Hey everyone. So after uploading yesterday I worked my butt of to write this chapter for the next day later. I am on such a creative high and I absolutely love writing every minute of this story. Sooooooo... song recommendation for this chapter is 'The Train by James Newton Howard (The Hunger Games - Original Motion Picture Score)' AND WE DID IT! I JUST REACHED ONE FREAKING HUNDRED SUBSCRIBERS! I can't thank each of you more I cherish each one of you and you're the ones that keep me going!


Chapter Twelve

Up ahead the scientists jabbered on and I dawdled behind meagerly paying attention. Stuff about particle accelerators and atom splitting. I pulled out my tablet and began to look at the articles that Stark was given to read. Slightly complicated but if I reread it I would understand it. I wasn't in a studying mood, and taking the lead from both the scientists generally sarcastic moods, I decided I was in a pranking mood.

As we neared the door to Dr. Banner's laboratory Stark inserted his keycard to enter. I held them together as they tried to force their way open.

"Really? Locked out of our own lab...? Nice one Fury." Stark exclaimed. He swiped the card a few more times before I couldn't help but laugh. He turned and knew exactly what was going on.

"What? Someone need to liven up this place. It's dreary as hell." I chuckled brushing past them and allowing the doors to open for me. Stark and Banner walked straight in and powered up the computers. I took a seat on a stool in the back corner and continued reading.

"So you've really got a hang of those...tricks... haven't you." Banner said walking over to Loki's staff and picking up a gamma detector.

"Been practicing. I don't want another repeat of Thor almost putting me into a coma."

"Understandably."

He began to scan the detector across the staff and I thought it might be nice if I helped him out. Lifting from his hands (across the room) I swiped it around all angles. He took my lead and left to watch the monitor.

"The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's report on the tesseract. But it's going to take weeks to process."

"Try telling that to Fury. He runs and tight schedule." I said miserably.

"If I can bypass their mainframe and direct route to the homework closure we can clock this at around 6000 terra-flops." Stark added. I knew he was trying to cut me out of the conversation, I clearly interrupted his science-y bromance he had going on with Banner.

"All I packed was a toothbrush!" Banner laughed.

"You know you should come by Stark Tower some time. All top floors are R&D. You'd love it, it's like candyland."

"Thanks but the last time I was in New York I kind of broke... Harlem." Banner turned down politely.

"Well I can promise a stress-free environment. No tension, no surprises." Stark rambled as he drew out his electrical screwdriver and zapped Banner in the side.

"OOW!" he shouted. Then Steve the party-pooper came in.

"Are you nuts?" he attacked.

"You really have a lid on it. What's you secret. Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?" Stark ignored Steve.

"Is everything a joke to you?"

"Funny things are."

"Okay boys, hate to break up the love fest but we have work to do." I stood up quickly spacing Stark and Steve apart.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny." Steve continued, "No offense Doc."

"It's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if i couldn't handle pointy things." Banner re-assured him. I was still controlling the gamma detector and hit Stark over the back of the head with it.

"What's the big idea?" he complained waving his screwdriver.

"And I'll take that too." I said grumpily whipping the screwdriver through the air and placing it down on the desk.

"You're tip-toeing big man. You need to strut." Stark pointed with his finger instead. It was better that he didn't have any 'pointy objects' on him now.

"And you need to focus." Steve added.

"You think I'm not? Why did Fury call us and why not before? What isn't he telling us?"

"I'd sure like to know!" I said honestly. "I'd love to know what skeleton's Fury's hiding in his closet this time."

"You can't do the equation if you don't have all the variables."

"You think Fury's hiding something?"

"He's a spy isn't he? He's THE spy. His secret's have secrets. It's bugging him too, isn't it." he gestured to Banner again. Again with the bromance.

"Ahhhh... I just wanna finish my work here—,"

"Doctor." Steve called him out. Banner sighed and removed his glasses.

"A warm light for all mankind? Loki's jab at Fury about the cube. Well I think that was meant for you." he pointed back at Stark, "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the Tower it was still all over the news."

"The Stark Tower? That big ugly—," Steve went to say met by another glare from Stark, "Building in New York..."

