Here is the second instalment for the day... hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters that may be used or any Marvel storylines or arcs.
Claimer: I only own the character Elizabeth Jones (Lowri Jones and any other names she uses) and her story past, present and future.
Recap
She was cut and bruised all over her arms and torso but she managed to kill more than the amount that hurt her.
Now that Lowri was flying around, those that did shoot the blue beams didn't hit her at all and for that, she was thankful. She couldn't deal with an injury like that at this time.
Lowri shot towards one of the flying ships and flew over it, she was aiming to hover over it and set it on fire but she was hit in the stomach as she flew over and she was thrown backwards onto the flying ship.
She almost rolled off but she clung on and pulled herself on. The two Chitauri soldiers turned to her, but the one at the front was the one controlling the flying ship turned back to control it while the one at the back, pulled its knife out and wielded it at her.
Lowri ignored the blood dripping from her side and she kicked the legs of her attacker out from under it. Lowri fell to the floor and used her feet to push the Chitauri from the ship and she crouched on the balls of her feet and turned to the Chitauri soldier at the front and quickly grabbed the knife from where it had fallen to the floor. She sliced the Chitauri soldier's neck and he bled out, then fell to the earth.
She turned to leave the flying ship before it could fly out of control and she spied Loki flying away from her with a sickening smile on his face. It was he who had shot the blue beam at her. She threw herself from the flying ship and summoned her fire but nothing came to her.
For a long moment, it was as though she was frozen in mid-air and she saw Loki hold up a hand and she realised he was the one control her fire. How is that even possible?
Lowri felt heavy in the air and then Loki opened his fist and she dropped. Her fire wouldn't come to her, there was nothing she could do slow down her fall.
She fell far too quickly and she saw the looming yellow bus, welcoming her. She landed with a painful thump and the metal bus crumpled around her.
Her breath escaped her lips and her eyesight dimmed as pain exploded everywhere.
"Shit!" Tony's voice rang in Steve's ear. "Lowri's down."
"What do you mean, 'Lowri's down'? What happened? Stark?" Steve asked urgently. He stood up straighter.
"She fell. Loki did something to her fire and she couldn't stop herself from falling. She's breathing. I've moved her somewhere safe." Stark reported.
Steve launched himself away from the dead Chitauri soldiers surrounding him and pulled himself up onto the bridge where Agent Romanoff was. She spun to meet him with one of the Chitauri weapons in her hands and ready to use against him.
"As long as you've got her somewhere safe, that's fine." Steve replied.
Steve drew up his shield but dropped it when she exhaled and she relaxed. Agent Romanoff lowered the weapon and slumped against the car beside her.
"I don't know where she is, but she's tough. She's survived worse than that fall. She'll be alright." Agent Romanoff breathed.
"Stark's moved her to a safe place." Steve said as he stepped closer.
"Well, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal." Agent Romanoff said, she breathed out heavily and placed one of her hands on the car behind her.
Steve turned and looked at the portal that hung above the Stark Tower where there were plenty of Chitauri soldiers pouring from the portal.
"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it." Steve noted.
"Well, maybe it's not all about guns." Agent Romanoff said, she pursed her lips and looked up at the Stark Tower.
"If you wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride." Steve said, he turned back around to look at Agent Romanoff.
She looked away from the Stark Tower and her eyes locked onto those flying ships that were heading their way.
"I got a ride." Agent Romanoff said, she tossed the Chitauri weapon in her hand away from her and it clanked onto the ground, she pushed herself away from the car and she strode to the other side of the bridge and turned to face Steve. "I could use a boost though."
Steve looked back at the flying ships and then looked back at Agent Romanoff.
"Are you sure about this?" Steve asked, he pulled his shield in front of him and he crouched slightly on the ground, bracing himself.
"Yeah. It's gonna be fun." Agent Romanoff said but she didn't sound so sure. Instead, she pulled a face at him, looked up and breathed out heavily before taking a running start. She headed for the car she had just been leaning against, jumped up onto the bonnet and jumped onto Steve's shield. She landed two feet onto the shield and he pushed hard up and she was launched into the air.
Agent Romanoff caught onto the edge of one of the flying ships and was jetted off.
Immediately, Steve's attention was drawn to the numerous Chitauri soldiers approaching him from across the bridge. They roared, chanted and hissed at him as they neared.
