Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read this story-it means a lot. Criticism is welcomed as long as it is helpful. I do not own MARVEL or the Avengers. I hope you enjoy the story.

"Avengers assemble!" Captain America yelled through the comms the team wore. Just as he said that a blast came out from nowhere and shot him in the stomach. It was too fast, even the super solider couldn't get out of the way. The blast knocked him off his feet, and a scream escaped from him. He quickly put his hands out before him in an attempt to break his fall, but when his body hit the ground pain raced through every nerve in his body. His vision went blurry but he knew he had to get up.

Captain America stood up for America, but Steve Rodgers stood up for his team. In the back of his mind he saw himself in a plane, crashing. He could smell the perfume Peggy usually wore, but he paid little attention to that. Captain America's shield was too far out of reach. With his enhanced eye sight he could barely see the familiar red, white and blue paint job. Without his best protection, without his best weapon, he threw a punch at the enemy attacking him.

When his fist made contact with the alien who was attacking, he felt a renewed energy flow through him. The pain was still there, but the adrenaline over powered it. His fist hit his target again, his foot kicked him down. Before he knew it, the alien was laying on the ground.

His teammates could be heard, they were close. Another enemy attacked, and Captain America brought him down with a few punches. While he was protecting his front, he was shot in the back. Steve yelled as he fell to the ground. This time, no matter how much Steve tried to get up, he couldn't find the strength.

"Cap, hang on." Tony said through the comms. Steve could barely hear him, his right ear was filling up with blood, his left ear was shoved into the pavement. What Steve could manage to hear was hit team defeating the aliens that were attacking.

After a while, Steve felt a hand on his upper back. A moment later, he realized the hand belonged to Hawkeye. A small smile crossed his features when he came to the conclusion that his team was momentarily safe. "Cap, you with us?" asked Black Widow. With all of his might, Steve pushed himself up to his knees and sat there. He didn't say anything, he just sat there, and looked up into the sky-watching as the aliens poured down a new wave.

Ironman came into his view and knelt down to his eye level. No words were exchanged between the two, but Tony's face came into view as the Ironman face-mask flew up. An understanding smile crossed his lips. Fighting could be heard from the surrounding streets, the Hulk's roar echoed through the city. Tony pulled Steve's shield out from behind his back and placed it in the solider hands. Blue eyes looked into brown, and both men knew the other understood. I've got your back.

Steve looked down at his shield for a moment before he stood up and placed his defense weapon on his left arm. He stood tall for a minute, lost in thought, before he addressed his team. "How are we doing?"

Natasha was the one to answer the injured captain. "Good. We narrowed the number of aliens down, and we've got them contained within a five-block radius. Even with the new wave that just came, they seem to be landing in the center of our perimeter."

"Alright. Thor, Widow, Hawk, find a block the Hulk isn't and get those aliens."

"Copy that." said Hawkeye as the three Avengers ran off, back into the battle.

"Tony, you've got the air. If we don't seem like we can handle them, help us."

"Sure thing Capsicle."

Steve started running towards the battle, and Tony ran besides him. "What are you doing Tony?"

"Following your orders."

"I said-"

"You don't seem like you can handle an entire block by yourself. So I'm helping."

Before their conversation could continue, aliens approached them. Together Captain America and Ironman fought off the enemy.

Moments passed, they were winning the block, when the scream of the Hulk filled the air. That sound was nothing compared to the shuddering echo that filled the air as the Hulk fell to the ground. Silence came from where he had been. "Tony, check on the Hulk." Tony was already in the air when the words left Steve's mouth.

With Tony gone, Steve continued fighting the aliens that were trying to hurt his city. As he fought, Steve listened to his team communicate through the comms. "How's the big guy Tony?"

"Little." was his reply.

"Little?" asked Steve.

"Bruce-sized."

Before Steve had time to worry about Bruce getting de-Hulked by the enemy force, a grumbly voice echoed around them. "Captain, Captain, Captain. I'm disappointed. The great, legendary Captain America, this is what I get from your team? From the Avengers? People call you 'Earths Mightiest Hero's', but oh how the mighty fall."

The voice stopped speaking, and Steve stopped breathing.

He fell to his knees, trying to fill his lungs with air, but is wasn't working. He felt like a child again, praying to God that his asthma wouldn't kill him today.

"Steve! Steve! Dammit Steve answer me!" he could hear the words, but not the voice of who was saying it. "Steve!" His body fell forwards, smacking into the ground, hard. Quickly, he rolled onto his side, to allow his mouth space to try to suck in air.

"Oh how the mighty fall." the grumbly voice echoed out again. "Sleep well, my fallen solider."

