"He's got a lot of nerve, showing up here after what he did. God damn Hawkeye." Several of the other men and women sitting in the break-room agreed, cursing Clint for almost bringing down the helicarrier. Steve felt his mouth tighten. Walking by, Clint hadn't heard their words through the floor to ceiling glass, but he'd seen the glares from the group of agents. This bunch was only the latest to direct hate filled looks at one of their own. Clint was so shut down that Steve couldn't see any trace of the man who delighted in terrible movies and practical jokes.
This was Hawkeye, controlled, focused, on guard during a mission in enemy territory. Steve caught Tony's eye. He pointed a thumb at the group and said, "I'll catch up to you."
He entered the break-room and walked over to the group of five, cups of coffee and sandwiches on their table. He doubted that they realized their comments had been audible to him. The super-soldier serum had gifted him with extraordinary hearing, but that wasn't well known.
He was greeted with smiles, the three men and two women getting to their feet.
"Captain, it's a real honor."
"Captain Rogers, sir."
"I'm going to tell my grandkids some day that I met Captain America. Would you like some coffee, a sandwich?"
"How can we help you, sir?" Steve placed the bag containing his shield on an empty table, waved at the chairs and snagged one from an empty table. He turned it around backwards and sat down on it, resting his arms on the back. The group settled again, and Steve knew they were a little awestruck. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents weren't immune to the Captain America legend. Even Phil Coulson hadn't been, and by all accounts he was a cool customer.
Steve looked around the group, catching each person's eye. "I stopped because I heard what you said about one of your own. A prisoner of war. One who still managed to subvert the enemy's intentions as much as he could. A man who went out to battle that enemy, still feeling the effects of being injured. Without Clint Barton's help, the battle of Manhattan might not have been won."
"Barton? He almost killed us all, that rat bastard." It was the thin fellow whose words had first caught Steve's attention.
"It was Iron Man and the others who saved us. You saved us," an auburn haired man said, waving a hand towards Steve.
"All Barton did was shoot his damn arrows. Arrows. Against those monster whale things, was he kidding? S.H.I.E.L.D. should kick him out. He's a joke." The black-haired woman who spoke wasn't smiling any longer at Steve. She looked livid.
Steve felt his face harden into stern lines. "Agent Barton was captured and his skills used for Loki's purpose, that's true. It doesn't make it his fault. The damage he did here was considerable. You all have had ample proof of that. Once he was freed of Loki's mind control, Hawkeye used all of those same considerable talents in defeating him. I witnessed his courage, his ability to take in the whole battlefield and direct the fight so the team had the advantage. He saved civilians and fought like a holy terror against the Chitauri, with no regard to his own personal safety."
He looked each one of the agents in the eyes, although most them looked away or down. "You're S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. If you don't want to take my word that Clint Barton is a hero, then do your own research. I'm proud to call him a fellow Avenger and I trust him with my life."
"He killed agents here. He killed my friends," the black-haired agent bit out.
"And I'm sorry for your losses, Agent. There's no one who regrets what happened here more than Agent Barton. Imagine being forced to do what he was forced to do. And remember this. He took out one engine. One. He could have easily taken out all of them. He fought against his orders from Loki as much as he could, to mitigate what he was being forced to do. He deserves your respect, not your scorn. Good day, Agents."
Steve nodded his head to them as he got to his feet. He didn't know if he had changed their opinions, but maybe he'd planted some doubts in their heads. You didn't become a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent without being smart and capable. If they stopped going on hearsay and actually looked into what had occurred then maybe they'd stop blaming Clint for something he couldn't control. He expected that there were similar attitudes about Bruce Banner being circulated among the agents. After all, the Hulk had also seriously damaged the helicarrier.
Turning at the door, he said, "Just to make it clear, the Avengers also consider the damage Bruce Banner did as the Hulk as not being his fault. He, too, was under Loki's influence. Iron Man is alive because Bruce chose to fight with us. The Hulk was extraordinary that day. Bruce Banner is an Avenger, too."
The black-haired woman lifted her chin. "Banner's in the wind. He ran out on the Avengers."
