AnonMetro: I love Attack on Titan. Who doesn't?

Chapter Ten: Through the Portal

AnonMetro: Thank you for the encouragement, it's always appreciated. 😅

Chapter Nine: Team Up

"Alright, Jarvis, tell me all its weaknesses," she said.

Toni was circling the Leviathan that emerged from the portal just a moment ago. The armored plating, the weird shape of its body, and the fact that it kept shooting out more Chitauri as if it's a slot machine in a casino was not a good sign at all. Oh boy. That did not look like it would be easy whatsoever. But then again this whole situation wasn't easy now was it?

"You must first penetrate that shell," Jarvis said. "It's very weak once you do that."

"Thanks. Yeah, breaking that armor looks… real easy," she said more to herself than her A.I. "Good luck, me. You're gonna need it."

She continued to chase it down via flight, preparing to inevitably crush it. But she had to be smart about this. She didn't have the luxury of wasting power in her suit needlessly. These things weren't slowing down and Bruce wasn't exactly present yet to help with the progressively overwhelming amount of enemies. The sheer number of Chitauri and Leviathan present is what's intimidating; it was like having an ant infestation: there were tons of them and you have to stop them at the source before they produce more and tale over your home.

But cleaning house at the source wasn't exactly an option. The energy field causing the portal to open was impenetrable. So the course of action was to evacuate the citizens; have the Avengers, police, and army deal with the Chitauri until a permanent solution presented itself. She didn't know how long they could keep them at bay, but there wasn't time to think on that. Action is what's needed.

"Ha!" she exclaimed blasting at its face, gaining its attention effectively. "Okay, I've pissed it off. What now?"

It was flying at an impressive speed towards her, destroying tops of buildings in an effort to get to her. Well, she's screwed herself over if she didn't get her butt into action.

"Time to flee. Yep, I'm outta here," she said.

She flew across the skies, leaving gas trails in her wake. Perhaps running it into building, destroying its armor, and then hitting its weak spot would finish off the Leviathan. It was a plan as good as any. She looked back to see if it was still following her and it was, inching closer and closer. Yikes, it was time to kick it into higher gear.

"Yo, Romanoff," she said through the comm. "Banner there yet?"

"Yes, where are you?" she asked in her usual clinical tone.

"I'm bringing the party to you," Toni said.

She whipped around the corner of the long wide building. The Leviathan's long fin-like appendages took out the edge of the bricks with ease as it rounded towards her teammates. It seemed that Plan A was forgone and it was time for Plan B aka have her friends help her take it down.

"I don't see how that's a party," Toni heard Natasha through her speakers.

The brunette laughed. "Nice joke, Romanoff. Do you need to sit down? I know it hurts the first time," she said.

She knew she couldn't see the assassin's face, but she swore Natasha just rolled her eyes. Toni laughed again at the thought of that actually happening.

As she flew by she watched as Bruce stepped up to the plate. She watched curiously if he was going to suit up or not. It was kind of necessary considering that the Leviathan was barreling through and would easily take them out. Thankfully, she saw his complexion turning green and his body growing rapidly. She smirked, happy that Bruce decided to accept himself wholly and fully.

Finally.

She came to a skidding stop, hovering mid-air, when she saw him smash the Leviathan head on, causing its behind to fall towards everyone. Hey, at least the Hulk broke its armor, leaving it vulnerable.

"Hold on, guys, I've got this," she said.

She fired a small rocket from her wrist, aiming at the pink puffy skin there. It took a moment for it to implode, sending bits and pieces flying and scattering everywhere. She covered her face from the bits and pieces that flew. But once the debris of dead Leviathan was gone Toni landed slowly, right between Steve and the Hulk.

"Call it, Cap," she said, ready for the game plan since time was of the essence.

"Alright, I'm gonna need Barton on top, eyes on everything, calling everything," he began.

"Uh, Stark, I'm gonna need a lift," he said, looking at woman clad in armor.

"Alright screw gravity, let's go, Bieber hair," she teased good heartedly.

