1.3

"Well, let me know if 'Real Power' wants a magazine, or something."

I silently watched the small screen on the table. Loki seemed to meet my eye just before the screen disappeared entirely, and I shook my head before leaning back and glancing at everyone else.

Since our little run-in with Thor, the five of us had made it to something that S.H.I.E.L.D. called the Helecarrier; it's like a helicopter-type thing that doubles as an airbase. I separated from the men to get myself patched up, and I was officially introduced to Natasha, a man named Phil Coulson, and Director Fury.

Natasha was pretty intimidating, but she also gave off major big-sister vibes. I thought about asking at one point if she had any siblings, but I decided against it, not wanting to cross any lines. All in all, she seemed like a nice woman, and someone I could trust in, and out, of a fight.

Phil seemed like a decent man as well. He was nice enough, and he was more considerate than I would expect from a "secret" government official.

Fury, I didn't know how to feel about, yet. In a way, he was everything I was expecting; he was serious, he was intimidating, he was organized, and he was a man that would do whatever it takes to get things done. However, there was just something about him that gave me a feeling. I could just tell that he had a big heart, and that heart was what probably drove him to these lengths; he wasn't in this job for the power and influence, he was here because he believed in his mission. Regardless of my opinions, or what he was actually like, I had an instant respect for him.

Anyway, I shook my head after watching Loki get locked up, leaning back and glancing at everyone else to gauge their reactions.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?"

I glanced to my right, crossing my arms as I looked at Dr. Bruce Banner. I hadn't had the chance to really introduce myself yet, so I gave him a visual once-over. He was leaning on his arms, against the back of his chair, standing behind it. His clothing was simple, yet professional in its own right. His glasses were spotless and his hair was brushed back. He seemed confident, but I could also see that he was tense. He was, obviously, an introvert in an extrovert's world at the moment; he looked like he was on edge every second, despite his air of courageousness.

I filed away my thoughts as Steve propelled the conversation forward from his seat on my left.

"Loki's gonna drag this out." He leaned back comfortably, tapping a finger on the table. "So, Thor, what's his play?"

Those of us at the table (Steve, Dr. Banner, Natasha, and myself) looked to Thor. He was standing on the other side of the table and, after finding out we were with S.H.I.E.L.D., he had relaxed considerably, crossing his arms loosely and any fury in his expression long since replaced with contemplation.

"He has an army called the Chitauri," He began, turning to face us. "They're not of Asgard, nor any world known." He dropped his arms, meeting each of our eyes in turn. "He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army..." Steve spoke, disbelief coating every word. "From outer space..."

"So," Dr. Banner removed his glasses, fidgeting with them. "he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" Thor's face, although primarily as serious as before, flooded with confusion and concern.

I adjusted my position in my seat. "You know him?"

"He's an astrophysicist."

Dr. Banner told me who he was, but I was more interested in Thor's response when he met my eyes. I saw them fill with even more concern, and his confusion was replaced with worry.

"He's a friend."

I slowly nodded, silently giving him my condolences.

"Loki has him under some kind of spell," Natasha spoke up from her corner, leaning against the table and gripping her elbows tightly. She heaved an inconspicuous sigh. "as well as one of ours."

She turned her face away from us, but I could see her grief in the way her shoulders rose and tensed up.

'So Loki's taken someone from her, too....'

"I want to know why Loki let us take him," Steve said, his gaze remaining on Thor. "He's not leading an army from here."

Dr. Banner shook his head. "I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You could smell crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak." Thor's voice rang out with a sense of authority, evenly laced with defensiveness. "Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother."

Just as I was about to make a comment, Natasha gave him a deadpan expression and said, her voice monotone, "He killed eighty people in two days."

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed.

Thor drummed his fingers on his legs for a moment. "He's adopted."

'He's adopted? That's his excuse for his brother's killings?'

Any seriousness that I had in that moment vanished at the god's defense. I snorted, slapping a hand over my mouth. Everyone turned to look at me with a mixture of disappointment, confusion, and disgust at my behavior - even some of the operatives scattered across the bridge did the same. I left my hand there, attempting to stifle my giggles, and waved my other hand in a sign to continue.

