Man Out of Time - A Captain America / Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Steve banked left, circling the caldera of Yasur volcano. Unlike Ambryn, which was a triangular-shaped island with the stereotypical cone and lava tubes located in the center of a lofty mountain, Tanna's volcano was little more than a big black sand dune. The kind of hill Jack and Jill might have climbed to fetch a pail of water. Except for the trail of smoke, it was a bump in a flat plain of black volcanic ash. Make that two bumps. A second hump squatted a few thousand feet from Yasur with no caldera in the center of it. Mount Tukosmera.

He searched for evidence of a cave or lava tube where the Chitauri might hide. Nothing. To his east, Recon Force Two broke out from the underbrush with the jeep the Sikorsky had dropped earlier and began driving across the flat volcanic plain. There was not a living thing in sight to provide cover should all hell break loose. On the other hand, there was not a living thing in sight, period. Including aliens. There was nothing to do but land his jet and perpetuate this little farce.

"Base," Steve called into his radio. "Think I'm going to take this baby down and stretch my legs."

"Roger," the Marines commander called. "Have you cleared with Avengers commander?"

Steve switched broadcast frequencies on his radio.

"Avengers Command, this is Eagle One," Steve called. "We're about to wrap this little show up and put a bow on it. Any problems if I land this thing and snap a few photos of our local friendly volcano?"

"Yes, it's a problem!" Natasha said. "The locals can see you flying up there from miles around. You are to ..."

"Sorry, Avengers Command," Steve said, switching the secondary channel on his radio to a frequency immediately below the one occupied by the Avengers and hitting broadcast. "I seem to be getting some unlawful interference on this frequency. Come again."

"Steve, you are to..."

"Avengers Command," Steve said. "I can't hear you. I'll need to coordinate with Base Command." He switched the original frequency back to Base, who he knew was monitoring both frequencies. "Base. This is Eagle One. I'm having difficulty reaching Avengers Command. Were you able to hear what she had to say?"

"Eagle One," the Marines commander called, a hint of amusement in his voice. "We're getting the same interference you are. The carrier deck is swamped right now and you're due for fuel. Why don't you set that baby down the first safe landing site you can find until we get our incoming planes sorted out?"

"Roger," Steve said. "Will do."

Some evil little part of his subconscious caused him to smirk, much the same way Tony Stark always smirked whenever he was told to do one thing and manufactured an excuse to do the opposite. Black ash flew everywhere as he tilted the V/STOL to aim the engines straight up and down instead of horizontally to land the fighter jet.

The most memorable feature about a Harrier jet was its ability to take off and land vertically. Like a helicopter. It was a task the Harrier did well, unsurpassed until the F-35B Lightning II's carried by the USS America had been engineered to do the exact same thing. It was old technology ... dating back to 1966. Probably why the Air Force had been willing to relinquish one of its two-seater training jets for retrofitting to replace the P-51 Mustang he had flown back in 1945.

He began the shutdown sequence of the engines, watchful for danger. Nothing. Yasur was as reliable a volcano now as it had been when he had first visited this place back in 1942. Before the military had figured out a more practical use to put his enhanced physiology than selling war bonds. In a way, Yasur was like him. You knew by the smoke and a periodic show of sparks it had the potential to be a lot more destructive, but it chose to sit there quietly, a steady source of amusement for those who wanted to gawk and say 'look ... a tame volcano.'