More Chitauri crawled towards us and I raised my shield, poised to throw it. Before I let go, however, lightning crashed down on the Chitauri, and Thor landed where they once stood. I approached him, putting my shield back on my arm. "What's the story upstairs?"
"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable," he replied quickly, holding his side slightly.
"Thor's right," Tony cut in over the comms. "We gotta deal with these guys."
"How do we do this?" Romanoff asked.
I kept my eyes towards the sky, watching a red-clad man fly between buildings. "As a team."
"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor declared, and I spared him a glance.
"Yeah?" Barton mocked. "Get in line."
"Save it," I ordered, walking towards the archer. "Loki is going to keep this fight focused on us, and that's what we need." I looked back up towards Stark Tower, and the portal above it. "Without him these things could run wild." I turned to face my team. "We got Stark up top. He's gonna need us to..."
A loud rumble grew louder, and I turned to see a motorcycle pull up behind me. Banner slowed down and turned it off, seeming unbothered by the fire and flipped cars around him. I approached him as he got off the bike.
"So," he started, "this all seems... horrible."
"I've seen worse," Romanoff quipped from my right.
He stared at her, a light red tinting his cheeks. "Sorry."
"No, we could use a little worse," she reassured.
I smiled at the two and put my hand over my ear. "Tony. We got him."
"Banner?"
"Just like you said," I reported, nodding to Banner.
"Tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."
Suddenly, Tony flew around a building, a large serpent following him. I swallowed a deep breath, watching as the serpent flew right on his heels and smashed a building. "I don't see how that's a party," Romanoff muttered, reading my mind. I sent her a quick smile, which seemed to boost her confidence as well as my own.
Tony flew closer to the road, causing the serpent to follow and smash cars and trees. He sped up, flying over top of us, and the serpent quickly approached. Banner turned around, heading towards it. "Doctor Banner?" He turned and looked back at me with a raised eyebrow. "Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."
He smiled sadly at me, not slowing his speed. "That's my secret, Captain." He stopped and glanced at the serpent before looking back at me. "I'm always angry." I watched in awe as he grew, his skin turning from pale to green. He punched the serpent, its face scrunching up as it slowed. Hulk let out a roar. The serpent stopped and its long body began to fly towards us.
"Hold on," Tony yelled, firing rockets onto the serpents body. I raised my shield, covering myself and Romanoff with it as Barton hid behind a car and Thor shielded himself with his arm. The serpent landed off the bridge, crushing the cars below.
I stood straight, glancing around as the Chitauri that still clung to buildings let out guttural screams. Hulk roared back. Tony floated to the ground on my left, while Romanoff loaded a pistol on my right. I strapped my shield to my arm, glancing around at the Chitauri that surrounded us. I took a step towards Tony, our eyes meeting. I gave a short nod, my eyes travelling back to the Chitauri. A newfound strength filled me as my team circled up, and the cries of Chitauri around me only fed that strength. I stared up at the portal, watching as two more serpent-like creatures emerged with an entire legion of Chitauri.
"Guys," Romanoff warned, grabbing everyone else's attention.
"Call it, Captain," Tony instructed.
I didn't take my eyes off the portal, watching as more Chitauri flooded out from it. "Alright, listen up. Until we can close that portal our priority is containment." I watched as the Chitauri scattered, following them with my eyes and creating a mental map of the city. "Barton, I want you on that roof." I pointed to a roof that looked to be the center of everything, but wasn't too close to Stark Tower. "Eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays." I turned and look at Tony. "Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out you turn it back or you turn it to ash." He nodded.
"Wanna give me a lift?" Barton asked.
"Right." Tony made his way towards the archer. "Better clench up, Legolas." He grabbed the back of Barton's shirt, using his repulsors to shoot up towards the building I pointed out.
I looked at the remainder of my team. My eyes immediately settled on Thor, who was watching Tony and Barton with curiosity. "Thor, you've got to try to bottleneck that portal. Slow them down." The god nodded, looking at the portal. "You've got the lightning; light the bastards up." He took off, and I looked at Romanoff, who was waiting patiently for instructions. "You and me, we stay on the ground. We keep the fighting here." I looked around before setting my eyes on Hulk. "And Hulk," he turned and looked at me, his large fists clenching and unclenching, "smash."
Hulk grinned, launching into the air. I watched as he landed on a building, smashing a Chitauri into the concrete. Other Chitauri shot at him, gaining his attention. A large bolt of lightning distracted me, and I knew Thor must be summoning it. I looked back at Romanoff and nodded, and we set off down the street together, finding any Chitauri and keeping them away from the people. I listened to Tony and Barton talk over the comms and couldn't help but smile at their light banter as I bashed my shield into a Chitauri's head. I glanced back at Romanoff, who tazed a Chitauri with what she called her 'Widow Bites'. It let go of her and she grabbed its weapon, shooting it in the face. I landed behind her and she turned the weapon towards me, ready to fire another shot. I raised my shield and she lowered her stolen weapon once she knew it was me.
