Brothers Of A Different Kind
Sorry for the super long wait. Hopefully this extra long chapter makes up for it. Also, be sure to read the stuff at the bottom. I've re-written chapters 1-12 – editing grammar, adding scenes etc – so if you don't want to re-read them, just read the summaries at the bottom detailing what I've changed and or added.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.
– Previously –
"I can stick around and help." he told them. "Just let me make a call first."
As he walked away to call SHIELD, to send some bodies over, Captain Britain came notice that Roma's eyes had not left the back of their newest ally, and friend.
"Why do you keep staring at his retreating back?" he questioned.
"In all my life, I've met many who can alter another's destiny, or fate, call it what you wish, but all of them had one thing in common...their own light." she revealed. "And the brighter the light emitted by a person, the more they can alter around them."
"Okay..."
"That man..." she trailed off, eyes still locked on Naruto. "He's the brightest I've ever seen. Blinding even." she added. "That man, he's going to play a very instrumental part in the future."
"Of what?" inquired the Captain. "Our world? The galaxy? The universe?"
Roma shook her head. "I do not know." she answered, just as the blonde came back.
"Good news, not only is my daughter doing okay, but a few of my friends are coming over to lend us a hand." he announced.
It wasn't hard convincing Fury to send SHIELD agents across the pond, he had to. Aside from their own country, and a few others, the United Kingdom was part of the World Security Council. Meaning if there was ever something happening in said country, like today, then SHIELD needed to help anyway it could.
He was lucky. When he was director, only America was part of the council, and he only had to deal with one politician, albeit the most powerful in the country, but still, it was only one. Fury on the other hand has to deal with several, which were no doubt always giving him a constant headache.
Captain Britain let out a giant smile when hearing such good news. "Thank you my friend." he said, and gave Naruto a bone crushing hug.
Naruto nodded, bid farewell to Roma and Linda, as the two left, and walked side by side with his new friend, ready to help clean up the destruction.
– Now –
– Three Years Later –
October 2nd, 2001
Naruto let out a sigh as he placed his head onto the headrest of the car, and the drink in his hand in the cup-holder of the armrest. He, like most of the American population, was still in mourning after the horrific event that transpired three weeks ago.
The Destruction of the World Trade Center.
And like most Americans, he could do nothing. At least not without permission from the World Security Council, and by extension SHIELD. It was strange though. A small part of SHIELD had been given the go-ahead to enter the Afghanistan war, as were many other branches of the US military, but for some reason it felt like he was being singled out specifically, to be left on the sidelines. He told himself it was because there was no superhuman threat that needed his expertise, but that sounded weak even to him.
In reality, he knew what was really going on. It was Hydra. Ever since he found out they had infiltrated the American government, he'd done nothing but investigate, often eliminating low-level agents, and even some mid-to-high tier agents, but it wasn't enough. Their infection was deep, and very high up in the chain of command. It was the only reason that made any sense to him. Why else wouldn't they send in a super-soldier to end a war faster?
If he had decided to disobey the order to enter the war and hunt some terrorists, starting his own secret war, it would have ended badly for him. The infiltrators would have made his life a living hell. Not only would he be branded a rogue agent, but a bounty would be placed on his head. He didn't need that kind of mess right now. Especially when another factor came into play.
Sure he could go and start his own secret war and go rogue, but he was afraid of doing so. Afraid he'd get lost in it. Lost in the revenge, the chaos, the need to have justice for those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attack. Though most of all, he was afraid of losing himself, and as a result losing the one thing he couldn't live without.
His daughter, Laura.
She's his entire world, and is by far the single most important person in his life, barring his brother of course. It was because of her, and what his decision to disobey would mean for her, that he didn't enter Hydra's no doubt orchestrated war. He dodged a bullet because of her.
It was unfortunate, but he would have to watch from the sidelines as his brothers and sisters in arms were shipped to fight overseas. There were only a few things that could really take his mind off of this. Laura, his daughter, alcohol, he was on his fifth drink, and lastly, work, where he's currently heading. Fury had called him in.
Seeing as agent Hill was moving up the chain of command within SHIELD, she was no longer a viable option to watch his daughter, but that was okay. He had a backup. The now eighteen year old Jessica Drew.
Naruto suddenly let out a sigh.
God did he feel old, well, older than usual. It felt like it was only yesterday when he had first met that cheerful little girl who came to visit her parents, and now here they were, her a young-woman on the cusp of adulthood.
The Triskelion soon came into view from the backseat of his Rolls-Royce, and he downed his drink. The luxury sedan came to a smooth stop, and he stepped out. Before he could take a step towards the center of command, he stopped. Fury was outside waiting for him. It seemed whatever mission the man had for him was of the utmost importance if he couldn't wait for him to enter the building. They shared a nod. With their greeting out of the way, they bypassed all of the security checkpoints, and soon entered. Naruto noted that while everyone present in command had an air of professionalism, they were all very tense.
"What's going on, Fury?"
The one-eyed director didn't respond immediate, instead mulling over how he was going to broach this topic. He sighed. No point in sugarcoating it. "...There was an incident in one of the labs."
If the super-soldier hadn't been on alert yet, he certainly was now. "How bad we talking about?"
"We lost one of the projects-"
"I don't care about the project, Fury. Did we lose anyone?"
Fury nodded. "We lost a scientist, and two others."
"Who?"
The one-eyed director didn't answer.
"Who did we lose?" questioned the blonde, pressing Fury. A few seconds passed by, and the blonde couldn't take it anymore. He snapped. "Fury!"
"It was Richard and Mary Parker."
Naruto suddenly felt numb all over, and he couldn't breathe. "...Oh Christ." Realization soon dawned on him. "They have a child."
Fury nodded. "Peter Parker."
"What's going to happen to him? Does he have family that can take him in?"
