Heroes Assemble!

Foxtrot Is Down

Natasha Romanov barely even glanced at her phone when it started buzzing, instead keeping her concentration on the road. Instead, her finger shot out, jabbing the button.

"Go," she said.

"Nat, it's Steve."

"Hey, Steve. You calling to tell me you finally asked out that nurse who lives across from you?" she asked playfully.

Steve Rogers' voice was deadly serious, though, when he replied.

"Nat. Fury's been shot," he stated.

Natasha's head snapped to the phone for an instant before resuming her concentration as she drove.

"Where?" she asked.

"My apartment," Steve replied. "The shots came from the next building over. The shooter got away."

"Fury?" she asked, knowing that Steve would understand her question in full.

"Alive. For now," Steve stated grimly. "Three rounds to the chest, though. He's being taken straight to George Washington for emergency surgery."

"I'm already on the road," she replied. "Be there in twenty."

The phone cut off but Nat wasn't even paying it any attention. Instead, she was checking the traffic travelling in her direction as well as that coming towards her.

At the perfect moment, she swung the wheel of her black corvette hard, spinning the car a hard one eighty before planting her foot and rocketing off back the way she'd come.

ooo00ooo

"I have never encountered beings with this technology before," Thor stated uncertainly.

"You've never encountered the Thermians before? Huh," Tony replied and popped a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

"This technology is quite advanced," Thor said after watching some more of the recording that Tony was showing him on the big screen in the Tower's main lounge area. "How did you acquire this footage?"

"Oh, you know me, Thor, I've got connections everywhere," Tony replied, to which Bruce simply snorted in derision.

"What footage?" Pepper asked as she, Jane and Darcy walked into the room.

"Oh, cool! Galaxy Quest, I love this!" Darcy exclaimed as she rushed forward before plonking herself down on the couch beside Thor.

The tall Asgardian stared at her. When she, without even looking, reached across and took a handful of his popcorn, he frowned and carefully moved the bucket further away.

"You have seen this footage, Darcy?" he asked. "It is not classified?"

"Seen it? Yeah, at least a dozen times. Gotta love Alan Rickman in this," she replied, her eyes glued to the screen.

"Thor? Did Tony tell you that this is real?" Jane asked carefully.

"He did," Thor replied before narrowing his eyes at the man in question. "Stark?"

"Excuse me, Sir, you have an incoming call from Captain Rogers," Jarvis stated.

"I do? Then, I'd better take it," Tony said, jumping up and rushing away towards the bar. "Perfect timing, buddy."

"I was not joking, Sir; you truly have a telephone call from Captain Rogers," Jarvis replied.

Tony grabbed his mobile from the counter and hit the button.

"Hey, Capsicle. What's up?" Tony said jovially.

"Stark," Steve said and Tony could hear the seriousness in the other man's voice. "There's no easy way to say this. Director Fury was shot earlier this evening. He underwent emergency surgery but there was nothing that the doctors could do. He died, Tony."