The Ricochet

Chapter Nine

The guards ripped her from the small white cot of a bed, a task much easier now than before when she was young and slept beneath the bed and they had to drag her out by her heels. Their hands wrapped around her arms, lifting her off her feet, toes skimming the floor. Her head was bowed, body exhausted and not responding as quickly as she would like. She had gone a few more rounds with the enhanced guards, a variety of white pills and red pills.

"Where are we off to this time, boys? Another date?" she snarked. The didn't answer, as per protocol. Apparently they were not allowed to speak to her. Just in case she managed to talk her way out.

Each time was more or less of the same. They would be amazing with their newfound strength and speed, hardly able to control the power. They would focus in on the girl and charge. She would then grapple with the soldier version of her own genetics. Punches would be exchanged and she would somehow gain the upper hand, slipping them into a suffocating headlock or flipping them onto their back, that would be when the supervising guards would dose her with the relaxant. The drugs seeped into her system faster each time and her grip on reality would become looser. She didn't know if they were becoming stronger with the dosage or if she was becoming weaker. She perferred to think of the first option.

The Hulk-guard would proceed to smash her into the ground. Her limbs would feel like they were constructed out of water and she couldn't move in time. Hand reaching for a broken piece of tile to smash into the guard's head a few heartbeats too slow, never really reaching it in time. Being thrown around like a rag doll became dull after a few healthy rounds. The drugs made her mind a little loopy as well. The room would sway and her balance would be compromised, sending her to the floor. Easy prey for the guard. Though the sessions didn't last too long. Her blood was luckily toxic to foriegner bodies, the guards dropped like flies. The recepiants of the pills constructed from her tears lasted a bit longer, but they weren't as powerful as the ones who ingested her blood. Those were the ones she hated the most.

Maybe because they were the perfect personification of her power. What the serum did to her, what she truly was. A monster in the skin of a young woman. Superhuman strength, impressive speed and reflexes, the ability to withstand any attack. Her unbreakable armor. She wasn't a soldier like Captain America. She didn't have an "other guy" to come out and protect her like Bruce. She was just the result of an experiment gone wrong. The serum was meant for her brother, measured and tailored to him specifically. When it entered her body instead, it freaked out. All that massive power bouncing around in the body of a little girl. Not the fully developed stature of her brother. The serum didn't know what to do and so it created her armor. At least, that was her own personal idea of how she came to be.

The guards released her when they entered the new room and they took their stations at the opposit ends of the room. Bridgette smirked and folded her arms, the medicated bracelet was still tampered with, the liquid not making contact with her skin. Her feet were evenly spaced apart, equally dividing her weight so to remain steady. She was dressed in her work uniform, the edges ruined, speckled in blood, heels broken and discarded, tights nothing more than rags.

Dr. Zola entered the room next and Bridgette smirked.

"And how are you today, Patient Erskine?" he asked good naturedly. Like he was a real doctor and she was just a normal patient.

"Smashing," she answered, tone painfully sarcastic. He nodded, jotting a few notes down on his clipboard.

"Good, good," he agreed. "Now today we are-"

"-Going to test vocals. I remember." He raised a brow in interest and she mimicked the expression, smirking.

"Yes. I remember. I'm rather smart like that."

"Well, that's good. Now, we have the speakers set up throughout the base and I will be monitoring all staff. Their vitals and bodily rates. To see how your voice affects them rather than products of your body like your blood and tears. Should be fun, no?" he laughed.

Bridgette gave a breath of a laugh. "How about we try my idea first?"

"Your idea?" he repeated, eyebrows raised in interest. "And just what would that be, Patient Erskine?" She stood up at a little straighter, looking the doctor right in the eye.

"Instead of the usual beat-me-until-I-scream routine," she said. "Why not let me try singing first?"

"Singing?" he scoffed, shuffling his papers. She shrugged.

"Sure. Singing would give you a range of pitches and tones to work with, not to mention different volume levels," she explained. "I think it would give you a fair field of coverage. Just my opinion anyway." He seemed to think for a moment, going over the points she made. They were all very valid. Then afterward, he could still go with the scream routine. Either way, the cards were in his favor.

