Stunned by the impact of what felt like the entire building heaping itself upon the suit, Tony took a minute to regain his bearings. Or maybe it was several minutes, because the rumbling and grinding had completely stopped by the time he took a deep breath and said, "Friday, status?"
There was a pause, then she said, "Communication system reboot complete, boss. You have multiple incoming calls."
"Belay that. What's the status of the suit?"
"All systems functional, boss."
He decided not to question the communication reboot just then. A full system check would be needed later anyway. "Will I hurt anyone if I blast myself out of here?"
"Captain Rogers is perilously close to the rubble. He is trying to contact you."
Pity, he'd been enjoying the peace and quiet. "All right, patch me back into comms."
"-Man, report! What's your status?" Steve's demand was cut off but he didn't need to hear the rest.
"Aw, Cap, don't worry about little old me," he responded sarcastically. "Shiny metal suit, remember?"
"When the last thing we hear from you is talk about dying in the suit and then nothing for a good five minutes, it makes a guy wonder," Sam retorted.
He hadn't intended for anyone to hear that wisecrack, but evidently everyone had. Ah, well, it wasn't the first time he'd said something he regretted. "Wonder no more, I'm coming out. Rogers, back off unless you want to be a pancake," he said as Friday displayed the recommended path and speed on the HUD. He blinked acknowledgment and the suit roared to life, erupting from beneath the building as soon as it was clear.
He landed neatly on the road beside Steve, looking around with dismay at the added damage from the latest quake. "Quinjet, we're going to need updated scans. Friday, which at-risk buildings haven't been cleared?"
Part of his display changed to a map with a handful of scattered markers.
"How many of them have collapsed since the last scan?"
The number of markers didn't change and he sighed heavily. "We didn't get to them all in time. Let's start with those while the jet is getting new data."
"You need to be checked out by a doctor," Steve objected. "You might have a concussion."
He hesitated, the compulsion to keep going as long as there were people they could save warring against the profound weariness that was catching up to him now that he was standing still. His vision momentarily blurred and he blinked until it cleared.
A hand landed on his shoulder heavily enough that he could feel it through the suit. "We can't save them all," Steve said softly.
"We have been on the ground for sixteen hours, twenty-seven minutes, and thirteen seconds," Vision offered. "All of you should rest or your effectiveness will suffer. I will assess the structures that remained on our list and communicate with the local personnel."
"Thanks, buddy," Tony said with a sigh. "Jet, come and get us. Has the cavalry shown up yet?"
"The helicarrier arrived less than an hour ago with supplies and personnel," Toni replied, somehow not sounding like she'd been awake for over twenty-four hours. "Both search and rescue and medical reinforcements are being deployed. We're on our way to you now."
He nodded tiredly, then looked back at the collapsed building. "Friday, where's my bot?"
A marker popped up on his display. "The repulsor was deactivated when structural integrity was compromised, boss."
He picked his way into the rubble, then awkwardly hefted the concrete chunks aside until he could wedge his hand in and retrieve the bot's wreckage. "Analyze the points of failure and incorporate fixes into the redesign," he instructed Friday as he flew the short distance to where Steve was silently watching.
Sam swooped in to join them moments before the quinjet emerged from behind the ridge. "You can remain airborne if that's easier," Tony said, watching skeptically as the jet narrowly avoided buildings in its careful descent.
"I've got it, sir," Jordan said confidently. The aircraft landed gently in the dirt a moment later, the hatch already opening to admit them.
Tony retracted his helmet as soon as he stepped foot in the jet. The opening mechanism for the rest of the suit hesitated but eventually spat him free. "Friday, full diagnostic. Was that just dirt in the gears or is there something bigger going on?"
"Scanning, boss," she said obediently.
"Where to, sir?" Jordan called from the cockpit.
"The carrier. I don't want to impose on the locals." A bottle of water was shoved into his chest as he finished speaking. He nodded and took the bottle, then Wilson moved on to offer water to Toni and Jordan. Steve was already gulping his down and Tony followed suit. He hadn't realized how thirsty he'd gotten.
It was a short trip to where the helicarrier was anchored as close to shore as the water depths would allow. Toni directed Jordan where to land on the deck amidst the pallets of supplies and busily scurrying people. "Injuries can go to the medbay, otherwise they request that we remain aboard our vehicle as the best place to stay out of the way," she reported, taking off the headset and rolling her head from one side to another with a sigh.
