[Banner continuously scans with a gamma ray detection scanner on the scepter for radiation. Tony looks at his monitors, shifting and solving as many algorithms and equations.]
BANNER: The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports on the Tesseract. But it's gonna take weeks to process.
TONY: If we bypass their mainframe and direct a reroute to the Homer cluster, we can clock this around six hundred teraflops.
BANNER: All I packed was a toothbrush.
TONY: (SMILES) You know, you should come by STARK TOWER sometime. Top ten floors, all R&D. You'd love it, it's candy land.
BANNER: Thanks, but the last time I was in New York I kind of broke...Harlem.
TONY: Well, I promise a stress free environment. No tension. No surprises.
[Suddenly, Tony pokes Banner with a MINIATURE ELECTRICAL PROD. Steve walks in on them, pissed at Tony.]
BANNER: OW!
[Tony looks at Banner closely.]
STEVE: Hey!
TONY: Nothing?
STEVE: Are you nuts?
TONY: You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?
STEVE: Is everything a joke to you?
TONY: Funny things are.
STEVE: Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny. No offense, Doctor.
BANNER: No, it's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things.
TONY: You're tiptoeing, big man. You need to strut.
STEVE: And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark.
TONY: You think I'm not? 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.
STEVE: You think Fury's hiding something?
TONY: He's a spy. Captain, he's the spy. His secrets have secrets. (points to Banner) It's bugging him too, isn't it?
BANNER: (bobbling the words) Uh...I just wanna finish my work here and...
STEVE: Doctor?
[A beat.]
BANNER: 'A warm light for all mankind, Loki's jab at Fury about the cube.
STEVE: I heard it.
BANNER: (pointing at Tony) Well, I think that was meant for you. Even if Barton didn't post that all over the news.
STEVE: Stark Tower? That big ugly (Tony gives him a look) ...building in New York?
BANNER: It's powered by Stark Reactors, self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for what, a year?
TONY: That's just the prototype. I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now.
BANNER: (referring to Tony) 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?
TONY: I should probably look into that once my decryption programmer finishes breaking into all of SHIELD's secure files.
STEVE: (taken aback by that) I'm sorry, did you say...?
TONY: 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. (holds out a bag of blueberries) Blueberry?
STEVE: Yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around?
TONY: An intelligence organization that fears intelligence? Historically, not possible.
STEVE: 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.
TONY: Following is not really my style.
STEVE: (SMILING) And you're all about style, aren't you?
TONY: (a nerve hit) Of the people in this room, which one is; A. wearing a spangly outfit, and B. not of use?
BANNER: Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you?
[Steve takes in the possibility, but as an obedient soldier, shakes it off.]
STEVE: Just find the cube.
[Steve walks out of the lab. Still torn apart by the possibility, he walks away, towards the HULL of the ship.]
BACK IN THE LAB
TONY: That's the guy my dad never shut up about? Wondering if they shouldn't have kept him on ice.
BANNER: The guy's not wrong about Loki. He does have the jump on us.
TONY: What he's got is an ACME dynamite kit. It's gonna blow up in his face, and I'm gonna be there when it does.
BANNER: And I'll read all about it.
TONY: Uh-huh. Or you'll be suiting up like the rest of us.
BANNER: Ah, see. I don't get a suit of armor. I'm exposed, like a nerve. It's a nightmare.
TONY: You know, I've got a cluster of shrapnel, trying every second to crawl its way into my heart. (points at the MINI-ARC REACTOR in his chest) This stops it. This little circle of light. It's part of me now, not just armor. It's a... terrible privilege.
BANNER: But you can control it.
TONY: Because I learned how.
BANNER: It's different.
[Banner tries to read the computer screen, but Tony slides the data aside with his finger so the two can see face-to-face.]
TONY: Hey, I've read all about your accident. That much gamma exposure should have killed you.
BANNER: So you're saying that the Hulk... the other guy... saved my life? That's nice. It's a nice sentiment. Saved it for what?
TONY: (A BEAT) I guess we'll find out.
[Banner and Stark get back to work at their respective computers.]
BANNER: You might not like that.
TONY: You just might.
