Celia forced herself to not react when she was shoved into what looked like a closet. She was still being held at gunpoint, so she had to bide her time. They'd been forced to walk a few miles to where a van had been waiting, then driven to a helicopter. Well, Celia walked. Bruce had been carried and she hadn't seen him stir once since he first passed out. The men wouldn't even let her close enough to check him on their journey and they were separated as soon as they got to wherever they were now.
It was some giant industrial building in the middle of nowhere. Celia wasn't even sure what country they were in anymore, even though she hadn't been blindfolded. She didn't want to think about why they weren't worried about her knowing where they were. Hopefully she'd get a chance to make them regret that decision. But she couldn't do anything until she found Bruce.
This really wasn't how she expected her first mission with the team to go. Patching one of them up at most, but not this. Although, maybe her being taken with Bruce would end up being a good thing. They could work together to figure out a way to escape.
"How well do you know Dr. Banner?" a voice asked suddenly from an unseen speaker. It reminded her of Jarvis, except with a threatening edge. This was the most they'd spoken to her since they left the quinjet, besides a few grunted commands to move. Celia pressed her lips together and stared straight ahead. She wasn't planning on cooperating without a fight. "Answer or you will be shot." Celia felt the man guarding her nudge her back with his gun.
"Why?" Celia ground out.
"Answer the question or you will be shot," the voice said again. The nudge to her back got a little sharper.
"We're acquaintances."
"Would you consider yourselves friends?" Celia wasn't sure how to play this. Which answer would be better for them in the end? If these guys thought they could use their relationship against them, it might make them more likely to keep them alive.
"Yes."
"Thank you for your cooperation. You may go see your friend now." The man behind Celia grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room, pushing her to walk down a hallway. Were they really taking her to Bruce? She had no illusions that they'd just let them go, but being together gave them an advantage. Bruce was smart and he'd know what to do.
They finally stopped in front of a steel door and her escort roughly grabbed her wrists, before cutting through the zip ties and freeing her arms. Celia rubbed them, wincing as the renewed blood flow made her fingers tingle. A man came out of the room just after the door opened, but Celia barely paid any attention to him.
"Bruce!" Celia called out, rushing in to get to the scientist before their captors could change their minds. He was sitting slumped in the middle of the giant room, but finally moving around. She crouched down next to him, trying to check him over. "Are you okay?"
"What happened?" Bruce muttered, letting her sit him up a little straighter.
"A group of men took us somewhere. But not before they shot you with a few darts," Celia replied, pressing her fingers under Bruce's jaw. His pulse was a bit fast, but not anything that seemed too dire. "How do you feel?"
"I don't know," Bruce mumbled, digging the heels of his palms in his eyes.
"Has anything like this happened before? I really hope you've got a plan," Celia said, glancing around the space. While her last holding place had been tiny, this one was massive. The ceiling was tens of feet high at least and all of the walls looked reinforced, with no windows. Almost like they were prepared to house something bigger. "Oh shit."
"What?" Bruce growled. Celia stared in horror as Bruce's skin started to tinge green. She moved back carefully, trying to get a little space between them without looking too obvious. Celia had never seen the Hulk in person, but she had never been too scared of the idea of him. Bruce was so kind and calm that it was hard to imagine him as anything else. But seeing him now, as his face contorted and his body steadily grew, she was terrified.
"Bruce," Celia whispered, holding her hands up in surrender. She could feel herself shaking as the last features of Bruce were lost to the monster he worked so hard to keep hidden away. There was nowhere for her to go. There was nothing she could do to defend herself. And when Hulk turned rage filled eyes toward her, all Celia could do was accept her fate.
Something wasn't right. The team was winding down the mission that was more annoying than difficult. These robots weren't very sophisticated, just fast and bothersome. Shield could figure out what their deal was with the parts that were left behind. All Steve wanted to do was shut them all down, then get back to the jet.
He wasn't much of a talker during battles, except when it came to calling out orders. It was always better to keep the lines quiet in case something important came up. The others didn't seem to have the same concerns, but he tried to let it slide when he could. This wasn't the type of mission where stringent radio silence was needed, so he didn't argue when almost all of the robots were taken care of and Tony and Clint started chatting. What really got him worried was the lack of response from the pair on the jet.
Tony always liked pulling Bruce into the conversation when things got more technical. They seemed to have their own language, which Bruce said was just science, but it was still foreign to Steve. But this time, when Tony asked Bruce about his theory on the mechanics of these robots, no response came. And when Tony followed up with another question a few minutes later, there was still nothing.
"When's the last time we heard from them?" Steve asked, ripping apart one of his last robots.
"When these things took off and you said we didn't need Hulk," Natasha grunted.
"How long ago was that?"
"At least half an hour." Steve grit his teeth, feeling dread wash over him. That wasn't normal.
"Dr. Banner, come in," Steve demanded, barely focusing on the threats around him as he waited for a response. "Celia?" She wouldn't ignore him on purpose. Something was keeping them from answering.
"What do you want us to do?" Clint asked.
"Iron Man, how soon until your robots are taken care of?"
"Just neutralized my last one," Tony responded.
"Go back to the jet and report what you find. The rest of us will finish up and meet you there," Steve commanded. He ached to go himself, but he had to prioritize the mission. Celia and Bruce would understand.
"On it," Tony replied, and Steve could hear the suit propelling him at top speed. It would only take a matter of minutes for Tony to reach the jet, but it felt like an eternity to Steve.
"Probably just mechanical issues," Clint offered hopefully. "It's not our usual jet."
"Or maybe they just don't feel like chatting?" Natasha added. Steve knew they were trying to be optimistic, but their attempts were falling flat.
