After finishing the wedding, the guest went home to attend to their daily life.
The bride and the groom boarded the Avenger Jet, and set off for their honeymoon. Until the time came for Pepper to give birth, the husband and wife wanted to spend all of their time together without any care for the world.
Pepper knew it was impossible for them to finish their plan. One way or another, Tony would find ways to get back to work. However, she was glad that he at least made the effort to prioritise her.
Sitting on the queen sized bed on a resort in the middle of knowhere, Pepper saw Tony was watching the battle in space with his holographic watch.
"It started?" Pepper asked.
"Hmmm….what? Yeah it started. (sigh)" Tony was snapped out of his daze after she called him.
"It must be killing you not to get in the middle of that," Pepper said teasingly while hugging Tony's hand. She wanted to hug him from the back, but her stomach was in the way.
"I appreciate your concern, Peps. But I trust him." Tony smiled softly and picked Pepper up in a princess carry.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bride to ravage." Tony flashed a flirtatious smile and gently put Pepper on the bed.
"You know I'm only still in the wedding dress because of you right?" Pepper said with her hand on Tony's neck.
"Not for long." Tony replied.
And so, the long honeymoon of the two people – that they are hopeful to have, started.
Inside the Avenger tower, Barton, Natasha and Ayala were watching the battle on the big screen. Steve and Peggy were also watching the battle, but from the SHIELD's monitoring station.
Out of all those people there, Ayala was the most excited from the sight of the interstellar war.
"Should I learn how to drive a spaceship? Carol is a pilot. She could teach me right?" Ayala muttered underneath her breath while putting her finger on her chin.
Barton and Natasha ignored the youngster. Barton asked, "Why are you here? I thought you and Kai will spend some time together?"
Natasha replied with a stoic expression, "We did. For 5 minutes. Then, that bastard decided to go play without me."
Barton gulped after hearing the hostility in her voice and secretly sent a prayer to Kai.
Natasha kept watching the man in the Mandalorian armour that was fighting in space. His identity was unknown to others, but Natasha could guess who the man was after watching him for 5 seconds.
She tightened her fist, watching the entire battle with a new point of view. She thought about Yelena's offer to her while she was watching it.
'Learning to become stronger. I'm sure I can catch up, but it will take too much time. I need…something quicker. So that I could stand by his side and fight with him together without him thinking I am a burden.' Natasha thought.
The absolute favour that Ryan promised her flashed in her mind. But she kept the thought just for herself.
There were also some people who didn't watch the battle.
Thor was staggering home after drinking Ryan's precious collection – accompanied by the Hulk. That is, before Hulk ran away after stealing the wedding cake. He carried behind him a woman in a bridesmaid dress who was dead drunk from tasting the high level liquor.
"I told you Jane. Only people ....(slurring) Liiiiikesss me….could handle the drink..(Hiccup)" Thor slurred as he dragged Jane home. Even him who possessed the Aesir body, couldn't escape the intoxication that came after drinking Ryan's liquor collection.
"Hmm..I think…I still have the 1000 Years alcohol from the elves…" Thor said while slapping his cheeks slightly to prevent himself from falling asleep. He promised Ryan for a liquor exchange, and he was trying to remember his collection after arriving at his house on Midgard.
Suddenly, Heimdal – the All-seeing, contacted him after he laid Jane down on the bed of their house. They were living together while Thor was on Earth, and had been spending a magical time together.
"Thor. A battle is ongoing near Midgard. Invaders are trying to breach the domain of the nine-realms."
Thor had asked Heimdall for a favour after the chitauri invasion. To tell him about the potential enemy coming to Midgard. Heimdal accepted the request as Thor is his best friend. Unexpectedly, Thor replied, "I already know."
He laid down on the bed with Jane on his right side, and Mjolnir on his left side. Then, he said, " When he needs me, I'll be there."
Heimdal was a bit surprised. Thor noticed it and asked, "What?"
"It's unexpected. For you to not participate in the battle. You've changed Thor."
For the longest time in his life, Heimdal always thought that there are a lot of similarities between Thor and a bilgesnipe. Reckless, hot-headed and temperamental.
Thor smiled and brushed the hair on Jane's face lovingly. " If I didn't trust them, then, I am not worthy to stay among them."
After getting briefed by Ryan a few days ago, all of the Avengers were feeling the same way.
The stoic Hiemdal showed a rare smile, and cut off the connection to Thor to continue monitoring the battle. His sight was focused on the Mandalorian, the Arcadia pirate captain, and the man in a blue and black armour.
Through Heimdall power, the royal family of Asgard could see what he saw if he allowed them to. The King and the Queen were staying in the throne room at that time, with Frigga subtly begging Odin to ease the punishment on his son, Loki.
