DC
Marvel
The Newest Marvel
*** HULK DEADLINE: 23:14:34 ***
Jean watched the green behemoth jump away from the Xavier Mansion almost all but wrecking it. All around her was the entire X-family, from the original five, which included her, to the latest Paragons which included Wolverines' daughter.
"You alright Jean?" Psylocke came up to, the Asian beauty was looking haggard, her sword were broken but it wasn't anything she couldn't fix.
"I'm fine," Jean told her friend and teammate. The Hulk had been so angry, his sheer will power was able to defeat her astral form. That one single powerful overriding emotion acted as a shield from all telepathic attacks. Which left them with nothing but physical ones to fall back and… and it was all but useless.
Colossus metal arms were warped through sheer brute force. Despite Logan adamantium skeleton, the Hulk blows all but destroyed his brains. It would take him a while to recover from that even with a healing factor. Even their one time enemy, the Juggernaut, was defeated, the man who once stood toe to toe with the Hulk!
If it wasn't for Mercury, one of the students, who appealed to Hulk, they might have all been defeated and the Professor dragged off. Jean gazed at the tired broken man that was her mentor. Never had he looked more old in her eyes.
For a moment she had wanted to called Clark, but, he should not have to pay for the Professor mistake. Jean knew Clark would readily help but what could he do that all available X-Men couldn't?
"Someone should probably tell Tony what the Hulk did here," Scott, aka, Cyclops spoke up even as he clutched his ribs. Broken in battle with Banner.
"He'd need all the info he can get, that and luck."
Jean exhale a bit painfully before going over to the Professor to comfort him.
*** HULK DEADLINE: 08:13:32 ***
The world watched as the clock ticked down with breathless anticipation. Over the skyline of New York the Hulk spaceship continued its silences, as if honoring the Hulks words. It was a weird feeling for many people of the world. Somme were genuinely horrified what could happen to one of the world premier city. Many other treated this as a sporting event. Stadiums all over the world were sold out for people interested in what was going to happen when the clock hit zero. Everyone knew that there was about to be a major battle between Earth's Mightiest Heroes and their former ally. Vegas was even letting people place bets on the outcome of the fight. The odd part was there were people even cheering for the Hulk as if cheering for their favorite team. Hulk paraphernalia sold out all over the United States almost instantly.
*** HULK DEADLINE 00:05: 23 ***
Clark sat in his parents home, a bowl of popcorn in shared between them, watched as the newscaster was standing in New York Time square clock where it had the timer of Hulk's ultimatum slowly counting down. The evacuation of five million people in twenty three hours were truly impressive.
"Do you really think he's going to do it Clark?" Jane Kent, Clark's mother asked worriedly looking at the timer.
"It's possible," Clark had a feeling that the Avengers had planned how to defeat the Hulk already. Now to see if it worked.
"But then again the Hulk might just be bluffing."
Clark took out his smart phone and texted Jean, the phone lines had been down for most of the day, but he was sure if something happened she'd contact him telepathically. It wasn't until a few minutes ago that phone service returned in his area.
Clark: Are you watching this?
Jean: Yes, we are safe. Are you still in Boston?
Clark: Yep. Watching with my folks.
Jean: A bit swamp with work, call you later okay?
She then proceeded to text him some emoji of hearts and kisses which made him laughed out loud.
"Oh, time's almost up," Marcus Kent made his family aware. Clark saw the timer was at the one minute mark and began it's final descent.
"I can't believe that Iron Man's still going after the unregistered heroes with everything going on."
Clark smiled at his father, his parents went from Pro-Registration to Anti- Registration when he revealed his secret, almost instantly. He found that funny on multiple levels, just as funny as Tony Stark "generous" offer. Full amnesty for any unregistered heroes if they help with the Hulk but only if they promised to registered after it was over. Which mean that they'll still be arrested for not registering.
"Oh dear it's starting," Jane Kent said as the clock slowly counted down. The camera crews both on the ground and the sky had a split screen one pointing at Tony Stark in a very large suit of armor along with a group of Superheroes that was from both camps. The second angle was at the Hulk spaceship.
00:00:05
00:00:04
00:00:03
00:00:02
00:00:01
00:00:00
Right on time, a hatched open and a large giant green figured emerged. Iron Man was already flying toward the Hulk. The setting sun in the sky made the scene seem all the more poignant. The Hulk wordlessly jump down to meet Tony. The sound they made when they collide with each other created a lot of feed back noise making his parents winced.