"He does." answered the director. "His uncle, Ben Parker, and his aunt, May Parker."
The lone shinobi breathed a bit easier knowing this. For his own piece of mind, he would check on the boy from time to time, just to see how he's doing. With one potential problem taken care of, he returned to the matter at hand.
"How did they go?"
"Explosion."
That caused the blonde to grimace.
"...Did they at least go quick?"
Fury mimicked the blonde's grimace, and didn't answer.
"Fury, just tell me, what the hell's going on?"
"There was an attempted break-in."
The former director's eyebrows nearly rose to the top of his forehead, such was his disbelief. "Are you serious?" The current director nodded. "Who would be stupid enough to steal from us?"
"Quite a few people actually." answered Fury. "Richard and Mary learned there was to be an attempt made, just not when unfortunately."
"Who was it? Hydra? AIM?"
"Neither. Try other."
Now that caused the blonde to narrow his eyes. There aren't that many organizations in the world, with resources, that could attempt such a daring plan. So if it wasn't Hydra or AIM, who was it? He looked at his former subordinate. If he knew Fury as well as he believed he did, the man already had a suspect in mind.
"Who do you believe it is, Fury?"
"I believe it's the Army."
Naruto's jaw flexed. He didn't like the sound of this. "...Are you absolutely positive of this?"
Fury nodded. "Yes. Everything points to one man. Thaddeus Ross."
"What makes you think so?"
The director eyed his strongest agent. "I know you've been in mourning with the rest of the country, but you need to get your head back in the game." said the one-eyed man. "We aren't the only ones who've been given permission to create super-soldiers anymore. There are other players now."
Hearing this made the blonde frown. "Okay, so SHIELD isn't alone in the super-soldier business. That still doesn't mean it was Ross or the Army."
"Like I said, you need to reacquaint yourself." said Fury. "After the attack on 9/11, the President gave Ross the green-light to begin his Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project. A project Ross has been trying to get up off the ground for sometime. Especially after he learned of SHIELD's. With me so far?"
Naruto nodded.
"Seeing as I'd already hired the top minds for SHIELD, he was left with...other options, and as a result of this, his project failed." he revealed. "It got especially bad when information leaked to the masses of the United States. The photos were...horrifying to say the least. The project was shut down soon after."
The blonde understood where Fury was going. "So you believe Ross ordered the break-in to steal one of SHIELD's variations, because his project failed, which was inadvertently caused by you, since you hired the top minds, and by extension, me, whom he hates with a passion. Am I on the right track?"
Fury tapped his nose. It sounded farfetched, but he knew Fury. The man wouldn't do, or say, something if he didn't have a reason. The man may be more paranoid than him, but he trusted the man's judgment.
"Who's lab was broken into?" inquired Naruto.
"Banner's."
Naruto grimace from earlier was back in full force, and then-some. "Is he dead?" Fury had mentioned losing a scientist.
"No. He's alive, but..."
"But?"
"There was a complication."
"What kind?"
"Here, let me show you the surveillance video." he said. "Words alone can't explain what I'm about to show you."
Wondering what the man was talking about, he watched the screen in front of him carefully. The video opened with Banner in his lab, late at night, mulling about, often speaking aloud, or to himself. It fast forwarded three hours, making it 3:45 am, and that's when the action began. First, power was cut to the lab, making Banner panic, and then a small team of five men broke in. It was easy to see that these men had military training, no doubt about that. He continued to watch as the men pointed their guns at Banner, trying to subdue him, but then something unexpected occurred. Banner fought back. Not once did he ever believe the man brave enough to do such a thing at gunpoint. As a result of his defiance, a trigger was pushed, and a bullet was shot, but not at a person, no, at a machine. The machine that just happened to douse a target in gamma radiation. It exploded.
"Is the radiation of the gamma explosion contained?" asked Naruto, pausing the video.
"It is." Fury answered.
Naruto nodded, and resumed the video. With the machine exploding, and everyone present showered in radiation, it didn't take long for the effects to be felt, or seen. All but two men died, which was honestly very surprising. One was obviously from the black-ops unit. The other was Banner himself.
"Here's that complication I was referring to earlier..."
The blonde watched in morbid fascination as Banner, who was on the ground, began to shake violently. He would spasm like crazy every few seconds or so and stop, until he just stopped altogether. Banner's chest then heaved as if an invisible hand had lifted him up, and that was when the man began to slowly change. Where once stood a scrawny man, now stood a goliath. A green goliath packed with muscle atop muscle. The giant let out a bestial roar and began to smash everything in sight. Eventually, with a mighty leap, he left the laboratory. The video feed ended there.
"What happened after that?" questioned the blonde. "Do you have the man from the black-ops unit in a cell?"
"Negative on the latter." answered the one-eyed man. "The man was gone by the time I arrived on the scene." he explained. "After that behemoth left, he came crashing down on a nearby building, causing an explosion."
Naruto sighed. "The Parkers." Fury nodded. "How long ago was this video taken?"
"About two days ago, give or take three."
The former director looked at the current one like he had just grown a second head. "I'm sorry, but did you just say two or three days?"
Fury nodded.
"Why did it take you so long to contact me?"
"Didn't want to lose the trail." answered the one-eyed man. "Especially with him putting out such high levels of gamma radiation."
Naruto gave a the one-eyed man a nod, as forced as it was. "What about the black-ops soldier?
"We were able to track him down."
Finally some good news. "Where?"
"Fort Hamilton."
Naruto sighed again. "So I'm assuming he's back with Ross then?"
"Yes."
"And since they're back together, they can just deny everything." Naruto shook his head. It was a very standard play. And if the unknown black-ops soldier died of radiation poisoning, that was even better for Ross. One less loose end. "What about the deceased soldiers in the lab? Anything on them?"
"Tests indicate none of them are American."
Well, he certainly wasn't expecting to hear that. "You serious?"
