Chapter 15: Target: Stark Tower
Bruce, Fury, and Jennifer exited the war room. They walked down the narrow corridor. The facility had clearly seen better days, probably once a SHIELD outpost before being repurposed for this underground resistance effort.
"You'll find something to eat down in the mess hall. It isn't much," Fury said, with a tired look.
"I'll take what I can get," Bruce replied, nodding. He wasn't picky.
The mess hall was no more than a small, cramped room, with low-voltage overhead lights. A few soldiers and engineers were sitting around, quietly eating and exchanging worried glances. The air felt heavy with tension and exhaustion, but they kept to themselves as Bruce and Jennifer entered.
"Here," Jennifer said, reaching into a cabinet and pulling out two cans of preserved food—beans and something resembling meat. "Not the most glamorous meal."
Bruce chuckled softly as he sat at a small metal table. "I've had worse."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, opening their cans and eating quietly. Bruce had become used to less-than-ideal meals during his years as Batman, and he could tell Jennifer was used to it too. This wasn't the life of luxury anymore. It was survival.
While Bruce noticed Jennifer rubbing her left arm, which was wrapped in a makeshift bandage, she winced slightly, trying to adjust her posture.
"So, that arm of yours... As far as I know, you have regeneration powers, no?" He said between his munches.
Jennifer sighed. "Yeah. But it's not working anymore. Remember when I said about taking down a sentinel? Well, its beam did this, and ever since, my body's been resisting regenerative powers and preventing my full transformation. I can barely transform my right arm. Haaa... Just what I need right now when we're short-handed... By the way, how do you know so much about us, me? Did the snap mess up your existence or something?" She asked.
"Yeah, something like that, but a little complicated. I'll tell you when the time is right, maybe even ask for your help after this war is over," Bruce smiled before eating his canned food. Jennifer narrowed her eyes before nodding, pondering to herself about what it meant.
"With your absurd power of yours, you think I could be of any help to you? Maybe if you need an attorney I can help you out," she said with a slight smirk on her face.
"Oh, that too..." He smirked.
"That too?" She raised her eyebrow and asked, "What else then?"
"Something little private, can't reveal it yet, 'fraid."
"How private it is?" she said, emphasizing the P as she moved closer to him, pressing her hand against the table and looking him straight in the eyes. "I might keep a secret." Her words were accompanied by an insinuating, yet coy smile as she stared deep into Bruce's eyes. For some reason, she felt a weird familiarity with how he talked. But she couldn't pinpoint what exactly she thought she was familiar with.
Bruce too leaned forward as well. There were only a couple of inches between them, close enough that he could smell the faintest trace of the canned beans she was eating. "Well, Ms. Walters, I doubt we are that close to revealing secrets now, are we? So, let's take our time, shall we? Besides, that arm of yours needs some fixing. Mind if I lend you a hand?"
"You can fix it?" She said without pulling away and kept examining his expressions and the way he smiled and talked.
Jennifer was observing everything with a bit of eagerness, but as quickly as those weird feelings came, they went away. She didn't know why she felt a connection, an urge to touch him, maybe it was the effect of living under the threat of extinction or something, and she just wanted something to feel. The only man she ever loved and spent a night together was no more and she was too stubborn to let him go even after all these years and didn't look for another mate.
'Dang it! The way he speaks... No, no, no... Not possible. I'm just being paranoid,' She thought as she quickly withdrew back into her seat and tried to hide the blush on her cheeks.
"Yup! There are micro nanites in your body, eating away the gamma radiation your body is giving off, the moment I saw you, I've already figured it out. I was about to say that, but a certain someone decided to punch me in the face," Bruce teased her a bit as he noticed the slight, yet tiny changes in her expression.
"I'm sorry. It was just a reflex," Jennifer mumbled a reply before she crossed her arms.
"Huh?! Did I just hear an apology?" He smirked.
"Tch! So what! It isn't every day that I apologize!"
"Aww. Fine, apology accepted."
"So, you gonna fix my arm or not?" She pointed.
"Yep. But it's gonna hurt like a bitch," Bruce replied.
"We'll see!" Jennifer glared back, challenging him.
"Trust me, you'll feel as if thousands of ants ripping off your flesh apart little by little," Bruce grinned while staring her right in the eye.
"You are kidding, right?" Her right eye twitched a bit.
"Am I?" He chuckled as he put his right palm on her wound.
The healing nanites flowed from his body to hers through direct contact. Instantly, the nanites began to attack the foreign nanites that were eating away her gamma radiation. It was not an easy battle as she felt like ripping her skin out and scratching the wound while screaming her lungs out. She endured the pain, knowing that he was not kidding when he mentioned how it would have been like, enduring the torture and waiting for him to finish.
Jennifer endured the pain. This much pain to gain back her power... It was a chance to fight back. She witnessed enough deaths, and compared to that pain this was not that much of an ordeal. Her sweat was dropping like a bucket and her pores were pouring off a waterfall. She couldn't help but grip the steel desk firmly. Bruce extended his other hand to her. She instantly took it without hesitation and gripped it tightly...
"You are doing great. I can't even imagine just how much pain you suffered..." Bruce told Jennifer reassuringly. His voice was very sincere and caring, although for some strange reason, that calmed Jennifer as if he knew exactly what she was feeling. The pain gradually subsided as she could feel her body coming back to life.
Her left arm began to regenerate as Bruce's nanites did the job. He slowly retracted the nanites.
"Hahaha!" Jennifer laughed as she stood up. The pain was gone and she felt that old energy within her come back again. She transformed her both arms as Bruce watched her with great interest and admiration.
"Feeling alright, Jolly Green?" Bruce said with a smile.
"What did you just call me?" She transformed her arms back to her normal form before asking. There was only one man who used to call her that. It was Tony Stark. He used to call her that when they were in private and liked to tease her sometimes, saying how she should give a new meaning to being jolly as she didn't have the fat for it.
"Um. Do you not like it?" Bruce looked at her quizzically.
"No... No... It's just that... Nevermind," She slumped back on the chair with a bitter smile.
"Well, I'm done eating and healing you. So, it's time to go out and find Harley," Bruce stood up and stretched his arms.
[Outside]
Bruce activated his invisible mode and flew up into the sky. He took a good look around the base, making sure there wasn't anyone dangerous or sneaking around. "Everything seems quiet."
Using his wrist device, he deployed several small, advanced sensors. These micro-sized gadgets flew out from his suit, dispersing across the perimeter and embedding themselves in inconspicuous spots—between rocks, inside cracks in walls, and even on the base's outer structure. Their function was simple: detect any intrusions or unusual movements and report back directly to him. If the enemy sent another wave of Sentinels or other adversaries, Bruce would know before they even got close.
After that, he flew away...
There was still one last thing he needed to check before heading to that island to find Harley... Stark Tower.
The map Fury gave him, he has already synchronized with his system. With Jarvis still inactive, his suit's mapping and scouting functions weren't fully operational, which required Bruce to finish the rest manually. That shouldn't be a problem. With that done, he flew at supersonic speed toward the Stark Tower.
'I hope you are doing well, Pepper..."
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