( sorry about taking so long had a ton of things to do today. )

" I understand." Heather said and ws glad she would be someplace safe. She didn't want to be a target and put hr neighbors in danger because she was working for SHEILD. Heather had a nagging feeling about something but didn't know what. She shook the thought out of her head figuring it was just nerves.

Bruce exited and shut the door and waved to Agent Deveroux who had opened the trunk of the car.

" Let me get that for you ma'mm. " Agent Deveroux said. He didn't want to screw up this important mission since it was his first as a level 7 agent. He had worked too hard to get to this point and would do anything to make sure Miss Kelila stayed safe. It helped that Bruce Banner was here too since he didn't think many of their enemies wanted to face the Hulk.

Tony grinned, and saw his car, in the near distance. He gestured towards to. "Your chariot awaits." He chuckled lightly, before looking around them. He couldn't shake the slight worried feeling that they were being watched. Being a part of the Avengers kept you expecting mostly anything.
He reached into his pocket to pull out his keys, and unlocked her door first, along with opening it, and then the trunk, and put her bag in there.

Alexus smiled at the Agent, "Thank you." She said, before handing him her remaining bag, but keeping her cat by her side. She was sure it would be some form of animal cruelty to put him in the trunk.
She looked over Deveroux, and noticed he seemed to be trying a bit harder then somebody else would, and raised an eyebrow slightly. What was that about?

Heather gave a smile as they arrived at the car and she looked back. She rarely left this area of town but was glad to have a vacation of sorts. " Thank you." Heather said to Tony when he put her bags in the car." It's quite a nice car." She said meaning it. She had an old Volkswagen Beetle, but it wasn't as slick as this one was.

Bruce saw how nervous Deveroux was and reassured the younger man that everything was under control. He figured that the agent was nervous that Bruce would lose control, but shrugged when his words didn't seem to help much." After you." He said opening the car door for Alexus.

Tony smiled at her, and got in his seat, "Why, thank you Miss Greer." He started it, and nothing could be heard other then a quiet purr of the engine. "You're not afraid of any of the Avengers, right?" He asked, making sure. If she was, then he'd probably have to do something about that. He didn't mean it as offensive, which he then realized it could be taken as. He was just wondering, because he knew they could be.. intimidating. Especially Bruce, and Thor.

Alex smiled gratefully at Bruce, and got in before him, placing Ser at her feet. "Thank you." She said, once again. She was doing a lot of thanking. She wasn't used to it, seeing as she wasn't around nice people most the time, but she felt like she needed to thank these people. "Do you and the other Avengers also stay there, or do you guys have your own places?" She asked.

(Sorry. Kind of... Didn't know what to write here. o.o)

" Maybe a little. I'm a bit intimidated by Thor and The Hulk that's all. I was intimidated by you a little bit, but since meeting you , not so much. " Heather said. She still had nightmares about the Battle of New York , since she had been taken hostage by those creatures that had invaded. She knew that her life could have ended that day and was greatful it hadn't.


" Not really. Some of us live in Stark Tower, while some live elsewhere. " Bruce said thinking of Thor. He knew that there was the chance that all the Avengers would be needed for a mission agian and hoped that they could get a hold of Thor if needed. He just hoped Loki wasn't involved with this some how.

Tony chuckled a bit, "I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't really expect that I was very intimidating to Superspy Hackers who could probably ruin all of my Iron Man suits if she put her mind to it." He looked over at her, while pulling out, and beginning to drive off. Of course, he soon looked back at the road. "And as for Thor and Bruce, you don't have to worry. Thor's not even here as of right now. Bruce.. Well, the 'Other Guy' hasn't come out in a while. I'm starting to think he actually does have pretty good control over it. Despite my former beliefs." He said, remembering poking Bruce, to see if he would turn. That was fun. "If anything happens, though, I'll do my best to protect you from the big guy. And, in front of him, don't say Hulk. I think it makes him uncomfortable."

"So if this little mysterious thing were to, say, be a small robot, or creature that tries to kill everyone, I'll be safe?" Alexus said with a laugh evident in her voice. She actually, despite the killing thing, thought that the robot thing would be kind of cute. She figured making a joke would ease the tension about this curious artifact. And joking was just something that she did, especially around people she's just getting to know, since it also eases the tension she feels around strangers, sometimes. Though she doesn't really feel like she needs to be quiet, or shy around Bruce. Maybe because he is one of the superheroes that saved New York from Aliens.