Fury nodded. "Tests made them out as Canadians."
"The hits just keep on coming." muttered the blonde. Now they were potentially dealing with another country as well. Wonderful. "...Is it possible any remnants of the Weapon Plus Program had a hand in this?" Naruto wouldn't put it past them. After all, both he and Fury have history with them, him more so.
The director shrugged. "It's entirely possible, but until I know more, I can't exactly make any moves on our allies in the north."
Naruto sighed. "Okay, so our only chance of knowing what's going on is to capture the unknown man who's, so far, survived being doused in gamma radiation."
"Correct, but that's not what I called you." said Fury. "I called you here because you have experience in dealing with superhuman threats, my other agents do not." he explained. "My other agents will be working on capturing the unknown man. You're going to deal with the transformed Banner."
The shinobi couldn't refute his point, he did have the most experience in dealing with superhumans, at least in straight up fights. Fury would also have qualified, but he was more of a behind the scenes type of fighter.
"If I'm doing this, then I'm gonna need my team."
Fury looked at him for a moment. "...Are you positive they're ready for something like this?" He knew the blonde in front of him had trained three agents specifically for missions like these, but training and actually facing the real thing are two completely different things.
Naruto nodded. "I've trained them well, besides, they need experience." he said. "I'll protect them if need be. Don't worry."
The one-eyed director sighed, and nodded. He tapped his earpiece. [Hill...]
[Sir?]
[Send in agents Barton, Morse, and Masters.]
[Copy.]
A few short seconds later, three adults, all wearing tactical gear, walked in. Naruto eyed each of them.
From left to right, they were Clint Barton, Barbara Morse, and Tony Masters. All three of them are his pride and joy within SHIELD. Each individual brought something different to the team. Clint is their long-range fighter, Barbara, or Bobbi, is their short-to-mid range fighter, and Tony is their short-range fighter. He meanwhile played a supporting role for them. However, that was changing today.
Naruto gave all of them a microscopic nod, glad to see his students, whom he'd trained since they first entered SHIELD, when they were in their early twenties, had taken well to his lessons of preparation. All of them returned the nod with one of their own.
"Are you prepared for the next mission, agents Hawkeye, Mockingbird, and Taskmaster?" All of them nodded, responding to their codenames, and holding onto their specific set of gear.
"Be aware of something else." said Fury.
"What?"
"You may or may not have a run-in with Ross himself."
Naruto sent him a confused look. "How do you figure?" Surely the man wasn't stupid enough to try something else so soon after his failed break-in attempt. Right?
"Banner may seek out the man's daughter." stated the one-eyed man. "Seeing as the two have a history together." The blonde nodded. Understatement of the year. Banner and Elizabeth Ross were practically in love with one another before going their separate ways because of work. "I'm only telling you this because chances are high that the black-ops agent informed Ross of Banner's transformation, and you and I both know just how tenacious Ross can be when it comes to his daughter. Add in the fact it's one of the scientists I hired, and well, I don't need to tell you how hard Ross is going to go at Banner."
The blonde nodded. It was a valid point.
"What's the current relationship between our target, and Elizabeth Ross?" asked Morse, having read up on the players involved in this mission a day prior.
"It's a long distance one." answered Naruto. "Her skills in medicine are also a factor here." He added to the mix. "If Banner believes anyone can help him, then it's her." His team sent him some confused looks. "Elizabeth Ross had a small hand in Banner's serum creation, even if she doesn't know it." he explained.
"Are her skills in medicine that formidable?" inquired Hawkeye.
"In general practice? Yes, but scientifically? No. Like I said, her role in it's creation was small."
"If you do cross paths with Ross during the mission, you have to make sure Banner doesn't fall into his hands." said Fury. "The secrets in Banner's blood are far to dangerous to be let out. Eliminate him if no other option is available."
"Who? Banner or Ross?"
Both options worked. Eliminate Banner, and Ross doesn't get his hands on a variation of the serum. Eliminate Ross, and they take Banner back, study what makes him so green, and then try to replicate it. It was a win-win scenario for Fury.
"I'll leave that up for you to decide."
Naruto sighed, how nice of him. "Right. Is there anyone else I have to worry about showing up?"
The director of SHIELD shook his head. The lone shinobi nodded.
"Let's move out team."
"What's the first order of business?" inquired Taskmaster, speaking for the first time.
"Our first order of business is in this garage." answered Naruto. "We're going to retrieve our mode of transportation." The blonde was talking about his 2001 Black Aston Martin Vanquish, a flying car.
"I think he means after this, Kagebōshi?" asked Hawkeye, referring to his leader by his codename. He received a nod from Taskmaster, thanking him for translating.
Tony Masters was a bit different when compared to most agents of SHIELD. The man was as gifted as they come, but it was not his athletic ability that made him stand out. It was a special ability he called photographic reflexes. Once he saw something, say a fighting style, he made it his own. It made him one of the most versatile fighters on the planet. Unfortunately, it came with a price. For everything he learned, something else would be forgotten.
Seeing as he needed his team in tip-top condition, he removed the inhibition, or at least he tried to. The brain worked in mysterious ways after all, and he could only partly remove it. So until something could be done for him, he would always keep forgetting, just not as frequently nowadays.
"Hm-mm, well let's see, first we're going to check his place of residence, then we're going to look in on his family, and if all that fails, we'll check his bank statements for any recent purchases." he answered the man. "Along with everything else in-between. We have to capture Banner at all costs." Plus he had to call Jessica and pay her so she could watch Laura for who knows how long.
"I got the Geiger counter!" exclaimed Mockingbird, entering the garage with a large device. "This should help us locate Dr. Banner faster."
Naruto nodded. "Good work."
Once he attached the device to his car, if there was any radiation near them, it would pick it up. Seeing as Banner was nothing but an irradiated rage monster, the device should have no problem picking him up. Unless he was very far away.
