Man Out of Time - A Captain America / Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 19

And now, the mystery deepens…

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Chapter 19

"Fan out," Hawkeye ordered. As C.O. for this mission, it was his job to give the order.

Steve split off and slipped through the vegetation skirting the edge of the enormous black heart of the island. Most of these islands were volcanic in origin. Although Ambryn had around 2,400 residents, most lived on the North and Southwest coasts, avoiding the Eastern side where acid rain from the three active cones damaged anything the locals tried to grow. The dead heart was a surreal, alien landscape, with long black canyons of volcanic ash and open calderas with red flowing lava. With so few natives on the east coast and deep water coves, the island had been a haven for pirates and criminals since the time of Captain Cook.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Banner called over the radio. "Besides blonde-haired aboriginals?"

"We've had missing person reports," Nick Fury said from where he was monitoring the situation offsite. "All locals. Several days ago one came back, disoriented, with the same hole drilled into their frontal lobe that Natasha had. If we hadn't asked about suspicious activity involving blonde-haired Melanesians, it probably would have slipped our notice."

"How many?" Steve asked.

"Latest report says 22 people missing," Fury called. "Thirteen males, nine females. All from different villages. All had blonde hair. Six of them are children."

"I didn't sign on to shoot children," Tony Stark said.

"Nor I," Thor called. "Only cowardly dogs conscript children."

"You may not have a choice," Hawkeye said.

"How are we supposed to get across without being seen?" Steve asked, surveying the 33 mile wide lunar ash field. "Once we get close to the cones, there are canyons we can use for cover, but its seven miles of ash field between here and there."

"I have every confidence our esteemed team mates shall navigate the terrain with ease," Thor said. "The rest of thou fearsome warriors, I fear, are by far too conspicuous. Thou shall have to alter thee appearance."

"My suit is red and flies," Tony Stark said. "If that's not conspicuous, I don't know what is."

Steve reached into his knapsack and pulled out a pair of black coveralls. When Senator Brandt had asked him to sell War Bonds, the red-white-and-blue uniform had been designed to spark the patriotism of the public. When he'd taken command of the 101st Airborne and been given body armor, he'd asked Howard Stark to keep the color scheme as a symbol to raise morale. In occupied Europe, the weather had been cold. It was easy enough to throw a regular uniform over his armor when stealth was needed. Here in the South Pacific, however, it was over 90 degrees. From what action he'd seen in this part of the world during his forays against the Empire of Japan, it was going to be a miserable, hot trek across the volcanic landscape.

"As long as I don't go all green on you guys," Banner said. "I should be able to creep through inconspicuously."

The Chitauri had disappeared after blowing the helicarrier out of the sky. The likelihood of exposing an actual base was relatively small. But they needed to be ready to take action should they find alien soldiers. With Chitauri being larger, stronger, and better equipped than an average human, sending in anything other than a super-soldier would be condemning men to die.

The setting sun sat like an eerie red fireball upon the desolate purgatory, giving the illusion of a fourth caldera. Wiping sweat from his brow, Steve made his way towards Mount Marum, the closest of the three ash cones. He covered his mouth and nose with a bandana, breathing shallowly so the tiny, razor-sharp shards of volcanic ash kicked up by his passage didn't get into his lungs. Heat radiating out of the magma flowing not far beneath the deadly black ash. Less than seven miles away, sparks flew out of the caldera like dragons breath, visible against the darkening sky. Off to the east, Steve could see a second figure, Natasha, make her way towards the suspect area. She moved like … he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Nastasha moved like a panther, but that uneasy feeling gnawed at his gut.