Man Out of Time - A Captain America / Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 6

Thanks to everyone who's read this so far, added it to their favorites list or hit the little gold star so it will rank higher and help -other- Captain America fans find it on Wattpad.  FYI – the Chitauri are the grey-skinned lizard-like creatures who allied with Loki in the Avengers movie. They (and their leader Herr Klaiser) were one of Captain America's villains in the original comic books, only their lizard forms were never clearly shown until the Avengers movie.

In attempting to weave multiple alternate Marvel canons and my own creative writing, sometimes things get muddled. In the last chapter I painted Hawkeye and Natasha as being recipients of a lesser variant of the Super-Soldier Serum (the Infinity Serum) the same as Nick Fury. In response to a reader question, I did additional research and could discover no source canon for that assumption. Only Fury received the Infinity Serum which has enhanced his natural abilities and slowed his aging in the Marvel canon. Oh well…it was an inadvertent deviation from canon (versus –intentional- in the case of Bernice). Everybody roll up your sleeve look the other way … this won't hurt a bit. [*jab*]

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Chapter 6

The night-vision goggles gave everything an eerie, greenish glow, nothing like when he'd peered through real binoculars the last time he'd stalked such quarry. Maybe it was his imagination, the 67-year-old whispers of brain-sucking, shape-shifting lizards made real by the green tint of the goggles and the Chitauri he'd battled over New York City? Thor seemed nonplussed about the idea of aliens who could shift forms at will. Loki was, after all, a Frost Giant who'd been trained since birth to hold the shape of an Asgardian. They'd seen no evidence of shape shifting in New York, but the connection Steve had made between the forces Loki had rallied to invade Earth and evidence from a 67-year-old crime scene had everybody on edge.

"Report," Steve called into the intercom.

"Two sentries by the cantina," Natasha's voice spoke quietly over the intercom. "A third by the dock."

"I've got two more by the auto garage," Hawkeye said.

"They look like ordinary civilians to me," Banner said. "How can you tell they're aliens?"

Banner. The team member least familiar with formal military protocol, especially as it was usually his mindless alter-ego, the Hulk, who actually went into battle. Banner was diligent about following his lead until his un-jolly green friend took over, at which point it no longer mattered because their cover was blown. It wasn't the mild-mannered scientist Steve worried about, but Iron Man and his pissing contest with the Norse god, Thor. If anything was going to blow this operation before it got off the ground, it would be the fireworks that always resulted whenever the biggest ego in Midgard went head-to-head with the biggest ego in Asgard.

"This is supposed to be a fishing village in the middle of nowhere," Steve whispered, his voice low so it wouldn't carry to unwanted ears. "People would either be inside the cantina drinking, or home in bed this hour of the night. Not loitering outside keeping watch. It doesn't feel right."

"Agreed," Hawkeye said, his voice buzzing in Steve's tiny receiver. "These two aren't acting right for two guys playing cards after work. There's no beer."

"I think you're right about the insignias," Natasha called over. "All three of my guys are wearing black shoulder patches pinned over civilian clothing."

"Swastikas?" Steve asked.

"Um … no," Natasha said. "Black shoulder band. Small silver bar on it. The guy by the docks has a pin on his baseball cap that's … um … wait … it looks like a … skull?"