Like a Brother

Battle

I stared at the uniform in the mirror. American Dream has returned. I exited the room and stood by Steve. "So this is what American Dream looks like?" He asked.
"Yeah. Is it a little much?" I asked as I picked up a little bit of a smaller version of Steve's shield. We made our way for a jet with Clint and Natasha behind us.
"Who's that?" Clint asked.
"Stephanie Barns" I said shaking his hand, "or known as American Dream." Cap, Widow, me and Hawkeye walk towards and into the quinjet. A young SHIELD pilot looks and stands in our way.
"You are not authorized to be here..." He started but Steve interrupted him.
"Son... just don't" Steve said making me smile. We get inside and push the pilot out. We close the door before he could get back in. Clint and Natasha walked up to the main controls. Soon we were in the air. I stood next to Steve ready to fight.
"Whatever happens today I want you to know you're the closest thing right now I have as a family" Steve said as I held Bucky's dog tag tightly.
"Bucky would want us to fight" I said.
"Well, American Dream, be ready" Steve said as I smiled.
"Stark, we're heading north east" Natasha said as we arrived in New York.
"What, did you stop for drive-thru? Swing up park, I'm gonna lay 'me out for you" Tony said.
Flying up, Iron Man puts the following Chituari in view of the quinjet. Natasha takes out machine gun and fires at the Chituari. Clint looks out to his left window, finding a target.
"Yeah" he said.
"See them" Natasha said as Clint banks the jet toward Stark Tower. Aims the minigun at Loki. Yet Loki aims the scepter at the quinjet and fires a blast of energy. The quinjet is soon caught on fire. Clint maneuvers one wing of the jet. We spin and slow, dropping out of the air as we pass over skyscrapers. Steve grabs ahold of me and then we slam into the street. With all of us okay, Clint and Natasha unfasten their seatbelt a and open the ramp. Me and Steve grab our shields and run down following the two assassins. Each one of us have our respected weapons in hand. We arrive in the middle of a four-way street. Suddenly, the city lurches to a stop. A deep, primal rage bellows out. With a roar, a shadow comes over us. From the large portal overhead, a large beast flies out. Carrying hundreds of soldiers, the Chitauri Leviathan passes over us. We look up, out of our element. From both sides, Chitauri soldiers cling off and attach themselves to the sides of the buildings, sliding down. Some crash into the buildings and begin firing from their energy rifles at innocent people.
"Stark, are you seeing this?" I asked.
"I'm seeing, still working on believing. Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?" Tony asked over the earpiece.
"Banner?" Steve asked.
"Just keep me posted. JARVIS, find me a soft spot" Stark said.
"I'm going to the Tower" I said as the others watch Iron Man quietly fly behind and parallel with the Chitauri Leviathan. I ran towards the tower and made my way inside the elevator. Soon the doors opened and I ran inside. I run out onto the balcony to see Thor holding down Loki's face straight ahead, forcing him to watch the city falling to ash. I walked slowly towards them.
"Look at this! Look around you! You think this madness will end with your rule?" Thor asked as Loki tried to look away.
"It's too late. It's too late to stop it" Loki said as I stood behind Thor.
"No. We can. Together" Thor said as Loki looks at his brother, showing a sign of hope. Then Loki stabs Thor with a small knife and Thor kneels over.
"THOR!" I said.
"Sentiment" Loki said as Thor gets up, kicks Loki and lifts him into the air. Thor then slams him down, hard. Loki, bleeding, rolls over the edge. Me and Thor look down to see Loki on a flying chariot. Dozens of Chituari follow his lead. I take a deep breath before jumping off the tower and landing on one of the chariots. I kicked the driver of the chariot off and down to the city below. I learned the controls and made it go faster. I was so close. Loki was right in front of me. I stood up and he turned and saw me. I smiled as I jumped and landed on the chariot.
"You don't know how scary that was" I said smiling as I used my shield to hit the controls. Loki quickly grabbed me before I could damage anything else. He held the blade of his scepter to my neck and smiled.
"Watch" he said as a chain of explosions smash cars and send people hurling as the chariots does off in one final conflagration. I saw Steve and the others below. Steve had a concerned look. I elbowed Loki in the gut and smashed the controls once more. I watch as people below run. Loki took my shield and tossed it down to the city below
"You'll never stop me. Your friends will have trouble. Fighting you" Loki said as he spun me around and held his scepter to my heart. I felt something change within me. NO! I was no longer in control of myself. Loki smiled before letting go of my arm. Once we got of the bridge I jumped off. Don't make me hurt anyone! My legs began to walk forward. No! I saw Steve not to far away. He jumped off a car and I quickly tackled him.
"Steph!" Steve said as he noticed a tear slide down my cheek and my horrifying blue eyes. He kicked me off of him and pinned me to the road.
"Get out of her mind!" He yelled before he had tears in his eyes. I kicked him off of me and pinned him back down to the ground. I brought a knife to his cheek and smiled.
