Avengers The Captain's Secret

Part 22: Jotnar Coup

CAP POV

I commandeered motorcycles.

I've never commandeered anything before unless in battle, and it still wasn't a problem. We raced the interstate to get back to SHIELD headquarters. Being who we were, and me being in uniform, people got out of the way. That worked for me.

As we got closer, I could see smoke coming from the building. I kicked the bike into highest gear to get there as my heart filled with dread. "No," I told myself. "No."

I jumped off the bike, not paying attention to it crashing on its side. I could hear Widow and Hawkeye behind me. I ran inside, quickly taking in the sight of medics attending people in the lobby. There weren't many, and that was a small relief. I ignored the elevator and took the steps down to the control center. I tapped my comlink. "Tony?"

"Control Center, meeting room."

So he was there. I didn't know what that meant, but it didn't sound good.

"Tony?!" I called, entering the large area. I saw him sitting next to his Iron suit. It looked like it had been cracked open. It also looked like it had been frozen. I knelt down next to him. "What happened? Where's Lesedi?" I watched his gaze raise past my shoulder so I turned. "What happened, Fury?"

"You just screwed everybody, didn't you?" Tony said. "Didn't you?" His gaze returned to me. "Did you know that Tommes was picked to do retrieval and disposal in New York? Let me get this straight-we can give you tech and backup to protect the damn planet, but you don't trust us to clean it up?!"

"I don't have time for this, Tony," Fury said, turning on his heel, and began barking orders, but was staggering as if he was shaking off something. "I need surveillance, all operatives up and moving, here!"

"Where's Sedi?"

"What?"

I grabbed him by the shoulders. "Where's Eve, Tony?"

"Gone."

"Gone?" I repeated. "Gone where?"

"If she is on this planet, we'll find her, Cap," Fury said, not sparing us a look. He was looking at a distorted screen of the world with dots all over it. "Worldwide debrief?"

"Initiating," a technician said.

"The Jotnar took her."

Tony spoke softly, so I wasn't sure I heard right. "The who?"

Tony sat up straight and looked me in the eyes. "The Jotnar—" he looked at the hole in the ceiling. "the ice giants--took her." He looked even angrier as he glared at Fury. "And they had help."

I felt like I wanted to crawl out of my skin. I wanted to tear something apart. "Your quarters?"

"You bet. Help me up."

I pulled Tony to his feet just in time to see Widow and Hawkeye enter the center. They looked around.

"Budapest?" I heard Widow say as I started walking him out.

"New York is the new Budapest, so I'd say no." Hawkeye looked around and then at me as we passed him. "The hell happened?"

"We had visitors." I threw over my shoulder. "On me." We all went to Tony's chambers, me helping Tony and Widow and Hawkeye dragging the suit. "What is it?" I knew he had information to share, and he didn't feel comfortable around Fury. "What happened?"

"Jarvis?" Tony said.

The suit shot a beam on the wall. It was all from Tony's point of view:

"Let me get this straight," Tony said, entering the control center. "Tommes got New York?"