She grabbed ahold of him and flew upwards quickly, wondering amusedly if he'd vomit. She stuck him up top on the highest building closest to them and sat him down there before flying back down to the ground. She didn't bother saying a word to him. She couldn't think of anything really after all.

When she landed back down on the ground next to Steve she saw that Thor was up into the air and gone, Natasha was off blowing off Chitauri head's off with her hand guns, and the Hulk off smashing things. It looked like it was just the two of them.

"Sheesh," she said, "how long was I gone? Was it something I said?" she smiled playfully behind her helmet.

She felt a hard poke to her shoulder from his gloved finger which surprised her. "You better turn your comms back on for me, Stark. I swear—" he began.

"Okay! Fine, fine, fine," she said putting her hands up in surrender, trying to avoid a lecture from him. "You got me, I'm turning it on and I won't again. Don't get your panties in a bunch. Jarvis—"

"Already on it, ma'am," the A.I. said.

Steve sighed in irritation. She really did drive him crazy, drive him up the wall, drive him everywhere that made him want to pretty much pull his hair out. He had feelings for her, but almost every time she opened her mouth they argued. It was as if he was being pulled from two different sides and he didn't know when he'd be split apart right down the middle. But right now wasn't the time to think on that, technically a war had to be won here. His personal feelings didn't have a place even if he would really like to make an exception for someone who's clearly gotten under his skin.

"Toni, I swear, you're just the most infuriating person I've ever met," he said.

"Well, you're not exactly a bed of roses either, pudding pop," she said.

She rolled eyes. It wasn't as if she hadn't heard this all before. He certainly wasn't the first or last to find her irritating. But her personality and mannerisms were made Toni Toni and she wasn't about to change her ways just to make others happy. She liked herself too much for that bull crap.

"Just please leave right now. I need you at the perimeter, keep everything contained, don't let a single Chitauri out. Got it?" his tone was still laced with irritation.

"Yep, see ya later, Cap," she said.

He wasn't looking at her anymore, still annoyed and trying his hardest to stay concentrated on the task at hand. She had a way of making his focus slip such as worrying about well being when she did reckless stunts.

"Oh and Steve," she said.

"What?" he looked at her, tone coming out a little harsher than he intended.

"Don't die," she said before taking off into the air and out of his sight.

Well… yet again he was thrown for a loop when it came to her and just women in general. He was all prepared to ignore her and focus on what's at hand because he's had enough of Toni Stark, but the small sentiment and the sincerity in her tone pulled at his heart strings. Damn. How did she do this? It was like she was an expert at knowing what made someone feel fairly good inside at when her stupid jokes got to be too much. Definitely an expert.

He shook his head, taking off at a running start to clear out some Chitauri and save lives. Steve could think about it all later when so much wasn't at stake.

X

"AHAHGGG!" she screamed in pain.

Her body rolled and skidded across the pavement, scraping and denting her suit further than it already was. When she came to a stop she was flat on her belly, face down, and bruised from the deep impressions in her suit. She coughed hoarsely, trying to catch her breath and get some proper oxygen in her lungs. With shaking limbs she tried to stand and finish off the multiple Chitauri closing in on her. But one of the them used the butt of its glow stick and knocked her back down at the back of the helmet.

"Ah!" she gasped.

"Power at 30%, ma'am," Jarvis informed.

"Put it all in the thrusters," she said.

Jarvis said, "I just did."

She blasted all of the Chitauri in her way and took off into the air. Planning to gain some space and see if any of her teammates are getting their asses handed to them too. She flew off into the air, her thrusters stuttered as she increased her speed throughout the skies of New York.

"Stark," she heard Fury through her com. "There's a nuclear missile coming your way. Take care of it."

"Oh Jesus Christ… way to go Fury," she said sarcastically under her breath, blinking hard. "You want over eight million people to die, you psycho?"

"Shut it, Stark, it wasn't my call. Just get your ass over there and deal with it," he snapped.

"Fine, bossy the cow," she said sarcastically.

With that said she took a U-turn and headed towards the missile in the sky heading in a downward spiral towards New York. She came up under it and grasped the sides, trying to think of a place to drop this. As she looked around she saw the portal was still spilling out Chitauri and Leviathan. Perfect, she thought.

