Natasha and Bruce make their way up on the hill, crouching a mile or so out from an abandoned building. She reaches into her pocket to double check the coordinates and taps her com for Fury.
"I have eyes on our building," Romanoff gives Bruce a nod.
Even if there's no response, Natasha has too much on her mind to question it.
Banner has gone quiet, practically dead in his expression as he looks on with pale cheeks. Even in the cold it is hard to see his reddened nose.
Natasha lays a hand over his shoulder;
"I'll go in and grab the girls. Blonsky doesn't know you're here-."
He retorts abruptly, "If anything goes wrong, you take the girls and run."
With concern in her stare she whispers, "Okay."
"Promise me, Tasha? I can distract him but-."
She nods half-heartedly, "Fury will be right behind us."
He refocuses back on the building and mutters, "Let's just get this over with."
Natasha loads her pistol and shakes her head, "This is not how I imagined spending my Christmas with you."
"Could be worse."
She stands with a hand reaching in his direction, "Come on Vrach."
Natasha and Bruce enter the building without a hitch. He follows behind her as she aims her weapon at shoulder height, lowering only once she spots the prison of children.
Bruce moves ahead to aggressively break the handle, fed off of frustration and a bit of rage for losing their young friend. Natasha can't deny she's impressed though not shocked. He certainly is not passive when it comes to protecting the people he loves.
Bruce has already made his way to Izabella who greets him through the bars with tears in her eyes.
Izabella shakes her head when he analyzes the lock, "I try but, it not work."
He doesn't answer, green crawling up his neck as he struggles with it.
Natasha's nausea is back until Violet spots her friend;
"Miss Natasha!"
"Violet! Are you okay? Where's Riley? Linda?" Romanoff leans forward to take her small hand.
"Present!" Linda wheezes, dropping Riley who is on her shoulder.
Riley pouts and brushes herself off, "I was aiming for the vent, before you carelessly decided to drop me."
"Natasha is here," Linda points.
"Oh."
"I told you she would come back for us!" Violet remarks.
"Yeah. Okay fine. You were right."
Bruce successfully dents the top though he can't fully break the lock. Natasha reaches into her pocket for a pin and takes his place to give it an unsuccessful attempt.
Izabella holds the bars looking to check in on her aunt, "Tetya? Where Svetlana?"
"She's okay," Natasha answers kindly.
"Move Tasha," Bruce whispers, green traveling over his fingertips while he breathes to control it.
He shuts his eyes when he lets hulk have a bit more power over him. It's just enough to take down the door with a solid kick.
Natasha reaches for her husband's shoulder when he stumbles forward, checking for the evaporating shade of green on the back of his neck, "You okay?"
He nods. It's the most his two halves have worked in tandem in a long while. Possibly forever.
Violet leaps into Romanoff's arms as she looks over the many wide eyes looking to Natasha and Bruce for an answer.
Romanoff makes her call, "We need to get them out."
"Tell Fury to bring an extra jet," Bruce starts a headcount.
Natasha leads and heads for the exit.
Izabella moves to Bruce's side, ushering the kids to follow the redhead until he nudges her shoulder and hangs back, "Go Izabella, I'm right behind you."
She obeys, taking the back of the group while Bruce scans the nearby desks for something, anything.
He snatches up a bottle beside a syringe. Shoving it into his pocket, he follows after the small mob.
The sound of Natasha's gun going off with a scream to follow causes him to run faster.
Emil is chuckling, his helmeted possé already surrounding Romanoff who holds her aim on Blonsky despite the two guns at her head.
Garrett is pinned after throwing a punch and Brody is holding Izabella's hand. Riley and Linda stand back to back with their hands raised and Violet hugging Riley for dear life while she cries.
Bruce lifts his hands, his voice a deeper growl when he shouts, "Let them go and you can take me."
"Bruce! You need to shut up, don't make me shoot you too!" Natasha shouts, tired of being apart from the man she loves and their never ending circle.
Emil steps toward the physicist, "I thought you might show. It's been a while…"
Natasha keeps her aim, the gun following Blonsky's every move, "Get away from him."
"Relax my dear."
Bruce keeps his hands at his shoulders where Blonsky can see them, "If you touch Natasha or those kids, I will strangle you without changing a shade."
"I'll bargain for Izabella. A rematch perhaps?"
Natasha shouts, "Shut up Emil! Is Ivan in on this sick operation with you?!"
"If you must know, he is not."
Riley whispers, her eyes dark and vacant. There's a new sensation pounding in her skull.
Never one to filter her words she slips with a whisper, "He isn't lying."
Blonsky just shrugs addressing Bruce, "An exchange. The one girl for the others?"
Banner grits his teeth and throws an unrestrained punch. Emil stumbles back, in a bit of shock over the maneuver. The physicist wrestles, tired of talking with the man who has persistently shown up in every other nightmare.
Natasha moves to protect the kids over the possé moving in on them. She fires her weapon and makes the first move.
When Blonsky realizes he won't get his way, he fights back and gives his group a signal to begin firing.
One of the helmeted guards reaches to catch a shield of red white and blue.
Natasha grins when he removes his helmet and the gun from off her temple. She scoffs, "Well played. Good to see you Cap."
