Super Secret Meeting Spot that's Definitely Not Starbucks [Somewhere on the Mainland, Saturday]

[heroic_jawline]

Steve had reached out to Natasha (through several layers of encryption and burner phones because Natasha, at least, understood how to lay low) and was now in his very best incognito outfit (beard, jeans, baseball cap, sunglasses) with Tony (in generally the same outfit), trying to appear casual as they walked around one of those giant outdoor outlet malls waiting for Natasha to make contact.

"She said she'd drop a pin with where she is in--" Steve glanced at his watch, "--eight and a half minutes. You've got the test with you?"

He'd asked that about four times already, but he was anxious.

Comments

[heroic_jawline]

Steve was thinking along the same lines. "How long has Rhodey...not been Rhodey? He and Sam were sniping pretty hard at each other before the whole Accords meeting went to shit."

[imafuturist]

"I don't think we can say for sure until he question him," Tony admitted.

[heroic_jawline]

"How will an interrogation go?" Steve asked. "What do I need to know about fighting an...unmasked Skrull?"

[imafuturist]

"They're stronger and more durable than humans. It's why the one was able to pretend to be... him," Tony said. "But they can't replicate powers. Not all the time, at least."

Because hopefully there wasn't a Super Skrull around too.

[heroic_jawline]

"I'm going to need to to expand on 'not all the time' a little later," Steve said, heading for the way home.

[imafuturist]

"Some, not all of them," Tony said. "But some of them were genetically altered to have the additional powers of some of the heroes here on Earth."

[heroic_jawline]

"Which ones? Not Wanda?"

Because there was a nightmare.

[imafuturist]

"No, no. The physical powers. Like Reed's stretching. Or Johnny's living fire."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve winced. "Still not great."

[imafuturist]

"It's more... compare you to the rest of the population," Tony suggested. ""Or any of us, I guess. It's like that in the number of them."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded. "So we have a whole...herd, say...of regular aliens plus a handful of superpowered ones?"

[imafuturist]

"Exactly," Tony replied. "Isn't the future fun?"

[heroic_jawline]

"Not always," Steve muttered.

[imafuturist]

"Never a dull moment," Tony said, squeezing Steve's hand.

[heroic_jawline]

"I'd kind of like a dull moment," Steve admitted.

[imafuturist]

"Hey, we'll get there, okay?"

Statistically they had to, right?

[heroic_jawline]

Steve squeezed Tony's hand again. "Let's go home."

[imafuturist]

Tony nodded before lifting theory joined hands to kiss the back of Steves6.

[heroic_jawline]

"Love you too," Steve murmured. "Glad you're real."

[imafuturist]

"You and me both," Tony replied with a long sigh. "I dealt with this already, it's really unfair that it's happening again."

[heroic_jawline]

"I'm sorry," Steve said sincerely.

[imafuturist]

"It's not your fault," Tony replied. "Unless you planned in an alien invasion. Did you?"

[heroic_jawline]

"I didn't," Steve said with a tiny smile.

[imafuturist]

"You sure?" He teased.

[heroic_jawline]

"Pretty sure," Steve said, stepping into the Portalocity Office.