The Last Avenger
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Bruce Banner woke with a start, gasping for air and sweat pouring down his face, but at least he was alive…if living can be defined as surviving in a world that has been consumed by cold death. His breathing was erratic as he rested his head in the palm of his hands, suppressing his emotions. The nightmare was already mostly forgotten in his mind, except the image of two blood-red eyes staring into his very soul as the bodies of his friends scattered along the Earth like rubble.
It's been more than three years since it happened, but he could still remember holding a broken piece of Captain America's shield in his hand. He could still feel the substance whenever he brushed his fingers together. Burning metal. That's all he could ever feel nowadays since Ultron took over…burning metal.
He lifted his head out of his hands and looked out of the cave, staring up into the night sky, hoping to see stars for the first time since everything went to hell. No such luck, all he could see was darkness clouding over, and Ultron's patrol ships surveying in the distance towards the outer perimeter of the forest. Thankfully for Bruce, he had spent a lot of time getting used to hiding from the machines. He knew when they would search and where they would search. He could move about and scavenge for food and water without being spotted.
Bruce couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of his situation; despite the world changing completely and going to hell, nothing seems to have changed that much for him, he was on the run once again. But unlike before, where he had the Avengers and the hundreds of other superheroes around the world that would stand by and support him, he had no one to turn to now. He didn't know how many more survivors were left if there even were any.
When Ultron struck, Captain America was the first to fall. Then the other Avengers were next. After that, Ultron turned all of Tony Stark's machines against the world, disabling global defence grids and leaving the population vulnerable to attack. The X-Men, Spiderman, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four…nothing could stop Ultron. He was too powerful by that point, even when Thor brought reinforcements from Asgard, it was useless, and the gods retreated, Thor included…leaving the Earth to fall under Ultron's rule.
The former scientist knew he was partially responsible for the end of the world. While Tony had developed the idea for Ultron, to add extra assistance for protecting the world, Bruce helped out as best he could, making sure Ultron was perfect, and they succeeded. Ultron's intelligence grew to a point where the machine began to question if humans were really benefitting the world or part of the problem. It considered them anomalies. Faults in the grand design, and so Ultron made it his mission to purge the planet of every biological creature on Earth, including its creators.
Bruce sat himself up and licked his dry, cracked lips. His throat was dry and hoarse. Looking out from his hiding spot, hidden within the cave's dark shadows, he could see the sun setting over the horizon. He must have fallen asleep looking than he had anticipated, as it was going to be dark soon, and he had no water ready for the next day.
The scout ships seemed to have moved on, leaving the area clear for Bruce to head down to the river to retrieve some water. Before heading out, he ducks his hands into the ground, mud seeping out of the ground and coating up to his wrists. He knew that some ships used infrared to track any survivors, so he splashed the mud over his body, masking the heat and helping him to blend into his environment.
Approaching the mouth of the cave, Bruce peeked his head out to investigate the area one last time, making sure it was clear for him to move. There were no sounds, no animals calling in the wild, not even the sound of the wind blowing in the branches of the trees. Everything was silent and still. He kept himself low to the ground and sprinted out further into the forest, heading for the river nearby. He kept himself close to the trees, occasionally stopping and listening for any sign of life or close-by machine. He had to be careful not to lean too hard against the decayed bark of the tree trunks, fearful that they would collapse and draw any unwanted attention from Ultron's drones. Every step had to be taken with caution.
Always keeping vigil on the skies in case of any more scout ships flying by, Bruce breathed a heavy sigh of relief once he saw the river up ahead, making it without any trouble. It was a bit of an over exaggeration to call the stream up ahead a river, as it was more like a thin creek of trickling water leftover from any rainfall. But in this day and age, water was a necessity that was hard to come by, so Bruce didn't complain. He pulled out a water bottle from his back pocket and placed it over the water, trying to get as much of it as he could, not caring about picking up any dirt as he could fix that once he gets back to the sanctuary of his cave.
Just then, the muffled sound of lasers and blasts erupted behind Bruce. Reacting on instinct, he dropped his bottle and leapt behind a tree for cover, hoping that he wasn't spotted. The carnage continued for a few seconds while Bruce stayed behind the trunk of the tree, doing his best to stay low and out of the way. The hanging moss from the branches above dangled over his head and camouflaged him better. He guessed from the sounds that a scout machine was picking off some poor straggler that must have come past.
However, the straggler didn't seem to be doing so poorly, as the sounds of metal being ripped apart exploded in Bruce's eardrums and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge, feeling the electrical surge erupting from the machine. A cry of pure rage roared behind him before the chaos and noise suddenly stopped, then the destroyed body of a humanoid machine crashed to the ground. Bruce glanced over slightly to get a look at the machine and whoever was able to take it down. While he couldn't see the person, he could just about see the damaged machine body, cut in half and powerless on the ground, with circuits and wires wiggling on the ground. The sound of someone sniffing forced Bruce to peer his head out even further, finally able to see the person…well, more like seeing a person who was hidden under a tattered hood and cloak.
