All Along - Steve Rogers {1}

Chapter 25: That's A One Way Trip

The screams echoed around the city, like a shrill choir ensemble set on terrorising anyone or anything that could hear it. The team just about thought they were ready to handle the magnitude of the situation, ready for whatever they were about to face... but then the dark tear in the sky widened, and the rest of the invasion poured through.

"Guys!" Natasha's distant voice called the attention of the rest of the team, her voice surfacing above the screams of people, the explosions, and the gunfire. All eyes were drawn to her, and then to the focus of her own gaze.

High above them, dozens of chariots began to weave their way down to the city, guns already firing down upon the innocent. Behind them followed another three bloodcurdling leviathans, slightly bigger than the first, and they snaked their way through the streets, causing immense destruction at every turn.

Nellie took in a shaky breath, things had just become so much harder, three times so to be exact. That didn't stop her from thinking it could get worse though, more leviathans could be waiting in the wings, hidden in the darkness of space. The brunette moved closer to Steve and powered down her left hand which she then placed gently on his forearm. It was time to get things done. "Steve?" She prompted, looking up at him hopefully, praying he had a plan already forming in his head. "Call it."

Steve tore his eyes away from the attack, blinking the ash and embers out of his eyes, and looked down at Nellie standing beside him. She gave him all the confidence he needed. "All right." He nodded at her, trying not to think of all the terrible things that could happen now that he had just got her back. He looked away from her reluctantly and back up to the portal. "Listen up. Until we can close that portal, our priority is containment." Steve began, his eyes surveying his next approach, he pointed to the closest and tallest building and then turned to Clint. "Barton, I want you on that roof. Eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays." He then spun to face Tony. "Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash." Steve instructed pointedly, nodding when neither man argued with the idea.

"Can you give me a lift?" Clint asked Tony a little unsurely, hoping he would say yes.

Tony turned to him, his amused expression hidden, partly for Clint's meekness, partly because of the nickname that had just sprung to mind. "Right." He nodded before turning to Clint. "Better clench up, Legolas." He said joyfully, taking hold of the back of Clint's suit, the name going completely over Nellie, Steve and Thor's heads. Clint readied himself and without a moment's hesitation they were gone, both propelled into the sky and towards the roof of One Grand Central Place.

Steve carried on with his plan. "Thor, you got to try and bottleneck that portal." Steve instructed, the blonde God nodded immediately in understanding. "Slow them down. You got the lightning. Light the bastards up." Thor accepted the instruction without dispute. He twirled his hammer, the immense speed creating a small whirlwind as he took off, the ash and dust kicking up around him, the breeze whipping the loose tendrils of both Nellie and Natasha's hair.

Steve then turned to the two women of the team. Nellie had been patiently awaiting her orders but it seemed she would have to wait a few moments longer, he looked at Natasha. "You and me, we stay here on the ground. We keep the fighting here." He commanded and then he looked at Nellie, his hard and authoritative expression softening uncontrollably. "Nel, I need you to help protect civilians before you get up there." He explained, gesturing up to the portal knowing that she was the best shot at destroying it. "Get those in the perimeter out of the way and to safety, use everything and anything you got, no holding back." He said a little sternly. "Do you hear me?" To others it would have sounded patronising, but to Nellie, it was Steve telling her she was enough and she should not be scared of herself, that she was strong enough and more than capable.