"Very well. We will try your way. Afterwards, mine," he decided. Bridgette kept her composure, her smirk not slipping through. Perfect. Zola made his way over to his table where he had a couple pieces of paper waiting for his notes and an old fashioned microphone stationed beside it. He was originally going to keep it nearby so to record her screams, but instead he moved it so it was before the girl. With the medication bracelet, she shouldn't be able to move that well. Deiter returned to his seat and gestured to the patient, flipping a few switches on his side of the room, monitors ready.

"Whenever you are ready, Patient Erskine. The spotlight is on you, so to speak."

She nodded, russet hair waving and she gripped the stand with her right hand to stay steady.

"Testing, testing, one, two, three," she tried. Her voice echoed throughout the building easily. The walls were not in any way soundproof and her voice reverberated with no problem whatsoever.

Perfect.

She cleared her throat, quickly deciding on a song. A song that was easy to recall, that she knew all the words to, that she could carry its tune. She smirked when she made her selection.

"Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world, She took the midnight train goin' anywhere. Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit, He took the midnight train goin' anywhere."Her voice was even carrying throughout the building.

"A singer in a smokey room, A smell of wine and cheap perfume. For a smile they can share the night. It goes on and on and on and on."Now her voice was lifting in volume and she was starting to tap her heel, recalling the rhythm.

"Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard. Their shadows searching in the night. Streetlights people, living just to find emotion. Hiding, somewhere in the night,"she held out the note, voice starting to bounce around now. She was being loud on purpose. She was being louder than necessary to sing the song. She needed to be loud. Needed her voice to be loud enough to push past Hydra's walls. She needed to be heard.

"Working hard to get my fill, Everybody wants a thrill. Payin' anything to roll the dice, Just one more time." Blue eyes were sure to lock on the doctor for the next part. He started to appear concerned, noticing how loud she was being.

"Some will win, some will lose. Some were born to sing the blues. Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on."
Now she was starting to sway with the tune, voice echoing now.

"This is enough, Patient Erskine. Cease this nonsense!" Dr. Zola snapped, hands slamming down on his desk. Of course, she continued, vehemetely loud now.

"Don't stop believin'. Hold on to the feelin'. Streetlights people." Zola motioned for the guards to advance, to take her away from the microphone.

"Don't stop believin'. Hold on. Streetlight people."They lunged and she used the microphone stand to strike each of them down. For the final bit, she sang as loud as she possibly could,

"Don't stop believin'. Hold on to the feelin'. Streetlights people!"

With the guards out cold, Bridgette stood aggressively, mike stand in her hand as a substitue for her much perferred SHIELD weapon. Now that she was quiet, they could clearly hear the rumbling of a large machine, most likely overhead and a type of transportation if she was going to bet her money.

"What is that?" demanded Zola. She allowed her grin to resurface and her gaze claimed its trademark glint.

"That, Dr. Zola,would be my ride." Sprinting, she rushed to the door, punching in the guard's code, which she had observed while overplaying her drugged state. The door swished opened and she dashed away, gone from the doctor.

"No!" he yelled, slamming the desk again. Eyes blazing, he glared at the doorway. "Not again, Erskine. You will not get away from me again...!" He reached into his coat, pulling out the vial that clinked with the red pills. He paused to considered the repercussions for only a heartbeat before tossing back the vial, all remaining crimson pills pouring into his system.

The glass crunched in his fist as the transformation occurred rapidly. His muscles exploded in size and he grew in height with incredible speed, skin turning a vicious shade of red, viens bulging underneath. His eyes darkened, pupils unable to be identified from the iris. Teeth grinding in the intial pain of the metamorphosis and he opened his mouth wide with a ferocious roar that dared to rattle the foundation.

He was going to end Bridgette Erskine.

Bridgette felt chills run up her spine as the doctor roared. The guards tried to stop her but she knocked them aside with the stand. She still stumbled, the rush of speed a bit disorienting and she was still recovering from her last heavy dosage. Another roar rang and heavy footsteps quickly gained, only encouraging the girl to run faster, fear at being caught by the mad doctor.

Further down the hall, the white cealing caved in crashingly loud, floors above shattering due to the weight and she was greeted with another roar. There was a wall of green and the familiarity was an incredible relief, her heart actually soared. She gave a wave, ignoring the approaching footsteps. It was Bruce! They were here, they heard her! The Hulk turned and focused on her and she only grinned brighter.

