THINKING OUT LOUD || Avengers

-)Eighteen: How One Capri Sun Can Change the World(-

"Squirt, we've been over this. You don't tell us about the Key, we don't save the world. We don't save the world, there's no one to make paper clips and cork boards anymore."

Dani scrunched up her face with the effort of keeping her words in. She shook her head stubbornly.

Most of the Avengers had left the room at Clint's insistence not to crowd the girl. Now it was just Tony and Steve, the former growing more and more impatient, the latter wondering what would happen if he just threw himself out of the office window.

"How about this," Steve offered, "We make statements, you just nod or shake your head, okay?"

Dani didn't respond.

Steve looked to Tony, "What have you got?"

"There's some kind of lab or something," Tony began, shooting a glance at Dani, "I don't know exactly where yet- but it does say that there's something pretty special there. Think, the One Ring to Rule Them All levels of power."

"And that's the Key?" Steve asked.

Tony raised a glass that Steve hadn't realised he'd got, "Ten points to Gryffindor."

"Okay," Steve processed, "What does it unlock?"

He gestured expansively, "Everything. SHIELD, HYDRA, the Avengers, information that isn't even on the books."

The supersoldier felt like his heartbeat was in his mouth, "Bucky."

Tony gave him a look, "Maybe."

"Why hasn't HYDRA done anything if they have that level of power?" Steve changed the topic, trying to stay sceptical.

"There's a problem." Tony declared, "According to the file, the Key omits an insanely high energy level. Kills most people who get too close. Eats right through gold titanium alloy. The most they can do is guard it."

Steve whistled through his teeth, "You think you have a way around it?"

The engineer had the same kind of expression on his face as he always had just before he did something insanely stupid, "I think a man who can combat the finest Asgardian spirits has a better chance with that kind of radiation than, say, a few HYDRA lackeys."

"And what do I do when I get there?" Steve asked.

"Kill it." Dani said suddenly. They both turned to look at her at the same time. Steve had almost forgot she was in the room.

Tony raised his eyebrows, "Excuse me, Squirt? Something to add?"

"It's bad." Dani was speaking almost as an afterthought, eyes locked onto the surface of the conference table with grim determination, "You need to kill it."

"No one should have that kind of power." Steve added, almost regretfully. The image of Bucky that had been glowing behind his eyes shimmered and dissolved into nothing.

"Dan," Tony knelt on the ground next to her chair, apparently deciding to give it another shot, "People are gonna die if HYDRA ever figures out how to harness that thing. Good people. Heroes. Like that little goblin guy in that movie you like."

For once, Dan looked genuinely insulted, "If you're talking about Dobby, he was a House Elf."

"Right." Tony obviously let that information go right over his head, "People like Dookie will die, but we can stop that if you tell us what you know."

"My last mission." The words seemed like they were being dragged out of her, "He died. It killed him. It's bad. You need to kill it."

Steve frowned, "Who died?"