Steve's POV

We switched to stealth mode on the Quinjet. Clint suggested we gathered momentum then flew into the barrier. It would wreck the Jet a bit but we would make it.

"Hold on to your superhero asses." Tony said. We all held on to something as he directed the jet backwards then with a powerful zoom we penetrated the barrier. I saw Ellis Island in a blur and then the jet lost power.

We began to fall rapidly.

"Stark! "I yelled.

"Rebooting system. In three, two, one." Friday said then power came back on as we zoomed off towards nowhere in particular.

"Look, i don't mean to be a killjoy but where exactly are we headed?" Sam asked looking at me.

"To wherever the centre of that radiation is coming from!" Bruce answered as he leaned forward squinting his eyes to look at something far off. "Which i think, is over there!"

"That's really far off. It's Milwaukee." Clint said pushing a few buttons to take us out of stealth mode.

I pressed the earphone in my left ear."Nat? "

"Steve!" She answered over the line.

"What's the update on Thor?"

"We met up but Jane's not available. She was in some kind of meeting. We had to wait and we're still waiting but Thor's getting impatient and honestly, so am i. What's happening over there? "

"I don't think you can make it back from Austin. We've got a situation here."

"What's that?"

"There's a force field. About nine hundred and twenty three thousand watts in a form of a barrier around us. It covers down to Oklahoma then goes around to Michigan. That's it meeting point. We've broken through but it still stands. We think it's her."

"That's a lot of current. It should have exhausted her. I mean, the last time she used up to four hundred and sixteen watts of electricity, it drained her. "

"Yes, but she was injured and it was still healing. We're going to find out what's going on. Parker's still at the Tower. I'll let you know if things change here and you keep me posted on Jane."

"No problem Cap." She said then the line went dead temporarily.

"Sir, the force field is reducing rapidly by a hundred joules per minute. It's going to fall down soon enough." Friday reported.

"That's good. Widow said it'd drain her. She can't hold it up that long." I said.

The closer we got to Wisconsin, the weaker the barrier became. It finally dropped to only four hundred and fifty watts.

We landed at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There was a really dark cloud hovering above. It was like the night of a rough storm at sea.

The streets were quiet and newspapers flew all around in the wild wind that blew mercilessly.

A type of dark fog covered the area so it was difficult to see ahead, it was much better to see from above .

"Wanda, do you sense anyone around?" Vision asked.

"No, the whole place had been evacuated probably hours ago. I have a feeling the energy source is around here but i just don't know where."

"I'll point you in the right direction." A strange voice said from behind us. We turned around but there was no one. The voice was feminine but sounded like multiple robots talking at the same time.

Everyone took fighting positions. Tony put on the Iron Man suit immediately a disc flew right by his knee.

"Not a nice way to welcome an old friend Current!" He said.

"How do you know it's her?" Clint asked not lowering his bow.

"Oh, i'd know Current's voice even if it was edited at a sound studio. I'd already begun to like her enough." He replied gearing up his metal hand guns.

"You wanna play hide and seek now, huh?" Tony called out but we got strange wind whistles as a reply.

Then we heard the clashing of plates from a building across the street.

"She's luring us in. Let's play along. I love games. Who's coming?" Tony said flying straight towards the building.

"She doesn't talk like that. It's a trap. We have to be careful." I warned but Tony was Tony. We all followed him without any other options.

The building was empty and full of stairs with the rooms completely demolished. It was full of dust and broken things.

Clint made to climb up one of the stairs when he suddenly tripped over landing hard on his back. "Ow! "

Goosey, Goosey Gander
Where shall i wander?
Upstairs or downstairs or
In my lady's chamber?

The robotic voice sang swooping us off our feet one after the other.

"Still a preschooler, always a preschooler!" Tony said getting up with a lazy grunt.

"Ellesmere?" I called out then heard a low shushing sound. Almost like a rumble but youthful.

"Bipolar don't speak!" The voice said before i felt a hard pull on my legs. I fell face flat on the floor then felt my shield snatched away from my back. I jumped back up quickly.

"You resolving to stealing now?" I asked. " Wanda look out!!" I yelled but it was too late. My shield knocked her hard in the head and she blacked out. Vision picked her up immediately.

"I'll take her back to the Tower." He said then exited the dimly lit room.

"Current? We can talk this through!" Tony said rotating his shooting arm.

"Says the man who came in here without talking it through with them." The voice said but it sounded as if it was from above. Everyone looked up and that was our undoing. We were slammed hard to the wall with a force i recognized. Sonic energy.

A female figure emerged from the darkness and climbed up the stairs. The figure had a sort of blackness covering it, even in the light we couldn't see who it was.

Tony stood up then followed it carefully.

"Stark? She's not the person you know." Clint said.

Then i saw an old man
Who couldn't say his prayers
I took him by his left leg and
Threw him down the stairs
His bones went crack, crack!!

She sang again throwing Tony down the stairs. His bones cracked loudly even though his suit was on, we all heard it.

She finally came to view. Her hair was a long lush of jet black and her eyes shone an emerald green as if they had bulbs in them. There was a patch of black underneath each eye and her lips were drained of colour. She wore a black V-neck overall made of spandex. Finally, a uniform!!

"Kid, what happened to you?" Tony asked. We were all shocked to see her like that. She was totally different. Something had definitely happened to her.

"I think they've done something to her. Like Loki did with Selvig and Clint." Sam said.

"Why did you put up a barrier?" Bruce asked. He had been oddly quiet ever since.

She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Funny you should ask. It's to keep you in."

Suddenly, we saw an alien place a sceptre on Bruce's chest then he disappeared as quickly as he came. He groaned loudly then began to transform into the Hulk.

"You deal with the Green Loaf. I'll deal with the Asgardian and the mean Russian." She said then her eyes crackled with something like lightning, like Thor did with his hammer.

"Sir, she's putting up the barrier again! It's higher than the first one and more dangerous." Friday said.

"Have fun!" Ellesmere said then disappeared with the other alien.

Then it hit me like ice water. It was a trap. She let us in and wanted to keep us busy fighting Hulk while she took care of Thor and Nat and possibly Jane. We were trapped inside a force field and trying to leave was a death wish.

We all ran outside to find the Quinjet gone as well . Almost immediately, Hulk's roar tore through the town. And he wasn't very happy.

"Great! Just Great! Even Veronica couldn't take care of this." Tony said as his mask covered his face. I put out my shield, Clint armed his bow and Sam, his gun.

"We need an extra. There's someone nearby that can help." Tony said making a call i assumed.

"Yes Tony!"

"Rhodey, you busy?"

                                 ***********

I love the way War Machine comes in. It's classic, help in time of need kinda situation.

I'm sorry it's Bruce that got "compromised" but it was for the best. It makes sense that they had to bring him along. It was all part of the plan.

I also hope no one hates Ellesmere. She's not in her right mind right now.
 
*hits Elles on the head with the consciousness stick* 

*WHACK!*

Elles *What the hell was that for? *

Me *Ah, she's back yo. We can proceed with the announcements now.*

Lol, keep voting okay and drop the comments, keep em coming. It's legal!!

I'd have loved to focus on the fight here before moving on.

But

Let's go to Austin on the next page. Instead!!

Lots of love ❤❤