"jeez you two really hate each other" "yes we do" they said in sync "did they just agree with each other?" asked Kata, lilly answered "yes they did" "i wasn't asking you" "who were you asking then?" "clint" and lilly turned back and stared at him while he was focused on Kata, which was pissing both of them off esepeccially with dean staring at Kata
INT. HULL HANGAR, SECURE STORAGE 10-C - NIGHT
[Steve, with all his MIGHT, slides the HEAVY IRON door and STEALTHILY walks in. SECURE STORAGE 10-C is a large warehouse, filled with METAL CRATES stacked. Steve looks up, seeing another level. He LEAPS up high and holds onto the catwalk railing. Steve continues to move forward.]
INT. VAN - NIGHT
[Inside this particular van, Selvig and a few other SOLDIERS are driving inside a long tunnel. With the CMS device inside, Selvig carefully picks up the small cylinder shape IRIDIUM with metal prongs and lightly places it in a SLOT within the CMS. THE CMS ACCEPTS IT. Selvig looks at it, devilishly smiling.]
INT. BRIEFING ROOM - NIGHT
[On a SHIELD monitor is a photo and record of JANE FOSTER. Thor looks at her, remembering. With him is Agent Coulson.]
AGENT PHIL COULSON: As soon as Loki took the doctor we moved Jane Foster. We've got an excellent observatory in Tromso. She was asked to consult there very suddenly yesterday. Handsome fee, private plane, very remote. She'll be safe.
THOR: Thank you. It's no accident Loki taking Erik Selvig; I dread what he plans for him once he's done. Erik is a good man.
AGENT PHIL COULSON: He talks about you a lot. You changed his life. You changed everything around here.
THOR: They were better as they were. We pretend on Asgard that we're more advanced, but we... we come here battling like BILGESNIPE.
AGENT PHIL COULSON: Like what?
THOR: BILGESNIPE? You know; huge, scaly, big antlers. You don't have those?
AGENT PHIL COULSON: Don't think so.
THOR: They are repulsive, and they trample everything in their path.
[Thor walks over to the side of the ship and looks out the window, lamenting about what had happened and what may come.]
THOR: When I first came to Earth, Loki's rage followed me here and your people paid the price. And now again. In my youth I courted war.
NICK FURY (O.S.): War hasn't started yet. (WALKING IN) You think you can make Loki tell us what the Tesseract is?
THOR: I do not know. Loki's mind is far afield, it's not just power he craves, it's vengeance upon me. There's no pain that would prize his need from him.
NICK FURY: A lot of guys think that, until the pain stops.
THOR: What are you asking me to do?
NICK FURY: I'm asking, what are you prepared to do?
THOR: Loki is a prisoner.
NICK FURY: Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat that wants to be here?
[Thor doesn't answer.]
INT. HELICARRIER DETENTION SECTION - NIGHT
[Loki walks back and forth inside his glass cell. Suddenly, he stops.]
LOKI: There's not many people that can sneak up on me. (turns to see KATA STANDING THERE)
KATA: But you figured I'd come.
LOKI: After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate.
KATA: I wanna know what you've done to Agent Barton.
LOKI: I'd say I've expanded his mind.
KATA: And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?
LOKI: Is this love, Agent Romanoff?
KATA: Love is for children. I owe him a debt.
LOKI: (SITTING DOWN) Tell me.
KATA: (she pulls up a chair as WELL) Before I worked for SHIELD, I uh...well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skillset. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call.
LOKI: And what will you do if I vow to spare him?
KATA: Not let you out.
LOKI: (LAUGHS) Ah, no. But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?
KATA: Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian... or was.
"your not russian" snapped harry, Kata rolled her eyes "don't role your eyes at your father" snapped ginny, kata's hands had black magic floating in around them, her eyes were the samw colour "give me one good reason not to kill you" clint grabbed her waist and her magic stopped, his touch was enough to calm her down.
LOKI: What is it you want?
KATA: It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out.
LOKI: Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? DRAKOV'S daughter? SÃO PAULO? THE HOSPITAL FIRE? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? (STANDING; ANGRY) This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer... PATHETIC!
INTERCUTS - Tony and Banner continuously work at their monitors.
LOKI (V.O.): You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers.
[Agent Hill checks every VIEWSCREEN in the bridge. Fury oversees.]
LOKI (V.O.) You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away!