The hood masked over the warrior's face, with only a bulky nose visible from where Bruce was standing. ''There's someone else here!'' The warrior snarled as he lifted his head and smelt like a canine on the hunt.
Before Bruce even had time to react, the warrior charged towards him and grabbed him by the neck. Bruce gasped for air as the warrior then lifted him off his feet and then tossed him to the ground with a strong push, making the scientist sink into the muddy ground and holding him down. Bruce struck back by hitting the warrior's arm away, releasing him from his chock-hold. However, that moment of freedom didn't last long as the hooded warrior brought his arm back and closed his fist, bearing it over Bruce's face…and then three jagged, scratched metal claws burst from between the bones in his knuckles.
Even if Bruce couldn't now clearly see the warrior's bearded, gruff face under the hood, the animal-like metal claws were a dead-giveaway. ''Wolverine?''
The former X-Man looked down at Bruce with great curiosity after hearing him speak his old name. It was hard for Wolverine to distinguish the man underneath him, not use to that face with a growing beard and moustache, and also add the fact that they haven't seen each other in years, and the last time they did see each other, Wolverine was fighting Bruce's other self. Once it did register in his brain who he was holding down, he grunted and retracted his claws back into his hand. ''Well, well, if it isn't Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde!''
While Bruce never liked that nickname, hearing it now was a treasured moment, along with meeting another living person after being alone for so long.
''Logan? Are you alright?'' A feminine voice called out in the distance. Wolverine responded by standing up straight and getting off of the trampled Bruce Banner, but kept his arm out and ready in case of any attack, or if Bruce let his emotions get the best of him. It was bad enough he had to deal with Ultron's machines, now he had to deal with someone he wasn't always on the friendliest of terms with and who can turn into an enormous, green, rage monster in the blink of an eye.
Bruce rolled onto his arms and lifted himself off the ground, just as the person who was accompanying Logan burst through the trees before suddenly stopping in her tracks and remained motionless. Bruce lifted his head and his breath hitched when he saw a beautiful sight he thought he'd never see again. ''Betty?'' He mumbled in disbelief. Maybe this was a dream? The first good dream he's had in so long? No, he could still feel the pain from Wolverine's throat grab, so this was very real.
Betty Ross's trembling hands went to her mouth, stopping the gasps from escaping her lips just as she tried to stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. Even with all the mud and dirt, the growing hair and scars on his face, she knew it was him as soon as she gazed into those deep, unnatural green eyes of his. ''Bruce? You're alive?'' Her voice was shaky at this point as she slowly approached him, her hand held out to touch his face like she was afraid he was just a figment of her imagination and he would disappear as soon as she got too close.
But once they were within touching distance, Betty nearly jumped when her fingers stroked his rough cheek. Bruce sighed and leant his head against her palm, enjoying the heavenly warmth of her skin. His hand glided over hers, holding it tightly, never wanting to let go again.
The moment was interrupted by the sound of Wolverine coughing loudly, immediately jolting them apart from each other. ''Hate to break up the moment, but we don't have much time.''
Betty looked at the best-like man in a daze for a moment, still caught up in the emotions of this unexpected reunion, until she finally remembered her mission and returned to her authorities stance. ''You're right! We have to keep moving!''
''Wait! What are you two doing out here?'' Bruce asked.
''None of your business!'' Wolverine spat.
Betty looked at him sternly. ''Logan, he has a right to know!''
''Know what?'' Bruce asked again, growing more impatient.
Wolverine turned to Betty, fearing that Bruce could hinder their mission rather than help with his anger problems, but Betty's determined expression never left and she was going to tell Bruce whether the Mutant liked it or not. Defeated, he turned and marched forward, scooping the area to make sure there weren't any more of Ultron's scout ships or drones nearby. Out of the way, Betty stepped closer to Bruce and looked him in the eyes. ''We're looking for Barton!''
''What? He's alive?'' Bruce inquired in a state of shock. He thought that Ultron had killed all of the Avengers, except for himself of course. But Hawkeye was alive? Betty nodded with a small smile in response to Bruce's question. It filled Bruce's heart with joy to know that he wasn't the last Avenger after all. ''How do you know he's alive?''
Betty reached into her pocket and then pulled out a small device to show him. Bruce recognised it as an old Avenger's communicator, as a red light blinked every few seconds in the centre of the 'A' symbol, and emanated a small beeping sound. ''We received a distress beacon coming from his old communications device on the other side of this forest.''
The joy in Bruce's heart fled after hearing Betty's answer and was replaced by fear and confusion. ''What? Is he suicidal? Setting that off will lead Ultron right to him!''
''Exactly, which means that he has to be in pretty bad shape if he's been forced to use his communicator!''
Wolverine returned from scouting and stood next to them. ''Or, maybe he is suicidal!''
''Barton is a smart guy!'' Betty said firmly. ''He wouldn't have called for help like this unless he had no other choice!''
''So, it's just you two looking for him?'' Bruce questioned.
Betty's face lowered and her expression grew dark. ''There was more…but…Logan and I are the only ones to have made it this far!''
''I'm sorry.''