"It's run by an Arc reactor, self sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for what a year?"

"It's just the prototype. I'm kinda all about green energy right now."

"So... why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D bring him in on the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?"

"I should probably look into that." Stark said making his way to a screen across the other side of the room, "Once my decryption program finishes breaking in."

"What! Let me see!" I protested snatching a small screen from his hand.

"I'm sorry did you say—?"

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge." Stark explain, I showed Steve the file on the screen. It was impressive. Even before my super computer brain days I was quite the computer wizz. Breaking into S.H.I.E.L.D restricted files was like walking on water as far as it concerned me, "In a few hours i'll know every dirty secret S.H.I.E.L.D has ever tried to hide. Blueberry?" he offered holding out a bag of them. We switched; I took a handful of blueberries in return for his screen. Steve typically turned it down. He wasn't happy about Stark's hacking and I needed to separate the two before world war three broke out.

"And yet you're confused as to why they didn't want you around."

"An intelligence organisation that fears intelligence? Historically not awesome."

"I think maybe Loki's trying to wind us up, this is a man who means to start a war and if we don't stay focused he'll succeed. We have orders, we should follow them."

"Following orders was never my style."

"Come on time to go," I attempted to push Steve out the door.

"You're all about style aren't you."

"Of the people in this room who is a) wearing a spangly outfit and b)not of use." Stark insulted. Steve's jaw clenched. I was standing between the two on them holding Steve's arms down and things weren't looking good.

"Steve, you can't tell me things don't smell funky." Banner joined.

"Just find the cube." he scowled and left.

"Why'd you have to go and be so mean. Now I have to go after him before he does something stupid like tell Fury." I moaned and left to chased after Steve.

Catching up to him down the right hallway I ran and called him, he attempted to ignore me and then stopped and waited for me to catch up.

"Steve. Ignore them. They just act that way because their big science geeks with expensive toys." I tried to calm him down.

"Yeah... but what they were saying wasn't wrong. They might be onto something... While Stark breaks into their files how bout' we do some digging of our own."

"What do you propose?" I said with a knowing smile.

"Come with me."

We got past security and made our way down to the security storage section. A large mechanical door stood in between us and what we were looking for. You needed a key card to enter. Steve grabbed it by it's hinges and began to push it open.

"Wait, wait wait! You're going to take someone's eye out, probably mine. I can do it and leave not trace." I stopped him. I stuck my hand out and felt for the lock inside the door. Within seconds I had found it and the door slid open, leaving no trace of our break in. We walked closely scanning the area for any guards on duty and when the coast was clear, Steve jumped up to a railing a couple of meters above us and hung his hand down to pull me up. Easily he flung me by his side, I got a slight head rush.

"I'm glad you're alright. I didn't get to tell you before because... well the meeting and then the tension between Stark —," Steve started to break the silence.

"I know, you don't need to explain yourself."

"I should have stayed on the plane. Agent Romanoff was panicking when she hand to land the plane to pick us back up. She knew you were alive, but you were bleeding so much. You just sat back up though when he knocked you down and you didn't say anything. I didn't know..." he blabbered.

"Are you saying you were worried about me?" I caught him out.

"Arghh...no. I mean yes, I was worried about a fellow team members safety. I didn't want anyone to die on my watch."

"On your watch?" I chuckled. He sighed and dropped his head.

"I've lost people before. It's not fun."

"I'd imagine not." I agreed. By now, Steve and I were stopped, starring eye to eye. Soundlessly I gazed at his determined blue eyes and he at mine.

"Urgh..." I cleared my throat and brushed past him, "What's that over there?" I noticed some crates. Steve turned around and followed me. I brushed some dust off the top of one and the crates read 'Phase two'. Steve ripped the lid off and inside sat cylinders of some kind.

"What is it?" Steve thought aloud. I reached inside and picked up the cylinder. There was a small button on the side of it so I pressed it. Instantly the cylinder opened up and I found myself holding a gun of some sort.

"I have never seen one of these before." I inspected it.

"Not your standard issue S.H.I.E.L.D weapon I'm guessing either." he added.

