask astounded.

Tony just nods. Bruce laughs. "All I packed was a toothbrush." He says referring to all of Tony's gadgets.

Tony minimizes his pages and walks over to us. "You know you should come by Stark Tower sometime." He says to Bruce. "Top ten floors all R&D. You'd love it it's Candy Land."

"Thanks but the last time I was in New York I..." Bruce looks up at his computer and back to his papers. "I kind of broke.. Harlem."

"Well I promise a stress free environment." Tony says and moves around Bruce to his other side. "No tension. No surprises." He says and zaps Bruce in the side.

"Ow!" Bruce and I both jump and complain.

Tony ignores me and looks at Bruce. "Nothing?" He ask.

"Do that again an ill punch you." I tell Tony.

The both look over at me. "What you felt that?" Tony asks.

"Yes I did." I tell him.

Tony reaches across the table and zaps my arm. No reaction from me but Bruce jumps again. "Cut it out!" He tells Tony.

"Hey!" we hear from the hall. "Are you nuts?" Steve walks in and asks.

"Jury's out." Tony tells him before turning to Bruce. "You really have got a lid on it haven't you? What's you're secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed?" I feel Bruce's amusement and I chuckle under my breath.

"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve asks and I feel busted until I look over to see he's asking Tony.

"Funny things are." Tony tells him.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny." Steve says.

"He's fine." I growl.

"No offense Doc." Steve adds.

"Nah it's all right. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things." He says.

"You're tiptoeing big man. You need to strut." Tony tells Bruce.

"And you need to focus on the problem Mr Stark." Steve says annoyance laced in his voice.

Tony looks at him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you think I'm not? Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before?" Tony asks lacing the curiosity in our minds. "What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation without all the variables." Tony tells him.

"You think Fury is hiding something?" Steve asks.

"Everytime I touch Fury there is a piece of his mind shielded from me." I tell Steve.

"Exactly!" Tony says. "See Fury is a spy. Captain he's 'The' spy. His secrets have secrets. It's bugging him too. Isn't it?" He asks Bruce since I've already pointed out that it's bugging me.

"Uhh......" Bruce says and moves his hands like its not his business. Probably not wanting to start a argument. "I just want I finish my work here and..."

Steve cut him off. "Doctor?"

Bruce sighs and take off his glasses. "A warm light for all mankind." He says quoting Loki. "Loki's jab at Fury about the cube."

Steve nods. "I heard it."

"Well." Bruce says and gestures to Tony. "Well I think that was meant for you."

Tony gives Bruce a handful of blueberries and Bruce continues. "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news." I gesture for tony to give me some and he pours a few in my hand.

"What the Stark Tower? That big ugly.." Tony give Steve a look and he continues. "Building in New York?"

"Nice bitch face." I tell Tony and he gives me more blueberries.

"Its powered by an arc reactor, self-sustaining energy source." Bruce tells Steve then looks to Tony. "That building will run itself for what a year?"

Tony shrugs. "It's just the prototype." He tells before turning at Steve. "I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now. That's what he's getting at."

"So why did SHIELD bring him in on the Tesseract project?" Bruce asks.

"Sounds like they're trying to harness the energy to me." I say.

"What're they doing in the energy business in the first place?" Bruce asks me.

"I can only think of one reason military want energy." I say.

"I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into al of SHIELDS secure files." Tony says.

"So that's what you were doing in the main control room." I say and high five Tony.

"I'm sorry. Did you just say-" Steve tries but Tony Interrupts him.

"Jarvis has been running since I hit the bridge. In a few hours I'll know every dirty secret SHIELD has ever tried to hide." Tony says seriously. "Blueberry?" He offers Steve.

"Yet you're confused about why they don't want you around." Steve says angrily.

"We are a lot less trusting a generation than yours Steve." I tell him.

"Really. I mean and intelligence organization that fears intelligence? Historically not awesome." Tony tells Steve.

"I think Loki is just trying to wind us up." Steve says. "This is a man who means to start a war and if we don't stay focused he will succeed. We have orders. We should follow them."

"Following is not really my style." Tony tells Steve as he continues to eat blueberries.

"You're all about style aren't you?" Steve says and I can feel tension rising.

"Of the people in this room which one is A, wearing a spangly out fit, and B, not of use?" Tony asks him.

"Steve tell me non of this smells a little funky to you." Bruce says.

"Just find the cube." Steve says and walks out.

I sigh. "I'll be back." I tell them and follow Steve out jogging to catch up to him.

"Hey!" I complain and Steve waist for me to catch up. "I can feel it. You know something is wrong here." I say.

"As much as I hate to admit it they're right. Why did they have the cube in the first place. What in the world did they want it for?" Steve asks.

I smile. "So I take it you're going to do a little of your own digging?" He nods. "Can I come?" I ask.

"Stay with Banner. Do you're job here." Steve says and begins to walk away.

"You have to stop treating him like a monster Steve." I call after him.

He stops and turns to me. "I don't-" I cut him off.

"You walk on egg shells when you're around him. Always careful of what to say and what you do. That makes him feel like a monster in you're eyes. You've got to stop. He has it under control. He doesn't even really need my help. He does it all on his own. Just treat him like a human." I tell Steve before turning and walking back to the lab.