The Allfather, Odin Borson, knew about Thor's action. He smiled and continued sitting on his throne. To place their trust in their subordinate, that is the mark of a true king.
Although the human's weren't worthy to be led by the Asgardians, Thor had learned so much from the mortals, thought Odin. His only apprehension about his son's life on Earth was Thor and Jane's affection toward one another.
"Okay. Loki will be placed in a cell of his own, and he can read some books." Odin replied to Frigga's request. The Queen was so happy that she kissed Odin on the cheek before she almost jogged toward the prison area.
In the battle, it was the first time Odin laid eyes on Dawn Everstar, the God of life.
"Guard. Call Lady Sif here. I have a mission for her to complete."
"Yes, My King." The Asgardian guard replied and went to get the female warrior. Lady Sif came into the throne hall, and kneeled in front of Odin.
"Your mission is to find Dawn Everstar, and bring him to greet me in Asgard. He is a new god, so he might not know our way," Odin said with a gentle face but with a hidden hostility in his voice.
To be born in the nine-realms and not greet him, was an insult for his King of the Nine-realms honour. He was sure Dawn was born in his realms, as the mark of Yggdrasil was sensed on him.
'Perhaps, he is going to be the new keeper of the World Tree.' Odin thought secretly. 'To not greet me, maybe 100 years of attending to the World Tree is a light punishment for him.'
For the long race species such as the Asgardians and the other gods, 100 years wasn't a big deal for them. Until he knew for sure which pantheon does Dawn belong to, Odin couldn't help but have a bad preconception of him. And if he was a lone God, he wanted to make Dawn swear allegiance to him and Asgard, further expanding the Asgardians prowess.
He didn't realise it yet, when the moment came for Dawn to step his foot on Asgard, that is when Ragnarok would come.
Back on Earth, a crouching green hulking figure in a tuxedo was stuffing his face with a large cake. The cake has a 1 metre radius and is 30 centimetres thick. It has various flavours and was intended for 40 people to eat.
*munch munch* The slightly drunk Hulk kept eating without a care for the world. Then, he saw the sight of a green-skinned female person coming toward him.
"I finally caught up to you, Hulk." Jennifer Walter said.
"Go Away," Hulk said while swatting the air from his sitting position.
Hulk's dismissal greatly irked Jen. After transforming into the She-Hulk, she noticed that she became more temperamental. She had to keep herself in control just to make sure she won't hurt someone else.
So she decided to take Ryan's advice.
SMACK
Swinging her arm in full strength, Jen punched Hulk in the nose. The Hulk was knocked back from the impact, flung 20 metres away from his location before he realised what was happening.
Hulk wiped his nose, and noticed green blood was flowing from his nose. He gritted his teeth, but instead of fighting back, he decided to run away instead.
"Oh no you don't Mr." She-Hulk said and started to chase after the Hulk. After making some noise and minor distraction in the city, Hulk finally stopped running after 20 minutes. Jen huffed and wiped her sweat from chasing the Hulk. Although she received his blood, she wasn't as strong as Hulk was.
"Do you know…how hard is it for me?" Jen said while breathing heavily. Her breath quickly stabilised as her regeneration kicked in.
"The constant anger pricking in my mind. How I get annoyed at every single little thing. And you know the worst part is?"
Hulk was silently listening to everything Jen said. That's why he was running from Jen. He couldn't accept the fact that his loved one was implicated with the curse that had been gnawing at his soul.
"The worst part is, I couldn't even talk to you about it." Jen said. "The only person who could understand what I am going through, won't even speak to me."
"Jen." Hulk muttered. His legs desperately wanted to run away from there, wanting to escape the situation. Wanting to escape the fact that he had done something wrong. Whether it's turning Jen green, or running away from her after, Hulk knew he was the one at fault here.
As he knew he couldn't escape Jen any longer, Hulk slowly turned himself back to Banner. The tux he wore didn't shrink down with him, making him appear in oversized clothing.
"I'm sorry Jen." Banner said with extreme guilt gnawing at his heart. His chest felt tight, and he desperately tried to pull himself together.
"I wanted to talk to you. I really do. I had been standing outside your apartment every single day, but I couldn't find the guts to enter."
Banner approached Jen Walters who turned back into her normal self.
"Although Hulk and I are fine now, I have lived with the curse for almost a decade. Hulk felt the same way, and now, we have inflicted the curse on you. The Anger. The Rage. The Anxiousness. The thing is Jen. I have been trying to cure myself of the Hulk for so long."
"I know." Jen said.
"I have worked so hard…but…" Banner said.
"Bruce, let me stop you right there. During the chaos, I never expected that I, of all people, could do something about it. If you're asking me for forgiveness, then don't."
"Jen."
