Man Out of Time - A Captain America / Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Steve hung back, the small ship hugging the water so closely he could swear waves lapped at the bottom of the escape pod. Under the radar … literally. Two could play at this game. The glider had a small enough profile that, so long as he stayed low, he would be invisible to the Other's radar.

The escape pod sped west until it felt as though Steve would freeze and fall into the ocean. He could feel the siren call of the cold, whispering to him to close his eyes and give in to the sleeplessness which had plagued him ever since Bernice had been taken. He fought it. Bernice was alive. He was certain of it. But unless he got rid of the bastard who had taken her, she would always be a target. What protection did they have against an enemy who could assume any form?

Steve huddled behind the inadequate wind-shield of the glider and moved his shield to cut the wind blowing into his face. His suit gave some protection from extremes of weather, but it was December and he was over open harbor. He sighed with relief as the escape pod adjusted its direction and headed for the now-inactive Floyd Bennett airfield in southern Brooklyn. The pod landed next to a burned-out NYPD helicopter, shot down before it had gotten airborne. A figure leaped out and ran towards the hanger leased by the NYPD Emergency Services Unit for their air support. It came as no surprise that the bastard had gotten his claws into the NYPD, just as he had every other faction of government, at least one mystery solved.

Steve hung back until the door shut behind the man he was positive was the Other wearing human form. The NYPD Emergency Service Unit building was otherwise empty, every man and woman on the force currently fighting aliens or helping civilians escape. He circled the building and came in for a landing, hiding the glider behind a parked truck, just as the hanger door slid open. There were only supposed to be SWAT vehicles and training equipment stored at this base, but inside the building was a NY State Police helicopter. With such transportation, the Other could fly straight through the numerous police and military support vehicles swarming the city, subduing the remaining drones as the Avengers stormed the downed enemy mothership without arousing suspicion and escape.

He'd be damned if he let that happen! If the Other had his claws into both the NYPD and State Police, that meant he had a mole someplace inside the command structure. He dared not alert the others using normal channels. Steve changed frequencies on his radio to one they had quietly agreed amongst themselves would be a default frequency after the Natashimposter incident.

"JARVIS," Steve called into the radio. "This is Cap. Could you please put me through to Tony?"

"Greetings, Commander Rogers," JARVIS greeted. "I am hailing him now."

Steve watched the man in the hanger begin to unstrap the chock blocks and other safety equipment keeping the helicopter secure inside the hanger and begin to do his circle check. As he watched, the man pulled a state police jumpsuit out of one of the lockers and pulled it over his clothes. The blades on the helicopter began to spin slowly as the engines began to warm up. The Other was going to fly it right out of the hanger? Cocky bastard!

"Yo!" Tony's voice came over the radio. "Where'd you go, Cap? It's not like you to disappear for the mop-up."

"The enemy leader is trying to escape," Steve called into the radio. "He's got a New York State Police chopper stashed at Floyd Bennett. Bell 206B. Tail number N43COP."

"That chopper was reported downed several months ago, Commander Rogers," JARVIS chirped in. "Supposedly it crashed."

"Well I'm looking at it right now," Steve said. "And he's firing up the blades."

"That means he's got a mole inside the NYPD," Tony said.

"My thoughts exactly," Steve said. "Which is why I'm using this channel."