Chapter 8

Agent Hill

"Yes, I went and got him. Sorry about the mess but I need my scientist back now, if you don't mind," Natasha replied not lowering her gun, she wasn't sure which side Hill was on.

"Took you long enough," Hill replied, "Now then how did you get him back? More importantly, why?" She looked at Bruce, "Why did you come back? Both of you. You could have disappeared."

"This isn't the S.H.I.E.L.D. we want to be part of Hill. I found Bruce because he's one of the connections I have that could and would do something about this. S.H.I.E.L.D. has something important to me and is threatening some others," Natasha explained, "I have a lot of connections, you know that. If I wanted to disappear for good I could. But I'm not disappearing unless they're safe."

"As for how she got me back," Bruce commented removing the helmet finally, "well let's just say I'm not the heartless bastard people think I am and I really don't like the way S.H.I.E.L.D. is going right now."

"Not many of us do," Hill muttered thinking over everything as she sat down across from Bruce, "Agent Romanoff, have you had any luck getting in contact with Director Fury?"

"None," Natasha shook her head, "He's completely off the grid. We're on our own unless you had some luck of some sort. Now my turn to ask the questions, what do you plan to do about us and what do you know about what happened?"

Hill thought it over for a long time, "I can't order my troops to stand down and let you walk out. A few of them are loyal to Fury but most this is just a job and they want their payment which comes from the new boss. But I can pretend like I don't know about you two being free around here. You both would need to move quickly once you leave this room. As for what happened with S.H.I.E.L.D. I really wish I knew. Woke up and Fury was gone all I had was a note telling me to move to this base and oversee it, never told way but it was signed by Fury. I've been left alone by the new guy thus far and just got updates from the main base nothing big."

"Fury must have known this was coming and moved you here for a backup plan," Natasha commented. "Though why he didn't move more of us is beyond me."

"The way the message was written, I don't think he had time to find places for everyone, he knew you and Clint would take care of yourselves," Hill replied, "I'm sorry about what happened though."

"Do you know where they're holding Clint?" Bruce questioned, "Or where I can get onto a computer to find out?"

"They've been holding agents who aren't conforming to this new leader in what they call the Madhouse," Hill replied, "this new leader has been looking at all of the bases and each time it seems like agents go missing and are getting replaced. Eventually he's going to be coming here to do his checks. Seems some of the agents are happy about how he's restructuring everything, being harder on super-humans and causing some to just disappear while many are extremely unhappy about the sudden disappearance of Fury not to mention their friends and many of our defenses are just gone without any reason."

"The Madhouse?" Bruce questioned.

"It's an old psychiatric ward S.H.I.E.L.D. owns, while it looks old and doesn't stand out the inside is a fortress," Natasha replied, "it's kept undercover, not many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents even knew about it. It's been kept separate from everything for a long time. It was used for a few of the stronger criminals who were insane as well as agents who lost their mind in an attempt to help them. It was used for interrogations as well, ones we didn't want other people to know about."

"So one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s dirty secrets, got it," Bruce replied with a nod.

Hill looked at her computer and raised her eyebrow, quickly standing up, "You two need to go. Communications just went up."

"Blocker must have short circuited," Bruce grumbled, "I thought we'd have more time."

"Worse, I can see reports going out, someone found it," Hill replied, "Go now. Get what you need and run. Romanoff, if you find Fury… end this. Before it goes too far."

Natasha nodded and ran out of the room Bruce followed close behind, "The Madhouse huh?"

"This just got a lot harder," Natasha replied heading for an armory, she slipped in and Bruce followed gathering up guns, ammo and devices.

Bruce looked out the door seeing a group gather, "I think we have company."

Natasha moved over beside Bruce looking out the door at the group gathering, "Great they're blocking out way out."

"No back way out?" Bruce questioned when he saw Natasha shake his head he let out a low growl, "Greeeaaaattt. Well then plan B." Bruce walked out of the room with his hands above his head. "Hello agents."

