Shades of Green: Heart of the Monster
Chapter Four
Mysterious Phenomenons
SHIELD Helicarrier
The Control Room
Nick Fury stood silent, watching the screen with his one good eye as he awaited the arrival of several of Earth's greatest heroes. Those individuals that Fury intended to converse with were Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, T'Challa and Hank Pym. It would be a discussion that involved certain highly classified matters that SHIELD has been plagued with in the last couple of months, problems that could only be solved by these men. He only hoped that they would be up for the task. The fate of the entire world could depend on their success.
Suddenly, a man with short brown hair, dressed in a stylish black and white tuxedo approached Nick Fury. He stopped several feet from where Fury stood, removing a pair of dark sunglasses that hid his green-blue eyes. The name of this agent was Phil Coulson, one of the best SHIELD had to offer and one of Fury's most trusted and closest allies.
"Director Fury, your guests have arrived.", Agent Coulson informed.
"Good. Send them in.", Fury replied evenly, turning around to briefly lock eyes with the SHIELD agent.
"Right away, sir.", Phil Coulson complied, walking away to go and retrieve the visitors that Fury himself requested to be here at this particular point in time.
Within moments, Phil Coulson returned with the heroes Reed Richards, Tony Stark, T'Challa, Hank Pym and Steve Rogers in tow. The five individuals seated themselves around the large, circular, metallic, tech-infused table as they awaited for Nick Fury to make the first move in this gathering. Turning and walking away from the numerous screens that were on display before him, Director Fury slowly advances towards the table in which the gathered men were seated.
"Gentlemen.", Fury greeted.
"Fury.", The five heroes replied in unison, indifferent for the most part in regards to the leader of SHIELD.
"I'm thankful that all of you could make it here, considering your busy schedules as of late.", Nick Fury stated, easing into the conversation.
"If you don't mind, Nick, can we cut to the chase? Why are we here? No, wait! Let me guess. You want us to join SHIELD? You want to manipulate us in some way to do your dirty work? You want us to clean up a mess you and your agents made? Or do you want us to deal with a threat to the entire planet? Am I getting warm, Fury? I know I'm close.", Tony Stark interjected, his attitude as smug, arrogant and over-confident as usual.
"That's enough, Tony.", Steve Rogers stated, his voice as stern as one might expect in this kind of situation.
"Yeah, give it a rest.", Hank Pym groaned.
"Yes, let the man speak.", Reed Richards, a sigh of exasperation leaving him as he tried to get comfortable.
"Agreed. This could be a matter of great importance.", T'Challa, his tone serious as a threat from the Hulk.
"Okay, chill out, guys. Just having some fun. That's all.", Tony replied, relaxing back into his seat.
"For the past six to eight months, numerous villains have been escaping from their prisons, many of which were designed by Stark, Richards, Pym and T'Challa. Most of them have been recaptured, either by our SHIELD forces or by heroes. However, there is still a dozen or so that have vanished off the radar completely. But that's not our only concern. One of our biggest concerns is not that the villains escaped... but the method in which they escaped in the first place.", Nick Fury began, taking his time in explaining the mysterious events that transpired.
"Say that again?", Tony remarks, arching an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?", T'Challa inquired, his gaze fixed on the leader of SHIELD.
"Are you telling us that you don't even know how they could've escaped?!", Hank exclaimed, his voice rising in volume.
"Wait a second, everyone. I think we all need to let Fury explain himself.", Steve declared, his words somewhat easing the tension that was growing with each passing moment.
"Yes, please do explain.", Reed encouraged, completely agreeing with Captain America.
Nick Fury seemed hesitant at first, but he knew that he must tell them. The fate of the entire world could very well depend on it. And despite the mistrust and animosity that he had with some of Earth's heroes, Fury would put aside these minor grievances if it meant the world and all the people on it would be spared needless death and destruction.
"All of the villains that escaped, all of the prisons that were designed to contain them, all have one thing in common. All the villains that escaped... vanished within a blink of an eye.", Nick Fury said, his expression deadly serious despite his voice being devoid of any emotion.
