LIGHTNING STORM |b. barnes| [2]

CHAPTER 05

ANANYA WENT TO take a shower while Steve went to go talk to Banner and Stark. She changed into another catsuit before making her way to the lab. She found everyone in the room and the air in the room was tense,

"I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction." Banner stated and Fury pointed at Thor,

"Because of him."

Thor looked stunned, "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." Fury stated,

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet." Thor replied,

"But you're not the only people out there, are you?" Fury asked, "And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled."

"Like you controlled the cube?" Steve asked,

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war." Thor said,

"A higher form?" Ana questioned, stepping next to her friend,

"You forced our hand. We had to come up with something." Fury said,

"Nuclear deterrent. 'Cause that always calms everything right down." Tony joked and Fury turned towards him,

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?"

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck deep-" Steve started before Tony held up his hand and interrupted him, "Wait! Wait! Hold on! How is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve replied and Ana smirked at the comeback that he made,

"I thought humans were more evolved than this." Thor stated,

"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury asked the Asgardian,

"Did you always give your champions such mistrust?" Thor shot back,

"Are you all really that naive? S.H.I.E.L.D monitors potential threat potential threats." Natasha stated and Ana stepped aside to get away from the headaches in the middle of the room.

As the 'team' argued, they didn't realize the blue gem on Loki's scepter was glowing brightly. "It's his M.O., isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team?" Banner questioned, "No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're... we're a time-bomb."

"You need to step away." Ana stated, walking towards Bruce,

Tony placed his arm around Steve, "Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?"

Steve pushed him off, "You know damn well why! Back off!"

He stepped closer to Steve, "Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me."

The two were face to face, "Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?" Steve asked,

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." Tony smirked,

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you." Steve stated, "Yeah, I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I would just cut the wire." Tony stated,

Steve smiled, "Always a way out...You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"A hero? Like you?" Tony questioned, "You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!"

"Hey!" Jacqueline went to show Tony a piece of her mind when Ana held her back, shaking her head at the girl to tell her not to get involved. They didn't need her to loose control and turn this ship into a freezer.

Steve puffed out his chest at Tony, who just stood there, unmoving, "Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds."

They were like birds, trying to make each other seem bigger, more threatening. And Ana was having enough.

Thor laughed at the two, "You people are so petty... and tiny."

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr. Banner back to his-" Fury began but Bruce interrupted,

"Where? You rented my room."

Fury sighed before turning towards the scientist, "The cell was just in case-"

"In case you needed to kill me, but you can't! I know! I tried!" He yelled and everyone watched him with shock and some with sadness. Bruce took off his glasses, "I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out! So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!" Banner slowly got upset as he looked at Natasha, "You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?" He asked as he gripped the scepter,

Natasha, Fury, and Ana had their hands on their guns, but didn't take them out of their holster, "Doctor Banner... put down the scepter." Steve said,

Bruce looked down and was shocked when he saw the scepter in his hands. The computer beeped and they all turn towards it. Banner put down the scepter and walked over to the computer, "Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my little party trick after all." He said as he put his glasses back on.

"Located the Tesseract?" Thor asked,

"I can get there faster." Tony stated,

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard, no human is a match for it." Thor said,

Tony turned to leave, but Steve stopped him, "You're not going alone!"

"You gonna stop me?" Tony asked,

"Put on the suit, let's find out." Steve replied, stepping closer to the genius,

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

"Put on the suit." Steve growled,

"Guys, this isn't the time."

"Oh, my God." Ana turned towards Banner with furrowed eyebrows,

"What's wrong, Doctor?" She asked before there was an explosion,

Everyone was thrown in every direction. Steve, Jacqueline, Ana, Fury, Thor, and Tony were thrown to the ground while Natasha and Banner were down in the lower equipment room.

Steve looked up at Tony, "Put on the suit!"

"Yep!"