Beauty and The Beast ~ Hulk Love Story ((Book 2))

Chapter Eighteen

*Bruce's POV*

I met Tony at the door of the lab as he came in. "Anything on Aero?" I asked in a hopeful tone. Clint had informed us that Aero had gone missing during the mission. Natasha said that she saw Ultron grab Aero's foot just as the Cradle reached the QuinJet. I wracked my brain trying to find a reason he would want her.

"I hadn't heard anything..." Tony shook his head as he passed me. He headed straight for the Cradle that laid in the middle of the lab. "But She's alive or Ultron would be rubbing our faces in it," Tony said as if that would make me feel any better. That murder bot had Aero god knows where doing god knows what. I was well aware that Aero could take care of herself but it didn't stop me from worrying about her.

"This is sealed tight," I motioned to the Cradle. I needed to get my mind off Aero or I was just going to get myself more worked up. I moved closer to the Cradle to examine it. "We're gonna need to access the program, break it down within," I explained what I thought would be the best plan of action. Clint looked just as worried as I felt. Clint was like Aero's big brother, I could only imagine how Thor would feel if he was here.

"Any chance Aero might leave you a message, outside of the internet?" Tony asked turning to Clint. I moved over to the computer screen with the specks of the Cradle. I flipped through the information I had. "Old school spy stuff?" Tony was hopeful there would be a way to contact Aero without Ultron knowing.

"There are some nets I can cast," Clint nodded quickly as he turned to leave the lab. "I'll find her," He said confidently. He disappeared down the stairs. Tony stood there for a moment watching him go.

"I can work on tissue degeneration," I reclaimed Tony's attention to try and get a plan together for getting ride of this android body. "If you could fry whatever operational system Cho implanted." I messed with the panel on the Cradle.

"yeah... About that." Tony interrupted me. He was rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. I looked over to him quickly with confusion. I could practically read his mind. I shook my head 'no' as I was taking a step back. "You have to trust me," Tony eased. I told him that I 'kinda don't' trust him. "Our 'Ally', The guy protecting the military's nuclear codes," He started as he moved closer to me. I shook my head and adjusted my glasses on my face. "I found him," I made some hand movement I didn't quite catch out of the corner of my eye.

"Hello Dr. Banner," JARVIS's voice appeared from his glowing orange hologram form. I looked up quickly in surprise. The last time I knew, JARVIS was torn apart by Ultron.

"Ultron didn't go after JARVIS because he was angry," Tony informed me. "He attacked him because he was scared of what he can do." I took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of my nose. There was no way Tony was serious about this nonsense. I shook my head and moved away from Tony so I didn't get sucked into his crazy. "So JARVIS went underground. Scattered, dumped his memory. But not his protocols." Tony explained that JARVIS had been the one changing the codes on Ultron. "He didn't even know he was in there until I pieced him together." I let out a small scoff.

"So you want me to help you put JARVIS into this thing?" I motioned down to the 'thing' in front of me.

"No! of course not!" Tony objected. "I want to help you put JARVIS into this thing," Tony clarified that I would be the one putting JARVIS in it. I shook my head forcefully. "We're out of my field here," Tony tried to reason with me. "You know Bio-Organics better than Anyone."

"And you just assume that JARVIS's operational matrix can beat Ultron's?" I tried to get Tony to see the error in his thought process. Whos to say this wouldn't create a second murder bot we would have to deal with.

"JARVIS has been beating him from inside without even knowing it," Tony shot back. "This is the opportunity. We can create Ultron's perfect self." He moved around the Cradle to be closer to me. "Without the homicidal glitches he thinks are his winning personality," Tony snapped sarcastically. "We have to," JARVIS piped up that he agreed with Tony.

"I'm in a loop," I threw my hands up. "I'm caught in a time loop. This is exactly where it all went wrong," I tried to explain to him that this was probably the second worse idea he had ever come up with.

"I know. I know. I know what everyone's gonna say." Tony closed the gap between us. "But they're already saying it." As if that would make me more likely to help him. My mind jumped back to Aero. I shouldn't have helped him in the first place and Aero would be safe not in the clutches of the murder bot we created. "We're mad scientist," He slapped his hand down on my shoulder. "We're monster, buddy. We've gotta own it." Hearing Tony call us monsters made it harder to think of myself as anything less. "make a stand," He gave my shoulder a light squeeze. I dropped my gaze to the glowing blue liquid in the Cradle. I shook my head and tried to find a way to make him listen. "It's not a loop." He broke through my thoughts making me look back over at him. "Its the end of the line." Tony played the one card I couldn't deny. If we succeeded the world wouldn't need the Avengers anymore. I could disappear so no one could be harmed by the hulk again. My mind jumped to Aero. I could just see her living a normal life. Happy, with a family. She wouldn't be a monster for SHIELD anymore. I let out a sigh and agreed.