"We need to prepare for the onslaught. Black Ops has our location and they're coming," Natasha paces down the line of agents, giving her orders.

Fury steps forward, "Romanoff's idea is to use this base as bait. This means evacuating the children and preparing to face off here."

Maria pivots, "I'll start on the evacuation procedures."

"Good luck," Natasha offers to the group.

Jennifer cracks her neck, "I'll clean my suit."

Rhodes joins her and exits.

Clint lingers once Fury leaves, checking in on the redhead;

"How are we handling Petrovich?"

Natasha crosses her arms, "Ivan made his decision when he sided with the enemy. If he wants to fight dirty he can fight dirty here, on my turf, with me."

Clint widens his focus, not entirely onboard with Natasha's preposition;

"Is this really what you want?"

She truly doesn't want to hurt her father, paternal or not. But she is desperate to go home.

Natasha looks down at her cuff, now suited up and ready for her battle;

"I'm ready for this to end."

Banner's walls are breaking with Ross over the past few hours as the twosome work on their radioactive green energy.

Her jokes are corny but so are his. There's an unspoken understanding and far more similarities between them. They can talk for hours.

She bites her lip, toying with the necklace that currently stops at her collarbone;

"You think I should try to get back into the teaching program?"

"I think you should. It's your dream."

She tucks a band under her chin, "Are you going to tell me about Betty?"

His eyes are on her when he catches himself smiling. She's easy to talk to, fun loving, ambitious and kind.

Bruce finds the edge of the desk in a subconscious nervous pushing and pulling when he starts with a whisper,

"Betty…"

She nods.

He pauses in his project to tug at his hair, "She uh…she was a cellular biologist too. And Betty and I, we always had something going on in the basement- one big makeshift lab honestly. We'd spend hours there because it was safe. She was a nerd too and we could, talk about anything."

Elizabeth shifts in her chair, head tilting to one side as she analyzes his response, "You miss her."

"I do,' Bruce makes eye contact and answers honestly, 'I can't look at you without- it's weird, I know it's weird."

"Is that why I catch you staring?"

"Sorry, I'm trying not to."

"No one has ever looked at me the way you do,' she rotates her head to the opposite side, 'I only mean- You two must've had something special."

He nods with a stammer, finally giving up, "…yeah."

Elizabeth refuses to look away from his eyes, noting a longing inside of them.

She pushes, "You didn't get closure?"

He scoffs coldly, clicking a nearby pen to stop tugging on his fingers and hair, "I messed up."

Elizabeth reaches for his hand, "I'm sorry."

Bruce can't look at her face without completely breaking. Her hands are gentle, barely stroking his.

The memories come flooding back in rapid succession. From the birth of the hulk to their wedding. Their first kiss, to her miscarriage.

Bruce feels her hand squeezing his fingers a little tighter. It's a soothing presence he can't keep ignoring, heart heavy in hearing her whisper;

"You need to forgive yourself."

"I thought I did,' he is subconsciously stroking her fingers with his thumb, oblivious to his own action, 'this was the last thing I expected to happen."

"What."

He suppresses the tears, "...You're just like her."

Elizabeth grins empathetically, "If you could, see her again, what would you want her to know?"

"You don't have to indulge me-."

"I want to,' she bites her lip, 'what would you say?"

He swallows and looks up at the light above them to hold back the tears in his burning eyes, "I'd tell her I'm sorry."

"For what, Bruce?"

"For everything-Everything that went down. For giving up and for letting her walk out. For letting my demons get in between us. If I could turn back the clock I'd do everything differently," He quickly brushes a tear from his cheek somewhat aggressively, ready to melt into nervous laughter as his nose turns as red as his eyes, "And then I'd tell her that she meant the world to me."

Elizabeth brushes his hand kindly, "I am willing to bet she would tell you she felt the same. If she is anything like you she is kind and forgiving."

"You don't know me."

"I know enough. There's not an evil cell on your body. I feel it and I have good intuition-,' he wants to interrupt, she stops him, 'Just, wait until I'm finished. Bruce, she would want you to move on. To forgive yourself and find happiness. Life is too short not to live it."

He tucks his mouth in his now retracted hand, vacant eyes focusing downward with an attempt to deviate from off the topic, "I know. That goes for you too, with this whole teaching thing. I think you'd be good at it. You're so kind. Patient and smart."

"Thank you, doc."

He smiles and sniffles, brushing his face to play off another tear.

Elizabeth brushes his shoulder, "Hey. Can I, maybe, give you a hug? From 'Betty'?"

