Fic: Quake Squared I: "Is That Martin Landau Standing On Top Of Abraham Lincoln's Head?" (1/1)
Title: Quake Squared I: "Is That Martin Landau Standing On Top Of Abraham Lincoln’s Head?" (1/1)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters): Daniel/Daisy
Continuity: Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Genres: Fluff, Romance
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Spoilers: For North By Northwest (1959)
Summary: Daisy suggests watching North By Northwest so that Daniel can feel more at home.
Date Of Completion: September 2, 2020
Date Of Posting: January 23, 2021
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, Marvel and Paramount do, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 2389
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Author’s Note: The entire series can be found here.
Man out of time,
No reason, no rhyme.
North by northwest,
Can he ace the test?
Man out of time,
The future’s next.
Rory McQueen
“Timestream”
1959 C.E.
“You’re such a square,” Daisy said affectionately.
Daniel Sousa, Man Out Of Time (a lot of that was going around), smiled with equal affection. “Guilty as charged.”
“And you’re proud of that.”
“Sure, why not? The world could use a few more squares.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
Daisy curled up against Daniel on the couch of their apartment. Daisy looked at the book Daniel was reading. “Postwar American history, huh?”
“Yep, got to catch up.”
“The Internet could go faster.”
“Oh, the Internet is miraculous, all right, but I prefer books when I can.”
Daisy mock-sighed. “I suppose I have to make allowances.”
“I appreciate that.” Daniel turned a page.
Daisy closed her eyes as she rested her head on her lover’s shoulder. It was quiet in the living room, the only sound the ticking of an antique clock on the mantel and the turning of the book’s pages.
For the first time in a long time, Daisy had the opportunity to catch her breath. For the past seven years it had been one crisis after another with barely any let-up. She had known love (Grant, then Lincoln, sort of a Presidential line-up, she thought in amusement), the first a psychopath, the second a self-sacrificing hero, and now she was interested in a man from 1955. Hell, Elvis wasn’t even well-known back then.
“Not many believe the Government about who killed JFK,” Daniel commented. “Still can’t believe that an American President was gunned down in the street.”
“The whole thing was kind of fishy.”
“I know. I read Mark Lane’s Rush To Judgment.”
“The assassination started the cracks in the foundation.”
Daniel turned another page. “Hard to understand that people mistrust their Government so much.”
“They have reason.”
“Reading Rush To Judgment, I can see why.”
Daisy could smell Daniel’s cologne. He called it Old Spice. It smelled old-fashioned, like him, but in a good way.
“I should talk to Steve Rogers,” Daniel said. “He and I are in the same boat.”
“I’m sure he’d be happy to help.”
“I think I’ll give him a buzz.” Daisy’s eyes were still closed. She snuggled closer to Daniel. “I could call him up later.”
Daisy smiled. “Yes, you can.”
Daniel set aside his book. “You know, this is nice.”
“What?”
“Just this, us sitting on the couch, listening to the quiet.”
Daisy chuckled. “We’re quite the swinging couple.”
“Go ahead and laugh. Quiet times are good.”
“Well, after my chaotic life, I could do with a little quiet time.”
“Your chaotic life? Remember, I was in World War II and served in the early days of S.H.I.E.L.D. My life has been pretty chaotic, too.”
Daisy said, “Forgive me, your stellar past is a good point.”
“You betcha,” Daniel grumbled. “There’s a lot I have to learn, and I am enjoying the learning, though sometimes I’m appalled.”
Daisy opened her eyes and lifted her head off Daniel’s shoulder. “I can’t blame you for that. There’s been some pretty appalling stuff since 1955.”
“Well, admittedly, my time saw war and the horrors of the Nazi death camps, but it’s disturbing to see how the country’s faith in their Government eroded, for one thing.”
“Remember, the Kennedy assassination got the ball rolling.”
“I know.” Daniel was pensive. “You know, the shooting was a classic case of triangulated fire.”
“I remember reading that.”
“A single shooter was unlikely.”
“You’re sounding like a true Kennedy assassination researcher.”
“Oh, well.” Daniel puffed up his chest.
Daisy laughed. “You’d make a good one.”
“Thanks.” Daniel lapsed into pensiveness again. “The death camps still top the list, but so many other atrocities have happened since then. That Khmer Rouge thing in Cambodia, war in Bosnia, and before all that, Vietnam. And that’s a very short list.”
“It must be a little overwhelming.”
“More than a little.” Daniel sighed. “And what happened in the U.S.: race riots, war protests, mass shootings…I still can’t get used to kids going to school and being shot by other kids, or worrying about getting shot in a movie theater.” He shook his head.
