Steve could only guess that Stark had succeeded when the assault abruptly stopped, and he unclenched his fist, saving the jaw of a very relieved looking man.
He stood from a crouch when Iron Man strolled out, wiping blood from his chin with a breathless smile, "What, you don't like it? The whole flag ensemble didn't really work without the shield." The banter was easy, but their was a wariness behind his eyes, watching Iron Man carefully, turning to make sure he kept him at his front.
He eyed the stone with a frown. "What do you plan to do with that?" The tone suggested Steve knew more about the artifact than he wanted to say.