On the way to safe base

Bruce flew back to Earth from space, the wind roaring around him as he re-entered the atmosphere. His body glowed faintly from the heat of the descent. It didn't take him long to locate Blink and the others, a few kilometers away from where he had last seen them.

They were moving cautiously through the dense forest, Jennifer Walters, Logan, Storm, and Blink forming a protective ring around the injured. Cyclops was still unconscious, and Logan was supporting him with one arm while keeping his claws ready with the other. The others looked worse for wear but determined to make it to safety.

Bruce landed softly before them, his boots barely making any sound as he touched the ground. Logan instantly tensed, claws extended, but when he saw who it was, he grunted and lowered his guard.

"Blink, any progress with your portals?" Bruce asked.

Blink shook her head, her magenta skin reflecting the moonlight. "Something's still interfering. Even with those Sentinels destroyed, it's like... something's blocking me. I can only manage short-range jumps, but nothing that'll get us far enough. I can't keep this up for much longer."

Bruce's brow furrowed. "Strange. I thought Magneto's Sentinels were the cause."

"It doesn't seem like they were the only problem," Blink said, biting her lip.

Jennifer, standing a few feet away, glanced at Bruce. "Since you aren't an enemy, care to guard us to our base? We're sitting ducks like this. I'm pretty sure Magneto won't give up just like that."

Bruce met her gaze and nodded. "I'll cover you. Let's move quickly."

As they continued through the forest, Bruce stayed near Jennifer, his sharp senses on full alert for any threats. The wind rustled through the trees, and every snap of a branch had Logan's claws twitching. But Bruce's calm demeanor didn't waver. His senses were far superior to the others, giving him a clear idea of what was around them. He wasn't going to let anyone sneak up on them.

"So..." Jennifer said after a few moments of silence, casting a sideways glance at Bruce. "You took down those Sentinels pretty fast. How'd you do it?"

Bruce smirked slightly, his confidence radiating. "I ripped them apart, literally."

"So… I have to ask. How in the world did you take down those Sentinels?" Her tone was half curious, half impressed.

Bruce grinned at her, sensing the perfect opportunity to turn on the charm, just like he did in the past. Although he wanted to reveal his real identity, he decided not to because if he were to catch the one responsible for messing with his suit, he had to hide his identity for the time being.

"Well, it wasn't easy," he started, his voice deep and casual. "I had to deal with their constant adaptation, so, I hit them with power beyond their adaptation limit." He glanced down at her, his expression playful. "What, you didn't think I'd let a bunch of oversized toasters get the better of me, did you?"

Jennifer chuckled lightly and gave him a slight smile, "I saw what you could do when Logan attacked, but those sentinels were really tough. I could barely break through one of them and almost lost my arm... But the ones who came after us this time looked like a real challenge." She gazed up at him with interest.

Bruce smirked, leaning in slightly as he spoke in a lower, more conspiratorial tone. "Trust me, Jen. When it comes to handling tough situations, I'm good at thinking on my feet. You know, I could probably teach you a few tricks. Just need some one-on-one time."

Jennifer raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a sly smile. "Is that so? You think I need lessons from you?"

He grinned wider, sensing she was playing along. "Maybe not. But I wouldn't mind showing you a few things. Could be… educational."

She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Bet you say that to all the girls."

He shrugged, keeping up the banter. "Just the cute ones."

Jennifer rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. "Smooth talker... I bet you're used to getting your way with that mouth of yours."

"You have no idea what my mouth is capable of..." Bruce murmured, his tone low and suggestive.

She met his gaze, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh yeah? And what would that be?" She whispered.

"Oh my, aren't you the curious one? Here we are in a bad situation and you are thinking of what my mouth can do..." Bruce teased. Jennifer chuckled and nudged him playfully.

"You brought it up first," she pointed out.

"Yeah well... What can I say? You make me wanna show off..." Bruce said smoothly.

Jennifer shook her head again, chuckling to herself. "You're unbelievable..."

They continued walking, the tension of the forest momentarily eased by their banter. However, as they neared the outskirts of the base, Bruce's enhanced senses picked up something. His footsteps slowed, and his eyes narrowed.

"Wait," he said quietly, holding up a hand to stop the group.

Logan sniffed the air, his claws extending, "Smells gunpowder... Mutants!"

"Seems like that," Bruce replied, his voice low. "Armed. About 300 meters out. They're waiting for something—or someone."

"Could it be Magneto's ground force?" Jennifer asked.