"So, where we starting first?" inquired Morse.
Clint began to fill her in on what she missed, and as he was doing so, the Aston Martin Vanquish they were currently sitting in roared to life. He turned to look at each of them.
"Everyone buckled up?" The three passengers gave him a nod. "Good. Let's get this mission started."
~One Week Later~
"Anybody see a rare occurrence yet?" asked Naruto, keeping his eyes on the sky in front of him while also keeping them open for anything unusual. Three shaking heads were his answer. He sighed.
They'd done everything he said they would. They had staked out his home for an entire day, searched his entire family, checked his statements, and checked everything in-between. At first, they had gotten nothing, but that all changed a day ago when they had gotten a hit, but not with the Geiger counter. It came from an eyewitness claiming she had seen a green Sasquatch, heading south. Not south into the country of Mexico, but past it and into South America. Specifically the Republic of Peru. Which is their current location.
Unfortunately, seeing as they had received the eyewitness report a day late, Hulk, which is what Naruto dubbed the green goliath, instead of referring to him as a hulking monster, was nowhere to be found. They were in luck though. While the device wasn't reading a high level of radiation, as it no doubt wore off a bit, they had been able to spot giant craters in the ground, no doubt from the Hulk leaping. They were heading southeast, towards Brazil.
Naruto suddenly looked out his window, at the sun. He wagered they had a few hours of daylight left in the day before it got dark, judging by the height of the sun. Hopefully, they made it to Brazil with some daylight still left, because he didn't want to fight the Hulk at night.
~A Few Hours Later~
Night had unfortunately fallen over Brazil, specifically the southern zone of Rio de Janeiro's Rocinha Favela, their current location. The tracks had ceased hundreds of yards back, but that was okay. Their device had started picking up small traces of radiation here and there. They were close.
Bang!
Bang!
Unfortunately, so were others. From their vantage point, they all saw men armed to the teeth storming the slums, and all of them were Army. Ross was here.
"How did they find him just as fast as we did?!" questioned Barbara, raging at the unfairness of it all.
"We aren't the only organization with technology, Bobbi, er, agent Mockingbird." chided Clint, fixing his flub halfway through.
"No point in worrying about it now. Everyone out of the car, formation one." ordered Naruto.
Putting the vehicle on standby mode, the four agents jumped out of the levitating car, landing amidst a lot of run down buildings. Naruto took point with Taskmaster and Mockingbird on his sides, and Clint bringing up the rear.
Bang!
Bang!
'The idiots firing are just making things worse-'
A very loud, almost bestial, roar resounded throughout the Favela, and it nearly caused Naruto's team to trip over their own feet. None of them had ever heard something like that, something that just hit the nerves like a ton of bricks. Primal instincts told them to stop, turn around, and run.
"Don't be afraid." Naruto's voice penetrated all of the chaos going on around. He hadn't missed a beat as he kept running. He spared his team a look. His eyes held nothing but warmth, and it calmed their nerves. "I'll protect all of you. So keep moving forward."
His quick pep talk did the trick as the three agents were back in stride with their field commander. They followed the sounds of gunfire and screams, which eventually led them to a factory that manufactured Pingo Doce, a soft drink. It grew quiet all of a sudden as all forms of noise ceased. It quickly picked back up again when men were suddenly sent flying out of the factory. Something burst out from atop the roof. That was when all four finally saw the Hulk in person. The surveillance video did this being no justice. Standing over 8' feet, and probably fifteen-hundred pounds with all that muscle, the green giant was quite the sight to behold.
Their viewing was over as quickly as it came when the Hulk leapt away, covering well over a few miles in a single leap. The strength of his leap knocked down a few rickety buildings. He would have ordered his team to get in the car and pursue, but only if he was sure Thaddeus' team would have remained to help any civilians who might be injured after the whole ordeal. They of course didn't appear to. He let out a sigh.
"Taskmaster..."
The man in the skull mask, as he was emulating Naruto who wore a mask, looked at his leader. "Sir?"
"Check the surrounding area for any injured civilians."
The man nodded, and left to complete his mission.
"I don't want to sound cold-hearted, but aren't we going to give chase?" inquired Mockingbird.
"We are, but after we make sure no one was injured." answered Naruto. "These people didn't ask for any of this. This is the least we could. Remember, yes you're an agent, but you're also human. Don't let orders guide who you are. Don't forget that." He lectured. "I learned that the hard-way." he muttered.
Barton and Morse' jaw flexed, as they heard that last statement of his. They gave him a nod. The two accompanied him as he began walking towards the Army men. He was looking for Ross. He needed to make his claim known.
"Found 'em." mumbled the blonde. "Ross!"
The grizzled war veteran heard his name, turned, and felt a scowl appearing on his face. He did not want to deal with this bastard right now. Not when he was so close! "What do you want, Uzumaki?"
"I'm here to tell you, and your men, to stand down." Naruto heard a microscopic scoff, and faced the man it came from. His eyes roamed over the man, and he came across a name, Blonsky. One look at the man told him this man was not in it to capture, but to hunt, to kill. He addressed the General. "This isn't your type of mission, Ross. Your dealing with something far above your pay grade."
The man ignored him, and began to issue out orders to his men. Naruto let out a shallow chuckle as he shook his head. The gall of this man. He tried being nice, it was time to get rough. He forcefully turned the man around, grabbed hold of his neck, and shoved him back into a wall. He didn't care that over fifteen assault rifles were being pointed at him. Clint and Barbara pulled out their respective weapons as well, covering him.
"You and your team are gonna go away for a long time for this, Uzumaki! I swear-" His threat was cut off as the grip around his trachea tightened.
"What court will prosecute us?" he inquired. He sent the older man a smirk as his eyes flashed red for a brief second. "We'll just deny it." said the blonde. "I won't repeat myself again, Ross. Stand down."
