Captain On Ice

Chapter 4

The Avengers arrived at the scene of the emergency in a matter of minutes; Steve and Clint were still fastening their utility belts by the time their transportation - a cargo van adorned with the logo for a delivery company so as not to attract attention - screeched to a halt. There was a moment of tension between Natasha and Steve when they exchanged glances, the air thick with Natasha's unspoken words, we're not done. This did not go unnoticed by Bruce, who questioned the nonverbal communication for a moment before coming to the conclusion that it would be best if he refrained from involving himself. It was Steve who broke the deafening silence.

"Okay, team, we've got at least 30 hostages in there. Probably a dozen or so bad guys." Tony rolled his eyes at Capsicle's old-fashioned criminal jargon before returning his attention to the Captain. "They're not willing to negotiate. Chatter is that they want to destroy the building and all of the files on debt inside the computers." At this, Tony let out a light chuckle, to which Steve responded with a tinge of sarcasm. "Mr. Stark? Have something to share with the class?"

"They think they're going to just get rid of the nation's debt by blowing up the corporate office of a credit card company? Really? Do they not understand that there's backups? And backups of backups? And backups of those backups?" Tony babbled on like it was as clear as day, but Steve still looked like the information went straight over his head.

"Don't forget that they also want thirty million dollars," Natasha said dryly.

"Ah, yes, of course," Tony returned his attention back to Steve. "O Captain! My Captain! What doth our fearless leader command us to do?" Tony tried his best Thor imitation.

"Draw them out. There are exits here," he pointed to a small corner on one of the blueprints, "here, here, and here," tracing his finger along the diagram in a fluid motion. "They'll have these exits guarded by men with assault rifles and, if they're smart, tripwires. These are a no go. There's a fire escape on the north wall and a catwalk on the west wall. Tony, Natasha, we need you two to cause a distraction. They'll expect us to gain access that way. Clint and I will make our way to the roof. There's a fireplace on the third floor," Steve pointed to a rectangle on the schematics, "so we might be able to get the jump on them. Got it?" Steve didn't have to wait for a reply to know they understood.

"Let's rock and roll," Clint said as he swung the door of the van open. They split off into two directions, Clint and Steve sprinting to the taller building behind their target and Tony carrying Natasha as his suit propelled them off the ground.

"What about me?!" Bruce called out in vain before retreating to the front of the van.

"I'm not so sure about this, Captain," Clint wondered aloud as he twiddled his thumbs, "I don't think I'll be able to make it across."

They were staring at the 20-foot gap that separated the building they were on and their target. Steve knew he could make the jump in his sleep, but Clint, that was a different story.

"Can't you, you know, use your arrows? The one for rappelling?" Steve asked, perplexed.

"No can do, Cap. There's no structure above that I can latch on to."

Silence permeated the duo, with Clint searching for alternate ways to access the roof while Steve stood at the edge, gears and cogs twisting in his mind. Clint could practically see a light bulb go off by the change in Steve's expression.

"I think I have an idea," Steve began. "I'll launch you. If Natasha can do it, you can do it."

"Don't ever let her hear you say that," Clint began, then paused, furrowing his brow. "Yeah, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. Oh, wait, it would hurt. That's really dangerous, Cap." His expression was stone for a moment before a mischievous grin crept across Clint's face. "This should be fun."

Clint backed away from Steve and toward the opposite side of the roof before giving Steve an uncertain nod. Steve leaned down, his shield resting on his knees as he found a firm grip on the worn leather straps, and he returned Clint's nod. Tiny pebbles kicked up beneath Clint's feet as he began his sprint toward Steve. When Clint was just a few feet away from him, Steve adjusted the shield for where he thought Clint would step, and a fraction of a second later, Clint landed on the shield, knees bent. Steve pushed the shield and its passenger outward, and just before he was about to lose contact with the shield, Clint extended his legs with all his might, sending him rocketing across the chasm like a hawk. Steve thought for a moment that he overshot, for Clint seemed to just keep flying and flying, never showing a sign of descent. His fears were quelled when Clint landed in the center of the roof, and Steve thought for a moment that he would land on his feet, only to be mistaken when Clint went tumbling and rolling for a short distance. Clint turned around to face Steve with a sheepish grin and an enthusiastic thumbs up - a thumbs up that quickly turned into a middle finger as Clint surveyed the dirt on his clothing.

In a flash, Steve was standing next to Clint, surveying him for damage. "Jesus, Cap, you didn't even have to give yourself a running start!"

"My landing still wasn't nearly as graceful as yours," Steve mumbled to Clint before turning his attention to the massive section of brick sticking out of the roof like a sore thumb. "That's our way in," Steve announced. Clint was the first one to notice that the top of the chimney - where there should have been a gaping hole - was nothing but more brick and mortar.

"Looks like they covered it up years ago," Clint began as Steve slid his hand into a crevice where mortar once stood. The chimney gave nearly no resistance, as Steve showed no sign of struggle when he tossed the chunk aside - a chunk that was the size of the bed of a pickup truck. Steve took no time before leaping into the dark, unpredictable tunnel, arms and legs outstretched as he shimmied downward with his appendages firmly planted against all four walls.

"And who said chivalry was dead?" Clint mused before he dove into the chimney as well.

Reviews 💕💕