Universal Displacement

The Agents, The Shield, and the Trash Masher

Jane's face lit up in understanding.

"It's an echo."
Reed grinned.

"Exactly."

"What do you mean, an echo?"

Both scientists rolled their eyes and groaned under their breath. Axel had popped up silently behind them and was attempting to peer over their shoulders at the holo-screens before them.

"Mr. Ladino," Jane droned, "I don't mean to be rude, but I still don't understand why you need to be here."

"Getting tired of me already, Dr. Foster?"

He quirked a grin at her, but Jane was not amused.

"Kinda, yeah."

Reed chuckled openly as he returned to the new data. Axel feigned hurt which only spurned on Jane's irritation.

"You wound me, doctor. I am only here as a professional, I assure you."

Jane blinked dully, scoffed, and turned her back to the young man. After having him at the lab daily, she knew better than to engage with him. It just wasn't worth it.

There was suddenly a commotion nearby the lab doors; both scientists directed their focus to the door and Axel's eyes drifted lazily to watch the entrance. As the noise grew closer muffled voices could be heard.

"I already have one of your people here, I don't need all of you! Look, there's lots of big numbers and words in there that you aren't going to understand and that's it."

"Stark, just...don't."

[Sir-]

And then the door "whooshed" open and three figures came striding in. Tony was scowling and grumbling about "no manners" and "trespassing on private property".

Jane gaped openly as she realized she was in the same room as Captain American and the Black Widow. They were all that was on the news lately, it seemed. Plus, she'd learned about this guy in history class. It was strange.

Not as strange as meeting Thor had been, but it was up there.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Axel adopt a rigid, professional appearance that he had lost after too much time with them. It made her smirk a little.

"Agent Romanoff," he barked out obediently.

"Steve Rogers," Jane questioned.

"Hey, I'm Reed," Reed said blandly.

Steve stood, hands resting on his belt, and nodded at the group.

"Doctors, agent."

Axel lifted his chin in acknowledgement, his eyes darting back to Natasha as if she were the one he was truly worried about. Natasha scowled at him briefly, as if able to sense he'd been goofing off before returning to ignoring him.

"What's going on," Jane questioned a tad suspiciously. She maneuvered her body to be blocking their research.

"We were informed about the energy blast," Natasha informed her. "The old man had to check it out for himself."

Reed leaned back against one of the lab tables and crossed his arms.

"You're just hearing about it now?"

"We were on a mission."

Steve rolled his eyes at the jab his partner had aimed at him, but largely ignored it.