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

[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.

[imafuturist]

"Don't rip the suit," Tony warned like he wasn't also booking it up there. But he made the armor and therefore was certain of it's structural integrity.

[heroic_jawline]

"I'm being careful," Steve promised, following the mist up the mountain.

[hailhailgangsallhere]

"Team two is in place to move as soon as we can get whatever is spreading this shut down," Fury cut so he wouldn't have to keep listening to them mother hen each other. "We don't know how Rhodes is being held and Stark won't risk it."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded, jaw clenching as he scanned the surroundings. "Tony, what can you pick up?"

[imafuturist]

"Door built into the cliffside here," Tony said, scanning it carefully to find a way to open it while it looked like just a bunch of rocks. "Give me a moment."

Laser tools!

[heroic_jawline]

"We've got time," Steve said with a smile, pulling out a gun, just in case.

[imafuturist]

Oh shit, he's got a gun!

There were some sparks, muffled by the red mist before a sound of air rushing out as whatever the door was covering decompressed. And then a tiny, "yay," from Tony. But that wasn't important.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve bit his lip to hide the grin at that excited little yay. "Here we go," he murmured instead.

[imafuturist]

Tony moved ahead of them, a scanner shooting out from the suit to find where anyone might be hiding on them because it was... eerily silent.

"I'm not getting any movement so far."

[heroic_jawline]

"Was this an accident?" Steve asked, coming up behind Tony and protecting his back, trying to figure out why no one was shooting at them. Normally someone was shooting at them. "Did something escape containment?"