Chapter 3

Falcon shook his head, then took to the air and activated the GPS on his watch. “I've got a lock on them, so try to keep up!” Falcon said as he flew toward the Major Deegan Expressway. Captain America followed on his bike, darting IN and OUT of traffic until he spotted the hijacked school bus.

Cap sped past all the other cars until he was right behind the bus. Suddenly, the emergency doors at the back of the bus burst open.

Energy beams shot from the windows. Whoever these guys were, they were very heavily armed.

“Falcon! I could use a diversion!” said Cap.

“Understood,” Falcon said. The flying hero dove down and fired a grappling hook at the roof of the bus, penetrating the thick top. Falcon swung high into the air and yanked with all his might, causing the driver to swerve. The distraction worked! Cap sped up and drove out of harm's way.

Inside the bus, an armed goon attached a small device to the end of the grappling hook and sent an electric charge up the wire and straight back to Falcon. It shocked the hero, and Falcon fell to the ground. The villain laughed as the bus sped away. “We did it,” the goon said. “Inform headquarters that the test subjects will be there within the hour.”

But before the driver could respond, he pointed out the window; the armed goon followed his gaze. “No! It can't be,” the driver said in disbelief. The villains saw him from a distance, standing atop an overpass, looking directly at them: it was Captain America!

Cap jumped on his bike and revved the engine, but it sputtered out. “Not now!” Cap said under his breath. He tried his bike again.

The bus was getting closer and closer. He tried a third time. The bike sputtered again and then conked out.

The motorcycle that had never failed . . . failed. By then the bus was almost under the overpass. There was only one thing to do. Captain America ran at full speed and JUMPED!

CRASH !

The bus swerved left and right, then burst through a guardrail and came to a stop. Cap, who had been clinging to the top of the bus, quickly jumped to his feet and swung down through one of the side windows.

“Ah, the great Captain America,” the villain said as he raised his weapon.

The goon fired, but Cap was too fast. The beams bounced off his raised shield. Then Cap THREW his shield! The hostages stood there, stunned, as the goon fell to the ground. Then Cap noticed that the driver had gotten away.

“Wait here,” he instructed the hostages. “I'll be right back!”

Captain America jumped off the bus and ran at top speed toward the driver. The driver had pulled out a high-tech energy weapon, ready to fire, when—wham! Falcon smashed down on the villain and knocked him out cold.

“Who are these guys?” Falcon asked.

“I don't know, but they're too heavily armed for a hostage situation,” Cap said. “Fury's right: there's more to this than meets the eye. And I don't like it.”

“Captain America? Falcon?” a voice called from behind them.

“We'll take it from here.” It was Agent Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D. He and his team were ushering the hostages off the bus and taking the villains into custody. “Please report to Director Fury's office at oh seven hundred tomorrow morning,” Coulson said. Then he wheeled Cap's bike up to him. “Think you might want to requisition a new ride, Captain,” Coulson quipped.

“No, thanks,” Cap said as he quickly took the bike from him and wheeled it off toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. trucks.

“Was it something I said?” Coulson asked Falcon.

“Nah, he's just upset. He almost jeopardized the hostages thanks to his old motorcycle.” Cap heard what Falcon said. And he was right.