"Right. Well, I guess that's my cue," Tony said, twisting the cap back on his now empty water bottle and dropping it into the trash bin. "Hopefully this won't take long."
"Hey Stark, catch," Sam called, and Tony reflexively reached out to snag the package tossed his way. Dried blueberries. He smirked and mock saluted before turning to leave.
He didn't look back as he descended the ramp until he heard footsteps following him. A glance over his shoulder showed Steve a few steps behind him. "You feeling all right, Rogers?" he asked wryly.
Emerging from the shadow of the jet was like walking into a wall of warmth and Tony grimaced. The heat rising up from the deck was visible in shimmering waves and the slight breeze off the water was little help. Inside the suit, he had been insulated from the rising temperature. No wonder Wilson and Rogers had looked like they were going to wilt.
"I thought I'd have them give me something to put on these scrapes," Steve replied easily, displaying his scratched and bleeding fingers.
"You realize we have stuff like that on the jet, right?" he said, tearing open the blueberries and popping a few in his mouth.
"Yes, but then you'd be wandering around unsupervised," Steve teased.
"Would you look at that, Cap is still worried about me," Tony said lightly. "I know this carrier almost as well as I do my tower, just for the record." He reached the door first and held it for Steve, who hesitated before stepping inside ahead of him.
"Still, I don't think having both Sam and me on the jet while you and Vision are elsewhere is quite what the U.N. had in mind."
Tony flapped his hand dismissively before grabbing more blueberries. "You were accompanied by my minions, it would have been fine. I trust that you wouldn't do anything as stupid as steal a quinjet and go on the run again while we're here on a humanitarian mission." He glanced over at Rogers calculatingly as they stopped to wait for a procession of loaded medical carts to pass. "Are you saying that my trust is misplaced?"
"No," Steve replied immediately. "You're right, I wouldn't have done anything like that."
"Good," he said, the small part of him that had been suspicious now satisfied. "That would have been an especially stupid move." He had installed trackers on all the jets after Siberia, so he would've known exactly where to find a fleeing Rogers.
The rest of the trip to the medbay passed in silence. Their arrival went unnoticed at first, and the sound of arguing could be heard from beyond a doorway to the left.
Steve took a step in the direction of the voices, but had to step back quickly when a woman in a jumpsuit and white coat bustled into the room, talking over her shoulder to a man following her. "See? I told you we'd be getting people in here any minute." She stopped abruptly in front of them and beamed. "What can we do for you?"
Tony had been reconsidering his decision to come, so he didn't immediately have an answer to the question. Steve answered for both of them. "He might have a concussion. I just need help cleaning out my hands."
She took one of his hands and examined it without comment, then turned to Tony and gestured for him to follow. "What happened?" she inquired pleasantly as she led him to a bed and indicated he should sit.
Steve had followed and again spoke first, this time because Tony was chewing the last of his blueberries. "A building collapsed on him and he was out for several minutes."
"My communication system was rebooting," Tony said irritably, folding the blueberry packaging and shoving it in his jeans pocket. "It's not a big deal."
"Better safe than sorry," the nurse commented, pulling a penlight from her pocket and shining it in his eyes without warning.
He flinched away and blinked rapidly. "Can we not do that?" His watch beeped and he quickly silenced it. Whatever Friday wanted, it could wait.
"It's part of the procedure," she said, making a note on a screen at the head of the bed. "Captain Rogers, my colleague can tend to your hands, if you would like."
"I'd rather stay," Steve replied.
"At ease, soldier, I'm not going to keel over on the spot," Tony said wryly. His watch beeped again and he dismissed it with a gesture.
"If you stay, I must ask you not to answer any questions on the patient's behalf while I am conducting the examination," she said.
Steve saluted and Tony rolled his eyes in exasperation. Why had he agreed to be checked out? Right, setting a good example, blah blah.
The nurse launched into an extended interrogation, demanding his name, the date, the current President, what had happened, how he was feeling, and all manner of details both relevant and seemingly nonsensical in a rapid-fire barrage. He answered readily, except when he yawned, and Friday tried to get his attention twice more.
The questions ended as abruptly as they'd begun, and the nurse nodded briskly. "Please wait here, Mr. Stark, while I fetch the doctor. Captain, if you'd follow me."
Tony watched as she led Steve to a station where the other guy was waiting, then disappeared from sight briefly. She returned with a different man, who wore a sweater vest beneath his white coat and large glasses that had been out of style for at least a decade. "Mr. Stark, I'm Doctor Fine," the new guy said languidly, offering his hand, which Tony shook. "I'm going to ask you some questions, if you don't mind."