"I'm serious Bruce. I know what I am now. A Hulk. But for me, the Hulk was never a curse. He is a hero. And I am getting pretty angry that you keep saying that I am a curse. That you…are a curse. Stop blaming yourself Bruce. I am okay. A little green at some times, but I like it. I finally have the strength to protect myself without worrying mom, dad, or the rest of my family. " Jen said as she scrunched her nose.
Bruce knew that was her tick when she lied. However, he accepted what she said as the truth. Because what Jen really wanted wasn't an apology. She wanted her cousin back.
Bruce approached her, and hugged her tightly. Jen closed her eyes and placed her hand on her cousin's back.
{Flashback.}
"There might be a way. For you and the Hulk to split." Ryan said to Banner while they were inside his personal lab.
"What? Are you sure?" Banner asked with extreme agitation in his voice. The Hulk inside him was extremely excited when hearing Ryan's proclamation.
"Like I said. Might be." Ryan replied and took out a holographic screen. "I found a guy that could check the state of your soul and consciousness."
Banner widened his eyes, "Magic?"
"Magic is real, Banner."
"That wasn't what I meant. Will there be a price for dabbling in the magic path?" Banner asked. He saw what happened to Tarot where he disappeared into specks of light. And from what he learned from Thor, magic comes at a terrible price for a mortal to bear.
"Well, It's both magic and science. And like you said, there is a price." He zoomed into the screen, and it showed the scans of the Hulk's brain and Banner's brain.
"As you know, when you turn into the Hulk, you don't use your brain much."
"Hey. Hulk said he is offended."
Ryan brushed the statement off and continued. "It didn't mean he is stupid. When he tried, he could come up with a solution to a problem. After all, Hulk is you, and you are him."
"I could isolate the part of you inside of him, and placed it into another body. However, in doing so, Hulk growth will become completely stunted."
Banner nodded his head after hearing about it. He also instantly knew why Ryan said splitting him from the Hulk, instead of splitting the Hulk from him.
"The Gamma radiation huh." Banner muttered.
"Yes. For all of the plan to work, we need to isolate your DNA from the gamma radiation coursing inside of it. Alternatively, if we can find your DNA from before you turned into the Hulk , maybe the method will become easier. Have you ever…stroke yourself to a cup or keep the dried up sock you used in the bedroom before?" Ryan asked casually.
Banner coughed softly for a while. "I… don't think so."
"Too bad."
"What do you mean, Hulk's growth will become stunted?" Banner asked.
"Right now, Hulk has the intelligence of a 10th grader. Or a teenage boy for comparison. He will continue to grow with passing time, until he becomes…as smart as you are." Ryan replied.
"Splitting the part of his brain that contains his smart self, will make him regress back to a 7th grader. Not much of a change from what he is now, but he will continue to become like that until his death."
After thinking for a while and having an internal conversation with the Hulk, Banner comes to a decision.
"Let's do it. Let's split us up. Even though we're coexisting now, Hulk didn't like the part of him that is weak, and I don't like the part of me that is angry."
{Flashback end}
The conversation took place before Jen Walter became the She-Hulk. After the incident, Banner was so racked with guilt that he stopped himself from trying to split with the Hulk. Unlike him and the Hulk, Jen didn't have an alternate personality.
If the method worked, that means he alone would escape the curse, leaving Jen living her life in agony and difficulty. Jen didn't know about it, and Ryan didn't plan to help Banner either. This is a decision that he needed to make by himself.
…
(A/N: Remember what Hulk said during the trial of Jane Walter at the TVA?
Hulk : I am the Hulk. I am a curse on myself and humanity. But when I gave Jennifer my blood, I didn't just save the life of someone I love, I had a hand in creating a hero. And if you tell me that she isn't worthy of being called a hero, then you're going to make me angry. And believe me, you don't want to see me angry.)
Back to the harbour, Bruce and Jen released each other from their embrace. Bruce turned back into the Hulk, while Jen turned into the She-Hulk.
"Now, what should we do?" She-Hulk asked after feeling awkward from the hug.
"We should…get back to the tower." Hulk replied while staring at Jen's lip.
She noticed it and her heart started to beat quicker. Hulk and Jen slowly inches away toward one another. Then, they locked their lips together.
(4th wall break) SHE-HULK : HOLD UP!
The scene froze and She-Hulk walked toward the screen. "Who the hell decided to write the scene? A little piggy? The name suits him for writing stuff like this."
She punched the wall between reality, and walked toward the small house in Malaysia to meet the writer of the fanfic. After slamming the door to the writer's room wide open, She-Hulk grabbed the writer by his collar.
"What are you thinking?"
Writer: Errr…Incest is wincest?
She-Hulk shook his head violently. "Get your life back together. No SMUTS. You promised me."
The writer has stars in his eyes from the shaking. "Death by Snu-snu? This is a good way to die."
