ATLAS • W. MAXIMOFF

5 - *Blood and Blows*

"You said you didn't want to hurt any of us, and I believe you. You're not just another threat and you're not a time bomb." Natasha vehemently spoke, looking back and forth between Banner and Ophelia with anxiety, "I know you're more scared of what you can do than any of us, but you've gotta trust in yourself."

"I could hurt you; I could kill you if I get it wrong." Ophelia fervently stressed.

"So, can he! Ophelia, you don't wanna hurt me. So, don't hurt me." Natasha's impassioned command had the street fighter take a deep breath to focus herself, stretching out her fingers before nodding at the Russian in acknowledgement.

"I won't hurt you." She murmured before reaching into the endless pool of power that existed inside her. Burning under her skin, eager to escape its confines.

"We're gonna be okay. Right?" Natasha addressed to Bruce, turning back to him, hoping that Ophelia would get her leg out, "I swear on my life I will get you out of this, you will walk away, and never-"

"Your life?" Banner's voice became modulated, layered with what Ophelia assumed was the voice of the Hulk, bitter rage consuming him as he began to transform. Ophelia took this as a sign to haul ass.

Carefully releasing the tight reigns, she allowed the smallest possible amount to be directed to her arms. Pain erupted through her body as she contained the immense energy, like trying to force a droplet from a surging waterfall.

She kept mumbling 'I won't hurt you' under her breath, a mantra to uphold.

"Bruce." Natasha whispered, terror overcoming her at the sight of a transforming Hulk.

Barely lighting up her gauntlets, Ophelia mentally pleaded at any higher being to let this work before gripping the pipes and pulling upwards. The pipes groaned dangerously in response to Ophelia lifting with all the strength she allowed. She sighed in relief when she created a big enough space for Natasha to finally jerk her leg free and scramble to her feet.

Just in time for Bruce to complete his transformation into the Hulk.

The muscle-bound juggernaut stumbles with his back to the two women, leaning on the cooling vent. The redhead leaped off the metal grate with Ophelia in tow, freezing as the Hulk took notice of them. His face shook with uncontrollable rage as Ophelia placed herself in front of Natasha, flicking her wrists to activate her gauntlets full form.

"Now might be a good time to run." Ophelia frantically hissed as the Hulk charged in their direction, the Russian quickly limping up the stairs.

When the Hulk drew back his fist to slam into the teenager, Ophelia's gauntlets ignited with lines of a burning dark orange, intense heatwaves rippling through the air. Her eyes bled dark red orange as she readied her own punch and met his fist with her own.

A shockwave of all-consuming heat exploded from the collision. The two powerhouses were sent flying in opposite directions. Hulk slamming through concrete walls. Ophelia crashing through the stairs Natasha just climbed, smashing through more pipes behind and landing on a different floor. The lower engine room was devastated by the blast. Parts of the floor had melted from the sheer heat, deep gorges filled with molten.

Ophelia severely miscalculated how much force to use.

Natasha was quick to spring upwards and grab onto the higher railing when she saw the Hulk and Ophelia collide, saving herself from the blast radius. She swiftly manoeuvred herself through the vents, crawling between pipes to try and make a bigger distance from the Hulk.

For a second Ophelia dared to hope that the blast was enough to down the beast. She pushed off the rubble that collapsed on her and caught her breath.