"Whatever it takes to get me out of here," he replied. His watch beeped yet again; he resisted the urge to swear and instead lifted the watch close to his face. "Mute," he snapped, "Or I'll turn you off."
"Is the technology misbehaving?" Dr. Fine asked dryly.
"You could say that," Tony said, sighing. "Ask away, doctor."
The doctor launched into a series of questions that closely mirrored the earlier interrogation. Tony could feel his irritation growing as the questions went on and on, but he managed to keep himself under control. It wouldn't do to lose his cool when he was the one in charge, especially when Rogers was already judging him for being insufficient or whatever.
Then Dr. Fine tested his balance and coordination, which seemed a lot like a roadside sobriety test, and he felt vaguely ridiculous. Steve was watching again by the time that absurdity concluded.
"If there's any damage, it's mild enough that I don't think any scans are necessary," Dr. Fine concluded. "Take it easy and stay where others can check on you for the next day or so, just in case."
"We'll keep an eye on him," Steve promised solemnly, then stepped forward to shake the doctor's hand. "It's good to see you again, Doctor."
"Always a pleasure, Captain," Dr. Fine replied.
There was a commotion from the direction of the door as someone injured and bleeding was rolled in on a stretcher. As soon as they could leave without being in the way, they slipped out of the medbay and headed back to the quinjet. When Steve didn't offer any information, Tony asked about how he knew the doctor, and the explanation lasted until they stepped back out on the deck.
They were halfway to the quinjet when his phone vibrated in his pocket as his watch emitted the series of chirps that meant someone wanted him urgently. The phone was in his hand before the sound stopped and he noted the list of alerts on the screen even as he accepted the call. "What's going on?" he asked without preamble, his mind already scrolling through the possible explanations for half a dozen perimeter alerts, two messages from Rhodey, and three missed calls each from Bill and Hill.
"We have a situation," Agent Hill said crisply.
"I noticed. Ross?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Steve stiffen at the name.
"Yes, and he wants to talk to you. Do you want the rundown before or after?"
"Fill me in. I have no problem making him wait."
"The compound is surrounded. As far as we have been able to determine, they're National Guard, called up to provide reinforcements for the county sheriffs. They claim they have orders to evict us from the premises, but no one can provide the paperwork. Your lawyer is working on that side of things. Rhodey wants me to tell you everything is under control."
"Which means nothing is on fire, at least not yet," Tony said dryly, pausing outside the jet's open hatch. He didn't want to disturb anyone who might be sleeping. Steve went in without him, then stepped back out and waved him in without a word. He nodded and came inside, listening as Hill continued.
"Non-essential personnel have been secured. Tactical teams are posted around the perimeter. Ross arrived about an hour ago and demanded to talk to you. He claims he had no idea this was going to happen, much less today. Your lawyer isn't impressed with him, from the looks of it."
"Bill is there?" Tony asked in surprise.
"No, the other guy. The one who was at the press conference."
"Right. Of course you're watching. And listening, no doubt."
"Wanda and I are monitoring the situation, yes."
He paced the interior of the jet as he decoded what she'd said. Wanda was there to keep Ross from making any sudden moves. Why Hugh was at the compound was a mystery, but that was hardly his top concern. Non-essential personnel meant the Barton family and Dr. Tanya, plus whatever IT minions weren't required to keep everything running, and possibly a handful of others. That they were 'secured' could mean a couple of things. "Where are the non-essential personnel secured?"
Hill hesitated. "Their location is known to Rhodey, not me."
Compartmentalization. "Fine." He switched to speakerphone so he could check the messages from Rhodey. The second one had the information he sought: Laura has gone fishing. Laura's grandfather had been one of those survivalist types, so she'd inherited an upstate lakeside cabin complete with a hidden underground bunker to house a dozen people, which she and Clint kept stocked just in case. She'd told him about it after he took her and the kids to the compound and, with her permission, he'd added a few more security features, including the stealth camouflage.
He nodded in satisfaction. They would be quite safe there. "Is Rhodey nearby?"
"I'll call him."
Another thought occurred to him. "And Mel, I need her too."
There was a moment of silence from the other end and he sank into the seat at the comm station, debating whether to finish this over the headset. But Steve and Sam and even Jordan and Toni were watching him without being subtle about it. He shrugged and turned to the displays, pulling up the screens he needed with a few deft movements.