Clink! Before anyone could react, Bruce caught a bullet between his fingers, just an inch from Jennifer's forehead. If he was a second late, that bullet would have done its job. "Take cover!" He yelled as he pushed Jennifer behind a boulder. He didn't see any sniper when he was scanning. It must be a mutant with invisibility that can entirely erase any trace of himself/herself including scent and sound.

Logan growled, his claws extending as he stepped forward to attack. Bruce quickly grabbed him by the shoulder and stopped him, his grip tight.

"Stop head-butting without thinking. Look at this bullet," Bruce said as he showed Logan the bullet that he caught earlier.

Logan inspected the bullet carefully before narrowing his eyes. There was a little needle attached to the tip, designed to inject the serum inside it upon impact. He took a sniff. "This is...! The cure!"

"Exactly. Stay hidden, unless you don't mind getting cured. I'll handle them," Bruce said before rushing forward and appearing in the middle of the camp in the blink of an eye.

There were thirty armed men and women surrounding the perimeter. Upon Bruce's sudden appearance, they immediately opened fire, unleashing a barrage of bullets. However, it was futile. Bruce's body was already covered in a thick layer of armor plating, making it impossible for the bullets to penetrate his skin. Even without the armor, his body was bulletproof, so it was pointless for them to try.

"Enough!" Bruce's voice boomed as he unleashed a blast of lightning at the attackers, instantly shattering their weapons and zapping some of them unconscious. The others cowered in fear, but Bruce ignored them and instead focused on the invisible sniper who had shot at Jennifer earlier. His X-ray vision allowed him to track the sniper, and with a simple burst of speed, he appeared right in front of him.

The sniper cried out in surprise as Bruce grabbed him by the vest and lifted him up off the ground. He flew up high enough and then looked into the sniper's eyes, "If I let you go from this distance, you will die. Even if you through some luck manage to survive, you'll be in a pretty bad state for life... Broken limbs, bones, spine... Well, not a good way to live, is it? So, tell me, who sent you?"

The sniper trembled, his voice shaky as he replied, "No one. We are the Shield. Or whatever is left of us."

Bruce let the guy go. The sniper fell to the ground with a huge thud as his neck broke upon impact, "Motherfucking liar. Shield my ass." He flew down and hovered over the camp. Since everyone knew who Jennifer or Wolverine was, there was no way that a Shield agent wouldn't recognize them at a single glance, yet he took the shot.

"One more lie and I'm gonna kill you all. So, who are you people and why did you attack us?" He asked calmly.

"We're called the Purifiers!" One of the men shouted. "We'll purify this world of demons like you!"

Bruce scoffed. "Purifier, my ass. Stryker died years ago. Who's pulling the strings behind the curtains?"

"Fuck you!" The man spat.

Bruce used his Heat Vision. Two red beams of energy pierced through the guy's head who just cursed at him. The smell of burning flesh permeated the air. "Next."

"You'll pay for this!" Another one of them cried out.

He used his Heat Vision again. The beam went through the man's skull and burned him from inside out. His scream died down before he collapsed on the ground. "Last chance," Bruce said emotionlessly.

"Brothers and sisters, this is it. Our salvation. Let's all go out in the blaze of glory and at least get rid of this freak," One woman stepped forward as she took off her jacket, revealing a bomb strapped to her chest. The rest followed her suit, revealing bombs strapped to their body.

"Suicide vests? How cute. Go on, blow yourselves us and save me the trouble, yeah?" Bruce mocked.

The woman smiled eerily at him. "God blesses us," She said before pressing the trigger.

[Booom!]

Bruce snorted as the explosion enveloped him, but other than being surrounded by a cloud of smoke, it did nothing to him. He landed in front of the woman's charred corpse, shaking his head in disappointment.

"So dramatic, honestly..." He said as he went back to Jennifer and the others.

"Custists?" Storm asked.

Bruce shook his head. "They called themselves Purifiers."

Logan snarled. "Purifiers... They have been a pain in my ass for ages."

"Anyway, let's go..."

No one talked about Bruce killing those cultists, they just didn't dare to...

They resumed their journey to the base, Jennifer looking at Bruce with a complicated gaze. She wondered how powerful Bruce was and if he could take down Magneto. She glanced at his face, admiring his chiseled features and strong jawline.

He smiled at her, "Like what you see? I'm flattered."

Jennifer rolled her eyes at him, but she couldn't hide the blush that crept onto her cheeks. "You wish..."

Bruce smirked. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"I doubt that..." Jennifer muttered. Her past memories flashed before her eyes. Tony also said the same things to her and made her fall for him, but now... She wondered why Bruce sounded like Tony, yet looked so different. She shook her head and brushed off her thoughts. She needed to focus on the mission right now.

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