~~Present Day~~
I helped Steve, using my own super-human strength, to open the SHIELD metal door that kept alien tech hidden inside it. Steve walked up to a crate and opened it with his super-human strength as I hesitantly watched. He pulled out a HYDRA gun and met my eyes with a fire in his own. "Stark was right. SHIELD's hiding things from us. And they're planning on using this to their own advantage." He growled under his breath for being such a fool.
"I...have nothing to hide..." I sighed when he glared at me. "I knew of the alien tech, yes, but I didn't know about the HYDRA tech!" I protested, but he shook his head.
"You know what people--all people--are like, Lola. You of all people, know. This is a form of power that mankind always craves for. We can't let them get away with having this and using it for their own benefit." He stormed out and froze in the doorway. "You can either be with me, or with SHIELD." He looked to the wall in front of him when he spoke, and then went silent--waiting for my answer.
"I...I'm never choosing SHIELD over my best friend!" I walked up to him with a determined look. I was going to set things right, even if Fury hated me for it. Steve met my eyes and smiled kindly once more, so I smiled back. "I'm sorry I ever let this happen in the first place." I apologized.
"It's fine. As a soldier, I understand." He smiled. "Now let's get back to Stark."
"Yes, Sir." I saluted, causing him to chuckle and roll his eyes as he carried the heavy gun in his arms.
~~~~(This time skip has been brought to you by Steve's fine hair.)~~~~
We stormed into Banner's 'office' where Stark and Fury stood and looked unimpressed as Bruce looked like he would rather have some tea right about now. We heard Stark speak just as we entered the room. "What is 'Phase Two'?" Stark asked Fury.
"'Phase Two' is where SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons." Steve glared, tossing the HYDRA tech onto a nearby table. "Sorry, but the computer was moving a little too slow for me." Steve then cockily stated as Stark raised his eyebrows at the statement--looking completely unamused.
"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. That does not mean that we're making--" Fury began, before he was cut off.
"I'm sorry, Nick." Stark cockily intervened. "What were you lying?" He asked as he turned a panel to face us. It had blueprints to build HYDRA tech with.
"I was wrong, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit." Steve glared, eye to eye with Fury. I hung back and watched them all closely.
"Did you know about this?" Bruce asked Natasha and I. I noticed Natasha had walked into the room with Thor, completely unnoticed.
"Do you want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Bruce? Please?" Natasha pleaded her soulmate.
"I was in Culcutta." Bruce laughed. "I was pretty removed."
"Loki's trying to manipulate you." Natasha tried to warn him.
"And you've been doing what, exactly?" Bruce questioned, the tension in the room growing stronger.
"You didn't come here just because I'm your soulmate." Natasha watched him skeptically.
"Yes and I'm not leaving either." He replied undenyingly. "Just because you suddenly get a little twitchy, doesn't mean I don't have the same right, as everyone else in this room, to be here." He glared back. She clamped her jaw and looked to the floor with hurt barely visible in her eyes as Bruce continued to speak. "I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."
The room went silent for a moment as everyone seemed to glare back and forth.
"It's because of him." Fury no longer denied as he pointed at Thor. Thor and I shared confused looks.
"Me?"
"Him?" We both questioned in sync as I stood by Natasha's side and wrapped an arm around her comfortingly. She didn't push me off.
"Well. Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet." Fury began annoyedly. "This person had a grudge match that leveled a small town. That day, we learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."
"My people want nothing but peace with your planet." Thor came and stood by Natasha's and my side, wrapping an arm around me, so I wrapped my free arm around him as we stared Fury down.
"But you're not the only people out there--are you?" Fury asked rhetorically. "And you're not the only threat. The world is filling up with people who can't be matched--that can't be controlled."
"Like you controlled the cube?" Steve mocked.
"Your work with the Tesseract," Thor began to pace. "is what drew Loki and his allies to it. It is a signal for all the realms, that Earth is ready for a higher form of war." Thor glared.
"A higher form?" Steve became confused.
"You forced our hand. We had to come up with something--!" Fury raised his voice and glared back.
"A nuclear deterrent. Because that always calms things down. Doesn't it?" Stark scoffed.
"Remind me again, how you made your fortune, Stark?" Fury shot back. I winced at the argument that was picking up and Natasha watched Bruce and Steve cautiously.
"I'm sure if he still make weapons, Stark would be neck-deep--" Steve walked up to Fury's side as they picked on Stark. Stark raised his hands and his half-rolled up sleeves at Fury and Steve.
"Okay--hold on, how is this now about me?" Stark protested.
"I'm sorry, Stark. Isn't everything?" Steve asked, worsening the situation.
"I thought humans were more evolved than this. No offence to Lola--" Thor quickly spun to me.
"I'm a vampire, don't worry, Sweetie. No harm done." I grinned.
"Hey, excuse me you two--did we come to your worlds and blow your shit up? I think not--" Fury growled defensively.
