C U R S E || bruce banner

Chapter Seventeen

Within a record time, Bruce and Tony had managed to track them down, in Sokovia, and they had all stormed it. But what else was to be expected by either one of them.

Elizabeth was standing in the lab, working when she heard a new form of chaos happening. Carefully, she sat down her tool as she moved towards the door, opening it slightly, watching as hundreds ran by. She didn't understand half of what most were saying, but she caught "The Avengers," and she felt a new found hope, they had come for her, just like she knew they would.

But she was not going to wait around for one of them to get her, she was going to make it to them. With that thought in mind, she began running, weaving through the soldiers, hoping to find a way out.

Most people didn't pay attention to her, but Dr. List had caught her arm. "And where do you think you're going?"

Elizabeth only smiled, glad to be out of the room. "Let me go," but nothing had happened.

"Did you think we were stupid?"

Elizabeth only shrugged, going with Plan B, as she headbutted him as hard as she could, and took off again, determined to get outside, despite her throbbing head. If the entire building was covered in the energy, the second she got outside she would be fine. Unless they decided to put the force field of sorts over the entire area, then her, and her fellow teammates were all screwed.

As soon as she got outside though, Elizabeth began regretting it. It was freezing, and a typical theme for her built up, because she was not appropriately dressed for the weather. Not to mention, it was a war zone. Flashes of movement, from the other Avengers were shown, and Soldiers who were firing. But as always, the Avengers were winning.

The nearest to her location was Natasha, and Elizabeth made yet another brash decision to run out, despite the bullets flying around and she had no protection beside if she could use it. They really hadn't gotten her an outfit yet, and she was beginning to regret that decision as well.

"Stand down," finally, her voice boomed, eyes glew red, as did her necklace, as the men dropped their weapons. "Walk away."

Natasha turned to her smiling, "I got Elizabeth," she spoke through the earpiece, glad that 1/2 of the mission was complete. 

Steve responded, "The area?"

"We're on lock down."

"Go get Banner."

Natasha turned back to Elizabeth. "Are you okay?" she questioned generally concerned for her friend. She knew Elizabeth was not helpless by all means, but she was no assassin or superhero.

"Aren't I always?" she joked. "What did they say?"

"They want to stop the Hulk now. You can do it right?"

Elizabeth nodded, "Of course."

And with that she began heading off through the woods, trying to find the Hulk, which shouldn't have been too difficult. When Elizabeth found him, he was throwing a part of the tank around, growling like always. At least she caught him post battle and not in a fight, it would be easier to pull him away now.

"Hey Hulk," Elizabeth casually greeted as she strolled up. Hulk whipped around scowling. Part of her felt bad for what she was about to do, but she knew that it was what they wanted. And overall, what Bruce would want. She put her hands out, and Hulk cautiously walked over and raised his hands to hers. "Thank you for helping me," she thanked as she ran her hands over his, not breaking eye contact.

Elizabeth watched as he visibly began to calm down, and she pushed it a bit, her eyes yet again glowing red, and then he was tumbling backwards before he could even realize what was happening. Hulk turned forward, grabbing onto a tree as he started changing, his body growing smaller, and the tan coming back to him, instead of the green tint.

And then it was Bruce laying down, face pressed into the ground, shirtless, as he gripped a twig.

Elizabeth was stumbling over, clumsily over the snow and forest floor, and knelled next to him. "You think you can take me back to the aircraft?" she smiled.

Bruce took a moment, but then he was getting up, and despite his protests, Elizabeth held onto his arm as they went back to the aircraft.

On the aircraft, Tony flew, as Steve watched over Clint, who had gotten hit through out the mission (that man didn't seem able to stay clear of injury), and Thor was drifting around. Elizabeth sat next to Bruce who had headphones on listening to music, as she read a book Bruce had brought. It was something he had picked up during his travels, and it was interesting enough.

"Hey," Natasha greeted as she sat down. "Whatever you did, it worked." she refereed to Elizabeth who had managed to turn Bruce back.

Bruce's voice was low, "Just wasn't expecting the Code Green."

"If you hadn't been there, there would've been double the casualties. My best friend would've been a treasured memory."

"You know, sometimes exactly what I want to hear isn't exactly what I want to hear," Elizabeth rested her hand on Bruce's, rubbing it slightly, the same was she had Hulk, only less dramatic.

"How long before you trust me?" Natasha couldn't lie, she was envious of both Tony and Elizabeth. Bruce had trusted both of them almost right away. Not to mention, all of his time not spent alone, he spent with one of those two, if not both of them at the same time. He interacted with the rest of the team, but nowhere near the same levels.

"It's not you I don't trust," he admitted his voice slightly cracking as he thought about the one night he had Hulked out and almost attacked both Natasha and Elizabeth.

Natasha only smirked before turning around, "Thor, report on the Hulk?"

Elizabeth smiled as she watched Bruce bite his lip and look down. A huge part of her felt so happy for him. He had found a family, he had found friends, most importantly, he had found love and acceptance that he used to never have.

Thor wandered over to them, smiling, as Steve stood behind him watching silently, "The gates of Hell are filled with the screams of his victims."

Bruce faltered before sighing as he dropped his head into his hands, covering his face.

Immediately, Thor backed up. "Uh, but, not the screams of the dead, of course. No no, uh...wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and, and uh... and gout."

Tony was the next to speak, "Hey Banner, Dr. Cho's on her way in from Seoul, is it okay if she sets up in your lab?"

"Uh yeah, she knows her way around."

"Thanks."

Elizabeth watched silently as they all gathered around the scepter looking at it. "It feels good, yeah?" Tony spoke. "I mean, you've been after this thing since S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties but..."

"No," Thor admitted. "But this brings it to a close."

In typical fashion Steve directed the conversation to another point of it, "As soon as he find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?"

Elizabeth finally spoke up for the first time to the group, "He's capable of a lot of things."

"Banner, Tolen, and I'll give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you?" Thor simply nodded.

Steve turned around, continuing. "Elizabeth, what did they want with you? What all did you see there?" he drilled.

"They wanted me to figure out how it works," she inclined her head towards the scepter. "They thought I knew how to control it, and that maybe my necklace was the same thing. They wanted me to recreate it. Also they couldn't get to Tony or Bruce, so they decided to take me instead. And they had this energy force over the entire building, it blocked out my powers. Besides that, I didn't see much. I only was allowed to talk to Dr. List. Trust me, I tried talking to some soldiers and guards."

Steve nodded listening along intently. "That still leaves the question in the open. What else has he done?"