C155 Tomfoolery

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As Peter's ship touched down in the Red Room hangar, the engines whirred softly before powering down. The lights of the hangar flickered slightly, casting long shadows across the cold metal floor.

*sigh* Peter was tired from his recent exertions, but there was a sense of satisfaction within him—he had succeeded in finding Captain America.

He walked down the corridor of his ship, glancing back at the slightly melting, but still solidly frozen figure of Steve Rogers lying in the cargo bay. The ice was thick, but the edges were beginning to soften, droplets of water slowly forming and running down the sides of the block.

'Time for the big reveal…' Peter was eager to show Peggy and start the process of thawing him out safely.

As he reached the back of the ship, Peter hit the control panel to open the ramp, the hydraulics hissing as it lowered to the ground.

The hangar beyond was filled with the usual hustle and bustle of activity, but what immediately caught Peter's attention was the group waiting for him at the bottom of the ramp.

There they were—Groot, Cosmo, Howard the Duck, Rocket, Teefs, Lylla, and Floor. His crew had apparently noticed their ship's absence and were now standing there, their expressions a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"Hey," Peter greeted tiredly, stepping out onto the ramp. "What's up?"

But instead of returning his greeting, the group's attention was drawn past him, their eyes widening as they noticed the frozen figure of Captain America lying in the cargo bay behind him.

"Is that… a human popsicle?" Rocket asked, squinting up at Peter, his tone somewhere between incredulity and amusement.

"Who dat?" Cosmo barked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. The telepathic dog's tail wagged slightly, her ears perked up in interest.

"What the hell is that?" Howard asked, crossing his feathered arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Before Peter could respond, Groot took a curious step forward, his leafy hand reaching out toward the block of ice. "I am Groot," he said, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Hey, wait!" Peter called out, his hand shooting out to stop Groot from getting any closer. "Don't touch him!"

Groot paused, looking up at Peter in confusion. "I am Groot?"

Peter quickly moved between his crew and the frozen Steve, his hands outstretched protectively. "Seriously, guys, don't touch him. The ice is really fragile right now, and if it breaks the wrong way, we could end up shattering him—like, literally. We don't want Captain America losing a finger, hand, or even an arm."

The group seemed far more intrigued upon hearing the name Captain America, having delved into Earth's history a bit since their arrival.

Rocket let out a low whistle, clearly impressed despite himself. "So, that's Captain America, huh? What're you planning to do with him? Gonna bury him?"

"Thaw him out, obviously," Peter replied, still keeping a wary eye on his crew. "He's still alive. I can feel it through the force. But we need to do this carefully..."

Rocket's eyes widened ever so slightly, "He's alive?!"

Teefs, who had been staring in wide-eyed awe at the frozen Capsicle, finally spoke up, his voice filled with childlike wonder. "Is he really gonna be okay?"

Peter smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, he'll be fine, as long as we take our time and do this right. He's been frozen like this for a long time, but he's not a normal human..."

Lylla stepped forward, her expression softening as she looked at the frozen figure. "It's amazing that he's still alive after all this time. You really think he's going to wake up?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah. I think so..."

As the group continued to crowd around the frozen hero, Peter had to keep batting them away from the ice, making sure none of them got too close. The last thing he needed was for someone to accidentally crack the ice and cause any damage to Captain America.

"Alright, alright, back off," Peter said, waving his hands to shoo them away from the cargo bay. "I need to get Peggy down here and figure out how we're going to thaw him out. So, unless one of you suddenly became an expert in cryogenics, just stay back, okay?"

The crew exchanged glances before reluctantly stepping back, giving Peter some space to work. Rocket still looked intrigued, clearly wanting to get a closer look, but even he seemed to understand the importance of being careful.

"I'll be back in a bit," Peter said, giving them all a quick nod before turning to head out of the ship. "Just… don't touch anything. I mean it..."

Groot raised his hand as if swearing an oath. "I am Groot."

Peter nodded, satisfied enough with that, and then walked off the ramp, heading out of the hangar in search of Peggy.

The moment Peter was out of earshot, Howard the Duck crossed his arms and shot a sideways glance at Rocket. "So, Rocket," he began, a mischievous grin spreading across his beak, "how much would it take for you to lick the human popsicle over there?"

Rocket wrinkled his nose in disgust, folding his arms across his chest. "Ugh, gross. No way am I licking that thing. Who knows what kind of space germs are frozen in there?"

"Come on," Howard pressed, his grin widening as he dug into his pocket. "Ten credits says you won't do it."

Rocket scoffed, shaking his head. "Not for ten. And even if you offered more, I still wouldn't do it. I've got standards, you know."

Howard's grin faltered slightly, but he wasn't ready to give up just yet. He looked around at the others, trying to gauge their interest. "Alright, how about twenty credits? The first one to lick the human popsicle gets the prize..."

