Chapter Twenty-Three: Beginning Battles
"The marks humans leave are too often scars." -John Green.
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"What took you so long?" Captain Rogers asks me as I land next to him on the bridge.
"That idiot Aldon held Alex and I at gunpoint," I reply as I shoot repulsor beams at the incoming Titans, "Sorry for the delay."
"Did he and Agent Coulson get out of here safely?" Captain America fires his gun into the massive hoard of aliens.
"I'm pretty sure they did," I answer as we stand against the Titans.
"Good, at least Coulson survived long enough to be alive for the beginning of this battle this time," He chortles as he tosses his shield at a few stragglers.
I do not have time to ask Steve what he means by his comment as Tony chimes in my earpiece, "Monica, we need help over here."
"I thought Thor and Romanoff were with you?" I struggle to keep track of where all of the Avengers are, for the plan is constantly changing.
"They went to find Thanos, and there's a lot of strays getting past me to go deeper into the city," Tony sounds winded.
"I can't just leave-" I was going to say I cannot leave Captain Rogers here to defend himself, but a big, green, bulky person roars as he lands on the bridge. Hulk does not hesitate to punch out any Titan, thus changing my original answer, "I'm on my way."
I shoot myself into the darkening sky, leaving the Hulk and Captain Rogers together on the bridge. The city is brightly illuminated all around the island, looking eerily peaceful compared to the warzone of an island. I see below me figures and shadows of Titans trying to get off of the island and terrorize the city. A blockade of the German police force and the flashing blue lights of their vehicles come speeding down the roads towards the bridges. Tony becomes a visible speck on the other side of the island as I fly towards him. Fiery orange explosions boom underneath him as he fires missiles at the Titans. I look below me as I cross over the island, hoping to see Agent Romanoff and Thor. Disappointingly, even Lucis cannot pinpoint their location.
"Took you long enough for a suit that can fly faster to five hundred miles an hour," Tony remarks as I land on the ground below him.
"Are they swimming across?" My eyes widen at the sight of the creatures in the water, struggling to wade or paddle to the opposite shore.
"Now you see why I needed your help so desperately?" Tony responds in a humorous tone.
"I guess this means we're on perimeter duty?" I fire a few missiles at the aliens in the water.
"You take the eastern side and I'll take the west," Tony instructs me, "Tell me if you need help."
"Got it," I nod once before we split up.
As I fly across to the other side, I target many Titanians scattered under me. Little explosions decorate the strip below me as my missiles find their victims. Tony lets me know that Romanoff and Thor have made their way to the very lowest level of the church in hopes to catch Thanos by surprise. I begin my patrols of the eastern border to help keep the Titans contained. I notice a large group of Titans in the river, trying to get to the other side. There must be at least fifty of them, too many to use missiles on. As I fly over the cluster, I release one of the detonators from the back of my calf. The detonator falls right into the middle of the cluster. I hear the screeching of the dying creatures below me as they are blown out of the water.
"Was that you?" Tony inquires as I land next to Captain Rogers.
"Yeah," I blast a few Titans that seem to be getting a little too close to him for comfort.
"Oh, lovely," Captain Rogers cringes as a severed Titan arm lands right to him.
"Sorry," I chuckle at Steve's disgust, hoping to mask my own.
Hulk swings from one end of the bridge and down the streets. He is smashing every enemy he possibly can. I help the pair for a minute longer before I continue my perimeter patrol. I would like to think I just hovered above the danger and reigned down fiery terror onto the beasts who thought they could take over my planet; however, in reality, I had to swoop down and face those idiots hand-to-hand, or at least from ground level.
"Monica, some are getting close to the other edge on your south side," Tony informs me.
"Roger that," I dart over to the southern end of the island.
Just as Tony said, a handful of Titans that are just yards away from the opposite shore of the river. One is actually scrambling out of the water and onto the bank. I fire repulsor rays at the enemies to eradicate them. I notice how they do not ever seem to stop coming; each time I kill one, there is another one right behind it.
"Monica, they're getting close on your north side now too," Tony pipes in.
"I'm a bit preoccupied here," I huff, "Is it me or are there more and more coming?"
"No, they've definitely upped their numbers," Tony agrees, "Cap, how are you holding up down there?"
"They just keep coming!" He exclaims, "We've got to find Thanos."
"Romanoff says there's no trace of him in the basement," Tony informs us.
"Tell them to get up here. Until Thanos shows up, we need all the help we can get with the Titans," Captain Rogers states.
"Copy that. They're on their way up."
"Tony, they're across," I'm fearful as I see the clique of Titans jeering as they have found a place where no one is blocking them.
"The police have ordered a full evacuation for a five mile radius around the island," Hawkeye alerts us.
"And when did they order that?" Captain Rogers asks.
"About ten minutes ago," Agent Barton replies.
"That's not going to cut it," It is painful to admit the truth, but the most dangerous place right now is out in the open on the streets. They will be obliterated by the Titans before they could even think about getting to safety.
"Time to expand the perimeter," Tony notifies the Avengers.
"How far back?" I ask.
"Don't let them get anything past a mile, two miles at most. The police have set up a perimeter at two miles."
"Romanoff, you stay down here with me. Thor, you're on Thanos-watch. But, in the meantime, put the hammer to good use. And Hulk, you know what to do," Rogers directs orders as Tony and I are the only two separated from the group, "You two have the perimeter."
"Roger that," Tony and I say at the same time.
I fly through the streets, targeting my enemies. The Titans have created complete chaos; people run wildly throughout Berlin trying to seek shelter. I'm unsure on how exactly all these Titanians just popped up; however, that is of very little concern right now. I see flashing blue lights at the intersection just ahead of me. I swing right and go down the next street. The Titans have begun to tear apart the block building by building. Many large buildings are smoking; big billowing dark clouds of carbon dioxide puff out of the crumpling structures. I cannot release any detonators, large-scale, or medium-scale explosives with the risk of harming civilians present.