"Agent Romanoff," He nods and defends Brody from an attack.
Natasha moves for her own enemies, "You got here quick."
"Rhodes and I have been here for a week- on your left. Fury tipped us off,' Steve mutters, clutching his com, 'We could use a pick up."
Natasha takes his cue and pushes his shoulder down to shoot towards an incoming attacker.
"Which one has powers? Is she okay?" Steve asks.
Romanoff takes a breath and looks over her shoulder for Izabella, her eyes wide when the small girl flips her own attacker into the ground. It's one of Natasha's moves.
Riley chases after her with Garrett, helping to check in on her.
Natasha lifts her shoulder, "She's over there, Izabella."
"Oh. Your little friend."
"Yeah."
Rogers calls for the group to move over the hill and away from the battle area. Izabella takes it as her cue to urge everyone to listen and follow. But Riley's voice is louder so she nods over Izabella's call and repeats the statement, proud of herself and content to work with someone she might consider trustworthy.
Once Rhodes lands in his gear to aid Steve, Natasha moves in for Banner and toward Blonsky.
She grazes Emil's shoulder with a bullet and it is enough to get his attention, giving Bruce the upper hand. Her hand drops when she sees the response, their enemy hunching over and growing brown. His more inhuman features cause her to recall the footage she's seen before. His sheer size and intimidating features make her regret ever firing her weapon.
"Bozhe moi…"
"Nat!"
"Bruce," she holds his elbows as he grips her shoulders.
"You need to get out of here now!"
"I won't leave you-."
Steve's shield moves to temporarily knock Blonsky from Romanoff.
Banner takes Emil's attempted attack as his cue to let hulk take the reins and reaches in his pocket to shove a small vial into Natasha's hand without warning or explanation.
She releases her hold so that he can transform and secures the bottle in a pocket.
She lifts her pistol and aims for Blonsky's eyes only for him to knock her down. Hulk reaches for the large brown fists and stands between Natasha and their enemy.
Rhodes and Rogers work the field, defending the kids while keeping an eye on their teammates.
Izabella moves to protect and calm her small group behind her, pointing towards an incoming battered and smoking jet.
It lands low enough for Clint Barton to leap out first with Maria to follow. Rhodes waves toward the children and coaxes them forward and into the aircraft.
Hawkeye settles beside Black Widow in the fight, giving her a moment to locate her weapon;
"Your ex cult took Fury. He swapped himself for us."
Natasha grinds her molars, enraged over the news.
Thor flies out next and charges for the abomination without a second thought to aid the hulk.
Natasha lifts her chin, "Do we have guns on the ship?"
Maria argues, standing on her opposite side, "If we fire at Blonsky, we risk losing intel-."
"Answer the question Hill!" Clint snaps.
"We were attacked on our way here, Natasha! We're prepared for a pick up, not a battle."
"Damn,' Rhodes interjects, watching the hulk and his nemesis, 'they really hate each other."
Natasha pauses under Maria's cover to reload her pistol, "Get the kids on the jet. And Clint off the field. He's bleeding through his bandage."
"I'm fine!" Barton protests.
Maria nods and takes steps to follow Natasha's orders.
Natasha pivots over her shoulder, watching Steve fall after Blonsky knocks him over the head.
Maria calls for backup, two agents coming onto the field. Hulk blocks another attack on Steve only to be thrown across the field.
Thor reaches for Cap's shield and tucks an arm around Natasha to protect their heads from a throw between the two hulks.
Thor lifts Rogers up and over his shoulder next, gathering his battered team.
"I'm down!" Rhodes calls in next.
Izabella falls to her knees in her wrestle, stray blonde hair falling over her forehead. She takes a shaky breath, scanning over the field of smoke and debris. Everything looks big to her. Everything looks to be her fault. Seeing her red headed mentor bruised and bloody while the other a fully transformed hulk violently thrashed around by their current enemy. Watching a team she's not only seen in the news but via video calls slowly falling apart leaves her feeling desperate to help.
With hulk thrown back down, his roars are getting weaker. Blonksy is ruthless as he moves in for a stab.
Natasha yells and throws herself in between.
Hulk lifts an arm and protectively turns over her frame to shield her from the incoming stabbing attack.
Thor yells for Banner and Barton for Natasha.
The noises go silent as a green energy comes out of nowhere and envelopes the two giants. Before Blonsky can finish the job, they're gone.
Izabella screams with her heart pounding and her hands extended impulsively with a green glint to her fingertips. She holds her head and stares blankly over the scene. In a desperate moment to do what she could for her mentor, she made him disappear.
Natasha looks up from her crouched position, a hand only moments ago pressed up against his green chest. She was holding him, his soft heartbeat pounding against her palm.
Romanoff's own heart drops over the encounter, stammering as she scans the field and watches the now freightened minions try to make a break for it.
Her eyes stay wide, her muscles tense as she struggles to process Banner's sudden disappearance and its cause.
Clint runs to hold his friend, the team curiously circling the area where only one large green ring remains.
Maria lifts her eyebrows, the first to check in with the inconsolable Izabella. She can hardly breathe through her tears with her small hands over her face...