Love You to Asgard and Back

14- Traffic Jam

The Avengers' quinjet sliced through the sky at top speed, racing above the I-405. Named the busiest interstate in the United States, the stretch of multi-lane traffic didn't fail to live up to its name.

"So the terrorists acquire alien technology and the scepter and hijack a bus full of people, none of whom are of any particular consequence," Cap spoke up. "Why?"

"We aren't sure," Widow replied as she began to check her wristbands. "We've never even actually heard of these people before."

"So they're small-time and this is a trial run for them," Mongoose deduced. "This is their first time."

"Well," Hawkeye spoke up from the pilot's seat. "You never forget your first time, I guess."

"For amateurs they were smart to take the bus through I-405. It's so congested with innocents," Mongoose reported. His all business tone hid the gnawing concern about Thor's hasty departure. "Anyone been in contact with Fury to figure out how the hell these guys ended up with the same weaponry S.H.I.E.L.D. was supposed to be kept under lock and key?"

"We only know that the tech S.H.I.E.L.D. pulled from New York is missing. He's unaware as to how," Widow answered. "Still trying to trace the loss."

Mongoose nodded. "Tony, what are you seeing from your vantage point?"

Iron Man was flying across the interstate, his scanners reading the bus occupants. "We've got four thugs in the bus with at least twenty people of all ages. And there are four SUVs as an entourage. Each of them has four additional occupants. All of them are packing heat. And not just your run of the mill weaponry- they're equipped with the same tech as the aliens in New York."

"The Chitauri," Mongoose grunted. Thor had learned during Loki's second trial that the alien forces he had brought to earth were called Chitauri.

"They're lighting up everything in their path with that alien tech," Tony grumbled as he nose-dived into traffic and fired a barrage of repulsor fire at the SUVs. The projectiles collided with an invisible force, leaving the cars untouched. "Guys...these cars are outfitted with some type of force field. My repulsor tech didn't touch them."

Cap turned to Mongoose and Widow. "Then we need to get in closer. The three of us will come in from behind while you keep them focused on you, Tony."

"Sure thing, I love being bait."

"Hawkeye, continue being our eye in the sky. Bruce, stay on the jet with Hawkeye. Be ready to get pissed off if we have a code green situation."

Bruce nodded and remained seated.

"You two, come with me," Cap said to Mongoose and Widow. The two former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents nodded and followed him toward the motor cycles.

Iron Man flew back and forth in front of the bus and SUVs, dodging blasts of Chitauri energy. "It's like they've taken what the aliens were using and put them on steroids. They could punch a hole through one of these cars if they want to."

"Just keep on dodging and keep the heat off of everyone else," Cap ordered as he mounted his bike. He looked over his shoulder and gave Hawkeye the order to open the ramp.

Mongoose drew a deep breath as the ramp opened. He released the clutch and drove off of the ramp alongside Cap and Widow. The bike hit pavement and he sped off through traffic, bobbing and weaving between the cars that had slowed down to distance themselves from the terrorists.

"Hawkeyes, keep being our eye in the sky," Cap commanded as he glared at the SUVs and bus in the distance. "You two get the cars and I'll go for the bus."

Cap sped ahead of them, taking advantage of the distraction Iron Man was providing. He roared past them and drove alongside the bus. In a display of precise and daring athleticism, he stood up on the seat of his bike and jumped up. His powerful legs drove him up like a spring and as he met his peak height, his body curled into a ball and he flipped backward, landing on the rooftop. He ripped the shield from his back as a figure came out from one of the windows and got on top of the bus with him.

"No, keep your fire on Iron Man," the man spoke into his radio before turning his attention back to Cap. "The Captain is mine."

Standing at an imposing height, the man's face was hidden underneath a black balaclava. He wore a black bodysuit and was armed with various weaponry. It was the Chitauri rifle in his hands that was the most imposing.

"See something familiar, Captain?"

"How did you get the weapons?"

"Don't worry about it."

Cap hurled his shield toward the man. He deftly ran forward, sliding beneath the shield and throwing a foot up into Cap's groin. The super soldier blocked the attack and the assailant was on his feet all over again. The pair grappled atop the bus as the shield came back to Cap's magnetic wristband. Paired specifically with the vibranium shield, it could call the weapon back from distances up to 100 feet. The terrorist ducked just in time to avoid and back-rolled away as more terrorists climbed up onto the roof. He took aim with the rifle and fired.