Father's Daughter

1.07

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Helicarrier lurched violently, sending everyone in the lab tumbling in all directions. Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, Nick Fury, and Lyra Stark were hurled across the floor, scrambling for purchase as chaos erupted around them. Down below, Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner were thrown hard against the grated floor of the lower equipment room.

Steve, catching his breath, looked over at Tony, urgency lacing his voice. “Put on the suit!” he yelled, motioning towards the exit.

“Yep!” Tony replied, already starting to move, trying to ignore the sharp sting in his ribs. Lyra rushed to help Steve up, and together they darted for the door, leaving the now damaged lab behind them.

Meanwhile, Fury groaned, clutching his side. He fumbled for his earpiece, barking into it, “Hill?! Status!”

---

On the Helicarrier Bridge, the situation was spiraling out of control. Agents ran in every direction, emergency alarms blaring over the commotion. Fire suppression systems struggled to keep up with the sparks and small fires breaking out across the deck.

Agent Maria Hill was in the thick of it, directing as many people as possible. “Turn up that engine! Number three is down!” she shouted. Her eyes locked onto the tech sitting at his station, who had momentarily paused his Galaga game to monitor the deteriorating situation.

“Turbine’s loose!” he called back, looking panicked. “Mostly intact, but it’s impossible to get out there and make repairs while we’re still airborne.”

Hill cursed under her breath. “If we lose one more engine, we won’t be for long. Somebody's got to patch that engine!”

She spun around, her mind racing. "Talk to me, how bad is it?" she demanded.

“We're holding, but barely.”

Hill pressed her earpiece as Fury’s voice crackled over the comms. “Stark! You copy?”

---

Back in the lab, Tony was already moving, his Iron Man suit glinting in the dim light as he and Lyra raced towards the tech room. “I’m on it!” he called back to Fury, all business now.

Fury’s voice followed swiftly, “Coulson! Initiate lockdown in the detention section. Then get to the armory, move!”

---

In the lower equipment room, Natasha was panting, steadying herself as she watched Bruce Banner struggle with himself. His chest heaved, fingers gripping the floor with enough force to dent the metal beneath him. His face was scrunched in pain, his breathing becoming labored. The transformation was starting—his skin beginning to take on that unmistakable green hue.

“I’m okay,” she whispered softly, more to herself than to Bruce. “We’re okay, right?”

She winced as another explosion rocked the Helicarrier, the floor vibrating beneath her. “Doctor, you’ve got to fight it,” she pleaded softly, moving slowly, keeping her eyes on him. "Bruce, this is what Loki wants. We’re gonna be okay...”

The words felt hollow even as they left her lips. Natasha’s fingers trembled as she pushed herself free from the debris. “Listen to me,” she urged. Her voice was softer now, but it quivered with fear as Bruce’s eyes met hers. They were glowing, unmistakably angry. “We’re going to be okay...I swear on my life.”