Screams sounded as Basil walked through a wall. The people skittered back from him, their faces pale. He held out his hands and dropped his stance to look less threatening. "Hey, hey. I'm one of the good guys. I work with captain America", he reassured as he sheathed his knives, the blades sticky with purple alien blood. The people, there were about forty hiding in this bank space, didn't look anymore trusting of him. Basil sighed and unclipped his helmet. He pulled it off and tucked it under his arm. "The police are setting up a perimeter down to 39th", he announced in his army medic tone. "You need to get out and into the subway. The police will lead you away from the streets. Is there anyone here injured?" He looked around and the majority of people shook their heads.

"My daughter has injured her ankle!" A woman dressed in office wear called. Basil jogged over and knelt at the girl's side. She was in her early teens. Braids covered her head and her clothes were dust covered. Her ankle was visibly swelling.

"Hi", he smiled as he set down his helmet. "I'm just going to check your ankle", he pressed his fingers to it lightly and she hissed in pain. "It seems to be broken", he stated. "I'll carry her to the police boundary but then someone else is going to have to take her". He smiled at her reassuringly. "I'm going to pick you up okay. Then we're going to have to move". He scooped her up and stood, the girl crying out as the motion jolted her ankle.

"You're Basil Parrish", she whispered as he straightened. "I did a history report on you for school. You're a hero".

Basil gave her a grin. "I try. Can someone clip my helmet back on?" The mother scrambled to set his helmet back on his head and clip the strap. Basil nodded in thanks then began walking towards the door. He could see Steve down the street talking to the police officers. They were half a block away. "Steve", he muttered down the comm. "People coming your way".

"Copy that Parrish".

Basil turned to the people. "Run to those officers over there. Now!" They took off running. Basil gripped the girl in his arms tighter and ran. He was fast, faster than everybody else. The girl gasped as they passed through cars and debris as if they weren't there. In seconds they were reaching the police. He slowed to a stop. "She's broken her ankle", he stated as he handed her gently over to a young officer. "Take them down to the subway stations and out of fire".

The officer nodded. "Wait", he girl reached out and grabbed his harness as Basil turned. He looked back at her as her fingers fumbled. "Thank you", she grinned as she let go and the officer pulled her away. Her mother and the other people following them. Basil looked down and saw a small rainbow pin on his harness. He laughed and pulled out two of his long knives as he turned back to the fray. The pin was cute.

——

Half an hour and many dead aliens later, he found himself back on the bridge. Steve fighting at his side. Two army buddies fighting with the synchronicity of months training together. Aliens fell to Basil's blades and those who didn't were swiftly knocked down by Steve's shield. Further down the bridge were Clint and Natasha. The two assassins taking down as many as possible. Clint's arrows taking down five or six of them at a time and Nat's guns firing with deadly precision.

Clint skidded past an alien as he notched an arrow. Four more were coming up on his side as he turned. But Basil was there, his knives slicing through the exposed grey flesh as Clint fired behind him and took out another three. "Ewwww", Basil grumbled as he shook the purple blood from his blades. It had splattered across his uniform and he rubbed it off the small rainbow pin. "This is disgusting".

Lightning burst from the sky, electrocuting the remaining aliens as Thor landed heavily. "What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked as the god stood.  Basil took the moment to breath. Glad that the god had joined the,.

"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable", Thor huffed.

"Thor's right. We've got to deal with these guys", Tony said down the comms. The gold and red suit soaring above them for a split second.

"How do we do that?" Nat asked. Already she seemed worn by the fighting. They were hopelessly outmatched and there didn't seem to be any back up coming.

"As a team", Steve stated.

"I have unfinished business with Loki", Thor gripped his hammer.

"Get in line", Clint called as he retrieved his arrows.

"Save it", Steve ordered. "Loki is going to keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We've got Stark up top. He's going to need us to.."

Steve broke off as a motorbike rumbled towards them. He turned and Basil grinned. Bruce swung his leg off the bike and wandered over. The rest of the, joining him half way. "Dr banner", Basil patted the man on the shoulder. "Good to see you not green. I kept my promise, you harmed no one".

"Thank you", Bruce nodded at him warmly. He glanced around at all the chaos. "So, this all seems horrible".

"I've seen worse", Basil shrugged.

"Sorry".

"We could use a little worse", Nat smiled.

"Stark, we've got him", Steve announced.

"Banner?" Tony's voice replied.

"Just like you said".

"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you". No sooner than he had said it, the distant form of the iron man suit flew round the buildings. Behind it, intent on the chase, was the massive turtle like war machine. Basil winced as it crashed into the buildings. Rubble falling around it as it screeched and snarled with sharp teeth.

"I don't see how that's a party", Nat murmured. Tony dived towards the ground and the turtle hit the road. It's body too big to steer properly as it crashed. The weight of it sending it skidding down the street in a trail of devastation. Basil took a few steps back. He didn't want to go against that thing.

Bruce began walking towards it. "Dr banner!" Steve called. Bruce turned. "Now might be a really good time for you to get angry".

"I'm angry!" Basil called helpfully.

"That's my secret captain",  Bruce called as he kept on walking. The turtle monster coming closer. "I'm always angry". Then he changed, or let go. He grew, skin turning green and body becoming stronger. Basil watched fascinated. The change this time was smoother and quicker than the first time he had seen it. The first time, Bruce was trying to control it. This time the man embraced it. His shirt fluttered in pieces as the hulk raised his fist. As the turtle hit him, he punched. The whole creature caved in on itself. The body flipping up above them as all the armour began breaking off from the force of it's sudden stop.

"Hold on", Tony called as he flew down above them. He launched a missile which lodged itself into the newly exposed flesh of the beast. Clint ducked behind a car and Steve pulled Nat behind his shield as the monster exploded. The flesh flying away in large purple bloodies chunks and the head rolling off the bridge with a thunk. Basil grimaced at the splattered flesh around him, any shrapnel having gone through him. He twirled his knives and stood at Steve's side as the aliens around them screeched. Down below, the civilians still on the streets began to cheer.

"Guys", Nat called. Basil glanced up to the portal above. Two more monstrous turtle machines were flying through.

"Call it captain", Tony voiced.

Steve took a step forward. "Alright guys listen up. Until we can close that portal our priority is containment. Baton, I want you on that roof", he pointed up. "Eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays". Clint nodded, and arrow already on his bow. "Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out. You turn it back in or you turn it to ash".

"Can you give me a lift?" Clint asked.

"Right. Better clench up legolas", Tony joked as he grabbed Clint by the back of his shirt and took off.

"Man I loved the hobbit", Basil sighed.

"Thor, you've got to try and bottle neck that portal", Steve continued. "Slow them down. You've got the lightning. Light the bastards up". Thor began spinning his hammer and soon he was off the ground and disappearing into the sky.

Steve looked around at Nat and Basil. "You two and me, we stay here on the ground. We keep the fighting here. Basil, your job is to get any trapped civilians out of harms way when needed". Basil nodded and twirled his knives again. "And hulk", the hulk turned with a snarl at Steve's voice. Steve held up a finger and pointed it. "Smash". The hulk grinned in savage delight and jumped.

Unedited