He shoved the man once more, a bit harder this time, and left it at that. Before the older man could give his rebuttal, the blonde was already walking away. He grabbed his sore throat, and glared at the back of the blonde. He ignored the condescending smirk the archer was sending him and his team, along with the mocking the woman was giving him for being spoken to like a child, despite his advanced age. His eyes never left the blonde's back.
Hawkeye and Mockingbird soon followed after their commander, and saw him talking with Taskmaster.
"The buildings in this area are abandoned. No lives were lost." said Masters. "We can leave whenever you say."
Naruto nodded. "Good work." He then addressed all three. "Get in the car, and wait for me."
"What're you going to be doing?" inquired Mockingbird, not liking the idea of leaving her commander alone.
"Making a call." He tapped his earpiece. [Fury. Do you copy?]
The line was silent for a few seconds. [Go ahead.]
[Do me a favor and look up the name Blonsky.] The man just rubbed him the wrong way, that and it was odd that a man with a Russian name was assisting Ross in this hunt.
[Give me a few seconds.]
Naruto waited a bit before static was heard on the other end. He was back.
[Well?]
[...You're not going to like this.]
[What is it?]
[Blonsky, first name Emil, is Russian born, and currently serves as a special-ops commando within the British Royal Marines.]
[You were right. I don't like it.] he said, sighing. [What the hell is Ross doing with soldiers from other countries?] he asked. This was the second country, aside from Canada, that was in their country.
[I'd imagine they're on loan to him, so he can complete his mission.]
Naruto nodded. [I'd figured as much. Everything always comes back to the super-soldier serum.]
[Agreed.] said Fury. [What better compensation for an allied nation to secretly send in soldiers than a sample of the serum.]
[That's only if they succeed.] stated the blonde.
[True enough. Do you need anything else?]
[Negative. I'll radio in again when the mission is complete. Over and out.]
Seeing his car a few yards away, and his team staring at him, he walked over, and hopped in the driver seat. "Everyone ready?" They nodded. The search for Banner continued.
~A Day Later~
Naruto and his team had followed the telltale signs of destruction left in the wake of Hulk and the force of his mighty leaps. Seeing as they could only travel so many miles in a minute, they were once more trailing the green giant. They were currently in southwest Florida, specifically the Everglades, and they were searching with their eyes since the Geiger counter wasn't reacting.
"Hey! What's that!"
Everyone looked to where Barbara had pointed, and they soon saw what she saw. It was definitely a green goliath, but it wasn't their green goliath. It wasn't entirely an inanimate thing, but it clearly was no longer a man. It was a Man-Thing. It looked up at them hovering above it.
Before anything could happen, Naruto heard his radio come to life. He tapped his earpiece.
[Go ahead.]
[Banner's been spotted in New York.] said Fury. [Specifically in Harlem, near your company. It seems we were correct. He went to see Elizabeth Ross after all.]
Hearing that made Naruto frown. The company Banner had traveled to was not a company at all, not in a literal sense. It was a hospital, one he named and dedicated to the memory of his dead friend. It was called the Isaiah Bradley Memorial Hospital, and the reason Elizabeth was there is because she is the head doctor there, in charge of everything.
[Copy that. We're on our way.] said Naruto. [By the way, Fury. Keep an eye on the Everglades. There's a creature down here just mulling about.]
[Is it a threat?]
[Unknown. It's yet to attack.]
[Roger that. I'll send some agents down there to check it out. Over and out.]
The super-soldier looked at his team. "We've got our coordinates. Banner's back in New York."
~A Few Hours Later~
"Are we there yet?"
"For the last time, no." answered Naruto calmly.
They'd been flying for the better part of an hour, and they were almost there. It had been a decent fly with minimal noise, but then Barbara got bored, and when she got bored...
"How about now?"
"Barbara, so help me, if you say another word..." Naruto left the threat hanging. He was already on edge as it was because of this mission, add the fact he hasn't seen his daughter, or the fact they were heading back to New York, where she currently was, and well, he wasn't in the best of moods right now.
"But I'm so bored, can't we at least listen to the radio?"
"That's it! You're not coming on the next mission."
"Wha? Oh come on! I'm just saying what everyone is thinking!"
Clint sighed. "She's got a point."
Naruto looked at him disbelieving, and then at Masters, who gave a microscopic nod. "Fine! We'll turn on the radio!" He pushed the button. It felt like he was dealing with children here. He would have to teach Laura to be different from these kids, honestly.
"...CEO of Fortune 500 company, Stark Industries, Tony Stark has gone missing in Afghanistan after giving our Armed Forces a live weapons demonstration."
Clint, Bobbi, and even Tony, grimaced when hearing that, and avoided looking at the blonde. Naruto let out a sigh meanwhile. "Sonuvabitch." He tapped his earpiece.
[Fury...]
[...Go ahead.]
[Why am I hearing news about Stark on the radio that isn't related to his shenanigans?]
The blonde heard Fury sigh across the line. [I'm currently looking into how his schedule was leaked.]
[What do you plan on doing to retrieve him?]
[Once we've gathered the necessary intel, I'm sending in a squad of agents to get him.]
[Be very careful out there, Fury.] said Naruto.
[I know. That territory belongs to Mandarin, and his Ten Rings organization.]
Both the man and his organization were still shrouded in mystery, and no amount of spying had gotten SHIELD any closer to knowing what they were really about. All they knew was that they were terrorists hellbent on disrupting peace.
Naruto sighed. [Just get Stark home. Over and out.]
"What's the situation with Stark?" inquired Clint.
"Fury's on the job. Focus on the mission at hand." he answered. "We arrive in twenty minutes."
"Anyone got eyes on him?"
"Affirmative."
"Where?"
"About a hundred yards north." answered Hawkeye, handing his binoculars over to his commander.