Steve shook his head. "That's not true. He left, yes, but it was to protect us from becoming entangled in potential legal problems, if he associated with us. Hopefully, that won't come about and he'll be able to safely return. He belongs with the Avengers."
He looked at their faces, some looking a little shamed, some with angry expressions still. He nodded to them again, and said something he'd heard Natasha say before. "Thank you for your cooperation."
He picked up his shield bag, slung it on his back, and strode away. Out of sight, but not hearing range, Steve listened to Tony telling Clint he'd buy him some Old Bardstown Gold when they returned to Manhattan.
x x x
They'd left Clint with his shrink, a tall woman wearing a thoughtful expression, her black hair divided into many small braids.
"Agent Barton, come with me." Her voice had the Jamaican lilt he'd heard many a time back in Brooklyn, from street vendors and from people in small groceries. It made him feel a little homesick, for just a moment, to hear her.
Clint gave them a casual wave. "See ya later." He hadn't broken down during their stroll through the helicarrier's wide blue-gray hallways. He looked composed, if rather grim, his emotions under control.
He knew enough about Clint to know that the psychiatrist had her work cut out for her if she was going to be trusted with Clint's true feelings about what Loki had done to him. Clint's demeanor was misleading. Steve had a feeling very few people saw the side of Clint Barton that his fellow teammates did. Clint trusted them enough to relax with them and put away the professional agent and just be Clint Barton, practical joker with a penchant for seeing people's true natures.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had honed Clint's skills until he'd become one of their best agents. Fury had said he was one of the sharpest men he knew, and Fury only hired the best for S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve knew that much at least about S.H.I.E.L.D. He'd asked questions; he'd learned what he could. It was strange to read about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s origins since Howard and Peggy had helped form it; there was proof that S.H.I.E.L.D. had gone for quality people right from the start.
It wasn't surprising that he kept thinking so much about Howard, since he was walking alongside of Howard's son. And yet, despite sharing similar features, Tony was very different from his father. He had to remember not to compare Tony to his father out loud; Howard had been a great friend, but it seemed he'd been an awkward father. Tony was kind of sore about his old man.
Tony chattered idly as they walked along. Steve was amused at the contrast between how Tony had been so focused on his work flying here and how now his attention jumped from one topic to the next depending on what he saw or what flew into his head.
"Sushi tonight. Wait. Do you even know what that is, Cap?"
"I know it's food." Steve nodded to an agent who was walking towards them. "Or maybe alcohol? I heard some agents talking about stopping at a sushi bar after I was revived."
Tony grinned. "Oh, this is great! You'll love it. It's Japanese and I guess it was after WWII that Americans started getting into it. It's raw fish and rice dishes."
Steve raised his eyebrows and Tony casually smacked him on the belly with his tablet. "It's good. Trust me. Kurumazushi, down on 47th Street, they make the best sashimi. They don't normally do takeout, but they do for me."
"I do, you know."
Tony said, "You do what?"
"Trust you."
Tony was silent for a moment, his eyes startled. "Okay, too much touchy-feely, well without the touchy part and I reserve the right to troll you like a huge, green troll, and speaking of big and green I'd probably seduce Mr. Humanitarian into helping me, because I'm awesome like that, but essentially, yes, ditto."
Steve waded through that comment. "So... you just said that I made you feel a little uncomfortable but that I can trust you. Except to play jokes on me, and you'd get Bruce to help you, if he was here. And ditto? You trust me, too."
"Give the man a gold star. No wait, you've already got a star." Tony looked pleased with his own wit, and Steve rolled his eyes.
"How about you feed me sushi, instead."
"No. No-no-no. Committed relationship, remember? No hand feeding Captain America tasty morsels." Tony waggled a finger at him.
Steve laughed. Tony was something else, the way whatever he was thinking would just fly out of his mouth. "Tony. I just meant eating dinner tonight from that restaurant you mentioned. Not you feeding me with your fingers."
"Oh. Well, okay, but you know, that was a hot image. I'll share it with Pepper." He winked at Steve.
"Tony."
"What? She's a fan of yours. She actually likes me. It could work." Tony was grinning so widely that Steve couldn't help but grin back at him, the goofball.
"Some things I don't need to know about, Tony."
Tony mock pouted. "Well, you're no fun."