"End of the line" I said. Steve stopped at stared at me for a while. He kicked me off of him and pinned me against a car. He held his hand around my throat.
"Get out of her mind!" He hissed again. Tears began to roll down his pale cheeks that had dirt smeared on them. He quickly brought his shield up ready hit me in the head. My eyes widened. Loki had full control. I punched Steve in the stomach making him kneel over. We were sort of equally matched. He looked up with a look that caused me to shiver. Loki had crossed the line. I stood up just in time to be grabbed by Steve and pushed up against a brick wall. I let out a scream in pain. He once again held his shield up to hit me but I kicked him where it hurts. I kicked him again making him fall to the ground. I fought Loki inside trying to get out. I let out a scream and held my head tightly.
"GET OUT!" I screamed as Steve quickly stood up and with no hesitation hit me in the head with his shield. I dropped to the floor and felt Loki leave my mind. I breathed heavily and began to cry. Steve walked over and gathered me in his arms.
"It h-hurts" I cried as Steve picked me up bridal style. He ran fast down the street.
"S-Steve" I said.
"Don't Steph. I'm gonna get you to safety" he said running faster.
"I heal fast you goof!" I said as he stopped and put me down slowly. I got up slowly and stared at Steve.
"That hurt" I breathed making Steve smile.
"Remember when you said about telekinesis?" He asked.
"Yeah but it's not strong" I said.
"Use it" he said as Chitauri soldiers came forward. I walked forward and used my powers to send the group flying far. I brought them back and tore them apart slowly. Me and Steve join Natasha and Clint. Steve and me use our shields to swap and whack oncoming Chitauri soldiers. It's all to much on us until. Lighting strikes down from the sky, channeling the blast, firing the electricity out at the Chitauri soldiers around us. They're blasted back in a massive shockwave. The Chitauri soldiers convulse, then drop dead on the ground. Thor touches done onto the ground joining us.
"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked.
"The powers surrounding the cube is impenetrable" Thor said.
"Thor is right. We gotta deal with these guys" Tony said.
"How do we do this?" Nat asked.
"As a team" me and Steve said.
"I have unfinished business with Loki" Thor said.
"Yeah, get in line" Clint said. I agree with Clint.
"Save it. 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's gonna need us..." Steve started just then Bruce arrives on a small motorbike. Getting off, he looks around the city.
"So, this all seems horrible" Bruce said.
"I've seen worse" me and Natasha said.
"Sorry" Bruce said.
"No. We could use a little worse" Natasha said.
"Stark? We got him" Steve said
"Banner?" Stark asked.
"Just like you said" I said smiling.
"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bring the party to you" Tony said as Iron Man comes out from behind a building. The Chitauri Leviathan follows, impatiently. The rest of us look up, getting ready and standing still.
"I... I don't see how that's a party..." Natasha said as Tony swoops down the street and the Leviathan follows, barreling down the street like a freight train that keeps building and it's building intensity. Bruce looks behind and me and Steve look at him. Bruce begins to walk towards the monster.
"Dr. Banner. Now might be a really good time for you to get angry" Steve said.
"That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry" Bruce said as his body starts to swell and stretch and harden and the color green shoots through his body. The Hulk. And... SMASH! The Hulk pops the Chitauri right in the nose. The creature flips over in a 360. Iron Man, in mid-flight, extends his arm out and a rocket, ready to shoot. Iron Man fires the rocket hits a soft spot. The large create is completely blown away. Pieces of the creature catch fire and fall. They sizzle as they hit the pavement. Steve raises his shield to block them. I duck under Steve's shield. From above and on the buildings, the Chitauri army watches in horror as a group of Earth's Mightiest Heroes find ourselves untied against a common threat. To fight the foes no single super hero could withstand. We are the Avengers! From the portal, thousands more of Chitauri soldiers and even more Leviathans fly out. We look up. We are way out of our element.
"Guys" Natasha said.
"Call it, Cap" Tony said.
"Alright, listen up. 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 strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or turn it to ash" Steve ordered.
"Wanna give me a lift?" Clint asked Tony.
"Right. Better clench up, Legolas" Tony said as he lifts Clint up to the building.
"Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've the lightning. Light the bastards up" Steve said as Thor flies up, "the three of us stay on the ground keep the fighting here. And Hulk... Smash!"
The Hulk smiles a most magnificent grin and leaps, soaring high up to the nearest building and runs up the wall hitting serval Chitauri soldiers. The three of us run off. Steve grabs my arm.
"Stay safe. Don't die" he said hugging me.
"I promise. And if you die I'll kill you" I said smiling.
"How can you kill me if I'm already dead?" He asked.
"Let's hope you never find out, Rogers" I said running off. I sent a few Chituari soldiers flying into a wall of a building. It's getting stronger. They shot at me but I blocked it. I didn't have my shield. I ran toward and jumped up wrapped my legs around the soldier and made him collapse to the ground. I took his gun and shot at the other Chituari. I ran and jumped off the bridge onto a car. I flipped off the car and saw some people hiding behind a car. I ran forward and took down the Chituari that were about to shoot them.