"What?!", Tony nearly shouted in outrage, slamming his hands on the table.
"Impossible!", Reed and Hank exclaimed in unison, neither willing to believe what they've heard from the Director of SHIELD.
"This cannot be!", T'Challa growled lowly, his hands tightly clenching into fists as they rested on the metallic table.
It wasn't possible! There's no way that any of the villains, regardless of their power or how many of them there were when they made their escape, could have left their prisons without leaving a trace. It's completely impossible! There must have been something SHIELD missed, a sign or evidence that would reveal how the villains escaped their imprisonment. Silence prevailed for a few seconds until Nick Fury decided to continue further with the conversation.
"You heard me, gentlemen. No alarms, no break-ins, no grand escapes. Nothing. One moment the villains were contained within their holding cells... and then the next second later... they disappeared completely. We reviewed all the footage, questioned every single SHIELD agent, and searched every square inch of the prisons right down to the tiniest crevice. We found nothing, not the slightest trace of anything. It's as if someone or something stopped time itself, freed the villains from their imprisonment, and simply vanished into thin air with them!", Fury said in proclamation before finally taking a seat at the table, reaching up to massage the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ease the frustration.
It was that last sentence that caught the gathered heroes attention, their minds beginning to contemplate on who could be capable of succeeding. There was many villains who could achieve the feat of entering the prison unnoticed and freeing its occupants numerous times without leaving a single trace. Villains of mystical nature and those with advanced technology were the prime suspects. However, that did little to help solve this case or who committed it in the first place.
"Do you think Kang is involved?", Hank inquired to his heroic peers.
"No, it isn't Kang. It couldn't be. These are not his methods. We're dealing somebody or something else entirely.", T'Challa responds, certain in the fact that the time-traveling villain wasn't responsible.
"Then who could it be? I mean, I don't know if you noticed but our list of enemies is very, very, very long. And out of them all, Kang should be at the top of the list.", Tony argued, stating the obvious when it comes to their foes.
"That's enough, everyone. Let's face the facts. We don't know who it could be, nor do we know where to begin speculating. But the more important question is: Why are they freeing villains, allowing some of them to be noticed and recaptured, while leaving a few dozen villains unaccounted for? Why are they doing this? Are they doing this to distract us from something bigger? Are they planning to attack us? That's what I want to know!", Steve Rogers stated quite clearly, getting an immediate response from the leader of SHIELD.
"You may be right, Captain. As if our situation wasn't dire enough, one of our SHIELD Helicarriers has also disappeared without so much as a trace.", Nick Fury informed in reply.
"You've got to be kidding me! How do you lose something the size of the Empire State Building?!", Tony shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Calm down, Tony.", Reed ordered in a stern yet calm tone of voice.
"What do you need, sir?", Steve asks, locking eyes with one-eyed soldier.
"As much as I hate to admit it, I need your help. That's why I summoned all of you here today. Villains have been mysteriously escaping from their prisons; A SHIELD Helicarrier equiped with a arsenal of weaponry, codes to launch nuclear weapons from several locations around the world and other top-secret files has gone missing. If they, whoever or whatever they might be, manage to unlock those codes... we could be looking at a global nuclear war! I can't do this alone. But if we work together on this, we might be able to solve this problem. So... what do you say, gentlemen?", Fury responded, resting his hands atop the steel table as he awaited a response.
It was at that instant that the heroic individuals otherwise known to the world as Captain America, Black Panther, Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man and Ant-Man exchanged glances. They knew what could be at stake. The world could be in great peril, and with that in mind the five beings came to a decision.
"We'll help you, but not for the sake of SHIELD. The world and the people who live on it are our responsibility to protect. If we can stop this threat and save lives, that's all that matters.", Steve Rogers answered, his tone informing all within the area that he wouldn't be forced against the decision that he and his comrades made.
"Very well. I accept your terms, gentlemen.", Nick Fury agreed with a slight nod.
"Then let's get started.", Reed Richards stated, reaching in his pocket to retrieve a device he designed to assist him in such a crisis.