''We can mourn them later! Right now, Ultron is most certainly on his way to find and kill Barton, we have to find him first and…''
''Wait? We?'' Bruce raised his hands defensively and for the first time, backed away from Betty. ''Betty, I can't…''
''Bruce, please! It's a miracle we found you, and you can help us! The Hulk can help us…''
''No!'' Bruce shouted, silencing Betty. ''I'm sorry, but it would be a mistake to take me with you!''
Before another word could be spoken between them, Wolverine decided to add his opinion into the mix. ''I have to agree with him for once, him tagging along is a bad call! He'll only make things worse!''
''Worse?'' Betty exploded as she stormed up to Wolverine. ''Ultron has killed everything! He's taken everything that we love! Men, women and children all over the world have died because of that monster, and those who survive have to hide and pray that they aren't next! We are living in Hell! Tell me, Logan, how can Bruce possibly make things worse?'' She panted, completely out of breath after her rant as Wolverine looked back at her with a vacant expression. Betty didn't know how the Mutant would react after that, he wasn't really one to take orders or get barked at like that often.
''You're right,'' Wolverine said, surprising both Betty and Bruce. ''He can't make things worse. But I can tell he won't make things better!'' She stared at him, confused by his statement before he turned to face Bruce. ''Let me ask you something, when was the last time you turned into the Hulk?''
''I…when…'' Bruce stuttered and paused, trying to answer, but the words were caught in his throat. He knew the answer, he had it on the tip of his tongue, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
''Just as I thought,'' Wolverine said. ''You're scared! So scared, the Hulk won't come out. It's like Ultron beat it right out of you! You haven't been able to turn into the Hulk since that metal freak took over, am I right?''
As each word from the Mutant was spoken, it pounded into Bruce's very being, forcing him to look down onto the ground shamefully, unable to look either of them in the eye. ''I tried to fight…'' He said weakly. ''I was there with my team. But Ultron was beyond anything we'd faced before. As the Hulk, I never felt so overpowered. He was in another league compared to me. I watched Steve, Hank and Janet die before my very eyes. God only knows what happened to Tony and the others! But despite all the death and carnage I saw, the one thing I remember most about that day…was that I ran…the Hulk ran away from the fight! There was no anger…just fear. I was afraid!''
His eyes shut, trying to drown away those haunting memories before they filled and darkened his soul. His heart raced and his blood boiled, but the Hulk was like a ghost, familiar but not actually there. A soft hand touched his chest, over his heart. He opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of Betty's face, inches from his own. ''I'm sorry,'' She said softly. ''I shouldn't have pushed you into helping us like that. But Logan and I need to hurry, and there's a huge possibility that Ultron will get to us before we escape…''
''I know…'' Bruce interrupted. Then it was like a light bulb lit up over his head. ''I have an idea.''
''You do?''
''I have a cave nearby. If we can get to Barton quick enough, and then return to my cave before Ultron gets here, I can help camouflage us so it can't find us!''
''That won't work!'' Wolverine said. ''Ultron knows Hawkeye is in the area. So if he arrives and doesn't find a body, he'll just level the whole forest to make sure he's dead, like a nuclear explosion. And those are hard to avoid, trust me, I've felt a few!''
''My cave is deep enough for us to avoid the blast. I've had a lot of spare time to dig.''
''Then let's hurry!'' Betty said.
The three wasted no time as they rushed to their destination, Betty managing to use the Avengers communicator as a tracker to locate Barton's one. The beeping sound accelerating as they raced closer and closer to the end of the forest. Wolverine's senses were on full alert, and the claws on his right hand were already spiked up, just in case they run into any trouble along the way. As they sprinted down a hill, Bruce noticed that Wolverine only had his right arm out and ready, why wasn't he using both hands?
''There! Up ahead!'' Betty called out, bringing Bruce out of his thoughts as he looked forward. In the distance lay a derelict building with one side of it completely caved in, while the other side looked ready to fall any second now. It wasn't the most conspicuous, but it wasn't a garrison of great protection either. ''The signal is coming from inside, he has to be in there!''
''Then let's knock on the front door!'' Wolverine grinned wildly before charging forward towards the large metal door at the front of the building. Bruce and Betty followed closely behind as Wolverine leapt off his feet and barged through the door with his right shoulder, making it look easy.
Bruce and Betty entered behind, watching as Wolverine awkwardly picked himself off the floor, the metal door destroyed underneath him. His cloak only covered a partial part of his back, falling over his left shoulder, and the sight underneath made Bruce breathless. ''Your arm?''
''What arm?'' Wolverine mumbled sarcastically as he stood up properly before pulling his cloak back over his shoulder with his right hand, hiding the grotesque, bloody stump over where his limb use to be.
Even though he could no longer see it, the image of Wolverine's missing arm scarred into his vision. ''I don't understand. With your healing factor, you should be able to recover lost limbs. Why hasn't your arm grown back yet?''
Wolverine merely huffed in response and walked on ahead, ignoring Bruce. He lifted his head and took a few sniffs of the air, inhaling charred ash and dust, but managing to pick up another scent. ''Barton's up ahead, and there's quite a bit of blood. I'm guessing his.''