I walked towards her as she sat down on the back of a cab, panting for breath. "Cap', none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal."
We both looked up at the portal, where more Chitauri poured out of it. "Our biggest guns couldn't touch it," I replied, knowing exactly what she meant. We were both exhausted, breathing heavy, and caked in our own blood, as well as some blue Chitauri blood.
"Maybe it's not about guns." She looked at me, then at the Chitauri flying above us.
"You wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride," I said, catching on.
She looked at me and smirked. "I got a ride." She walked away from me and stopped at the other side of the bridge. "I could use a boost, though."
I watched as Chitauri flew over my head, then looked back at Romanoff, who looked less confident than she was a few seconds ago. I hesitantly raised my shield. "You sure about this?"
She looked at the Chitauri and hesitantly nodded, looking back at me. "Yeah." She glanced back at the Chitauri for a fraction of a second before giving me a smile. "It's gonna be fun."
I crouched and raised my shield, ready for her as she ran towards me. She jumped onto the hood of the cab, then onto my shield and I pushed her up into the sky. At the last minute, she grabbed onto the back of a Chitauri's chariot. I watched as she flew away, before getting shot at by another Chitauri. It and multiple other Chitauri crept towards me. I raised my shield as one fired and hit it in the neck. The shield bounced off that Chitauri and hit another before bouncing back to me. I used my shield as the others fired and crept closer, hiding my body behind the shield. When I got close enough I slammed my shield into the first Chitauri's head and threw my shield at the other two, using the first Chitauri's body as a shield. One of the Chitauri still blasts me in the side, causing me to double over in pain. I grabbed my shield and threw it, launching the last Chitauri back.
I quickly got up as more surrounded me. I threw my shield, everything becoming a blur of deflecting shots and punching. Soon, it turned into pattern. Throw my shield, hit a few out of the way, dodge a blast, grab my shield, dodge and deflect. The scene around me changed from tall buildings and a crowded street of damaged and flipped cars to pine trees and thick snow. Instead of mostly metal aliens from space, I was fighting Hydra agents. By my side, my best friend fought with me, firing back as the rest of my team flanked out to get the mission done. Our job was to keep the agents distracted for as long as we could, and then run like hell when given the signal. I turned to look at my best friend, meeting his icy gaze-
The vision disappeared as Tony's suit landed in front of me. He nodded and held up a charged hand. I held up my shield at an angle and he fired. I turn the shield, hitting multiple Chitauri around me. I nodded in return and he flew off again. I watched him go for a split second before returning to the Chitauri around me. The vision, the dream of what once was, was gone. I continued fighting, returning back to the familiar pattern, yet never returning to the vision. I stayed in the present, for my team. A Chitauri tackled me, holding a sharp weapon to my face. I grabbed it and pushed it away, knocking it off its feet and using its own blaster to kill it.
"Captain," Barton's voice filtered into my ears, "the bank on 42nd, past Madison. They caught a lot of civilians in there."
"I'm on it," I reported, trying to catch my breath. I grabbed my shield, taking off in a sprint towards 42nd Street. I noticed multiple Chitauri on the upper level of the bank and climbed my way up towards a broken window, sliding in as I watched a Chitauri activated a device. I threw my shield, hitting him in the face and knocking the device out of his hands. Two remaining Chitauri shot at me as I dove behind a desk.
The device began beeping faster, grabbing my attention. A bomb. I kicked the desk towards the two Chitauri and they fell over. I punched the first Chitauri in the face, making my way towards the bomb, that was beeping faster. I threw the Chitauri over the balcony. Gasps erupted below me.
"Everyone, clear out!" I ordered as a Chitauri grabbed my neck, ripping at my face mask. The first Chitauri stood up and aimed its blaster at me. I flipped back in time as the energy blast hit the Chitauri that was holding my neck. The first Chitauri scrambled for the bomb as I lunged for my shield. The Chitauri threw the bomb at me as I curled up behind my shield.
The blast sent me flying through the air, landing on a car, knocking the wind from my lungs. I lay motionless for a moment, gasping for breath. Slowly, I pushed my body off the car, wincing in pain as I avoided the sharp glass. It dug into my fingers anyways, slipping underneath my gloves and cutting into my palms. My ears rung as I lifted my torso. Police and firemen guided people from the building and towards the subway. A voice sounded in my ears, but it sounded far away. It persisted, getting closer and closer to me. I braced my elbows beneath me, getting onto my knees.