"I'm sorry!" I forced out through chuckles. "Keep going."

It was silent for a moment more, thankfully just short enough for me to get control of myself again, before Dr. Banner spoke up once more.

"I think it's about the mechanics. Iridium..."

I glanced at the nearest door, noting that Tony was walking in our direction with Phil and a group of operatives behind him. He looked like he was in his element, surrounded by important-looking people and in a suit that made him look good. Overall, he looked confident and comfortable.

"What do they need the iriduim for?" Dr. Banner finished his thought.

I didn't look away from Tony, mutely watching as he waltzed into the room and proudly answered Dr. Banner's question as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

"It's a stabilizing agent," He said, slowly walking around our table and meeting our collective gaze. "It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D."

He paused to glance at Thor, specifically. "No hard feelings, Point Break."

I found myself snickering again.

"You've got a mean swing."

Tony patted Thor's bare arm, causing Thor to look down at his muscles in confusion. I had to cover my mouth again at the action, and Tony looked back at me with a wink. I shook my head, rolling my eyes at him.

"Also," Tony continued, making his way towards Fury's station above the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the bridge. "it means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants."

He paused to look over the scattered agents and Fury's various screens. "Raise the mizzenmast."

I snorted, leaning over the table.

"Jib the topsails."

I glanced at the agents as they turned to Tony in incredulity, and I had to turn away to calm myself down.

"That man is playing Galaga!"

I turned back to him in disbelief as he pointed into the crowd of agents, a wide grin on my face.

"He thought we wouldn't notice, but we did."

I glanced back and forth between Tony and the area he was pointing at. Driven purely by curiosity and my childish nature, I stood from my seat and did a mini-jog to stand at his side.

"Really?" I asked him, leaning on Fury's side rail and looking towards where Tony had pointed. "Which guy?"

He glanced down at me. Then he placed a hand on my shoulder as he leaned down, pointing at the agent once more.

"That one, right there."

I knew exactly how close he was. I didn't know if this was a purposeful move on his part or not, but I wasn't going to react to it either way. I ignored the closeness, and I ignored Steve's scoff from behind us. I just watched as "Agent Galaga" caught my eye, hurriedly paused his game and minimizing the screen.

I pouted childishly as I straightened up. "Dude, no fair!" I turned around, leaning back against the side rail and looking at Tony jerking my thumb over my shoulder at the agent. "Nice high score, though. I'll give him that."

He gave me a simple nod in response to my comment, not saying anything.

Then he turned to Fury's screens. He glanced over them. He furrowed his eyebrows. He covered his left eye with his hand, and he looked back at the screens.

"How does Fury even see these?" He asked, lowering his hand to compare the view.

"He turns," A nearby agent, Maria Hill, answered him.

"Sound exhausting." He did a complete one-eighty as he looked at Agent Hill, then the team, then me, then the screens once more. "The rest of the raw materials," He started tapping on the screens as he continued his previous thought, browsing through the controls. "Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source of high-energy density."

I watched in silence, hiding any reaction, as Tony placed a small disk underneath the last monitor. The disk was as big around as the pad of his index finger, and it expanded a mere centimetre as it adhered itself to the metal. Tony continued, snapping his fingers and clapping as if he hadn't done anything out of the ordinary.

"Something to kick-start the Cube," He finished.

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Agent Hill asked.

He looked back at the woman, straight-faced. "Last night." He glanced around at the rest of the team when none of us said a word. "The packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?"

I rolled my eyes as he raised his arms dramatically, and I raised my hand as if I were in a classroom. "I wanted to, but half of the time I was driving, and the other half I was clinging to you for dear life as you flew us to Germany with your suit."

He turned to me, pointing a finger in my direction. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked, cutting Tony off.

"He'd have to heat the Cube to 120-million kelvin," Dr. Banner began his answer, fiddling with his glasses in thought as he paced. "just to break through the Coulomb barrier."

