Chapter 10 [Allied Command]
Howard scrambled around in his lab. He could see parts of different projects scattered about himself. He'd been on the phone to his psychiatric colleagues in the States on the current situation. "I'm supposed to jump start them? What the Hell did Zemo do?"
Even for a genius like himself, there were limits after all…..
He had two platforms ready as well as restraints waiting to be used. In addition, he theorized that different resonating frequencies would help reset his friends' brainwaves to normal.
"How're you doing, Stark?" Phillips wondered gruffly.
"Think I'm ready for a trial here," Howard replied flatly. "Jones at Michigan proposed this set up. Apparently somebody in the field suggested some tweaks to him. Let's hope it works."
"You'd better hope so. A lot's riding on this," the superior insisted. He inspected the equipment. "So how's this work, Genius?"
Howard bristled but kept his cool. "Zemo did something to put them into an enhanced sleep state. This will use light to wake them up."
"You're really going to wake them up with a bright light?" Phillips scoffed. "I could do that with a damn flashlight!"
Stark arched an eyebrow. "Not bright enough, Colonel. It needs to be sequenced with their brainwaves." He pointed to the paper and needle set up across the room. "That'll keep track."
Phillips nodded. He hated science. It made his head hurt but he'd give it a chance. "Just make it work." He heard his walkie go off. "Yeah?"
"Colonel, Dugan here. Stark ready?" Dum Dum's voice crackled over the speaker.
The colonel eyeballed the apparatus again skeptically. "Yeah. You have them both?"
"Rogers and Carter are here. Vitals are steady. We're coming in now. Get the juice goin' in there," Dugan assessed.
Howard started flipping switches bringing the console to life. Guess we'll have to figure it out as we go. This isn't like the hovercraft. Hope it works. While he kept his confident exterior, he was a bundle of nerves on the inside. One by one, he hit each switch in turn.
The projector's lights descended through a rainbow spectrum of colors.
Phillips shook his head and rubbed his temples. "Damn! Warn me next time! Stupid thing's giving me a headache!"
Howard paid little attention to the other man's grousing. He nodded thoughtfully. "At least we know it affects brain activity. That's why you have your headache." He glanced toward the door. "Let's hope it works on them."
[A Mile Away]
Meantime a police escort screeched its sirens carving out a clear path for the ambulance in its midst. Like a hot knife through butter, the convoy sped through the streets between Rowley AFB and Allied Command. Its lights and sounds drove the traffic to each curb as it raced against the clock for the two patients' sake.
Inside of the ambulance, Bucky sat pensively at his oldest friend's side. He watched as the two medics performed test after test on Cap and Peggy. You're not dying on me! COME ON! He bit his lip considering how many scrapes the other man had survived on their borough's streets. His eyes flitted between the two monitors charting the patients' heartbeats and pulse rates. He checked his watch and glared up front at the drivers. "How much longer?"
The driver, a stocky blonde sergeant, bit back his response. "We're two minutes out and…." He heard static from his radio.
"Rescue-1, this is Base. You're clear to the front," a female voice announced. "Dugan's alerted us."
"Roger. Out," the driver concluded. "Captain Barnes, get ready. ETA—two minutes."
"Got it! Thanks," Bucky concurred. He glanced out the windshield toward the army truck speeding ahead. Dum Dum's cleared the way. Just hope it makes a difference. It has to! He silently continued cursing Cap's rushing into that village. "Maybe you'll finally learn." He shook his head knowing better but still hopeful.
At that moment, the ambulance screeched to a halt. White clothed medical staffers pulled the doors open and eased the patients onto gurneys.
"Stark's ready for them. Let's go, Barnes!" a white haired man told him.
Bucky stifled his comeback as he pushed his friend. "Just get Agent Carter. I've got Captain Rogers!" He kept pace with the other two guiding the gurney through the hallways between the door and lab. He saw the door already open ahead and picked up his pace some more.
"Slow down, Ace," Howard gibed. "I want them in one piece. We're set. Place them on the tables over there." He motioned toward the platforms.
"What are these things?" Bucky wondered as he set Cap on the left one. "We're not in for a light show."
Howard arched an eyebrow at the skeptical Barnes. "No but they are. Cutting edge research from a colleague stateside and some other guy in the field." As soon as Peggy was set in place, he set a metal band around their heads and propped their eyelids open. "That'll be sure they'll get the full effect."
"Bloody well had better work," Montgomery insisted from the door.
"That's why they pay me the bucks. Now back away and shield your eyes!" Howard groused while putting his own darkened goggles over his eyes. Making sure everyone else was set in the lab, he pulled a lever setting the light sequence in motion.
The projector flashed intermittent bursts of color coating the lab in a shifting rainbow effect. In varying sequences, the shades popped on and off, matching Zemo's now destroyed apparatus. Like a gentle mist, its cascade fell across the unconscious duo and causing an occasional jerk and spasm from them.
For several minutes, Howard watched the console and the patients. He frowned thinking that this was taking too long. He checked his watch. "Vitals?"
