Chapter 8

Several Chitauri landed around us, screeching in their language. They were probably debating whether to fry us or roast us on a spit.

Psh, as if that would ever happen.

"You think you can hold them off?" Cap asked

Clint got his bow out, already notching an arrow. "Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure."

Cap nodded, and rushed off in the direction of the NYPD. I activated the shield, and sure enough, it had Captain America's famous star and stripes. I got my gun out and readied it to shoot. Bryan took out a couple magazines of bullets and dumped them on the ground.

What is he—

Slowly, the bullets rose, spinning in a circle of protection around him. Yeah, who needs a gun when you can control them with your mind?

Several Chitauri circled us, though more were in favor of bombing the populace. Natasha raised her guns, firing simultaneously. Clint shot two arrows at the same time. Some of the bullets in Bryan's shield broke off and ripped through several Chitauri before returning to his shield.

The Chitauri wielded staff-like weapons, glowing blue. I didn't need three guesses to know what they were powered by. One of then raised their staff, aiming it at me. I raised my shield, bracing for impact.

I felt nothing. The shield rippled where the blast hit. I grinned.

As the Chitauri edged closer to us, we pushed out ward. I shot several of the closest ones, as well as throw the energy shield. Another one appeared as soon as the other took flight.

Some of them got too close for my liking.

I holstered my gun. I vaulted over one, smashing my shield into the nape of its neck. It crumpled.

I went on like that, shooting forward and taking down any Chitauri that got too close or any of the civilians trapped in their vehicles. Bryan covered my back, bullets clearly mangling its target.

I was glad he was on our side.

The four of us edged closer to a multi-car pile-up and an overturned bus. And although none of us communicated in anyway, a plan formed in our heads.

Bryan and I helped the civilians get away from the crossfire and into the subway entrances. Those who need medical attention would be assisted by the NYPD. Natasha and Clint covered our backs.

We moved closer to Times Square, where everyone was screaming and running away from. So naturally, that's where the Chitauri went.

We met up with Cap, and Thor flew down to join us.

"Looks like Banner's missing the party." I remarked.

"Now is not the time for jest." Thor said. "The powers surrounding the cube are impenetrable."

"Thor's right," Stark said. "We gotta deal with this guys."

"How do we do this?" Natasha asked.

"As a team." Cap said.

"I have unfinished business with Loki." Thor stated.

"Yeah?" Clint asked, screwing a tip to an arrow, "Get in line."

"Already there." Bryan said.

"Save it," Cap said. "Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us, and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he gonna need us . . ."

He trailed off as Banner arrived in front of us on a motorcycle the speed of a turtle. He set it against a crumpled car.

"So," Banner said. "This all seems horrible."

"I've seen worse." Natasha said.

"Sorry."

"No," Natasha said quickly. "We could use a little worse."

"Stark, we got him," Cap said into his earpiece. "Banner, just like you said."

"Tell him to suit up," Stark replied. "I'm bringing the party to you."

I could make out the tiny silhouette of Iron Man against the giant Leviathan. It's side fins scraped through a building. It followed Tony, its jaw hanging. It was ready to snap him up in one gulp. That was until Tony began skimming the ground. The Leviathan followed suit.

Natasha's eyes widened. "I—I don't see how that's a party."

"It's not very bright, is it?" I muttered to Bryan.

He chuckled, and although his bullets were in his pockets, they were vibrating from his hyper-alertness and anxiety.

Cap stepped forward. "Dr. Banner, now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

With a roar, he Hulked out. As the Leviathan came skidding into the Hulk, one punch sent shockwaves throughout its body. With a groan, it crumpled like a pop can.

We thought we were about to win, until the Chitauri swarmed out of he portal, easily a hundred-fold. Well, no one was about to celebrate anyway.

"Guys." Natasha said.

Several Chitauri landed around us, skidding down the sides of the buildings. They roared as one, vibrating my eardrums. Hulk roared even louder. I'm surprised Clint's ears didn't start bleeding.

The Chitauri fell silent.

Iron Man lifted his repulsors.

Hawkeye notched an arrow.

Thor twirled his hammer.

Black Widow reloaded her guns.

Captain America readied his shield.

Bryan's bullets twirled around his wrists, like thick bracelets.

I cocked my gun and reactivated my shield.

"Call it Captain!" Tony said.

"Alright, listen up!" Cap ordered. "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 stray. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it around, or you turn it to ash."

"Wanna give me a lift?" Clint asked.

"Right." Tony grabbed Clint by the collar. "Better clench up, Legolas."

They rocketed up to the building at our two o'clock.

"Thor," Cap. "You gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow them down. You've got the lightning, light the bastards up!" He turned to the remaining three of us. "The four of us, we stay here on the ground, keep the fighting here. Pick off any on the buildings."

Hulk grunted.

"And Hulk?"

"Hunh?"

"Smash!"

The Hulk roared, leaping on the nearest Chitauri vessel.

Several Chitauri singled me out, me being the runt of the group. I easily had about a dozen after me.