Steve had to admire the way they didn't care if they died, these were the ultimate soldiers, fighting for their chosen leader right up until death.
One Chitauri soldier after another fell as Steve's feet as he swiftly moved through the swarm of soldiers heading his way. By the time he had gotten through this squad, he ended up on the road closest to the Stark Tower.
This road was wider and capable of holding more Chitauri soldiers, more than Steve could handle by himself.
When there was a lull in the attacks, he surveyed the road in front of him and his heart almost fell at the sight of the numerous Chitauri soldiers surging towards him. He tried to think of a way out of this, but there didn't seem to be a logical way out.
And then Stark swooped in and landed as he aimed one of his lasers along one line of Chitauri soldiers, he killed a fair few and turned to Steve.
"Shield!" Stark yelled and Steve turned to see Stark with both of his hands raised. Steve lifted his shield and Stark set his lasers onto shield, the lasers bounced off the shield and killed the Chitauri soldiers just in front of him.
Steve angle the shield differently and took even more Chitauri soldiers down. Steve called out his thanks and jumped in the air to kick one of the soldiers down. Steve slammed his fist into the face.
More Chitauri soldiers rushed at him but this time he was able to push them back. The last one that attacked, proved to be harder to take down. Steve was knocked back again and again, he fell and he threw his shield at the chest of the soldier attacking him and that killed the Chitauri soldier.
"Captain, at the bank on 42nd past Madison. They've cornered a lot of civilians in there." Barton reported.
Steve slowly got to his feet, feeling all his muscles aching but he pushed on.
"I'm on it." Steve replied in a breathy tone. Steve bent to pick up his shield, grimaced as the muscles in his stomach protested and he began jogging his way down to the bank on 42nd.
The doors were barricaded from the inside, so Steve jumped onto a car, then onto a bus and he rolled through one of the windows on the building.
Quickly, Steve took in the scene, dozens and dozens of civilians stood on a lower floor, all looking petrified and stood above them were three Chitauri soldiers.
All three turned when they heard the window crashed and one of them held a strange object in their hands. It expanded and lit up, and began beeping. A bomb.
Acting on his instincts, Steve threw his shield with careful aim at the Chitauri soldier holding the beeping bomb and the shield knocked the soldier out clean. The two remaining Chitauri soldiers spun to face Steve and began shooting their strange weapons at him.
Steve ducked behind an overturned table and then booted it hard at the two Chitauri soldiers, the one at the front caught the full force of the table and was knocked down.
Steve jumped back up and jumped over the table and he attacked the last Chitauri soldier. He ducked a poorly aimed punch and get a few of his own in before wrapping his arms around the soldier's neck and Steve snapped it.
The body fell out of Steve's arms and slumped over the balcony, it fell into the midst of the civilians that had been watching with horror-struck expressions.
Steve stepped closer to the balcony and laid his hands on the stone rail. "Everyone, clear out!" Steve yelled but a few of the women in the crowd below gasped and pointed and then all of a sudden, a pair of burly arms were around Steve's neck, squeezing tight and choking him.
Steve pulled his elbow back sharply into the Chitauri's gut and the soldier faltered, giving Steve time to react. There was a slight scuffle and Steve's mask was ripped off, but Steve launched himself over the back of the soldier and he got away from the soldier.
He rolled and landed by his shield just as the beeping bomb picked up the pace and the remaining Chitauri soldier lobbed the bomb at Steve. It gave Steve enough time to jump into the air and be covered by his shield fully when the bomb connected with the shield and detonated. Steve was flung out of the window and he landed a story down.
Steve landed on a car just outside of the bank, he had landed on his stomach and he was stunned. The car moulded around him as he landed and for a second, all Steve wanted to do was lie there.
Everything that was aching before is definitely aching now, and there's roaring in his ears from the explosion and he feels dazed. He knows that he needs to get up but he doesn't want to.
Steve moved slowly, he got down from the car and he heard Barton's voice in his ear, reporting a large group of Chitauri soldiers gathering a few blocks over.
Thor was busy battling this group of Chitauri, his lightning was useful against the soldiers but even he was lagging in this tiresome fight.
Steve's arrival made things much easier for Thor, the Super Soldier was still fighting fit, despite a little tired and aching, but it was clear that Steve couldn't push himself further for much longer.
