NOTE* You guys ever write something that sounds amazing and then you get to a stopping place and your like…uh oh. Where do I go from here? Yeah that was me this chapter lol sorry it took me awhile to get this out. Writers block is evil. Pure evil.

Anyways, bear with me as I try to get the story on a new trajectory. Thanks and hope you enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen:

Irrational Anger

Toni held her arm close to her chest as she ran down the hall with Steve by her side. He had no doubt forgotten about the injury Hulk gave her and she wasn't about to remind him about. She knew how he got when someone on the team was hurt. Overprotective hen didn't even begin to cover it.

"Found it!" Steve hollered a few feet in front of her as he ripped open one of the doors.

Toni rushed in before he quickly shut it, hoping they had time to free their friends before more guards arrived.

"Steve, Toni!" Clint yelled, his voice filled with relief, "Thank God. Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah birdbrain, just fine", she said smiling.

He let out another breath of pure relief as Steve quickly grabbed the bars and began trying to stretch them open enough for Clint to fit through. In the meantime, Toni rushed to Thor's cell and began lock picking. It was a bit hard to do considering she only had one hand with which to work, but she was just that good.

"Lady of Iron, are you hurt?" Thor asked, noticing her arm.

Toni glanced at Steve, but he seemed to not of heard Thor's comment as she shook her head.

"Nothing serious Thor", she replied as the lock clicked open.

Thor grinned as he stepped out about the same time that Clint was able to squeeze through the bars. As Steve and Clint rushed to Natasha, she turned to Hammer.

"Rough time?" he asked indicating her arm.

She glanced down at it and then back at him.

"Nothing I couldn't handle", she replied as she set to work picking the lock.

Hammer watched her do this, a bit confused as to why she was letting him out. Honestly, he expected her to "throw away the key", so to speak. As if reading his mind, she looked up at him and answered.

"Contrary to belief, I don't like people dying when I can stop it. You may be a tool, but even you don't deserve to be experimented on."

Justin Hammer honestly had no words for that as the door clicked open.

"Alright, let's get out of this mad house", Steve said as he turned and headed for the door at the end of the hall.

The six had just stepped out of the cell block when several armed guards came running towards them. Steve raised his fists as Clint, Natasha, and Thor took their own places, forming a circle around the two scientists in the middle who were practically useless in a fight without their weapons. Well, at least Hammer was. Toni on the other hand, thanks to Natasha, knew how to fight rather well in hand to hand combat, however this was before she had broken her arm thanks to the hand of a drugged up Hulk. Speaking of which…

Toni grinned when she heard the roar of the hulk coming closer. The androids also heard it, all of them slowing down to see where the sound was coming from when the Baron darted around the corner sprinting as fast as he had been last time Toni had seen the man, with Big Green close behind. Panting, the Baron noticed the six prisoners free in front of him and nearly cried with joy as he dodged a steel pipe thrown close to his right and dove behind the six who were watching with mixed looks of amusement and anger.

"Help me!" he begged, grabbing onto Steve's clothes, "Please! Save me!"

Steve ignored the begging man, but he did step in front of the Hulk's path, watching his approach determinedly. Clint and Natasha stepped back, not caring if the man was killed, while Hammer just smirked, also backing up though nearly into Thor who was glaring at the Hulk with irritation. He hated dealing with the beast.

Toni however had stepped up beside Steve, watching the Hulk with mild trepidation. Normally, she wouldn't have feared him at all, but normally he wasn't high on drugs with no sense of who is friend and who is foe. I mean dude, he broke her arm. She had no doubt Bruce would be devastated when he learned of the injury, even if it hadn't been his fault or intention.

"Hulk", she stated, stepping forward past Steve.

Rogers noticed and quickly grabbed her arm, earning a hiss in pain. The hulk noticed and narrowed his eyes as he slowed his approach. Steve quickly released her arm in concern for her and in fear of the hulk misreading his actions. Toni however ignored the pain and stepped further away from Steve and closer to the hulk; much to Steve and everyone else's horror.

"Toni. That might not be such a good idea", Clint warned, having already noticed her injury.

Toni ignored him as Hulk froze in place, watching her every move. Toni noticed and kept her eyes locked with his own as she slowly reached forward and placed her hand gently against his chest.

"Hulk", she whispered, "I need Bruce."

Hulk grunted, but continued to watch her. Toni stared back.

"I am hurt Hulk", she said, indicating her broken arm, "I need help."

The hulk glanced at her arm, his brow furrowing in confusion as he reached towards her. Steve and the others stepped forward, but Toni shook her head, catching their eyes. Steve frowned, but stopped everyone from moving any closer. Toni turned back to the hulk who continued to stare at her with a look that Toni could only read as both concerned and upset.

"I'm alright", she whispered with a smile, "but I need Bruce's help to set it. Can you return him?"

Hulk grunted again but nodded. "Puny Banner come back", he stated before closing his eyes, allowing his body to shift and change back to normal.

Bruce's features soon could be made out as the green faded and his normal coloring reappeared. Steve quickly shot forward, catching the man before he could fall and before Toni could try to catch him. Last thing she needed was a large amount of pressure on her already injured arm.

"S-Steve", Bruce whispered as Rogers lowered him to the ground, allowing the man to breathe for a moment, "What happened? Where are we?"

Toni knelt down on the ground beside him, smiling sympathetically.

"Bounty hunters captured us. You were drugged Bruce."

"Right", he nodded, "Last thing I remember is being knocked out in the tower when I was coming up from the lab…"

Bruce stopped and turned to Toni, looking her up and down.

"You remember me?"

Toni smiled. "Could hardly forget you Brucie."