"I can live with that," Steve answered, the smile still on his face. "So, rumor has it that you've been working on multiple models of the Iron Man suits."
"Barton's big mouth, right? Yeah. Come down to my workshop sometime and I'll give you the nickel tour."
"I'd like that."
x x x
Tony walked onto the helicarrier's bridge like he belonged there. He strolled between the rows of stations, peering over shoulders to make comments about the data being shown there. He frowned at one monitor and motioned for the chair's occupant to get up. The man looked perplexed and glanced at Assistant Director Hill. She nodded and the youngster gave Tony his seat. Tony cracked his fingers, obviously showing off, and started typing. The screen went dark. Tony typed some more, and then it came back to life. That was re-booting, Steve thought. He was getting pretty good at using the darn computers, much like somebody learning to drive a car. He didn't know much about what was under the hood, though. Tony was like Smitty, in his old neighborhood. There wasn't anything Smitty didn't know about cars and trucks and he could fix anybody's sad sack of a vehicle.
Tony had fixed whatever was wrong on the screen, because now the colors were right and the way the screen had dimmed and then brightened had stopped.
Tony let the agent sit back down and walked over to Hill. She arched her eyebrows.
"No charge, Assistant Director."
"Stark."
"A 'thank you' would be nice," Tony wheedled.
She cocked her head at him a little, studying him. "Agent Garcia, pull up the footage of the bridge when the nuke was aimed at Manhattan and project it."
Tony held his hands out. "Oh, let's not. So, where's Fury?" He walked over to the command platform and put one hand over an eye. He pivoted, looking at the consoles and then shook his head. "I could make this more workable." He frowned and Steve knew he was lost in his head, re-designing the command center.
Tony jumped when Fury said behind him, "It's fine the way it is. You want to remove yourself from my post, Stark?"
Tony let his hand drop back down. "I'll work something up, we'll talk." He stepped off the dais, and suddenly a large screen appeared in the air, and Steve saw the helicarrier's bridge, but with agents out of their chairs huddled over monitors and the expressions on their faces – shock, horror, tension. People were biting their lips and some were holding onto each other.
There was a close-up of a monitor. Steve saw the nuke heading straight for the city, and then Iron Man was there grappling with it, changing its trajectory, flying it up into the portal with its eerie blue haze. Then both Iron Man and the missile were gone. Tony had saved New York from being turned into a wasteland. He'd seen pictures of Hiroshima after the atom bomb had been dropped there. He shuddered to think of the death and devastation Tony had prevented.
Like watching a film, Steve saw everybody on the projection cheering and hugging, and some crossing themselves like he'd been taught to do by his mother when going to Mass.
He glanced at Tony and then looked more closely at him. Tony had gone white. He shoved his hands in his pockets but Steve had seen them trembling first. His eyes were wide and Steve didn't like what he saw in them. Steve moved closer to Tony, who was breathing too fast. He touched Tony's arm.
"Tony?" he murmured, low enough so only the two of them would hear. "Are you all right?"
Tony didn't say anything. Steve caught Hill's eye. "Assistant Director, that's enough."
Hill glanced over at the two of them. "Stark, our thanks. Agent Garcia, shut it down."
"No!" Tony counter-ordered. "Let's see this through. Garcia, fast forward to when I reappear." He was still pale, but he sounded determined. His breathing was slowing down.
Tony said to Hill, a slightly suspicious expression on his face, "Assuming that you thanking me wasn't just you being facetious-"
"It wasn't. I thought you deserved to know that your actions were appreciated," Hill said.
"So you guys weren't cheering that I wasn't gonna be a thorn in your sides anymore? I mean, obviously," Tony looked straight at Fury, "Nobody with a brain wanted to nuke Manhattan, but-"
Fury interrupted Tony, turning a little so he could look him in the eye. "Stark, I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention. S.H.I.E.L.D. considers you an asset. I consider you an asset. Now don't you have work to do?" He beckoned to a red-haired agent, who got to his feet. "Michaels, escort Mr. Stark to Engineering."
Tony pointed to the screen. A red and gold blur was plummeting towards the ground. "I don't remember falling."
