Who knew Hydra was resourceful enough to build a small space station orbiting the earth? They had managed to take it over, emptying it out but the self destruct had just been activated. Everyone was hurrying to get back to the rocket the Avengers had come up with.
But it was too late for Bruce, the doors had closed inbetween and the rocket was jettisoned from it's moorings before they could wait for him.
Bruce's heart sinks, watching the rocket starting to fall back towards the Earth. Even if he survived the blast, there wasn't any air out there. Not even the Hulk would survive reentry.
The radio was crackling and Bruce hurries over to answer it, trying to ignore the big red numbers flashing on the screen as it counts down. "Yes, hello, I'm here..."
Easter craziness over thank god... Just in time for angst :'(redinmyledgerApril 7 2012, 23:16:31 UTC
"Bruce." Natasha's regret is layered in the sound of his name, so many things fighting to be said because she knows there isn't time. There will never be time.
Her fingers scrape at the control deck, and she feels helpless. For the first time in a long time she feels well and truly helpless. Nothing they can do can save their teammate. Her friend.
She wanted to apologise, wanted to say it would be okay. It wouldn't be, and the word 'sorry' dies on her lips. "It should be me."
So Natasha's at the comm. The others must still be working on a way to save him. Maybe.
He gives a nervous laugh, looking across the control panel for anything he can use. "No, no, it's ok. Besides...if you were over here, all the guys would be too."
He takes a few slow breaths with his eyes closed before looking over at the window again. The Earth was getting much closer. "....so any recommendations from the others?"
"Depends on whether you consider Steve and Tony trying to punch each other out as coming up with a plan. It's all I can do not to shoot one of them." She tried to sound amused, but the truth was she really was close to leaving the comm just to put both men down. "Tony has something, but Steve thinks it's a suicidal move."
She cleared her throat, running her fingers through her hair. " And for the record, I never would have given them a chance to stay. Anything on your end, Bruce? Even some button we haven't tried. Some way to abort the..." Inevitable? The countdown? His death?
"No...no, the whole board is locked up. I could break it but..." Who knows what he might set off if he tries that. Not that it will matter, he'll be dead either way.
"Hey, look..." If this is going to be his last words, he'd better make them count. "I know it's all top secret, Shield and the Avengers but...can you tell Betty Ross what happened? Please?" He knows if Natasha says she will, it will get done.
"I'll tell her." She knew from Bruce's file about Betty, and the little he had told her. "I would have anyway. Someone needs to tell her."
"Bruce, it really was a pleasure working with you. Not just because if the Hulk. Even if I did scare you most of the time." This time she did smile before glancing over her shoulder to check on Tony. Thor was helping him into something, it looked like a different version of the Iron Man suit. "Describe the controls. Maybe I can figure out how to unlock them."
"Thank you." If he knows Betty is going to be alright, he can bear it.
He smiles quietly to himself at that admission. "Tasha, you're pretty enough to scare anyone." But she's been such a good friend to him. They all have.
Bruce looks up at the numbers counting down. 2 minutes and 34 seconds. "Don't think I have that long. The whole board is frozen anyway." He presses random buttons with no response.
"Nothing for it. I'll...see you guys later." Optimistic at best but he was going to have to change if he had any chance of surviving this. "Make sure you're far enough away."
"You're welcome." She was already trying to remember Betty's last known location.
Behind her was the unmistakable sound of Tony powering up the suit quickly followed up by cursing. "Bruce... Tony's coming. There is no safe distances right now." Or at least Tony would be coming if he didn't seem to be trying to literally get Steve to kick start him.
"And I'm not that scary. Really. Practically a marshmallow, I just don't want the other guys knowing it." She checked on Tony again before trying to catch a glimpse of the space station out of the window. "We are going to see each other again."
"What? NO. No, Tasha, don't let him." Bruce pounds a fist against the speaker. "All of you get as far away as you can, you don't realize how big of an explosion this is going to be."
He was down to less than a minute. "I'm sorry." Probably terrible last words, but its the best he's got right now.
There's a shuffling sound back and then familiar yelling and growling noises as Bruce starts to change.
And then the whole station goes up in a huge fireball.
It would have been easier if she had been at the controls, but instead all she could do was yell at Barton to get them out and scream at Thor and Steve to hold Tony back. The ship was still caught in the shockwave from the explosion and Natasha felt a gut-wrenching hole in her heart when she realized Bruce really was gone. That even as the Hulk he couldn't survive.
Terrible last words but she was never going to forget them.
debating whether to save him or not.... :) what do you think?smash_stuffApril 8 2012, 01:35:43 UTC
It's awhile before the debris field clears enough to see what's left of it. Somewhere in there is a motionless green monster, floating slowly, frozen in space.
A favour for a favour. He saved her once.redinmyledgerApril 8 2012, 01:42:21 UTC
Natasha couldn't hear at first. Whether it was shock or from knocking her head against the comms was up for debate. She was aware of Thor dragging her to her feet, checking her over but then slowly below the din of voices and scrambling to right the course of the ship she heard it.
