Serpent - An Avengers Fan Fiction

Chapter Six - Steve

They followed agent Hill away from the Bridge and through numerous winding corridors. As they walked, Steve and Dr Banner discussed what they had been told while Stark followed behind in silence.

"Serpent King? Why a king?" Steve was saying. "You can't just call yourself a king. A king must have subjects, followers - people to do his bidding."

"Maybe that's what Fury is worried about. Maybe he doesn't know who is following Sethos, if anyone is. Perhaps it is the people serving him that make him dangerous," Banner replied.

"He could have a power of some sort. Loki had the tesseract, the sceptre and his own powers to boot. What does this Sethos have?"

"Why isn't he in custody?" Stark joined the conversation. "That's what I want to know. S.H.I.E.L.D. know where Snakey is - why don't they just grab him?"

"Something must be stopping them," Banner guessed. "You can't just pluck someone off the ground like that. People would notice, especially if he's as rich as they say."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. plucked you off the ground," Stark pointed out.

"I was not plucked, Tony. They asked nicely."

"If memory serves, I believe agent Romanoff pointed a gun at your face."

"Not to get me to come in."

"Dr Banner," agent Hill had stopped walking, "this is your room. You'll find your bags inside."

Banner thanked her and opened the door. After a quick glance inside, he turned to face the others. "Captain, Tony, good night to you both."

"Don't you mean...good morning?" Steve sighed, but his tone was light.

Banner laughed, then retreated into his room, closing the door and locking it. Agent Hill continued down the corridor, Stark and Steve trailing behind her. They walked in silence, Stark having become very subdued. It was not long before they reached their own rooms, one beside the other and not that far from Dr Banner's. It seemed Fury wanted to keep them relatively close to each other.

Steve had barely touched his bags, which lay on the bed in the corner, when there came a solid knock on his door. It was Stark.

"It seems you can't bare to be without me, Stark," he snorted.

"Ha ha," Stark replied, dryly. "Walk with me."

Steve raised and eyebrow, very confused. "What?"

"We uh...need to talk."

"Okay," Steve shrugged and stepped out into the corridor.

They walked slowly and without any destination in mind. It was a while before Stark spoke, but when he did, Steve was a little surprised.

"I wanted to thank you," Stark blurted suddenly.

Steve stopped walking and looked at Stark. "For what?" he asked.

"I have been...more than a jerk, these past few months."

"Yes, you have," Steve nodded.

Stark ignored the comment. "I did love Pepper - I still do. But that's no reason to drink myself to the ground and treat every woman like an object."

Steve grimaced and looked away. "You heard me say that?"

"Yes, but let's face it - who wouldn't have said that? I just wanted to thank you for...saying what you said."

"What? That you were a drunk low-life?"

Stark winced. "Yeah...that. It really...snapped me out of it. A little."