The roomful of agents, Fury, Hill, and Steve all watched the image of Tony plummeting down, and even though Steve knew what happened, his heart started beating faster. He could hear some of the agents holding their breath.
Waiting.
And then the Hulk made that tremendous leap and caught Tony, who hung limp in his arms, and turned and twisted his huge body so that Tony was protected as they made their rough landing.
The screen went dead. Tony turned, staring at the agents as he did. "Bruce Banner saved me. He helped save all of us. He shouldn't be hunted down and caged."
Hill raised her eyebrows. "Doctor Banner can't always control what happens when he transforms, Mr. Stark. We've all seen the damage he did here, and it's only by the grace of God that the pilot he threw out of the jet wasn't hurt. Banner is a mixed blessing."
Tony opened his mouth, his eyes narrowing, and Steve said softly to him, "Let me."
Tony shot him a look, but closed his mouth, arms crossing on his chest.
Steve said, letting his voice carry. "I could tell you all a story of a man who was betrayed by a leader he should have been able to trust. Or I could list how this compromised man has done his best to control the damage done to him, despite being alone and hounded by his own people. I could explain how he dedicates his time to helping others in need, and counts himself content with that, giving up dreams he'd once held for his life."
Hill shifted as if to make a comment, but Fury unobtrusively held up a hand, and she stilled.
Steve glanced around at his audience and he knew he was "knockin'em dead" as the USO girls used to say. He looked squarely at Fury. "I can place the blame for his losing that control squarely where it belongs, on Loki. But he wouldn't. And the deaths and destruction that are laid at his feet? He carries that with him, too. Unfairly, since he was the one first attacked. Always."
Steve shook his head. "Bruce Banner doesn't think very highly of himself. But the truth is that he's a hero. Even before Loki and the Chitauri invaded, he saved countless lives in Harlem by putting down the Abomination. He's an Avenger. And the Avengers are going to do everything in our power to make it safe for him to return."
There was silence and then Fury broke it by ordering, "Captain, let's talk. Hill, you're with me. Quartermain, you've got the bridge." Fury stepped down and a tall, well-built man with dark blond hair stepped on the dais, and studied the readings on the monitors.
Stark-" Fury said, but Tony interrupted him. "Nice speech, Cap. And umm, ditto. Did everybody get that?" Tony pointed his thumb towards Steve. "What he said. Oh, and complimentary Hulk plushies for everybody."
Fury leveled a glare at Tony. "Stark, go be a genius and fix my boat. Agent Michaels, stay with Mr. Stark, make sure he gets anything he needs."
Grinning, Tony put an arm around Michaels' shoulder, after he walked stiffly over to Tony. "Genius power runs on caffeine, Agent Michaels. I want a Dead Eye."
"A dead eye," Steve heard Michaels say without any expression, as he and Tony headed for the bridge exit.
Tony sniggered. "Well, I'm not asking you to steal Fury's glass eye. Wait? Does he have one? I mean, all I've ever seen is the eye patch. No, I want a triple espresso dumped into a regular cup of coffee. No cream or sugar."
Michaels nodded. "You'll get your caffeine, Iron Man."
They left and Steve followed Fury and Hill into a conference room off the bridge. OOOO Hill shut the door and Fury said, "Take a seat, Captain." Fury and Hill settled at the table. Steve slid the bag containing his shield off his back and leaned it against the table leg and sat down, his back ramrod straight.
"That was quite the speech you gave out there. I hear that it wasn't the only one you've given since coming on board." Fury narrowed his eye. "What are you trying to accomplish?"
"Exactly what it seems, Director."
Maria Hill glanced at him and then at Fury. "Sir, there's been mixed reactions to Barton remaining an agent. The Psych staff's projection is that Barton will leave S.H.I.E.L.D. if the level of animosity towards him doesn't decrease."
Fury looked at Steve. "And you think Captain America showing support for Barton is gonna change that."
Steve gave both a level gaze, needing to convince them. "Not just me. All of the Avengers. A show of support and trust towards him from you both would help, too."
Steve remembered how having Bucky publicly stick up for him had cut back on the jeers and attempts to get rough with him. But Bucky hadn't just championed him; he'd been Steve's friend and other kids had accepted him because of that. He didn't see why the same sort of thing wouldn't work for Barton and Banner.