"I mean, your hug works too."

"Well. Still," She whispers, wrapping her arms around his shoulders carefully.

Bruce shuts his eyes tightly over the encounter, trying to hold onto something, onto someone, who isn't there. He doesn't want to let her go.

She tilts her head cautiously, feeling him holding both of her hands in his as they stand in front of each other. She's in no rush to move herself, comfortable being close to him. He's looking deep in her eyes as if he's searching.

Elizabeth gazes back, seemingly searching as well. She whispers with a forced exhale, "I feel like we've known each other for years. Am I imagining-…?"

He shakes his head and whispers, "No."

She is leaning in closer as Bruce lets their noses brush. He tearfully shuts his eyes as her arms wrap around his neck to guide him closer until his mouth finds hers. It's a rash move Bruce regrets moments after.

There are sparks- sparks he can't let himself feel. Not with Natasha in the picture.

Is she in the picture? Or have they finally combusted after half a year apart between their time in Russia and the missions prior.

Can he even get home?

Either way this kind hearted woman is not Betty. And the hulk is furious.

Bruce catches her hand as it settles on his cheek and they part.

He whispers, "I'm not being fair to you-."

"-It's understandable."

"I'm so sorry-."

"-Elizabeth! Dr. Romanoff," Banner drops their hands and separates quickly with the entrance of Ross' coworker, unsure if he's grateful for the interruption.

Elizabeth taps her lips and forces an exhale, "Lebedev, hi."

The doctor reaches in a panic for the device that turns on the projector screen, "Did you hear about the park?"

"We've been working."

"You're never going to believe."

"Believe what."

The three circle around the elevated screen, watching in horror as the menacing brown figure destroys the city in a live broadcast.

Banner's temper flares up when he checks the clock. He mumbles under his breath, "I had a half hour…"

Elizabeth asks in a panic, "What are they going to do!"

"I have never seen…" Lebedev remarks.

Elizabeth covers her mouth as the reports come in, shaking her head, "He's calling for a 'hulk'? He says 'he'll stop when he confronts the hulk'."

Bruce bites his cheek and weighs his options when he interrupts the scientists in their conversation;

"How far is the park?"

Lebedev answers, "A few minutes-."

"Walking or driving," Banner pushes.

Elizabeth stammers, "It's a drive, why?"

Bruce contorts his mouth, "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. Can I borrow a car?"

Her eyes widen, her face drops, "…what do you think you're going to do? You can't fight him off-."

He forces an exhale, the hulk still grumbling over his contact with Elizabeth, "Don't worry, I won't."

Lebedev snickers nervously, "You're crazy."

"Yeah. I know."

"Bruce!" Elizabeth protests.

"He's from my world. I know how to handle him," Bruce insists.

She shakes her head, "He's asking for a hulk!"

"Elizabeth,' he sighs, 'trust me. Please."

She drops her arms with a protesting groan when Lebedev tosses the keys to Banner.

Bruce points, "Stay here. Don't leave the lab, don't come after me. If I don't come back, I have a sealed letter on my desk. It's everything we've been working on and more, don't let it fall into the wrong hands."

"You're really going to him," she is too panicked to argue with her cryptic new friend.

"Stay safe, stay hidden, please."

She nods after his eyes linger on hers for an extra moment. It is the ultimate deja vu.

He makes up his mind with utmost determination. No one is going to touch her, not this time.

"Stealth is the keyword here boys, no screw ups,' Natasha points on her map looking toward Stark, 'And no music."

Tony grumbles over the call out, his arms crossed, "What's your plan with Hermione."

"Any luck with the names and faces?"

Rogers shakes his head, "I tried, I showed her pictures. Neither Izabella or Svetlana have any idea who they are."

"Any chance there's a meta we missed?"

Tony interrupts, "The DNA at the crime scene matches Izabella and her mother. The green chemical is all hers. My guess is she threw a tantrum at a year old and discovered her powers thanks to her mom being tested on. Kinda creepy if you ask me."

Natasha bites her cheek, distracted. Fury takes up Romanoff's map, "We'll send Thor, Jane, and you, Stark off with the kids."

"Really?! Rhodes isn't doing anything."

"We need him in battle."

"Oh sure! Replace me, that's fine."

Natasha smiles sarcastically, "You're so understanding….Director?"

Nick Fury looks up, an unrestrained pride in his stare when he studies the redhead;

"Looks like you just about have it covered."

She crosses her arms, "Just about?"

