Book Two - Part One: Spectre

Chapter Seventeen

In a Favela Bar, there are lots of people drinking. Perfect. Bruce pulls Laurie through the crowd, the couple weaving through warm bodies. Bruce keeps tight hold of Laurie's hand, making sure they don't lose each other in the crowds. He pushes through to the back toward the kitchen. Bruce glances back to check on Laurie, checking on her, they share a look, both terrified but trying to hide it from the other, Bruce looks forward again, to run right into a colleague from work, a tough guy, not a nice guy, a bully, and his three tough guy pals. They are drunk and looking to fight and nobody better could have shown up right about now. No chit-chat...the guy curses and takes a wild swing, Laurie pulls Bruce back out of the way and grabs the tough guy's wrist, she strengthens her stance and yanks pulling him closer, releasing Bruce's hand she brings her own hand forward and up into the tough guy's face, straight into his nose with a sickening crunch, breaking the orifice. He doubles over to clutch his bleeding nose. She grabs Bruce's hand and uses a force field around them to nudge the tough guy's friends out of their way as she pulls him forward.

.............

Laurie stumbles through a back door, tripping over a trash can, Bruce's hold on her hand the only thing keeping her upright, he pulls her closer to him, keeping her tucked into his chest.

"I got you" he whispers trying to reassure her, she grabs his shirt and looks up at him, Bruce kisses her, quick, slow, loving, just something. He pulls back and looks up taking a breath, his eyes landing on their possible escape route. The bottling plant. He strokes her hair and then nods reaching down for her hand instead. "Okay, come on" he pulls her along towards the gates.

..............

The four 'tough' guys pound out the back of the bar and into the alley, they move along the side of the huge factory, hear the sound of a chain rattling. They hurry around the corner and see....a metal door entrance at the back of the factory, it's security chain hanging loose.

huge FACTORY, hear the SOUND OF A CHAIN RATTLING, come around the

corner and see... A metal door in the back of the factory, it's

security chain hanging too loose. They shush each other and the 'tough' leader directs two into the door to go after Laurie and Bruce, and pulls one with him around to the other side.

.....................

The soldiers are moving slower, lost their target. Hunting stealthy now. He can't be far. Checking doorways. Blonsky is up on the roof.....he sees a dark figure, the last of the Brazilian toughs, down below, slipping stealthily into the side of the factory.

"Target acquired"

....................

Inside the factory, Bruce watches the pulse monitor numbers, 103...102...101..slowing. He sets his head back against a wall. Laurie rests her ear over his heart, her eyes closed listening before she lifts her head, he looks down at her. She nudges his nose and he closes his eyes. 100...99..98. Calming with her. He presses his forehead to hers, his hands on the side of her neck, feeling her own pulse calm, helping his slow. There is a clank somewhere in the factory, Bruce jerks back and looks over her head, pulse rising again before they are moving. Creeping through the factory floor. Laurie stops him, listening. She hears the whispers of the drunk toughs, clumsily following them. They share a look before moving on again. A little faster this time. Weaving through the innards of the machinery...almost to the far side now. An Exit sign glowing dim green in the dark... Bruce moves to it. Pushes gently on the latch and opens it to slide out into...tough guy, smirking away. He shoves Bruce back with a loud laugh. Laurie turns to go back the other way but the other toughs have come up behind them, Bruce pulls her closer to him, trying to be protective...they are all around them, backing the pair up against a piece of machinery in the dark, Bruce clutches to Laurie's hand, he's sorry to have ever put her into the middle of this.

"Don't do this" Bruce pleads as his pulse monitor beeps away in warning....109...110...the 'tough' laugh at him. Their leader shoves at Bruce whilst another pulls Laurie away from him, she cries out a little as fingers grab at her hair. Bruce is shoved up against the massive machinery near the middle of the floor. The tough leader takes his backpack from him.

"What? I can't understand you. No fight?" He asks Bruce before turning to Laurie. "Not so tough now, huh?" The leader mocks her. "Try those fancy moves again. Come on, we all want to see" Her eyes shift to Bruce who looks absolutely terrified. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Laurie" Bruce warns a little. She feels a build-up of power inside of her, her usual force field power, but more....she clenches her fists, pushes her fingers into her palms and pushes a force field out and sends the 'tough' guys flying back away from them. Tough leader cries out as he is flung into a piece of machinery. Laurie groans a little and moves towards Bruce. She stumbles slightly and presses her hand to her head, she's never used her powers this much in one day. Bruce grabs her arm and holds her up.

.................

The commandos, coming through the locker and office area of the factory, hear the yell of pain and the laughter. Blonsky gives out a series of hand signals, and they split up.

..................

Bruce helps Laurie to move through the machinery, but she's becoming steady again. He watches her worried though. A muzzle peeks out of the darkness behind them, night vision scope finding Bruce's face, sighting on his neck. Then fires. Laurie stumbles causing Bruce to stumble with her. The dart hits the machinery in front of them, Bruce spins confused, scared. His pulse monitors goes havoc.180...200...He releases Laurie who leans against the machine and takes a breath. Bruce's skin ripples slightly.

"Bruce" Laurie whispers realizing what's about to happen. The commando that shot at Bruce watches warily.

"Is the target neutral? Did we get a shot?" his comms crackles. Bruce's groan turns into a horrible anguished sound...with it the sound of tearing and popping and cracking...Laurie's eyes widen as she pushes herself away from him, away from Bruce but straight into the arms of a commando, she screams as she is grabbed. This is a catalyst. Suddenly instead of Bruce, it's something huge and green and terrifying. A roar of rage, unlike anything, shakes the building. The roar fades... A strange beat of silence passes. A huge arm swings smacking away the commando that had fired the dart at them and then the hand plucks the commando behind Laurie off of his feet, Laurie falls with the momentum and scrambles backwards on her hands watching as the Commando who actually screams and then gurgles before simply going limp as though the life were literally squeezed out of him like a bug, he's dropped like a rag-doll. And then the figure moves closer to Laurie, she stares up at it. This is not her first meeting with him. But that was a long time ago. And she'd forgotten just how big he is. He holds out his hand towards her, softer, more friendly. She looks to his hand and then to his face, his eyes are watching her, waiting for her reaction. She takes a breath and reaches for his hand, wrapping her own around one of his fingers. He helps her up to her feet.

"Thank you" she whispers. He pulls her closer and she squeaks a little when he lifts her up, cradling her to his chest before he is moving between the machinery, smashing through it. The sounds of metal wrenching and huge percussive smashes. And somewhere in all the chaos, a button gets hit and all the belts and bottles start to move. Adding to the confusion and sound.