It was their world. And they all would have to work together to protect it. Unfortunately, time would not be on their side in the events that were destined to pass.
The Lair of the Bi-Beast
Location: Unknown
The monstrous Bi-Beast stood in silence, working on the technology that the alien Troyjans had willingly bestowed to him for his plans. A creature of high intellect and a deep understanding of tech, the Bi-Beast enjoyed the challenge of discovering and manipulating the advanced alien tech. All that he created from the Troyjan technology, all the incredible devices and mechanisms, were tested and perfected until they reached his level of perfection. It would soon be time to begin his onslaught. He would bring the world and its heroes to their knees... and finally have revenge on the being who destroyed his island fortress!
"Troyjan technology is truly extraordinary, isn't it, Skull-Brother?", Bi-Beast's upper skull-face whispered.
"Yes, Skull-Brother, it is. Far more advanced than primitive human technology. It will certainly increase the chances of success in the demise of our enemy and the conquest of the planet.", Bi-Beast's lower skull-face replied.
The Bi-Beast was disturbed from his thoughts and his workings by the approach of those villains whom he succeeded in forming alliances with after a certain Dark Sorceress rescued them for their imprisonment. It wasn't difficult to persuade them into an alliance, for all of the villains held a grudge against the Hulk and the Avengers. But it was because of that one particular reason, their shared animosity towards the Hulk, that Bi-Beast had chosen them. It was the Hulk, the savage gamma-charged titan, who was responsible for the events that transpired in their lives and connected them to each other.
Amongst those villains were the U-Foes, old enemies of the Hulk that were once normal human beings that were transformed by cosmic rays, consisting of the telekinetic energy powerhouse leader Vector, the toxic mist beauty Vapor, the energy being X-Ray and the organic metal-fleshed brute Ironclad. But these foes were just the tip of the iceberg. For soon came a large, bald-headed man wearing a white tank-top and a pair of black pants with large boots who was known as Carl Crusher Creel, better known as the villainous Absorbing Man.
It did not end there. Out of the shadows marched a monstrous man-beast, his entire form encased in gray armor that made up his animal-based design. His name is Alex O'Hirn, but once he obtained an indestructible suit of armor he became known as the Rhino which wasn't difficult to figure out as the two massive horns atop his skull gleamed like two thick curving scythes. The next sinister being to make his presence known was truly a hulking freak of nature, a thick metal collar resting around his neck while only a pair of torn green pants covered his reddish-brown flesh. A large scar marked the left side of his face, trailing down his forehead to pass his lips and stop at his chin. His eyes, like his namesake, were filled with chaos and madness, for he is Phillip Sterns, the Madman!
Those who appear next are of the female variety, each a powerful villainess in their own right. The larger of the two, easily standing an impressive seven feet from head-to-toe, was wearing a violet suit with silver spikes adorning her shoulders and forearms. She wore a purple mask that matched her attire, her long flowing strawberry-blonde hair flowing down her back. She was a deadly femme fatale of an Amazonian titan, one who held a very personal grudge against a certain Jade Giantess named Jennifer Walters. Her name is Mary MacPherran, but she now answers to the name of Titania!
The other villainess was close to six feet in height, her lithe physique capable of deceiving most individuals who would be completely unaware of how truly formidable she truly is, with long flowing golden hair and dazzling blue eyes. Wearing a white and yellow suit, one that nicely displayed her various curves and assets, she too wore a white mask that appeared similar to that of Ms. Marvel's own. In fact, in overall appearance, she seemed very similar to the heroic Carol Danvers. She was once a psychologist named Dr. Karla Sofen, but once she found an alien stone of power she became the beautiful yet deadly Moonstone!
The last villain to step out of the shadows was a gruesome man-brute wearing a suit made up of mostly dark emerald with a few bits of pale ivory that remained mostly covered except for the cufflinks on his wrists. The man-brute's eyes, much like his shaggy mid-length black as death hair, was wild in a sense that it gave an insight to the man-monster's most primal and savage psyche. Once an ingenious scientist, Dr. Calvin Zabo created a serum in a attempt to unlock humankind's greatest potential from the darkest depths of their souls... and the results of such an experiment transformed him into a murdering monster known as Mr. Hyde!