"Bruce-!"

Her call was silenced when a large red hand slammed into her body from behind, sending her flying through the nearest wall and into the neighboring room.

The Hulk found Bridgette. She was running toward him, waving for him to see. It was Bridgette. Hulk took a step toward her, prepared to pull her to him and take her to the jet. The other Avengers were making their way down, Hulk made the way clear for them. Bridgette looked hurt. Blood was on her shirt. Her clothes were ruined. But Bridgette was smiling at Hulk. Happy to see Hulk. Hulk was happy to see Bridgette. Bruce would be happy too. She would be back with them. Safe with them.

He had started to reach out to her, big green hand opening to offer safety when another figure appeared. The red figure smashed Bridgette away. Disappeared into another room. Growling, Hulk turned his gaze to the red person, eyes narrowing in a harsh glare. The creature was like the Hulk. Big. Strong. Angry.

"Red...smash...Bridgette..." he growled. Zola looked over at the Hulk and disregarded him with a huff, stepping toward Bridgette's direction. Ignoring Hulk. Going to hurt Bridgette. His hands tightly clenched into fists, preparing to attack. He couldn't hear the sound Iron Man's thrusters as the rest of the team started to join him on his level. Red not ignore Hulk.

"Hulk smash Red!"

Guards were flooding the now-battlefield and Captain America fended them off with his trademark shield. They weren't anything especially strong but they were vast in number. Hydra, cut off one head and two more shall take its place. The Hulk was already roaring, taking off after a red figure. It would make the best bet that Bridgette was in that direction. He took down another guard with a punch and followed the two clashing titans, allowing the rest of the team to exterminate the foot soldiers.

Hulk roared as he tackled the red giant, the two tumbling to the ground as they fought. Steve was sure to stay out of their range, not wanting to get caught in their own battle, which looked a little personal by the way Hulk was attacking. Up ahead was Bridgette's still form, accompanied by two of the Hydra guards. They were dragging her away from the battle site and toward a strange device that was stationed on the other side of the room. Running their way, they saw him approaching and quickly dropped Bridgette into the transparent container. The final move if they needed to stop Patient Erskine. Pulling his arm back, the shield took out both men, ricocheting off the helmet of one to take out the other. His tool slipped back onto his arm and he jumped to the top of short container.

Bridgette blinked a few times, trying to gather her bearings. Blue eyes widened as a liquid started to filter into the case, which was resembling a coffin more and more as she couldn't move very well. Steve looked for a switch that would deactivate the device, but failed to find anything.

"Steve?" called Bridgette. Her hand pounded against the glass which didn't give to her strength. "Steve!"

"Hold on, Bridgette!" he reassured. "I'm going to get you out of there!" The water was starting to rise steadily now and the Captain looked at the small control pannel, trying to decipher the technology's language. He had no idea what the variety of buttons and switches control or what their purposes were meant for. He didn't want to dare press the wrong button for fear of it accelerating the process.

"Steve!" she screamed. Her fists pounded and she tried to kick as the drugged solution rose higher. Her skin was already chilled from the contact and she could practically picture her nerves beginning to shut down. Whatever the concoction was, it was their strongest yet.

Giving a yell of frustration, Steve hopped back onto the container and slammed his shield down on the lid. The shield bounced back and there wasn't a dent. Not deterred, he hit it again and again, a steady repitition. His heart thundered in his ears as he fought to break the material. It was starting to bend, but not quite give. What alarmed him most was that Bridgette's once nosy fists was now nothing more than a soft, occasional tap. The liquid was creeping over her shoulders, preparing to swallow her face and submerge her completely. He continued to beat the case, talking in between strikes.

"Hold on, Bridgette! Hold on!"

She took a deep breath as the liquid filled the remainder of the trap.

The Hulk slammed Zola into the ground, but he was on his feet again, crashing into the Hulk again. Red was strong like Hulk. Very strong. Zola smashed the Hulk into the ground, tile becoming a crater beneath him easily under the force. Red and Hulk growled at each other, becoming locked in a stalemate. The ground continued to quake and give underneath them, crater increasing in size with each passing moment.

"I...will...kill...her..." grunted Red, pushing his green equal further into the ground. Dark eyes bit in a fierce glare, challenging the statement.