"This is Tony Stark. Iron Man, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. And Yes, I fired the Hulk into Space. So if you need to blame someone for his return...blame ME."
"What in the world?" Marcus muttered as Tony Stark continued his diction while battling the Hulk fiercely above New York skyscrapers.
"But everything I've done.. everything I'll do today.. Everything I'll ever do… I do to protect this world."
"That man need to shut up and pay attention to his fight!" Jane Kent shook her heard as Tony continued his speech. It was a good one, Clark admit, heck he found himself even rooting for Tony to put the Hulk down as they traded vicious blows all across an empty New York city.
"I WILL protect you, no matter what it takes."
On the television as if to emphasis his point, Iron Man struck the Hulk with a blow so powerful it sent smashes through several blocks worth of building. A loud whooping caught Clark's attention as he looked out the window and saw some of the neighbors were actually barbecuing while watching the fight.
"Because I've just injected the Hulk with nanobots. They're designed to suppress his powers. But there's no guarantee they'll keep him down for long."
"Son of a gun, he did it!" Marcus exclaimed as the Hulk seem to be slow to get up. The nanobots must have played havoc on Banner's body.
"So by the authority by the United States Government and by S.H.I.E.L.D … and because I know my friend Bruce Banner would want it this way… I take responsibility."
The camera panned out to let them see a squadron of F-35's firing misses toward the Hulk setting the area in flames instantly. Clark was willing to be those were not your average missile yield judging by it's explosions.
"YOU KILLED HER!"
The bestial roar of the Hulk was heard loud and clear through the television. The fire died down to revealed a very pissed of giant green monster. A second later the Hulk was on Iron Man. Clark could only describe the brutality that the Hulk was inflicting on Iron Man was very simiular's to Doomsday when he was in a frenzy. Then the Hulk threw Iron Man with his busted up armored suit into Avengers Tower.
"Goodness!" Jane said as she covered her mouth witnessing such sickening violence.
The camera was able to pan away from the tower where explosions could be seen. Whatever fighting was going on, it was tearing apart the tower as Sentry watchtower and Stark's building imploded and crumbled.
There was silence as the news anchor that had been talking during the fight went silent. The camera zoomed in slowly trying to pierce the veil of dust that was clouding their vision. A moment later they got their answer on who was the victor.
"RAAAAGHHHHHHHHHH!"
Clark had to correct his assessment, even Doomsday was not this monstrous. The Hulk was now standing over the broken remains of Iron Man, his armor parts were scattered everywhere and there did not seem to be any movement. Was he dead or alive, no one would tell. Clark saw the Avengers surrounded the Hulk before the Hulk was reinforced by his alien friends.
She-Hulk, the well known cousin of Bruce Banner, tried to reason with the Hulk Clark surmised. After all, no one seem to be throwing any punches. He even spotted Carol, who were in charge of the Mighty Avengers. Unfortunately for them, negotiation broke down, as She-Hulk and the Hulk started to trade blows.
Actually, no, that would be too generous to call it that, it was a massacred as the Avengers were scattered by the Hulk. It was pretty soon clear that the Avengers both Mighty and Secret were outmatched by Hulk and his allies. Thankfully a new group entered the fray.
"It's the Fantastic Four!" Marcus cheered, this time he was firmly rooting against the Hulk. "Oh wait, there more, that's Black Panther and… isn't that the mutant Storm?"
"Oh don't you work with her son?" His mother asked but her eyes were not torn away form the screen for a second as the Hulk engaged the Fantastic Four.
"I see her from time to time," Clark winced at how the human torch was defeated, not even that concentrated burst of fire energy could do anything to the Hulk except cause more property damage.
From there the battle ended pretty quickly even with the Thing jumping into to battle the Hulk one on one. Reed tried to do something with some large flashlight looking thing but it didn't work as Hulk simply beat him so hard he couldn't even maintain his shape. Clark and his parents could only watch in silence even as Hulk and his allies dragged the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and the rulers of Wakanda through the street as if they were predators that just killed preys.
Clark hands balled up as he looked at his watch.
"Clark?" Clark looked up to see his mother looking at him. "Surely you're not thinking of going there? Look at what he's done so far!"