Steve knocked one Chitauri soldier back with his shield and it fell at his feet, Steve turned and aimed his shield at another soldier and then out of nowhere, a bluebeam came from one of the Chitauri weapons and hit him square in the stomach. it stunned him and sent him crashing to the floor.
Slowly, Steve raised himself up onto his knees and pressed a hand to his stomach, fearing that the shot had ripped through his uniform and opened a wound in his stomach, like Loki had done to Elizabeth just hours before, but he was glad to see that there was no blood, no gash in his uniform. The shot had merely knocked him down and stunned him.
Thor let out a cry of rage and knocked a large car towards the remaining Chitauri soldiers and knocked them all down except for one but Thor threw his hammer at the last solider and killed him.
Steve stayed on his knees, breathing in and out slowly, taking this lull in the battle to gather himself.
Thor turned back to Steve with a serious look on his face and he offered Steve a hand to help him to his feet once more.
"Are you ready for another bout?" Thor asked, he kept an eye on the Chitauri soldiers that began gathering around them once more,
Steve looked up at Thor and then spotted the gathering Chitauri soldiers. He kept one hand to his stomach and took Thor's hand to get up.
"What, are you getting sleepy?" Steve asked, he tried to laugh it off but his stomach hurt too much to laugh.
Thor smiled at him and summoned his hammer.
"I can close it. Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down." Agent Romanoff said, her voice sounded in Steve's ears and he immediately straightened up.
Her words gave everyone hope, if they can close the portal, then they can easily wipe out the remaining Chitauri soldiers.
Steve and Thor shared a quick look before Steve looked back up at the looming portal.
"Do it." Steve ordered quickly.
"No, wait." Stark put in. Steve silently cursed Stark for butting in. They needed to close the portal to stop more soldiers falling through and causing more havoc and pain.
"Stark, those things are still coming." Steve said.
"I got a nuke coming in. it's gonna blow in less than a minute." Stark said, there was a moment's silence to let the news settle in. "And I know just where to put it."
"Stark, you know that's a one-way trip." Stark said.
"Save the rest for the turn, J." Stark said, there was another pause. "Someone tell Lowri that I finally said her name? She's in the doorway of a bakery just off the bridge."
Steve's stomach shifted uncomfortably as he waited with Thor, surrounded by plenty of Chitauri gathering and moving closer as Stark flew overhead with the nuke. Stark flew up the side of the Stark Tower, heading right for the portal and then he disappeared, nuke and all.
The next few moments were horrible. There was a massive explosion in the skies on the other side of the portal and then all of the remaining Chitauri soldiers on the ground with them just dropped dead like flies.
But Stark was still on the other side and the explosion looked like it was getting too close to the portal opening and bits of debris would start raining down on them.
Thor and Steve shared another look before looking back up at the portal with worry knowing at them.
Steve hated to be the man to do it, but he had to.
"Close it." Steve ordered quietly.
A moment later, the blue stem coming from the portal down to the Stark Tower simply shot up into the sky and the sky seemed to stitch itself back up as the portal retreated upwards quickly.
Just as the sky repaired itself, a figure of red and gold fell through, making relief soar through everyone who was watching.
"Son of a gun." Steve muttered as Stark fell.
But there was something strange about the way that Stark was falling, his limbs were all over the place and it was as though he was spinning out of control.
"He's not slowing down." Thor said urgently, he began to swing his hammer so he could take flight and catch Stark but something huge and green streaked across the sky and grabbed hold of Stark.
The fall was slowed when Banner hit a building and slid down slowly, he threw himself off the building and he hit the ground on the bridge just in front of Thor and Steve, landing on his back with Stark on his chest. Banner threw Stark off as soon as he landed.
Stark lay on his side, unmoving. Steve and Thor moved towards them as Banner got to his feet and turned to Stark.
Thor easily turned Stark onto his back and he ripped the metal mask from Stark's face.
"Is he breathing?" Steve asked as he moved closer. Steve got down on his knees beside Stark and bent to listen for his breath but as he turned his head to look down at Stark's chest, he saw the light from his Arc Reactor that kept him alive was out.
Steve sat back on his heels and looked down at Stark, a torrent of thoughts rushed through his head at once. No matter how much this man actually got on his nerves, he's still the son of a great man, the son of a friend.