[Steve opens a STEEL crate. Angry, he looks behind him and looks back into the crate. THE CRATE IS FILLED WITH AN ARRAY OF HYDRA WEAPONS.]
INT. HELICARRIER DETENTION SECTION - NIGHT
[Loki SLAMS his cell, making Kata FLINCH.]
LOKI: I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly. Intimately. In every way he knows you fear! And when he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!
[KATA turns around, walks away from Loki, disgusted.]
KATA: (QUIETLY; DISTRAUGHT) You're a monster.
LOKI: (LAUGHS) No, you brought the monster.
KATA: (turns back around; poised) So, Banner... that's your play.
LOKI: (STAGGERED) What?
KATA: (ON EARPIECE) Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor as well. (TO LOKI) Thank you for your cooperation.
[Kata quickly walks out, leaving Loki frozen.]
INT. BANNER'S LAB - MORNING
[Fury walks in SURPRISED to see Tony and Banner stop working on the scepter.]
NICK FURY: (ANGRY) What are you doing, Mr. Stark?
TONY: Uh...kind of been wondering the same thing about you.
NICK FURY: You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract.
BANNER: We are. The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile.
TONY: And you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss. (suddenly his monitor show a collection of SECRET FILES) What is PHASE 2?
[Suddenly, Steve drops a HYDRA ASSAULT RIFLE on the table causing Fury, Banner and Tony to turn around. Cap looks pissed.]
STEVE: PHASE 2 is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons. (TO TONY) Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow.
NICK FURY: (trying to explain) Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're...
TONY: I'm sorry, Nick.
[Tony moves the computer screen towards Fury which shows plans of THE WEAPONS.]
TONY: What were you lying?
STEVE: I was wrong, director. The world hasn't changed a bit.
[At that moment, Thor and Kata walk into the lab. Kata keeps her eyes right on Banner. Banner looks at her, PISSED.]
BANNER: Did you know about this?
KATA: You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?
BANNER: I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed.
KATA: Loki's manipulating you.
BANNER: And you've been doing what exactly?
KATA: You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you.
BANNER: Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction.
NICK FURY: Because of him. (pointing at Thor)
THOR: (STUNNED) Me?
NICK FURY: Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned.
THOR: My people want nothing but peace with your planet.
NICK FURY: But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled.
STEVE: Like you controlled the cube?
THOR: Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war.
STEVE: A higher form?
NICK FURY: You forced our hand. We had to come up with something.
TONY: Nuclear deterrent. 'Cause that always calms everything right down.
NICK FURY: Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?
STEVE: I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck deep...
TONY: Wait! Wait! Hold on! How is this now about me?
STEVE: I'm sorry, isn't everything?
THOR: I thought humans were more evolved than this.
NICK FURY: Excuse me, did WE come to YOUR planet and blow stuff up?
THOR: Did you always give your champions such mistrust?
KATA: Are you all really that naive? S.H.I.E.L.D monitors potential threats.
BANNER: Captain America is on the threat potential watch list?
TONY: (to Steve) You're on that list? Are you above or below angry bees?
STEVE: I swear to God, Stark, one more crack...
TONY: Threatening! I feel threatened!
[As the "team" argues, they don't realize the BLUE GEM on Loki's scepter is glowing brightly.]
INT. AIRCRAFT CARRIER - DAY
Outside the HELICARRIER, a lone carrier slowly hovers over the ship.
SHIELD BASE VOICE: 661 Bravo, please relay your pass code. What is your hull, over?
BARTON: Arms to ammunition, over.
[Inside, BARTON and his crew suit up and arm themselves. Barton pulls out his hi-tech bow and arrows.]
INT. BANNER'S LAB - MORNING
[Back in the lab, the egos of these people keep rubbing off each other and at any moment, the shit will hit the fan.]
THOR: You speak of control, yet you court chaos.
BANNER: It's his M.O., isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're... we're a time-bomb.
NICK FURY: You need to step away.
TONY: (puts his arm around Steve) Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?
STEVE: (pushes Tony off)You know damn well why! Back off!
TONY: (comes face-to-face with Cap) Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me.
STEVE: Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?
TONY: Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.