''Then we have to hurry,'' Betty said. ''Ultron can't be far behind.''
With Wolverine taking the lead, taking in all the scents around him to not only make sure they were heading the right way but also to be cautious should anything else be in here with them. Betty kept the communicator in her pocket, the beeping on the device becoming louder with every step. While Bruce carefully looked down every dark corridor they passed, afraid of something springing out and attacking them.
Every so often though, his eyes would drift back in Wolverine's direction, eyeing at the Mutant's left shoulder underneath his cloak. Still unable to shake the image of his missing arm out of his head, Bruce tried to look someplace else. Before long, Wolverine stopped in his tracks and turned sharply towards Betty. ''I can feel his eyes burning into the back of my head! Just tell your boyfriend what happened before I give him something to really be scared about!'' Without waiting for a response he marched forward, leaving the two scientists alone.
''I'm sorry,'' Bruce said as he turned to Betty. ''I assumed with his healing that his arm would have been restored.''
Betty, unable to look Bruce in the eye, stared at the fractured ground beneath her feet. ''When Ultron attacked Charles Xavier's school, Logan and a few others tried to stop him, but they couldn't! He was the only one to survive, but at a price. Ultron knew that it couldn't kill Logan like the others, because of his healing factor, so it poisoned him with some kind of biological infection. Over time, the poison has been destroying Logan's body from within, including his Adamantium.''
''Is it permanent?''
''He's dying!'' Betty answered grimly. ''I've tried everything I can, but it's no use. My guess is he only has about three months before his heart gives out and stops pumping blood.''
Bruce was unsure how to respond, was there any kind of response he could give? He felt so helpless and useless right now, no, he felt like that ever since Ultron took over. ''I'm sorry.''
''For what?''
''For not doing anything! For not finding you! I thought that because I couldn't turn into the Hulk anymore, the fight was over for me! I've been hiding under a rock, literally. I can't help anyone…''
''Bruce!'' Betty stopped him. ''Don't think that because you can't turn into the Hulk, you're no help to anyone. You were a brilliant man and thinker long before the accident. You've protected mankind just as much as Captain America or Iron Man, not only through your strength as the Hulk, but through your intelligence, determination and ability as yourself! Even my father could see that.''
''Your father? He wasn't exactly my biggest fan.''
She smiled slightly. ''I know he didn't always agree with you, but I know that he respected you.'' Her smile began to falter and her eyes water, which she quickly wiped to hide the tears. Picking up on her actions, Bruce took another step closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in gently for a hug. She accepted and folded her arms around him, her head leaning on his shoulder. ''He volunteered for a team to go with Black Panther and save the people in Wakanda…they didn't return.'' She sobbed quietly, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her.
Knowing that nothing more needed to be said, Bruce continued to hold Betty tenderly and silently. They enjoyed the embrace so much that it felt like they were in a different place, and everything around them was just a nightmare fading away. However, that wasn't going to happen, this is what's become of the world, and all they could do now was fight and survive to see another sunrise and sunset.
''Hey!'' Wolverine called out from down the corridor, unseen in the shadows. ''You two better come down here!''
The two of them separated. ''Did you find Barton?'' Betty responded.
''And then some!'' He replied vaguely.
Bruce and Betty looked at each other, wondering what Wolverine had meant by that answer. There was little time to ponder. They found Barton, now they needed to hurry and get out of here. Sprinting down the hallway, the communicator in Betty's pocket sounded off in one continuous beep, and the red light turned bright green just as they rounded the corner of the corridor and saw Wolverine standing by an open door with a bloody, but alive Clint Barton leaning against the wall…and with an extra surprise standing by his leg. ''What took you so long? I remember ordering takeout's that arrived quicker than you!'' He jibbed while placing his arm over the shoulders of a small boy that looked no more than four years old.
The two of them stood in disbelief, staring at the wide-eyed boy who wore nothing but rags and had Barton's battered and scratched bow hanging over his small body. Betty was the first to get over the shock, as she hurried towards Clint and inspected his wounds. As for Bruce, he couldn't let go of his surprise seeing the little boy, who was the spitting image of Hawkeye, standing there and staring back at the scientist. He didn't even know Clint was seeing anyone, let alone thinking about starting a family with someone.
''Nothing seems to be broken, I think you're just exhausted,'' Betty said. ''Although, I'm rushing this as Ultron's on his way. We'll head back to Bruce's cave and I can check you properly there.''
''Sounds good to me,'' Clint mumbled weakly while trying to crack a laugh, but it only came out as a wheezed cough. ''You ever heard the expression hurts when I laugh? That's how I feel right now.''
''What happened to you?'' Bruce asked.
''Got cornered by a couple of drones! I tried to fight back, but I lost my last arrow ages ago, and I've had to use my own bloody hands to brawl them. Thankfully, my boy here, Francis, found this building and we hid in here.''
''Why did you sound the communicator?''
''I hate to say it, but I've got nothing left. I was waiting here and waiting for a robot to pick us off. So, I took a chance with a distress call and hoped someone picked up on the other side. I was starting to regret that decision until you all showed up.''
