| the avengers |
❝ t e a m ❞
"I miss out on all of the fun stuff," Celeste complains under her breath, sliding into her suit as fast as her limbs will allow her to. Luckily, a S.H.I.E.L.D agent had been able to find her fascine knife while she wa gone, which slightly brightened her upset mood. "I leave for one night and people decide to start stealing government property. But does anyone wait until I get back? Or ask if I want-"
"If you're done with your pity party," Nick's voice booms over an intercom in the room, startling the woman so badly she stumbles and falls to the ground. "I suggest you get to the fight before it ends without you."
"I'm going," she groans, rubbing her lower back as she stands back up. "I'm going."
Tucking her necklace underneath her suit and securing her earpiece, Celeste closes her eyes and focuses on their aircraft Nick informed her half of the team took off on.
The quiet glide of the helicarrier is replaced with the unsteadiness of a manually flown quinjet and someone's rather undignified shriek.
"What the fuck is that about, Cap?"
"You, um-" Steve clears his throat, forcing his voice to return to it's normal pitch. "You scared me."
"Took you long enough," Clint calls out from where he and Natasha sit in the cockpit, not taking his eyes away from the window as he continues to pilot. "I was beginning to think we'd have to start the party without you."
Celeste laughs, a sarcastic comment prepared to leave her lips as she walks towards the duo, only for it to disappear along with her smile as she takes in the chaotic scene playing out in the middle of New York.
She watches in horror as countless monsters and aliens, a species Thor referred to as the Chitauri, overtake the skies and streets of New York. Hundreds more continue to pour from the portal opened above Stark Tower, leaving a not very pleasant feeling in the pit of her stomach. Mixed in with all of it are frightened citizens hurrying for cover, their panicked shouts nearly drowning out the quinjet's loud engines.
On the landing pad of the tower, Thor can be seen arguing with Loki, who fires his scepter in retaliation.
"Tony was supposed to be threatening Loki," Clint explains. "But it looks like Thor has it covered."
"Stark," Natasha speaks into her earpiece, her voice resonating through everyone's. "We're on a three heading northeast."
"What, did you stop for drive-thru?" He retorts. "Swing through that park. I'm gonna lay them out for you."
There's a flash or red and gold as IronMan flies past the quinjet as fast as he can, a group of Chitauri trailing hot on his heels. Natasha presses several buttons, releasing the cannon guns and firing relentlessly.
As they fly through the cloud of smoke, more aliens come into view, all firing in return. Clint makes a sharp turn around Stark Tower as Natasha continues to release weaponry, unfortunately catching the attention of several more Chitauri and Loki.
A blast from Loki's scepter hits one of the rotor blades, causing it to sputter and catch fire. No longer able to control the aircraft, Clint and Natasha cling to the controls and Steve grabs the nearest steady item as it falls out of the sky.
Regaining her senses, Celeste's hand latches onto Steve's shoulder and she closes her eyes, telaporting them to the ground and a safe distance away from the crashing quinjet.
"Thanks," he breathes out.
"Don't mention it."
They watch with baited breath as the quinjet smolders and burns, both sighing in relief as the ramp opens to reveal the slightly scathed archer and assassin.
"We gotta get back up there," Steve decides, gesturing to Stark Tower as the group of four runs onto the overpass.
"I think our hands are pretty full down here," Celeste argues, watching warily as Chitauri start to notice where they are.
"Stark," Steve continues. "Are you seeing this?"
"Seeing, but still working on believing," he replies. "Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?"
"Banner?"
"Just keep me posted."
Celeste veers away from them, grabbing two aliens attempting to approach from behind. Her gloves release all of the heat from her past two telaportations, melting away their armor and the majority of the sickly pale skin around their necks. Dropping their lifeless bodies over the side of the overpass, she glances around warily and unsheathes her fascine knife, not seeing any more nearby but not willing to take any chances either.
Turning back to the others, she spots them crouching behind an overturned taxi cab.
"We've got civilians trapped," Clint is saying as she crouches alongside him.
He pauses as several of the flying alien crafts pass over their heads, Loki in the lead.
"Loki," Steve groans, watching as he fires his scepter towards police officers attempting to corral scared citizens. "They're fish in a barrel down there."
"We got this," Natasha reassures him, standing to fire both of her guns at oncoming Chitauri. "It's good. Go!"
"Think you can hold them off?"
"Captain," Clint begins, pulling out an arrow. "It would be my genuine pleasure."
"Just making sure," he says, turning to Celeste. "Do you care to give me another lift?"
