Sorry, this chapter is a lot shorter than the previous one. Personally, I do not think that it is too good, but I tried. I don't write about Bruce too often, so please forgive me. I also don't know much about his serum and if this is actually possible, but I did my best to make it seem at least plausible. Big thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited! It means a lot! :) I am thinking about doing review replies in the next chapter, but it just depends on how many there are. All of that said, I hope that you guys like this chapter! The next one should be posted tomorrow or Wednesday day and will be longer for sure.

I forgot to mention in the previous A/N, that the songs I listened to for these one shots were: "Saturn" by Sleeping at Last & "Pieces" by Rob Thomas.

I don't own anything Marvel related.


Year 2021

It came as a surprise, less than a year later, when Bruce unexpectedly slipped from their grasp. A few weeks after the soldier and the spy tied the knot in a ceremony of red and white, they got a call at the Tower from Maria Hill. Clint was the only one on the communal floor, so he picked up the phone with a confused "hello?"

She told him in a soft, grieving tone, that Bruce had died unexpectedly in his sleep the night before while in California, enjoying some time off from saving the world. Apparently his older body could not handle the serum like it used to, and his last Hulking out that had lasted nearly four hours had pushed it over the edge. His heart stopped. No pain. He simply drifted away from all of them.

The cleaning lady had found him when she entered his hotel room, seeing no 'do not disturb' on the door. When she apologized and wheeled the cart out, he did not move. It was only after walking a few steps into the room and not seeing Bruce breathing that she called for help.

An ambulance came, and prior to Fury's orders, Bruce was delivered to a small hospital run by people he trusted. All efforts to resuscitate Bruce both in the ambulance and at the hospital had failed. The cause of death was heart failure. Nothing more, nothing less.

Hill had called Pepper first, who was in Florida with family, where she decided that she would remain. It hurt her too much to come back and live in a house, in a city, that was practically made by the man she lost.

Maria apologized again, informing Clint of when Bruce's funeral would take place, sending Fury's condolences as well. She knew how hard these loses were for the team. It was becoming more and more evident that the Avengers were people also, and their time would come to an end.

Clint hung up and phone and ran a hand through his hair. "FRIDAY, gather the team."

"Yes, Clint," the AI replied. After Tony's death, FRIDAY had grown quieter and began calling everyone by their first names, as they had asked.

In a minute, what was left of the Avengers team had assembled on the floor that used to hold so much light and laughter. Natasha stepped forward first, seeing the red in Clint's eyes brought on by the tears. "Clint, who was on the phone?"

He took a shaky breath in before relaying the information. Thor's head hung low again, blonde hair falling in front of his face. Steve began massaging Natasha's shoulders as her face set straight. Clint looked down at the floor as Natasha turned to Steve for a hug, which he enveloped her in. The entire team was silent, either closing their eyes in disbelief or looking at the floor. Anything so that they wouldn't have to look at their other broken teammates around them.


Two days later, so that no one would get any of Bruce's blood, his body was cremated. The ashes were placed into a jar, which they all signed, and was buried next to Tony.

"I hate this place," Clint whispered as what was left of Bruce was covered. "They should call it the Avengers graveyard. Hell, someday we'll all be here." He was the first one back to the Tower and didn't speak to anyone for the next few days.

The science lab was quiet and dark, with no one to use it. Projects and specks lay out on the tables, holograms still flashing from what Bruce had been working on just weeks prior.

Steve became the new medic of the team, learning very quickly how to patch up various wounds and set bones. Still, they all felt odd going to Steve for help in the medical wing. He wasn't as good as Bruce had been, but no one said a thing.

With the loss of both Iron Man and the Hulk in under a year, the press began hounding the superheroes. Conspiracy theories and rumors that the deaths were connected started floating around. Fury finally had to address the press with the medical records stating that both Tony and Bruce had died of natural causes, completely unrelated. That did not diminish the reporters' thirst for what they thought was the correct story. That the hospitals and reports were false and the heroes had somehow died in a battle against an enemy and did not want their deaths to be reported as a failed attack. However, the need for more information began to diminish when the Avengers themselves stood up for what Fury had said.

A few threats from Natasha to anyone that didn't believe their story was enough to finally put the rumors to rest and allow the Avengers to continue with their lives. Missions were completed, often with the added help of Sam, Wanda, and the Vision, and then the core Avengers would go back to the Tower. Every week they still had movie night, but they didn't laugh as much as they used to. It was if a blanket of sadness had settled over the team.

One-third of the team was not buried in the earth. There was one question that was on everyone's minds, but no one dared to ask or think about too much: which one of them was next?