Banner let out this gut-wrenching roar that echoed around the buildings, not only did Steve jump out of his skin at the ferocity of the roar but Stark let out a sharp yelp and began breathing heavily. Banner roared again, this time, even louder.
"What the hell?" Stark asked, he looked around the group. "What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me."
Steve leant back on his heels once more and breathed out heavily.
"We won." Steve breathed. He felt happy and relieved knowing that Stark was alive and back to his usual sarcastic self but all of that came crashing down when he remembered that Elizabeth was still out there, somewhere, possibly injured or worse.
Lowri's eyes flew open suddenly, her eyes searched the beautiful, calm and silent sky before she realised that every bone in her body felt as though they had been through a grinder, that every muscle in her body felt as though she had been punched over a thousand times.
She looked around herself, tilting her head to the side to see that she was in a doorway with some baked goods in the windows.
She was lying on her back and she almost passed out from the amount of pain she was in just by sitting up.
What had happened? There had been aliens attacking New York, the Avengers had come together for the first time.
A roar shook the sky, rocketing against the buildings around her and it hurt her ears, she clamped her hands over her ears and curled around herself, groaning as she jolted sore muscles.
As the roar echoed around her, she used the wall behind her to get to her feet shakily with a hand pressed to her ribs.
She looked around her, instead of seeing hundreds and hundreds of Chitauri soldiers streaming through the streets of New York, she saw only dead Chitauri bodies. Lowri stared in amazement, what had happened while she was out?
Lowri pushed herself from the wall and walked a few paces before losing her balance and she collapsed to her knees, still with her hand pressed to her stomach. She pressed one of her hands against the tarmac and she breathed out slowly.
Another roar echoed through the street and Lowri practically jumped out of her skin. It sounded as though the roar was only up on the bridge above her.
Lowri got to her feet again, shakily but more stable this time, she stumbled and tripped as she walked but she gained her footing as she neared a footpath leading up to the bridge.
As she reached the top of the footpath, she spied four figures to the near left of her. One was lying on the floor, this was Tony, he looked extremely exhausted, as did they all. Steve was on his knees beside Tony and Thor was stood off to the side, these had their backs to Lowri but Banner was facing her.
It was so strange to see Banner as the Hulk, still with the anger only a few layers down.
She neared, stepping quietly. Her ribs still ached and she was sure she had a limp. She could hear Tony talking as she neared and she smiled when she realised it was his usual gibberish.
"Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's take a day. Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks away from here. I don't know what it is but I wanna try it." Tony rambled off.
Lowri smiled as she neared, "I fancy a bit of shawarma." Lowri said, her hand was still pressed to the bottom of her rib cage and she watched as Steve spun on his heels and his eyes looked up at her eagerly and happily.
"Elizabeth." Steve breathed, he got to his feet sharpish and met her in four steps. He tugged her into his arms and held her tight to him but he released when Lowri yelped as her ribs were jolted.
He looked down at her with concern written in his eyes but he didn't say anything.
"I'm alright." Lowri said quietly. Steve's shoulders slumped and he dropped his hands from her. She looked up into his eyes. "A little sore, but I'll live."
Behind them, Tony was now sitting up and looking at them.
"I always thought her name was Lowri." Tony remarked to Thor.
Thor ignored Tony's remark and he looked at Steve. "We are not finished yet." Thor said, looking right at Steve.
"And then shawarma after?" Tony asked hopefully. Thor looked down and helped Tony to his feet.
"Once this is over, we can eat all the shawarma you want." Thor said.
Steve turned to Lowri again and placed a hand on her back, "It's over. We've got to get Loki now." Steve said to her.
Lowri smiled gently. "He's the one that got me." Lowri said, she knotted her eyebrows. "He can control my fire."
"Loki is full of tricks, I doubt even he knows what he can control himself." Thor stated.
"Barton." Steve said, "Do you copy?"
"Yeah, Cap. I copy." Clint replied.
"Loki is in Stark Tower, we're on our way up. Fancy meeting us up there?" Steve asked.
"I'll be right over." Clint replied.
The last chapter of this story will be posted next week then the new story will be published in two weeks time.
I'm stumped for names for the next story, it's set during Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Read, Review, Follow & Favourite!