"Come on, you stubborn bastard! Get over here before I cut your ugly head off and shove it up your backside!", Mr. Hyde snarled, pulling on a long chain made of adamantium, tightly grasping it with his massive hands before giving it a mighty tug.
It was then that an animalistic roar bellowed forth, a roar belonging to the fierce beast of mythical legend. A metal collar in which the adamantium chain was connected remained secure around its neck, keeping the creature under control until it was needed for battle. The monster had long, snow-white shaggy hair that covered its entire body with a mane like that of a lion, complete with a long prehensile tail and bloody red eyes that seemed capable of staring into your soul. Razor sharp claws capable of slicing flesh and steel alike adorned the creature's five human-like digits, while its powerful anthropoid-like jaws contained teeth like that of a tiger. This savage beast, who has an voracious appetite for human flesh, is known to the Native Americans as the Wendigo!
"WEEENNNNNNNNDIIIIIGGGOOOOOOOO!", The Wendigo roared, struggling against the collar and chain around its neck, lashing out at some of the mechanisms that the Bi-Beast had finished working on.
"Be careful with those mechanisms, you fools!", Bi-Beast's upper and lower skulls snarled in unison.
"Don't get yourself excited, two-face. We didn't damage any of the junk!", Absorbing Man growled, picking up some of the mechanical pillars that the Wendigo knocked over.
"Why are you so concerned about a few lousy gadgets, anyway?", Rhino grunted, placing some of the pillars on the floor.
"Those pillars are essential to our plans, you imbecile!", Bi-Beast's upper skull-face exclaimed.
"Oh, yes. Your plans. Plans that you have yet to reveal to us. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't like to be kept in the dark.", Vector retorts, narrowing his eyes at the two-faced behemoth who continued working on the remaining devices.
"Neither do I.", Moonstone added in response, clearly on edge along with the rest of the villains.
"I'm with them.", Titania remarked, reluctantly agreeing with the other villains.
"Patience, my fellow fiends. All will be revealed in due time.", Bi-Beast reassured his allies, not even bothering to glance back at the gathered villains.
"Bah! Ever since that witch busted us out we've being doin' nothing but sitting around! I'm sick of lying around like some mongrel pup waiting for some bits of scraps! I could be off to London or France having myself a good time. Eating, killing, drinking, raping. All the best life has to offer. What more could anyone want?!", Mr. Hyde bellowed, irritated with the whole situation.
"Darkness and light. Madness and sanity. I like a little bit of both. Makes life all the more interesting.", Madman said to himself, a twisted smile etched on his features.
"WENNNNDIIIIIGOOOO!", The beast howled before beginning to gnaw on the adamantium chain once again.
"Not too bloody bright, are ya, beasty? HA HA HA HA!", Mr. Hyde chuckled in amusement.
"You're all a bunch of insane psychopaths.", Moonstone deadpanned, her arms remaining crossed over her ample chest.
"We all have are little problems, love.", Mr. Hyde whispered, leaning his face closer to Karla Sofen's.
"Get out of my face!", Moonstone hissed, her eyes beginning to glow with golden energies.
"Ooh, feeling feisty, now, are we?", Mr. Hyde chuckled, taking a step back away from the villainess.
"Give it a rest, Dr. Jekyll.", Titania groaned in annoyance.
"It's Mr. Hyde, ya bloody wench!", Mr. Hyde yelled with rage.
"I don't care what your name is, freak, 'cause if you get in Titania's face I promise you... I'll rearrange yours!", Absorbing Man threatened, clenching his hands tightly into fists.
"Big talk, Q-ball, but that's about it!", Mr. Hyde retorted with a smirk.
"Listen here, freak show, if you know what's good for ya, you'd better shut your trap!", Rhino warns, having heard about enough from Calvin Zabo's monstrous alter-ego.
"Oh? And what are you gonna do, big man?", Mr. Hyde inquired mockingly.
