Chapter Eight

Alice's head was spinning and sounds were muffled as her vision blurred some. She was staring up at the insides of the helicarrier and could feel broken glass and hard floor beneath her. She moaned in pain as she tried to move but the fall through the window had knocked the wind out of her. She turned her head to the side to see Natasha struggling to get a heavy pipe off her leg. She weakly got up and leaned against the wall for support, hearing Fury give off orders through the earpiece. Natasha then noticed Alice,

"Can you focus enough to help get this off? I don't know how Banner is handling this." Alice's eyes widened a bit at the mention of Bruce's name.

"Where is he?" she said as she tried to help lift the dense pipe with her hands. Nat pointed behind Alice and she turned her head to see Banner laying there not moving. Fear clenched her heart for a moment before he gave a low groan of pain. She felt relief until she heard another moan that was deeper in tone. This one more primal. She turned back to Natasha and exchanged a wide-eyed look with her before standing and attempting to lift the pipe with her abilities. Alice was still a little too weak and adrenaline from the situation hadn't fully kicked in.

"Alice. You know him better than anyone else as of right now. He trusts you and you alone. Go try to calm him down or at least reassure him. I can handle this." Natasha said confidently and Alice gave a firm nod. She slowly walked over to a struggling and panting Bruce. She knelt down next to him and hesitantly put her hand on his shoulder.

"Bruce? If there is any part of your rational self that can hear me then please listen." Alice bent over and started running her fingers over the back of his neck as he struggled against the hard ground, "You gotta fight it. I know it's hard and seems impossible but this is want Loki wants. You're gonna be okay."

Natasha had gotten most of her leg undone but her ankle was proving to be a problem. She saw a few other agents running to help them and quickly waved them away. She looked over at Alice who had completely sat on the ground next to him.

"Bruce, you're gonna be okay. We'll all be okay. We're gonna make it through this. Just keep fighting. Keep collected and think of Calcutta. Think of how quiet the nights under those stars were." Banner's grunts were becoming less often but his skin was still turning green. She had no clue what to do. She felt that the inevitable was coming and thought of only one thing to do.

"Bruce, please. I'm scared. I'm am absolutely terrified right now and I really need to know that I can rely on you when everyone else is already out their fighting and risking their lives. You know I can't hurt you Bruce. I told you I couldn't kill you even if I had orders." Natasha paused and looked to Alice with this new information. Alice looked on the verge of tears and no amount of acting could fake this current situation.

He's not calming down, Alice. We have to go. Natasha thought to her so Bruce, who seemed more like the Hulk at the current moment, wouldn't freak out.

"No! I'm not leaving him like this. What am I supposed to do anyways?"

"Alice, it doesn't matter! We have to leave!" Natasha heard the distinct ripping off the seams of Bruce's clothes. His arms and torso taking on a green hue.

"Bruce, I swear on my life that I will help you and we will get through this. I will get you out of this somehow." Alice started stroking the doctors hair in a soothing motion while he trembled violently. Bruce started talking then, just before he hulked out.

"Al – Alice." He groaned in pain at putting off the transformation any longer. "Ally, I refuse to – I won't hurt you." He started growling then. He jumped away from the two agents and began to completely loose control when he made eye contact with Alice again. His body and face were that of the Hulk but his eyes were Bruce's. Those sincere, deep brown eyes that held so much emotion and clearly said "I'm sorry."

A loud completely guttural roar filled the tense air and the Hulk had taken over altogether. Natasha got her ankle free, stood up and grabbed Alice's hand running for the stairway to their left. The Hulk turned and let out an angry bellow as he started chasing after the two woman. Natasha had ran up first and managed to swing herself onto the next landing, Alice was not so lucky. She was thrown off to the side as the Hulk threw the crushed stairs away, narrowly missing her body.

"Alice!" Natasha yells in fear for the Agent that has become like a sister to her. This also catches the attention of the Hulk who promptly starts to chase after the red-haired agent.

Alice came to her sense just in time to see the two run the other way through pipes and smoke. She could hear the Hulk's roars as the ship was torn apart. She slowly used the wall for leverage as she got up into a standing position. The fog in her head cleared enough to where she could walk without falling. She attempted to follow the sounds of the Hulk's growls but they were echoing everywhere. She continued to a nearby opening in the ship's structure. She tried to listen for Natasha's thought process but found she was too weak to focus. She heard the Hulk's growls grow closer before they ceased.

It was silent for a few moments before crashing was heard followed by a gunshot and another tremendous roar. Alice felt fear shoot up her spine. Did Nat shoot Bruce? Was he okay? Was she okay? The sound of their chase grew closer until Alice could see the S.H.I.E.L.D agent running through a hallway of sorts into the opening. Alice shouted for the agent to duck to late as the Hulk swiped her body to the side into the wall. Natasha collapsed as her body made impact with the hard metal and the Hulk made steps towards her crumpled frame.

"Bruce! Hulk, stop!" Alice cried out as she ran towards the two. She managed to push him away with the little force she could create and the Hulk looked towards her. It took pause before roaring loud and long towards her. Alice's heart stopped,

"Bruce, it's me. It's Alice, Ally. Remember me?" She shakily said as she put her hands up as both a sign of peace and prepared to use her abilities. She tried to give a reassuring smile as the Hulk stepped towards her slowly then charged at her. Alice threw up a wall to stop him before he got to her to which the Hulk slammed into. He thundered against the shield with his fist as frustration got the best of him before he turned around and went to go after Natasha again. Before he got the chance to Thor came crashing through a wall and took the Hulk with him into the next. Alice immediately went to Natasha and helped her up and made sure she was okay.

"Nat! Nat, talk to me are you okay?" Alice quickly checked Natasha's pulse and eyes to make sure she didn't have a concussion. However, she did have minor shock. Natasha sat there with wide eyes while Alice listened to the sounds of Thor and the Hulk's fist fight from another part of the ship. Soon what sounded like a fighter jet was shooting at some part of the ship and by the sounds of Hulk's angry roars it was at him. Alice felt panic shoot up inside her.

"Engine One is now in Shut Down." A voice announced over the ships P.A system and through the two agents ear pieces. Alice and Natasha held themselves up as the ship started to tilt to one side and fall fast to the ground. They heard Fury's voice through the earpieces,

"It's Barton. He took out our systems. He's headed for the Detention Level. Does anyone copy?"

"This is Agent Bianco, I copy." She jumped up and went to exit the room when she heard Natasha's voice.

"This is Agent Romanoff. I copy." She sounded so shaken up and tired. Alice turned around as the older agent walked towards her.

"Nat." Agent Ramanoff stopped at the brunette's voice and looked up. "Are you sure you're up for this?" Natasha gave a shaky nod,

"Yeah. Let's go." She set off in the direction of the Detention Level with Alice hot on her heels.