Square (letter, number, and prompt): SWB: N4 - Sam rescues the Avengers
MPB: N5 - Goose/Chewie
Samtember: 14. Mission
Pairing/Main Ship: N/A
Rating: T for swearing
Major tags: Sam Wilson, Goose the Cat, The Multiverse, The Quantum Tunnel, Not Endgame compliant, Everybody Lives (Eventually), Sam to the rescue
Warnings/Triggers: a little swearing here and there
Summary: Sam and Ian need to get to the laboratory... will they run into Goose or will they make it safely?
Word Count: Ch 3, 695
A/N: This is *mostly* unbeta'd but I hope to have it properly edited before I post it on AO3. I'll be posting all 7 chapters on Tumblr for as long as September 1st lasts around the world and on AO3 later. The reason it's going up on Sept 1st is because it is the only day that the Sam Wilson Bingo overlaps with Samtember :-)
Chapter 3
Not for the first time, Sam momentarily regretted taking up the Captain America mantle. He’d expected fighting bad guys, dealing with aliens, and schmoozing for funding but interdimensional travel? Nope, he had not been told to expect that.
“Are you sure this is safe?” he asked.
“I’m given to understand that several people have already used it and all returned safely,” Boothby said. “The biggest problem I’m foreseeing at this point is getting to it.”
“Because it’s in the labs?” Sam guessed.
“Because it’s in the labs,” Boothby confirmed. “And we don’t know where Goose is.”
“That’s an easily fixed problem,” Joaquin said. He’d settled himself down in front of one of the computer terminals in the tent and was busy familiarising himself with the system. “All we need is access to the security feed. Friday?”
“On it.”
A view of the Compound’s Lobby replaced the list of coordinates on the center screen. It was empty.
Silence fell as the feed switched to another camera, then another, then another.
“There he is!” Joaquin cried out several minutes later. “I found him! He’s asleep in the kitchen.”
“Oh good,” Boothby said. “That’s all the way across the compound from the laboratories. We should be able to get into the lab without any prob-”
“Don’t say it!” Sam snapped, glaring at Boothby. “Don’t you watch movies? You never say that.”
“Sorry,” Boothby muttered, averting his gaze.
“Right. Now what?”
“Now we go,” Boothby said, “before Goose wakes up. Once we get to the lab we can activate the security protocols. No one will be able to get in or out unless they have the codes.”
“That’s it?” Sam asked. “Don’t you have to prepare anything?”
Boothby shrugged. “Everything we’ll need is already in there. All we have to do is get there. Oh, and Friday?”
"Yes, Dr. Boothby?"
"Are you able to tell who is at each of those coordinates? It might be useful to know who to expect at the end of each jump."
"No problem, Dr. Boothby. I can compare the cell numbers against personnel records and add names to the list."
"Thank you, Friday."
“I’ll stay here and keep an eye on Goose,” Joaquin volunteered. “If he wakes up I’ll let you know.”
To Sam’s surprise and relief, they made it to the laboratory wing without any trouble at all. Boothby spent most of the journey explaining how to use the Quantum Tunnel, the Tech Suit, and the Time-Space GPS. Sam didn’t claim to understand most of it. As long as he knew which buttons to press and how to get back, he’d leave everything else to the experts.
“Okay,” Boothby said, securing the door behind them. “First I'll get the computers up and running, then we'll get you suited up, and then we can start."
One by one, he booted up a bank of computers, opening screens and running programs as each one came online. Sam watched, waiting patiently.
"Oh good," Boothby said after a few minutes. "Friday's updated the list of coordinates with names."
Sam moved closer but before he got a good look, Boothby turned towards him.
"I’m going to send you after Fury first. With any luck he can control that beast of his and prevent this from happening again.”
“He can deal with S.W.O.R.D. for us, too,” Sam agreed.
Crossing the floor to a large cupboard, he opened it and removed a suitcase similar to the one Steve had used to transport the Stones when he returned them to their proper timelines. Laying the case on a counter, he lifted the lid and began removing items.
“This contains the nanotech that forms the suit,” Boothby said, laying what looked like a wristwatch on the table. “This is the GPS, here’s a set of comms, and I’ll add a second set of everything so you can bring Fury back.”
“Are you sure this is gonna work?” Sam asked, taking the items and tucking them into his pockets.
