Title : Bloody Dawn

Author : JackB

Prompt : Body Horror Collection

Warning : Heavy Body Horror. Stomach located, blood, guts.

Word : 2436

Resume : Hulk ate too much, Bruce had to deal with it.

Tag : Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, James Rhodes, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff,Gore, Body Horror, Guts, Blood, Body Deformation, Transformation Horror, the team help when they can. Lot of suffering, deaf clint, it's trash, be warned.

Position in Timeline : Post Avengers → somewhere in the timeline.


Banner woke up in a field. His mind was dizzy, as usual, but he felt thick humid grass under him and if he was not naked, his pants was barely covering him at all. He quickly refocused. He had to know where he was, what the other guy has done so he could know what to do. He also needed to found the others.

But first, what has he done ?

His eyes drifted toward his environment and only found corpses. Hings and stags, eaten to the bones, a whole herd.

« What ? » He whispers as he observed the whole carnage. It was not the first time the Other Guy ate by himself, still it had been rare enough to occur just three times counting this time.

A half-eaten doe was at his side with its guts spilled at his feet. The whole thing was fresh since the animal was still warm. The smell of viscera and the content of a half-digested stomach returned his. It stank death. A gust of wind makes him shiver. A layer of mist cover the edge of the tree and the whole area was humid and fresh, it seems to be early in the morning, the other guy must have eaten the whole night. No wonder why he is cold. Dawn is always chill.

He tries to get up, he had to get out of here, he hates it, this butchery only make him feel worse, but an intense pain stops his movement his whole chest and stomach are painful. His hand go toward his belly at the same time his eyes check for eventual damage or anomaly. Which would be a damn joke since nothing seems to hurt the Other Guy enough for him to have damages.

Despite the fact he is covered in blood, mostly his mouth, face, neck chest and legs. He can clearly see his belly being overly tense and big. It's so stretched, his skin cracked, there's many cut exposing the first layer of his flesh, it's not even bloody, not really. Terror flash over him. Well, of course, they share the same body, if Bruce swallow a key containing information, then turn into the Hulk, he can still find the key in his stomach after. That mean, if the Other Guy feast a whole herd and turn back into Banner before he finished to digest, what he ate didn't disappear, it's still here and Bruce doesn't have the body size nor the stomach size to handle that much food.

« God I'm so sick, GuYS. » He tries to call the team but his voice crack. It's probably pointless, the Other Guy could have fled far away from the battle zone, and it's probably the case since there were no firs and pines where they were.

His vision go fuzzy an instant, it's so painful and he wants to throw up so bad. His stomach had exploded. He knows that, he barely had to palm the zone to know it. Tear fall on his cheeks.

« Shit, you son of a dick monster. »

There is not hundred solutions, he knows that too. He had.. He had to get it out. But where was he going to find a knife here ? He's in the middle of nowhere. He could find a shack at less than hundred meters or fifty fucking kilometers.

He heard something move toward him and recognized Barton. The archer faced him.

'Big guy, we searched you all night.' He signs. Bruce straightens himself to be able to sign back.

'Are we far away from the combat zone ?'

'Yes, 800 kilometers, Hulk flee away at the end of the mission.'

Clint pulled out a communicator and sent a message to the other Avengers, informing them of the situation.

'Others are coming soon. We should get you up. What's the problem with your stomach ?' He tries to stay impassible but Bruce can see he is kind of disgusted, well, they're two.

'Hulk ate too much. I can't get up, I need to do something first.'

'What ?'

'Do you have a knife to give me ?'

'What for ?'

Bruce gestured to his stomach.

'I need to take the stuff out.'

'No way' Barton signed, a wince on his face marking his disagreement.

'Please, I need it, I won't heal well.'

'No.'

'I can do that quick, let me get this done now. It's easier.'

'That's sick, we will get you to a hospital, or something.'

'Sure, how do you think the Other Guy is going to react when someone open me ? It's safer here. Beside no hospital for me ever, you know that.'

Barton hesitates.

'It hurt like hell, give me a knife or I will do it with the tip of a damn broken bone.' His jaw is clenched, sweat fall on his face. He doesn't have time to argue.

The Archer is still not sure but the look on Bruce face got him. He pulls out a knife he keeps on his legs, the size is just right for the job.

'You might want to look away.'

The Archer waves at him, wandering around, not quite watching the thing but doesn't turn his eyes from it either. He's puzzled, should he allow this ? He's stressed and it stressed Bruce out.

'Wait for the others.'

'Won't change anything. Just don't freak out, I need calm.'

Hawkeye frown, he disapproves but doesn't stop him either.

Bruce braced himself. He knew it was going to be extremely hard and painful, still he had to do it. His eyes are pure terror when he point the blade toward him. His jaws shake, he doesn't want to do that. Still he stabs himself before sliding the blade down.

He screams, groans and cries, full force, full lungs. If Clint can't hear it, he can still see it, the horror on Bruce face. It's a this moment the rest of the team arrives, coming running, alerted by the scream. Natasha stops first and kind of step away. She saw what was happening quickly, and she doesn't want to be part of it. Tony and Rhodey are second, they turn their eyes at the sight, whiles Steve just lower his pace the more he gets close to him.

« What the hell are you doing ! » Tony screamed, trying to get closer to his friend but being mortified by the situation.

Barton quickly explained the situation with Natasha translating. But it's not like it was hard to understand just a look at the mess and at Banner's belly is enough to cast a horror look on their face.

Nobody had the energy to take that kind of shit. Not after a battle and hours of research when they're all tired and just want to go home. Not ever actually.

« Help ! » Bruce managed, he couldn't go further and he was just half way, someone was going to continue his work. His face was pure suffering and tiredness. His hands shook, he had no strength left, the pain had sucked it all.

