Speedy Eagle

Artificial Intelligence

They get in the quinjet. Banner listens to music, trying to calm down as Tony flies. Steve tries to help Clint as he and Thor stand over him. I sit at the front with Tony. Natasha goes and sits in front of Bruce. "Hey, the lullaby worked better than ever."

"Just wasn't expecting the code green," Bruce tells her.

"If you hadn't been there, there would've been double the casualties. My best friend would've been a treasured memory."

"You know, sometimes exactly what I want to hear isn't exactly what I want to hear."

"How long before you trust me?"

"It's not you I don't trust."

"Thor, report on the Hulk?"

"The gates of Hel are filled with the screams of his victims," Thor replies. Banner groans and Thor fumbles to correct himself. "Eh, but, not the screams of the dead, of course, no, no, uh, wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and, and uh. And gout." Steve is smirking behind Thor, holding in his laugh.

"Hey Banner, Dr. Cho's on her way in from Seoul, is it okay if she sets up in your lab?" Tony asks.

"Uh, yeah, she knows her way around."

"Thanks. Tell her to prep everything, Barton's gonna need the full treatment."

"Very good sir."

"Jarvis, take the wheel."

"Yes sir. Approach vector is locked."

"Feels good, yeah? I mean, you've been after this thing since S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but."

"No, but this, this brings it to a close," Thor smiles.

"A soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?"

"Banner and I will give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you? I mean, just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying right?"

"Yes, yes, of course. A victory should be honored with revels."

"Yeah, who doesn't love revels? Cap'n?"

"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and Hydra, so. Yes, revels." The quinjet lands on Avenger's tower and Hill comes out to meet them. Dr. Cho rushes Barton to the lab.

"Lab's all set up boss," Hill tells them.

"Uh, actually, he's the boss. I just pay for everything, and design everything and make everyone look cooler," Tony clarifies.

"What's the word on Strucker?" Steve asks.

"NATO's got him."

"The two enhanced?"

"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins. Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building. Sokovia's had a rough history. It's nowhere special but it's on the way to everywhere special."

"Their abilities?"

"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neural interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation." Steve looks at her, confused. "He's fast and she's weird."

"Well they're going to show up again."

"Agreed. File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments. Its nuts."

Steve gets on an elevator. "Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?"

"We're not at war, Captain."