Captain America wanted nothing more than to fight, but Steve Rodgers wanted nothing more than to sleep.

"Steve." a voice gently said, though he wasn't entirely sure whose voice it belonged to. "Breathe." He could feel a hand gently rubbing up and down his right arm. He realized that he was still on his side, but his head rested on somebody's lap. "It's alright Steve." the voice reassured again. "Just breathe."

There was an explosion, the heat of it tackled Steve. His eyes opened slightly and Natasha's red hair filled his view. He tried to say her name, but it came out as a croak. It got her attention though. "Hang on their Cap. You'll be okay." He still couldn't breathe right, but he felt safer in her arms. Safer, knowing he wasn't alone, that his teammate was alright. "Tony, I could use some help." She said into her comm. Her hand still rubbed his arm in a soothing gesture. Steve couldn't hear his teammates communicate, and that scared him. He tried talking again, but his lungs weren't getting enough air. "Tony's on his way Cap. Hang on." Steve tried to breathe, but it was a wasteful attempt. He was focusing on her hand moving on his arm, trying to calm down. But without enough oxygen entering his system, he slipped back into unconsciousness.

Steve heard the 'beeps' before anything else. At first he was terrified, then the 'beeps' started increasing in speed and then Steve's fear tripled. A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and then Steve really panicked. His eyes were still closed, his body was still, but his heart was racing in his chest. "Steve, calm down. It's okay Steve." The voice was gentle. "Doctor!" screamed a different voice.

Tony. Steve realized, the screaming voice belonged to Tony.

"Steve, breathe. Just breathe, it's okay. You're safe. Steve, breathe."

Bruce.

Immediately Steve relaxed. The 'beeps' slowed down and his chest didn't feel like exploding. "Too late now! Go away!" Tony yelled to the people Steve heard rushing in.

The blue eyes of Captain America stayed closed, but his hand moved and found its way to Bruce's shirt, holding on for dear life. A hand fell on top of his and gently squeezed in a reassuring manner. "You look like you're in pain Steve, so I'm going to give you something to help take the edge off. I'll give you a big dose since your metabolism is enhanced, so you'll probably fall asleep. I'll be here when you wake up though." Bruce moved, but stayed lose to Steve since his shirt was still in his hand. "I'm okay, Tony's okay, Natasha and Clint are okay, Thor is okay-were all okay. So you just worry about getting better." Steve felt his hand go slack before he was dreaming of Peggy once more.

This time when Steve came back into consciousness, he opened his eyes. When he did he saw Bruce asleep on the chair to his right and Natasha was asleep on a chair to his left. There was pop-tart wrappers scattered among the tiny room implying that Thor had come to visit.

"How you doing there Cap?"

Steve didn't even see Clint in the vent.

Clint jumped down and smiled at his injured friend.

"What happened?" croaked Steve.

Clint sat on the end of the bed, looking at his Captain with a gentle look. "What do you remember?"

It took Steve a moment of thinking before he was satisfied with answering the question. "I remember the fight, the aliens. Hulk got de-Hulked and Tony flew over to help." He paused, closing his eyes in an attempt to remember better. "You put your hand on me." he whispered, getting a headache from trying to remember. "Then I felt pain, a lot of pain."

"Yeah, that might be because the weird alien leader dude hit you with a laser thing and then one of the weird alien leaders minions embedded a staff like knife thing into your torso."

"Nice vocabulary there Clint."

"Just trying to help, as always." the archer replied with a smirk.

"I couldn't breathe." Steve whispered.

Clint dropped his smirk. "You had an asthma attack. You lost a lot of blood. You got yourself a nasty head wound. Basically, you got beat up."

"Just doing my job." Steve said with a small smile.

Clint's smirk returned. "Taking a leaf out of my book I see."

Steve smiled sadly when he replied. "Just trying to fit into this century better."

Clint placed a hand gently onto Steve's left leg. "You already do Cap."

The two men smiled reassuringly at the other. "Did you-"

"Yes Captain America, we got the aliens to stop attacking the city." Clint said, rolling his eyes.

Every muscle in Steve's body relaxed at those words. Clint noticed his friends eyes begin to droop. "Get some more rest Steve, you'll be okay." Steve fell asleep before he could respond.

Three days later, Fury called Steve. "Yes Sir." he replied into the phone before hanging up. Quickly he called the number that would connect him to JARVIS.

"How can I help you Captain Rodgers?" the AI asked?

"Get everyone on the phone for me please."

"Right away Captain." the AI's British accent replied.

When Steve knew he was connected to his fellow teammates he spoke. "Avengers, assemble."