AJ Watson: Codename - Shadow

Are We Really A Team?

Bruce Banner continuously scans with the gamma ray detection scanner on the scepter for radiation. Tony Stark looks at his monitors, shifting and solving the tracking algorithm and equations Banner and Watson started. While Tony will never admit it publicly, he was impressed with the young super soldiers intellect.

"The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports on the Tesseract. But it's gonna take weeks to process." Bruce said not looking up from his work.

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

"All I packed was a toothbrush."

"You know, you should come by STARK tower sometime. Top ten floors, all R&D. You'd love it, it's candy land."

"Thanks, but the last time I was in New York I kind of broke... Harlem."

"Well, I promise a stress free environment. No tension. No surprises." Tony then poked Bruce with a miniature electrical prod. AJ, Becca, and Steve walked into the lab and Steve was pissed at Tony.

"Ow!" Bruce muttered and moved away from the prod.

"Hey!" Steve shouted at Tony making their presence known.

"Nothing?" Tony questioned Banner.

"You alright Dr. Banner?" AJ asked receiving a nod and small smile from the doctor.

"Are you nuts!?" Steve shouted at Stark.

"Jury's still out." Tony replied not looking at Steve. "You really have a lid on it, don't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?" Tony asked turning his attention back to Banner.

"Is everything a joke to you?" Becca asked annoyed.

"Funny things are."

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny. No offense, doctor." Steve said apologizing to the man.

"No, it's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things." Banner muttered as he went back to his work on the scepter.

"You're tiptoeing, big man. You need to strut." Tony spoke to the doctor.

"And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark." Steve responded.

"You think I'm not? Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't solve the equation unless I have all the variables."

"You think Fury's hiding something?" Becca spoke stepping up next to Steve.

"He's a spy, Lieutenant. He's the spy. His secrets have secrets." Tony said before pointing to Banner. "It's bugging him too, isn't it?"

"Uh... I just want to finish my work here and..." Bruce muttered feeling uncomfortable.

"Doctor?" AJ asked.

"A warm light for all mankind, Loki's jab at Fury about the cube." Bruce said.

"We heard it." Steve said.

"Well, I think it was meant for you. Even if Barton didn't, it was all over the news." Brice said pointing at Tony.

"Stark Tower? That big ugly..." Steve started but Tony gave him a look. "Building in New York?"

"Real smooth, Stevie." Becca joked patting his shoulder.

"It's powered by Stark Reactors right? Self-sustaining energy source from what I've read. That building will run itself for what? A year?" AJ added in.