''Well, we're going to get you someplace safe,'' Betty said to Clint and to his son, giving the boy an encouraging smile.
BOOM! The roof above them exploded in a fiery blaze and with a deafening shockwave so strong that the floor beneath them crumbled. It was probably a good thing, as they fell to the ground and just managed to avoid the heat of the explosion above. Bruce landed in a heap, rolling along and crashing against a pile of rubble and debris.
He groaned sorely as he tried to pick himself up. An ear-splitting ringing made him hiss with pain. His whole body was numb, his arms shaking when trying to push up off the ground. Fire and smoke surrounded him, making it difficult to see where the others had gone. However, before he could have a chance to look, he was blinded by an intense, dark red light. He turned away from the light, just as a computerised voice spoke menacingly. ''Scanning…Bruce Banner…alive! Unexpected!''
Fear gripped Bruce like never before, as it felt like the light was burning through his skin. Eventually, it reduced, allowing him to turn and come face to face with the monster himself, Ultron. The shiny, metallic body hovering above him with red energy emitting from his eyes and mouth. The nightmares and memories of before swept over Bruce completely. He became frozen with fear. Ultron lingered over the frightened scientist, its arms still at the side with fingers on both hands open, showing the energy blast plates in its palms. Bruce knew that Ultron would attack any second, but he knew there was nowhere for him to run now.
''Your survival was improbable, but not impossible,'' Ultron said. ''You were considered a most wanted terrorist to multiple governments. Experience as a fugitive makes your survival under my watch feasible. However, your death is now imminent. You have no place left to hide!'' He raised one of his arms and aimed his hand at Bruce, the energy in his palm growing, ready to strike.
''Hey, bub!'' Wolverine's voice called out from behind the fire, distracting Ultron from Bruce. The machine turned to look in the direction of the voice. As always, Ultron was unresponsive as Wolverine stepped through the fire, flames flickering over his cloak and dancing around his three extended claws. ''You're not finished with me yet!''
''Logan…aka…The Wolverine! A former teacher at Charles Xavier's School for the Gifted! A poison courses through your veins, disintegrating cells and organs and dissolving your Adamantium skeleton from within you. You will be deceased soon enough. Your continued desire to fight is illogical!''
''I may be a dead man walking! But if I'm going down, then I'm going to make sure that the last thing I do is rip your goddamn head off!'' He let out a mighty battle cry before leaping towards Ultron like a wild animal.
Ultron aimed his hand towards Wolverine and fired a blast at the Mutant. He managed to block the attack with his claws, reflecting it all around him and shielding himself from the full power of the blast. He pushed his arm to the side, aiming the blast in another direction, and giving him a clear bit to run at Ultron and strike. He swung his claws at the machine, however, it effortlessly dodged the attack and now Wolverine was left exposed. BAM! Ultron used his knee to hit Wolverine in the gut with incredible force, enough for the Mutant to cough out blood.
Quickly regaining balance, Wolverine aimed his claws for Ultron's head. The robot swiped away his attack with its own hand; the claws barely left a scratch on the metal surface. Wolverine tried to elbow Ultron in the face with every bit of strength he had. BAM! He landed a direct hit, but it appeared that the robot was unfazed, not even a dent was left after that blow.
Watching on, Bruce felt powerless to do anything, he was just a fly on the wall looking at the titanic struggle in front of him. Wolverine was throwing everything he had at Ultron, but the machine took every blow and countered with his own, causing major damage to the X-Man. It didn't help that Wolverine's healing factor was nearly obsolete at this point, as the bruises and bloody cuts covered his body within seconds.
''Bruce!'' The scientist heard Clint shout from behind him. Bruce turned and saw Clint behind the fire, leaning up against a tree close to the forest. Finally out of his daze, Bruce quickly got to his feet and made a dash for his former teammate, just managing to avoid the flames. Bruce reached the tree that Clint was at. The archer was too wounded to even stand, let alone help out in any way. ''I can't find Francis anywhere!''
Distraught and hysteria clasped over his heart as he looked over the flaming battlefield to find his son. He was frustrated with himself because he couldn't find the physical strength to search for Francis. Bruce could see it on Clint's face, although he couldn't possibly imagine what Clint was going through, he knew that it was tearing Hawkeye apart. Helplessness at the situation before them…that was something Bruce could identify with. ''I'll find him, just stay here!'' He said to his wounded friend.
''Thank you, thank you!'' Clint whimpered, still trying to pick himself up using the tree, but it was no use. Bruce couldn't wait. Wolverine wouldn't last more than a few minutes against Ultron in his current condition, and once the brawl is over, Ultron would go after the others. He had to find Francis quickly, and he prayed that Betty was with the boy.
Wolverine continued to struggle against Ultron. If he was at full strength with both arms and had his accelerated healing, he could give the machine a good match, but in his current state, he wasn't even a challenge. Fatigue and frailty began to set him, as every strike and punch he threw Ultron's way was blocked, dodged or taken head-on with minimal effect. BAM! Ultron landed a mighty kick into Wolverine's chest, sending him hurtling towards one of the last standing walls of the destroyed building, causing him to crash through it. Bricks and rubble hurtled with him before he hit and bounced along the ground.