"You didn't give me a job."

Natasha dismisses her frustrations, strengthened by his unwavering confidence in her;

"Help me evacuate the kids."

"Miss Natasha?" Violet calls, poking her head over the door frame.

Natasha circles and addresses her young friend, "Are you all ready to go?"

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe."

"I'm suspicious,' Riley mumbles, taking Riley's hand, 'Does anyone else smell a rat?"

Brody- the smaller boy with his glasses points to Izabella's carrier, "It's a mouse, actually."

"No dingbat! There's 20 of us and they're shuffling us along like prisoners."

Natasha frowns, "Hey, either you evacuate or you go down with this place. I promise it's for your own safety."

Riley contorts her mouth, reading Natasha's brain long enough for Romanoff's head to buzz.

"Ow…!"

"I think I believe you," Riley nods and moves to follow their leader, Jane Foster.

"I like you glasses," Izabella offers the younger boy sweetly, teasing the mouse with a finger in the carrier.

"Thanks," Brody stands taller, "Did you get any cool upgrades?"

"Keep walking. You two can hang out later," Garrett, the tallest one pushes Brody along with a possé of other young boys around him.

Brody pulls away and offers a chivalrous elbow to Izabella who takes it with a giggle. He's too small to be offering though she finds it kind. Svetlana catches up to her niece, fixing her hair and introduces herself to Brody.

Natasha holds Linda's shoulder as she passes with the kind hearted smile Izabella is waiting for. Thor steps in and scoops the former up over his shoulders;

"Come small explosive. I shall carry you to your chariot."

With Linda gone, Natasha's focus shifts to Izabella and pulls her aside with her aunt and new found friend Brody lingering close by. She hands Izabella a small taser;

"Hold onto this for me? It's for emergencies only."

Izabella hands the mouse and her carrier to Svetlana and takes up the 'weapon'.

Natasha watches with her mind elsewhere, "There's a version of some Widow's Bite Bruce made for me in this one. Don't lose it, okay?"

"Okay."

"Some of the other kids got upgrades. They're not just ability suppressants," she directs her remarks toward Brody, much to Tony's dismay.

"You suck Red," Tony snatches the keys from an Agent, "I was going to tell them about their upgrades at Christmas!"

Brody folds his hands as if he's ready to make a deal, "What else do my glasses do?"

"You know what? Take Jane's car. I'm not driving you anymore. Let's go Hermione!"

Natasha ignores still addressing Izabella, "I believe in you. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to say that."

Izabella reaches up to hug her taller redheaded friend.

"Look after our new sem'ya , okay?"

Izabella nods when they part, "I will."

Natasha stands watch at the door, her arms crossed in her uniform as the vehicles drive away with the children she's already grown attached to.

She's mentally gone through eighteen different scenarios by the time Clint walks by to check on her. They are comfortable in the silence, staring forward.

Romanoff spots the figures off in the distance first, able to recognize her ex-family from a mile out;

"They're here. I'm going out first."

Barton just stares back toward the redhead with a simple, "Good luck."

Her jaw twists, a light snow suddenly falling above them in the sunset, "I didn't think you'd show up."

"I did not think you would call."

Alexei stands intimidatingly at Ivan's side, a small mob behind them.

Natasha narrows her focus towards Alexei as she takes her casual stance in the front of the building, "I can't believe it took me this long to make the connections. I believed you…"

Ivan shakes his head, pistol in hand, "Come Malyshka . You can't win. Don't choose losing side. You are outnumbered."

"Then I'll go down with my team."

"Stand for your home-!"

She huffs with tears in her eyes, "You're not my home. Not after what you did to those kids…"

"Blonsky-."

"And to me. You only care about yourself."

"You speak shit."

"Your first mistake was giving me up as a child. And you're not going to turn Izabella into the weapon you made me."

" Malyshka -."

" Poshyel k chyertu . Turn yourself in. Don't make me do this."

Ivan pauses. Alexei struggles to make eye contact when he mumbles in the cold Russian air.

She can see his eyes glowing, pleading with her even in the dark, "Don't choose them. We are family."

Her lips part as she takes a breath, feeling familiar figures behind her. Without turning around she knows exactly who stands on her right and left. She flicks her wrist to charge up her bite;

"They are my family."

Fury takes the first shot and aims for Ivan, who in turn aims for Natasha, each defended by one of their own agents.

Natasha leads the charge with Clint, Maria and Steve at her side. Rhodes flies overhead from the back, a roaring she hulk coming up from the same side.