fandomweekly | [#257] Cosmic Cleanup (MCU)

Theme Prompt: #257 – Chemistry
Title: Cosmic Cleanup
Fandom: The Marvels (Movie 2023), Captain America (Anthony Mackie Movies)
Rating/Warnings: Teen for some language. Takes place between TFATWS and The Marvels.
Bonus: yes
Word Count: 971
Summary: Sam’s first assignment as Captain America takes him to a lab with Monica (and a whole lot of science he doesn’t understand).

Sam’s phone buzzes —for the fifth time in half an hour. Monica throws a look at him, a silent encouragement to pick it up.

“This can wait five minutes, but I think that can’t.”

“If this kid's trying to get fired …”, Sam mutters, checking that it’s Joaquín again.

With a sigh, does as Monica suggests and picks up the call.

“Joaquín, what now?”

“I’m just saying, you could tell me where Fury sent you,” Joaquín replies casually. “You know, so I can sleep tonight? Secret missions are kind of my jam.”

“It’s not a mission; it’s a ‘favor’,” Sam reminds him. “There’s a big difference.”

“Yeah, and Fury called me for a ‘favor’ last month, and I ended up chasing mutant pigeons through Central Park with Bucky. So … tell me yours is more interesting.”

Sam sighs, but at Monica’s impatient look, gives in at last. “Fine. You wanna know? I’m in a lab. With test tubes. Doing science stuff. Happy now?”

Silence. “... You’re lying.”

“Bye, Joaquín,” Sam says, and hangs up before the conversation takes a dead turn.

“I’m starting to think we shouldn’t have skipped the ‘confidential stuff’ part of the contract,” Monica says, “but we can’t waste more time.”

“So, this …” Sam gestures at the vials on the table before him —samples of Skrull tech remnants that Fury needs to know more about.

“It’s not much, but we have to test if these are behind the atmospheric anomalies our sensors have been capturing,” Monica explains.

“You know I have no idea about chemistry, don’t you?”

“I know,” Monica chuckles. “But you’re also the one still answering Fury, so this is on you. Now, want to take a seat at this underfunded government lab and help me make a quick exam?”

He lets her do, as he should, but half an hour later … Sam doesn’t know if they’re making any progress, or if there’s something better he can do than stand and observe.

Sam clears his throat, catching Monica’s attention.

“So, what exactly are we doing before this whole lab explodes?”

Monica grins, grabbing a new test tube. “We’re analyzing the atmospheric degradation caused by Skrull tech.” She is kind to include him in the making, when he’s not doing anything, really.

“That sounds like a really complicated way to say ‘saving the world again’.” Sam aims for a joke, but Monica shrugs.

“Basically. In general terms, Skrull tech emits particles that mess with Earth’s magnetic fields. If we can understand how they react to Earth’s atmosphere, we can neutralize the interference. Make sure it doesn’t turn into something bigger.”

Sam nods. “And if we can’t?”

“Then it’s Fury’s problem,” Monica says with a mischievous grin.

She’s both brilliant and secretive as she works, revealing just enough for Sam’s curiosity to be satisfied but not as much as he suspects it’s behind this whole matter. Then, she asks him for help mixing some samples.

The solution in the tube, which had been a dark tone of blue in the vial, starts changing colours when interacting with another one, coming from the same colour. The mix turns golden, then brown, and then glows.

Sam takes a step back. “Should it be turning that color?”

Monica sits quietly, looking at the samples through protective glasses. She seems unbothered until the compound reacts violently, spilling out of the tube and sending sparks into the air.

She tries to contain it with her gloves, but through those, her hands emit a faint energy, stabilizing the reaction.

Monica takes a deep breath. “Now we know that it shouldn’t.”

And then, the samples in the other tubes start to react in a similar way. She instinctively throws out her hands, emitting a burst of photonic energy to stabilize them. The last thing she wants to hear from Fury is about an angry scientist in Indiana who has one less lab table.

Sam, wide-eyed, stumbles back. “Uh … did you just … glow?” he mumbles.

Monica avoids eye contact, looking at the state of the samples. “No.”

“I … think you did.”

“And I think you’re imagining things.” Monica shrugs. “It can be the Skrull tech.”

Sam is learning to take things one day at a time, so he takes a deep breath and tries to stay calm. “Monica, the solution is literally not exploding because you just …” he gestures vaguely “did that ... photon thing.”

Now, she throws him a look. “Photon thing. That’s a real scientific term, very astute.”

“Don’t change the subject, how long have you been hiding that?”

“Since it happened. Not everything is worth a TED Talk, Wilson.”

And then, Sam grins. “So, this is why Fury called you. Not for your sparkling personality.”

Monica narrows her eyes, smirking. “Keep talking, Cap. Let’s see what else glows around here.”

“Okay, okay! Just …” Sam chuckles. And before he can say more, his feet leave the ground and he’s elevating. Just like Monica’s seat is. “Maybe you can glow your way out of whatever weird anti-gravity shit is happening now?”

Monica holds onto the table, like nothing is happening. “Oh, so now you’re flirting to get me to save your butt? Typical.”

Sam is more concerned about the equipment and chairs floating around them than about the missed shot. He tries to hold onto anything solid, while Monica rambles about how the compound has altered local gravity, or magnetics.

He’s already thinking of the worst, of the lab crumbling under the strain of the floating debris and Joaquín sharing some embarrassing story about him in his funeral. “What do we do now?”

Speaking of the Devil, Sam’s phone lights up with a picture of Joaquín, calling him once again.

Monica, calm but determined, smirks. “I know someone we can call to get us out of this mess.”

“Do that,” Sam agrees. “I know of someone we aren’t calling.”

[#257] Cosmic Cleanup (MCU)

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