"Get to safety" I said as they stood up and ran toward the subway where officers were leading other civilians there. I ran and took out some more Chituari. I felt something grab my neck and soon I was hanging off of a chariot.
"You poor stupid mortal" Loki hissed harshly as he kept a grip on my neck, "you'll never win. I know all your weaknesses. How's James?"
"You...jerk" I said between breaths as he brought me up onto the chariot.
"He died didn't he. Fell off a moving train" he said as I kicked and squirmed trying to get away. He tightened his grip, "I bet he was happy to get away from you."
"You don't know anything" I hissed harshly.
"I wonder if you'll survive the fall" he said holding me over the side. I screamed but he didn't drop me. I open my eyes to see Loki holding an arrow. Clint fired that arrow. Loki looks at Barton and smiles then the arrow explodes causing me and Loki to crash into the Stark Penthouse Pad. I got up slowly and stared at Loki. He got up and we rushed at each other. He swung at me but I quickly ducked. I slid my leg under his and made him fall down. He pinned me to the floor and held a knife. He slid the metal blade across my uniform slicing the fabric. Soon I felt the metal touch my skin. It was cold. I let out a whimper as he sliced into my skin. I let out a scream in pain and pushed Loki off of me. I held my side and the crimson colored liquid leaked out onto my hand. The pain was awful. I tried to stand but it hurt to much.
"Just know that your death came by the hand of Loki Odinson" he said getting up.
"No. Just know your death came by the hand of the H-Hulk" I said as he turned to see The Hulk leaping toward the tower. The Hulk kicks Loki hurtling him towards the glass window. He collapses as he hits the wall. The Hulk jumps in, ready to attack. Loki rolls himself up in a flurry of broken glass, standing up to the hulk.
"Enough! You are, all of you are beneath me! I am a god, you dull creature, and I will not be bullied..." Loki starts but The Hulk grabs Loki by the legs and smashes him against the floor repeatedly and finally throws him aside to the ground, flattening Loki.
"Puny God" The Hulk said walking away as Loki whimpers in pain. I looked down at my wound. Blood was ever where. I felt sick. I grabbed the table and lifted myself off the ground. I hissed in pain as I stood up.
"You'll die" Loki said smiling.
"At least I'll die serving my country" I said standing up. Loki smiled even more as he used his own powers against me. A loud screeching noise in my head caused me to kneel over on the ground. I held my head in my hands trying to block put the noise. I collapsed on the cold ground only hearing Loki's distant laughter. Soon everything around me went dark. Darkness consumed my vision.
Third Person P.O.V
Loki crawls onto the stair, looking awful. He takes a few breathers, senses someone is behind him. He turns to find the Avengers staring at him clearly mad.
"If it's all the same to you. I'll have that drink" Loki said. Steve looks over and sees Stephanie. He rushes over to realizing she's out cold. Blood stained her suit. He quickly picks her up bridal style.
"We need to get her medical attention" Steve said.
"Get her back to SHIELD" Natasha said as Thor and Tony grabbed Loki.

Several hours later Stephanie was laying in a hospital bed at SHIELD. Loki clearly wanted to kill her. Steve sat by her bedside and held her small hand in his. Worry written across his features. She's been like a sister to him for so many years. He felt tears in his eyes as he rubbed his thumb across her pale hand. Bruce was running test in the lab with Tony making sure that she'd be alright. Steve couldn't help but be mad at Loki. Loki could've killed her but he didn't. He could've dropped her off the chariot. He could've stabbed her. He could've done many other things to her. A bandage wrapped around her side was soaked in the crimson colored liquid. Steve was worried. Very worried. Natasha has tried to get him to sleep but Steve would always tell her to leave him alone. Not in a rude way though. Stephanie was pale. Very pale. Her body was a little cold. Then Steve's heart skipped a beat. The machine let out a long BEEP! Steve put his head down on the bed and cried softly. He held her cold hand tightly not wanting to let go. Bruce and Tony came in and told she was gone. Steve didn't want to believe it. Thor came in and so did Natasha. She died with honor. They shut off the machines and stared at the two in silence. She was gone. She was really gone. Steve held her hand tightly. Everyone left the room so he could say goodbye to the person he cared about since Bucky introduced them to each other.
"Stephanie, I want you to know that you're the best thing that has ever happened to me and Bucky. Even though Bucky isn't here to agree. Buck would've been proud of you. He would've been so proud. You fought for your country. And you died trying. But we won. You died with honor, Steph. I'm not sure you can hear me" Steve said trying to keep himself from crying. He laid his head down on the uninjured side of Stephanie's stomach. Steve cried for a while but he felt something on his head. Someone was playing with his hair. He moved his head up to see Stephanie's bright blue eyes open and a smile on her face. Steve smiled through his tears before hugging the teenager. Not wanting to hurt the poor girl, he didn't hug her tightly. Steve cried happy tears.
"Can't get rid of me that easily" she said smiling as she buried her face in Steve's neck. He wouldn't lose her again.