"Captain," she says, drawing her voice in a terrible imitation of Clint's. "It would be my genuine pleasure."
Grabbing his elbow, she closes her eyes and focuses on where the police are. Reopening them, her gaze lands on several shocked officers as she and Steve stand on the hood of a police car.
"You need men in these buildings," he explains, his tone authoritive. "There are people inside and they can be running right into the line of fire. You take them to the basement or through the subway, you keep them off the streets. I need a perimeter as far back as 39th."
"Why the hell should I take orders from you?" A sargeant argues, wiping the dumbfounded look off of his face.
Two of the Chitauri leap at Steve and Celeste, but Steve bats them away easily with his shield.
"That's why, dipshit," Celeste huffs.
The sargeant merely nods, walking back to where his reinforcing officers wait.
"I need men in those buildings, lead the people down and away from the streets," he demands before speaking into his radio. "We gonna set up a perimeter all the way down to 39th street."
Jumping down from the car in unison, Steve and Celeste split up as they charge at oncoming Chitauri.
One lunges at her with a loud war cry, whom she immediately stops by releasing the pent up heat from her gloves into his arms, causing his war cry to turn into a whimper. More charge forward as she tightens her grip on her fascine knife, unable to miss the large swords they carry. Taking down several, it quickly becomes apparent she's desperately outnumbered. A sword slides across the back of her leg, causing her to tumble and cry out in pain.
The aliens attempt to swarm her as her body hits the pavement, their weapons glistening. Seconds before a sword can pierce her stomach, Steve charges forward, using his shield to take down the majority. Turning back to Celeste, he helps her back to her feet, concern written across his features.
"I'm fine," she lies through gritted teeth, the blood pouring from her wound saying otherwise.
Taking off one of her gloves, she uses it as a makeshift tourniquet and fastens it around the damage leg before nodding contentedly.
Together, the duo push through the swarm of Chitauri, heading back to the overpass. Steve renders them unconscious with his shield as Celeste permanently renders them unconscious with her knife.
Reaching the other two Avengers, they help to take out the Chitauri surrounding them. Thor drops down next to Steve, a lightning bolt following him and taking out every Chitauri in their vicinity.
"What's the story upstairs?" Steve questions.
"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable," Thor answers.
"Thor is right," Tony agrees over their earpieces. "We gotta deal with these guys."
"How do we do this?" Natasha asks.
"As a team," Steve replies.
"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor states, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Oh yeah?" Clint cocks an eyebrow, dusting off a few arrows. "Get in line."
"Save it," Steve interjects before the two can argue. "Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us to-"
He cuts himself off as Bruce arrives to the hectic scene on a motorcycle. The group of five walk over to him as he dismounts, surveying the mess worriedly.
"So, this all seems horrible."
Clint's gaze falls on Celeste - more importantly, on her wound - as Natasha answers Bruce. Stepping over to her, he places a worried hand on her arm.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she lies, once again, dismissing his concern. "I've been stabbed before, it's nothing new."
"You can't build up an immunity to stab wounds!"
"Stark," Steve speaks into his earpiece, ending their conversation. "We got him."
"Banner?"
"Just like you said."
"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."
IronMan comes into view, a hideous monster - which is known as a Leviathan but looks like an extremely larg centipede - soaring directly behind him.
"I don't see how that's a party," Natasha murmurs.
IronMan flies closer to the ground, causing the Leviathan's body to scrape across the cement without even slowing down. Bruce sighs, walking towards the mess.
"Doctor Banner," Steve calls out. "Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."
"That's my secret, Cap," he admits, not looking back. "I'm always angry."
Celeste watches as the peaceful man's shirt is shredded as he transforms into an angry, green giant. Under normal circumstances, she'd be in shock, but nothing in her life could ever be described as normal.
The Hulk roars and runs toward the creature, punching it into the ground.
"Hold on!" Tony shouts, the IronMan suit blasting the Leviathan.
As it explodes, Clint immediately reaches out for Celeste and tugs her to the ground to avoid the onslaught of debris. The others quickly find their own forms of protection as well.
The Chitauri cry out as it dies down, looking angrier that ever. With everyone together, the official group of seven stand in a protective circle, watching as more Leviathans and Chitauri continue to fly from the portal above.
The Avengers brace themselves, preparing to do what they've learned to do best; the Hulk roars, Clint nocks an arrow, Celeste wipes the green blood off of her knife, Thor readies Mjolnir, Natasha loads her gun, Captain America stands ready with her shield and IronMan hovers above them, landing next to the Hulk.
"Let's fuck them up."