"I'll take it under advisement, Captain," Fury said. From the impatience in Fury's voice and the way he'd raised his eyebrows Steve had the feeling that maybe he'd been preaching to the choir. "But all the good will and support in the world isn't going to help keep Doctor Banner safe. I want you to send him a message, the way he described in his video.
"Why?"
"Politics, Captain."
"Politics. What exactly do you mean?" Steve wasn't unaware of what Fury was alluding to, but he wanted to hear what the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. had to stay in his own words.
Fury said mildly, "S.H.I.E.L.D. is under a deadline before controlling the Hulk is taken out of our hands, and it's rapidly approaching. The Council has made a decision. S.H.I.E.L.D. is not going to contest losing authority of the Hulk problem when it's handed over. But." Fury looked at him with intensive impatience. "We can make a contract between Doctor Banner and us stick, if we do it soon. Very soon, Captain."
"Are you referring to General Ross and his Bio-Tech division?" Steve frowned. Nothing he had learned about Ross boded well for Bruce.
"Yes," Fury said. "Banner's fears are justified when it comes to Ross. I told Banner he needed our protection and that's more true every day he's out there on his own. We prove the Hulk does as we ask, then we can protect him. It will quiet down those groups who see him as just a loose cannon."
"Sir," Maria Hill said, her voice careful and precise and without any sympathy. "That's exactly what he is. S.H.I.E.L.D. will need a way to control the Hulk for the public to accept that he's not dangerous to them."
"We'll get him his own personal guru, then," Fury replied. Hill just crossed her arms.
Fury turned to Steve. "He doesn't have to work on weapons. If fact, I don't give a damn if he doesn't do anything in the lab except paint his toenails. Hell, he can take some shifts as a MD for us, if he wants. He can be your team's doctor, and if the Hulk isn't needed he can be your medic in the field. I don't care. Just get him back here, Captain."
"And if I contact him and he still says no? What then, Director?"
"Protective custody," Fury said, deadpan.
"After what he did for this world?" Steve asked, quietly.
Fury looked at him almost regretfully. "Because of what he did for this world, Captain."
"That's the reward Banner gets for putting himself on the line? Going into a cage?" Steve put all the disgust he felt into his voice.
"Caging Banner is a last resort. And if he doesn't start cooperating, he'll be the one putting himself in a cage, Captain. The Hulk was just a monster at first. The Army made him and they could clean up their own damn mess." Fury glanced at Hill, and then back at him. "Things changed after he fought the Army at Culver and the Abomination in Harlem."
"Why?" Steve laid his hands flat on the table, pressing down as if that could keep his anger contained.
"Hydra, our government, the Council... could see that the monster could direct his rage and fight intelligently. But maybe that had been a fluke." Fury's voice turned even more sardonic. "Fighting the Chitauri proved otherwise. The berserker could follow orders, coordinate with a team. His stock as a weapon shot up."
"And S.H.I.E.L.D. wants the Hulk to be their weapon," Steve said flatly.
Fury raised an eyebrow. "Better us than any of the others. So yes, and swallow down the distaste I see on your face. You're a soldier; you know what war is like. It's not clean, is it, Captain?"
"Banner's a good man, sir. He doesn't deserve to be conscripted." Bruce already had to live with the accidental deaths. Forcing him to deliberately kill and maim others at the whim at whoever was holding his leash would destroy him.
"I know he's a good man. That doesn't change anything. And you come from a time when conscription was needed. I know you understand the necessity of drafting people," Fury said, raising an eyebrow.
"In times of war."
"You think we're not at war?" Fury's voice sharpened, "For all we know, the Battle of Manhattan was just the first skirmish. And Hydra, your old enemy? Still out there, doing a hell of a lot of damage. And there's more than those two. Updating you and your team on them is part of the reason for this briefing, Captain.
Steve shook his head slowly. "As I understand the law, America doesn't draft people into the services anymore."
"Ah," Fury said. "Banner worked for the military. There's a clause in his contract that allows him to be drafted as needed. That can interpreted to include the traditional services, as well as S.H.I.E.L.D. I doubt he realizes that. He probably didn't read the fine print carefully enough. And 'consultant' can be broadly interpreted. He'll be 'consulting' for Ross strapped down to a lab table."
