Chapter 17
"Avengers Assemble!"
Captain America along with Iron Man and Thor all stood in a line close to each other. Their arrival to the museum had given Edward and Nightshade the time that they needed to recover from their fight against Leatherback. The three Avengers had followed Nightshade and Edward to the museum and had arrived just in time to help them to defeat Leatherback. Standing his ground Steve couldn't help but stare at Leatherback. The scaly gorilla had been in many of his nightmares when he awoke from being frozen in the ice.
"Ah Captain America! How is the arm?" Leatherback sneered bearing his sharp teeth at the super soldier. His beady eyes narrowed onto the super solider. In the corner of his eyes he saw Edward and Nightshade both reaching for their weapons again, but where not making any other move against him.
Steve stood his ground. He instantly held his right arm as Leatherback had spoken about his arm. The arm that was still tender from where it was broken by Leatherback back in his apartment. Even with the pain Steve was still holding his shield. He needed to have some way to defend himself from Leatherback. The one who had helped the Red Skull almost to achieve his goal in destroying the world so that he could make his new world. "It has been better!" Steve responded back at Leatherback which caused the gorilla to make a strange noise that he could only think of was a laugh. The noise was stopped when Leatherback started to run towards him.
The super solider raised his shield when Leatherback made his sudden move. He had expected to feel the full strength of the attack but nothing came. Looking over the edge of his shield Captain America saw that both Edward and Thor holding Leatherback's arms and keeping him still as Iron Man and Nightshade both attacked. Iron Man hovered in the air shooting at the brute with his repulsers, while Nightshade slashed at his exposed stomach with her cutlass. Watching the Avengers and Nightshade and Edward working together spurred him into action. In a fluid motion of habit and experience Captain America threw his shield at Leatherback's face when both Nightshade and Iron Man were clear.
Catching his shield in his left hand, the hand that was not hurt from his fight with Leatherback, Captain America prepared to through it again at the monster. He watched from where he was standing as both Iron Man and Nightshade took turns on attacking Leatherback as Thor and Edward held him back. When it was clear Captain America threw his shield. This time it was not at Leatherback's face it was at his wounded chest and stomach. Catching his shield again, Steve watched as Leatherback roared in pain from the pain of his open wounds. He tried to make a move, but Edward and Thor were holding him back with all their strength. Seeing that Leatherback was about to break free from their hold Captain America made his move.
Captain America threw his shield back at Leatherback but this time something new happened. The shield did not reach its target. Leatherback had gotten wise to their tactics and was no longer allowing them to continue with it. With a mighty roar that caused the hidden the receptionist to get closer to the floor of where she was hiding as she kept filming the battle in secret. Steve nor the two keeping him at bay didn't have time to comparand what he was about to do. Both Thor and Edward were flung into Nightshade and Iron Man by Leatherback.
Looking at the four grounded heroes before looking back at Leatherback who was between him and his shield. "Are you looking for something, Captain America?" Leatherback asked him when he became aware of what he was looking at.
Returning his attention back to the Avengers he noted that Thor was on top of Nightshade while Edward had landed on top of Iron Man. They were all not going to be moving for some time. Leatherback had made sure of that when he flung both Thor and Edward at Iron Man and Nightshade. Returning hid attention back to Leatherback he balled his fists, ready to fight him. "What are you doing here, Leatherback? What is yours and Seth's gain?" he asked seeing Iron Man stir from under Edward's dead weight. Steve was prepared to run should Leatherback lunge at him. He hoped that if he kept stalling him it would give Iron Man and Thor the time to either recover from being flung by Leatherback or ending up underneath an alien zombie.
He watched as Leatherback started to look him down from head to feet. His dark beady eyes narrowing when they returned to his face. "What is the gain?" Leatherback asked baring his teeth even more at the super soldier. "I will tell you the gain of Seth's plan human! He wants all of you to be in your rightful place! Bowing to him once again! Something that was denied to him by the High Priest of Osiris 3000 years ago!" Leatherback replied as he raised his massive hands above his head. "And with your death it will make his plan so much easier!" he roared as he brought down his fists. His intentions were clear to Captain America. He was going to squash him, and without his shield he was sure that he would not survive the attack. Even knowing this, he still stood his ground. He was not going to let this monster get the better of him and make him afraid of standing his ground.
The fists came down quickly and Steve kept standing in his spot. Blue eyes narrowed onto black beady eyes. Steve didn't move even when he heard the hum of repulsers charging up. He was keeping Leatherback focused on him as Iron Man prepared to fire a shot that would allow him the chance to get his shield to have a fighting chance against Leatherback. The fist was just above him when Iron Man took the chance to shoot the scaly monster repeatedly until Leatherback sell back onto his back. Steve dashed to the wall where his shield was embedded and with a sharp tug it came free as Iron Man continued to fire at Leatherback.
Captain America's shield being back in its normal place was the que for Iron Man to stop his assault on Leatherback. Hovering above the ground the armoured human kept his hands raised so his repulsers were locked onto Leatherback as he slowly got back his feet. They were down one Avenger and the two who had been fighting Leatherback for years were still out for the count. But they still outnumbered him two to one.
"Leatherback, stand down!" Captain America shouted readying his shield to throw at Leatherback.
Leatherback started to laugh at Captain America. "Have we missed a joke?" Iron Man shouted from where he was hovering above the ground and beside Captain America.
"I am not the problem little man. I am just the smokescreen for the real problem!" Leatherback sneered at the two standing Avengers.
"Seth!" Steve said to himself more than anything. He had heard that name a few times already. He had heard this morning from the man himself. He had heard it from Edward when he explained the best he could on what they had been doing since the last time he had seen them. From what he heard and saw of Seth he knew he was bad news. He was even worse than Loki and the Red Skull. He was a god of chaos not tricks and he craved war. And was more determined than Loki had ever been. Captain America knew that they had to stop him.