For better or worse, I do not own any of the Avengers franchise.

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Talking: 'Avengers Assemble!'

Thinking: 'Where are the Avengers!?'

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Little breather from my main Avengers fic while I wait to watch season 2 of Marvel Agents of SHIELD. The following is based off of the comic storyline: Planet Hulk.

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The Black Queen

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On the world of Sakaar, a desolate world filled with barbarian tribes mixed with advanced alien technology that fell from the stars, and ruled by a corrupt empire, an uprising was reaching a crucial stage.

The soldiers of the Red King had gathered under the leadership of his most trusted servant, Caeira the Oldstrong. Opposing them was the instigator of the revolt, and most powerful warrior of the rebels: the Hulk, or Holku as others knew him. The saviour, or the destroyer.

Betrayed by his best friend and exiled into space, rage had led to a merger between meek Doctor Bruce Banner and the unstoppable Other Guy, who were both determined to never again be anyone's slave, to endure the torments they had suffered in the gladiator ring. With him stood his most trusted companions, his Warbound, aliens from various races and backgrounds, yet all united by their oaths and the blood that had been shed together. The Hulk saw them as dearer friends then the Avengers even, since he was accepted entirely as who he was.

Today was the day that the two champions of either side would fight.

Caeira paused, not wanting to start the battle that was to come, a part of her knowing how twisted and evil the Red King was becoming from his megalomania. 'No, he was always that way,' a part of her conceded, 'but that changes nothing, I know what my honour requires of me. Strange though that he has not relayed any last minute orders for me.'

Suddenly her ears picked up an unexpected pitch. Turning around, she saw an incoming vehicle fast approaching, with the passenger frantically waving a flag even as the driver swerved around obstacles in his haste to reach the faceoff between the two titans. Strangely, the vehicle stopped dead right between both armies and cried out for all to hear.

'The Red King is dead!'

Shock played out across everyone's faces, and they began to mutter in confusion. Doubt was present amongst the leaders of either side though. 'Impossible!' Caeira shouted, 'We would have received word!'

'Our new ruler's attack that killed the Red King disrupted all our communicators. She arrived on Sakaar shortly before you set out, and as soon as she recovered, she broke free from imprisonment and killed him and seized power. She's even taken control of the Death's Head Units!' he cried as he referred to the robotic elite guard of the royal family.

'She?'

'Yes! She's made no decrees as of yet, but her power is absolute. And the Black Queen is arriving soon. I was sent ahead to make sure fighting had not broken out!'

'The Black Queen?'

'Who could she be?'

'How did she do it?'

These and more questions played out across the field, yet the Indestructible Hulk felt a feeling of foreboding crawl up his spine.

In the distance, everyone could see a large transport approaching, and upon it was the exo-suit worn by their former monarch. It was painted black instead of gold now, and there was more personal protection in place for the user. Once the vehicle got near, the armour leapt off and strode forward past the royal army. Once it had passed them, it stopped and the occupant got out.

'So this is she?' Caiera wondered, 'The one who killed the man who has defined my life for so very long?' Truthfully, she did not know how she felt about it, both relieved and yet angered at how she had failed in her personal duty. 'But the Red King did not heed my warnings about Holku, and sent me away from his side to deal with him when the threat he posed could no longer be ignored. I couldn't protect my king because I was not there.'

The Oldstrong was about to speak to her new monarch, yet the words died in her throat. The Black Queen was small and frail looking, yet she radiated the aura of a menacing predator.

One with many limbs, talons, and venom.

'I think I'll just stand quietly over here,' the warrior woman uncharacteristically concluded, while gesturing to her likeminded subordinates to do the same.

Across at where the rebels were stationed, the Warbound could only look on in confusion at the small humanoid who angrily stalked towards them. No, they realized, towards a nervous Hulk.

Oh sure, he was trying to look defiant, but they knew him too well by this point.

They were also worrying about how this queen was approaching without a shred of fear for the being who had escaped slavery in the gladiator colosseum by virtue of killing everything that had ticked him off. And everything since. What gave her such confidence?

The suspense dragged on until she arrived before them, glaring up at the towering jade behemoth for a long moment, matching eyes with him, before giving a small nod, 'You're not just the Big Guy anymore, are you? You're both now, aren't you Bruce.' The fact that it was a statement and not a question drew confused glances from the Warbound. They all had a general idea of each other's past lives, yet they no longer mattered in the face of life they now shared together. Yet this woman seemed to imply she had a fundamental knowledge of their friend that they lacked.

'Don't say that name,' was the answering growl, 'puny, weak, Banner is gone.'

'Never. You are him, and I know that someone like him would never fade so easily.'

'Really, and what gives you such confidence, Black Widow?'

Pain seemed to sparkle in her eyes for a moment, before the Black Queen continued, 'Because I feel like I really got to know you, dork.'

The two just maintained their starring match, until they both suddenly broke out yelling at each other, her sharp voice cutting through the Hulk's angry roars as they vented at each other.

'—running away like that!'

'—down a cliff!'

'—you know— I did that!'

'Stark—!'

'I know what—get here!?'

'—you come—?'

'Why do you—!?'

'—elp for some other crisis—!'

'—I came here for you—!'

The spectators could only sit back and watch the shouting match, disbelief and a prevalent sense of surrealism dampening down their earlier urge to fight.

One of the Warbound, Korg, casually walked up to Caeira and stood beside her, 'So…want to make a wager on when they kiss?'

XXX

Earth

A few weeks later

Clint looked up from his live news footage on the TV towards Natasha, who had just calmly walked into the Barton house. 'You do know you aren't leaving until you explain how you ended up becoming a queen of an alien planet? And how long is Banner going to terrorize Stark for shooting him into space?' As if on cue, a shot of the Hulk smashing yet another one of the newest versions of the Hulkbuster played across the screen, with Caeira and Korg in the background as they knocked one of the Registered heroes around.

'Until he gets bored. As for the story, want to hear about it on the way back? We're reorganizing a kingdom, and we can always use another farmer.'

'…Uhm.'

'You get to help us write the new national anthem?'

'Deal!'

XXX

Far from my best work, yet another little idea in my head I just had to get out. And yes, the stand-off at the beginning differs a bunch from the comic storyline, yet that was just for convenience.

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