( Sorry about taking so long.)
Heather grinned." I probably could, but I know it's not smart to upset someone who could probably hack my system in less than a hour." She said. Her system was pretty sophisticated, but knew that there were weaknesses that the right people knew how to exploit."I promise I won't do that. " Heather said not wanting to make people feel uncomfortable.

" You'll be safe. I know Tony and I will do our best to keep you ladies safe if things get dicey. Bruce said. He would be ready to fight if he needed to, knowing the safety of these hackers were top priority.He did wonder what this artifact really was and hoped they all would be able to decode it.

Tony laughed at that, "That is true. Perhaps, we should play a game sometime. Set up barriers on the computer, and see who can break them the quickest? And, if we can break down all of the walls, it'll have some sort of prize, or something at the end?" He said, a little excited about the thought. He then smiled, and nodded. "Thank you. I'm sure he appreciates it."

Alexus smiled, and pictured that. A huge green monster fighting a small, baby sized monster. Quite the sight. "Maybe I'll get to see you in action, then?" She asked, when a small, idolizing smile on her face. "I'm quite the fan of the Avengers, though you always did impress me a bit more then the others." She told him, though she was unsure of how he'd respond.

" Sounds like fun. " Heather said with a grin on her face. She had a feeling this assignment would prove to be an interesting one, but worried that something bad may happen. She hated it when she got those feelings , since they were right most of the time, but figured right now she was just nervous about working for a Government agency.


" Perhaps you might. " Bruce said with a grin. " I have? Why do you think so?" Bruce said and wondered a little about that. Bruce wasn't use to people saying that sort of thing, except that he knew Tony had been impressed how he turned in to the Hulk. He was glad Tony hadn't judged him at first and they did make a good team when it came to science related things.

Tony went above the speed limit, by ten. But he figured he would get away with it. "Heather, what have you heard of the Avengers? Just to make sure you aren't going to be intimidated by anything that happens. Like, the S.H.I.E.L.D island-thing-that-turns-into-an-aircraft. That's pretty intimating." He said, with a grin.

"Perhaps, because You're a genius, but don't brag to everyone about it. And, despite the other guy being around, you're still.. you. A good man. Others, I'm sure, would take what you have, and use it with bad intentions." Alexus said, with a soft smile, of admiration on her face. She's thought about Bruce before, and she knew that Hulk could have been a weapon of mass destruction. Which, he is, but Bruce was able to control him, and do good.

" Didn't know SHIELD had something like that. I know that Captain America is the same one my grandpa always talked about. Still have the trading cards that he gave me on my 15th birthday. I know that you are Iron Man. And I admit that was awesome that you had told everyone that in that press conference. I know there is a guy called Thor, though most of my hacker friends can't decide if he's the same Thor that's mentioned in Norse myth.I also know about Bruce Banner. I remember how upset my uncle was when he found out the military was after Doctor Banner ."Heather said since her uncle was a retired Navy captain. That's about all I haven't been able to get any information on the other two members of the Avengers."She said. Heather would admit had spent a lot of time researching about the Avengers since the battle of New York.


------
" I know others would do that." Bruce said. He was glad that Alexus thought he was a good man, since there were times he had doubted that. He was glad that Tony believed in him and that the other Avengers felt the same way too. " I'm glad that you think so. I use to doubt if I was the same person I was before , but I realized that I still am me despite the other guy. " He said with a smile. " How much do you know about the Avengers? There might be a few things that could be intimidating. " Bruce asked , hoping they wouldn't be going on the Helicarrier.

Tony's eyebrow raised, and he looked a little to the side at her. Was she a Captain America fan? Oh, he hoped not. He listened intently to everything she said, and kept his eyes partly on the road, partly on her.
He sent her a cocky smile, "Why thank you." He said before nodding, "Yes. Thor is. And be careful of him. He's not.. Normal." What she said next caught his Interest, "Oh? And why was that?"
"That's perfectly understandable. Even I don't know to much about Clint and Natasha. I can almost see a mysterious black cloud surrounding them when I look."