I shot the ones closest to me, raising my shield when one of them fired at me. I heard a faint pshoo, like someone blew a kazoo. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

I dove to the side, a blue bullet blasting a crater where I had just been. Dust shot up like someone banging two chalkboard erasers together.

I landed on my back, and squinted in the direction the blast came from. It was a Chitauri sniper that found its way onto Clint's rooftop. And just because I can be a charitable person, I shot at it, and immediately returned my attention the remaining Chitauri.

I holstered my gun and swung my legs around, climbing up the nearest Chitauri using my momentum. I soon sat on its shoulder. It shrieked in outrage. I jerked its neck and leapt to the next one, vaulting and shooting in the split-second I was in the air. The rest fell to the ground. With my current adversaries downed, I turned to see how the others were faring.

Bryan didn't hold back, and any Chitauri that got within ten feet of him were gone in an instant. Steve was covering Natasha's back, and said Russian assassin managed to snatch one of the Chitauri's staff weapons. She managed to sand hack with the twenty-pound stick pretty well too.

"Captain," Natasha said, leaning on her staff. "None of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal."

"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it!" Cap replied.

Natasha eyed the beam of light coming from Stark Tower. "Well, maybe its not about guns."

"You wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride."

She glanced up at Chitauri's hoverboards. "I got a ride. I could use a lift, though."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah," she threw the staff to the side. "Its gonna be fun."

She positioned herself so she could get a decent running start, jump off the hood of a taxi, and land on Cap's shield.

She did it perfectly (What? Did you expect freaking Black Widow to screw up?) and Cap used his strength to launch her to a now-commandeered hoverboard.

When a few Chitauri realized that throwing themselves at people that can defend themselves wasn't going to work, they really busted into the buildings.

A couple dozen Chitauri broke off into a fifty-story commercial building. I squinted, and estimated that the Chitauri-shaped holes were on the thirty-seventh floor.

"Ready?" Bryan asked as he looped an arm around my waist.

"Wha—"

I shut up as we rocketed upwards, and floated through the hole in the wall. We landed gently on the carpet, and Bryan became very aware that he was still holding on to me. Blushing profusely, he slowly retracted his arm back to his side.

About ten or so Chitauri were terrorizing a group of workers. Well, that's one way to get them out of their cubicles. Most of them were trying to shrink into the walls or hiding under their desks.

I shot the Chitauri closest to us, and it crumpled. The loud bang got everyone's attention. Just what I was hoping for.

The rest of the Chitauri spun around, and hissed when they was one of of their own had just been killed.

They jumped over the tables, knocking them over.

"Let's just get this over with." Bryan muttered, raised his hands.

I cupped my hands beside my mouth. "Hit the deck!"

No one needed to be told twice.

People scrambled for cover, whole others were pulled to the ground. Soon, the Chitauri were dead on the ground.

Everyone started to get up, until a blue and silver round thing rolled to my feet. It began blinking.

A Leviathan swooped past, and I made one of my famous it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time decisions.

I threw the grenade into its gaping mouth and Bryan tossed in the Chitauri corpses as an added bonus.

I was a little too close to the fireworks for my liking, but I didn't get, say, a piece of shrapnel in my chest or something.

Standing at the edge, I looked down. Steve was surrounded on all sides.

I took a few steps back, and took a running start. I tumbled through the air, activating my shield. I slammed it into the back off the head of the nearest Chitauri, sending it into a pile of rubble. I drove my fist into an uppercut, and with the combined power of the shield and the super-soldier serum's strength, sent a couple Chitauri into a hoverboard.

And I hardly felt a thing; the shield absorbed ninety-nine percent of the impact.

Behind me, I heard Steve cry out in pain. It was followed by a grunt and a crunch of gravel.

I slammed y shield into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent the closest Chitauri back several feet. I squeezed off a few quick shots, covering Steve's back. I noticed that his mask was torn off.

I helped Steve up. His left hand covered a wound on his torso. "You sure you're okay for another round?"

He picked up his shield. "What, you getting sleepy?"

My earpiece buzzed. "I can close it!" Natasha yelled. "Can anybody hear me? I can shut the portal down!"

"Do it!" Steve said.

"No, wait!" Stark cried out.

"Stark, these things are still coming!"

"I got a nuke coming in," Stark asserted. "And I know just where to put it."

I saw the Iron Man suit fly towards the missile, steering it straight into the portal.

"Stark," Steve said softly. "You know that's a one-way trip."

"Yeah," he replied. "I know."

Then he was gone.


Just a few announcements I'd like to make:

I'll occasionally review my OWN STORIES just 'cause its the closest thing I have to a blog. Yeah. My parents won't let me get one. I practically had to grovel to get an account on this site. YES.

And there's about one more chapter left. The interlude I talked about earlier is going to be in the Captain America section. You can put me on alert so you can be notified. I just don't like puting one-liners as chapters.

And updates are probably going to be much slower from here on out. Curse you school year!

And did you notice that back-to-school commercials don't even bother to lessen the blow of school being back in session?

Am I forgetting anything?

Colby: *ahem* review!

Yeah. What she said.