"How's the earthquake?" Rhodey asked in greeting.
"Shaky. Dumped a building on me already. Is anyone outside the compound aware of what's going on right now?"
"Other than you and your lawyers? No."
"I'm going to drop the camouflage. People need to see this."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Rhodey asked doubtfully.
He ignored the question and began shutting down the emitters on the main portion of the compound complex. "Is Mel there?"
"I'm here, Mr. Stark," she said.
"Friday is going to connect you to Christine Everhart. You know who she is, right?"
"Of course I do," Mel sounded almost offended.
"You're going to give her the exclusive on what's going on while Friday tips off the other networks that something is happening. Rhodey, expect news choppers in the area within, oh, five to ten minutes. Please tell our folks not to get trigger happy." He was already done with the message Friday would send by the time he'd said it. A few more gestures and Friday took over.
"Our guys won't be making the first move, they're too well trained for that," Rhodey shot back.
"Sure they are, but everybody gets nervous. Speaking of nervous, how's our buddy Hugh faring?"
"He looks uncomfortable, but he's staring Ross down better than I would have expected," Hill said, sounding amused.
"All right, I'll talk to Ross. Friday, put me on the speakerphone in the guest conference room and follow the usual recording directives. Any observers to the call-Hill, that means you, Rhodey has better things to do-should be muted."
A chime indicated when he was connected. "Mr. Secretary, when you leave, would you be so kind as to point our military visitors in the direction of the highway? They seem to be quite lost."
Ross chuckled. "You know, Tony, I find it interesting that I came here to talk to you and you are nowhere to be found."
Ross's tone and the familiarity with which he said his name made Tony bristle, but he smiled pleasantly. Never mind that the connection didn't include video. "You know, Mr. Secretary," he said, emphasizing the title, "I find it interesting that you came to the compound and expected to find me there. I had a nice chat with your guy in Tijuana last night; I'm sure there's a voicemail or a memo or something to that effect waiting for you at your office."
"Are you accusing me of failing to do my job?" Ross inquired darkly.
"Not at all," Tony replied lightly. "I am merely saying that you have the means to verify that I am not in town at the moment. So, Mr. Secretary, now that you have me on the line, may I ask what was so urgent that you came in person to upstate New York talk to me?"
There was a pause and he knew he had Ross seething. He guessed that Ross had come to needle him about his restricted funds and maybe to threaten him not to release any more information publicly, but he couldn't do either of those things while a lawyer was in the room. It wouldn't be wise to do so even without the lawyer, not when Tony was recording every word they exchanged, but Ross still seemed somehow oblivious to that practice. It was almost like he didn't realize who he was up against.
He grinned in silent glee as Friday flagged two incoming news helicopters. They were going to get quite a show. He flipped one last switch, then prompted, "Mr. Secretary? Why did you come?"
"I came to . . . provide some information," Ross replied, obviously weighing his words with care. "I wonder if you're aware that one of my duties as Secretary of State is to manage which groups are deemed Foreign Terrorist Organizations."
"I wasn't aware," Tony answered honestly. "What does that involve?" He was already skimming the information Friday helpfully pulled up.
"The entire process is quite interesting, but I won't waste your time with the full explanation. In short, I decide, based on information provided by my staff, if a foreign group or organization poses a terrorist threat to America or her interests. If they do, I notify certain Congressional committees and the group is added to the list of notables like the Ten Rings and ISIS."
Tony was of distinctly two minds about this information. On one hand, the threat underlying Ross's words was clear: the entire Avengers team was in danger of being branded as terrorists. On the other hand, Ross spelling all of this out in front of witnesses could only end badly . . . for Ross.
He decided to help Ross dig his own grave. "I'm just guessing here, but let's say a member of an organization is currently the subject of a terrorism investigation. That wouldn't make the organization look too good, would it?"
"You're absolutely right, it wouldn't." Ross sounded delighted that he'd made the connection.
"So why does it matter if an organization is on this little list?" He already had a pretty good idea from his brief skimming but he might as well let Ross enjoy his moment of apparent triumph.
"Oh, you know, asset seizure, non-citizen members currently in the U.S. can be immediately deported, support of any kind provided to the organization by U.S. citizens or businesses is a federal crime, that sort of thing."