Alexus thought up all the information she'd collected before. "I know the basics, such as who's who. I know about Loki. I'm unsure as to if Thor and Loki are from Mythology, but I figure so. More likely then some Norse Mythology family naming their two sons after gods, and then them gaining having godlike powers, exactly the ones that the gods have. I know Captain America was frozen, and survived it, which would be really impressive, but due to him being a super soldier, I'm not surprised that he survived. I don't know much about the two others, just that their names are, as of right now, at least, Clint Barton, and Natasha Romanoff. And that Hawkeye's a master Archer, and Natasha, or Natalia, is just basically, a Badass Super Ninja Spy. That's pretty much all I know."

" My uncle is a Nuclear Physicist and is retired from the Navy. He has used some of Doctor Banner's theories in his own research on how nuclear power works as an energy source. My uncle also has a grudge against General Ross that goes back to his early days in the Navy. " Heather said with a grin remembering the story of one particular Army vs. Navy game. She also wouldn't say how she knew so much about that incident with Doctor Banner.

Bruce grinned at what she said about Natasha, since it accurately described her." Thor and Loki are the same ones that are mentioned in myth. I still think Loki is as crazy as a bag full of cats. Thor's not to bad of a guy , but I know he has a hard time adjusting to the culture here." Bruce said. He sort of remembered the battle of New York, but was glad that he didn't remember most of it.

Tony looked at her, impressed. "You've led quite the interesting life, then? Your uncle being who he is, you being a Super Hacker." He said. In all seriousness, he really was impressed by this girl. Not many people have the skills she had, and not many people have the sort of connection she has. Not that that connection would be of any use, once she knows Bruce Banner herself. Then she can get to know him, and everything that she doesn't know. He decided to leave that topic there, having been close to their destination.
"We are almost there. You nervous at all?"

Ann laughed at his comment on Loki. "Fitting. You don't want to know how many pictures I've seen on the internet, of him surrounded by cats." She nodded, "Perhaps he just needs some help with it all. I'm sure he'd get it. Be it in a year, or in a hundred years."

" Sort of interesting I guess. If my parents were still alive I would have probably would have been a librarian or something." Heather said and thought of the day they had died, but quickly shook those memories away." I'm a little nervous, but I'll be fine. It's not everyday I get to meet one the biggest names in philanthropy and one of the leading researchers in Gamma radiation." Heather said with a grin.

" I'm sure he'll get it. I mean, Steve is learning things pretty quickly about this era. I know us Avengers have done what we can to help him adjust." Bruce said as they arrived at SHIELD. "Would you like help with your things and the cat carrier?" He asked knowing that Alexus had brought her cat with her.

Tony smiled, and got out to open her door. "Want help with your bags?" He asked her, clicking the button on his key to pop open the trunk. He walked over to grab them, and place them down, unless she says otherwise. "Yeah, well, if it gets to much for you, just tell me." He half-joked with her.

Alex grinned, at the thought of the two out of time, out of world men. "Oh, you don't have to, if you don't want to." She told him, picking up the Carrier. She was fully capable of carrying her bags, and cat. Ser woke up, and let out a sleepy meow.

" Sure. That would be nice. " Heather said with a smile. " Don't worry I will. " She joked back and grabbed her computer bags. " Why do I have an odd feeling about this assignment. Maybe I'm more nervous than I think I am. " Heather thought to herself and looked around the parking lot.

" I would be happy to. " Bruce said and grabbed a bag. He thought he saw Tony's car and that Ms. Greer was here. There was something a bit familiar about the name Greer, since he had once worked with a Navy physicist with the same last name. He saw Director Fury get off the elevator and for some reason he was glad for that.

" Good to see you made it" Director Nick Fury said seeing that both Doctor Banner and Stark had been able to get the hackers. " Once we get upstairs we'll talk about this mission more. " He said. Fury had his team monitor chatter about an artifact and had discovered that The Institute was watching the women. He needed to be sure that all involved would be safe.

Tony grabbed the rest, and saw Bruce with Alexus. So they'd both been successful, this was good. "This way, madam." He said with a charming smile, and lead her towards the elevator. At which Point Fury arrived. "I think you know who that is. Seems you're not in my care anymore, Heather."

