[Hill looks at the situation displayed on the screen: "If we lose another engine, we're done for! Someone has to go out and fix the engine!"]
[After hearing Hill's words, Nick Fury immediately thought of Tony: "Stark, did you hear that?"]
[Tony's voice crackled through the comms as he surveyed the damage from inside: "Yeah, I'm on it. How long do we have?"]
[Hill's voice was tense as she monitored the engine readings: "At current rate of descent, maybe ten minutes before we hit the water."]
["I'll go fix it!" Tony knew the situation was urgent and said it without hesitation.]
[Nick Fury then gave the order: "Coulson, open the defense blockade of the closed area! Then go to the armory!"]
[Coulson's fingers flew over his tablet: "Copy that, sir. Unlocking sector seven through twelve. Armory access granted."]
[After saying that, Fury called out to Black Widow again: "Romanoff!"]
[But at this time, Black Widow's legs were being held down by the debris. She tried to pull it out but failed. She had no choice but to lie on the ground and simply responded to Nick Fury: "We're okay!"]
[The twisted metal beam had her pinned, and every attempt to free herself only seemed to wedge it tighter. Sparks from damaged electrical systems rained down around them, illuminating Banner's increasingly distressed face.]
[Just then, Banner, who had fallen down with her, began to struggle. His breathing became labored, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Natasha looked at him and had a bad feeling: "Dr. Banner? Bruce, look at me."]
["Is everyone okay?" she called out, though her voice carried an edge of growing concern as she watched Banner's hands begin to tremble.]
"Oh! That's terrible!" Tony from the viewing dimension frowned as he watched the scene unfold.
Then he looked at Banner's astral form floating nearby: "He's still not integrated, is he?"
"No! Hulk is very angry! He refuses to communicate, and Banner is still trying to negotiate with him." Wanda shook her head, gesturing toward the soul manifestation that was split into two distinct halves from the torso up, revealing the separate faces of Banner and Hulk - one worried and intellectual, the other furious and primal.
Obviously, Hulk was still brooding over Banner's previous suicide attempt, and it seemed that reconciliation would not be achieved in the short term.
"Damn, there's nothing we can do to help him. He has to work this out himself!" Scott shrugged helplessly.
Then he looked up at the screen: "I think I know why this helicarrier was brought down. Hulk's about to emerge. Natasha's going to be in serious trouble!"
"She'll survive, but she's going to go through hell first!" Captain America shook his head grimly. Natasha didn't have the blessing of Thor's hammer or any supernatural protection. Facing the enraged Hulk, her only option would be to run and pray she could stay ahead of him.
[The fighter plane Barton was piloting took advantage of the chaos to land on the flight deck, and the fully armed Hydra operatives inside began to disembark under Barton's leadership.]
[Barton's eyes were cold and focused, the blue glow of Loki's control evident in his gaze: "Remember, we have two objectives: prevent engine repairs and secure the prisoner. No witnesses."]
[Barton was intimately familiar with this ship's layout from his years of service. He easily identified the weak points in the hull's defensive systems and led his team into the main corridors from the flight deck.]
["Split up. Team Alpha, sabotage any repair efforts on engine three. Team Beta, with me - we're heading to secure the cage." Barton's voice was mechanically precise as he directed the militants to their various targets.]
[The Hydra operatives moved with military efficiency, their weapons ready and their mission clear under Loki's mental influence.]
[At the same time, Captain America and Tony quickly made their way to the armory where the Mark VI armor was stored. The ship's tilting made navigation treacherous, with both men having to brace themselves against bulkheads as they moved.]
[Since it would take precious time for Tony to suit up in his armor, the two heroes had to split up to cover more ground efficiently.]
[Before they parted, Tony grabbed Rogers' shoulder: "Engine number three! Meet me there as soon as you can!" Then he rushed into his designated equipment room, pulling out his phone and activating the biometric scanner. The sealed cabinet door hissed open with a pneumatic sound, revealing the gleaming Mark VI armor waiting inside.]
[The red and gold suit seemed to beckon to him as emergency lighting cast dramatic shadows across its surface.]
[Meanwhile, at Natasha's location, Banner's internal struggle was becoming more intense and visible. His breathing had become ragged, and his skin was beginning to take on a faint greenish tinge.]
[The debris that had fallen during the explosion created an almost claustrophobic space around them, and Banner's growing agitation made the confined area feel even more dangerous.]
["Doc! Bruce, you have to fight this! Don't let Loki win!" Natasha's voice carried both authority and desperation as she continued trying to free her trapped legs.]
["We're going to get through this, but I need you to stay with me. Stay human!"]
[Just as Natasha tried to keep Banner calm and focused, two SHIELD maintenance staff members came running over after hearing the commotion and the sounds of destruction: "Agent Romanoff! What's the situation here? Do you need medical assistance?"]
[Natasha immediately raised her hand in a sharp gesture, her training kicking in: "Get back! Clear this area now! Code Green protocol - evacuate this section immediately!"]
[Seeing the urgency in her voice and noticing Banner's condition, the two technicians immediately turned and ran toward the nearest emergency exit, their footsteps echoing down the corridor.]
[After they left, Natasha turned her full attention back to Banner, her voice taking on a more gentle, almost hypnotic quality: "Bruce, listen to me. We're going to be fine. I promise you that. I guarantee it with my life! I'll get us both out of here, and you can disappear again. Go somewhere remote, somewhere peaceful..."]
[But before she could finish her carefully chosen words, Banner suddenly whipped around to face her, his eyes now definitely showing flecks of green, and yelled with a voice that was becoming deeper and more guttural: "Your life?!!"]
[The question came out as more of a roar than human speech, and Natasha could see that Banner was losing the internal battle.]
