Private Liberty

6 | America and Liberty

BEHOLD: Stessica/Captain Liberty!

So so so sorry it took a bajillion years, but I hope this chapter makes up for it! Sorry it's short, but I think it's pretty action-packed if I do say so myself. :)

•••

Jessica sat behind the controls of the sleek fighter jet SHIELD had given her, her eyes trained on her destination - New York City. There were a lot of buttons that she didn't know, so she stuck with what she knew: how to steer it, the thrusters, how to stop, and the eject button.

She could see a good amount of the turmoil from here. A giant portal at the top of a slightly ugly tower—Stark Tower — and a giant worm thing, and aliens on flying scooters.

She sucked in a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. This isn't going to be easy, but if it meant saving the world, and fighting by the side of her best friend, she was ready for anything.

The jet jolted to the side, and a red light on the controls in front of her was flashing. One of her engines had been destroyed.

Crap.

"Mayday! Mayday! I'm going down!" She cried into her mic, hearing only static and muffled, frantic voices in reply.

The jet starting plummeting towards earth, and all Jessica could do was pull up on the wheel in hopes it would stabilize.

"I'm ejecting!"

She checked her straps on her seat before hitting the eject lever, gritting her teeth as she was launched out of the jet, her blonde hair whipping around her.

She pulled the chute, and looked down, sighing in relief when she could see the Avengers in the distance.

She tucked herself into a roll as she hit the ground, removing the parachute and running towards the Avengers—towards Steve.

One of those alien things had come up right behind Captain America, and she didn't think twice before taking it down. Steve had whirled around, eyes meeting hers in surprise. "Jessica?"

"Heya, Steve!" She grunted as she punched a Chitauri's lights out.

"What are you doing here?!"

"Helping!"

She roundhouse-kicked a Chitauri in the face, knocking it into a car door.

"You could get hurt!"

"So could you!" Jess fired back, taking out her pistols and firing them off with deadly accuracy.

"I'm a su—"

"Super soldier! I know! But back in my day, all it took to be a hero was heart, and bravery. Not what powers you have or how indestructible you were. I know I could die, but so can anyone else here. I'm prepared to if that means saving the world." Jess stared heatedly into Steve's crystalline eyes.

Steve's face softened. "I can't lose you, Jess. Not again."

She stepped forward and reached up to cup his slightly stubbly cheek. "You never did Steve. And you never will."

He stared into her eyes, ignoring the battle raging around them, buildings crumbling, guns firing, fists flying; and he cupped her face, ducking down to kiss her fiercely on the mouth. Shock reverberating through her body as she melted into the hot, desperate kiss.

"Cap, I'm real happy for ya an' all — But can we please focus on the aliens destroying New York?!" Tony interrupted the kiss, making Steve pull back with a fierce blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Tony," he explained, seeing Jess' confused look. She nodded.

"Oh, reminds me—" she reached up to her ear and turned on her comm. "greetings, Avengers!" She said into it, making Steve smile.

"Liberty?" Came confused voices. Thor and Clint.

Natasha and Tony already knew she was there, and Bruce—well he was kinda green at the moment.

"Yes. Now let's kick alien ass!"

She and Steve spent what felt like hours fighting the Chitauri. He kept a close eye on her, nostalgia welling up inside as he fought beside her. The fight in her eyes, the determination etched fiercely on her face, the tense, ready stance. It was just like back in the good old days. Back in the '40s.

"I gotta nuke heading straight for the City," Tony said, his voice breaking into Steve's thoughts. "And I know just where to put it."

Steve's brows furrowed. "Stark, you know that's a one way trip."

"Yeah. I know."

Steve and Jessica looked up to the sky, at the portal, and watched as Tony shot through it, holding onto a nuke.

"He's not gonna come back from that, is he?" She said, to Steve.

Steve just shook his head, no.

They waited several moments.

The Chitauri all started dropping around them. The nuke must have destroyed their base.

"Guys, I can close it!" Natasha called out.

"Stark's still in there!" Jess protested.

Steve paused, hand slowly rising to his comm. "Close it," he said, his voice low.

Jess dropped her head.

The others watched as the inter-dimensional portal started closing, it's size rapidly receding.

"Stark!"

Jess' head shot up and her eyes widened as she saw Tony falling from the sky.

"He's not slowing down!" Steve cried, running towards where Tony would crash land.

Before he could do anything, Hulk crashed out of a building and caught him, gently laying him down on the ground. Steve ripped off his face plate. Tony was still, silent.

Hulk let out a loud roar, Jessica's hands shooting up to cover her ears.

Tony gasped, his eyes shooting open. The Avengers gathered around him sighed and smiled in relief.

"Hey, great job, guys," Tony said. "I say we get the weekend off. You guys want shawarma? I could go for some shawarma."

Steve stood, and guided Jess away from the group. "You were amazing," he said, grinning.

"You, too, Super Soldier," she grinned back. "Just like the good ole days, huh?"

He chuckled, wrapping her in his arms. "Just like the good old days," he agreed.

•••

Well, guys. I have to say, it's been a wild ride. But we've come to the end of the line.

This was after all meant to be a short story.

Wanna know a fun fact? Out of all 20 stories I have published this is technically only the third I've finished. I say "Technically" because one of the other two was a one shot, and I still might add little bonus chapters here and there to this, whenever inspiration hits.

Thank you all so much for reading!