Tony made a face, shrugging his shoulders in acknowledgment of Dr. Banner's knowledge of the Cube. He continued the discussion, countering the Doctor's claim with, "Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect."

"Well," Dr. Banner began, all of us watching as Tony walked towards the scientist at a comfortable pace. "if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally, someone who speaks English!" Tony exclaimed, extending his arm towards the Doctor as he looked at the rest of us in mock disappointment.

"Is that what just happened?"

Steve glanced at the rest of us, and I couldn't help the image of a confused puppy from popping into my head.

I shook my head at the image, turning back to the geeks as they shook hands. I began walking in their direction, aiming to sit back in my previous chair.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on antielectron collisions is unparalleled," Tony greeted the man sincerely, shaking his hand firmly. "And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster."

I would have choked if I had been drinking anything. I froze in my spot with my hand propped on my seat, sending Tony an incredulous, affronted glance. But, of course, he didn't see it.

Dr. Banner pursed his lips, awkwardly glancing at the ground for a moment before meeting Tony's steady gaze. "Thanks."

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the Cube."

I looked back to the hallway Tony had entered through, watching as Fury entered the Bridge and gave his statement with an unquestionable finality.

"I was hoping you might join him," Fury added, causing the two scientists to glance at each other - Dr. Banner in apprehension and Tony in calm anticipation.

"I would start with that stick of his," Steve advised, twisting a bit in his chair. "It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon."

I quirked an eyebrow at the name. I'd never heard of HYDRA in my life.

I opened my mouth to ask about it, but Fury beat me to speaking, saying, "I don't know about that, but it is powered by the Cube. And I would like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

I was a bit put off at having information mentioned that I still knew nothing about, but I still smiled at the reference.

"Monkeys?"

I glanced at Thor; his confusion was obvious to anyone and everyone who looked at him.

"I do not understand," He said.

"I do!" Steve almost shouted, pointing at Thor and sitting up just a smidge straighter.

Steve's face, although holding a sense of seriousness, lit up at hearing something that he recognized. He looked around, noting everyone's silence, and he deflated a bit.

"I -- " He cleared his throat. "I understood that reference..."

I turned to glance at the captain, smiling a bit as I decided to humor him. "It was from The Wizard of Oz, right?"

He sent me a grateful, childish grin of his own. "Yeah."

I ignored the glance Tony sent our way, but I did turn to face him when he met Dr. Banner's eye.

"Shall we play, Doctor?" He asked.

The Doctor raised an arm towards a different hallway. "This way, sir."

I perked up a bit, my curiosity getting the best of me in that moment. I did a quick step-jog so that I stood next to Tony, and I gave them each a grin.

"You guys mind if I tag along?" I asked. "I'm no genious, but I catch on quick enough to follow the banter, and it's pretting interesting to listen to." I could sense their hesitation, and I could see Tony's raised eyebrow, so I quickly added, "I promise I'll stay out of your way!"

Dr. Banner didn't even have a chance to respond before Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I don't see a problem with that. Just don't touch anything that looks important."

I gave the men a thumbs-up. "Yes, sir!"

"And, please, call me 'Tony'."

"No, sir!"

And, with that, Dr. Banner rolled his eyes with a smile, leading us towards the lab.

----------------------------------

By some miracle, there was a single table in the Helecarrier's lab that was empty; I claimed it for myself. I had climbed on top of it, easily getting comfortable. I watched the two men work. I listened to their discussions, asking questions when I got curious. After a few hours, I found myself hugging my knees to my chest and leaning my back against the wall. I pulled my braids out, letting my hair fall around my face, and I looked out the window. It had gotten pretty late, and my constant yawning was a telling sign that we were probably edging on two or three in the morning.

"The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports of the Tesseract." Dr. Banner stood over a desk, running some kind of scanner over Loki's scepter. "But it's going to take weeks to process."

"If we bypass their mainframe and direct route to the Homer cluster we can clock this at around six-hundred teraflops," Tony replied.

