JARVIS' pep talk worked. We were motivated enough to go back up to the war room and continue trying to get into the Helicarrier's computer system until finally we managed it.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to increase their security if two teenagers can hack into it." I said.
"I believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. have increased their computer security, Miss Abby." JARVIS replied.
"Well, they need to try harder."
"Ok, JARVIS." said Andy. "What do we do next?"
"Suit up and meet in the hangar bay."
We suited up and met up in the hangar bay, where the Avengers' Quinjet was sitting, waiting for us. We walked in and, despite having been on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet, still gasped in awe. It was, as JARVIS told us, "S.H.I.E.L.D. meets Stark Industries".
"So, uh, who's flying this thing?" asked Chris.
"I believe it is Miss Abby, Master Peter, Miss Chloe and Miss Izzy." replied JARVIS. "Agents Barton, Romanoff and Morse are the usual pilots of a Quinjet." The four of us looked at each other.
"Chloe and I will fly." said Izzy. They went over to the pilot and co-pilot seats - Izzy in the pilot's and Chloe in the co-pilot's - sat down and looked at the controls.
"JARVIS?" asked Chloe. "A little help?"
"Certainly, Miss Chloe." JARVIS replied, giving her and Izzy instructions on how to fly the Quinjet.
He set the coordinates for the Helicarrier and the Quinjet took off. JARVIS was co-piloting the jet as well as giving instructions on how to operate it. Along the way, the control panel started beeping.
"Uh oh." said Nathan. "That can't be good." Chloe looked at the display and swore in Japanese.
"We've got two jets on our tail." she said. She didn't need JARVIS to tell her that; we played enough video games to understand it. We all looked at each other.
"Avengers Quinjet, we have been ordered to accompany you to the Helicarrier." a man's voice came over the radio. "You have 15 minutes to comply." Izzy put the radio on mute and we all looked at each other.
"JARVIS?" she asked.
"I will allow you to make a plan." JARVIS replied. "It will test your ability to make a plan under pressure."
"Thanks." Izzy replied. She looked at the rest of us. "So, any ideas?"
"15 minutes to make a plan." said Andy. "Good challenge."
"Do we go with them or not?" asked Ben. "That's the main thing we need to decide."
"No, we don't." I said. "That'll make us easy targets for them. We shake off their jets and get to the Helicarrier."
"Ok." said Peter. "You're the boss, Abs." I walked over to the control panel and turned the radio on.
"This is Abigail Barton." I said. "You are not going to accompany us to the Helicarrier. We will make our own way there. If you try and stop us, we will fight back."
"You are all just children." the man replied. "We are more experienced."
"I guess I forgot to mention that our parents are the Avengers." I replied. "We're able to fight you. You want us? Come and get us!" I turned the radio off and turned to see the others staring at me. "What?"
"Did you seriously just threaten a bunch of highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?" asked Andy.
"Did you not hear me tell them who our parents are?" I asked.
"I guess mentioning that our parents are Hawkeye and Black Widow would have been too much." said Peter.
"And mentioning that my parents are Director Fury and Deputy Director Hill would have definitely been a bad idea." Chris added.
"Yeah, best to keep that quiet." Nathan agreed.
"Everyone, I suggest you strap in." said JARVIS. "The S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjets are gaining on you."
"I am a leaf on the wind..." said Izzy, grinning.
"Watch how I soar." I finished.
We strapped ourselves in and prepared for the ensuing battle.
I don't know if any of you have ever been in a jet fight (chances are, you wouldn't have), but it is the most stressful thing ever. It was like being on a rollercoaster, hanging on tight as the Quinjet flew and did spins and turns in mid-air to escape the jets following us. The faint, rising feeling in your stomach as you go down a steep slope, accompanied by the dizziness in your head.
I hate rollercoasters, and I now hate jet fights.
Looking around as I held onto the belt buckles, I could see, and feel, that the others weren't too keen on it either. It's one thing flying normally in a Quinjet (thank God for VTOL), it's another thing being in a freaking jet fight.
Yeah, I hate jet fights.
Chloe and Izzy, with JARVIS' help, managed to shake off the pursuing jets when my head started hurting. Dammit.
"INCOMING!" I yelled, right before the jet shook.
"WE'VE BEEN HIT!" Chloe shouted.
"No, really?" I asked. "I don't think we would have guessed with the fact that the engine is on fire!" I paused. "Wait, the engine is on fire. Gorrammit, the primary buffer panel's fallen off again!"
"We are not doing this right now, Abby!" Izzy called back to me.
"Woah, woah, you see that, right?" I asked. "You see it? You see that?"
I hate you. I heard her thinking.
"Turn? Would you turn?"
"You wanna fly this thing?!" she asked.
"I would like... Would you pull over?" I asked. "Is that what you think you're doing here?"
"I will pull this jet over!" she said.
"Christ Almighty, I'm gonna shit my pants today." I muttered.
"DAMMIT, I DON'T NEED A BACK QUINJET DRIVER!" Izzy yelled.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" I yelled back.
