[When passing by Thor, Tony casually patted the god's muscular arm as if they hadn't nearly destroyed a forest fighting each other hours earlier. "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing," he quipped with characteristic irreverence, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he referenced the Patrick Swayze movie that Thor's appearance reminded him of. The Asgardian's confused expression indicated the reference was completely lost on him.]
["In addition," Tony continued, seamlessly transitioning back to the scientific discussion while addressing the entire room, "the iridium means Loki can open the portal as wide as he wants and keep it open as long as he needs." His hands sketched the expanding dimensions in the air as he spoke, his mind already calculating the destructive potential of such technology.]
[He sauntered confidently to Fury's command position at the center of the bridge, his designer shoes clicking against the polished floor. Without missing a beat, he adopted a mock-serious expression and began issuing fake commands with exaggerated authority: "Raise the mid-mast! Ship the top sails!" His theatrical performance was clearly designed to poke fun at the militaristic atmosphere of SHIELD.]
[The busy SHIELD technicians paused their work to stare at Tony, their expressions ranging from confusion to irritation at his disruption of their carefully maintained protocol. The bridge momentarily quieted as all eyes turned to the billionaire's performance.]
[Sensing the awkward silence he'd created, Tony abruptly pointed across the bridge and exclaimed, "That man is playing Galaga!" The sudden accusation was delivered with perfect comedic timing. "Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did!" Captain America turned to look in the direction Tony was pointing, his 1940s sensibilities making him the perfect straight man for Tony's antics.]
[Without pausing for breath, Tony shifted gears again, covering his left eye with one hand while examining Fury's command station. He twisted his body dramatically, attempting to view all the monitors simultaneously. His brow furrowed in genuine curiosity as he asked, "How does Fury even see these?"]
[Maria Hill had been observing Tony's performance with professional detachment, her arms crossed over her SHIELD uniform and her expression revealing nothing. "He turns," she responded dryly, her deadpan delivery making it clear she wasn't amused by Stark's theatrics.]
[Tony's face scrunched slightly at the mundane answer. "Sounds exhausting," he commented while surreptitiously running his fingers underneath the edge of a console, planting a miniature hacking device that would give JARVIS access to SHIELD's systems. The movement was almost imperceptible, disguised by his theatrical gestures.]
[Returning to the matter at hand with effortless pivot, Tony addressed the room again: "The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. The only major component he still needs is a power source of high-energy density." His fingers danced across the control panel as he spoke, seeming to fidget but actually completing the installation of his spy technology. "Something to kick-start the Cube."]
[Tony completed his circuit of the command station, his expression revealing nothing of his covert activity. "When did Selvig call it quits?"]
Natasha glanced at Tony with a strange expression on her face. She knew that Tony was not a man who could sit idle, but it was really inhumane to install a bug under everyone's noses so blatantly.
Tony's face was calm, as if he was not the one who installed the eavesdropping device on the ceiling.
Rhodes, Captain America and the others wanted to laugh but had to hold it back, so they lowered their heads to avoid revealing their expressions.
Nick Fury, who was busy reorganizing S.H.I.E.L.D. and creating S.W.O.R.D., paused, but was not surprised by Tony's little move and continued with his own work.
[Hill remained at a professional distance, her posture rigid as she observed Tony with a mix of suspicion and reluctant respect. "When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" she challenged, not bothering to hide her skepticism.]
["Last night," Tony replied without missing a beat, his casual tone belying the impressive feat. He gestured broadly as he continued, "The packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers—am I the only one who did the reading?" His expression of mock incredulity managed to be both arrogant and charming simultaneously.]
[Captain America, seated at the conference table, steered the conversation back to practical concerns: "Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" His military mind focused on identifying resources they could secure or deny to the enemy.]
[Banner, who had been pacing thoughtfully near the edge of the group, pushed his glasses up his nose as he responded: "He would have to heat the Cube to 120-million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." His hands sketched complex equations in the air as he spoke, the gesture unconscious and revealing of his brilliant mind constantly at work.]
[Tony moved toward Banner, his interest visibly piqued by finding someone who could match his intellectual wavelength. "Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect," he suggested, building on Banner's theory with his own insights.]
["Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet," Banner replied, his eyes lighting up with scientific engagement despite the dire implications of what they were discussing. The two brilliant minds had instantly formed a connection over the complex physics problem.]
[Tony approached Banner with a genuine smile—rare for the often sarcastic billionaire. "Finally, someone who speaks English," he declared with evident relief, extending his hand to the physicist.]
[Captain America watched their exchange with bewilderment, muttering under his breath: "Is that what just happened?" His expression perfectly captured the sentiment of everyone else in the room who couldn't follow the high-level scientific discussion.]
[Tony shook Banner's hand with unusual warmth, his typical façade dropping momentarily to reveal sincere admiration. "It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled." Then, unable to maintain complete sincerity for too long, he added with a mischievous glint in his eye, "And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."]
[Banner's lips curled in a combination of amusement and resignation: "Thanks," he responded simply, clearly accustomed to his condition being addressed in various uncomfortable ways. His slight smile acknowledged Tony's attempt at levity without fully embracing it.]