"I can shut it down," she heard Natasha's strained voice from her com. "Does anybody copy? I can close the portal now."

"Do it!" she heard Steve's voice.

"Wait!" Toni exclaimed. "I've got a nuke about to blow in less than ten minutes and I know exactly where I'm gonna drop it."

Steve looked up at Iron Maiden up in the sky with, indeed, a nuclear missile strapped along her back heading towards the portal. He knew if she went up there she wouldn't be coming back. It was a one way ticket to the Chitauri base where a nuclear explosion would occur and wipe everything out completely including her. It felt as if his heart literally dropped from his chest and fell out of his butt. Toni Stark was going to die. Even if she got on his nerves and they fought like cats and dogs, he cared about her more than he probably should. So yes. He cared about her and didn't want her to go to her death. No absolutely not. He wouldn't, couldn't accept that.

"No," Steve said firmly, "Toni, you are not going in there."

"Well, it's either I make this little deposit or everyone here dies in a fiery explosion, so I kind of have no choice, hon," she said, laughing uncomfortably more to herself. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't just a little scared, but like hell she'd ever show that to anyone. So she masked it with humor and forced laughs. That made it better, right?

"Come on, there's gotta be another way," he said, trying to school his features and stay calm, but his throat was beginning to form a lump and betray him. "If you go up there you'll die."

She laughed, trying to ease the obvious heavy moment between them as she inched closer and closer to the black hole in the sky above Stark Tower. She wasn't going to stop, this thing across her back was going to blow in less than ten minutes knowing she could save everyone.

"Oh please, you know me. I'm the most stubborn… everything. Pfft, like I'm gonna die so easily," she said.

"Toni—" Steve began.

"Steve," she sighed.

She wanted to end this conversation now. She didn't know how much longer she could keep calm and make jokes to show that she was 'fine' with this. And honestly the fact that he was upset about this as well just made her feel worse about it. Not only was her decision to save the day and play the hero affecting her feelings, but those around her as well. She wished she had a better set of choices, but things weren't always roses and candy apples.

"I promise I'll make it back, sweet cheeks. Cross my heart and everything," she smiled ironically. She was just a few feet away and told him, "See you on the other side, blondie bear."

With that said she had Jarvis cut off her communications with him. She really didn't have the heart to talk to him any longer and she didn't want to waste what little power she had left — about 10% actually — on talking when she needed to focus.

She entered the portal, at first all she saw was the inky black sky of space before her eyes met the Chitauri base with thousands upon thousands of them heading towards the portal to invade Earth. She was so surprised and overwhelmed with seeing that many alien enemies and their huge base in space, she ended up letting go of the nuke above her.

"M-ma'am, Mr. Ro-ogers is…," Jarvis and everything failed in her suit. It all shut down, ran out of power and no longer operated in any fashion, going lax.

Oxygen was draining from her suit quickly. All she could do was let gravity do its thing and let her body be flung downwards at an alarming rate of speed. Before losing consciousness her retinas were overwhelmed with a blinding flash that was thankfully reduced greatly by her eye shields from the nuclear explosion. Then her body went lax, falling unconscious from the lack of oxygen in her lungs. She could no longer breathe.

…

"Get your ass into gear, Stark," Natasha said looking up at the portal.

It had been several long minutes and Toni hadn't reemerged from the portal yet. Everyone was waiting for their teammate to get back alive like she promised their captain. But by now the nuke had certainly gone off what with all the Chitauri and Leviathan dropping like flies so suddenly. So what was taking her so long?

"My friend," Thor said, putting his giant hand on the other blonde's shoulder, "the metal woman is not coming back."

Steve took a deep breath, wondering idly if Peggy felt exactly like this when he sank the ship to save America about seventy years ago. If this was the same feeling he was truly sorry for Peggy since he wouldn't wish this feeling upon anyone.

"Close it," he swallowed thickly.

Natasha paused for a moment before doing as told and began shutting the portal down. She pointed Loki's spear at the crown of the machine on top of Stark Tower. It sparked violently before the portal began closing slowly.