It's Steve who advanced toward him, trying to keep it whole despites the situation being crazy as the kneeled down in front of Bruce. Tony was swearing under his breath.

« What do I do ? » His voice was steady and confident. Bruce needed him, needed them. If the others couldn't be here at this moment, he would, he would be stability, because that's what he did, that's what he was, one of his men needed him and he was not going to let him down.

« Just.. Down.. The knife. »

« O.. Okay, give me a sec'. » He knows it's not the moment to argue, Bruce is smart and if he does that here that way it's because it's the best moment and the best way. No matter if he disagrees.

So Steve steadied himself and grabbed Bruce's hands who were still holding the knife and put them away.

« Ready ? » He asked, gentle. Bruce nodded.

Steve pushed hardly the knife, until the rest of the skin was cut fully. Ignoring the two hands who grabbed his arms and the scream his friend made, a new one to add for his futur nightmare. But not much time to think about it, guts fallen onto Steve's hands and Bruce's tight and knees, as he cried even more, breathing hard. Grateful in a way to be warmer despite the pain. Blood flows out, but not as much as Steve expected.

He grabbed Bruce's head with his hand and guided him on his clavicle, offering something steady for him to take a respite.

With his head fully on Steve clavicle, Bruce growled. The Other Guy had stayed pretty calm until now. His skin changed color and he grew heavier on the Captain. Rhodey grabbed his head in his hands, both firm and gentle in his touch.

« You stay with us ! Don't you dare turn now. Keep focus. » He said in a steady voice.

« Keep focus ! » Bruce repeats.

« That's it, you keep focus, that's your job, keep the Other Guy in. Okay ? » Bruce nodded. « Captain ! » James pressed him.

« Sure. » Steve refocused. Despite knowing Bruce couldn't die from the wound, having his guts on his laps just brought back bad memories. No time to waste on it, they had a job to finish.

Rhodey placed himself behind Bruce, a hand on his forehead, helping him ground enough to keep it up. Banner's hand tried to reach his inside despite shrinking and shaking in pain.

Steve did the same.

« Oh boy. » He exclaimed as his hands disappeared into Bruce's open belly.

He grabbed what he could, which was mostly half-digested stags and bit of fur and bones and pulled it out.

« Oh my God ! » Tony muttered, walking away from the sight and sound, he wanted to support his friend, but it was too much for him.

Banner helped a little, but he was more focused on keeping the Other Guy in. Eyes drifting all the time from barely open to wide, face crisped in pain, he still gave indication.

« Don't worry about removing something vital. Just don't touch the heart, it trigger the Other. »

« You.. You sure ? »

« Yeah, not the lungs, not the heart. Just.. Just be sure you take it all out. »

« I will do my best, but I see shit Banner. »

« At this point just take everything you can put your hands on out. »

« You really gonna regrow all ? » Rhodey asked, still holding Bruce up and steady.

« Yah. » He answered shaky.

Steve didn't cared about being covered by blood, guts or half-digested deer, he just tried to be quick. Imagining how hard it could be for the physicist. He grabbed something, pulled it out and made Bruce jump in a quick scream. Bruce sobbed even harder. Could have been a kidney considering the texture.

« Sorry. » He muttered.

« That's okay. »

It happened more than once, but Banner said nothing. His face just crisped even more until it was the living incarnation of suffering. He barely screamed anymore, it was already too much for it.

When the job was done, Steve backed off.

« We should get you to the ship. Should we sew you up ? »

Bruce didn't answer at first, he just removed Rhodey hand, who let him all free and fallen onto the heap of flesh, blood and guts.

« No. » He finally answered in a broken sad voice.

« Damnit. » Said Tony, now running to his friend. « Don't let him on that trash. » He grabbed Bruce, planning to carry him, but he got pushed away.

« No. » The growl was clear, the others backed off.

He fought it despite growing bigger and greener. He had reached the first third of his transformation before it calmed. He fell back onto the guts of all his normal size, rolled and the fight continued. Bruce just curled up, and kept his body from getting bigger. It lasted ten minutes until he was stable for good.

Ten minutes of pure struggle and grunts, cracking bones and deformations, the others had to witness. This dreadful mess was draining every last bit of their energy. They knew they couldn't do shit for Bruce. There were no cards in their hands, it was Bruce combat and job to keep Hulk inside, he was the only one who had influence. All they had to do his wait and hope for it to be quick in one way or another. Long struggles like that were just the worst. The longest it was the less harmonious it was. Part didn't grow at the same similar speed, you could have an arm almost full Hulk whiles the rest was just Banner instead of a more balanced transformation. But after some time, you could just see a bone grows faster and transpercing the rest before coming back at normal.

It was a nightmare to live and a nightmare to watch.

During this, Natasha was the only one who had enough strength left to actually burn what had come out of Banner. Destroying the sensitive material, so nobody could put their hands on it.

When it finally stopped, Bruce was on his back. Hands covering his face. His pants had finished to die, leaving him fully naked, but with the amount of blood, random body part and flesh nobody could see shit. Anyway, their eyes were mostly on the huge cut who had already started to close. It was still pretty ugly and huge. They all knew that Bruce was going to be all good in no time. He wouldn't even have any scar, which was pretty impressive. But knowing that didn't make it more bearable to see.

Steve approached.

« You okay ? »

« I have a better healing factor than you, I'm gonna be fine. » The words were harsh but Steve didn't take it for himself, he kind of expected worse.

« Good. » He smiled before taking him in his arms.

« Come on big guy, we gotta go home, everybody needs a good night sleep. » Tony said walking beside Steve who carried Bruce as the group got back to the quinjet. Bruce nodded, but he barely kept up, he was falling unconscious.

End.