Bruce gave her a soft smile before his eyes fixed themselves on her arm, his smile fading into a frown. Gently, he reached out and rolled up her sleeve. His eyes darkened when he took in the hand print shaped bruise.

"Did I do this…" he whispered.

"No", she stated shaking her head, "You didn't Bruce. The Baron did."

Bruce's eyes locked on the sniveling man still ducking behind the Avengers, watching him with fear and hate. Bruce's eyes turned cold, his anger once again growing, sending a wave of green rippling across his skin.

"Easy big guy" Toni whispered as she placed her hand lovingly against his face, "I'm okay. I need your help setting this though."

Bruce sighed, calming himself down before nodding and standing up with Steve's help.

"We need something to place the bone against", he muttered, looking around before his eyes landed on the steel pipe he had thrown earlier while in hulk form. It was just long enough that it would fit her arm.

"Perfect" he stated as Clint handed it over to him, "Now we need something to tie it with."

"Would these work?" Natasha asked, stepping out of the cell blocks with a ratty blanket in her hands, "I figured you might need something like this."

Bruce smiled. "Good catch Natasha", he nodded, taking it from her. He gently placed the pipe against her bone, pressing it in a bit, causing Toni to wince.

"Steve, hold this."

Steve nodded, holding it firm against her arm as Clint and Natasha ripped the blanket into strands of cloth and handed them over to Bruce who quickly tied it around the pipe and her arm. Once it was firmly braced, he stepped back, smiling.

"Better?"

"A bit", Toni stated, smiling back.

"We need to keep moving then", Steve stated, "Hulk took out those androids, but no doubt the ones that escaped will be back, probably with friends."

"I know the way to the security room. Follow me", Hammer said, moving past the Captain and Avengers who watched him with suspicion.

"Should we?" Clint asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Might as well", huffed Steve, "not much choice at the moment."

Steve turned to the Baron and gripped his arm roughly. "Move he ordered." The man, like a frightened child, nodded eagerly and moved with the rest of the group.

Toni stepped up beside Bruce, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them. She hoped it was her imagination.

AVNGRS

"Here is the security room", Hammer stated as he entered, the avengers moving stealthily behind him. Luckily the room was vacant, but Toni wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing or not.

"Can you hack in and find us an escape route?" Steve asked leaning against the table, watching as she and Hammer sat down in the chairs, accessing the enemy computers.

"They have a pretty tight security, surprisingly", Hammer replied, his brow furrowed.

Toni just ignored him before moments later, she smiled in victory.

"I'm in. There are two exits, but…"

"But what?" Steve asked, hearing the hesitation in her tone.

"One escape route leads us literally through the front doors and the backdoor…"

Hammer frowned, looking over her shoulder, nodding.

"The backdoor", he finished, "leads us straight through the labs."

"And that's a bad thing?" Clint asked, a bit confused about how worried they seemed to be.

"This could be a trap", Toni clarified for him, "The labs would have a lot less security maybe, but…a bigger risk for personal injury. The front doors will probably be loaded with guards, but more risk of being overwhelmed than actually injured."

"I see", Steve stated, his eyes narrowed.

Toni knew this was probably a hard decision for him. Either way, he could be ordering his team to their possible deaths. She didn't envy him his position, but she also knew no matter what he decided, they would follow him. She…would follow him.

"The labs it is then", he replied, "Mr. Hammer. Toni. Lead the way."

The two nodded and began making their way down the hall to the stairs, each watchful for any sign of coming enemies or possible traps. While Hammer looked rather like a jumpy cat with each turn they made, jumping at shadows and small sounds; Toni hung back with her friends, relaxed and trusting that they would keep her as safe as they could and if they didn't, well she knew it would not be on any small part of theirs. She would never blame them if push came to shove and she needed to be sacrificed.

The group made it down the stairs without any problems, but when they came to the hall marked LABS, they all hesitated.

"Ready?" Steve asked.

Each of them nodded. Only Baron remained silent, almost panicky.

"I will take point. Toni, Hammer, and Bruce, you guys make sure to keep down should fighting start. Thor, I want you with them and keep an eye on the Baron."

"Of course Captain of America", Thor replied nodding as he gave a glare towards their enemy who practically cowered beneath his gaze.

"Good. Clint, Nat, watch our six."

They both gave a sharp nod as Steve started forward. He could feel Toni pressing against his side with each stop they made and it reassured him that she was at his side and somewhere he could reach her should they meet trouble.

"I don't like this", Toni whispered.

Steve glanced back at her.

"Me either."

"It's too quiet", agreed Nat.

Clint nodded in agreement.

They were nearly through the first long hall when they came to a blocked off section. On the blocked off section was a single board that read "Warning. Secure Location. Access Denied to Unauthorized Personnel".

"Should we enter?" Bruce asked.

"Toni, this is the way to the back door right?"

"According the stats, yeah", she said nodding.

Steve frowned and gave a stiff nod, before he stepped forward and pushed past the blockage. As they walked further down the dark hall however, all of them began to feel a fear crawling up their spines. Steve didn't know why it was, but he felt claustrophobic all at once and more than that, he felt angry for an irrational reason. That thought alone had him freezing as he heard a hard breathing behind him.

"Dr. Banner", he stated turning, "Are you alright?"

Everyone turned to Bruce, but his eyes were clenched closed as a green wave rippled across his skin. The others took a step back as he opened his eyes and peered at Steve and Tony with horror.

"Something…something is turning me…I can't…I can't stop it…" he grunted out, "R-Run…Run!"

The others didn't hesitate before they took off running down the hall as the roar of the hulk sounded behind them.