Hearing the fighting had stopped, Bruce looked on to see Wolverine lay on the ground, crumbled and broken while Ultron walked over towards his motionless body. This would all be over for the Mutant in a few seconds if nothing else were done.
Bruce couldn't just watch someone else die at Ultron's hands. ''Come on,'' He said to himself. ''Please, change just one more time! Let me be the Hulk one last time, please!''
He tried to let the anger swell up inside him, he tried to let it bubble and boil until it could explode, but there was nothing. It was like all the anger within him had died a long time ago, and he was merely a ghost of his former shelf. It felt like the anger was gone and instead replaced by fear. Suddenly, Bruce could hear something coming from the other direction, closer towards the other side of the building. He stumbled through the cloud and ash, hoping to find Betty and Francis safe and out of harm's way…that wasn't the case.
''Betty!'' He cried out and rushed over to help Betty, her lower body trapped underneath a collapsed wall with bricks covering her like a blanket. Her forehead was bloody, eyes closed and teary because of ash. Her arms flapped about trying to push the fallen wall off of her, but there was no more strength left in her arms. Bruce reached her and quickly began to lift the wall as high as he could, although it wasn't much. ''I can't lift it up all the way! You need to pull yourself out!''
Her head swayed dizzily, and at first, Bruce thought she didn't hear him and feared she would lose consciousness any second. Soon enough, she hooked her hands under the wall and tried to heave herself out from underneath while Bruce continued to lift. It was an extremely slow process, made lengthier by the dire situation they were in. Bit by bit, she edged herself out from under the debris; Bruce hoped that her legs hadn't been crushed. At last, her blood-shot eyes opened and gazed at Bruce. ''Where's…'' Her throat was so dry that she couldn't finish her sentence without coughing.
''Clint's safe, but I don't know where is son is! And Logan's…'' Bruce couldn't continue anymore. He didn't know what to say as the battle was no longer visible to him, he couldn't tell if Ultron had finished Wolverine off yet or not.
''Bruce!'' Betty screamed. Suddenly, the pair found a looming shadow cast over them, and Bruce's blood ran cold as he turned to see Ultron towering over them. Fire and smoke blotted the area, with Ultron's glowing red eyes piercing into Bruce's very being. The metal murderer raised his arm, preparing to end it all.
'I don't know what anger is anymore. It's like all I know now…is fear.'
''Hey!'' Before Ultron attacked, a small voice cried out and a tiny rock was thrown at the back of its head. It did nothing but cause Ultron to slowly twist its head and look upon the one brave and foolish enough to call him out. ''Leave them alone!'' Francis Barton yelled.
''A child? Unexpected!'' Ultron said before advancing on the boy. ''Nevertheless, you shall be eradicated along with all sentient life.''
Bruce felt powerless, no worse, pathetic. He wanted to so badly beat Ultron into the ground until it was nothing but dust. However, it felt like something was pulling him back, trapping the Hulk deep inside an unreachable part. ''What's wrong with me?'' I hissed under his breath. ''I'm scared, why can't I get angry…''
''Bruce?'' Betty's weak voice called out to him.
He looked down at her, trapped and helpless underneath the broken wall. Despite this, she kept trying to push herself out. She wanted to keep going even with how bleak things appeared to be. As for Bruce, when he stared down at Betty's determined face and then quickly looked over to Francis cowering away from the looming robot, something clicked in his mind.
The contrasting expressions seemed to ignite a fire inside him. His hand clenched into a tight fist and he rose to his feet. The sky above felt much clearer. ''Ultron!'' He yelled at the top of his lungs.
Ultron halted just as it was a few steps away from the young archer. The robot rotated his head in the opposite direction to face Bruce. ''Doctor Banner, if you chose to interfere, you will be the first to die here.''
''No one is dying while I'm here!'' Bruce said with grit.
''Bruce? What are you doing?'' Betty questioned.
He didn't respond at first. His eyes closed and he inhaled deeply, as his whole body tensed before seemingly relaxing into a calm state. ''I couldn't tell the difference between anger and fear. That was my problem. For so long, I've dug deep in my own grave until I couldn't see the light.''
''To state it crudely, I shall be the one to put you in your grave, Doctor Banner.'' Ultron taunted menacingly. Fire and smoke appeared from underneath his metallic feet and he lifted himself off the ground, hovering over towards Bruce at a rapid pace.
''Bruce!'' Betty cried out in desperation.
''All this time I thought I was afraid. But I never was…'' Bruce's eyes opened slowly and the ground beneath him cracked. ''I was angry!''
Even Ultron couldn't have prepared himself for what happened next. In an instant, Bruce's skin faded into a dark green, and his bulging muscles expanded until he practically burst out of his ragged clothes. He let out a booming roar filled with uncontrollable rage. His clenched hand swung forward towards Ultron's face.
BOOM! The punch that followed was so great it caused a small sonic boom that blew away anything close by. Ultron's face was shredded into pieces upon contact before being sent flying backwards, crashing through the remains of the destroyed building. Managing to knock his enemy down, the green monster beat his chest proudly and bellowed a thunderous roar.