————

Meanwhile, Peter was making his way through the winding halls of the Red Room, his mind focused on the task at hand. He needed to find Peggy and reveal the surprise.

As he navigated the corridors, he couldn't help but wonder how she would react to seeing Steve again after all these years.

Finally, after a few turns and nods to passing agents, Peter found himself approaching a meeting room. The door was slightly ajar, and as he got closer, he could hear voices from inside. Recognizing Peggy's voice, he pushed the door open just enough to peek inside.

There, sitting across from Peggy at a polished wooden table, was Charles Xavier. Peggy seemed to be explaining the situation to him, her tone serious but with an undercurrent of hope.

"We've been trying to reach out to Bucky," Peggy was saying, her hands folded neatly on the table, "but whatever Hydra did to him has left deep scars. He's not the man he once was. I'm hoping you can help him find his way back, Charles."

Xavier nodded thoughtfully, his fingers steepled as he listened intently. "I've encountered cases like this before, though not always under such extreme circumstances. The mind can be a fragile thing, but with the right guidance, it can also be remarkably resilient. I'm more than willing to help, Peggy. This is exactly why I built my school—to help those who have been lost or damaged find their way again."

Peggy's expression softened, a small smile touching her lips. "Thank you, Charles. I knew I could count on you."

Peter chose that moment to step into the room, clearing his throat to announce his presence. Both Peggy and Xavier looked up, their conversation pausing as they turned their attention to him.

"Sorry to interrupt," Peter said with a polite nod to both of them, "but I've got some news you're going to want to hear."

Peggy raised an eyebrow, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "What is it, Peter?"

"It's a surprise," Peter said, his tone light and teasing.

Peggy raised an eyebrow, her curiosity clearly piqued. "A surprise? What kind of surprise?"

Xavier, seated beside her, looked equally intrigued, though his expression remained calm and composed. "I must admit, you've got me curious as well, Peter. What is it?"

Peter's grin widened, and he simply gestured for them to follow him. "You'll see. Trust me, I think you're really going to like this."

Peggy and Xavier exchanged a glance, both of them now more curious than ever. Xavier, ever the gentleman, asked, "May I join you as well?"

"Of course," Peter replied with a nod, already turning toward the door.

With that, the three of them left the meeting room and made their way down the winding corridors of the Red Room. Peggy walked with a brisk pace, clearly eager to see what Peter had in store, while Xavier followed with a quiet smile, intrigued by the whole situation.

Peter led them back to the hangar where his ship was parked, anticipation building with each step. When they arrived at the ramp leading up into the ship, Peter motioned for them to follow him up.

As they reached the top of the ramp, the scene that greeted them was far from what Peter had expected. Groot was leaning over Captain America's frozen form, his tongue inching closer and closer to Steve's face. The rest of the crew—Howard, Cosmo, Rocket, Teefs, Lylla, and Floor—were gathered around, eagerly watching with bated breath.

Howard was clutching a fistful of credits, a diabolical smirk on his face, clearly ready to pay out the moment Groot made contact.

Peter's eyes widened in disbelief, quickly turning to frustration as he realized what was happening. He had specifically told them not to touch Steve, and here they were, completely ignoring him.

Before Peggy or Xavier could catch sight of Captain America or understand what was going on, Peter snapped.

Without a word, he reached out with the Force and sent his entire crew flying across the ship with a powerful push. They crashed into the far wall with a series of grunts and yelps of pain, scattering in all directions.

"Ow! What the hell, Peter?!" Rocket groaned, rubbing his head where it had collided with the metal wall.

Groot, still dazed, weakly protested, "I am Groot..."

"Don't even start with me," Peter growled, his eyes flashing with irritation. "I told you guys not to touch him! What part of that didn't you understand?"

The crew members all looked at each other sheepishly, realizing they'd been caught red-handed. "…"

In unison, they pointed accusing fingers at Howard, who was still holding the credits. Howard's expression twisted into one of betrayal as he looked between them. "What? You were all in on it!"

Sighing at their antics, Peter shook his head. "You guys are unbelievable. Just... go somewhere else before I actually get angry."

The crew grumbled among themselves, exchanging glances as they reluctantly obeyed. As they shuffled out of the hangar, Rocket muttered to Groot, "This isn't him angry?"

"Go!" Peter barked, and they all quickly scurried off, leaving Peter alone with Peggy and Xavier.

Finally, with the hangar quiet and his crew out of the way, Peter turned back to Peggy, ready to reveal the surprise he'd been holding back.

But the moment he looked at Peggy, he realized she was no longer standing behind him. Instead, she had taken a few tentative steps forward, her eyes locked onto the figure lying on the floor. Her gaze was wide and filled with disbelief, her breath catching in her throat as she processed what she was seeing.

"S-Steve?"

A/N: 1957 words :)

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