Ghostwalker ▷ b. barnes [2]

vii. stark-spangled-banner

SAM CROSSED THE ROOM AND STAMPED DOWN hard on Fury's foot. He swore and stumbled back and she glared at him darkly, forcing herself to hold back a few choice words.

"Clarence, if you would just—"

"We're trying to find the Tesseract to save lives, but you want it to make weapons?" She clenched her fists, then unclenched them, stepping back. "I have about as little regard for you right now as I do Loki."

"The computers were moving a little slow." Steve glanced toward Tony. "Though Sam had already found out.

"I do like a woman with brains."

"Clarence, Rogers..." Fury shook his head. "We gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're—"

"I'm sorry," Tony cut him off, turning the computer screen toward them. "What were you lying?"

On it were dozens of detailed plans, all retracing back to the Tesseract as a power source for each and every weapon she'd seen. Rage crashed over her and Sam swore.

"Liar."

"I was wrong, director," Steve growled. "The world hasn't changed a bit."

Before he could answer, the doors slid open and both Thor and Natasha walked in. Bruce swung toward the red-haired agent, his eyes flashing. "Did you know about this?"

"You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?"

Laughing humorlessly, Bruce shook his head. He ran a hand through his hair, looking mistrustfully at her. "I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed."

"Loki's manipulating you."

"And you've been doing what, exactly?"

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy." He turned toward Fury. "I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."

"Hydra weapons, no less." Sam snarled. "Weapons that good people fought and died for to keep from being used on the public. But no, please make more."

Fury's face tightened and he glanced between them, before turning toward Thor. "Because of him."

The god looked taken off guard. "Me?"

"Last year earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet!"

"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat." He glared at Sam. "The world's filling up with people who can't be matched. They can't be controlled."