agoodyarn | for andimwearingtights: Man of SHIELD

for andimwearingtights: Man of SHIELD

The alien had come willingly.

Given the strange appearance of the digitized message they'd received on every electronic device, they'd all assumed he might look different. As alien as the message had claimed he was. And yet, other than the strange blue costume and the great billowing red cape, he was simply a young man: black hair, eyes as blue as any ocean, and a sad, dutiful expression that only seemed to more genuine through each indignity he was put through. He'd come for the reporter, the one who knew who he was. He'd come to save a friend who'd kept his secret and for that, he was put in handcuffs and treated like a criminal without a single trial.

Now, he was in a room being watched by SHIELD personnel as he sat and chatted amiably with Lois Lane, of all people. Handcuffed, surrounded by more terrifying weaponry than most civilians saw their entire lives, and yet he seemed calm. Determined.

But still, somewhat lonely.

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And that was all he needed to follow him. He wasn't as fast, not by far, but he was still following. Running at his own top speed, shield slung on his back. He had two of their Kryptonian guns, and now he saw what they were intending.

He knew how to end it. And a part of him knew that this... this was exactly where he needed to be.

When he saw the corn beginning to thin, he grabbed his shield, gun in the other hand, ready to face whatever was in front of him.

The threat that was after him turned out to be the county sheriff, who stared with wide eyes as he saw Captain America, gun in hand, and immediately raised his arms.

"I just came to investigate the explosion, sir!"

"Apologies, Sheriff." He quickly holstered his gun, patted the man's shoulder. "That was a pod from the alien ship. I was in it."

Small lie. Understandable enough. But he looked the man in the eye. "Is there another alien ship around here? Has anybody seen any of them coming toward the ground? It's important."

The man nodded quickly, his head almost a blur.

"That was where I was headed next. There's reports that they came down over the Kent farm. If you don't mind accompanying me, Captain... the widow Kent's alone there, as far as I know. Don't think her boy Clark's home at the moment..."

He gestured to the sheriff's car.

"Get in and I'll get you there."

"Thank you, sir. Give me your name and I'll make sure you're thanked properly, first chance I get once this is over." But he jogged over to the car, sliding himself into the passenger seat, suddenly sure he knew that Kal's last name was Kent.

The sheriff got into the car and roared out onto the old country road, the spaceships coming into view above the rows of corn as they came over a short hill.

"I don't need any thanks, Captain, cept yours and I got that. But I've got a damn good feeling that I'm going to be less than useful against whatever we get to. You'll be doin' the county a favor if you save Mrs. Kent from whatever these alien bastards are cookin' up. The woman makes the best pie for a hundred miles."

He grinned over at Steve.

"S'cuse me for babbling at you, sir, only I'm just a bit nervous considering Captain America's sitting in my passenger seat and I'm heading up to meet with actual real life aliens."

"Yeah." Steve glanced over at him with a faint smile. "I guess I'm a little used to it. Not exactly my first tangle with aliens, now."

But then he was peering ahead, trying to catch a glimpse of what they were coming up on, and he...

He saw... something. The shape of a ship looming over the roof of a farmhouse, barely visible over the surrounding crops, a hint of a barn roof to one side--

"Let me out down here," he said. "Don't get too close. And whatever town's closest, start evacuating. This is only going to get messier from here."

The sheriff took the answer, nodded, and let him out where he'd said. He was about to ask something else when he noticed the path in the corn where something had shot away from the farm towards--

"Sir, I'm sorry to say but I need to get into town. Gotta get Smallville evacuated ten minutes ago!"

And he was left at the side of the corn as the sheriff drove off and one of the ships started lifting off.

"Go," Steve agreed quickly, urging him on and then running up the driveway to see what he needed to do here. His abilities were limited - he didn't have Kal's speed. He couldn't fly. But damned if he was just going to take this sitting down.

Shield on his arm, hand on his gun. He stopped at the edge of the crops, looking past just enough to get the lay of the land. See if he needed to shoot before he ran out.

At the moment, it was the ships lifting off, headed elsewhere while an older woman pushed herself up from the ground. The house had been practically ruined, an SUV having been thrown through the top of it. A dog trotted over to the older woman before turning to look at Steve, growling warily.

"They're gone now, Dusty," the old woman said with a tired sigh as she got to her feet. Then she noticed Steve and startled, putting a hand to her heart.

"Jesus, son. Today is... today is not the day for surprising me."

"That wasn't my intention, ma'am." But shield slung to his back, gun still holstered, he jogged over and braced a hand at her back. "Are you all right? Anything I can do?"

...He was going to shield somebody in the face for throwing a vehicle into her house, that was for sure.

She did lean a little into the hand, clearly hurting but fighting through the pain, before she pushed herself up to stand straight.