"Approaching the jet now," Tony said, just as Steve crushed his last robot. He barely gave the area surrounding him one last glance before he was running. His robots hadn't gotten as far, so it wouldn't take that long to get back. Steve pumped his legs faster than he could ever remember, needing to get there. And if he found Celia, he wasn't wasting another second.
He finally broke into the clearing where the jet sat, sprinting the last of the distance to the open back hatch. Tony was standing inside, facing away from him while still in his Iron Man suit.
"Tony?" Tony turned around, raising the faceplate on his helmet. Steve could immediately tell by the look on his face that what he was about to say wasn't good. It was obvious due to the fact that they were alone on the jet. But Steve felt like he had to hear it for it to be real.
"They're gone."
Bruce groaned as he roused from his earlier state. His face was pressed against the cold floor and his limbs were splayed haphazardly. He could recognize the signs of being post-Hulk, but he couldn't remember what happened. Why had he changed? And where was he now?
Bruce sat up, cradling his head in his hands. Turning back always left him feeling like he had the worst hangover. It wasn't so bad when he had access to one of his recovery drinks that he came up with, but this obviously wasn't Stark Tower. He really hoped he hadn't hurt anyone.
But those hopes were dashed by a quiet choking noise behind him. Bruce hesitantly turned around to see what he'd done, taking these last few seconds to enjoy a world where he didn't know what terrible mess he'd made. But reality smacked him in the face soon enough.
"Celia!" Bruce gasped, scrambling over to her side. His eyes widened in horror when he got a full view of what he'd done. Celia was on her back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Blood was bubbling up out of her mouth with every wheezing exhale. "Oh God."
"Bruce," Celia rasped, coughing out another spray of blood.
"I did this," Bruce mumbled, covering his mouth with his hand in shock.
"Not- fault," Celia croaked, her chest straining as her body tried to take in oxygen. Bruce moved so her head could rest in his lap and hopefully help her breathe. He cringed at her weak shout of pain.
"We've got to find a way out of here, okay?" Bruce said, pretending their situation wasn't as dire as it actually was.
"Can't feel my legs," Celia panted, and Bruce wanted to break down right then. He'd paralyzed her. It didn't matter if her healing would keep it from being permanent. This was something they'd never forget. If they survived.
"The team will find us soon. They're probably right outside the door," Bruce said hopefully. They may have started out a little rough, but they'd move heaven and earth to find each other. Bruce knew they were out there searching, but it was already too late.
"Don't let me fall asleep," Celia whimpered, reaching up to grab his wrist. It was a miracle she'd stayed awake this long, but he knew it wasn't going to last. Her eyes were glazing over and her breaths were getting weaker. Any normal person would already be dead, but Steve's blood made the difference.
"I'm sorry," Bruce whispered, watching as Celia's blinks got more sluggish. He wiped away the tear that broke free from the corner of her eye, determined not to let his own fall. He didn't get to cry when he was the one who did this.
"I'm- scared," Celia choked out, letting out one last gasp before her grip around his wrist went limp and her hand fell to her stomach. Her head lolled to the side and Bruce braced himself, knowing what would come next. He'd only seen it once, way back in the beginning. But this wasn't Celia healing after a normal day of wear and tear. This was something else entirely. And all Bruce could do was watch.
Celia jolted awake with a shout, trying to twist away from the pain. She was reliving everything that happened during the attack, and it was agony. From Hulk flinging her into the wall, to him crushing her in his fist. She felt every broken bone fusing back into place. The healing was worse than getting the injuries in the first place.
All she could do was writhe around in Bruce's arms as her body knit itself back together. This had to be the worst thing she'd ever felt, even putting the gunshot in the elevator to shame. Celia wished she could pass out again, but that wasn't how this worked. There was no skipping this part for her. And for the first time in a while, this felt more like a curse than a gift.
It was easy to say healing every night wasn't a big deal when all she had to get through were some sore muscles and a bruise or scrape. That was more of a burn or ache that she only had to deal with for a minute or two. And Celia was finding herself kind of getting used to it. And maybe even appreciating it.
There was never a need for her to take a rest day. In theory, she could push herself to her limits constantly, then with a short nap, be ready to do it again. She had the potential to become something amazing, but right now, all she knew was pain. And she hated it.
"You're gonna be okay. Just breathe," Bruce soothed, tipping her onto her side so she could spit out the last of the blood caught in her throat. Celia stayed in that position as she felt her lungs sealing up the various punctures. "It's almost over." Celia nodded in acknowledgment, still lacking the ability to speak. She didn't know how much time had passed, but the healing seemed to be winding down at last. Now that the critical stuff was more or less taken care of, the superficial wounds barely registered as they healed. Would there come a day where she was desensitized to all of it?
As soon as the last bit of pain left her, Celia went limp. She rested her cheek on Bruce's knee and closed her eyes, needing a minute to regroup. She could feel him awkwardly rubbing her arm, but she couldn't find it in her to reassure him that she didn't hold what happened against him. That was true, but Celia didn't have the mental or emotional capacity to put his mind at ease at the moment. All she could worry about was herself right now.
The only door in the room opened suddenly, letting in a man with his face uncovered who was flanked by an excessive amount of gunmen. It wasn't hard to assume that this was the person who was in charge, from the fancy suit to the air of confidence. He was like a cross between Fury and Tony, but Celia knew she wouldn't be able to charm this guy, not even the minimal amount she had with Fury.
"What are you?" the man asked curiously, staring at her like she was a science experiment. Bruce tightened his grip around her, but they both knew where this was going. And there was nothing either of them could do to stop it. "Maybe we were focused on the wrong monster?"