"Fine, you wanna fly?" she asked. "Frakking fly!"
"You two are seriously not doing this right now!" exclaimed Peter.
"I believe that this might be Miss Abby and Miss Izzy's way of dealing with the situation." said JARVIS.
"What the..." said Andy. "How are you so calm, JARVIS?"
"I am an A.I., Master Andy. Mr Stark did not program "panic" or "stress" into my coding."
"Yet he programmed "sarcasm" into you." said Chris. "Because that makes total sense."
"Chris, this is Uncle Tony we're talking about here." Nathan reminded him. "Of course he programmed sarcasm into JARVIS!"
"May I just say how well your self control techniques are working at the moment, Master Nathan?"
"You think?" asked Nathan, but he wasn't really mad at JARVIS. No one could be mad at JARVIS.
"I think it's good that JARVIS is calm." said Ben. "Someone needs to be calm in this situation." All of us, with the exception of Chloe and Izzy, looked at him.
"Master Andy, I should inform you that the engine is critical." JARVIS cut in, probably trying to prevent us from arguing (which was wise).
"You want me to go out there with people firing at us?" asked Andy.
"You've got the Iron Man suit." Izzy reminded him. "You can fix the engine and fly alongside us."
"Whilst trying not to get shot down in mid-air."
"I will be guiding you." said JARVIS.
"Great." said Andy.
Andy had flown out of the Quinjet and was fixing the engine from the outside; JARVIS was assisting him as well as informing us of anything we needed to know.
"Uh, guys?" Andy said over the radio. "We've got company." Chloe and Izzy looked at the controls.
"They must be using a cloaking device." said Chloe. "The jet didn't detect them."
"This is S.H.I.E.L.D. we're talking about her." Chris said. "They probably do have cloaking devices."
"Yeah, but they'd still show up on the radar." she pointed out. "Andy? You're gonna have to deal with them."
"On it." Andy replied. From inside the jet, we heard the sounds of his repulsors firing and the jets following us exploding. "Ok. Company's been taken care of."
"Good." I said. "Now get back in here."
The cargo ramp lowered and Andy flew back in, the ramp closing behind him. The jet slowed down as we came into safer airspace and those of us who were strapped in unstrapped ourselves and stood up, stretching. Ben, Peter and I walked over to the cockpit.
"Maybe you could put it on autopilot and take a break?" Peter suggested.
"Yeah, good idea." said Izzy. She and Chloe unstrapped themselves. "JARVIS, can you take over?"
"Of course, Miss Izzy." JARVIS replied. We all gathered round the holo table in the centre of the jet.
"So, our first air battle." said Andy. "That went well."
"Apart from being hit by a missile." said Nathan.
"JARVIS, how close are we to the Helicarrier?" asked Ben.
"We are a few minutes out, Master Ben." JARVIS replied.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Izzy. We all looked at each other.
"We need a leader." said Erik. Everyone immediately looked at me and Ben.
"Oh, because I'm the son of Captain America?" asked Ben.
"And I'm the oldest and a psychic?" I asked. Everyone nodded. "Ok, then. Plan."
"Andy and I can hack the Helicarrier's systems." said Chloe. "We might have more success if we're actually on the Helicarrier."
"I'll stay with them." said Nathan. "Make sure I don't Hulk out."
"I can create some lightning outside to distract everyone." said Erik.
"Peter, Chris and I will keep a lookout once we're all in the communications room." said Izzy. Chloe, Andy and Nathan looked at her. "What? We should all stick together. Splitting up is a bad idea."
"This isn't a horror movie, Iz." said Peter.
"I know, but splitting up is a bad idea whatever genre you're in."
"Plus, if this was a horror movie, I would be dead by now." said Chris, grinning.
"So, our plan so far." said Ben, bringing everyone's attention back to the situation at hand. "We break into the communications room, hack it and then...what, exactly?"
"JARVIS?" asked Erik. "What would our parents do?"
"Mr Stark would usually hack the PA system and blast AC/DC at full volume to make a dramatic entrance." JARVIS replied.
"Yep, that sounds like Dad." said Andy, nodding. "Actually, that sounds like us as well. How many times have we asked you to play music really loudly, JARVIS?"
"Too many to count, Master Andy. Dr Banner would often stay on the Quinjet if the place the Avengers are invading is enclosed, like the Helicarrier. I believe he has already turned into the Hulk and destroyed the Helicarrier once and he is unlikely to want to do it again. Captain Rogers and Master Thor would pair up together, as would Agents Barton, Romanoff and Morse."
"So, basically, they split up." said Izzy. "Why?"
"Experience, Miss Izzy."
"Ok, so, our plan." said Ben. "Break into the communications room, hack it..."
"Fight off bad guys." I said. "We're invading a government aircraft carrier that's been taken over by bad guys. Inevitably, we're going to have to fight their goons as soon as we get in there."
"Surely they must have learnt from last time." said Peter.
"Apparently not." I replied.
"We are coming up to the Helicarrier." JARVIS informed us.
"Thanks, JARVIS." said Ben. "Ok, everyone. Suit up."