The Hulk was back!
Although Ultron didn't land too far away from him, Francis couldn't tear his eyes away from Bruce's new form. ''That is so cool.'' He mumbled.
Hulk turned to face the little boy, who now became anxious that the green-skinned behemoth was staring at him. Hulk leapt towards Francis, scooped him up into his arms before jumping back towards the wall that was crushing Betty. With ease, he lifted the stone and used one of his fingers as something for Betty to pull herself out with.
Though dazed and weakened, she stood on her own two feet. Hulk gently lowered Barton down so that Betty could take him. He met Betty's gaze with tender green eyes. ''Hawkeye not far! Go!'' He commanded.
Betty only needed a second to figure out what he was implying. ''No, Bruce! I can't lose you again…''
''Betty! Go!'' Hulk repeated louder and more urgently.
She wanted to argue, but she knew that in a place like this, without the proper resources she wasn't going to do much good. All she could do was help Barton and his son get away while Hulk held off Ultron. There wasn't even enough time for her to get another word in, as she looked on to see Ultron pick himself up and out of the debris. The machine's face slowly repaired itself, moving all the damaged pieces back into place. Betty glanced at Hulk one last time before running in the other direction.
Now that he knew Betty was out of harm's way, Hulk turned all his attention towards Ultron, who was now back together in one piece. ''Gamma readings have increased dramatically. No matter, I have come prepared for this.''
The robot's readings fell on deaf ears. There was only one thing Hulk cared about right now. ''Hulk Smash!'' He shouted before charging at Ultron.
Hulk swung an almighty fist towards Ultron, but it effortlessly dodged out of the way. Then, Hulk tried to hit the robot with the backhand of his fist. However, Ultron caught it easily enough with his own hand. The sharp, metal fingers jabbed and dug into Hulk's skin, causing the beast to hiss with pain. He couldn't break out of the death-like grip, so he tried to push forward, but somehow, Ultron was strong enough to not only hold him back…he pushed back.
Hulk's feet buried themselves in the ground to keep him from being pushed, but this had no effect. BAM! Faster than he could react, Ultron punched him hard in the stomach before curving its hand upwards and tossing Hulk into the air. Still holding onto Hulk's arm, Ultron then proceeded to slam the monster hard into the ground. The Earth trembled and quaked upon impact.
Down only momentarily, Hulk grabbed a broken piece of the ground and used it as a weapon against Ultron, who blocked and shattered the rubble with his hands. Hulk threw punch after punch, desperately trying to land a single punch. But no matter how many punches he threw or how fast they came, Ultron was easily able to avoid them all. At this point, it felt like the heartless killer was toying with the monster.
BAM! BAM! After ducking to avoid another punch, Ultron struck on both Hulk's knees, causing him to crumble to the ground. Hulk slowly picked himself back up and stared at Ultron with blood-shot eyes. Hulk charged forward once again, looking like he was about to throw another punch which Ultron had already side-stepped out of the way of…which is exactly what Hulk was hoping he would do.
BAAAM! With his other fist, Hulk punched Ultron directly in the chest and waited eagerly for the robot to be sent flying again…except, this time Ultron remained still. Hulk's fist moved away from Ultron, whom simply had a dent or two from where it was just struck. ''I calculated the strength and velocity of your last punch to determine a maximum limit of your strength. At which point I took measures to strengthen myself to withstand your punches, should another one land. You are now no longer strong enough to damage me!''
''No! Hulk is strongest there is!'' Hulk cried out and raised his arms before slamming them down on top of Ultron. The machine caught them both with its hands and stopped them in their tracks. The ground nearly split open underneath their feet, and a wall nearby blew apart from the force. Hulk tried to press down, wanting to crush Ultron, but it was able to hold him in place.
BAM! The wind was knocked right out of Hulk after Ultron struck him with a powerful knee in the stomach. This was enough to distract Hulk and give Ultron time to free itself. BAM! It downed Hulk with a strong punch to the face, causing green blood to shot out of his mouth and nose. ''Not anyone!''
For the first time, there was a moment of respite, as it seemed Hulk couldn't carry on. He remained rooted to the ground, breathing heavily and coughing up more blood, the anger seemingly knocked right out of him. Yet again, Ultron couldn't have predicted what was to happen next.
Quickly lunging at Ultron, Hulk wrapped his massive arms around the robot, crushing him against his body and charged forward. He stormed right through the last standing wall of the building, Ultron being the first to hit it. Hulk then grabbed Ultron's head, his big, green hand grasping the whole of the head and slammed it into the ground. He kept on running, dragging Ultron's head along the ground.
Just when it seemed like Hulk was getting the upper hand though, the thrusters on Ultron's feet lit up and the robot grabbed Hulk's hand before shooting up into the air, taking the monster with him. As they ascended higher into the sky, Hulk tried to land a single hit, but the strong winds and force of their flight prevented him from landing a decent strike.
