Man Out of Time - A Captain America / Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 77

Chapter 77

"The way is blocked, Sir."

Steve stared with dismay at the gridlock of cars. Manhattan was an island. With eight million people and only sixteen bridges and four tunnels to evacuate, the inevitable had happened. Cars had crashed, blocking not only automobile traffic out ofthe city, but there was no way for them to get the armored vehicles, tanks, and anti-aircraft guns in to the city, either. The National Guard commander who had been first on the scene was valiantly trying to get soldiers to tow cars out of the way, but Steve could tell already it was a lost cause.

"Looks like we're going to have to hump it in the old-fashioned way," Steve said. "On foot. Grab the most portable equipment . RPG's. Ammo."

Terrified New Yorkers streamed past them like a stampede of terrified cattle, their eyes wide and nostrils flared. The National Guard was trying to maintain enough order so nobody got trampled, but they were so few, the civilians so many. The military Steve had signed back on for in 2012 was a vastly different animal than the one he had served in back in 1945. Back then, the equipment had been bare-bones, but men were dime a dozen. Practically everybody had served at some point. These days, he'd been told that less than 2% of the population ever served. It showed. Not only were their numbers inadequate to meet the advancing mothership, but those civilians fleeing the city paid little heed to the soldiers trying to maintain some order.

They needed men to fight these aliens, not just equipment. Equipment was useless, dammit! Whatever they had, the aliens had better. The only advantage they really had was the alien's inability to attend to too many targets simultaneously. This was going to be like storming the beaches of Normandy. Only with massive numbers, and sacrifice, could they prevail.

"Sargent Lewis," Steve called. "Set up the equipment that's too large to fit into the Holland Tunnel here, into a first defensive line. Pair up with the National Guard, help them out. Maybe we can buy these people some time before the aliens bury the tunnel and cut off access. Get as many out as possible."

"Yes, Sir." Sargent Lewis had the buzz cut and non-nonsense demeanor of an old-fashioned drill sergeant who had served as an enlisted man his entire life.

"Why aren't they fighting?" a Lieutenant hissed, pointing at some able-bodied men in business suits scurrying out of the city with their briefcases like rodents. "They look plenty capable to me?"

Steve hesitated. Untrained soldiers could be more of a liability than an asset. On the other hand, he knew first-hand what would happen to anybody who survived the invasion. They would be rounded up, the ablest would be turned into battle drones, the rest would be exterminated. He was loathe to conscript men, but their numbers were inadequate.

"Ask for volunteers," Steve said. "See if we can't scrounge some up. But don't conscript anybody. If we lose here today, their time will come."

The Lieutenant hurried away, calling to the National Guard and passing along the information. The New York National Guard commander looked over the teeming mass of humanity and met him in the eyes. He gave him an approving nod. The commander barked some orders. Within seconds, several soldiers were standing on ammunition boxes, calling out they needed anybody with prior military service or any other training that might be relevant to step forward.

Many hesitated and averted their eyes, hurrying on, but others stepped forward, more than a few handing off their children to sobbing spouses and giving them a kiss goodbye. If they didn't take down this mothership, there wasn't going to be any safe place for people to hide. Women stepped forward, as well. Women didn't merely serve in support capacities anymore. Many knew how to fight. It was Peggy's dream, come true.