I fire a few smaller scale explosive missiles from my wrists down onto the aliens. Their blood-curling screech meets my ears as they meet their death. Debris from a nearby market lies everywhere as a group of Titans has finished obliterating it. I hear cries, not Titan wails, but children's shouts as I pass a flaming multiple story brick complex building across from the supermarket.
"Lucis, who's inside?" I ask as I realize I may be facing a rescue mission.
"There are five children, including one baby, on the third floor," He answers me after a quick scan of the building.
"Any adults?"
"No, ma'am."
"Where's the nearest safe place?" I turn my attention to the building.
"There's a community storm shelter half a mile away. It appears that is where police are directing people to hide to avoid the Titans."
"Then that's where I'll go," I count out the third floor of the burning place.
The windows are already busted, making my job a little easier. Red and orange flames along with a fog of carbon dioxide taint my vision. "Lucis, where are the children?"
"In the back room, ma'am. However, I must warn you that the building will collapse in less than two minutes due to fire damage."
True to Lucis's words, I find four young children cowering in the corner crying and yelling for help. The oldest boy, maybe eleven years of age, is holding a baby wrapped up in an blanket in his arms. A blonde girl, the next eldest of I'm guessing 9 years old, is holding a bawling three-year-old girl in her arms. The five-year-old boy is also crying, clutching his brother's arm.
"Help us!" The oldest boy cries out.
"Grab on," I command. Three of the children rush over to me, but it is the little girl who remains where she sits.
"Halle, we have to go," Her older sister tries to coax her, but she still does not budge as she looks towards me.
"Wir sind gerettet! She's our protector," The sister looks up to me with a small smile before coughing violently.
Yet, Halle refuses to come. The children shriek as a chair in the corner of hone room falls through the ceiling. The building groans as it is barely able to stand up. All the children cough harshly as they cannot breathe very well in this environment.
"Halle," I flip my mask up, "We need to get out of here, okay? I'm going to take you to a safe place, but you need to trust me and hold on. If we don't leave the building is going to collapse, and I need to get you and your brothers and sisters out of here right now."
Her icy blue eyes meet mine from where she crouches. Black ash stains her innocent face, making her eyes even a brighter blue by contrast. I feel my heart go out to her as her eyes feel to pierce right through me. Her cheeks are bright red from her sobs as so are her eyes. Finally, she slowly gets up and walks over to me.
"That's my girl," I praise her as I now have all the children in my arms.
The oldest girl is on my back with her arms wrapped around my neck. I have the other three secured in my arms as the boy maintains ahold of his baby sister. I hardly am able to fire up my rockets before the ground beneath me disintegrates. I barrel out of the window just before the building collapses with one last painful groan. Lucis sets me a route to the weather shelter as that is where I plan to take the children.
"You're safe now, you're safe," I try to calm the children who are gasping for fresh oxygen, "Where are your parents?"
I want to know why five kids were left unattended at their home at night. My biggest fear is that their caregivers were in fact in that burning building and I missed them.
"Papa was still at work when the attack started," The girl on my back answers, "And mama ran across the street to the supermarket to get supper. She was only to be gone a few minutes."
My stomach churns as I know these children must now be motherless. There was not a soul on the street as it is not safe. I feel literal pain in my chest as these innocent children have to be exposed to such cruelty. This unfair and corrupt world has ripped the purity from children. Now they don't have a mother- a woman who was also a victim of this unjust world.
I reach the safety bunker seeing red. I want nothing more than to explode each Titan personally in vengeance of the children's mother. The set the three kids on the ground as the girl scrambles off of my back. The very large steel doors lay before us. I pound on the door, "Open up! Please, these kids need safety!"
I look nervously behind me as we wait for someone to open up the doors. After a few anxious moments, I hear the sound of heavy locks being unlocked before the door creaks open.
"W-who are you?" The man looks terrified.
"I'm-"
"Leo! Emma! Sebastian! Halle!" A man yells. I see the crowd of people get nudged aside before a man runs up to the opening by the children.
"Papa! The children run and hug the man.
"Oh, and sweet baby Anna!" He has tears in his eyes as he takes the infant from the boy's- Leo's- arms. He looks up at me with tears pooling in his eyes, "Thank you. Thank you for saving my family."
"I... I couldn't..." I cannot finish my sentence. However, the man seems to understand what I am trying to say.
"It's okay, you've given me my children," Tears fall from his eyes, "I owe everything I have to you."
"Please, tell us your name," The man who opened the door asks again.
"I'm-" I am unable to finish my sentence as I hear the screeching of Titans behind me as they fire their weapons.
The crowd inside of the bunker screams as Titans begin to advance towards them. I blast them away just as the man manages to relock the bunker door. I am still furious that a loving family was broken by these vile creatures. I annihilate the Titans with all the power I have. I want them to die; I want them to suffer for what they have done. I cannot wait for that coward Thanos to come out of hiding so the Avengers can give him what he deserves.
I hear a colossal roar and the Titans scattered about the city cheering. I smirk as I hear Agent Romanoff informing everyone that Thanos is on the southwestern bridge. I know I am not supposed to battle Thanos individually, but I am unable to help feeling my blood boil.
"Bring it on, Thanos."
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Happy Father's Day!
Feedback on this chapter? What did you think about the kids?
Dedication to @LeelaRogers <3
I love writing action scenes so much. Is that weird? I can't write cutesy fluff to save my life, but if you want murder I got you.
x JLG