[Nick Fury entered the bridge with his characteristic commanding presence, his long leather coat swirling dramatically around his legs. "Dr. Banner is only here to track the Cube," he stated firmly, establishing clear boundaries. "I was hoping you might join him." His single eye fixed on Tony, conveying that this was less a request and more a directive.]
[Captain America, eager to contribute strategically, offered his assessment: "I'd start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon." His reference to his wartime experience added valuable historical context to their analysis.]
["I don't know about that," Fury responded, his hands clasped behind his back as he paced slowly. "But it is powered by the Cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."]
[Thor's brow furrowed in confusion, his Asgardian background leaving him unfamiliar with Earth cultural references. "Monkeys? I do not understand..." His powerful frame shifted uncomfortably as he struggled to follow the conversation.]
[Captain America's face suddenly lit up with excitement, his hand shooting into the air like an eager schoolboy. "I do! I understood that reference!" he exclaimed, genuinely pleased to have recognized the Wizard of Oz allusion when so much of modern culture remained foreign to him.]
[Tony rolled his eyes dramatically at Steve's enthusiasm, unable to resist a subtle mock of the super-soldier's fish-out-of-water status. Turning to Banner, he gestured toward the exit: "Shall we play, Doctor?" His tone shifted to businesslike efficiency, ready to begin the real work.]
[Banner nodded agreeably, relieved to escape the crowded bridge for the familiar comfort of a laboratory. "This way, sir," he said, leading Tony from the command center toward the research facilities.]
[As they departed, the SHIELD agent who had been called out earlier glanced furtively around before minimizing his Galaga game window, only to reopen it the moment he thought no one was watching.]
The face of Nick Fury turned darker, but luckily his complexion was already dark to begin with, so it didn't make any difference whether it was darker or not.
Next to him, Maria Hill pressed her earpiece and murmured: "Find him for me."
Meanwhile, 2nd Gen Spiderman whispered to Gwen at the dining table, "Tony Stark is wrong! That guy wasn't playing Galaga! He was playing Galaga II!"
Gwen looked at him in surprise. She didn't expect that the 2nd Gen Spiderman even knew this. She whispered back, "How did you know that?"
"I've played it before! Both! So I know!"
The two were whispering to each other and George, who was sitting in the main seat, noticed them. He looked at 2nd Gen Spiderman unhappily and said, "Peter, please don't speak in a low voice while we eat."
"Oh! Sorry, sir!" 2nd Gen Spiderman immediately stopped talking, lowered his head and ate steak quietly.
"George, you scared Peter! Peter! Tell me what you were talking about?" Helen rolled her eyes at George, then looked at 2nd Gen Spiderman with a smile.
2nd Gen Spiderman had no choice but to repeat what he said again, which caused several children to exclaim in surprise.
[In the laboratory, Banner moved with methodical precision around the sophisticated equipment SHIELD had provided. He held a gamma radiation scanner over Loki's scepter, his expressions shifting between concentration and concern as he analyzed the readings. The scepter lay on a specialized examination table, its blue gem pulsing with an unsettling internal light even under the bright laboratory illumination.]
["The gamma readings are consistent with Selvig's reports on the Tesseract," Banner noted, adjusting his glasses as he studied the data streaming across multiple screens. "But it's going to take weeks to process." His voice carried the resignation of a scientist facing an impossible deadline.]
[Tony manipulated several holographic displays simultaneously, his fingers dancing across the virtual interfaces with practiced ease. "If we bypass their mainframe and direct route to the demilitarized zone," he suggested, already planning the hack in his mind, "we can clock this at around six hundred teraflops." The casual way he proposed commandeering SHIELD's computing resources revealed his characteristic disregard for bureaucratic boundaries.]
[Banner couldn't help but laugh at Tony's audacity, shaking his head slightly. "All I packed was a toothbrush," he admitted, the self-deprecating humor masking years of being on the run, carrying minimal possessions out of necessity rather than choice.]
[Tony moved closer to Banner, an alliance already forming in his mind between the two scientific geniuses. "You know, you should come by Stark Tower sometime," he offered with unexpected sincerity. "Top ten floors, all R&D. You'd love it, it's candy land." His hands gestured expansively, painting a picture of the technological paradise he'd created.]
["Thanks, but the last time I was in New York I kind of broke... Harlem," Banner replied with gentle self-deprecation, referencing his destructive battle with Abomination. His refusal was delivered with the practiced ease of a man accustomed to declining invitations for everyone else's safety.]
[Tony refused to accept the rejection, moving around the lab table to stand directly across from Banner. "Well, I promise a stress-free environment," he persisted, his tone becoming more persuasive. "No tension. No surprises." Without warning, he suddenly jabbed a miniature electrical prod into Banner's side, causing a small but sharp shock.]
[Banner jumped with a startled "Ow!" His eyes widened in surprise rather than anger as he looked at Tony incredulously, caught completely off-guard by the unexpected "test."]
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