The Fall Of The Phoenix (Marvel/The Avengers)

Chapter 13 - We Won

"Okay, deep breaths. Lot's of breathing. You can do this." I whispered to myself as I stared at the alien hovercraft that was approaching me. Loki wasn't on this one, but I needed a ride up somehow. "Okay, okay, okay. You can do it." I said again, the craft getting closer and closer. "No you can't, you're an idiot, you're going to die. Why the hell did you agree to work for S.H.I.E.L.D in the first place? Oh, screw it, I'm already 88 years old." I finally concluded as I pulled out the cable shooter and fired just as the craft went overhead. The spikes latched onto the bottom of the machine and the next thing I new I was flying through the air, dangling from underneath.

I started to retract the wire, slowly getting closer to the bottom of the craft. The Chitauri that was driving it continued to fire at the people below, having no clue that I was dragging out behind him.

"Lex, are you completely insane?!" I heard Clint through the headpiece, yelling at me.

"Aaah, potentially." I yelled back, looking down at the ground a good hundred metres bellow me.

I finally made it to the craft and swung my legs over it so I was now standing on the top, bending my knees for balance as the Chitauri still hadn't noticed me. I grabbed out a small electric impulse chip from inside my jacket and activated it before throwing it towards the alien. The chip landed on the metal plate of his right shoulder, sending a shock wave through his body that stunned him before he slipt off the side of the craft, crashing to the ground.

The hovercraft began to loose power, now no longer having a driver. It wobbled in the air and began to loos it's elevation as I stumbled into the front and looked at the control panel.

"Alright, it's just mechanics, you can work this out." I muttered, "It's just simple... foreign, alien mechanics."

I grabbed hold of the wheel and hit a few buttons. The ground was getting closer and closer until I finally found the right lever and pulled up, just scrapping the pavement below as I flew back up in the air.

"Lex?" Steve called.

"I got it. I've got it under control." I grinned as I looked around at the streets and buildings below. "Okay, I am definitely getting me one of these. Has anyone got eyes on Loki?" I asked.

"He was your right, bout half a mile away, but I keep losing him. He's on one of those hovercrafts." Hawkeye responded.

"Barton, you still got some red arrows left?" I asked him.

"Yeah..."

"Keep one at your ready," was all I said.

"Hey, Phoenix... mind if I get a lift up before you go?" Nat asked me.

"Coming to you." I replied.

I spun the craft around and spotted Nat, heading right for her. She fought next to Steve, the two communicating before Steve readied his shield and Nat ran, using it as a boost to leap up and grab hold of the craft I was driving as I went overhead.

"You good?" I asked through the microphone.

"Yep." She groaned back. "Keep going, I'm coming to you."

"You're both as crazy as each other." We heard Clint say to us.

I found a trigger on the control panel of the hovercraft, causing a smile to spread across my lips. "Now we're talking." I muttered to myself before firing the alien guns at the Chitauri below.

"We can do more damage with two of these things." Nat explained, making it to me in the front.

"You want one of your own?"