I didn't move an inch, following Tony with my eyes; he tapped on a screen a couple times, and he began walking towards Dr. Banner with a scientific tool that I couldn't identify in hand. I flicked my eyes towards Dr. Banner once more as he chuckled.

"All I packed was a toothbrush."

Tony and I both chuckled at the comment.

"You know," Tony pointed at his fellow geek. "you should come by Stark Tower sometime. Top ten floors, all R&D. You'd love it, Doctor; it's Candy Land."

I yawned once more, sitting up and letting my legs dangle off the edge of the table. I ran a hand through my hair in an attempt to keep myself awake. I didn't even notice that Tony had stopped in front of me, and I snapped to attention as he placed his hand on my knee.

"You good, Sunshine?" He met my eye, a playful smirk on his face.

I took a quick breath, blinking a couple times. "Yep. I'm good. Definitely."

"You should probably get some sleep." Dr. Banner piped up from his station, looking over at the two of us in amusement and slight concern for me.

I waved a hand at the two. "Nah, I'll be fine for another hour or so. I like it in here."

Tony shrugged, giving my knee a gentle pat. "If you say so." He started walking towards Dr. Banner once more. "So, Doctor, what do you say?"

"Thanks," Dr. Banner began to address Tony's offer, not bothering to look him in the eye. "but the last time I was in New York, I kind of broke...." He paused. "Harlem...."

"Well, I promise a stress-free environment." Tony assured the man. "No tension, no surprises."

I had seen it coming a mile away, but I was too tired to care, and I had a feeling that Dr. Banner wouldn't care too much; I watched with a simple raise of an eyebrow as Tony poked Dr. Banner in the side with the tool he had picked up earlier. I heard a small staticky noise, and Dr. Banner flinched, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment.

"Ow!" He looked at Tony in disbelief, unprepared for both the sting of the electrical shock and for Tony to take "the Hulk" so flippantly.

Tony furrowed his eyebrows, smiling incredulously. "Nothing?"

Dr. Banner shook his head, an amused chuckle escaping his lips.

"Hey!"

My eyes furrowed in concern, and I instantly sat up straighter at Steve shouting through the lab door.

"Are you nuts?" He asked Tony, marching through the door like a man on a mission.

His entire body was tense. He seemed like he was walking into battle, and his expression was nothing pleasant. I pursed my lips, shooting my eyes back and forth between him and the scientists anxiously, knowing full well that he had seen Tony shock the Doctor.

"Jury's out." Tony's reply was short and sweet.

He turned back to Dr. Banner, ignoring Steve's, justified, frustration.

"You really have got a lid on it, haven't you?" He asked Dr. Banner. "What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed?"

I shook my head, chuckling at the list of possible prescriptions that Dr. Banner could have taken to stay himself. Dr. Banner did the same, and his smile told me that this approach to the Hulk was a nice change of pace for him.

Steve shook his head in disbelief at the exchange. "Is everything a joke to you two?" He looked between Tony and myself.

I knew it was coming at some point; it always does. He had a right to ask these questions, and I'll never say that his question was uncalled for. He was a trained soldier, and he was a man that took orders. Everything had its processes and its proper channels. He took important situations very seriously, and I understood that. My sister, Jessie, served in the Navy, and she was the same.

However, I'm not saying that Tony was in the wrong, either. He and I are similar in the sense that we cling to our jokes and our positive or sarcastic attitudes to get by. I chose to hold on to my childish nature; I chose a smile and a song over falling into the traps of my trauma and depression. I can't speak for Tony, but, after what happened to him in Afghanistan, I wouldn't be surprised if his jokes and his sarcasm and his exaggerated ego were such a big part of his personality for the same reasons as me.

I met Steve's gaze evenly when he looked at me. I wasn't going to give him the truth, because I knew he would only see excuses. Instead, I let Tony answer for the both of us. Although I knew that Steve would get worked up, I also knew that he wouldn't wait for me to answer after that; I wouldn't have to answer any deep questions that way.

"Funny things are."

At Tony's flippant response, Steve turned back to him with a steadily-growing, righteous anger. "Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny."

