Chapter 30: Plans and Players

Meanwhile, inside the carrier's command center, as Steve, Banner and Natasha walks in...

"Gentlemen," Fury began, his voice commanding attention as he addressed Steve and Banner. Steve slipped Fury the ten dollars he had bet earlier, a silent acknowledgment that he had indeed been surprised. Banner shook Fury's hand, a small gesture of gratitude for the polite invitation.

"Thanks for asking nicely. So, um, how long am I staying?" Banner inquired, his tone betraying a hint of uncertainty.

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the wind," Fury replied bluntly, his words echoing with the weight of their mission.

Banner nodded, absorbing the information before turning his attention to Coulson, who provided an update on their efforts to locate the Tesseract. Natasha, meanwhile, moved over to a computer screen, monitoring the progress of Barton's face trace.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet," Coulson explained, his voice tinged with determination. "Cell phones, laptops, if it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."

Natasha shook her head slightly, her expression grave. "It's still not gonna find them in time," she remarked, her tone tinged with frustration.

Banner intervened with a suggestion, his mind already racing with potential solutions. "You have to narrow your field. How many Spectrometers do you have access to?" he queried, his gaze flickering between Fury and Coulson.

Fury's response was concise. "How many are there?"

Banner wasted no time in formulating a plan. "Call every lab you know. Tell them to put the Spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for Gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?" he proposed, his voice brimming with determination.

Fury turned to Natasha, assigning her a task. "Agent Romanoff, would you show Doctor Banner to his laboratory, please?" he requested, his tone brooking no argument.

Natasha approached Banner with a confident stride, a smirk playing on her lips. "You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys," she assured him, her words infused with a hint of playful sarcasm.

Banner raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "Really? Do you have the com-meter sixty-four?" he quipped, a playful retort to Natasha's earlier boast.

"I'm not sure—" Natasha began, but Banner cut her off with a teasing remark. "Oh, you're very young," he teased, his words laced with humor as they walked out of the command center together.

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Meanwhile Inside Loki's hidden base, Dr. Selvig was deeply engrossed in his work, his hands deftly manipulating the intricate components of a machine.

"Put it over there," he directed, his attention briefly shifting to Barton.

Barton, clad in his SHIELD attire, stood nearby, a quizzical expression on his face. "Where did you find all these people?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"SHIELD has no shortage of enemies, Doctor," Barton replied with a wry smile. "Is this the stuff you need?"

Selvig nodded, his gaze focused on the device before him. "Yes, Iridium. It's found in meteorites, it forms anti-protons. It's very hard to get hold of."

Barton raised an eyebrow, a knowing look crossing his features. "Especially if SHIELD knows you need it."

Selvig chuckled softly, acknowledging Barton's astute observation. "Well, I didn't know," he admitted, returning his attention to his work.

It was then that Loki appeared, his presence commanding attention as he approached the duo.

"Hey! This is wonderful," Selvig exclaimed, his eyes alight with fervor. "The Tesseract has shown me so much. It's- it's more than knowledge, it's truth."

Loki nodded in agreement, his expression reflecting a mixture of awe and reverence for the powerful artifact.

Loki turned to Barton, his gaze penetrating. "What did it show you, Agent Barton?"

Barton's response was succinct. "My next target."

Selvig couldn't help but chuckle at Barton's straightforwardness, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Stick in the mud. He's got no soul. No wonder you chose this, this tomb to work in."

Barton's patience wore thin at Selvig's remark. "Well, the Radisson doesn't have three levels of lead-lined flooring between SHIELD and that Cube," he retorted sharply.

Ignoring the tension between Barton and Selvig, Loki mused aloud. "I see why Fury chose you to guard it."

Barton's demeanor softened slightly as he addressed Loki. "You're going to have to contend with him, sir. As long as he's in the air, I can't pin him down. And he'll be putting together a team."

Loki considered Barton's words carefully, his gaze thoughtful. "Are they a threat?"

Barton weighed his response carefully before answering. "To each other more than likely. But if Fury can get 'em on track, and he might, they could throw some noise our way."

Loki's interest was piqued. "You admire Fury."

Barton nodded, a hint of respect in his voice. "He's got a clear line of sight."

Loki's next question was pointed. "Is that why you failed to kill him?"

Barton's admission was candid. "It might be. I was disoriented, and I'm not at my best with a gun."

Loki's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "I want to know everything you can tell me about this team of his. I would test their mettle."

Barton recognized an opportunity, his expression determined. "If you're set on making yourself known, I could be useful."

Loki nodded, his interest piqued. "Tell me what you need."

Barton wasted no time, retrieving his bow from a nearby case. "I need a distraction. And an eyeball."

As Barton prepared his equipment, the tension in the room palpably increased.

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Author - I'll be reading some fan-fics on marvel so updates will be slow for a while. Also waiting for suggestions from readers.....