Hold On Soldier ✔️ | marvel

44. Back at Headquarters

Tony finally got the scepter. It took a while but he seemed to not have been approached. Though I notice him shaken up. We finally made it on to an aircraft back home, Natasha interrupts Banner who's listening to opera with his headphones to calm himself down. And I pace around where they are.

"Hey, the lullaby worked better than ever." Nat smiles warmly at Bruce.

Bruce nods. "Just wasn't expecting the Code Green."

"If you hadn't been there, there would've been double the casualties. My best friend would've been a treasured memory." Nat reassures.

"You're always a great help." I join in softly.

Bruce furrows his brows, "You know, sometimes exactly what I want to hear isn't exactly what I want to hear."

"How long before you trust me?" I hear Nat whisper but I'm so close that I can hear.

Bruce shakes his head, "It's not you I don't trust."

"Thor, report on the Hulk?" Nat requests with a smile.

Thor grins, "The gates of Hell are filled with the screams of his victims." We glare at him, "Uh, but, not the screams of the dead, of course. No no, uh...wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and, and uh... and gout."

"Hey Banner, Dr. Cho's on her way in from Seoul, is it okay if she sets up in your lab?" Tony interrupts the failing attempts of support.

Bruce nods, "Uh, yeah, she knows her way around."

After chatting with Jarvis Tony looks at the scepter, "It feels good, yeah? I mean, you've been after this thing since S.H.I.E.L.D collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but..."

"No, but this...this brings it to a close." Thor nods.

"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?" Steve raises an eyebrow.

"Banner and I'll give it the once before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you?" Tony asks and Thor nods slightly.

"I'll help with what I can." I look at Tony who agrees.

"I mean, just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying, right?" Tony questions.

"Yes, yes, of course. A victory should be honored with revels." Thor chimes.

"Yeah. Who doesn't love revels. Captain?" Tony teases.

Steve agrees unamused, "Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and Hydra, so. Yes, revels."

We land and we hurry to tend to Clint's wounds, "Lab's all set up, boss." Says Maria Hill.

Tony points to Steve, "Uh, actually, he's the boss. I just pay for everything, and design everything and make everyone look cooler."

"Oh you make things look cooler?" I chuckle, "I don't see that."

Steve is tempted to roll his eyes at Tony but stays professional, "What's the word on Strucker?"

"NATO's got him." Hill informs.

"The two enhanced?" Steve asks.

"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins. Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building. Sokovia's had a rough history. It's nowhere special but it's on the way to everywhere special." We're waking up steps casually. I'm following close behind.

"Their abilities?" I raise an eyebrow curiously.

"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neural electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation." Hill tells.

"Got it." I reply, but Steve doesn't seem to gather what she's informed us.

"He's fast and she's weird." She rephrases for Steve to understand at the end of the hall.

"Well, they're going to show up again." Steve answers standing in the elevator now.

Maria nods, "Agreed. File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments. It's nuts."

"Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?" Steve says.

"We're not at war, Captain." Maria tells sharply.

"They are." Steve shakes his head confidently as the elevator doors close. Hill is now gone.

"I agree, but they're being manipulated. Don't you think we can help them?" I raise my eyebrow. I haven't gotten the answers I've wanted since the Hydra mishap, but I still recognize I've gotten better.

"Hydra is manipulating them." Steve replies looking down at me.

"They aren't the only ones who were." I remind, "Everyone's capable of better."

He plants a kiss on my cheek, "I agree. And Bucky would say the same." I blush crimson as the elevator doors open to my floor, but before Steve and I part I turn to look at him. He stands with his back straight in the elevator, I smile warmly from outside the doors.

"Catch up with you later, Solider!" My grin widens and I blow him a kiss. The doors close so I don't see his reaction. I turn back around and face forward. As I glide down the hall I hear Nat from a far.

"You sure he's going to be okay? Pretending to need this guy really brings the team together." Nat kids as she talks to Dr. Helen Cho.

"There's no possibility of deterioration. The nano-molecular functionality is instantaneous. His cells don't know they're bonding with simulacrum." She replies.

Bruce admires, "She's creating tissue."

"If you brought him to my lab, the regeneration Cradle could do this in twenty minutes." Dr. Cho defends.

"Oh, he's flatlining. Call it. Time?" Tony arrives when I do and we both laugh at his joke.

"No, no, no. I'm going to live forever. I'm gonna be made of plastic." Clint dramatizes as he lays on his side uncomfortably.

"Which are you? Barbie or Ken?" I tease while sticking my tongue out.

"Here's your beverage." Tony hands Clint a glass which I assume is alcohol.

"You'll be made of you, Mr. Barton. Your own girlfriend won't be able to tell the difference." Dr. Cho chimes in.

"Well, I don't have a girlfriend." Clint protests.

Dr. Cho smiles, "That I can't fix. This is the next thing, Tony. Your clunky metal suits are going to be left in the dust."

"Well, that is exactly the plan. And Helen, I expect to see you at the party on Saturday." Tony replies.

Dr. Cho shakes her head, "Unlike you, I don't have a lot of time for parties."

"Come on, Dr. Cho! You gotta come, we all will be there!" I nudge kindly.

She hesitates with embarrassment, "Will Thor be there?"