"I think this might have something to do with what Banner and Stark were on about. I mean, think about it. You've seen how Fury shut you down when you mentioned that Loki's scepter was similar to a Hydra weapon. Maybe he thought you were on to something. I have an idea." I stepped back and pointed the gun at the crate, "If this thing looks like it's powered by the tesseract in the slightest, we'll know."

"What do we do if we're right?"

"Well then Fury's gotta a lot of explaining to do." I said shooting the weapon. A blue blast of energy shot straight out of it's nozzle and disintegrated the crate before our eyes.

"Yep...ahh that's definitely powered by the Tesseract." Steve said clearing the smoke.

"WHO'S THERE!" shouted a voice from around the corner.

"Holy Mother of Christ! Take the gun and go!" I shoved it at him.

"What about you?"

"They're not going to do anything, were on the same side. I'll just hold em' off for a while. Take it to Stark, he'll know what to do with it!" and with that Steve got a head start and I stood ready to make it appear we were never there. Quickly thinking I jumped on the ground and lifted a nearby contain onto my left leg to appear I had knocked it over and it had fallen on me. In reality it wasn't even touching me and it's weight was hovering over me.

"Help! The container fell on me!" I shouted to decoy the guard. From around the corner the guard ran with his flashlight and gun at the ready.

"Jeez! How'd did you manage that." he remarked running closer.

"I was looking Director Fury, someone said he was down here. I came looking and leant on one of the containers and it just collapse on me." I lied. The guard tried to push it off my leg but I made sure it wouldn't budge. That's when Steve came back around the corner.

"Can I be of any help?" he called running along platform.

"Yeah, the crate fell on her leg. I'm not strong enough to move it." he guard said attempting to budge it again. Steve crouched down beside me and began to shove.

"Why the hell did you come back, I had everything under control!" I whispered in his ear.

"I thought you got hurt." he said confusingly.

"No. The thing's not even touching my leg."

"Would you let go of it then." he said pushing at it. So I did and he 'lifted' it off my leg and placed it back on it's shelf.

"I think I need to see a doctor! It's broken I can feel it!" I acted, crying out in agony.

"I'll call my superior over." The guard proposed.

"NO!" Steve shouted, "Um... I'll take her to the medical wing." he said picking me up. He was cradling me in his arms and I felt man-handled.

"Oh. I see a light!" I chimed on, I was going to play this to extremes.

"Quickly! She's worse than I thought!" the guard worried, "Take her immediately."

Steve turned and I pretended to faint, whacking him in the face as I flailed. He ran out of the security storage facility and made sure no one was watching before he put me down.

"You really have a knack for theatrics." he laughed.

"Where's Phase two?" I noticed it wasn't on him.

"It's alright I hid it in a wall opening." he walked a little further upwards and pulled it out.

"Good. Now onto the interrogation."

"What are you doing Mr. Stark." Fury said angrily, entering the lab before Steve and I. I had a dopey smile on my face and judging by the tension in the room, I needed to wipe it off quick smart.

"Ah, kinda been wondering the same thing about you." Stark interrogated.

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract."

"We are, the model's locked and we're searching for the signature now." Banner said. The two looked very smug, "When we get a hit, we'll have the location in half a mile."

"Tell 'em we'll get your cube back, no fuss." Stark calmed him down. Then Steve and I entered. His computer beeped and he looked back up at us, "What is Phase Two by the way?"

"Phase Two, is S.H.I.E.L.D uses the cube to make weapons." Steve slammed the gun down on the table, "Sorry the computer was moving a little slow for me."

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract." Fury crossed the room. I could smell the lies coming from him. For a leading spy he wasn't very good at lying, "This does not mean that—,"

"I'm sorry Nick, what were you lying?" Stark said turning the screen around to show a diagram of the weapon.

"I was wrong director. The world hasn't changed a bit."

"Did you know about this?" Banner questioned Natasha as both herself and Thor entered the room.

"Do you wanna think about removing yourself from this environment Doctor." she suggested, it was a good suggestion as everyone's agitation was only growing higher.

"I lived in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed."