[KATA TILTS HER HEAD SAYING HE ISN'T WRONG]
STEVE: I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. Yeah, I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.
TONY: I think I would just cut the wire.
STEVE: (SMILING) Always a way out... You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero.
TONY: (that did it) A hero? Like you? You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!
OUTSIDE THE HELICARRIER
[The ramp of the carrier opens. The carrier maneuvers next to one of the large turbine engines. Barton stands at the base, holding out his bow. He pulls out a GRENADE TIPPED ARROW. He points right at the engine. Then...Barton moves his AIM and points the arrow about a hundred feet from the engine. He releases. The arrow flies out,but then SHARPLY heads for the engine. The arrow is punctured onto the engine. It has a visible timer which is COUNTING DOWN.]
INT. BANNER'S LAB - MORNING
[Back in the lab, Steve puffs up his chest at Tony, who just stands there, unmoving.]
STEVE: Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds.
[Thor laughs at them.]
THOR: You people are so petty... and tiny.
[Tony rubs his head. Moves away from Cap.]
BANNER: Yeah, this is a team...
NICK FURY: Agent Petrova, would you escort Dr.Banner back to his...
BANNER: Where? You rented my room.
NICK FURY: The cell was just in case...
BANNER: In case you needed to kill me, but you can't! I know! I tried! (A BEAT) I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out! So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!
[Banner slowly gets upset as he looks at Romanoff, who gets ]unnerved.]
BANNER: You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?
[BLACK WIDOW and Fury have their hands down to grab their guns.]
STEVE: Doctor Banner... put down the scepter.
[BANNER LOOKS DOWN AND IS SHOCKED TO SEE HE'S HOLDING LOKI'S SCEPTER. The computer beeps. They all turn to it.]
TONY: Got it.
[Banner puts down the scepter and walks over to the computer.]
BANNER: Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my little party trick after all.
THOR: Located the Tesseract?
TONY: I can get there faster.
STEVE: Look, all of us...
THOR: The Tesseract belongs on Asgard, no human is a match for it.
[Tony turns to leave, but Steve stops him.]
STEVE: You're not going alone!
TONY: You gonna stop me?
STEVE: Put on the suit, let's find out.
TONY: I'm not afraid to hit an old man.
STEVE: Put on the suit.
[At that moment Banner who's looking at the monitor notices something about the Tesseract.]
BANNER: Oh, my God!
OUTSIDE THE HELICARRIER:
[Barton PULLS THE TRIGGER ON HIS BOW. The arrow then EXPLODES THE ENGINE RIGHT OFF THE HELICARRIER!]
INT. BANNER'S LAB - MORNING
[Everyone is thrown in every direction. Steve, Fury, Thor and Tony are thrown across while Kata and Banner are down in the lower equipment room. Steve looks up at Tony.]
STEVE: Put on the suit!
TONY: Yep!
[Steve helps Tony up and out of the lab. Fury sits up, clutching his ribs. He puts on his EARPIECE.]
NICK FURY: Hill?!
INT. HELICARRIER BRIDGE - DAY
[PANDEMONIUM ERUPTS. Emergency alarms set off, fire extinguishers activate near surrounding fires and every agent is in a spinning scramble for their positions and armaments. Agent Hill keeps the bridge as calm as possible.]
AGENT MARIA HILL: Turn up that engine! Number 3 engine is: down! Can we get a run in? (runs over to GALAGA PLAYER) Talk to me.
GALAGA PLAYER: (points to monitor) Turbine's loose. Mostly intact, but it's impossible to get out there and make repairs while we're in the air.
AGENT MARIA HILL: We lose one more engine, we won't be. Somebody's got to get inside and patch that engine.
INT. BANNER'S LAB - MORNING
NICK FURY: Stark! You copy that?!
TONY (V.O.): I'm on it!
NICK FURY: Coulson! Initiate official lock down in the detention section then get to the armory! Move out!
INT. HELICARRIER BRIDGE - DAY
[Agent Coulson runs out of the bridge.]
INT. LOWER EQUIPMENT ROOM, CARRIER - MORNING
[kata looks over to Banner, who is breathing heavy, having landed hard. He is gripping the grated floor to maintain control, but his eyes are green, his face intense.]
kata: (quietly, to herself) I'm okay. We're okay, right?