The room got really quiet for a moment.

"No offense, Doc." Steve said to Dr. Banner, his voice a bit more gentle than he'd been with Tony and me.

"It's all right," Banner replied, turning back to his computer monitor. "I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things." He glanced back at the tool in Tony's hand, then he looked back at his screen.

As that was said, Tony tapped his opposite hand with the tool. He casually walked around the desk. "You're tip-toeing, big man." Tony pointed the tool at Dr. Banner as he walked. "You need to strut!"

"And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark." Steve raised his voice, desperately trying to get his point across.

"Do you think I'm not?" Tony asked, grabbing a small bag from a random drawer. "Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us?"

'Now those are some good questions that I'd like answers to....'

I watched silently, taking in every piece of information that I could as the men went back and forth, growing more intrigued by the second. Tony glanced in my direction. I could tell he saw my reaction to his questions.

He started walking in my direction, opening the bag in his hand as he continued. "I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables."

Steve's head tilted to the side, the seed of doubt firmly planted in his mind. "You think Fury's hiding something?"

"He's a spy." Tony sat on the table next to me, tossing something into his mouth. "Captain, he's 'the' spy. His secrets have secrets." He paused, gesturing to Dr. Banner and me. "It's bugging them, too. Isn't it?"

"Uh...."

I could hear in his tone that Dr. Banner didn't like being put on the spot like that. I attempted to take the attention off of him and onto me.

"I mean, I've just met the man," I said, drawing the men's gazes to myself. "I don't know him like you guys do, but I do know how intelligent Mr. Stark is."

I know I was the only one to see Tony shift slightly at my statement. I tried to ignore it.

"If he says that he thinks Fury's being shady, then I trust his judgement. I don't see any issue with being cautious."

I looked at Steve. He looked back at me in a surprise that, once again, only I seemed to notice.

I sighed, pulling my legs onto the table again to sit criss-cross. "Look, just because I act like a kid doesn't mean I am one, Mr. Rogers. I pay attention, and you'd be surprised how much I can pick up on."

He nodded, taking in what I had said. Then he turned to Dr. Banner.

The Doctor, seeing that he was about to be asked for his opinion, lifted his hands and gestured to his station. "Hey, I just want to finish my work here, and -- "

"Doctor?" Steve interrupted him.

Dr. Banner looked between the three of us uncomfortably. He cleared his throat. Then, he removed his glasses and said, " 'A warm light for all mankind.' "

I narrowed my eyes, furrowing my eyebrows in thought as I realized what he'd said. "Isn't that what Loki told Fury earlier?"

"Yeah." He confirmed for me.

Steve nodded. "I heard it."

"Well," Dr. Banner drew out, pointing at Tony. "I think that was meant for you."

The man paused for a moment as Tony looked at me, holding out his little bag. I searched his face for a moment, not finding much, before looking in the bag. My eyebrows shot into my hairline when I saw blueberries inside. I let my eyes flick between Tony's face and the berries before slowly sticking my hand inside.

"Thanks..." I said softly.

Tony nodded, grabbing himself some blueberries as well. "Welcome."

The two of us tossed the berries in our mouths as Dr. Banner continued. "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news."

"The Stark Tower?" Steve asked. "That big, ugly -- "

He stopped himself, looking at Tony as the man sent him a pointed gaze. "Just say it," is what Tony's face said, and I covered my mouth as I grinned.

'This isn't funny.' I thought, trying not to laugh. 'Not funny at all...'

"building in New York?" Steve finished, trying not to get on Tony's bad side any more than he already was.

"It's powered by an arc reactor," Dr. Banner explained. "a self-sustaining energy source." He glanced at Tony. "That building will run itself for, what, a year?"

Tony shrugged from his seat next to me. "It's just the prototype." Then he looked to Steve, giving him a pointed, casually boastful expression. "I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now. That's what he's getting at."

I subtly tapped his elbow, silently shaking my head when he looked at me. He rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything else.

"So," Dr. Banner began to elaborate. "why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D. bring him in on the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?"