Daisy smiled ruefully. “Not exactly the future your generation envisioned, huh?”
“No.” Daniel shrugged. “People hope for a better future, but it always goes slow.”
“Good things always do.” Daisy nuzzled Daniel’s shoulder. “But this is pretty gloomy talk. How about we microwave some popcorn and watch a movie on Netflix?”
It was Daniel’s turn to laugh. “That’s a very 21st-century thing to say.”
“I suppose it is.”
“In my day, it was the forerunner of Jiffy Pop and The Late, Late Show.”
“You’re a funny guy.”
“Hey, kids loved to watch popcorn pop.”
Daisy got off the couch. “You just relax. Popcorn and beer coming up.”
She found a bag of popcorn in a cabinet and placed it in the microwave and pressed the buttons. As it popped she got two cans of beer out of the refrigerator.
Poor guy. Must be tough to be a Man Out Of Time. Now I know what Steve Rogers has been going through.
Daisy got out two tumblers and filled them with ice. The microwave dinged and Daisy took out the bag, opened it carefully, and poured out the hot popcorn into a yellow plastic bowl. She placed bowl, tumblers and cans on a tray, throwing some napkins on it.
“All ready?” Daisy called.
“Bring it in!” Daniel said.
Daisy brought in the tray with a flourish and set it on the coffee table. Daniel had turned the TV on.
“I’m still not sure about this Netflix thing.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got another idea.” Daisy sat next to her lover on the couch. She picked up the remote and turned it to the channel she wanted. “There, TCM.”
“TCM?”
“Turner Classic Movies. And here we go.” The title North By Northwest came up as a stylized roll of the credits began to the beat of an intriguing theme song.
“An Alfred Hitchcock movie?” Daniel asked.
“That’s right.”
“Cary Grant?” Daniel’s interest was piqued.
“Yes, not too far from your wheelhouse. This movie was released in 1959 and was one of the year’s best. Nominated for Best Original Screenplay and a few other things.”
“You’re right, the cars and fashions aren’t too different.”
“It’s even about the Cold War.”
“Just peachy.”
Daisy’s eyes sparkled. “Peachy, huh?”
“Yep.” Daniel picked up a can, pulled the tab, and poured some beer in a glass. He was paying close attention to the screen, forgetting to comment on cans versus bottles.
Amused, Daisy poured her own beer and started noshing on the warm popcorn.
“Eva Marie Saint. She was great in On The Waterfront.”
Daisy knew general movie history and recognized the movie title, but she realized she would have to brush up on her 1950s pop culture.
“Oh, hey, there’s the Hitchcock cameo,” Daniel said.
Daisy laughed as the rotund director missed his bus as the door closed in his face.
The couple enjoyed the film as they ate and drank. Daisy had to admit that the fashions were classy. Daniel commented on Cary Grant’s suit.
“That’s good quality.”
“He looks good in it.”
As the case of mistaken identity unfolded (a favorite Hitchcock trope), Daisy and Daniel made comments. Daniel enjoyed the spy angle. He said, “S.H.I.E.L.D. was always in competition with the C.I.A. Both organizations could be cold-blooded.”
“They still are, though Mack tries his best not to be.”
“He’s a good man.”
Daisy knew that her lover had worked well with Mack, especially toward the end of their mission against the Chronicoms.
The film’s action moved to the United Nations in New York. “I’ve been there,” Daniel said. “We had high hopes for that organization. When the North Koreans invaded South Korea in 1950, the U.N. put together an international force to stop them. America was the driving force, as we sent the most troops and our generals were the Supreme Commanders, but we served with the British, Canadians, Greeks, Turks, Australians, Ethiopians, and that was just some of the roll call.”
“Wow.”
“It was a nasty little war. I’m sorry to hear the two Koreas are still divided all these years later.”
Daisy looked at him. “Were you in Korea?”
Daniel nodded. “I was there to interrogate prisoners and do other intelligence work. My bum leg prevented me from being called up for combat duty, and I was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent besides.” Daniel watched the movie’s murder scene inside the U.N. “Strange war,” he said quietly.
Daisy figured there were stories to tell, but she would wait until Daniel was ready to talk.
They returned their attention to the movie, which moved to a train.
“Train travel is great,” Daniel said. “Very civilized way to travel.”
“There isn’t that much train travel these days, at least compared to 1959.”
“That’s a shame. See, that dining car is the way to go.”
“It does look elegant.”
“It’s a great way to dine.”
“You haven’t flown commercial since you left 1955?”
“No.”
“Good. Avoid it as much as possible. Not civilized.”
Daniel smiled and indicated the TV screen. “Hmm, some risqué dialogue.”
“That? You’d better be careful if you watch an R-rated movie.”