"Steve, you okay down there?"
Tony. I looked up, watching him land before me and walk slowly towards me. He offered me a hand, and I took it gratefully, letting him help me off the crushed car. His face mask was lifted, displaying the concern written on his face. I nodded, grabbing onto my side as I heaved in a heavy breath. "Thank you."
He stared at me for a moment longer before giving a small salute and flying away. I looked up at a woman who was fleeing the bank. The same woman who served me coffee the other day. She looked bewildered, and stared at me for a moment longer before a fireman ushered her towards the subway. I joined the policemen, helping people out of the bank and keeping Chitauri away from the civilians. Many people thanked me, or at least I thought they did. My ears still rang, and I simply nodded and guided them towards the subway.
When most people were out of the bank, I nodded to the police officers and firemen around me before taking off towards more Chitauri. I threw my shield, gaining the attention of a few Chitauri around me and set to work. Thor landed beside me and covered my six as I slammed a Chitauri to the ground. I blocked a shot from a Chitauri, leaving an opening that was taken advantage of by the enemy, causing me to fall to my hands and knees. Thor blocked blasts of energy with his hammer as I carefully sat up. He slammed a car into the Chitauri in front of us, crushing them. I rested a hand on my side, taking a small break as blood continued pouring out of my side.
Thor came to my side, helping me up. He looked at me, uneasy, and kept his hand only a few inches from my arm, ready to catch me if I succumbed to my injuries. "You ready for another bout?"
I sucked in a few deep breaths before I responded. "What? You getting sleepy?" He gave me a small smile, a humorless chuckle, but I could tell his heart wasn't in it. Mine wasn't either. How much longer could we take these things? We would have to evacuate the rest of the city, but then what would happen? How can we take these things down for good?
Thor held out his hand, calling his hammer to him. "I can close it," Romanoff's voice crackled to life. I lifted my head sharply, looking at Thor with wide eyes. "Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down."
"Do it!" I replied quickly.
"No, wait," Tony interjected.
"Tony, these things are still coming-"
"I've got a nuke coming in. It's going to blow in less than a minute." He paused. "And I know just where to put it."
I felt my blood run cold. "Tony, you know that's a one way trip," I rationalized.
"Save the rest for the return, J," I heard Tony order, not to me but to his I.A., not the least bit concerned.
"Tony," I pleaded.
"Steve, I'll be back before you know it."
I watched as Tony guided the missile , pushing it up towards the portal. He flew through the portal, and I began counting down the seconds. Everything slowed down as I watched, waiting for Tony to come back through. The Chitauri around me fell down. If we didn't close the portal soon, the blast would come right through the portal and hit New York. I watched the portal, continuing to count the seconds, and waiting for any sign of Tony. Finally, after no sign, I knew we had to close it before the blast hit us. I looked at Thor, and he nodded in confirmation.
"Close it," I ordered weakly. The beam of light that shone from Stark Tower gave out, and the portal began retreating on itself. I watched it closely, silently praying that a miracle would bring Tony back. At the last second, just as the portal closed, a figure fell from it. A red, metal-clad figure. My heart lifted. "Son of a bitch," I muttered, a weak smile appearing on my face, before it fell. Something was wrong. He was going way too fast, and would soon hit the ground if he didn't activate his repulsers.
"He's not slowing down," Thor worried from behind me, readying his hammer to fly up and catch him from the sky. Before he had the chance to take off, though, Hulk leaped into the air, grabbing Tony carefully with one arm as he slowed their decent against buildings with the other. I bolted towards the spot Hulk landed, watching Thor spring past me and turn Tony over. I crouched beside him as Thor ripped his face plate off, lightly grabbing Tony's side. I stared at his face, his eyes closed, before leaning over top of him and listening for any sign of breathing.
My heart dropped. I couldn't hear anything. He wasn't breathing. I pulled away, staring at him. I put a hand on the side of his neck, feeling for a pulse. I felt nothing. I slowly sat back on my heels, watching his blank face. I rested a hand on his chest, over his arc reactor, willing for it to flicker back to life. "Come on, Tony," I whispered. "Come back." Thor rested a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. I stared at Tony's face, feeling tears start to brim my eyes. I turned my head away, not wanting Thor, or even Hulk, to see.
Hulk let out a few grunts, then roared with anger. I heard a gasp and my head snapped up. Tony's arc reactor flickered to life under my hand and his eyes were now wide open. He let out a startled groan as Hulk continued to roar.
"What the hell." He looked at me, his eyes wide. "What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me."
I let out a breath of a laugh, a wide smile stretched across my face. A tear rolled down my cheek as I looked down, wiping the tear and some blood away. I looked back at Tony, who was staring at me with a small grin. I nodded, making his grin widen. "We won."