I nodded my head, crossing my arms in thought. "Now that you say that, S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't seem like the group that would be working on clean energy." When Steve turned to me questionably, I continued. "I mean, the lab is a nice touch, but we're still in a flying airbase. Everyone here is trained to fight, and S.H.I.E.L.D. seems more focused on national security than anything."

"Yeah, I should probably look into that once my decryption program finished breaking into all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secure files." Tony commented, standing up and walking back towards Dr. Banner and the desk.

"Ooooohhhhh!" I leaned against the wall again. "So that's what that little disk was on the bridge!"

Tony glanced at me in surprise. "You saw that?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I was gonna wait and ask about it when I could talk to you alone, just in case, but I guess I don't have to now."

"I'm sorry..." Steve piped up, shifting on his feet. "Did you say -- "

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge." Tony interrupted, approaching Steve and lifting his cell phone to show him the screen. "In a few hours, I'll know every dirty secret S.H.I.E.L.D. as ever tried to hide." He put his phone back in his pocket, offering Steve the open bag.

"Blueberry?"

"And yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around." Steve said.

"An intelligence organization that fears intelligence?" Tony pondered, ignoring the fact that Steve had rolled his eyes. "Historically, not awesome."

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up." Steve stated.

'If that's what you really think, you're not helping. It's working' I rolled my eyes.

"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."

He looked at Tony's face, trying to meet his eye. Even from my awkward side-view, I could see the unease and rationale in his eyes. In response, Tony put up a wall. He gave Steve a blank expression, meeting his gaze with disinterest.

"Following's not really my style." He flung a few more blueberries in his mouth.

Steve sighed in a mix of disappointment and resignation. "And you're all about style, aren't you?"

Tony clicked his tongue, and I stood up, knowing that things were about to go downhill fast.

"Of the people in this room, which one is, A, wearing a spangly outfit, and, B, not of use?"

I took a few steps in their direction, placing myself right next to them. I smiled with a chuckle. "It sounds like you're talking about me! Ouch, Stranger, that hurts! My shirt's not that sparkly; it's just pink!"

Steve's gaze didn't leave Tony once.

Tony's gaze shot to me with a mixture of frustration and disbelief at my intrusion; he knew exactly what I was doing.

"Steve," Dr. Banner drew their attention once more. "tell me none of this smells a little funky to you."

The room rang with the sound of silence and marinating tension. Finally, to my relief, Steve just shook his head with a huff.

He turned to the door, already starting to walk out. "Just find the Cube."

The three of us watched as he left. Then, once he was gone, the three of us released breaths that we didn't even know we were holding in - Banner and me in relief, and Tony in a general release of frustration. I shook my head, walking back towards my table and sitting back down. I pulled my legs back against my chest, feeling the drowsiness of early morning drawing me back in. I watched as Tony joined Dr. Banner at the desk once more and the two got back to work.

I yawned, and then I softly asked, "Did you really have to be like that to Steve?"

He turned to me, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?" He asked through a mouthful of blueberries.

I rolled my eyes; he knew exactly what I meant, but I explained anyway. "Yes, you're probably right to be suspicious of Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D., but did you have to rile him up like that? I'd think this whole thing is hard enough with the threat of Loki on the ship and the Tesseract missing without everyone at each other's throats."

He rolled his eyes at me. Turning a nearby monitor towards his face. "I had it under control."

"Sure you did." I closed my eyes with another yawn, leaning my head against the wall.

Tony never sent a jab back my way, instead deciding to talk to Dr. Banner. "That's the guy my dad never shut up about? I'm wondering if they shouldn't have kept him on ice."

I left my eyes closed, deciding just to listen.

"Huh..." Was Dr. Banner's simple response to Tony's comment. Then, he followed up with, "The guy's not wrong about Loki. He does have the jump on us."

"What he's got is an Acme dynamite kit. It's going to blow up in his face, and I'm gong to be there when it does."

"Yeah. I'll read all about it."

"Uh-huh. Or, you'll be suiting up with the rest of us."

