The Avengers

Chapter 11

In Banner's Lab in the morning, Fury walks in surprised to see Tony and Banner stop working on the scepter. FURY "What are you doing, Mr. Stark?", he said angrily. TONY "Uh... kind of been wondering the same thing about you". FURY "You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract". BANNER "We are. The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile". TONY "And you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss". Suddenly his monitor shows a collection of secret files. TONY "What is Phase 2?". Suddenly, Steve drops a Hydra assault rifle on the table causing Fury, Banner, and Tony to turn around. Cap looks pissed. STEVE "Phase 2 ID SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons". To Tony, "Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow". FURY, trying to explain, "Rogers, we gather everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're...". TONY "I'm sorry, Nick". Tony moves the computer screen towards Fury which shows plans of the weapons. TONY "What were you lying?". STEVE "I was wrong, director. The world hasn't changed a bit". At that moment, Thor and Natasha walk into the lab. Natasha keeps her eyes right on Banner looks at her, pissed. BANNER "Did you know about this?". NATASHA "You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?". BANNER "I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed". NATASHA "Loki's manipulating you". BANNER "And you've been doing what exactly?". NATASHA "You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you". BANNER "Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction". FURY "Because of him", points at Thor. THOR "Me?", stunned. FURY "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". THOR "Me people want nothing but peace with your planet". FURY "But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled". STEVE "Like you controlled the cube?". THOR "You're working 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". STEVE "A higher form?". FURY "You focused our hand. We had to come up with something". TONY "Nuclear deterrent. 'Cause that always with everything right down". FURY "Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?". STEVE and TONY "I'm sure if he still made wait! Wait! Hold on! How are weapons, Stark would be neck this now about me? I'm sorry, isn't Thor everything? I thought humans were more evolved than this". FURY "Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?". THOR "Did you always give your champions such mistrust?". NATASHA "Are you all really that Captain America is on naive? SHIELD monitors potential threat potential threats? Watch list?". TONY and STEVE (to Steve) I swear to god, Stark, one you're on that list? Are you more crack... above or below angry bees? Threatening! I feel threatened!". As the "team" argues, they don't realize the blue gem on Loki's scepter is glowing brightly.

Outside the Helicarrier, a lone carrier slowly hovers over the ship. SHIELD BASE VOICE "661 Bravo, please relay your passcode. What is your hull, over?". ALEX REID "Arms to ammunition, over". Inside, Alex and her crew suit up and arm themselves. Alex pulls out her hi-tech bow and arrows.

Back in Banner's lab, the egos of these people keep rubbing off each other and at any moment, the shit will hit the fan. THOR "You speak of control, yet you court chaos". BANNER "It's his M.O., isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're... we're a time-bomb". FURY "You need to step away". TONY, puts his arm around Steve,  "Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?". STEVE, pushes Tony off, "You know damn well why! Back off!". TONY, comes face-to-face with Cap, "Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me". STEVE "Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?". TONY "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist". STEVE "I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. Yeah, I've seen the footage. The only thing you 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". TONY "I think I would just cut the wire". STEVE, smiling, "Always a way out... you know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero". TONY (that did it) "A hero? Like you? You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!".