[Immediately afterward, Banner's entire body began to undergo the terrifying transformation. His skin turned a deep emerald green, his chest and shoulder muscles began to swell dramatically, and his shirt was torn apart by his rapidly expanding frame. His pants began to strain against his growing legs, but Banner was still desperately trying to force Hulk back into dormancy, his face contorted in agony as he fought against his own nature.]
[The veins in his neck bulged as he strained against the transformation, his human consciousness making one last desperate attempt to maintain control.]
[Natasha seized this brief opportunity to wrench her legs free from the debris. At this crucial moment, the creature that had been Banner turned his massive head toward her. When Natasha saw the complete transformation in his eyes - the last traces of Banner's intelligence replaced by Hulk's primal rage - she whispered almost inaudibly: "Bruce..."]
[But Bruce Banner was gone.]
[The next second, what remained of Hulk's clothing was completely shredded and fell away from his now-enormous green form. Hulk stumbled forward, still adjusting to his size, and casually bumped into a metal storage container beside him. The impact left a crater-sized dent in the reinforced steel, demonstrating the incredible power now unleashed aboard the helicarrier.]
[As Hulk released a bone-shaking roar that reverberated through the ship's hull, it confirmed that the monster had finally taken complete control. Natasha had finally managed to pull her legs free and immediately got to her feet, her eyes never leaving the massive green figure before her.]
[Hulk turned and noticed her standing behind him. His small, rage-filled eyes focused on her with predatory intensity. Seeing that Hulk had spotted her and recognizing the immediate threat, Natasha spun around and sprinted toward the emergency stairwell, her training telling her that distance was her only hope for survival.]
[Hulk pursued her without hesitation, his massive footsteps causing the metal deck plating to buckle with each thunderous step.]
[She had barely made it up half a dozen steps when Hulk's incredible speed allowed him to close the distance. Seeing the enormous green hand reaching for her, Black Widow immediately grabbed the overhead railing and used her momentum to swing herself up into the narrow maintenance corridor above. The next second, Hulk's fist completely demolished the staircase, sending twisted metal crashing to the deck below.]
[Hulk looked up at her through the metal grating of the corridor floor and, with casual violence, began tearing away the iron mesh barriers that separated them. Fortunately, Natasha's reflexes and training served her well - she grabbed another overhead pipe just as the flooring gave way, swinging herself clear of Hulk's grasp like a gymnast.]
[She landed on the opposite walkway and immediately began crawling through the low-clearance maintenance tunnels, using the ship's infrastructure to her advantage as she tried to stay ahead of Hulk's relentless pursuit.]
[The confined spaces that would slow down the massive Hulk were her only tactical advantage in this deadly game of cat and mouse.]
[Down in the detention level, Loki sat in his glass prison, and when he heard Hulk's thunderous roars echoing through the ship's ventilation system, he raised his head with obvious satisfaction. The corners of his mouth curved upward in a pleased smile, and his eyes gleamed with malicious triumph.]
[Everything was proceeding exactly according to his plan. The Avengers were tearing themselves apart from within, just as he had intended.]
[Up on the bridge, Nick Fury burst through the command center doors, his coat billowing behind him as he shouted orders to his crew: "Get this bird back to heading one-eight-zero! Turn us south! Get us back to the surface, now!"]
[The command center was in barely controlled chaos, with warning lights flashing red and alarm klaxons blaring as the massive ship continued its dangerous descent.]
["We're flying blind, sir! Navigation systems are completely offline! We're recalibrating, but it's going to take time we don't have!"]
[After hearing the report from his navigation officer, Nick Fury felt his patience snap. His voice carried the authority of a man who had commanded through countless crises: "Is the sun up?"]
["Yes, sir!"]
[Fury couldn't believe he was having to spell out basic navigation to trained SHIELD personnel, and his voice rose to a near-shout: "Then use the damn sun to find our heading! Get us above the waterline! If we lose another engine, this ship becomes the world's largest submarine!"]
[The urgency in his voice galvanized the bridge crew into more focused action as they worked to manually orient the massive helicarrier.]
[At the location of Engine Number Three, Captain America finally arrived at the massive breach in the ship's hull caused by the explosion. The wind whipped through the gap, and far below, the ocean waited. He positioned himself at the edge and called out over the howling air: "Stark! I'm in position!"]
["Good! I can see you!" Tony's voice came through clearly as he flew up in his sleek Mark VI armor, the repulsors keeping him steady in the turbulent air currents. He began immediately scanning the damaged engine with his suit's diagnostic systems.]
["The superconducting cooling system is completely fried. I need to clear these debris fragments before I can even attempt repairs," Tony muttered to himself as his HUD displayed the extent of the damage.]
[He turned toward Captain America and called out over the wind: "Cap! I need you to get to that engine control panel and tell me which systems are showing overload warnings!"]
[Captain America looked in the direction Tony was pointing and spotted the control station positioned precariously on a platform that was partially torn away from the main structure. Without hesitation, he took a running leap and used his enhanced strength and agility to land safely on the damaged platform.]
[Meanwhile, Tony began the delicate process of clearing away the twisted metal and debris that was blocking access to the engine's critical components.]
["How's it looking over there?" Tony called out as he used his suit's strength to move a massive piece of wreckage.]
[Captain America opened the control panel, revealing a complex array of circuit boards, wiring, and indicator lights. Many of the status lights were flashing red, and some circuits were sparking intermittently. He shook his head as he surveyed the damage: "It looks like a bomb went off in here, Tony! Half these systems are showing critical failures!"]
[Tony's voice carried a note of dry humor despite the desperate situation: "Well, that's a very technical assessment, Cap! Any chance you can be more specific about which specific systems are in the red?"]
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