"Pulse rates are elevated! Heartbeats are increasing! Mr. Stark, we can't keep going like this!" an assistant protested.
Phillips glared at the inventor through his glasses. He hated to waste resources especially the duo in question. "Now'd be a great time to pull one of those smart ass ideas out, Stark."
"Working on it, Colonel," Stark noted impatiently.
At that moment, Cap and Peggy jerked awake with a loud scream apiece. They gasped for breath as they looked around the room and its resident kaleidoscopic effect.
Howard shut the equipment down and pulled up his goggles. "Welcome back to the waking world, you two."
"Mr. Stark, do you mind?" she queried impatiently while jerking at her restraints with her wrists.
"Of course, Agent Carter." He allowed her an almost impish smile as he undid her straps and then Cap's. "Had to make sure you didn't spasm off of the table on me now."
"Makes sense," Cap concurred. "Glad to be out of Zemo's nightmare."
"I'll second that. It's a bloody good thing." She shook her head. "The last thing I remember is getting a cup of coffee. Then that new person, Mr. Nichols, drugged me."
"Nichols disappeared. Now we know why," Phillips assessed gruffly. "I really need to talk to Senator Brandt about security protocols. I'm sick of these creeps worming their way into my facility." He strode across the room. "Get checked out, you two. I want you back by tomorrow."
"We'll be there, sir," Cap agreed while giving his superior the best salute he could manage. "Wish I could do something for the headache though."
A doctor stepped forward with a couple of aspirins and a paper cup apiece.
"You both might want to relax. I know it's hard for you but think about it." Howard glanced at each of them through serious eyes. "Got to keep you all going."
"We do appreciate it, Mr. Stark," she expressed genuinely. For once, she didn't feel the usual brusque reaction toward him. She took a couple of deep breaths and relaxed as the aspirin dulled the pain. "I do want you checked out, Captain."
"After you get your check up," Cap insisted. He gingerly eased himself onto the floor and stood on his feet. He wobbled a bit but steeled himself. "Need a hand?"
She shook her head. "If I take it slowly, I'll be fine. Thank you." She slid off the table and onto her own feet. "That world seemed so real."
"It was real. Whatever that equipment was, folks, it messed with your reality," Howard indicated. His mind spun from the challenges in developing that type of technology.
"Too bad you don't have something like that, Stark," Phillips jabbed.
Howard rolled his eyes. "All in good time, my friends. I suppose you'd like me to whip up a battle suit that can fly and shoot lasers too, right?"
"That'd be nice. Save on building planes," Phillips concurred gruffly while lighting up a cigar and puffing away on it. "Save on the ground game too. Guess you should get to it and spare us the pretty boy routine, huh?" With that, he walked out of the room.
"Pretty boy routine he says," Howard scoffed. "I'll remember that."
"He wants this war over with like we all do, Howard. You come up with enough great stuff. Keep plugging," Cap assured him while holding his shield up for emphasis and giving him a clap on the shoulder.
"Indeed, Mr. Stark. Zemo and Schmitt may have the lead but you have your mind. Go to it," she concurred.
"That suit though is a great idea. I'd love to fight alongside somebody in it," Cap indicated. "Come on. Let's get that check up and then something to eat."
"Thank you once again," she expressed as they left.
Howard turned back to his apparatus. "Not bad for three hours work if I do say so. Pretty boy routine indeed." Even if he would never admit it, the couple's friendship meant a great deal to him. He took the suggestions quite seriously too. He pulled out a small notebook and scribbled away. "Note to self. Come up with flying battle suit." He smiled.
Genius it seemed never took a holiday…..
[Outside]
Cap helped Peggy through the door gingerly. Despite what they'd said to Phillips and Howard, the ordeal had drained them more than they wanted to admit. He glanced back into the room to make sure they were clear.
"Thanks. I didn't want to make a scene," she indicated.
"Me neither and…." He saw the Commandos and Bucky waiting for them. "Guys?"
"About time you woke up. I was thinking I'd have to pull what Dalton did," Bucky cracked while pulling his friend into a hug.
"I knew you'd be there, Bucky," Cap expressed.
"As you've been there for me," Bucky retorted. "Nobody's keeping score."
"That goes for us too, Rogers," Montgomery added firmly. "Just cut back on the bloody charges."
"You heard the man. We need you too. You have our backs. Remember we have yours too," Dugan chimed in seriously. "We fight together as a team."
"We'll remember that. Thanks, guys," Cap relented while letting them see his gratitude.
"I appreciate the rescue, Gentlemen," she told them warmly. "Sorry but we do have an appointment."
"Go on. Just make sure Steve gets there in one piece," Bucky insisted playfully.
"Just don't trip on your way out, you jerk," Cap retorted with a smirk on his face as he helped her down the hall toward the doctor.
"He's not going to change. Bloody devil," Montgomery supposed.
Bucky chuckled. "Nope. That's just the way he is. Let's get a cold one and chill out before the debrief." With that, he led the Commandos out of the area.