The faint signal of Bruce's heartbeat. Or in this case the Hulk's. She fought to get back past Thor and ran to one of the portals. That was when she saw it and she was suddenly taking command. Barton was ordered to turn around, Tony was told to get his metal ass back to the blast door of the airlock.
They were getting Bruce. He was going to have a chance to tell Betty himself what he did. What he had done.
sounds fair! and very avengers....ish.smash_stuffApril 8 2012, 01:45:25 UTC
Everything's quiet in space. It's probably the quietest the Hulk has ever been, being out cold and close to death himself. But he was persistent, that innate sense of survival was somehow keeping him alive.
He was starting to drift lower and lower towards the earth, soon he would be entering the atmosphere. And then he would burn up along with the rest of the space junk.
Random rescues that make no sense are their specialty lolredinmyledgerApril 8 2012, 01:57:44 UTC
While Bruce's last moments may have lasted a lifetime even to Natasha, the rescue seemed to last seconds. Tony was out in space, shooting after the Hulk with rockets blazing. Steve was shoulder to shoulder with her as they watched out of the window and held their breaths.
And then with all their held, they were dragging the giant green mass into the cargo bay. Natasha placed her hands on his chest and was even tempted to climb up. Were they supposed to resuscitate him? Could they resuscitate him?
It was going to be a huge resuscitation problem. Lucky for them they have Thor and his hammer. He tells everyone to stand back, lifting Mjolnr overhead to bring it down on Hulk's chest with a crackle of electricity.
Nothing.
He does it again, unwilling to give up. Everyone feels like they're holding their breath.
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But it was too late for Bruce, the doors had closed inbetween and the rocket was jettisoned from it's moorings before they could wait for him.
Bruce's heart sinks, watching the rocket starting to fall back towards the Earth. Even if he survived the blast, there wasn't any air out there. Not even the Hulk would survive reentry.
The radio was crackling and Bruce hurries over to answer it, trying to ignore the big red numbers flashing on the screen as it counts down. "Yes, hello, I'm here..."
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Her fingers scrape at the control deck, and she feels helpless. For the first time in a long time she feels well and truly helpless. Nothing they can do can save their teammate. Her friend.
She wanted to apologise, wanted to say it would be okay. It wouldn't be, and the word 'sorry' dies on her lips. "It should be me."
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He gives a nervous laugh, looking across the control panel for anything he can use. "No, no, it's ok. Besides...if you were over here, all the guys would be too."
He takes a few slow breaths with his eyes closed before looking over at the window again. The Earth was getting much closer. "....so any recommendations from the others?"
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She cleared her throat, running her fingers through her hair. " And for the record, I never would have given them a chance to stay. Anything on your end, Bruce? Even some button we haven't tried. Some way to abort the..." Inevitable? The countdown? His death?
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"Hey, look..." If this is going to be his last words, he'd better make them count. "I know it's all top secret, Shield and the Avengers but...can you tell Betty Ross what happened? Please?" He knows if Natasha says she will, it will get done.
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"Bruce, it really was a pleasure working with you. Not just because if the Hulk. Even if I did scare you most of the time." This time she did smile before glancing over her shoulder to check on Tony. Thor was helping him into something, it looked like a different version of the Iron Man suit. "Describe the controls. Maybe I can figure out how to unlock them."
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He smiles quietly to himself at that admission. "Tasha, you're pretty enough to scare anyone." But she's been such a good friend to him. They all have.
Bruce looks up at the numbers counting down. 2 minutes and 34 seconds. "Don't think I have that long. The whole board is frozen anyway." He presses random buttons with no response.
"Nothing for it. I'll...see you guys later." Optimistic at best but he was going to have to change if he had any chance of surviving this. "Make sure you're far enough away."
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Behind her was the unmistakable sound of Tony powering up the suit quickly followed up by cursing. "Bruce... Tony's coming. There is no safe distances right now." Or at least Tony would be coming if he didn't seem to be trying to literally get Steve to kick start him.
"And I'm not that scary. Really. Practically a marshmallow, I just don't want the other guys knowing it." She checked on Tony again before trying to catch a glimpse of the space station out of the window. "We are going to see each other again."
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He was down to less than a minute. "I'm sorry." Probably terrible last words, but its the best he's got right now.
There's a shuffling sound back and then familiar yelling and growling noises as Bruce starts to change.
And then the whole station goes up in a huge fireball.
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Terrible last words but she was never going to forget them.
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The faint signal of Bruce's heartbeat. Or in this case the Hulk's. She fought to get back past Thor and ran to one of the portals. That was when she saw it and she was suddenly taking command. Barton was ordered to turn around, Tony was told to get his metal ass back to the blast door of the airlock.
They were getting Bruce. He was going to have a chance to tell Betty himself what he did. What he had done.
Reply
He was starting to drift lower and lower towards the earth, soon he would be entering the atmosphere. And then he would burn up along with the rest of the space junk.
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And then with all their held, they were dragging the giant green mass into the cargo bay. Natasha placed her hands on his chest and was even tempted to climb up. Were they supposed to resuscitate him? Could they resuscitate him?
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Nothing.
He does it again, unwilling to give up. Everyone feels like they're holding their breath.
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