Devil of Menace

18 - Army

Steve slips easily again into the powerful leader that is Captain America as he speaks. "Alright, listen up. 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. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or your turn it to ash." He orders. "Wanna give me a lift?" Barton asks Tony. "Right, better clench up Legolas." Tony jokes. "Again with the pop culture." I mumble as Tony flies Barton up to the roof. "Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've got the lightning. Light the bastards up." I tell Thor. He flies off as Steve turns to Nat, Bruce and I, "Us three, we stay here on the ground, keep the fighting here. And Hulk." He pauses, "Smash." Hulk grins at the order and leaps up the wall of a nearby building, snapping several Chitauri soldiers in half.

The three of us take a section each, defending ourselves against the aliens. My arm is grabbed by one of them and I kick it in the knees before slashing it's throat. I fire my gun as I roundhouse kick the nearest alien, sending a bullet through three of them. I see a blast from an energy rifle and I head back to the bridge to check on Natasha. She fires an energy rifle at one of the Chitauri and stumbles slightly. She slits the throat of an attacking Chitauri before spinning to face Steve and I. She releases her grip on the weapon and leans against a car tiresomely. "None of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal." She explains, looking up at the black gateway. "Our biggest guns couldn't touch it." Steve reminds her. "Maybe it's not about guns." I suggest, Nat looking at me in agreement of a silent plan. She looks to the flying chariots, drawing them to Steve's attention. "You wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride." He states. "I got a ride. I could use a lift though." Nat smirks. She backs up against the other side of the bridge. Steve lifts his shield. "Are you sure about this?" He asks. "Yeah. It's gonna be fun." Nat says unconvincingly. She runs towards Steve, leaping off a car and onto his shield. He pushes her body up and she latches on to a chariot.

"How did she know that was gonna work?" Steve asks. "She didn't." I answer. Steve looks at me incredulously, "Then why did she do it?" I laugh, "I taught her everything she knows Steve." Steve furrows his brows, he opens his mouth to ask a question. "I'll explain another time." I yell as I fire at incoming Chitauri. "On your left." I warn. We fend off a number of aliens before Barton's voice fills our ears. "Cap, Nightingale, the bank on 42nd past Madison, they caught a lot of civilians there." He explains. I nod a Steve, "We're on it." He affirms. We take off running at top speed towards the bank. As we arrive we hear the beep of a bomb. Steve jumps through a window and throws his shield at the bomber. I jump in front of him and stop an incoming energy blast from the two other Chitauri, sending it back towards them, blowing them to pieces. "Everyone! Clear out!" Steve yells as the beeping becomes more rapid. I hurry people through the doors as Steve throws himself and the shield over the bomb. I'm taken back to the day he threw his body over a grenade but I shake the memory as the bomb goes off. Steve is sent through the window and rush over to the balcony to see him. He gets off the car and surveys the damage done to the city as the emergency services rescue the civilians. "Ty grebanyy idiot!" I curse in Russian, "I've absorbed more bombs than years you've been in the ice!" I yell down at him. "Tell me that next time." Steve shouts back and I flip him off, "You didn't give me a chance." I shout. I jump down from the balcony and land next to Steve.

We see the Hulk jump into the Stark Tower, "Penthouse." I say and we make our way towards the tower. As we approach we hear the sounds of something being repeatedly smashed against the floor. "PUNY GOD!" I hear Hulk roar followed by a weak whimper of pain. "That got him." Steve says and I laugh. Thor joins us on the ground, taking out four Chitauri with a swing of his hammer. We continue to defend ourselves until Steve gets hit by an energy blast when his shield is returning to him. I rush over to Steve as Thor rushes over to a beaten down car. He swings Mjolnir and flips the car over and over, crushing Chitauri in the process. I pull Steve up, "You good?" Steve nods and raises his shield. "You ready for another bout?" Thor booms. "What? You gettin' sleepy?" Steve banters. "I thought gods had good stamina." I joke and Thor smiles.

Nat's voice crackles through the comms, "I can close it! Can anybody hear me? I can shut the portal down!" She explains. "Do it!" Steve demands but Tony speaks, "No! Wait!" He pleads. "Tony, these things are still coming!" I respond. Tony gives his reasoning:

"I got a nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it."