The quartet was currently atop one of the many buildings in Harlem, and yards away from them was the hospital Naruto had built. Receiving the binoculars, the blonde looked where Clint was looking. He was right. There he was, clear as day, and that was the odd part.
"Why is he out during broad daylight, where everyone can see him?" he asked. "And who's the woman he's speaking with? She looks familiar."
"Give me a sec." answered Mockingbird. "...The reason she looks familiar is because we vetted her when we initially started searching for Banner. That's his cousin, albeit a distant one. Her name is Jennifer Walters. Side note, she's a lawyer."
"Is Banner seeking legal counsel for what occurred at the Triskelion?" questioned Taskmaster.
"It's possible, but unlikely." replied the blonde. "Then again, I don't know if he even remembers what happened the night he transformed. He might think everything's his fault." He shook his head. He was getting off track. "I'm going in, alone." he said, looking at his team. "Hopefully if he sees I'm alone he won't decide to run. While I'm doing that, I want the rest of you to set-up a perimeter-"
Bang!
A very loud gunshot rang throughout the area, yet there was no chaos, no noise, it was eerily quiet. He searched for any wounded, but could find none. He looked back at Banner, and he grimaced. The bullet had missed him entirely, and it had hit his cousin, Jennifer. She was on the ground, and she was losing a lot of blood. All hell broke loose the next second as a mighty roar escaped Banner's mouth as he went green.
"YOU KILLED JENNY!"
Hulk leapt away to confront those who killed his cousin. If he wasn't mistaken, then Central Park was in the direction he leapt. He needed to get over there, now! He turned to his team.
"Hawkeye, get to the highest vantage point and take down anyone suspicious, non-lethal." he ordered.
"On it!"
"Mockingbird, check on Jennifer. She can't be dead yet." he said. "Get her into the hospital and into the hands of Elizabeth."
"You got it boss!"
"Taskmaster, start evacuating the area, but also be on the lookout for anyone suspicious." he ordered.
"Sir!"
"Get to work!"
The three agents moved as one, each leaving to preform their assigned task. Naruto meanwhile used his sharingan to spy on Hulk, and his foe. He let out a sigh. He should've known better than to believe Ross was smart enough to stay away. He spotted the man in his chopper, berating the sniper, who lo and behold, was Blonsky, for missing the target and hitting a civilian. That bullet was never meant for Banner. It seems he wanted to force Hulk out of Banner, well, wish granted.
As he made his way over to the park, he noted that none of Ross' weapons were doing damage, except for one. It was a Stark Sonic Cannon. Though that to eventually was destroyed. Thankfully, the citizens in the area had enough sense to not stop and stare, and run. Those that didn't were forcibly moved out and away from the area by him. Doing it as quickly as possible, as he didn't want to see his brothers and sisters in arms dying needlessly, he had evacuated the park. Only he, the Army, and Hulk remained in the park. Seeing as part of his job was done, it was now time to start the other.
"Hulk!" The green goliath turned around and spotted him. It eyed him for a second before returning its attention to the Army. "...Banner!" That did the trick. Hulk was staring him down in anger. "Do I have your attention now?"
"HULK SMASH PUNY BANNER!"
Naruto's eyes widened a fraction as the speed Hulk charged at him with was very deceptive for a being his size. He was forced to dodge, but not before the green giant locked eyes with his mangekyō. If he couldn't talk to him in the real world, then maybe the illusionary world of Tsukuyomi would suit him.
"You settled down now?"
"GET OUT OF HULK'S HEAD!"
"Relax. I just want to-"
"HULK NO TALK! HULK SMASH!"
The illusion didn't even last a minute inside, or outside for that matter. The Hulk's anger was simply to much for it, and he destroyed it. Having no other choice, Naruto began to summon his susanoo when he was suddenly blindsided. Coming to a sliding stop, he was shocked to see it was Blonsky.
'No, it couldn't be.' he thought. 'That was not the strength of a normal human male. It's bordering on superhuman.'
How the man had acquired such strength in a matter of hours was beyond him, but if he had to take a stab at it, he would guess it was the failed variation of the super-soldier serum developed by the Army. It would certainly explain how the man acquired such strength in a matter of days.
"C'mon Banner!" shouted Blonsky. "The man who killed your family is right here."
Naruto's eyes widened when hearing that. The British man must have a death wish or something to announce that. Whatever his reasoning, he got what he wanted. Hulk rushed him, easily knocking him back. Before the British Marine could counter, the green goliath was already on him, his very large foot raised high. Hulk brought it down, abruptly killing the soldier.
Letting Blonsky lie in the bed he created, he approached the transformed man, who was looking at him cautiously, as he still remembered the illusion from before. When Hulk tensed, so did he.
"STAY OUT OF HULK'S HEAD, PUNY HUMAN!"
"No can do buddy." said Naruto.
The two charged at each other again, and their eyes locked yet again. This time though, Naruto did not trap Hulk within his Tsukuyomi. He decided to go with something a bit simpler.
"Bruce..."
Hulk's head snapped to his left when he heard two soft voices calling out to him. His green eyes grew in size as he spotted two figures his subconscious was very familiar with. "Jenny. Betty." Eyes so full of anger seconds ago started to become softer and softer until they were no longer green, but brown, and on the body of a human man.
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. His illusion had worked, and Bruce Banner was no longer the green rage monster known as Hulk. He apprehended the scientist, and with one hand weaved a number of seals. Ross was still present, but he couldn't attack what he couldn't see.
"Kokuangyo no Jutsu(Bringer-Of-Darkness Technique)!"
The entire area was blanketed by a layer of darkness, and nothing could be seen. Everyone who was still present within was forced to retreat, as was Ross, whom began to fly away. Seeing as he was far enough away, Naruto began to take the unconscious Banner to his hospital. It wouldn't be long until Ross returned to track Banner down again, but by that time, Fury and SHIELD would be here in force.
