Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, Sunday evening

[heroic_jawline]

Steve and Tony's quiet Sunday had been ruined with a shattering report of a terrorist attack at Mt. Rushmore. The initial news that JARVIS fed to them was filled with terror, misinformation, smoke, and people racing around in biohazard suits in the background of shaky camera phone footage. Tony's terse text from New York--Get your star-spangled ass on the jet. We've got work.--had Steve jumping to all of the worst conclusions.

This jet held Fury and a fully suited up T'Challa for what they were getting themselves into. The rest of the team, Fury told them, were already on their way to the location for a separate mission. Rhodey was being held in a secret base inside Abraham Lincoln's head ("Of course he is," Steve thought dryly to himself) and Fury had decided to take advantage of the chaos below the monument to stage a simultaneous two-pronged rescue mission since he had two different Iron Mans available to deploy. No one should ever inform him they possibly had access to a third Iron Man from yet more alternate universes.

Steve shifted in his seat on the jet--he hadn't worn the navy blue stealth Cap suit in a while and it was chafing-- as they made their final approach to the monument. "We were watching the news," he said, "but the broadcasters didn't have a handle on what had happened. I assume you have more complete information."


[NFB! Shamelessly cribbed from The Red Zone (2003 comics) and Secret Invasion (2023 television miniseries), but just mashed together really hard like two action figures smooching.]

Comments

[hailhailgangsallhere]

"Flesh eating virus," Fury said, keeping an eye on the ground where people were rushing around to contain the situation or get a good shot of it. "Something like Ebola, but faster."

Just what you wanted to hear, right?

[imafuturist]

"I'm making you full armor," Tony said, looking up from where he was flying. Well, mostly JARVIS was with how tight the landing was. "You hear me?"

[heroic_jawline]

Steve gave him a fond smile. "Not for three minutes from now," he said, adjusting his gloves over his fingers. "I'll put on a hazmat suit just in case. Will your armor protect you?"

Because two of them could worry at the same time.

[imafuturist]

"Protected me in space before."

[hailhailgangsallhere]

Fury was going to puke if they kept this up. "And you, your highness?"

[hailhailgangsallhere]

"I will be completely protected," T'Challa said, taking the Black Panther helmet from where he had been resting it on his knee and putting it on. "Shuri makes certain of it."

[imafuturist]

"Hold on for landing," Tony said, trying his very best to not ask after the tech in this T'Challa's suit. Because he could never get it out of his own version either.

[heroic_jawline]

"Copy that," Steve said with a smile that was definitely going to make Fury roll his eyes.

[hailhailgangsallhere]

Eye. He rolled his eye. Get it right, Rogers.

"We can't guarantee when the bioweapon will dissipate at this point, so keep on your toes while we go in there."

[imafuturist]

"Aye, aye not quite captain," Tony said once the jet settled, visor snapping into place.

[heroic_jawline]

"I think that's me, too, these days," Steve said, hopping around as he pulled the biosuit over his boots.

[hailhailgangsallhere]

"I will gladly harm my other eyes if it means not having to deal with you two flirting right now," Fury said, getting his own suit all situated.

[heroic_jawline]

"This is just how we are," Steve said with a little shrug. "Have you heard from the team yet?"

[hailhailgangsallhere]

"They'll be in touch once they've gotten things under control. The less radio chatter giving them away, the better," Fury replied, muffled slightly through the helmet. "Let's get a move on."

[hailhailgangsallhere]

"I have brought some supplies," T'Challa said, pointing to a bag of high-tech medical gadgets. "We have some expertise with infectious disease."

[imafuturist]

Well, at least they had a chance at saving anyone who escaped this now.

"Lead the way," Tony said, gesturing for Steve to head into the strange, red mist that seemed to symbolize where the infection was lingering around.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve reached up to double check the seals around his suit, just in case, before clenching his jaw and marching into the mist.

"How can I help?" he asked, being sure to project his voice so that it could carry.

[hailhailgangsallhere]

This was why they made you do PSAs, Steve. This right here.

The biohazard suit clad CDC doctor looked over at them, eyes going a little wide at the group of them. "It's damage control right now. If we don't find a source, this will continue to spread."

"We'll find the source," Fury said without any hesitation. "We might have somethings to help you in the meantime, though..."

Or one of them did. This is what you get for keeping company of royalty here.

[hailhailgangsallhere]

T'Challa raised his hand in acknowledgement. "If you can supply a blood sample," he began, stepping away with the doctor, "I have people to help make some progress."

[imafuturist]

"We'll take all the help we can get here." So maybe his supervisors might have words about that later. But right now... screw 'em.

"J and Fri have the point of origin coming from this direction," Tony said, pointing in the direction of, you guessed it, a presidential head.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve sighed. "Lincoln?" he guessed, putting pieces together quickly. If Rhodey was up there, and this weapon came from there, Steve guessed the Skrull faction was both more organized and more pissed than Fury and his ally believed.

[imafuturist]

"Wasgington by the looks of it," Tony said, frowning. "How do secret bases even get built into national monuments?"

[heroic_jawline]

"Some cackling maniac wants to look out through the presidents' eyes and gloat," Steve guessed. "This won't be on our list of places to visit for class."

[imafuturist]

A shame because this could be an interesting story for the class.

"Let's find that cackling maniac."

[heroic_jawline]

"Just another weekend," Steve said, starting to jog up the mountain path.