She-Hulk dropped him on his bed, and placed his hand on his keyboard. "If you don't change it, then don't blame me if death by Snu-snu really does happen. But no snu-snu, only the death part."
The writer gulped his saliva, and re-wrote the entire scene.
(A/N: Sorry, couldn't help myself from writing the scene break thing after watching She-Hulk's ending.
She-Hulk : What are you doing? Why are my clothes ripped in the next chapter? Change it!!
Writer: Arghhhh (screams in pain)
…
(Rewrite)
Back to the harbour, Bruce and Jen released each other from their embrace. Bruce turned back into the Hulk, while Jen turned into the She-Hulk.
"Now, what should we do?" She-Hulk asked after feeling awkward from the hug.
"We should…get back to the tower." Hulk replied while staring at Jen's lip. Jen stared at the reader for a while. After scaring the shit out of someone, Hulk broke the icy atmosphere by saying, "You…have you eaten the wedding cake yet?"
"I have not. Someone ran away with the cake before I got a bite."
"Let's go. I know where that 'someone' put the cake he stole."
After talking with Jen for a while, Bruce and Hulk felt like a burden had been lifted from his shoulder. He made a decision at that moment. Until he finds a cure for Jen, he wouldn't allow himself to be cured.
…
When Hulk and She-Hulk came back to the tower, they saw that Barton was popping a bottle of wine in celebration.
"We won. Earth won." Barton said happily while shoving a bottle of wine each to the newcomers. Natasha displayed a soft smile after watching the war end.
"What war?" Hulk asked in confusion.
"Outer space war. Where you're totally useless because you can't smash there." Ayala teased.
"I can smash ANYWHERE." Hulk roared. The group laughed and continued celebrating the event.
"Listen up. After this, the Skrull's on Earth will make their move. Ryan asked us to handle the ones who only wanted to live in peace politely, and even handle their immigration so that they could be a true citizen of Earth." Natasha said. Without Tony or Steve around, the burden of leadership fell on her shoulder.
"Steve had to handle a curious case of people suddenly getting power all over the world for now. He said it might have something to do with the Kree, but they haven't got any evidence yet." She continued her briefing.
"The chitauri virus that Kai predicted before is now coming true. But evidence shows that the virus was created artificially. Ayala and Barton will go and investigate it."
"Hulk, The radar shows a giant monster presence around Europe. You and Thor will go there to find the monster. Ryan said the monster is a dragon named Fin Fang Foom, but I think he is messing with us."
"Remember to always keep your communicator with you. If people want to resist the change Ryan is planning for, they will attack in this sensitive period. So it's better if we didn't stay in one place where we can become the target."
Like Ryan predicted, the impact of the United States producing Era defining weapons has been making some undercurrents in the world.
In Russia, the Kremlin was solemn after watching the sight of the interstellar battle.
"(in thick Russian accent) Russia couldn't fall behind in the progress. With the mining ships Mr. Knight proposed for the United Earth initiative, the progress of Russia will be leaps and bound. So Baron Zemo, can your team handle the mission and procure the technology like you said?"
The Kremlin was talking to a man in a purple mask using an encrypted channel.
"Sure. My Masters of Evil will surely help Russia and other countries in the world to get on the same foot as the United States, and not be bullied into submission." Baron Zemo replied.
In Wakanda, King T'chaka received a call from his son T'Challa who was in the United States at that time.
"T'Challa. Did you procure the designs for the warships?" T'Chaka asked urgently.
"Father. I didn't call you for that. I am calling you to once again ask you to consider opening up Wakanda to the world. We can do a lot of good in the world if we share our progress."
"T'Challa. Believe me. I want to open up our country. But the opposition inside the council prevents me from doing so."
"Stop with the excuses Father. We both know you can veto-ed all of the opposition. Do you know what Somalia had done after stabilising itself? The country has been helping our entire race, while we are hiding behind our veils like cowards."
"T'CHALLA!"
"I'm sorry father. But it's the truth. We pried Wakanda for being the most advanced nation in the world. But if we couldn't see that hiding our country when the world needs us at this time will bring more harm in the future than good, we might not stay the most advanced nation for too long. We will even become an enemy to the world."
T'Chaka thinks for a while before he lets out a deep sigh. "I know that Ryan Knight was vouched for by Bast, but could the world handle the change it is going to face? Or like many of the human history, we will try our hardest to fight the change until we destroy ourself?"
"Father. Your concern is true. However, in the upcoming war, we need to side with the winner. And the winner of civilization was always the one who kept making progress in its history."
After a while, King T'Chaka finally came to a decision. "Call the member of the council. It's time for us to pick a side."
(A/N: The next chapters will focus more on Dawn's adventure in the galaxy. Until the Fantastic four is rescued and brought home. Also, should Dawn call Odin his father-in-law now or later?)
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