LOYALTY || T. ODINSON

✴ NINE ✴

Kalli lay on her back, the weight sucking the breath out of her lungs the longer she stayed under. Kalli looked over to Natasha to see the Russian coming round, but her movements were restricted much like Kalli. "Nat," Kalli gasped, catching Natasha's attention. "You good?"

Natasha's eyes widened when she spotted Kalli. Kalli had paled a lot, she was as white a bed sheet and the worried Natasha. "Kalli," she called back, "don't worry, I'll figure a way out."

Kalli chuckled lightly. "Focus on Banner, I've got it covered."

Natasha mentally questioned how Kalli could do something in her current state. Natasha turned her attention to Bruce, who lay a few metres away from the two assassins. "I'm okay," Natasha whispered to herself. "We're okay, right?"

Natasha looked around and she could no longer see Kalli Mitchell anywhere in sight. Natasha didn't blame her for leaving, Kalli had been taught to save herself and leave everyone to fend for themselves. Seemed like Kalli had listened to her upbringing. "Doctor," Natasha called out to Bruce, who seemed to be fighting his transformation into the Hulk. "Bruce, you gotta fight it, this is what Loki wants. We're going to be ok, listen to me." Two SHIELD agents began to approach Natasha, but she waved them off. Where's Kalli when you need her? Natasha thought to herself. She could really need Kalli. "We're gonna be okay, right? I swear on my life I will get you out of this, you will walk away and never-"

"Your life?" Bruce questioned, his voice changing with a bitter amusement and then into an animalistic growl.

Another explosion rocks the Helicarrier and Bruce looks towards Natasha, transforming just as the lights go out. "Bruce," Natasha pleaded.

Natasha felt the pressure being letter off her legs. Standing above her,the metal pipe in hand, was Kalli Mitchell. Natasha had never been so relieved to see her best friend. "Move," Kalli demanded. Natasha complied and wiggled free. Kalli dropped the pipe, the power of her strength rune fading, as Bruce, fully transformed into the Hulk, glared at the two women. "Run," Kalli demanded once again and the two women took off, running for their lives, with the Hulk on their tail.

"I thought you left me for dead!" Natasha yelled over the noise.

Kalli scoffed. "I'm cruel, but I'm not that cruel!"

Kalli rolled under a turbine, Natasha dashing after her, and crawled through the maze of pipes as quickly as possible. The Hulk sensed the two assassins and pulls them out from under the catwalk. Kalli and Natasha fell from the catwalk and they both scrambled to their feet, making a quick escape. The Hulk let out a roar of pure rage. Kalli felt her heart jump into her throat as she continued to push forward.

Natasha tripped over a piece of debris and called Kalli's name was she did. Kalli turned and helped Natasha to her feet, the two women continuing to run. Kalli stopped as the Helicarrier shook again from an explosion and turned behind her. "What are you doing?" Natasha asked. "We've got to get out of here."

Pulling her gun from her holster, Kalli aimed at a liquid nitrogen pipe. "Buying us some time," Kalli replied, firing her bullet at the pipe. The contents shot in the Hulk's face. Kalli grabbed Natasha's hand and the two women ran.

As the Hulk destroyed the pipe Kalli shot, Natasha and Kalli ran through the maze of corridors. Kalli found a long corridor and pulled Natasha to follow behind her. The Hulk was hot on their tail, no matter how fast they ran. The Hulk was tearing up the corridor as he tracked the two assassins down. Natasha turned round to see behind her and the Hulk slapped her aside, sending the redhead into the wall. Kalli stopped and congered her bracelet to turn into her whip. She cracked her whip, willing the metal to lash at the unknown danger before her. As Kalli willed her whip to wrap around the wrist of the Hulk, the Hulk roared in her face and pulled back, sending her flying in the air and crashing hard.