A/N: thi is a shorter, more boring couple chapters so decided to combine them and post them quicker
Bagel Thursday
PeechTao
Chapter 5
Tony found Bruce working late in the lab the first night coming in from Jerusalem. Given that he'd just spent a week in Israel perfecting a new plasma array, whatever breakthrough he must have had there most likely spilled over to his work in the US. Tony knew well when Bruce was on a role, there was little that could stop him.
"So, you gonna show me that new destroy-the-meter toy yet? Because, you know, we're all ready for Armageddon to come true and Bruce Willis to save us all. If you don't step up, he's taking all the glory."
Bruce snickered. "Uh, huh. You've told me. This is a different project."
"Oh, running two things concurrently." Tony approached, looking over Banner shoulder at all the schematics. Experience told him he was now staring at a three dimensional digital breakdown of a microscope. Bruce's microscope to be exact. To the left was a new construction. It was multilayered and infused with new bits and pieces not a part of the original design. If Tony was correct, and he always was, there was a new micro camera he was installing to the end of his microscope and then he was changing the microscope to a hand held, slimmer design.
"Fascinating. What's it for? Photographing a cell analysis?"
"Something like that." Bruce said. "My cells are still adjusting, evolving. I need a way to record that in a more personal level that way I can stop taking daily samples myself. Just doing a few alterations to make things easier."
Stark shrugged. "Cellular study's going to need better microscopy then what you've got. You can break down the electron microscope. We've got two. The crystals will be better and the lens is a more manageable shape."
Bruce looked over, shrugging. "Yeah, not a bad plan. I'll use that."
"Looks like you've got most of the assembly plans done already. Do you need a hand for the fine work?"
"Nah, I'm still playing with it at this point. There's no real rush. You're welcome to tinker with those plans on the plasma array's reactor. I sent them to your work desk."
Like a child handed a gift, Tony went bounding over to his digital table and brought up the designs. Working out the kinks Bruce had manually installed on the reactor core might take Tony a little while to find, even longer to correct. It bought Bruce a few hours at least to finish the fabrication on his hand made ophthalmoscope. With the camera installed at the end, he'd be able to record a few images then instantly check Stark's private server to compare his diagnosis with similar clinical cases.
By morning he was finished and Tony had encountered only four of the seven overriding mathematical anomalies Bruce had built in to his reactor. By the time Bruce left for a morning break Tony was still working on.
:():
Without Banner at his arm to keep him on tack, Clint spent most of his time back at the Tower either hiding in his room (not abnormal), on the pinnacle of the radio Tower (almost expected) or in the R and D shooting range practicing with a firearm. Granted the last was the most atypical of all his behavior, but at least it gave him the chance to wear ear phones without looking strange. A second ploy was his over stated use of his iPod and the headphones always in his ears. He could blame his inattention to others on his outrageously high music. It took him a little while to adjust the volume right, but after plugging them into a set of speakers and cranking it up until they vibrated, he figured he had the appearance good enough. Dinner usually meant a chance for him to be found on the counter, on the cabinets, perched on the back of a sofa, or on the top of the fridge. He decided to avoid public appearance by friends he'd head out for dinner.
His mind must have been malfunctioning to think it was a good idea to venture through the New York streets with a sudden onset of deafness. The culture shock alone was enough to send him running back into the Stark Tower lobby.
For his own health, Clint went no farther than a block from the Tower base, but even that nearly proved his own death. A car he didn't hear coming rushed through an intersection, Clint could see the driver cursing and gesturing as he spun out of the way. A mounted police man came close to taking Clint to the station after a heated exchange about sidewalk safety. Ordering something at Subway? That was its own demon. This was a challenge in patience and sanity, one that he was very quickly losing. He gave a twenty to the sub shop, telling them to keep the change. He hoped it was enough, then escaped the place to head back home. Another busy street. The press of bodies with an overwhelming silence. An old woman pulled Clint out of the way of a speeding fire truck. Another near hit by car. The front doors to the Tower at last and Clint rushed inside. If he had it his way, he'd never leave those walls again.
Happy half stood behind the security booth, so Clint displayed his S-7 level badge for him. Happy liked to give him a hard time on purpose. He always took his job very seriously, but now with the Avengers around, that definition took on a whole new meaning. As for the safety features to reach the Avengers wing of the Tower? That too had taken an upgrade.
Clint passed around the security booth, scanned his hand on the available pad and entered the private elevator. He took the elevator up five floors, stopped before he got to the sixth and pulled the emergency stop button. He accessed a hidden keypad behind the emergency call pad, typed in his personal access code and stepped through the new doorway that opened. The second elevator was already there waiting for him. A retinal scan and another security code later, and Clint was heading up to the Tower proper.
He waved absently to Steve in the living room and headed over to his balcony to eat. At least New York was safer from a great height and distance away. It was the last time he'd be seen for the rest of the night.
Hope you enjoyed! more to come soon! and after a little inspiration from Squirrel the Man, i've added an extra bit to the middle of this story where Clint is forced into a mission with a new agent when he returns to the Tower. the scene gets a little dark! So i may have to change the rating for that scene, but don't worry, nothing explicit, im just not that way.
-Please review!