The Immortality War || The Avengers

Chapter Eight: Two Demigods And A Billionaire

Music is "Soldier" by Fleurie.

Picture is Tatiana Maslany as Emma Barnes.

·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·

CHAPTER EIGHT: Two Demigods And A Billionaire

Minutes later, through hallways of steel and other metals, Natasha shows us to the bridge of the ship. It's much bigger than anything I've ever been on, but I have seen the schematics before. I remember when Rose was designing it. It was in the 70s, after the Apollo programs had come to an end. Rose and Howard did more work for S.H.I.E.L.D. That included building the Quinjets and Helicarriers. Although I'd never been inside either until today, I remember the designs quite well.

I stare in awe at the large open area filled with computers and personnel. The Helicarrier bridge is a masterpiece. In my opinion, it's the most impressive thing Rose ever built. The large windows in front of us allow sunlight in as we rise above the clouds. "What a view," I whisper to myself.

"Rose built all this?" Steve asks.

I nod, taking his hand. "She is so gifted, Steve."

"I'll say."

Director Fury turns in our direction, hands folded behind his back. He stands between two rows of monitors. Dozens of agents busy themselves on computers and other stations surrounding him. "Gentlemen, Lady," he greets.

Steve releases my hand and walks over to Fury, eyes sill taking in his surroundings. He pulls out his wallet, handing Fury a ten dollar bill, an inside joke. Fury takes it with a pleased smirk, tucking the bill into his trench coat. He strides over to Bruce, Grant, and I. He turns to lay his eye on Grant. "You brought a fifteen year old onto my damn Helicarrier, Barnes." He turns back to me with a harsh expression. "Why did you do that."

I cross my arms. "He's my son, Fury. Anything I do for you, he has a right to see."

The Director sighs, ignoring my comment. He extends a hand in Bruce's direction. The doctor shakes it with hesitation. "Doctor, thank you for coming."

Bruce retracts his hand, replying, "Thanks for asking nicely. So, uh...how long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the wind."

"Where are you with that?" Bruce asks as we walk further onto the bridge.

Director Fury glances over the railing to Phil Coulson, waiting for him to explain. Natasha bends down to look at a fellow agent's screen, spotting a picture of a man with short hair. Steve stands next to us, listening to the updates. "We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cellphones, laptops." Coulson shrugs. "If it's connected to a satallite, it's eyes and ears for us."

Natasha replies from her perch, "That's still not going to find them in time."

Banner sheds his blazer. "You have to narrow the field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?"

"How many are there?" Fury replies.

"Call every lab you know," Bruce orders. "Tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

Fury turns to Natasha. "Agent Romanoff, will you show Doctor Banner to his laboratory, please?"

Natasha nods, standing to her feet. "You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys."