Disclaimer: I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

09/04/2013

From the reviews and the PMs I've received, a lot of readers have been looking forward to this chapter. I hope it meets your expectations.

hug the ents: No offence taken as you've identified one of the greatest challenges that I've found in writing this story. One reason I had the vortex diminish Thor's and Hulk's powers at the start was so the Avengers got a better appreciation of the struggle faced by the Free Peoples. Even with their growing powers, I think the Avengers shall find Sauron to be a much tougher nut to crack than Saruman.

Lunatic Pandora 1: Unfortunately this is the first time I've written a lengthy work of fiction in more than twenty years. I'll try not to rely too much on MS Word Spell & Grammar Check from now on.

Dan man: Notwithstanding my notes at the end of last chapter, I've 'saved' Boromir and Haldir only because the Avengers were in a position to help them.

Chapter 24 – Smashing the White Hand

Treebeard continued southward as Pippin had requested. Much to Treebeard's delight, he finally told his three passengers the story of the rabbits that dug a burrow under him. Having told this story, Treebeard felt obliged to tell them about all his encounters with Fangorn's small animals over the years. The Ent was currently expanding on his most experience in this regard as he exited into a large clearing.

"…and those little family of field mice that climb up sometimes and they tickle me awfully. They're always trying to get somewhere where they – Oh!" Treebeard's storytelling came to an abrupt end at the sight before him.

Utter devastation. That was the term that immediately came to Banner at the large burnt and cleared tract of Fangorn he was currently looking at. The scene reminded him of Brazil where he witnessed first-hand the damage caused to parts of the Amazon rainforest by poor 'slash and burn' clearing methods.

"Many of these trees were my friends," Treebeard remarked, feeling as devastated as the forest remains. "Creatures I had known from nut and acorn. They had voices of their own."

"I'm sorry, Treebeard," Pippin apologised to him.

Pippin's wasn't just an expression of sympathy. The Took had been unable to use a camera to show the Ent Moot the deforestation around Isengard. So he decided instead to trick Treebeard into a route where the Ent would see the fate that awaited Fangorn if Saruman wasn't stopped. Part of him was pleased he'd been able to manipulate Treebeard in this manner. However, Pippin still felt awful his manipulations had also broken Treebeard's heart. He wondered if evil people often resorted to manipulation because they lacked empathy towards others?

Banner similarly felt somewhat guilty about his previous criticisms about Treebeard. Treebeard was thousands of years older than Pippin. But in some aspects, the Ent had shared Pippin's innocence (until recently) about the nature of evil. Perhaps being isolated for millennia meant the Ents had trouble believing that anyone besides Orcs would consciously choose to commit evil.

Meanwhile, Treebeard's gaze had turned south-west towards the Orthanc. The Ent and his three companions had an excellent view of it from the barren crest they were standing on. They all saw within the bounds of Orthanc's ringed wall the industrial structures on its surface as well as smoke rising from the caverns beneath it. Treebeard's focus was solely on the Tower of Orthanc.

"Saruman!" Treebeard's gasped when realised the Tower's principal resident was the chief villain in this piece.

The Fellowship felt Treebeard shake under them as his grief turned to rage.

"A wizard should know better!" the Ent angrily declared.

Treebeard released a ferocious roar that his three passengers winced at. Treebeard's roar echoed throughout the length and breadth of Fangorn.

After his roar had finished, Treebeard crossly observed, "There is no curse in Elvish, Entish or the tongues of Men for this treachery."

The Fellowship members looked over their left shoulders at hearing the sounds of strange creaks and savage grunts. In the distance, a large section of Fangorn seemed to be moving southwards at rapid pace.

"Look!" Pippin exclaimed in surprise. "The trees. They're moving!"

"They're headed to Rohan," Banner deduced.

"Hroom, yes, Master Bruce," Treebeard strongly confirmed. "They have business with the Orcs there. My business is with Isengard tonight. With rock and stone."

The Ent's angry roar a moment ago reminded Banner of someone else. Speaking of which, the same cry seemed to have struck a chord with the Other Guy. All he was waiting on was Banner's invitation to appear. Banner's eyes widened!

Ever since Banner had fallen through the vortex, he hadn't been able to call on the Other Guy like before. Hulk's two-and-a-bit appearances in Middle-earth had largely been unplanned, even though they had helped save the lives of the Fellowship. But now Hulk seemed to be ready to aid Banner when he needed him. His theory about the vortex's effects being temporary had been proven correct.

That means Thor's regaining power as well, Banner postulated.

Banner's rush of thoughts halted upon remembering Galadriel's words to him prior to the Fellowship's departure from Lothlorien. Specifically, that he and the Other Guy would 'find harmony' before long. Banner's opinion of Galadriel was her not just a powerful telepath, but a wise one as well. Galadriel knew not to read Banner's mind too deeply least she accidentally trigger Hulk. But she could still read enough to understand his complex 'relationship' with the Other Guy. The fading effect of the vortex was, of course, the major reason that relationship had been restored. The rest in Fangorn and the dissipation of Saruman's sedative had also played their part. But Banner couldn't help but feel his telling of Hulk's history to Merry and Pippin had been a major turning point.

Banner feared that, because of Hulk's original outburst at Frodo, he would always have to prove to the original Fellowship that he wasn't a threat to them. But Merry and Pippin, the original Fellowship's least experienced members, had shown understanding to him in regards to Hulk. Banner could release the Other Guy without worrying if the friends he'd made in Middle-earth would treat him as an outcast afterwards. The only thing that wasn't clear in Banner's mind was how much pre-vortex strength Hulk had at his disposal.

Well, let's find out, he thought to Hulk.

Banner turned his head to his ride.

"You know, Treebeard," he said with a dark gleam in his eye. "There's something else Saruman should've known better about."

Treebeard, Merry and Pippin watched Banner jump down from the Ent's left shoulder and land on the ground without even the slightest wobble. Banner didn't even bother to take off his Galdhrim shirt and cloak. Both items of clothing ripped apart and fell to the ground as Hulk rapidly took shape. Unlike Banner's braise, these items of Elven clothing weren't originally crafted to withstand an individual becoming, in Tony Stark's words, 'an enormous green rage monster'.

The Other Guy released a cry of anger as loud as Treebeard's. Hulk's cry was directed at the Orthanc though. It was a warning to Saruman that he was about to join the list of individuals who tried to capture and control Hulk and ultimately ended up failing.

"By all the leaves of Fangorn!" an astonished Treebeard remarked at the sight of the Other Guy. Besides Ents, it had been an age since he'd encountered a creature nearly as tall as his shoulder.

"It's alright, Treebeard," Pippin assured him. "Hulk's a friend of ours."

The Other Guy gave Pippin his version of an appreciative grin as Treebeard pondered the Hobbit's words.

"That does make sense to me," Treebeard thought aloud. "You three have something in common."

Merry was completely baffled by the observation. "What's that?"

Treebeard answered, "Like you shirelings, Master Hulk is somewhat small."

Hulk gave a slight snarl at being called 'small'. Treebeard paid the snarl no mind, it being drowned out by the rumblings coming from the forest behind them. Dozens of Ents came forward having heard Treebeard's call to arms. None gave Hulk a second glance given Treebeard seemed to accept his presence.

"Yes!" Merry quietly exclaimed as he realised the strength of the force that was about to be unleashed on Isengard.

Hulk could have reached the Orthanc in quick time by running or leaping. But being an Avenger made Hulk realise that some battles were best fought as part of team. The conscious part of Banner commended Hulk's decision to show solidarity with the Ents. Treebeard started leading those present towards their objective.

"Hoorarooom," he deeply rumbled. "Come, my friends. The Ents are going to war. It is likely that we go to our doom."

"Fat chance," Hulk grumbled in reply.

Possibly the strangest fighting force in the history of Middle-earth - consisting of two Hobbits, a Hulk and about seventy Ents - began a relentless and determined march in the direction of the Orthanc.

The first traces of sunlight began to illuminate the battlefield around Helm's Deep. The light came over a steep hill just to the east of the fortress. Dawn was about to break over Rohan.

The Battle for Helm's Deep had reached something of a stalemate. The two Avengers continued to hold the Causeway while the Uruk-hai launched attacks at them. With the exception of the Fellowship inside the Hornburg, the defenders were amazed that Rogers and Thor showed no signs of tiring. Despite holding the Causeway for the last two hours, the pair showed no sign of tiring. Their endurance was almost the equal of any other powers they had displayed over course of the battle.

Speaking of which, none of Thor's returning powers had been available for him to use since destroying the ballistae. Thor still sensed their energies within Mjolnir, but wondered why none of them had 'recharged' for use. The Asgardian hoped this extended period of recharging meant those powers would be at their greatest strength when he was next able to use them.

For a while, the Uruk Commander changed his method of attacking Rogers and Thor. The line of Uruk corpses that led up to the Avengers showed they couldn't be defeated by massed charges (or massed suicide from another perspective). Instead, the Commander launched attacks in the forms of sorties that briefly attacked the Avengers before feigning retreat. The Commander thought that maybe the Avengers would be tempted and pursue the retreating Uruks. If the pair could be drawn away from the Causeway, the Uruk-hai would have an unhindered path to the Main Gate. But Rogers and Thor were too knowledgable and experienced in military matters to fall for that well-known tactic. With this failing, the Commander ordered the pair be peppered with crossbow bolts like the rest of the defenders. This battle had shown that the bolts would not particularly trouble the Avengers. The volleys the pair had received were more aimed at distracting them while the Uruk-hai made ready to deploy another weapon.

Theoden had returned to position in the command turret. The efforts of the Avengers had given his men the time to tend to the wound he sustained during the defence of the Main Gate. Theoden's superb armour meant his right shoulder sustained no more than a shallow cut from the Uruk spear that had been thrust into it. Theoden was very pleased that no enemy had still ever set foot inside the Hornburg. He shuddered to think how far the Uruk-hai would have penetrated into Helm's Deep without the Avengers hindering them. And yet, Theoden couldn't help but have a gnawing feeling in his stomach.

The King went over in his mind the key parts of this battle. Although not as spectacular as the Avengers, many others had played a key role in the defence as well. Aragorn and Haldir had commanded the defence along the Deeping Wall that successfully drove off many Uruk assaults. Boromir confirmed his reputation as a brilliant leader of men by rallying the Rohirrim along the Outer Wall and Gatehouse on countless occasions. But Theoden's own direct combat in this battle had been brief. The result from this combat was the King sustaining a light wound taking him briefly from the field. Theoden thought his overall contribution in this battle, both as a warrior and a commander, bordered on the irrelevant. Gamling interrupted his brooding.

"Will Gandalf come with Eomer and his men at this hour, milord?" Gamling quietly asked him.

"I hope so, my friend," Theoden answered with a sigh. "Despite all that I've witnessed of them this past night, I still don't want to chance Captain Rogers and Prince Thor holding out indefinitely against such reckless hate."

Rohan's history recorded the man that Helm's Deep was named after had a grim nature, great strength and unmatched prowess in combat. Theoden thought Thor had these qualities in abundance as well. It had been claimed that Helm was given a mithril war hammer from the Dwarves but there were no records of him using it in combat. When history wrote about this battle, it would leave no doubt that Thor fought with a war hammer. But readers would probably think they were reading legend when history recorded Thor's hammer could summon thunder and lightning, fly like an arrow and return to his hand at a thought. So much so, that Thor might become more associated with the title 'Hammerhand' than King Helm was.

Theoden's ponderings on Helm gave him an idea. There was one thing that only he could order be carried out. At the peak of the Hornburg was a mouthpiece that connected to a pair of 100-foot brass alphorns than ran down its side. The pair of alphorns was known as the 'Horn of Helm Hammerhand'. Such a powerful brass instrument had many uses including calling for aid and to strike fear into the hearts of besiegers. Theoden thought the opportunity had arisen where the Horn could be used for both purposes at once.

"Gamling," he firmly ordered his lieutenant. "I want the Horn of Helm Hammerhand blown. Let Eomer and his men know their King awaits their arrival." Theoden then quietly added, "And so I may hear it sound in the Deep, at least one last time."

At this, Gamling signalled to a Royal Guard that he was needed.

Thor and Rogers faced east as they continued deflecting crossbow bolts shot at them. Rogers was straight to Thor's left. The bolts did not present a major threat to either of them. But nor did the Avengers allow themselves any complacency. Their eyes were solely on the bolts even when they spoke to each other.

Rogers felt honoured by the number of defending archers who risked their lives while continuing to provide fire support in aid of him and Thor. None of them (even Legolas and the Galadhrim with their Elven reflexes) possessed the Avengers quickness to intercept or evade a crossbow bolt heading straight for them. Even when one or more of them were killed or injured by a bolt - not one of the tired archers waived in their duty. They reminded Rogers of the NYPD and National Guard that bravely tried aiding the Avengers in the battle against the Chitauri.

To lighten their mutual angst waiting for Gandalf's promised arrival, Thor dryly remarked to Rogers, "If these Uruks don't soon launch another sortie against us, I fear I may die of boredom before one of these bolts."

Rogers was about to respond with a retort of his own but was interrupted by a loud noise. The noise was like that of a whistle from a ship funnel. Despite being startled. Rogers's discipline kept his eyes on incoming the missile fire.

"What's that?" a confused Thor referred to the noise

At Thor's mention of the word 'horn' Rogers now remembered what he saw when first inspecting the Hornburg.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you," Rogers apologised as if he'd forgotten to buy a carton of milk. "Helm's Deep has a pair of big brass horns."

"The horns complement its defenders," Thor observed. "Each of them has shown they possess a pair of big brass b–." Thor interrupted himself as he wryly apologised, "Sorry, you dislike vulgarity."

Rogers couldn't help but give a knowing laugh. The Uruk Commander on the other hand had no such reticence about publicly cursing, particularly towards his subordinates. Right now, he was berating the warg-riders he sent off two hours earlier for having just returned. The Commander's wrath was placated only because the pair had returned with the weapons that they'd been ordered to collect.

The explosive mines were not the only weapons created under the Fire of Isengard 'program'. Through experimentation, Saruman had developed a chemical that he simply called 'fire-oil'. After being lit, fire-oil's chemical reaction would start after about half a minute. Once ignited, fire-oil would burn at much greater intensity than regular oil. A surface ignited by fire-oil would be engulfed in terrible flames that could not be put out by water. The fire-oil the warg-riders brought from the depot was carried in eight hollow spherical cases made of crude, thin-cast iron about seven inches in width. The fire-oil these cases contained could be lit through an unstoppered hole. Saruman had been producing more fire-oil while the Uruk-hai had been attacking Helm's Deep. The Uruk Commander had planned to use the fire-oil when the army he led assaulted Edoras. Fire-oil would instantly burn its wooden structures and roast any anyone inside them. Now fire-oil had become the Commander's last throw of the dice against the Avengers.

Despite the destruction of their ballistae, the Uruk-hai still had parts and equipment to build two more. The orc sappers had been focused on no other task for the past two hours. The Uruk Commander had threatened they would suffer worse deaths at his hands than being struck by lightning if the ballistae were not finished by the time the warg-riders returned. The Commander covered the ballistae construction from the Avengers by a screen of Uruk pikemen. But with daybreak fast approaching that screen would be useless, as all the defenders would then have a clear view of the battlefield. The man with the flying hammer would then destroy the ballistae just like he had the others.

They didn't know it, but the defenders had scored a great success against the Uruk Commander. The Commander could no longer be blase about Uruk-hai losses, as they had taken more than forty per cent casualties. Even if Helm's Deep fell, the Uruk-hai still needed to conquer Rohan and the surrounding territories that Saruman had commanded them to.

The two Avengers were puzzled when the crossbow bolts fired at them gradually came to a stop. Rogers and Thor were at a loss to understand why the Uruk marksmen that had been targeting the pair were now stepping back from them in an orderly manner. Thor first sensed the new danger the Avengers faced by a moderate easterly breeze.

"Do you smell that oily odour?" Thor asked Rogers.

Rogers gave a deep sniff and found the smell Thor was referring to. To Rogers the odour smelt more like gasoline than oil. He was sure he smelt something like this odour before during the War. In fact it smelt like…

"Napalm!" he hissed in alarm. Seeing the confused look on Thor's face, Rogers drew on his encyclopedic knowledge of military history to clarify. "Greek-fire!"

Thor's eyes widened, now understanding why Rogers was alarmed. The Uruk Commander ordered the screen of pikemen to peel away from the ballistae revealing one pointed at the Avengers and another pointed at the Gatehouse. If all went to plan both targets would soon be in flames.

"Both of us can still hold against such a weapon." Thor argued to his fellow Avenger.

Against his better judgment, Rogers had seen the movie Apocalypse Now on Stark's recommendation ("You'll love it! It's like those black and white numbers you used to star in. It's about a war we got involved in when you doing time as a Capsicle."). Unlike the character in the movie named 'Kilgore', Rogers didn't like the smell of napalm in the morning or any other time. Rogers had all too often seen its horrible effects against soldiers and civilians during his service with the SSR.

Rogers jerked his head in the direction of the other defenders as he rhetorically countered; "Do you think they can?"

Before Thor could answer, a horse's whinny was heard across the battlefield. All the battle's participants looked towards the source of the noise. The source was located at the top of the steep hill east of Helm's Deep. It was Gandalf mounted on Shadowfax! After a few moments another mounted rider appeared to Gandalf's right.

"Lord Eomer, I presume," a relieved Rogers guessed the rider's identity.

The cheers from the Rohirrim defending the fortress verified Rogers's assumption. Eomer and his men's arrival meant Helm's Deep would soon be relieved.

The Uruk Commander sharply ordered Uruk pikemen to take position at the Uruk-hai's left flank. If the riders on the hill wanted to charge at the Uruk-hai they would first have to avoid being impaled on at least two ranks of sharp, eighteen-foot long pikes. The Commander angrily barked his sappers out of their reverie by ordering them to commence lighting the cases of fire-oil. If he was going to be killed, the Commander wanted before at least the satisfaction of seeing the two Avengers being burned alive.

"Did you ever doubt Gandalf would get here like he said he would?" Rogers knowingly asked Thor.

The God of Thunder's current joy deepened upon sensing he could use one of his powers again.

"Not even for a moment, my friend," Thor winked in reply.

Thor returned his gaze to Gandalf who effortlessly stayed mounted as Shadowfax reared in the air. Gandalf's current appearance on Shadowfax had similarities to when Odin arrived on Sleipnir to rescue Thor's company from their ill-fated visit to Jotunheim. This time, Thor was more than confident that the All-Father would have no objections to the words he was about to shout.

"GANDALF!" Thor's voice echoed throughout the valley. "WE'LL FINISH THEM TOGETHER!"

At Thor's cry, Gandalf and Eomer lead the two thousand mounted Rohirrim into a headlong charge at the Uruk-hai. Their steeds rapidly closed the distance between them and the Uruk-hai given the steep hill they were moving down. Gandalf demonstrated how much more powerful he was since becoming the White Wizard by the spell he cast against the Uruks facing him. The spell was a more potent version of the one he used against the orcs the Fellowship had rescued the Avengers from in Eregion. Through his staff he channelled the light from the sun as it rose over the hill the Rohirrim charged down. Like the orcs in Eregion, the mass of affected Uruks turned away or dropped their weapons in reaction to the blinding light before them.

When Thor called out to Gandalf his words were spoken literally. At the same time Gandalf cast his spell, Thor used the power that had just returned to him. Thor pointed Mjolnir skywards at an angle seconds before the Uruk-hai shot their fire-oil. Thor commanded the most powerful lightning bolt he had been able to summon since coming to Middle-earth to strike at the Uruk-hai ballistae. Those Uruks that the bolt instantly vaporised at least had a quick death. The energy from the lightning resulted in the eight cases of fire-oil violently exploding. Any Uruk within range of the explosion, including the Commander, was saturated by the ignited fire-oil. The affected Uruks screamed in agony as intense red flames burned through their armour and roasted their skin.

As Gandalf and Eomer's men smashed into its left flank unimpeded by pikes, the cohesion of the Isengardian army snapped. It had been unnerving for its members to face a man who could call on thunder and lightning against them. But now having to also battle a Wizard who seemed able to blind them with sunlight was too much for the Uruk-hai even with their numbers. They routed northwards in fear of the pair that could turn the very forces of nature against them.

As the Uruk-hai fled from the battlefield, Thor and Rogers looked behind them up at the Gatehouse. A number of defenders behind its parapets looked at them in awe including the Fellowship members the two Avengers fought this battle with.

Trying to keep a straight face, Rogers told the defenders atop Gatehouse, "Thor and I are launching a counterattack. Anyone care to join us?"

With typical bombastic aplomb, Gimli responded, "I'll catch up to your tally yet, Odinson!"

With a loud cheer, nearly all the defenders followed the Dwarf's lead in sprinting down to the gate. One exception was Theoden who simply closed his eyes and released a deep sigh of relief that the ordeal was over. His eyes opened after he felt a supportive hand on his shoulder from Gamling who gave the King a reassuring grin.

Thor and Rogers sprinted down the Causeway in a blur. The pair easily caught up to the fleeing Uruk-hai before tearing into them. They created a path of death through the Uruks standing between them and Eomer's riders. As Thor continued to send Uruks flying with Mjolnir, something to the near north caught his eye.

"Where did that forest come from?" he confusedly asked his fellow Avenger.

Captain America was equally baffled. Until last night, the valley had been completely devoid of trees. A dark and menacing forest now completely covered the northern approaches to Helm's Deep. The forest did have a sense of the familiar nonetheless.

"Is it just me," Rogers observed in reply. "Or does it also remind you of Fangorn?"

Rogers was correct with the comparison. The 'forest' was actually the part of Fangorn that Treebeard had commanded to head towards Helm's Deep. Eomer raced across the Rohirrim pursuing the Uruk-hai. The Third Marshal was startled to see Thor and Rogers among their front ranks. What kind of men had the speed to catch up with the fastest of horses? Eomer quickly put this mystery to one side as he ordered the pursuers to halt on Gandalf's advice.

"Stay out of the forest!" Eomer commanded the pursuers. "Keep away from the trees!"

The Uruk-hai ran into a force of nature far more vindictive than any Gandalf or Thor had used against them. As soon as the last one of them entered into the forest the slaughter began. The two Avengers watched amazed with the Rohirrim as the forest swayed and groaned as it killed the Uruk-hai within it. The forest stilled after the last Uruk death scream was silenced. What remained of the Isengardian army sent to attack Helm's Deep had been wiped out in moments.

Thor dryly remarked to Rogers, "I take back what I said to you in Fangorn. It appears I need to broaden my understanding of trees as well."

The Ents continued to methodically destroy the forces and structures of Isengard located within the Orthanc. As they had approached the Orthanc, the attackers split into three groups.

One group was made up of several dozen Ents who made a hole in the north-eastern side of the Orthanc's ringed wall after throwing a volley of large boulders at it. After storming through the breach, these Ents showed no mercy to any headframe, furnace, platform or Orc on the surface. They destroyed buildings by ripping them apart with their branched hands or by throwing rocks at them from the rubble of the breach. Most of these Ents simply stepped on the orc labourers and Uruk-hai that tried to oppose them. Some Ents used the wooden scaffolding they broke as clubs to scatter the Orcs instead.

The second group was comprised of only about half a dozen Ents. Treebeard had ordered this group towards the slopes of the Misty Mountains that ended just to the north east of Isengard. Their target was the dam that Saruman had constructed to hold back the River Isen from its source in the Misty Mountains.

The last group was led by Treebeard himself, consisting of ten other Ents plus the three Fellowship members. Their objective was the Orthanc Gatehouse. Treebeard wanted to cut off any means of escape for Saruman and his orcs. The Orcs defending Orthanc were not caught completely unawares by the Ents' attack. They had closed and barred the Gatehouse's pair of large iron gates to keep out the invaders.

Facing the gatehouse from the south, Treebeard sounded like a military commander as he ordered, "Smash the gates with rock and stone!"

There wasn't even time for Treebeard's fellow Ents to carry out the order. As soon as Treebeard had spoken, Hulk sprinted at the gatehouse before launching himself towards it. Hulk brought his fists downward on follow through as he landed atop the gatehouse. The unfathomable power in Hulk's blow caused the whole structure to crumble beneath his feet, burying alive any orcs who had been stationed there.

"HULK SMASH!"

Hulk's infamous cry echoed within the confines of the Orthanc. If the Ents had sent the Orcs into panic, then Hulk's arrival drove them into blind terror. Hulk began destroying Isengard's forces and structures much more quickly than any Ent could. Due to the diminishing effects of the vortex, Hulk now possessed much greater strength than all the other attackers combined. It was strength he brutally demonstrated to a company of Uruk marksmen that had the temerity to attack him. After their bolts harmlessly deflected off him, Hulk leapt into the archers' midst. The impact of Hulk's landing scattered them in all directions.

As Treebeard led the Ents through the Gatehouse's remains, he quietly remarked to Merry and Pippin, "Now you know why to take things less hasty, young hobbits. Least you become like Master Bruce when he gets angry."

Merry and Pippin exchanged a knowing smile. The Other Guy's nature was one thing they knew about more than Treebeard who in comparison was a touching innocent.

From the Tower balcony, Saruman with staff in hand watched the proceedings below in utter dismay. Saruman may have been one of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth. But not even he could hold back the attack that been launched against the Orthanc. He planned to harness Fangorn and Hulk to fuel his plans for Middle-earth (literally with the former and metaphorically with the latter). Those same forces were now destroying those plans before his very eyes.

Hulk pulled a spiked wheel off a headframe before throwing it at a group of orc archers shooting fire arrows at an Ent. Those archers not scattered by the wheel were instead impaled on its spikes. Hulk then looked towards the Tower at Saruman. The pair locked eyes despite the distance between them. Hulk angrily snarled at the former Istari who had sought to capture and enslave him. The conscious part of Banner then spoke to Hulk.

Go for it!

With Banner's approval of his choice of action, Hulk charged towards the tower before leaping towards Saruman. While Saruman was unable to defeat the attack on the Orthanc, he could still defend attacks made against his person. Even if those attacks came from Hulk. Saruman pointed his staff at Hulk just before the Avenger landed on the balcony. Saruman released a powerful blast of invisible energy that knocked Hulk backwards. Hulk tumbled straight down to the stairs leading into the tower. The stairs shuddered on impact as Hulk landed flat on his back.

While Hulk was falling, Saruman moved just behind the doorway leading onto the balcony. It would have been galling to Saruman's pride to know he was casting the same spell as Gandalf the Grey for deliverance against an indestructible monster. Holding his staff in both hands, Saruman firmly struck the balcony with the end of his staff through the doorway. Similar to Gandalf's spell along the Bridge of Khazad-dum, the balcony crumbled in a bright flash of light.

Hulk reflexively put his right arm to deflect the chunks of obsidian rock falling on him. After the last bit had fallen, Hulk jumped back on his feet and hurled a large piece of the balcony's remains at his attacker. Saruman had to jump back to avoid the piece hitting him as it struck the doorway, now little more than a hole on the Tower's south. Hulk planned to jump at the hole before noticing the Tower's pair of iron doors in front of him. Hulk decided to break them down with the remains of the balcony instead.

Saruman had anticipated the Avenger trying to do this. Chanting in Sindarin, Saruman exerted his remaining strength by casting a magic barrier. The barrier was placed around all the doors, windows and other points which the interior of Tower could be accessed from the outside. It was a version of the spell that Gandalf used to deflect Thor's mistaken attack against him in Fangorn.

An enraged Hulk decided on a new line of attack after the debris he threw at doors failed to penetrate Saruman's barrier. After crouching his knees to build up power, Hulk leapt to the top of the Tower also known as the 'Pinnacle of Orthanc'. He began pounding his fists on the Pinnacle in an attempt to break inside. Banner had speculated if there was still any residual impact from the vortex on Hulk's strength. This speculation was answered in the affirmative as Hulk struggled to even crack the Pinnacle floor. The floor was made of the same indestructible obsidian rock as the rest of the Tower.

Hulk's attack on the Pinnacle echoed throughout the Tower's interior. Saruman moved away from the broken balcony into his throne room. He wanted to be alone to think his next move. He was denied this opportunity when a terrified Grima burst into the room. Grima had witnessed the Other Guy's assaults from a window.

"Milord!" Grima exclaimed in horror. "What in the name of the Valar is that green beast?!"

Saruman was enraged at Grima for mentioning the beings that had sent the Istari to Middle-earth. The reason being was that a small part of Saruman now regretted betraying the task he'd been entrusted with. Saruman would've liked to incinerate Grima with a jet of flame. However, tired from his exertions against Hulk, Saruman currently didn't have the strength to channel any spell through his staff. So he simply used his left hand to powerfully grip Grima's throat.

"Never mention that name in my presence again!" he screamed at Grima before roughly shoving him to the ground.

Saruman composed himself as he watched with satisfaction Grima spluttering on his back.

As air came back into his lungs, Grima wheezed an apology, "I'll not…say that…name again…milord."

Saruman flatly warned, "I'm the only one left who still tolerates your pathetic self, worm. It would be wise of you not to forget it."

Meanwhile, the group of Ents sent to the dam was now ready to launch their attack against it.

"Break the dam!" Treebeard's voice thundered up the slopes to the said Ents. "Release the river!"

At Treebeard's command, the Ents at the dam pulled away its supports. The River Isen rapidly burst through the dam wall that had been holding it back.

Hulk's frustration at only inflicting a tiny amount damage to Pinnacle's floor surged out in a manner similar to the oncoming flood of water rushing towards the Orthanc. He gripped one of the Pinnacle's horns and with great strain pulled out a large chuck of it. Hulk threw this chunk towards the part of the ringed wall directly in the path of the oncoming water. The chunk flew stronger and faster than a projectile launched from any siege engine found in Middle-earth. It easily broke through the ringed wall, creating a massive breach for the oncoming water to pour through.

Still resting on Treebeard's shoulders, Merry told Pippin, "Right now, Pip, I wish we could leap like the Other Guy."

Like his fellow Ents, Treebeard dug his feet into the ground like deep roots.

"Hold on, little hobbits!" he hurriedly ordered his passengers.

From his current position, Hulk had the perfect view of the damage caused by the oncoming water as it rapidly spread throughout the Orthanc. The Ents stood firm as the water broke around them at waist level (the Ent that Hulk had previously rescued welcomed the opportunity to douse the flames that still smouldered on him). But the force of the water smashed any whole or part structures that remained on the surface. The water also flooded the caverns dug within the Orthanc, drowning any orcs that had sought refuge there from Hulk and the Ents. Satisfied at the sight below him, Hulk released a mighty roar of triumph.

Hulk's roar could be heard throughout the whole of Nan Curunir. It was a confirmation to all Middle-earth that Isengard's formidable military machine had been permanently smashed and washed away.

I suspect some readers had been hoping Saruman would be at the receiving end of the same treatment that Hulk gave Loki. At the risk of receiving a flaming in the reviews for this chapter, it's important to remember that Saruman is still one of the Maiar (albeit a corrupted one like Sauron). To my mind, Saruman with his staff would still be able to hold his own against a Hulk still feeling some effects of the vortex. Especially with the pair fighting within the bounds of the Orthanc.

Stark's sarcasm towards Apocalypse Now is all it's aimed at. It is not aimed at the all too many servicepersons and civilians (on all sides) who did and continue to suffer from that terrible conflict.