Alexus smiled, and nodded her head in thanks, before picking up her only other bag. She looked over and saw Tony Stark and Greer. The two were in the same position as of right now. Perhaps they could talk later. But now, a certain black eye patch was making her feel nervous. She felt like the eye patch was staring at her. Though, she would do whatever she needed to. Be it working on this project, or just avoiding looking at the patch.

" Actually Mr. Stark I would appreciate it if you and Doctor Banner would stay with these two ladies. I'll tell you why once we get to the conference room as he entered the elevator. He wasn't going to let just anyone make sure these hackers were safe.

Heather was feeling a bit uncomfortable around Director Fury and had a feeling that something was wrong. " Don't be nervous. Things are going to work out just fine."She thought as she entered the elevator. Heather just hoped what ever was wrong wasn't something that could kill her or Alexus.

Bruce had a feeling something big had come up while Tony and himself had gone to get the ladies. He knew what ever it was, it was bad enough for Fury to want two Avengers to stay around. Bruce didn't trust Fury very much, but it was enough that he could live life without Ross and others in the military looking for him.

Alexus cautiously got into the elevator. Everyone in this room could kill her. Well, maybe not Greer, but you never know. Being locked in a tiny space with Iron Man, Nick Fury, and the Hulk is pretty intimidating. She walked over to a cornor, and stayed leaning over there. Best not to make any of them upset, so she's just gonna avoid them for now. Ser was looking around at them, and gave a friendly meow to the room.

Tony curiously looked over the pirate(ha), and followed Heather into the elevator. He didn't know what was up, but obviously it wasn't something he couldn't deal with on his own. They don't need Bruce to stay with them. Plus, if it was just Tony, they'd both likely fall for him, and Tony would have a grand time. But Nick's going to make Bruce stay here with them. He'd have to talk it over with Fury later... "Whatever it is, I'm sure I can deal with it, Nick." ... Or now, because he's impatient.

"This isn't negotiable Stark. " Fury said. " What we are up against requires at least two Avengers. I would have asked Barton or Rogers but they are a bit busy at the moment. " Fury said and inwardly sighed.

" What ever it is I'm sure we four can figure this out. " Bruce said not liking the tension.

Alexus grinned at Tony's comment, not surprised at his behavior, and felt a bit more comfortable in the room. She nodded with Bruce's comment, her way of showing that she agrees with him though she was still nervous enough not to talk.

Tony felt like speaking up, and almost did before quieting down, and forcing a grin. "Sure thing." He said, deciding not to discuss the matter further for right now. It's a bit to serious.

Heather grinned as well and gave Alexus a small smile. She was feeling very nervous right now and was happy to be off the elevator.

" The reason I have you all here is because of this. " Fury said and showed an image of a strange looking sphere. " We haven't been able to get anywhere with the code it emits and the power it contains. " He added.

" So you think this might have the potential to be an alternate energy source or maybe something dangerous?" Bruce said wondering what that sphere really was.

Tony looked over the sphere curiously. "Think it could be alien? That'd surely be fun." He said, hoping it was. "Maybe Asgard! Then Thor'd get in trouble, or Loki! And we'd have to go fix things." He said, attempting, and failing, to contain his excitement. Truly, he had a good feeling that wasn't what was happening. But it'd still be cool. "And we have the danger under control."

Alexus stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted the sphere, her nervousness going away completely and being replaced by excitement. "Ooh!" She let out a noise, and walked over to it. "It's beautiful!" She said in amazement, "I can't wait to unlock the secrets this must hold." She turned to Nick, bowing her head a little, "Sir, I promise you we can do this. It may take a bit of time, though.."

" I agree. Though let's hope it isn't alien releated. " Heather said and wasn't sure how she would react of it was. She still had nightmares after the last time aliens were involved.

" I agree with that. Though it's possible it's Earth related but is tech that we haven't seen before. " Bruce said also hoping aliens weren't involved.

" That's what I'm hoping you four can find out. We will need to be ready for anything that happenens. Anything else you feel you need to say Stark?" Fury asked feeling a bit frustrated.