"Your treat your champions with such mistrust--" Thor argued between Fury as Natasha and I watched and Steve and Stark argued back and forth, all over the top of each other--raising the volumes of the room with each sentence.
"Are you boys really being that naive?" Natasha scoffed suddenly. "SHIELD monitors potential threats." She spoke to Fury and Thor as I backed away.
"Steve's on threat watch?" Bruce scoffed.
"We all are." Natasha informed her soulmates.
"Wait you're on that list?" I heard Stark say as the noise began to blur together. "Are you above, or below, angry bees?"
"Stark, so help me God, if you make one more 'wisecrack'...!" Steve glared.
"Threat! Verbal threat! I feel threatened!" Stark back away with his hands mockingly in the air as Steve put his hands on his hips.
"Show some respect, Stark." Steve growled.
"Respect what?" Stark scoffed as their voices blurred with the other's. Eventually everyone grew quiet as Thor spoke up.
"You speak of control and yet you court chaos." Thor spat.
"That's his M.O, isn't it?" Bruce chuckled. "I mean--what are we meant to be? A team? No-no...we're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're a time-bomb." He glared.
"Bruce, maybe you should step away." I warned as I tried walking closer to him.
"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Stark scoffed, turning my attention to him. He had put a hand on Steve's shoulder for a millisecond before Steve threw his hand off.
"You know damn-well why. Back off!" Steve glared.
"I'm starting to want you to make me." Stark glared back as they clashed.
"Yeah--a big man in a suit of armour. Take that off and what are you?" Steve stepped forwards, towering over Stark.
"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." Stark told him cockily. I stifled a quiet laugh which no one paid attention to--before I slowly progressed what he had just said. I slowly looked down at my right leg which was covered by my long pants. Oh, fuck me--
"I know guys with none of that, that are worth ten of you." Steve scoffed. "I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself." We all stayed silent as the two men glared into each other's eyes. "You're not the type of guy to make the sacrifice-play. Or to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."
"I think I would just cut the wire." Stark replied smartly.
"Always a way out, huh?" Steve smirked. "Y'know...you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."
"A hero? Like you?" Stark scoffed. "You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle." I glanced to the floor as pain hit my chest at the memory of that day.
"Put on the suit--let's go a few rounds." Steve challenged as Thor suddenly started laughing. We all turned to face him.
"You humans are so petty--and tiny." Thor chuckled. I covered my smirk with my hand and looked away to stop myself from chuckling at Thor's burn.
"Yeah--this is a team." Bruce scoffed with a laugh.
"Agent Romanoff, Agent Stars--would you two please escort Dr. Banner back to his--" Fury tried asking as Natasha and I stepped towards Bruce as asked, but Fury was cut off and we stopped in our tracks.
"Where? My room? You rented it." Bruce mocked.
"The cell was just in case--" Fury tried explaining calmly.
"In case you needed to kill me." Bruce finished. "But you can't--I know, I've tried." He growled. The room grew silent as we looked at him. I felt a pang of guilt at the fact that he tried for suicide. He shrugged. "I got low...I didn't see an end. So I put the bullet in my mouth--and the other guy spat 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!" He glared.
We watched as he put his hand on the scepter and lifted it up.
"You want to know my secret? You want to know how I stay calm?" He glared at everyone. Fury clicked the safety off his gun and Steve stepped forwards.
"Dr. Banner." Steve got his attention. "Put down the scepter." He ordered strongly. It took Bruce a moment to realize he was even holding it, and by that point a 'bling' could be heard from a floating panel-screen. Then the computer beeped.
"Got it..." Bruce put the scepter back. "...sorry kids, looks like you don't get to see my party-trick after all." He mocked as he walked past Natasha and I--bumping into my shoulder causing me to step back.
"You located the Tesseract?" Thor questioned as he tried to keep his cool at Bruce's actions.
"I could get there fastest." Stark bragged.
"The Tesseract belongs in Asgard." Thor told them. "No human is a match for it--not even a vampire, I'm sorry, my love." Thor put a hand on my shoulder. I put my hand on his and smiled.
"Yeah--I expected I wouldn't be a match for it." I chuckled.
"You're not going alone, Stark." Steve stopped Stark.
"You're gonna stop me?" Stark glared.
"Put on the suit, let's find out." Steve glared back.
"I'm not afraid to hit an old man." Stark burned as I stared and quickly whispered to Thor as I remembered. Thor nodded in understanding and whispered back.
"Okay...but he seems unworthy of you..however, I do not mind that much--if he changes." Thor glared at Stark when I told him about my findings.
"Put on the suit." Steve threatened.
"Oh my God..." Bruce could be heard from a computer screen. I walked over to him confused.
"What is it--?" I questioned before I was cut off by an explosion which flung my body like a ragdoll--swirling dust around my vision with black and white spots filling my eyesight. 'What the hell was that!?' I questioned as I landed on something softer and warmer than the cold, metal ground I was expecting.