As he watched Steve felt his whole body go numb and collapsed to the ground, sitting down heavily. Why? Why when things went wrong for him they went horribly wrong? The first person, despite all the bickering, he's been rather smitten with after emerging from the ice was killed saving their lives. It felt like somebody just punched a hole right through his chest, leaving him unable to breathe properly.

"Look! The metal woman is emerging from the heavens!" he suddenly heard Thor shout.

The captain's head snapped up, wondering if it was true or if the Asgardian was playing some kind of a cruel joke. But he wasn't. Toni was indeed falling from the sky barely making it out of the closing portal. Overwhelming relief burst from his chest in the form of a giant smile on his face. She was alive.

"Son of a gun," he exclaimed softly.

Wait, something wasn't quite right. "She's not slowing down!" Thor exclaimed, coming up with the exact problem. He swung his hammer quickly trying to build up speed in order to go and get her.

"Is she—"

He was interrupted by the sound of the Hulk's roar and him slamming into the side of the building with Iron Maiden in his arms. At first both Steve and Thor were worried that the Hulk was looking to put the big hurt on her, but the two of them watched the Hulk drop down to the streets of New York. He set Iron Maiden down as the two blondes rushed over to see if the brunette was okay.

Immediately, Steve flipped her over and ripped the entirety of her helmet off her head. He shouted her name, trying to get her to say something, but it was clear after a moment that she was unconscious. Then he remembered what she said about the arc reactor on her chest. When it was lit she was alive and if it was off she was dead. Desperate blue eyes looked down at her chest and didn't see a trace of light there.

She was really dead.

He felt that lump in his throat form again, face growing hot, eyes stinging as he rested his hand on that stupid little light that should be lit. His head hung low as misery enveloped him once more. That sinking, gut dropping sensation that left him numb and pained came back full force in his chest.

"RRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!" the Hulk roared loudly, beating on his chest.

"Ahh!" Toni let out a loud gasp of surprise, fully awake and functioning.

Steve looked up in shock and relief at the sight of Toni alive and breathing. But he wasn't happy in the slightest with her, been through the emotional wringer, and planned on having words with her… except she was alive right here and now, in front of his eyes and looked haggard in a way that he hadn't ever seen her before. After all, she was technically dead for a few minutes before getting shocked back to life.

And Steve, well something apparently broke in him because before he could stop himself, he gathered Toni up in a tight hug, and started muttering things like, "Thank God," and, "You're okay," as opposed to, "Goddammit, you idiot," and "if you ever do this again…."

He figured that he'd save the lecture for later when she didn't look like she helped fend off an army of Chitauri by throwing a nuclear warhead at the source. Besides, right now, he was more interested in hugging her, and feeling her physically in his arms all warm and alive even if it was through her suit. So he tightened his arms a little bit more, pulling her just a little bit closer, whilst gently sitting her up in his arms.

"Uh, Steve," she laughed shortly before coughing softly into his shoulder, "oxygen is kind of becoming an issue, big guy."

"Sorry," he said, realizing he was probably hugging her a little tighter than he should.

So he pulled back, giving her some space even if all he wanted to do was her hold her tight and call her a reckless idiot for risking her life like that and technically dying for a moment there. She drove him crazy. He may like her quite a bit, but between the fights — though to be honest it kind of resembled two school kids dealing with a crush rather poorly — and her putting herself in danger he wondered how much he could take. But apparently the heart wants what it wants even if it really didn't make a whole lot of sense.

"Anybody mind telling me what happened after the whole, you know, knocked unconscious thing?" she asked.

"We've tasted victory and the blood of our enemies, my metal friend," Thor said.

"Haha, gross," she said playfully. "But other than the blood thing, yea, we won. I don't know about you guys, but I could sleep for about three months. I'm about to go comatose, my little darlings." she laid back down with a big thud, closing her eyes in an almost theatrical manner.

Steve rolled his eyes in amusement. Of course Toni would brush her near death experience with humor. She was fine. It just made him want to hug her all over again, but he curved that particular urge.

"We're not done here yet," he said. "We've still got one more thing left." he looked towards Stark Tower.