The Man My Father Always Talked About • A CAPTAIN AMERICA STORY

10

~10~

"Guys," Natasha said as looked up to the sky. Ships continued to enter the city through the wormhole.

"Call it, Cap." Tony said, already analyzing his next play in his helmet.

"Alright, listen up," Steve announced. Clara reloaded her gun before tucking a strand of loose hair hair behind her ear. "Until we can close that portal up there, we're gonna use containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Tony, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash." Steve said, gesturing for him to destroy what he just said.

"Wanna give me a lift?" Clint asked Tony.

"Right. Better clench up, Legolas." Tony said before taking off. Clara smiled softly as she watched her brother blast off into the sky before focusing on Steve.

"Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've got the lightning. Light the bastards up." Thor nodded before he flew away. "Nat, I need you to get as many civilians out and safe as you can." Nat obeyed before she too left, leaving Cap, Clara, and Hulk.

He turned to Clara, "You're with me, we stay here on the ground, keep the fighting here and away from the civilians." Clara nodded before he turned to Hulk. "And Hulk...Smash." Hulk smiled and began jumping from building to building, destroying the Chitauri where they stood. The couple fought, killing the aliens that decided to fight them. While fighting, Clara's gun jammed.

"Shit shit shit!" She mumbled, hitting it in an attempt to fix it. A Chitauri soldier approached her and she noticed Steve was too far away to help her.

"Hey Stark!" He yelled, making Clara turn her back to the Chitauri. Steve quickly threw his shield to her, which she caught just in time to cut the soldier's arm off and hit it in the head with the shield. When the area was clear, she maneuvered through the debris on the street to get back to Steve.

"I need to get me one of these." Clara said as she gave Steve his shield back. Clara fixed her gun as Natasha approached the two.

"Steve, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal." Natasha stated, wiping the blood off her forehead.

"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it." Steve said.

"Well, maybe it's not about guns." Natasha gestured to the floating chariots.

"You wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride." Clara said.

"I got a ride, but your boyfriend could give me a lift." She said sarcastically. Steve rolled his eyes and lifted his shield up. Natasha ran towards him before she jumped onto the shield and boosted off of it, being taken away by the chariot.

Steve and Clara continued to fight off oncoming soldiers. While Clara was fighting one, another pinned down Steve with its energy rifle. Clara looked over her shoulder to see the red and white shield lying on the ground. She picked it up and ran over to the Chitauri soldier, pushing it away and shooting it. Steve stood back up. "The shield suits you," Steve said, huffing out a breath before Clara gave him back his shield.

"I've been told that red's my color," Clara said, and even though she was out of breath, smiled back up at her childhood hero.

"Captain, the bank on 42ndpast Madison, they caught a lot of civilians there." Clint said.

"We're on it." Steve and Clara ran through the debris and to the bank. Dozens of civilians were gathered there, being held at gunpoint by the aliens. Steve jumped through the window, while Clara climbed in through a blown up whole in the wall. He threw his shield at the Chitauri that held a bomb while the other two aimed their guns at Steve, but Clara shot them. While they fought, Clara noticed the beeping of the bomb.