“Oh, you mean the four-letter words?”
“And the sex scenes.”
“Like a stag film?”
“Just with plot.”
Daniel munched on his popcorn. “I’ll take risqué for now.”
“That’s fine.”
Daisy realized with mild surprise that it was fine. Square as Daniel Sousa was, she found it charming. He held doors open for her and never swore in her presence (or any woman’s presence). Whether he would change after living in the ruder-and-cruder 21st century, she had no way of knowing, but it was all right with her for now.
“I sense a big scene coming up here,” Daniel said as Cary Grant (Roger Thornhill) waited to meet someone in the middle of the prairie.
“Good instincts.”
The cropduster began its run at Grant, and the famous scene played out in exciting fashion. It ended with the plane crashing into an oil tanker on the highway and Grant stealing a truck to get away.
Eventually he met up with Eva Marie Saint (Eve Kendall) again, and she was wearing a stunning cherry-red dress. Daisy commented on the dress.
“You’d look good in that,” Daniel said.
“Yeah?”
“Definitely.”
Daisy felt a warmth spread within her at the compliment. Daniel was sure good for her ego!
As the movie progressed, there was more commentary on fashions. “What do you call those crazy pants?” Daisy asked as a tourist and her friend left the Mount Rushmore cafeteria.
“Pedal-pushers. Not long enough to be culottes. Not long enough for Capris, either.”
“Aren’t you the fashion maven?”
“Hey, I observe.”
Cary Grant was ‘killed’ by Eva Marie, but met her secretly under the C.I.A. chief’s (Leo G. Carroll) watchful eye. Grant found out she was going away with the bad guy (at the C.I.A.’s insistence) and objected, and was promptly knocked out by the chief’s subordinate.
He managed to get on his trail, reaching the bad guy’s house in the woods, an ultra-modern house that looked like the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Daisy began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Daniel asked.
“I saw this house in The Incredibles sequel.”
“Huh?”
“An animated film about a family of superheroes.”
“Oh.”
“I knew it looked familiar.”
Daniel looked at her in amusement. He munched more popcorn.
Gradually the two stars were on the run from the bad guys. Eva Marie had grabbed the statue James Mason (Phillip Vandamm) had been planning to smuggle out of the country. “I see you got the pumpkin,” Grant said.
“Pumpkin?” Daisy asked.
“Yeah, a reference to Whittaker Chambers leading the F.B.I. to a pumpkin patch that held stolen microfilm in one of the pumpkins. The film nailed Alger Hiss. Big postwar case.”
“Hmm, okay.” She smiled at Daniel’s happy smile. He knew something that she didn’t for a change!
The action switched to the Monument on Mount Rushmore.
“Giant statues? This reminds me of the ’42 Hitchcock film, Saboteur. The climax took place on the Statue of Liberty.”
“Was it a good movie?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll have to watch that one, too. After all, I like climaxes.”
Daniel choked and Daisy pounded him on the back, smiling sweetly.
The spies chased Grant and Eva Marie onto the Monument. The action was fast-paced as the struggle played out.
“That’s a great set,” Daniel said. He leaned forward. “Is that Martin Landau standing on top of Abraham Lincoln’s head?”
“Yeah, good eye. This is one of his first movie roles. How do you know him?”
“I saw him in an off-Broadway play in New York.”
“They couldn’t use the actual Monument,” Daisy said, returning to the original topic.
“Not surprising.”
“Yeah, the Government tends to be touchy about stuff like that.”
The movie ended in victory for the good guys, and Daniel said, “I give it five stars.”
“Glad you enjoyed it.” She finished her beer. “What’s on your mind?”
“Seeing Mount Rushmore…I’m thinking about President Kennedy again.”
“There are people who say modern technology has proven Oswald was the lone killer.”
“Maybe so, but it’s odd that he returned to the United States in 1962 after three years in Russia, at the height of the Cold War, and the Government just let him back with his Russian wife and baby, no harm, no foul.” Daniel took a last handful of popcorn.
“Not to mention that when he defected in 1959, we learned later that the C.I.A. was running phony defectors into the U.S.S.R during that time.”
“Huh.” Daniel shook his head. “Too many oddities.”
“There’s a lot of information out there. Read both sides and then make up your mind.”
“The Internet will help?” Daniel asked teasingly.
Daisy stood and put everything on the tray. “Yes, Smartypants.”
He laughed as she went into the kitchen. She washed out the plastic bowl and put the tumblers in the dishwasher after rinsing them out.
She would continue to help him catch p with history and try to make sense of modern life.
It’ll be fun. He’s sure worth it.
Daisy smiled as she returned to the living room.
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