"I'm going to have Mr. Stark's lawyers look into that document, Director."
Fury shrugged. "You think we haven't had Legal take a look? No, Captain, Banner's choices are narrowing. If he's not kidnapped by Hydra, or other interested parties, he's going to end up in voluntary or involuntary custody with us, or involuntary with Ross."
"He'll fight you," Steve said. "And them."
"Which is why I want you and your team to get him to join us voluntarily. I want him working with your team, Captain. Solo missions, well, we'll see."
"If Bruce feels coerced into fighting, I don't think you can count on the Hulk to do your dirty work. Or fight with the Avengers." Steve shrugged. "The Hulk might just run away."
"Which is why I want him with the Avengers." Fury pointed one long finger at Steve. "He won't leave his team to face trouble without him."
"Sir," Hill said, her face tight and professional. "Banner was only with the team for a few days, and some of that he was sleeping off the transformation. It's a pretty big assumption that he'll feel any loyalty to the Avengers."
Fury nodded towards Steve. "I think it's plain that the Avengers feel loyal to him. I'll gamble that it's reciprocal."
"Sir," Hill said. OOOOOO "The Hulk caught Iron Man. Banner left to protect Stark and the others from being charged with helping him. He cares about them; we can use that," Fury said.
Steve lifted his chin. "Director, if you can get Doctor Banner amnesty from any past charges without his having to join S.H.I.E.L.D., and get that previous contract nullified, then the team will consider contacting him. Mr. Stark will want to have his lawyers look hard at anything that's offered in writing to Doctor Banner, though."
Fury narrowed his eye. "If Banner comes in and signs up, then we'll see about the amnesty and throwing out his old contract."
Steve held out his hands. "I think we're at an impasse, sir."
"Think about it. But don't take too long. The clock is running out on the good doctor."
Steve nodded. This was a hell of a mess. But Bruce had made his choice and so far nothing was different from Fury's previous offer, except for stating Bruce didn't have to work on weapons. He'd discuss this with the team, but he didn't think Fury's offer warranted going against Bruce's express wishes.
Hill said, "Captain Rogers." He looked at her, and her fingers touched a computer interface. Suddenly there were several screens simultaneously showing a destroyed area, fire raging and a red and gold blur streaking away; a video of an explosion in a city, and several of men and women with information printed under their pictures.
Fury pointed to the screen with Iron Man. "Ten Rings has renewed their vendetta against Tony Stark, since he blew up another one of their weapons cache. Alone."
"Tony feels very strongly that going after his weapons that were sold to the wrong hands is his business. Not an Avengers mission."
"Is that your opinion, Captain?" Fury asked.
"No. At the least, the team would want to be there for backup."
Fury's expression became sardonic. "So work on Mr. Stark's, 'I'll do it myself' attitude. Let's move on to what Hyrdra's been up to lately."
x x x
Steve slowed his steps when he heard Maria Hill bring the Hulk back up to Fury after Steve had left the briefing. People, and apparently the two he'd just left, tended to forget that he also had enhanced senses, besides enhanced muscles. Maybe his mother would have told him it wasn't polite to eavesdrop, but this concerned a member of his team. He was fine with listening in on a conversation that had been delayed until he'd left the room.
"Sir," Hill said. "My earlier point stands. The Hulk is a loose cannon. He was cooperative during the Chitauri attack, but what if Banner's having a bad day? If Tony Stark annoys Banner, will the Hulk flatten him? I don't think anybody, not even Banner, can predict what the Hulk is going to do."
"We've got something in mind that will stop the Hulk dead in the water if he goes rouge. The R and D boys have put together some prototypes and are testing them now." Fury sounded pleased.
"How? Without the Hulk here-" Hill was a good second in command, Steve thought, asking questions, looking for problems.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has the blood samples from Banner that Sterns was using," Fury said. "And using adamantium syringes should work. The research is kept on secure computers, not networked. And speaking of being secure..."
Suddenly white noise cut out any further conversation between Hill and Fury, but Steve had heard enough. S.H.I.E.L.D. was developing a drug that could stop the Hulk.
x x x