"So what's the plan boss?"
Naruto sighed as he looked at Mockingbird. The group has since reunited after completing their own assigned tasks, and met back up in the hospital. They were currently in the room which was housing the unconscious Banner.
"I've already called Fury." he replied. "Unfortunately, since Ross and the Army is involved, he might not get here right away. Tons of bureaucratic crap. So until he arrives, we're on our own."
Unbeknownst to the other inhabitants of the room, Banner had woken up, and heard their discussion. Though he cared very little for it. Only one thing mattered to him right now.
"My cousin Jennifer, how is she doing?"
Every weapon held by those who studied under Naruto was out, and pointed directly at Banner. Acting quickly, Naruto got in front of his team.
"Easy there." he said. He eyed each member of his team. "Stand down." he ordered calmly. He didn't need Banner transforming again. All three slowly began to lower their weapons. Breathing just a bit easier, he addressed Banner. "Your cousin is currently still in surgery."
Jennifer had taken a sniper rifle round, so he honestly didn't know how long it was going to take to get out, though he supposed it all depended on where she was shot. The door to the room they were all in opened, and speak of the devil, in walked Jennifer's surgeon, along with his chief of security.
"Betty..." whispered Banner.
Elizabeth sent the man a soft smile. "Hello, Bruce."
Ignoring the touching reunion of the two lovebirds, Naruto addressed his chief of security. "What are you still doing here, Luke? I thought I ordered the area evacuated?" He looked at Masters.
Taskmaster shrugged. "I did as instructed, but he refused to leave with the rest of the staff that wasn't needed."
"How could I leave one of the only places that represents hope for this community when it was attacked earlier?" Argued the chief of security.
Naruto sighed. "I understand that, but your life is more important than a building. Those can always be rebuilt." he stated. "If you really want to help, then help the people out on the streets during this crisis."
The man opened his mouth and then abruptly closed it. His employer, and friend, was right. Instead of protecting a near empty building, not that the people in it needed his protection, as he eyed all of the weapons the three soldiers by his boss' side had, the people outside of it needed him more. He gave his friend a nod. He would ask him later who they were and what they were doing with him.
"I better see you at my bar after this whole thing is over." said Luke.
"You can count on it buddy."
Naruto bid his friend farewell and returned his attention to the matter at hand. "What's the status of the patient, Elizabeth?"
Betty sighed. "I've removed the bullet, and patched her up, but..."
"But what?" asked Bruce.
"She's lost a lot of blood." she answered. "If she's going to survive, then she's going to need a blood transfusion."
Before anything else could be said, Banner was on his feet, and his arm presented. "Take mine."
Hearing that made the super-soldier frown. He wasn't sure if Banner and Jennifer had the same blood type, and even if they did, he was extremely hesitant in allowing another to house Banner's irradiated blood. Then again, if he refuses to allow the man to do so, and she dies as a result, well, then it's safe to say Hulk would be coming after him with a vengeance. He sighed.
"Calm down, Banner." said the blonde. He could see the man was becoming impatient. "Transforming here will only hurt Jennifer's chances of survival." Hearing that did the trick.
Naruto walked over to a nearby window to get some fresh air, and was surprised to see the sun had just gone down. The hours in the day had just flown by. He took a breath and exhaled. Before he could give his answer on how to proceed with the transfusion, the power to the building went out. He sighed and let out a curse.
"Goddammit." Before Banner could have a panic attack, he calmed him down. "Don't worry. I have a lot of generators on standby if something ever happens to the power." he reassured. A few seconds had passed and nothing had turned back on. He turned to his team. "Go and find out what's going on." he ordered.
The trio nodded, and left. A minute passed.
"Why aren't the generators on yet?" inquired Banner, fidgety.
The blonde ignored him for a moment and decided to find out what was taking so long. [Barton? Are you there?] Nothing, he tried again. [Morse, do you copy?] Again nothing. [Masters, pick up.]
His hand was being forced here, he had to check it out. He knew that leaving Banner could potentially lead to his escape once more, but he'd rather have a human on the run, rather than his counterpart on a rampage because he didn't do anything.
"I'll be back."
Naruto walked out of the room, through many hallways, and came upon a single door. It led down to the basement, where he kept the generators. Before he could turn the doorknob, he suddenly braced himself as he was blindsided once more, only this time, it was much harder. Had he not felt the ground shake moments earlier, he could have really gotten hurt. The force behind the blindside hit sent him crashing through his building wall, and into the streets of Harlem.
"Ugh..." The blonde's head was ringing. Other than that, he was fine. Getting up off the pavement, he spotted his attacker. It was a creature, but one he did not recognize.
"Do you like the new and improved me."
Until it opened it's mouth. He recognized the voice, it was Blonsky, or what was left of him. He was no longer a man, but an...Abomination. It seems the effects of the serum finally took place.
"What the hell happened, Blonsky?"
The Abomination grinned. "Looks like the Army's super-soldier serum and Banner's gamma radiation had a little side-effect on me." he revealed. "Now I've got power to defeat Hulk."
Naruto's radio suddenly came to life as he was forced to ignore that little revelation for the time being.
[...Sir.]
It was Taskmaster.
[I'm here.] he replied. [Keep whatever you have to say short.] He had to be ready for when Blonsky attacked.
[We were ambushed by an unknown creature.] said Taskmaster. [We would have contacted you earlier but...]
[But what?]
[...It's Mockingbird. She's been fatally wounded by the creature.] answered Masters. [If she does not receive medical attention-]
[Don't finish that sentence!] roared Clint in the background.
[...She'll die.]
Naruto grit his teeth. If there was ever a time for divine intervention, then it was now. His ears twitched all of a sudden, and he looked up. Talk about timing. Fury was above him in a chopper. He tapped his earpiece.
