Chapter 223: Airport Branch Clinic
Tony stared at the words "quantum-scale misalignment" on the screen, a vein throbbing at his temple.
"He even included 'quantum-scale misalignment'?"
Rhodey glanced at him.
"Tony, I think your priorities might be a little off."
"My priority is that he's trying to charge me again!" Tony snapped.
Bruce's holographic projection appeared beside them, his tone as calm as ever.
"I already paid the basic deposit for our side."
Tony turned toward him.
"Why are you so good at paying him?"
Meanwhile, Sam finished reading the email on his battered tablet, his expression complicated.
"Cap... apparently because we're classified as fugitives, we qualify for post-conflict installment payments."
He paused.
"But the interest is calculated at the high-risk fugitive rate."
Pietro looked over.
"How high?"
Sam told him.
The warehouse fell silent.
A few seconds later, Scott Lang said quietly,
"You know... getting arrested suddenly doesn't sound completely terrible."
Steve took a breath, closed the message, and forced himself to ignore it.
"Don't let Lynn distract us."
"Our objective is the Quinjet, not the fight."
Wanda glanced at the small print at the bottom of the message.
Red-energy exhaustion eligible for priority treatment.
Her expression changed slightly.
"He knows I'm going."
Pietro scoffed.
"Of course he knows."
"That guy probably has a billing radar attached to every one of us."
...
Leipzig/Halle Airport, Germany.
Outside a disused aircraft-maintenance hangar, a circle of golden sparks opened in the air.
Lynn stepped through wearing his white coat.
Behind him floated several compact medical pods, folded for transport, along with silver cases containing surgical instruments and specialized emergency equipment.
Within minutes, the abandoned hangar had been transformed.
A brightly illuminated sign appeared beside the entrance.
MIRACLE CLINIC — TEMPORARY FIELD MEDICAL STATION
NEUTRAL MEDICAL ZONE — ARMED ARRESTS PROHIBITED
TODAY'S RATE: FIELD EMERGENCY TREATMENT, DOUBLE CHARGE — CRITICAL PATIENTS PRIORITIZED
Natasha was the first to discover it.
She was driving an unmarked black sedan around the airport perimeter, conducting a final reconnaissance sweep.
When the illuminated sign came into view, she stared at it for three full seconds.
Then she raised her communicator.
"Tony."
"You're not going to like this."
"What now?" Tony replied irritably.
Natasha took a picture with the vehicle's camera and transmitted it.
Several seconds passed.
Then Tony's voice exploded over the channel.
"Are you kidding me? He opened a clinic at the airport?"
Bruce's voice cut in.
"From a tactical and casualty-management perspective, it's reasonable."
"Bruce!"
Tony sounded close to losing his temper.
"Could you stop calling everything that man does 'reasonable'?"
"I said the location is reasonable."
Bruce paused.
"I didn't say the pricing was."
Natasha parked the car and entered the temporary clinic.
Lynn stood beside an unfolded operating table, calibrating a surgical laser.
She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway.
"You're that certain someone's getting hurt?"
Lynn didn't look up.
"Ms. Romanoff, if any of you could survive twenty-four hours without sustaining some form of trauma, you probably wouldn't know me."
Natasha glanced at the sign outside.
"Double price?"
"Of course."
Lynn continued adjusting the instrument.
"Battlefield operating risk."
"Cross-border equipment transport."
"Potential legal complications."
"Operating between hostile factions."
He paused.
"And the psychological burden of dealing with injured superheroes who refuse to follow medical instructions."
Natasha almost laughed.
"You offer psychological support now?"
Lynn finally looked up.
"No."
He adjusted his glasses.
"That costs extra."
Natasha gave a small chuckle.
"Tony said if you start drawing blood without permission, he'll add triple-layer dynamic encryption to every Stark medical-access interface."
Lynn smiled politely.
"That's fine."
"Encryption is merely another technical condition requiring treatment."
"The fee is negotiable."
...
Several kilometers away, Sam's reconnaissance drone picked up the same hangar.
He transmitted the feed to Steve.
"Cap."
"Guess who showed up."
Steve looked at the screen.
The familiar white coat.
The familiar sign.
He was silent for a moment.
"Lynn."
Scott leaned closer.
"Wait."
"That's an actual field hospital?"
He stared at the image.
"He even brought signage."
"That's incredibly professional."
Pietro folded his arms.
"You have no idea how professional his invoices are."
Wanda watched Lynn on the screen.
Her voice was quiet.
"He can treat all of us."
Bucky's gaze remained fixed on the feed.
He hesitated.
"He can treat me too?"
Steve nodded.
"If you're brought to him, yes."
Sam immediately added,
"And then he'll hand us a bill that'll keep us in debt for the rest of our fugitive lives."
At the field station, Lynn completed the final calibration.
He lifted his gaze toward the airport.
The All-Seeing Eye expanded.
In an instant, the entire airport unfolded within his perception.
Runways.
Hangars.
Maintenance corridors.
Vehicle positions.
Flight paths.
The movement routes of both factions.
The energy signatures of Iron Man and War Machine.
Wanda's Chaos Magic.
Pietro's accelerated movement.
Scott Lang's Pym Particle signature.
Every significant variable appeared before him in a complete three-dimensional map.