"Not much to do right now. I just gotta see what I can salvage from that mess," and she gestured tiredly to the house before--

"Wait a minute. Not to seem ungrateful, but what're you doing here?"

He smiled faintly, and faintly wryly, over at her. "A man I suspect is your son brought me."

One who had kissed him like he was air underwater.

He was going to fight for that man.

"I was with him on the ship. And I found out what this--" He pulled the command key out of his pocket. "--does. Can you show me where it is - the ship that brought him here? I can stop the invaders."

When she saw the key, her eyes went wide.

"You're helping Clark?" She nodded immediately before waving him off and gesturing for him to follow her.

"This way. It's under the barn in the storm cellar."

She looked back at him as she walked, though.

"What do you mean by 'with him on the ship'? Do you mean those bastards in DC actually handed him over to this Zod fellow?"

"He chose to go." That wasn't a lie. And he wasn't going to lie to Kal's-- Clark's-- mother. "I just so happened to choose to go with him. I thought I could negotiate. I was wrong. Look--"

He had two Kryptonian guns, and had a feeling he would only need one. He pulled out his second and offered it over.

"Take this, just in case. Defend yourself. I... think he might want me to officially meet you. Sometime."

That got a bit of a look before she tried to chuckle a little. It hurt, but she got out a laugh or two as they got to the barn. As for the gun, she took it. She'd send them straight to hell herself if she had to.

"Of course my boy... of course..." was all she said about that as she opened the barn door. The location of the ship was obvious enough since Faora had smashed her way down to the storm cellar.

She breathed in and out a few times before sighing tiredly.

"Whatever you need's in there. I'm gonna head back to the house and see what I can get."

Which was when the sound of distant explosions started.

"Ah, hell."

"That's in the town, right?" he asked, looking in the direction of those explosions. "I'll have to make it fast, then." Like changing targeting blades in helicarriers. He could do this.

"You get yourself taken care of. I told the sheriff to evacuate the town. Kal-- Clark-- will need you once this is over."

But then he was swinging himself down into the cellar, to the pod that was covered in writing that he made himself look at, made himself remember, because Kal deserved to know what it all said someday. With both hands, he searched for the slot that matched the command key, and then he held it in place, let it zip into the hole, and stepped back.

As the command key zipped in, a couple of compartments open. There were a few items: a strange box, a crystal, and something that looked almost like an ipad inside. There was also a piece of fabric, a flag with the sigil of El on it. And of course, the baby blanket that was still in the main compartment.

Quickly, carefully, Steve gathered them up, wrapping the crystal in the blanket, wrapping the rest in the flag, and he gathered it all into his arms. "I'll give these to him," he said softly, hoping Jor-El was listening.

There was no answer for the moment other than the sound of fighter planes flying overhead and a couple more explosions.

But with the bundle held in his arms, he had to stop, had to think. This thing... It needed to get to the ship, and he...

He was good, but he couldn't exactly carry it there.

That meant it was time to make a call. ...And probably owe Miss Kent some long distance charges. He jogged toward the farmhouse, bundle in hand.

The farm house was a mess and it was clear that the damage to her house pained her for reasons beyond the obvious. The way her hand lingered on the doorway, the way she walked slowly around the ruins of her living room...

When Steve jogged up, she gave him a wane smile.

"How can I help you, sweetheart?"

She had in her hands a photograph, one that had a younger version of herself along with an older man and a young man who could only be Kal. Clark. The glass was shattered.

"I hate to ask you for anything at a time like this, but I need a phone. We've gotta get that pod that he came in up to the ship, and strong as I am, I can't just throw it." And that photo...

Goddamn it, but somebody really was gonna catch a shield to the face for hurting this woman.

She squinted a little since the light was behind him but she reached into her pocket to pull out her cellphone and held it out to him without another word.

"If you're aiming to cram that thing right up this Zod's backside, I'll do anything I can. That asshole came here to hurt my son. I'm no soldier, but I'll do what I can to help you. So stop apologizing."

She managed a wry smile, a mirror to the one he'd seen on Kal's face a time or two.

"Besides, you're Captain America, ain't you? If I can't trust you, who can I trust?"

He took the phone and gave her a smile. "I'll do my best to keep being worthy of that trust." And then he was dialing Nat's number. He just hoped she'd actually pick up, despite the new number on caller ID. When she did, he exhaled with relief. "Nat. It's Steve. I need a quinjet to my location."

"Quinjet?-- Where are you?"

"Kansas."

"Should've known. We've got the Kansas invasion force on our radar. We'll be there soon."

"Make sure there's room for cargo."

"...I'm not gonna ask."

for andimwearingtights: Man of SHIELD

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