"Of course. We take terrorism very seriously," Tony replied sarcastically, doggedly keeping his focus on his readouts and the conversation in spite of the concerned whispers he could hear right behind him. He waved them back impatiently. "There's something you haven't mentioned, though: how does an organization know that it's being put on the list? Is there any recourse?"
"Appeals can be made to the courts in D.C., naturally, but once the notice appears in the Federal Register, it's as good as over."
"Mr. Secretary, are you threatening my client-" Hugh's much belated response came sputtering over the line and Tony had a hard time trying not to laugh.
"It's all right, Hugh," he said quickly. "Mr. Secretary, thank you for that . . . information. I have something I need to tell you, as well."
"What's that?" Ross sounded smug.
It wasn't quite fitting for the situation, but he couldn't resist. "Smile, you're on candid camera."
There was a brief pause. "I beg your pardon?"
"This entire conversation was broadcast to the compound and the two-oh, there's four now, hello-news teams currently hovering overhead. Be sure to smile and wave as you leave. You always look so dour when you're on the news."
Tony ended the broadcast and had Friday terminate his connection with the conference phone. "Hill, please escort our guest off the premises. If the news crews want to come onsite, they're welcome, just keep to the usual protocols. Mel will handle our official response to any questions."
"Got it," she said. "I think we can handle it from here."
"I know you can. Oh, and give Hugh a private office. He's going to have a meltdown any minute."
"He's nearly there already," she agreed.
He sighed as he cleared the screens of everything he'd been monitoring; there was literally nothing more he could do now. He chuckled as he imagined Ross's expression, and the chuckle turned into a self-perpetuating laugh that he couldn't stop if his life depended on it and that turned slightly hysterical as it continued. After a few minutes he wasn't even sure how he was still breathing in spite of it, but it carried on, so he must be. Somehow.
"Dude," Sam grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him a little as if that would make him stop. "Don't crack up on us now."
"Too late," he joked, but the worry in Sam's face sobered him just enough that he could regain control of himself. "Well, at least that's over," he said, taking a deep breath.
Sam looked him over, then nodded and stepped away.
The hand he dragged over his face was shaking. "What time is it?"
"Almost two in the afternoon, local time," Toni said.
"What will you do?" Steve asked curiously.
"He's going to eat something and we're all going to sleep for a while," Sam answered, returning with a package in each hand. "Protein bar or rations?" he asked Tony.
"Ew, not the rations," Tony replied, and had to react quickly to catch the protein bar tossed in his direction. He unwrapped it as he continued, "And yes, we all need some sleep. I'm thinking six hours, and we'll get back out there after that."
"I thought you'd want to go back to the compound," Steve said.
He shrugged and finished chewing the bite he'd taken before he answered. "Why? Ross has shown his hand, the others have things under control, and we can still do some good here. Do you disagree?"
"No, I agree completely," Steve admitted.
"And that makes you wary because you're not used to agreeing with me," he teased. "I won't take it personally."
"It's not like that," Steve protested.
"Sure it isn't," Tony said, rising from his seat to toss his wrapper into the trash. He didn't believe it for an instant, but he also didn't want to have that conversation at that moment, or with those witnesses. It wouldn't do to have the children see them argue. "Wake-up call at eight, everyone. Use the time wisely."
He retreated to the same bunk he'd used before, and the others silently followed suit.
When his alarm went off a few minutes before eight, Steve was seated at the comm station, watching what looked like a news broadcast. Tony quietly approached, trying not to disturb anyone but at the same time not trying to sneak up on Steve. The video was muted with captions scrolling across the bottom of the screen, but it finished playing before he could catch anything meaningful.
"Anything interesting?" he asked.
Steve glanced up at him, his expression solemn. "Ross was fired by the President a few hours ago. They're saying the FBI will be investigating him."
"Sounds about right," Tony said with a nod. "And let me guess: the White House has apologized for the debacle at the compound, Ross' immediate underlings are also out of their jobs, and, hm, the sheriff involved is on administrative leave while the state government checks into what happened."
"How did you know?"
"That's how this sort of thing usually goes," he said wryly. "Was there anything major in the news that didn't involve Ross, me, or the Avengers?"
"I don't know. I just wanted to find out what they were saying about your conversation with Ross."
"Is your curiosity satisfied?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Then let's talk search and rescue. Friday, tell Vision to contact us." He gestured for the maps to spring back to life in the center of the cabin, and he grinned to notice Steve was immediately at his side in examining the holograms. Despite what was still between them, at least they could work together when it mattered.