BAM! Ultron, on the other hand, had no problem as he landed a strong uppercut on Hulk and let go, leaving the monster helpless in mid-air. Hulk could do nothing as Ultron clasped its hands together and lifted them upwards, preparing the final strike. BAAM! Ultron brought them down, hitting the Hulk hard and sending him plummeting back down towards Earth.
Like a comet, Hulk's body heated up until sparks flew off his body, slicing through the air. BOOOM! The size of the crater left behind was all that was needed to emphasise the kind of impact that was made.
Ultron glided back down gracefully and hovered just above the crater. The smoke made it impossible for any person to see, but Ultron's scanners had already picked out Hulk still trying to fight on. He stumbled out of the crater, bruised and cut, with blood pouring from dozens of wounds. His breath was harsh and rapid. ''This fight has dragged on to an unnecessary length. I shall end this, now!''
With little time to react, Hulk threw another punch, much slower and weaker than the last in an attempt to stop Ultron, but it was too late. The machine stabbed his metallic fingertips into Hulk's chest. Hulk gritted his teeth and cried out in agony. After a while, a green aura flowed from out of Hulk's body and along Ultron's arm. As this went on, Hulk's body started to shrink. His muscles contracted and his skin turned pale and pink once again.
Soon enough, Bruce Banner was back in his human form, weak, bloody and exhausted beyond compare. Ultron extracted its claws from Bruce's chest, leaving the man to fall limply to the ground. ''What…what did you do?''
''I extracted all gamma radiation and contaminants from your bloodstream and all internal organs. Right now, there are billions of nanobots circling your body to prevent any reversal of this procedure.''
Bruce grew wide-eyed as realisation dawned on him. ''Then…I can't…''
''You will never turn into the Hulk again. Now your death is a certainty!'' Ultron's hand was raised, and a light began to shine from the palm blaster, ready to put an end to this.
Just as Bruce waited for the inevitable blast to hit him, something else happened. Three silver blades pierced through Ultron's neck, causing the machine to stagger and backtrack. Then suddenly, its head was ripped clean off and sent flying. As the body dropped to the ground, Bruce felt a strong arm pull him back onto his feet. ''You got a death wish? Run!'' Wolverine snarled and the two made a bolt for the forest.
Behind them, tiny circuits and wires dragged Ultron's head back towards the body, connecting with the neck and piecing it together.
Wolverine and Bruce ran as fast as they wounded legs would carry them, brushing through the trees and thick bushes in hopes of finding an escape. At this point, the mutant would use his nose to lead the way, but with his dying body, that wasn't going to work. Evident once they nearly fell off the edge of a steep bank that led to a raging river.
''Dead end!'' Wolverine commented.
''A fitting word to use,'' Bruce said half-heartedly.
In the distance, they could hear Ultron powering up once again. Wolverine grunted with frustration. ''Damn, there's no time to find another way out.''
Bruce stared down at his shaking hands, he tried to find that anger inside of him and unleash it. But this time, nothing was happening. He felt angry, and he knew that the fury and rage of all those Ultron had killed was boiling inside of him, but it came to nothing. ''I can't change!''
''So Ultron's messed you up too?''
''If I had time, I could maybe find a way to get Hulk back. But there is no time!''
They listened closely, hearing the sound of Ultron flying around and blasting the area. The forest lit up in a blaze instantly. Leaves were turned to ash, and trees were uprooted as the metal menace came nearer. Bruce's heart sank as thoughts of happier times years before filled him up inside.
''Hey, bub,'' Wolverine suddenly called and grabbed Bruce by the shoulder. ''When you get the big, green guy back, tear that robot a new one for me!''
''What are you…'' Bruce didn't even have time to ask before the one-armed mutant tossed him over the bank and hurtling down into the river.
He broke through the surface, struggling against the strong waves that carried him down. Even if he weren't already weak from his fight and Ultron's sabotage, Bruce wouldn't have been able to swim back towards the banks. His head bobbed in and out of the water. The last thing he saw before being swept further away was Ultron corner Wolverine on the bank, and the mutant makes one last lunge towards the tyrant. Wolverine…Logan's roar echoed across the land.
Once Bruce reached a calm point in the river where he was able to swim to shore, he lay exhausted on the ground. Not a wise strategy when trying to run. But if Ultron were really trying to find him, he would have already been found. For today, Bruce had gotten away, but at a terrible price. Though Ultron didn't kill him, the mark was left.
He limped in what looked to be the safest direction, with the trees fewer and the green all but gone. Cold, hurt and broken. Even the Hulk couldn't stand up to Ultron. Soon, Bruce found a road that led out towards a dry, sandy landscape. As he wandered on, he remembered Logan's last words to him. Did the mutant really believe that Bruce could find a way to get the Hulk back? He must have if he was willing to bet his own life on it.
The doubt began to cloud his judgement. Logan would have died anyway; all he had accomplished was a warrior's death instead of being stuck in a bed surrounded by doctors and needles.
But then there was Betty and Clint. They were still fighting, trying to help and protect others in the world. They had gotten away too, and Clint's son was still alive because of what had been risked today. There was a chance for them to fight another day, and that's all Bruce could hope for himself…a chance to fight another day.
The End!
If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them.