Archangel (Avengers Fanfiction)

Chapter 9

Tony responded to the captain dryly, "Uh, out of everyone in this room, which one is: A: wearing a spangly outfit and B: not of use?"

"Come on, tell me none of this smells funky to you?" Bruce says as he tries to ease the tension in the room.

Steve considered such a possibility but then shrug it off, knowing continuing this argument will only lead to nothing. "Just find the cube." And with that, he walked out of the lab hastily. Nera was about to go after him and Tony saw this so he gave her a look to not even take a step. The dragon sighed and sat back down.

"That's really the guy that my dad never shuts up about?" Tony scoffed, glancing at Nera before facing Bruce. "Wondering if they should have kept him on ice. He might be a super soldier but he is super annoying."

Nera grunted and rolled her eyes at her spot.

"Well he's not wrong about Loki," Bruce inquired. "He does have a jump on us."

"What he's got is an AMCE dynamite kit," Tony added, walking up to one of the screens that hang from the ceiling and began to swipe through the files that J.A.R.V.I.S has rummaged from S.H.I.E.L.D. "It's gonna blow up in his face - and I'll be there when it does "

"I'll read about it." Bruce responded as he continues to scan the scepter.

"You know," Tony started and walked up to Bruce. "I've got a cluster of shrapnel trying to claw it's way to my heart," as he spoke, he raised his finger and tapped at the arc reactor itself. "This stops it. This little circle of light. It part of me now. Not just an armor. But a... terrible privilege."

"But you control it." Bruce added.

"Because I learned how." Tony responded.

Bruce understood what he was trying to say and uneasily looked away to continue his work. But Tony's words bothered him slightly just by the look on his face.

"Nera," Tony called out quietly and soon enough, Nera was beside him, giving him a questioning look. "Go ahead and get some rest. Make sure you get back here once I tell you so." He pointed to his ear as in referring to an earpiece.

Sighing, the dragon nodded and walked out. "Be careful." She muttered, hearing a chuckle from him before exiting the lab.

Once led to her quarters, Loki's words wouldn't leave her mind. His words could have greatly affected Bruce but she couldn't realty towards it because she's never snapped. But seeing his previous fights and all from the documents, he was quite a fighter.

                          ***

Nera sat just beside the window at the Base of the Hellicarrier as she watched clouds pass by, mind thinking of possibilities that could be miserable or joyful.

"Hey, Nera," a familiar voice was heard from behind her. The dragon's head turned around to face the man that stood behind her. He wore his blue, red and white suit that she's seen multiple times before in images and videos. What was missing was his shield. "Mind if I sit?" He asked, awaiting awkwardly as he stood there.

Nera chuckled and shook her head. "Not at all." She responded, sending him a small smile. As she looked ahead, Steve stared out the window as well.

"I was wondering," Rogers started. "Have you heard of... well... my story?" He asked. Nera looked up at him with a tilt of her head and shook it.

"But I'm interested to know." She answered.

Steve went on just as she wished and explained his story - how he became a Super Soldier by the help of Howard Stark, Tony's father who never had a great close relationship. It also saddened her that Tony never managed to see his father after what he's done, becoming a superhero and saving the world. But she promised that she would never bring such conversations up. As Steve spoke, he mentioned of a close friend who disappeared for quite a while before he found him being strapped on a bed at HYDRA, an organisation that she was very familiar due to being one of their experiments. Just by hearing this, the dragon frowned. It could mean he was experimented on. Besides, any victim or hostage in HYDRA is to be experimented on. But nonetheless, she removed that thought for now and listened to the Captain. He spoke of how he saved the world from Red Skull destroying their world and landing in ice, making him freeze over seventy years.

"Wow..." Nera muttered in amazement.

"Yeah..." He replied.

Facing him, her head tilted once again slightly. "If you don't mind me asking but how does it feel to live in such a generation? Where everything you once knew isn't there anymore?"

"I'm not bothered by the question, really, but the idea of waking up in a whole new world? It just doesn't work," Steve responded. "It is pretty hard to fit in and allow society to accept you."

Nera chuckled and nodded. "I could defiantly relate to that."

The two went quiet for a few moments, all in their own thoughts.

"Listen - I'd like to apologize on what Tony has said to you previously." Nera started.

"Nah! It's fi-" Steve started but then cut off by Nera.

"No its not. Just mark my words, Tony's current attitude is natural for him, sarcasm and all. Just don't get him inside your head. It's who he is really - living his life without his family to company him." She said.

"But he has you." Rogers added.

Nera shook her head. "He has Pepper. She's who he cares most about. I'm just like another friend to him."

Steve nodded in understanding, looking down at the steel floor. "You know, yourself is ways really... Fascinating. Never knew that modern day science could succeed in such things." He commented.

Nera smiled softly. "Thanks, I guess. But since they've succeeded in doing so, they could just create more. Although I was the one that was capable of surviving such experiments despite my little self." She sighed.

"Don't worry, kid," a smile formed on his face as he patted her scaled shoulder softly. "You did fine and you will. I promise you." Rogers reassured.

"Thanks, Cap." She responded before looking away.

The duo sat there for quiet some time before parting ways, each one heading their own direction - Nera to Tony and Steve to who knows where. It did feel better to express her struggle just to him while he did the same. Maybe things weren't as bad as it is.

I feel like after this, I could just skip to Age of Ultron? If anyone wishes to continue on into any of the other movies, please comment your suggestion! ^_^

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