Rather than simply awaiting their arrival, Hermione quickly ran a diagnostic spell designed to locate surveillance equipment. The few that did exist in the room suddenly shorted out. Out of habit she added privacy spells to the room to prevent anyone from listening into what the Avengers would be discussing. If the Ministry could infiltrate SHIELD, it meant others would be able to as well. Satisfied that she wasn't being watched, Hermione pulled out a Self Writing Quill designed to take notes for her as she thought of them. She layered them with several spells to prevent anyone from noticing their existence, much less the fact that they were writing of their own accord.
The Avengers slowly trickled into the lab giving Hermione plenty of time to study their interactions with one another, as well as each of their moods. Each looked pensive or ill, no doubt worried about Loki's grand agenda for Earth.
"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Dr. Banner asked glancing at Thor. Hermione made a mental note that he was a scientist who had a Mr. Hyde.
"Loki's going to drag this out," the blonde Captain America said. "Thor, what's his play?" Hermione listened with a clinical ear, suppressing her horror, as the blonde Asgardian explained about the trade Loki had made: tesseract for an army.
"That's what he needs Erik Selvig for," Banner said wearily. "He's building another portal. He's an astrophysicist." Thor looked concerned as though he might know the man in question. Hermione continued observing, and taking notes about Loki's access to mind magic, specifically that he appeared adept at wielding them, and the fact that he was adopted.
"Same song different verse," she thought referencing the last maniac she'd fought against. According to the two scientists in the room, he needed Iridium, a stabilizing agent, which wasn't great. Stark, admittedly, was entertaining to watch, and no doubt vexing for those who had to interact with him as he continuously tried to antagonize Dr. Banner. Although she suspected it was more to gauge the reactions of the others rather than set off the doctor.
"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Agent Hill, a tall brunette, asked Stark sounding surprised.
"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?"
"I did," Hermione thought with a grin. "Thank you Lavender."
"He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier," Dr. Banner answered a question Hermione had missed.
"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect," Tony countered.
"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet," Dr. Banner said. Had the situation not been so serious, she'd be tempted to drool. Ginny would've teased her for decades if she knew how attractive she found these two genius as they simply talked about science.
"Finally, someone who speaks English," Stark said grinning as he reached over to shake Dr. Banner's hand. "It's great to meet you. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled, and I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster." Everyone in the room grimaced at the comment, missing that Dr. Banner looked at the floor to hide a grin as he said thanks, which only confirmed Hermione's previous theory. No doubt he encountered nothing, but fear since developing his alter ego.
After Director Fury's suggestion that they team up to find the tesseract, they head out of the room. It was clear that the rest of the group dispersed to do a variety of tasks, and Hermione decided to follow the two scientists. They rapidly bounced various ideas off one another, each catalogued by Hermione and her quill, along with her own thoughts on each topic. They didn't break off until late in the evening, and Hermione made her way back to the original lab, where she set up a cot and slept for a few hours.
Originally she intended to "appear" when the conversation turned to her participation in Loki's capture. She'd even prepared a witty repartee for her entrance. Stark and Rogers of course had to ruin it by letting their egos get in the way. Hermione sighed in exasperation when the conversation devolved into a pissing contest. Males, regardless of whether they be Muggle, Wizard or Superhero, always had to measure their wands to prove whom had the biggest.
"Big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?" Rogers asked Tony snarling. Hermione rolled her eyes at the predictable turn the argument had taken.
"Of course they both just wanted to be in charge," Hermione thought as she listened to Stark and Rogers natter at each other. Honestly, they were behaving just like Harry and Draco when they were having a go. "Merlin forbid they set aside differences and work together."
"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," Stark said. Hermione smirked when she saw Agent Romanov tilt her head in agreement. Point for him. It wasn't like he was wrong.
"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. 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."
It was clear that Rogers was a quintessential Gryffindor; he reminded her of a holier-than-thou version of Harry, and he'd been a nightmare during the war regarding strategy. Stark, on the other hand, was an interesting mix of Ravenclaw and Slytherin, which of course meant he'd never use a self-sacrificing plan. He'd simply think beyond it. How many times had she'd taken over Harry's plans and done just that?
"It's not like you can use it more than once...unless you're Harry."
"I think I would just cut the wire," Stark quipped. Hermione couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her. It was a stereotypical Malfoy response. Thankfully no one in the room noticed due to the tension between the two alpha males.
"Always a way out...You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero," Rodgers suggested. Hermione bristled at his suggestion.
"Of course there is always a way out," she thought. "How else are Harry, Ron, and I still alive?"
"A hero? Like you? You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!" Stark certainly didn't pull punches.
"Put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds," Rodgers snarled. Hermione watched the rest of the room refuse to move and simply stare at the two men.
"Are you seriously not going to intervene?"
"You people are so petty," Thor said grinning, "and tiny."
"Agent Romanov if you would escort Dr. Banner back...," Fury interjected as he tried to take control of the situation.
"Where? You rented my room?" Dr. Banner interrupted angrily.
"The cell was…" Director Fury tried to explain. Hermione's eyebrows raised at that admission.
"You actually created a cell for one of your own? Great...that bodes well for me."
"Just...if you needed to kill me," Dr. Banner asked sarcastically. "Except that you can't."
"Enough," Hermione said finally losing her temper and ending the spell. Predictably, everyone jumped and she found herself staring down several guns, which she immediately vanished silently. Agent Romanov pulled another one faster than Hermione had expected, but she vanished this one as well before the trigger could be pulled.
"I will keep taking those away," Hermione warned irritated as she put the tesseract wand away. "So I suggest you stop pointing them at me." Agent Romanov and Director Fury looked at her angrily, and the latter opened his mouth only to discover that he couldn't say anything out loud.
"No, you've had your chance to speak," she told him. "Now you're going to listen." She didn't miss Stark's look of utter delight at her treatment of the SHIELD director.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves. How do you expect to beat Loki if you're too busy having a row with each other? Merlin's arse you lot are acting like children. Rogers, it is perfectly acceptable to have a different perspective than Stark. Not everyone values the 'ultimate sacrificial play' instead of whining about it use that to your advantage." Stark predictably turned incredibly smug at her statement.
"Stark, learn to quell your narcissism. You are not the only person in the room," Hermione said before turning to the Asgardian. "You are in no position to belittle humans considering your brother started this mess because your family told him he was a monster growing up while lying about his true heritage."
"Director Fury, you cannot have it both ways, either you accept the risks or you do not ask for Dr. Banner's help. It is abysmal that you actually created a contingency to kill one of your own. Either he is useful or dangerous; pick one," she said before turning to Dr. Banner.
"You are not a monster," she said firmly as she held up a hand to stop him from attempting to argue with her. "Shut up and listen to me. Stop wallowing about circumstances beyond your control. Learn how to manage your alternative side. He is intelligent because you are intelligent. He is simply primitive. Start focusing what you can control and learn how to wield that version to your benefit."
"Quite frankly, Agent Romanov is the only individual in this pathetic group who understands that each of you have different perspectives and that it is perfectly acceptable. In fact, she's managed to use those differences to your benefit. So instead of bloody posturing and measuring your pricks, shut the bloody hell up and focus on Loki," Hermione said frustrated as she dropped the silencing charm.
"Who the fuck are you?" Fury demanded after he realized he could speak again. She raised an eyebrow at him while twirling the "tesseract wand," which Thor immediately recognized.