"No..." No. Red would not kill Bridgette. No one would kill Bridgette. Bridgette would be safe with Hulk. With Bruce.

"Bridgette...will be...safe..." he promised. He delved into his strength and pushed harder, forcing Red back. Hulk was stronger than Red. Hulk would beat Red. To save Bridgette. With a roar, he managed to topple Zola, allowing Hulk to become the dominant fighter. He smashed Zola's face into the ground in a quick succession, knee pressed into his back to keep the enemy pinned. Zola's body began to quake, body already beginning to reject Bridgette's blood in his system. His own blood began to crawl down his chin as he hacked and wheezed. The tremors were unyielding and the Hulk took no mind of it, bringing Red into an airtight headlock. Unable to cry out in pain, Zola could feel his neck unable to fully resist the Hulk's strength, caving under his pressure.

She was going to defeat him again. That bloody Bridgette Erskine.

There was a sickening crunch as the doctor's neck snapped from the Hulk's force. Partially from the Hulk's phenominal strength and the other part from his own body shutting down due to the rejection. His rate was much faster than the other guards tested because he took so much of her blood into his body, accelerating the rate from hours to minutes it seemed like. He barely managed another wheeze before the life was lifted from his body. Dead.

Hulk dropped the doctor and rose to his full height, breathing heavily. He used the back of his hand to rub away some of his own blood that stained his mouth. Hulk beat Red. Bridgette safe now.

"Banner!" called the Captain. His voice was loud, panicked. "Bruce!"

Hulk turned around quickly at the tone. It took him a moment to focus on the case that held Bridgette and that it was full of a liquid. He didn't know what it was, whether it was water or something special, but it was bad. It was hurting her. Captain was scared. Bridgette was hurt. He took two long strides and brought his giant fists up over his head. The Captain dove out of the way, not wanting to get caught.

Hulk smash. Hulk smash box. Hulk free Bridgette. Bridgette safe.

The case shattered under his ungodly strength and the liquid poured out, creating a light gloss of the remainder of the tile. The Captain jumped forward quickly, dropping down to his knee at her side. Steve was breathing hard, worried out of his mind for the girl. Her eyes were closed. Neither Avenger heard the rest of the team enter the broken room, they stayed near the blasted wall, observing carefully. Each one hoping that everything would be all right. She had to be. She was Bridgette Smith. She was Ricochet of the Avengers.

"Bridgette?" called Steve. She didn't respond. He tugged off his glove with his teeth and placed two fingers against her neck. "Come on..." he muttered. "Come on..."

There. It was weak and feeble against his fingertips but it was there nonetheless.

"We've got a pulse!" he called back to the others. "It's weak, we've got to get her medical attention!"

Agents Barton and Romanov nodded, dashing back to the jet to get everything ready for their flight back. Iron Man and Thor approached the trio, but stopped short when Hulk shifted closer to the girl. Even the Captain took a step back as the green giant bent down and scooped up her battered frame. She was relaxed in his hold, like a small rag doll compared to his humongous form.

"We've got to get back to Stark Tower," decided Steve Rogers, looking at the others for their consent. Tony nodded.

"Best choice, Cap. We've got the green room where the big guy can cool off, along with the necessary medical needs," added the genius.

Big guy. Bridgette called Hulk "big guy". Bridgette wasn't answering. Wasn't smiling. Hulk didn't understand why she wasn't waking up. Hulk broke the box, Bridgette should be okay now. So why wasn't she waking up? Why not? The Hulk was lost in his own thoughts, not listening to Thor explain how Heimdall could get them to Stark Tower faster than the SHIELD jet. Hulk simply looked down at the girl. Her hair was pushed back away from her face due to the water, her freckles were even pale against her white skin. He couldn't hear her breathing, couldn't see her body lift with breath. Why? What was wrong? Didn't Hulk save her? Or did Red win?

There was a column of fantastic blue light and they were gone.


REVIEW! Tadaaaa! Another chapter, in one night! Whew, little tired from this one, so I apologize for any random typos. So we get Bridgette back! But for a price...What will happen now? I hope to hear from your readers/reviewers as you have been wonderful to me throughout Bridgette's storyline and I appreciate all of you! Until next time!

Enjoy!