"I'll run through you! That's what!", Rhino answered, getting himself ready to charge at Mr. Hyde and impale him with his deadly horns.
"Silence! All of you!", Bi-Beast roared, silencing all within the room as he marched toward the gathered villains.
This is not acceptable. He would not tolerate these rogues fighting in his lair, threatening to destroy all that he had worked so long and hard to create. If his plans were to succeed, then the cooperation of these unlikely allies would be needed. He would lead, manipulate and force them to work together. It would be done!
"I did not bring you all here to quarrel amongst yourselves. We have work that still needs completion before our plans can begin to unfold. Once I'm done with the modifications to the pillars, I will need all of you to take them to their intended locations.", Bi-Beast said, lifting another pillar up in his arms before placing it on the technical operations table.
"And what then?", Vector inquired.
"Then, when the pillars are activated, it will be our time to strike!", Bi-Beast answered.
Once finishing his modifications to the pillar, the Bi-Beast turns and advances in the direction that leads to a large containment unit. An evil smile forms on the faces of the Bi-Beast, a sense of eagerness gleaming in his four eyes as his claws caressed the metallic surface of the unit. It would only be a matter of time before his revenge would be complete and the world itself would be in the palm of his hand.
"What's in that bloody thing?", Mr. Hyde demands, arching an eyebrow as he and the rest of the villains gazed at the mysterious object.
"A unique weapon created by A.I.M. One that I've taken off of their hands, one that I believe will be quite useful against the Thunder God. The rest of you will have the pleasure of dispatching the Avengers. However... let it be known that the Hulk... the destroyer of my beloved home, my fortress in the skies... is mine!", Bi-Beast stated, returning his attention back to his allies.
"Taking out both the Hulk and the Avengers? Sounds like it could be fun!", Moonstone remarks with a sly smirk.
"Yes, it is rather intriguing. Long have I wished to eliminate those heroes... especially that emerald-skinned brute!", Vector said in reply, recalling all the times that he and the other U-Foes were defeated by the Jade Giant.
"What do you say, babe? Wanna crush some Avengers?", Absorbing Man asks, looking directly into the eyes of his lover, Titania.
"Do you even have to ask, darling?", Titania replies in a seductive tone of voice, briefly capturing his lips with a passionate kiss.
"Busting skulls? I'm in until the end... of those losers, that is!", Rhino chuckled, slamming his right fist into the palm of his left hand.
"Death and destruction. Chaos and disorder. Blood and vengeance. When can we begin?", Madman said, a sick and utterly twisted grin marking his scarred visage.
"KIILLLLLLLLL HUUUULLLLLLK!", Wendigo howls, snarling out the one name that it came to know and despise.
"So... I take it that you're all interested?", Bi-Beast questioned, his eyes scanning the faces of all the villains.
"Yes.", Vector answered.
"Excellent.", Bi-Beast whispered, grinning with sheer malice.
The time was near. The Avengers would fall. The Earth would be his. And the Hulk would die! Promises that the Bi-Beast intended to keep, promises that would be destiny. Enemies would be destroyed, the world conquered, and a dark vengeance fulfilled.
Author's Notes
It's been a while, but I've submitted another chapter. Expect big things to start happening very soon! What's to come? I'll give you some hints.
We'll see more heroes, including some of Marvel's most elite powerhouses, both old and new: Isabel Dare, aka Smasher of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard; Marcus, aka Hyperion; Robert Reynolds, aka The Sentry; Ares, God of War; Hercules, Prince of Power. We'll be getting some deadly threats, which will only continue to escalate until the big finale. And did I mention that we'll be seeing more of Bruce Banner? Stay tuned!
And please, please be patient with following chapters. I'm sorry for those who've been waiting but I've got a lot on my plate (life, work, family matters, writing, sick, etc.), not to mention my inspiration/muse tends to hit best when I'm contemplating my next course of action. However, I will not, repeat, will not be rushed when writing! Writing is a fine art, it can't and shouldn't be rushed or forced! Quality over quantity, after all.
I would also like to state that I'm looking for a beta-reader for this story and future sequel events for the Shades of Green Trilogy.