"Mom!" Clark hurried up to placate his mother. "I was just thinking is all, beside there are still more people to battle. Why the Sentry hasn't even shown up yet."
Jane, seeing her son wasn't about to go suicide, let out a sigh of relief. She turned back to the television to see the continuing coverage of the Hulk onslaught. And then the army showed up and began a campaign of pure military force against the Hulk.
But like the rest, the military too failed. After all how could they do what the other superheroes could not?
And just like that, the coverage was over. On the screen the reporters marked down confirmed captured heroes. After a while the coverage team got news that all military actions have been completely circumvented the Hulk. The Hulks forces appeared to be doing something with Madison Square Garden. The camera stayed on large arena until they saw something odd happened.
There appeared to be another battle inside the arena. The camera men tried to focus on it but it wasn't until it was over as dawn broke that they all saw who it was. Dr. Steven Strange, the Dr. Fate of this Earth Clark mused.
Clark was pretty surprised by how long Dr. Strange lasted but with that it did seem that Hulk now had all the people that wronged him captive. So what happens to the other heroes? What happened to Carol? As if in response to his thoughts all of the camera feed cut out. Instead a new broadcast took over their channel.
The first thing that he saw was an attractive purple female alien face who was dressed like a warrior. The second thing however made his blood boil. Carol appeared to be imprisoned somehow. All of the captured heroes wore some sort of weird energy disc attached to their chest.
The alien woman denounced Earth heroes once more, mainly Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Dr. Strange and BlackBolt. They put heavy emphasis on those four, but then what happened next surprised both Clark and his parents. Testimony were given against the four, testimony by regular civilians.
"Goodness..." Jane Kent breathe as she began to sympathized with the people who were affected by the other four actions.
Clark thought it would have been the end of it after the testimonies. After the guilty verdict. After everything that had transpired, deep down he still believe Hulk was a hero. No one was killed after all, he gave ample time for people to leave. Even when he unleashed some weird alien creature on the Illuminati, Clark had faith that the Hulk would stop it before too long but he was wrong. So very, very wrong.
Hulk might not have killed them with his own hands but he was forcing them to kill each other. The moment he stood up his mother had every intention of stopping him. However, Clark could not let this continue, someone might actually end up dying. So with an apologetic look to his mother, Clark took off his watch and flew toward New York.
*** Madison Square Garden ***
"Ugh, can any of you guys move at all?" Carol asked the captured heroes next to her. She had been trying to struggled against the obedience disc but every time she thought about escape she would receive an intense amount of pain through her body. Whatever it was it was nothing like an electrical shock. Those she can handle, this thing set her nerves on fire.
Much to her frustration all of them were still immobilized. Out of everyone Ares appeared to be having the hardest time being obedient, so he was the one probably suffering the most. Other than the four in the ring trying to kill one another.
"Nnnghh, if only I can-" Carol struggled a bit more but paid for it. Then something caught her attention above them even as Reed and Tony were fighting for their lives.
"What the… Look up in the sky..."
"Is it a bird?" Spider-Man quipped, his humor intact even while in pain. Before he too looked at where Carol was looking at.
"A plane? No wait-I recognized that guy! It's-!"
*** The World ***
One moment the world watched in horror as the Hulk had forced the greatest minds and leaders of the world to battle each other to the death. The next they were stopped as a new figured enter the Arena. In quick succession, the new figured fired some kind of beams from his hand defeating many form Hulk forces before he turned and faced the Hulk himself.
In a suit of armor that was humanoid in shape but bigger than that of Iron Man's, stood a person with a stylized S-shield symbol on his chest.
For a certain telepath at the Xavier Institute she recognized her lover and began to make her way to the blackbird to get to NYC.
For certain heroes, both registered and unregistered, it was a hero that they had been searching for, one to join their cause the other to apprehend for breaking the law. Both side could not believe that at the 11th hour, it was not the Sentry but a low level hero that dare to try and challenge the Hulk.
And finally, for one man in particular, one very special man with a severe case of agoraphobia. The arrival of this hero gave him a reason to stay back inside his home. Robert Reynolds aka the Sentry had just been able to psyched himself up to go outside and save the world but someone, had beat him to it. All of the courage he built fled in relief, it did not matter that this hero might not be powerful. In Robert's mind, the burden was now off his shoulders.
To Be Continued...