The Man My Father Always Talked About • A CAPTAIN AMERICA STORY

5

~5~

     Clara worked with a gamma ray detection scanner on the scepter for radiation. Tony and Bruce looked at their monitors, shifting and solving as many algorithms and equations as they could. "The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports on the Tesseract. But it's gonna take weeks to process." Clara stated, tucking a lose stand of hair behind her ear.

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

"That could work." Clara smiled, pushing her glasses up to where they rested on her head before taking a seat to relax.

"All I packed was a tooth brush," Bruce smiled.

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

"Thanks, but the last time I was in New York I kind of broke...Harlem." Bruce said, trying not to go into detail on his last visit.

"Well, we promise a stress free environment. No tension. No surprises." Clara tried to be kind, knowing what would happen when Bruce wasn't calm. Tony pointed to the thing on the desk in front of Clara. Clara mouthed "electrical prod.' She looked up to him and shook her head, giving him a look of warning not to anything stupid. He made eye contact with her and in a split second they were both reaching it. Tony got it fist, smirking in victory before using the device to shock the doctor.

"OW!" Bruce yelled. Clara got up form her seat and snatched the object from Tony's hand while scolding him.

"You're a child sometimes, you know that?" Clara said, putting the device back where it belonged. The sound of footsteps make the brunette turn around to see Steve, still in his Captain America suit and scolding Tony. Clara leaned on her desk, crossing her arms, about to watch the drama unfold.

Tony looked at Bruce closely, "Nothing?"

"Are you nuts?" Steve asked Tony with an annoyed tone.

"No, he's just acting like his five year old self." Clara said, making Steve look over his shoulder at her. Her arms were still crossed as she shrugged her shoulders. Tony gave her an annoyed look and she mimicked him.

"You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?" Clara shook her head as Tony continued.

"You're asking for it," she whispered with a soft chuckle.

"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve questioned Tony.

"Funny things are," Tony smirked.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny. No offense, doctor."

"No, it's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things." Bruce said, slowly inching away from Tony.

"You're tiptoeing, big man. You need to strut." Tony said while pointing at Steve.

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

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

"What are you even talking about?" Clara furrowed her eyebrows at her brother in confusion. She knew that SHIELD had secrets, but she had no intention of learning them.

"You think Fury's hiding something?" Steve questioned.

"He's a spy. Captain, he's the spy. His secrets have secrets." Tony pointed to Banner. "It's bugging him too, isn't it? And her. Come on Clara don't you want to know?"

"Uh...I just wanna finish my work here and..." Banner started. Clara ignored him and moved back over to the scepter, trying to do the work she was brought here to do.

"A warm light for all mankind, Loki's jab at Fury about the cube." Bruce stated as Clara focused back on her work.

"I heard it," Steve said.

"Well, I think that was meant for you." Banner said as he pointed to Tony. "Even if Barton didn't post that all over the news."

"The Stark Tower? That big ugly..." Steve began but Tony and Clara both turned to glare at him "..building in New York?"

"It's powered by Stark Reactors, self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for what, a year?" Bruce asked.

"That's just the prototype. We're kind of the only name in clean energy right now." Tony said.

"As of now, a good five years," Clara answered.

"So, why didn't SHIELD bring him in on the Tesseract project? I mean, what are they doing in the energy business in the first place?" Banner asked Tony.

"I should probably look into that once my decryption programmer finishes breaking into all of SHIELD's secure files," Tony shrugged. Clara's eyes widened as she looked at her computer. She turned to look at him with disbelief.

"I'm sorry, did you say...?" Steve asked.

"A decryption programmer?" Clara glared at her older brother. Deep down she honestly wasn't surprised.

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge. In a few hours we'll know every dirty secret SHIELD has ever tried to hide." Tony held out a bag of blueberries that Steve and Clara declined.

"Yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around?" Steve asked.

"An intelligence organization that fears
intelligence? Historically, not possible." Clara said, making everyone look at her. She raised her hands in defense, "I'm not defending him, but he does have a point."

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war, and if don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders, we should follow them," Steve said.

"Following is not really his style." Everyone looked at her. It seemed like every time she talked they were surprised. She was the complete opposite of Tony she didn't get into business that wasn't hers and she didn't act as if she was in it for herself, it's a wonder how these two share the same last name.

"She's right." He agreed, pointing a finger at his sister.

"And you're all about style, aren't you?" Steve asked. Clara admired Steve in the fact that he called out Tony on his bullshit when he needed to.

"Of all the people in this room, which one is; A. wearing a spangly outfit, and B. not of use?" Tony asked.

"Tony." Clara said sternly. She gave her brother a shut up look.

"Clara, Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you?" Bruce sighed.

"Maybe it smells funky," Clara sighed. "But we need to focus on the problem at hand. Loki is the god of mischief. Who says he's not fooling us now?"

"He's in a cell Clar," Tony answered with annoyance. "We've already found the scepter, why don't you just take a break."

Steve wanted to say something in her defense, but as an obedient soldier, he decided not to. "Just find the cube," Steve scuffed then walked out of the lab. Clara glared daggers at her older brother before she followed Steve.

"Steve!" She called out. He turned around, some of the anger leaving his face as Clara jogged to his side. "Where are you going?" Clara asked, following him as he made his way through the halls.

"Away from your brother," he said sternly. "No offense."

"No offense taken," she replied. She didn't know where he was leading her, but she couldn't care less. As long as she could possibly help him, she was fine.