"On the ground," One of the guards yelled.

"Interesting request," Bruce replied, "Counter request, you turn around and walk away." Natasha growled under her breath at Bruce's actions. I'm going to kill him.

"On the ground or we will shoot," The guard yelled again.

"No," Bruce stood his ground, "You turn around and walk away before this gets busy."

"Last chance," Bruce watched them as the tensed ready to shoot him.

"Been on this side of several guns before, never ended well for the guys holding them, you sure you want to do this?" Bruce questioned. The reply of "Take him down!" came quickly. Bruce felt the first bullet enter his shoulder causing intense pain. He gripped his shoulder with a growl feeling the blood. "Big mistake… Name's Bruce Banner and you just made me angry." His eyes switched to green. Over five seconds his body expanded, exploding out of the body armor he was still in. The ground was quickly littered with the scraps of black armor as Hulk stood straight up in front of the line of men towering over them.

"Right plan B," Natasha muttered.

Hulk let out a powerful roar at the men who were lowering their guns mostly in fear. Chances were they all wanted to beat up their squad leader for this. Before they could try anything Hulk was on top of them. Hulk slammed the men into the walls grabbing the head of the man who had lead the group. Natasha rushed out of the room when she the destruction. She saw Hulk glare at the kicking man in his hands and knew instantly he was going to be put through a wall. Natasha ran to Hulk's side, "Hulk put him down!" Hulk glared at Natasha with an angry growl. "He got the message, put him down." She looked at the kicking man still in Hulk's fist, these were her co-workers who were just following orders and she didn't really want Hulk to kill them. "They've learned their lesson Hulk. Come on we have to go get Clint, he needs our help. Think you can get us out of here?"

Hulk continued to glare at Natasha but finally let go of the man letting him drop to the ground and nodding. He picked Natasha up in one arm and started to walk away, not really sure where he was going. "Hulk… Help this time." He followed the directions Natasha gave to him until he was just about out. There entered the main entrance area the lift that lead the way out was starting to go up to seal them in as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents started to flood the room. Natasha pointed to the lift and Hulk jumped for it landing easily on it and setting Natasha down.

"Well that was easy despite all those agents," Natasha commented then noticed they weren't alone. Several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were on the platform with them each aiming at Hulk and Natasha, "Spoke too soon."

"Hulk smash!" Hulk yelled starting to run forward at the agents. Two of the agents had net launchers which released electrified nets pinning Hulk down with powerful shocks which caused him to fall to his knees, breathing heavily.

"Hulk!" Natasha watched and within a heartbeat she had her guns out and started to fire at the oncoming again, "Only a few of them. Just need to make it. Come on Hulk get up." Natasha smoothly moved around in the confined space of the lift and around Hulk using him as a barrier to help separate herself from most of the agents to pick them off one by one. Eventually she had knocked all of them out or at least injured them enough to stop them from doing anything. She slowly approached Hulk who was still down from the first shock though a few other shocks were being sent through his body. "Guess you're not the invincible tank everyone sees you as."

"Hulk… Strongest," Hulk replied through clenched teeth as the nets shocked him again.

"Don't try to move I'll get you out," Natasha replied, "The net is causing your muscles to contract, the net is reading when you try to move." Natasha slowly moved around the net watching Hulk carefully. When she believed he wouldn't move she cut key points of the net but avoided it when he did move so as to not get shocked. Eventually she was able to pull off the nets in one quick movement to allow Hulk to get up. "Let's avoid those nets from now on."

"Hulk can handle one net, rip it 'part," Hulk replied.

"But clearly more than one gives you trouble," Natasha replied as the lift reached the top, "You good to go or do you need to rest?"

"Hulk strongest there is," Hulk replied simply, "Hulk go."

"Good. We need to get to Clint," Natasha replied with a nod. Hang on Clint just a little longer.

((Usual disclaimer: Do not own characters.))