Barton didn't call ahead to announce to Stark that he would be dropping by. It was time to find out exactly what Banner and Stark had done with the Black Diamond. Last time they spoke, Stark had said something about the diamond bonding with them. They had also said that the diamond organism had replicated so many times, that they didn't know which piece was the original. That in itself was cause for alarm. He had Bird remain cloaked, until they landed. Jarvis was sure to notice them as soon as contact was made with the building, and that meant Stark would know he had arrived.
"Barton, how do you like being Fury's pet?" Tony said in greeting, as the doors of the elevator opened.
"Shut up Stark. What have you done with the diamond, that you couldn't tell me about last time?" Clint asked.
Bruce appeared suddenly out of thin air, which meant he'd used the diamond to portal jump. "Hi Barton, when did you get here?"
"Just now. I was about to show him what we've been up to," Tony replied.
"You're going to be shocked for sure. Give him a drink first," Bruce suggested.
Clint's eyes narrowed, "I'll make my own drink. Get on with it."
Stark smiled and lifted up his shirt. Immediately Barton saw that the reactor was no longer implanted in his chest. Scars from surgery were the only evidence it had ever been there and they too seemed to be fading.
"How?" Was all Clint managed to say in his shock.
"Well that Black Diamond of yours, initially bonded with the reactor. I think I told you about that. It enhancing the power was the first thing we noticed. But another side effect was that the shrapnel that was inching towards my heart, the diamond's added energy somehow made my body change the atoms of the shard. That resulted in my body being able to absorb it. It mutated some how and I no longer needed the rector, so I had it removed."
"Shit that's incredible, you should have told me that sooner. I bet Pepper is thrilled about that!"
Bruce chimed in, "that's not all. Tony's been working on his suit too and Iron Man has his own reactor, powering the suit."
"Best of all, is that I've created more suits that humans don't need to wear. I've installed AI units, something like Bird, but are designed to protect humans no matter what."
Clint scratched his head. "Wasn't that tried before with the military and it backfired, when they were hacked and attacked you and everyone else?"
"True, but they didn't have the Black Diamond back then like we did. The AI units are much more advanced and self learning too. They're like my children."
Bruce chuckled, "don't let Pepper hear you say that or she'll kick your ass."
"They're my personal fleet of loyal...," Tony paused not sure how to explain it.
"Like a dog?" Clint asked.
"Yes, but better."
"Don't worry, I'm helping him develop an override system, that if any unit does malfunction we can shut it down remotely." Bruce added reassuringly.
"I still don't trust those new suits, but I'm happy for you about the shard being gone. So what else have you two been doing?"
"I've been messing with your uniform, so to speak. We've created a vest, sunglasses and foot wear that uses the Black Diamond organism. It links you, when you're wearing it all, with the diamond. Try it on." Tony grabbed the gear and handed it to Barton.
"Okay, now what?" Clint asked.
Without warning, Tony shot at Barton, unloading a full clip. "As you can see, the diamond put up a purple aura or barrier and protected you from the bullets."
"I heard the shots, but I don't see any bullets."
"The purple barrier dissolved the bullets on contact. Nothing can pierce that vest, glasses or your feet. It gives you protection in your most vulnerable areas; head, neck, down over your chest and to the bottoms of your feet. Yet because it's part of your gear, it doesn't hinder your movement."
Barton moved around the test facility and Stark shot him with various projectiles. Clint grinned, "this is brilliant. What about at close combat?"
"Not as effective, but better than nothing."
"I like that it doesn't compromise my agility," Clint acknowledged. "What about you Banner?"
"The HULK and I have a purple vein that runs through our bodies. It activates when my rage is fuelled by passion. When I'm the HULK it is easier now to control my mind and actions."
"So since I'm your buddy, the HULK won't beat me to a pulp anymore? On second thought, don't answer that."
Tony handed over a bunch of Black Diamonds, "these are what we didn't use. You can take them back to their universe now."
Clint accepted the diamonds and used a wrist device to open the portal, he placed the diamonds on the ground in that universe and they quickly reformed into one large piece. "Thank you for everything," he said awkwardly and then left, closing the portal.
When he returned, he decided to fill them in on what Romanoff had discovered. He explained about their operation, the council members, the list and finally about the wormhole from the Challenger Deep. Banner whistled and Stark was already processing all the information.
"What does Ivan... er whatever his name was, still plan on doing with Natasha?" Tony asked Barton.
"We don't know, but she'll put up a fight before doing it. I was wondering if there is a way to close the wormhole, blocking portal access. Maybe we can keep whatever alien life he is, out of our dimension."
"It's possible. But matter that enters a wormhole adds positive energy, which collapses the wormhole into a black hole, which we don't want either. Or there is a chance that you can be trapped on the wrong side of the hole," Bruce explained.
Tony added, "we need to know the total mass of the wormhole, if it's less than 10% then it's on the verge of collapse. If it's not that, then we have to send something in to make it unstable."
Bruce typed rapidly on a console. "Ideally if the wormhole can't be collapsed we would want to create a white hole, at the other end. It prevents objects from entering, but it is highly unstable."
"But white holes can become black holes," Tony rejected the idea.
"You two are loosing me. Can we close the damn thing or what?"
"Theoretically yes. The stability of the wormhole depends on the exotic matter that supports it. Which means how it's pressure depends on its density. Any wormhole can collapse into a black hole after a sufficiently large influx of positive energy."
Tony said, "let's say the wormhole is artificially stabilized on the other side. All we'd have to do is turn off its stabilizer. If it's not, then all we have to do is destroy the wormhole without leaving a black hole, by neutralizing the matter in its throat region. To do that, repetitive injections of normal or exotic matter, at the right amounts, would shrink the wormhole to a microscopic size."
"Shit this makes my head hurt. Bottom line is we have to stop access to our universe and to Earth, by closing this wormhole portal thing. You're saying we can, but how the hell do we do it. Or should I ask with what?" Clint groaned, massaging his temples.
Bruce had an idea and looked at Stark. "We could send in one of the Iron Man AI units, through the wormhole and to the other side."
Tony cocked his head to one side, then pulled up some screens in the air. "That could work. We'd have to make some modifications, but that's our best bet."
Barton looked from one man to the other, as they bounced ideas back and forth. He felt like he was at a tennis match. He was glad they were taking the threat of the portal in the Challenger Deep, seriously. From the conversation, he understood that they knew how to close the portal, created by the wormhole and what they'd use to do it.
"It would be the ultimate test of the AI unit. If it's successful the portal will close and stay that way. If it's not, then we figure something else out. I want to check something with Dr. Pym, he'll give us some insight." Bruce said and then immediately placed a phone call.
"I'll leave this with you two for now. I have to check in with Fury and Romanoff, they just buzzed me. We need this done sooner than later. Thanks for the gear," Clint said as he finished the rest of his drink.
"We'll contact you in a few hours," Tony replied without looking away from the screens in front of him. He was already making calculations.
Barton could still hear him talking as he left. "Jarvis is Bruce right? What's the depth of the Challenger Deep? 36, 200 feet alright. Now if we factor in the pressure of that depth and the wormhole...."