"Loki's manipulating you." she neared him.

"And you've been doing what exactly?"

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"I'm not leaving because suddenly you've become a little twitchy. I'd like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."

"Because of him," Fury pointed to Thor, "Last year earth had a visitor from another planet because he had a grudge to match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone but we are hopelessly, hilariously outgunned.

"My people want nothing but piece with your land." Thor added.

"But you're not the only one's out there are you? And you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people that can't be matched. That can't be controlled."

"Like you controlled the cube." Steve said.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it and his allies. It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war." Thor exclaimed.

"A higher form?" Steve questioned.

"You forced our hand we had to come up with something—,"

"A nuclear deterrent. 'Cause that always calms everything right down." Stark raised his brow.

"Remind me again how you made your fortune Stark?" Fury criticized.

"I'm sure if Stark still made weapons he would be neck deep." Steve said.

"Wait, wait wait. Hold on, how is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry isn't everything." Steve scoffed.

"I thought humans were more evolved than this?" Thor shook his head.

"Excuse me, do we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury turned.

"Are you boys really that naive?" Natasha said. Fighting upon fighting I was sick of it. A rumpus of insults and lies. Then something caught my eye. A hidden tab on Banner's computer read 'Project X'. I crossed the floor, ignored by all the others fighting and tapped it to open it. There were folders with names. Dakota Arbor, next to it was Stanley Witmore, followed by some other familiar name's I had read about before, but I had never seen Dakota Arbor on the list they had given me. Tapping it, opened into another window with information on 'Dakota'. The first thing that struck me as odd was how similar she looked to me. Blue eyes and the same gingery hair, her nose was similar too.

'Name: Dakota Arbor

Description: Former S.H.I.E.L.D agent. 23rd test subject for the Brain Enhancement serum. Biological mother to Project Mastermind.

Current residence: Ryker's Island Prison, Sanitarium Wing.'

Project Mastermind was underlined, indicating there was a link clickable. So I clicked it, and I wish I never had.

My heart stopped, my throat went dry and my palms got sweaty. I pushed the screen away from me and stepped well away from it. Stark turned at my reaction and sighed heavily.

"You were supposed to get rid of that Banner." he scolded.

"I didn't know she would see it." he regret. Fury and Romanoff had stopped fighting too.

Staring me in the face was my own image and a long file description.

'Project Mastermind, born Emily Arbor now Emily Coulson, DNA fused with the Brain Enhancement Serum. Mother, Dakota Arbor. Father (deceased) Phillip Couslon Sr.

Born with the abilities the serum provided, no side effects noted as of yet.

S.H.I.E.L.D property until age 5, released at the wish of her biological father. Abilities and memories of first five years of existence were subdued with a reversal procedure.

Former Abilties:

Super Memory, Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis, Flight, Control and manipulation of Technology, Muscle Memory, Heighten Hearing, Fastened Healing

Recently powers re-attained by the engineering efforts of Dr. Georgio Rodrigues(deceased) and Dr. Paris Sanches(deceased).

Re-attained Abilities:

Super Memory, Telekinesis, Heightened Hearing, Fastened Healing.

Previous Guardian: Hawkeye a.k.a Agent Clint Barton (terminated)

Current Guardian: Agent Phillip Coulson Jr.

Along side it were videos, of me. I was tiny I must have been no more than four and they were performing tests on me. Horrible, horrible things. There was security footage of me locked in a padded cell as a toddler. I was screaming, crying. It was disturbing and traumatic.

"Okay, that's enough." Steve shut it down.

"What is this?" was all I was able to muster out starring coldly at the ground, then upon looking up I saw Phil in the doorway.

"What'd going on in here?" he asked stupidly. I simply starred at him frigidly, repulsed by his presence. No one could look at him, nor Fury.

"Em, are you alrig—,"

"Shut up." I yelled at him, "Do not speak to me you pile of scum."

"I don't under—,"

"Phil, she knows... Everything." Fury stopped him and at that moment I had never hated my anyone more in my life.


DUN! DUH! DUN! DUN! We are moving into scary territory now. You know what's coming next if you know the movie well ;)

Or do you...?