Choices || CAPTAIN AMERICA (Book 1)

Chapter 8

As we stood there, our eyes fixed on the monstrous Chitauri Leviathan, the reality of the situation hit me. This was beyond anything we'd ever faced. The sheer size of that thing—it looked like it could level the entire city by itself. Next to me, Natasha tried to break the tension, her voice filled with dark humor. "I... I don't see how that's a party..."

But before anyone could respond, Tony swooped down the street in his armor, as if on cue, drawing the Leviathan's attention. The creature barreled down like a freight train, each second intensifying the dread in the pit of my stomach. This was it. The battle was on.

Behind me, I heard Steve talking to Bruce, his voice urgent. "Dr. Banner. Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

Bruce's response came calm, almost too calm. "That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry."

And then it happened—Bruce's body began to morph and twist, swelling and hardening until the Hulk stood in his place. With a roar that seemed to shake the ground beneath us, Hulk slammed a massive fist into the Leviathan's face, flipping the creature in mid-air like it weighed nothing. It was a sight to behold—pure, unadulterated power.

But as we assembled in a circle, surrounded by the chaos, I knew this was far from over. From the portal above, more Chitauri poured out, their numbers seemingly endless. My heart pounded in my chest as I glanced at my teammates, all of us realizing just how out of our element we were.

"Guys," Natasha said, her voice filled with concern.

Tony's voice cut through the noise. "Call it, Cap."

Steve didn't hesitate. "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've got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

Clint's reply came with his usual flair. "Wanna give me a lift?"

"Right. Better clench up, Legolas," Tony quipped, before lifting Clint up to the roof in one swift motion.

Steve turned to Thor next. "Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've got the lightning. Light the bastards up."

Thor nodded and took off into the sky, his hammer crackling with energy. Then Steve turned to Natasha and me, his face serious. "The three of us stay here on the ground. Keep the fighting here." He glanced at Hulk, who was already smashing his way through the Chitauri. "And Hulk... smash."

A wry smile tugged at my lips. Despite everything, there was a strange comfort in this chaos—knowing that we were all in this together.

As the battle commenced, I felt the familiar rush of power coursing through me. Fire ignited in one hand, while water swirled in the other. The ground beneath me trembled as I called upon the earth, and the wind whipped around me, ready to strike. The first wave of Chitauri soldiers charged at us, and I let loose. Flames engulfed the nearest ones, turning them to ash, while a torrent of water blasted others off their feet. I could feel the elements responding to my will, bending to my command, but there were so many of them.

I saw Natasha fighting fiercely beside me, using one of the Chitauri's energy rifles to blast through their ranks. But even she couldn't escape unscathed. A Chitauri soldier knocked her off her feet, and for a moment, panic flared in my chest. But Natasha was a survivor. She slashed at its throat, grabbing the rifle as she turned to face me, thinking I was a threat. I couldn't help but offer her a mocking surrender with my hands raised. Even in the middle of a war, we could still find a second to tease each other. She slumped back, exhausted, and I felt a pang of sympathy.