Dr. Banner let out a hollow chuckle. "You see, I don't get a suit of armor. I'm exposed, like a nerve. It's a nightmare..."

"You know, I've got a cluster of shrapnel trying, every second, to crawl its way into my heart. This stops it." I listened as he tapped the arc reactor in his chest. "This little circle of light, it's a part of me now, not just armor. It's a terrible privilege."

"But you can control it."

"Because I learned how."

"It's different."

"Hey," Tony paused. "I read all about your accident. That much gamma exposure shoulda killed you."

"So," Disbelief was soaked into every word Dr. Banner said. "you're saying that the Hulk...." I could hear him swallow from across the room. "The 'Other Guy' saved my life? That's nice. It's a nice sentiment." He paused. "Saved it for what?"

There was another pause.

"You still awake over there, Sunshine?"

I popped an eye open, looking over at Tony. He was standing in front of Dr. Banner, a clear screen the only thing between them, and he was looking at me expectantly. I was too tired to care about the nickname that was starting to stick, but I tried my best to respond as if I were awake and present.

"Yeah, I'm up. What'cha need?" I rubbed my eyes, sitting up criss-cross.

He looked at me, and I could see that he was trying to cover up a softened gaze with confidence, much like I used to do when I worked at the preschool and one of my kids was upset about something. I let my gaze swiftly slide to Dr. Banner; he seemed like he wanted to fall apart. If not that, then he, at least, wanted to crawl into a hole and forget all about the Other Guy.

Tony met my eye. "You can see the future. Do you see anything for for Bruce, here?"

I ran a hand through my hair. I glanced at Dr. Banner again, noting how he tensed up at my gaze. I sighed, and I folded my hands together in my lap.

"I can't see that far ahead." I gave them a half-truth. "And, even if I could, the future's never really certain." I saw how Dr. Banner's shoulders began to sag, even by the smallest amount, and I sent him a gentle smile. "But I've always believed that everyone has a purpose, whether they create it for themselves or not.

"Steve was frozen and woken up again because there's still work for him to do. Natasha went through her troubles, and it made her strong enough for whatever her purpose will be." I glanced at Tony. "Tony went through what he did, his shrapnel is where it is, and he's still here for the same reason." I looked down at my hands. "I see things that no one should ever be able to see," I took a breath. "and I like to think that's so I can stop others from having to live through it themselves."

I met Dr. Banner's eyes again. "I know that you must be here for a good reason. I know that the Hulk must be here for a good reason, too. And I'm sure that the both of you will do something amazing."

'I have to believe that...'

I tried to ignore their stares as I smiled softly, leaning back against the wall.

'If there's no reason for them to face shit like that and survive, then what am I here for?'

I stopped for a moment, realizing what I'd just done in my fatigued stupor. I shook my head to myself with a quiet chuckle.

"I'm sorry, guys. I'm rambling again." I stood up and stretched. "I'm really good at that - especially when I'm half asleep. I'll just, uhm..." I saw that they were still staring, and I pointed towards the door. "I'll see if I can get us some coffee..."

I walked out without another word.

----------------------------------

3rd Person

It was four-thirty in the morning. Tony and Dr. Banner were still at work trying to find the Cube. Glancing at the time, Tony turned to Jamie, intending to kick her out of the lab so she could get some sleep.

"Breaux, it's four-thirty. You seriously need....."

Jamie was still sitting criss-cross on the table. Her hands were folded in her lap. She was leaning against the wall, her head hanging to the side and her hair covered her face. Her empty coffee mug sat at her side. She hadn't responded to his voice, and her shoulders were slowly rising and falling at a steady pace. Tony shook his head at the sound of her gentle breaths, a slight smile gracing his lips.

He glanced around. Seeing a steel box hanging from the wall, he silently approached it. Pulling out its contents, he grabbed what he needed and silently walked towards the sleeping woman across the room.

Dr. Banner decided to keep his mouth shut, a smile on his own face as he watched Tony drape the lab's fire blanket over Jamie's shoulders and legs.

The men went back to work in silence.