[Taskmaster, have Hawkeye bring Mockingbird to the surface. Fury's here.] he said. [If anyone can save her, it's him.]
[Copy that. What do you want me to do?]
[Double check to make sure there are no civilians present.]
[Roger. Over and out.]
With most of everything being taken care of, all that remained was Abomination. Naruto began to call upon his susanoo, but not the large version. He called upon something he'd been working on for quite sometime. It was smaller in size than what he's produced before, and what it lacked in pure strength more than made up for in sheer speed. He was eventually enveloped in an ethereal armor resembling that of a samurai with a mask resembling that of a hannya. The mouth of the mask opened slightly to let a breath out.
Red eyes narrowed behind the ethereal suit of armor, and that caused Blonsky to grin. A gunshot must have gone off because Blonsky rushed forward at unimaginable speeds. Naruto for his part stood there calmly, and bent his knees slightly. Normally, he wasn't fast enough to do this, but today was the lone exception. His kōdachi appeared on the left side of his hip, and he took hold of the grip. Seconds before Abomination could touch him, he vanished, and reappeared behind him, blade out of it's sheath.
'The cut was to shallow.'
Naruto watched at Blonsky fell on the ground face first. He wasn't aiming to kill the man, at least not yet anyways. Blonsky still had information he sought, like who the other operatives were who died in Banner's lab were. He aimed to immobilize him by removing his leg, but had not anticipated how thick the muscle would be, or how fast it would heal, as Abomination was already up.
"YOU KILLED JENNY!"
'Talk about a situation going from bad to worse.'
A side of the hospital building suddenly exploded outward as Hulk came crashing through, enraged as all hell, though it was not directed at him. It was directed towards Abomination. Going against his better judgment, he decided to let Hulk fight. He would monitor. Plus, he needed to check on Jennifer. To see if she was actually dead or not. Leaving the two behemoths to fight in the streets of Harlem, he dropped his susanoo and returned to Jennifer's room. He breathed easy. She was still alive. It was then that he spotted little droplets next to her IV, along with a scalpel.
'Well shit.'
It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Banner gave some of his blood to Jennifer. He let out a sigh. He hoped nothing came of this. Leaving her bedside for a moment, he walked on over to the window.
Boom!
He moved his head just as the force from Hulk and Abomination shattered the room window in front of him, along with every other window in the vicinity. Peering back down, and watching the fight closely for a few seconds, it was easy for him to see who was going to win, and he didn't even need his special eyes to show him that. The angrier Hulk got, the stronger he became. He was easily overpowering the Abomination. The fight was over before long, and thankfully, he didn't have to help Banner revert back to his old self. SHIELD had moved in once it was over as well, as he found Fury standing next to the scientist, issuing orders.
"Prepare Blonsky for transport to The Cube."
"Cube? What's that?" inquired the blonde, never having heard of it.
"It's a prison." answered Fury. "Had it made during this whole incident. It's small right now, but it's purpose is to hold irradiated superhumans."
Banner grimaced when he heard that. "...Is that where I'm going as well?"
Fury eyed the man. "...That all depends on you doc. Are you going to be a threat?" Banner shook his head furiously. "Then you don't have anything to worry about." The one-eyed man motioned for one of his people to escort Banner back to HQ.
"Don't worry about Jennifer." said Naruto, grabbing the man's attention. "She'll continue receiving treatment while she's under my roof." Banner gave him a grateful nod, and he was gone. "Speaking of medical attention, how's Mockingbird?" he asked Fury.
The director sighed. "I'm not going to sugarcoat things. The injury sustained is life threatening. She's currently being transported to the Triskelion for surgery." explained Fury. "If all else fails, then I plan administering my variation of the super-soldier serum to her. It's not ideal, but if it saves her life, then it's worth it. Wouldn't you agree?"
Naruto nodded. He would rather she not take Fury's serum, since who knows what side-effects it will have on her, but beggars can't be choosers right now. She has a better chance at surviving that than if he were to administer his own to her "What do you plan on doing with Banner?"
"He's not going to prison if that's what you're asking." replied the man. Naruto nodded, he knew that of course.
"I know."
Fury nodded. "I'm going to question him. About his transformation, what makes it happen, can he or can't he control it, and a myriad of other things." answered the one-eyed man. "Once done, I'm going to isolate him from the world."
"If I may make a suggestion?"
"Suggest away."
"If you're going to do that, then make sure Banner doesn't get bored." said the blonde. "I know it's his anger that makes him stronger, but it might be his emotional state that triggers the transformation. He might change if he's bored being locked away."
"...I'll make sure he's provided with certain amenities."
Naruto nodded. "What happens after you're done questioning him?" asked the blonde. "Are you going to hide him and throw away the key?"
Fury shrugged. "The thought crossed my mind." admitted the director. "I've since changed my tune on the idea however."
"Oh? Do tell."
"While the idea of using Hulk as a soldier is tempting, he's to unpredictable." said Fury. "I scrapped the idea. Banner on the other-hand..."
"So he's going to be working for you while you keep him isolated and entertained."
Fury tapped his nose. "Dr. Robert Banner is simply to great an asset to keep him under lock and key."
While the blonde agreed that Banner could do more good working, it was the way he employed the man that troubled him. Fury was basically going to strong arm the man into servitude, with the threat of a prison sentence in The Cube hanging there. There was a reason Fury brought it up within earshot of the scientist. Unfortunately, seeing as he wasn't director, he couldn't do much for the man's situation. He gave the man a nod and left it at that.
"By the way Fury. I know how to classify Hulk."
"Oh?"
"Omega-level threat."
After the whole incident involving James Jaspers in the United Kingdom, and the cybiote, Naruto had brought something to the attention of Fury. A threat-level system. The Fury classified him as Omega-level, and he had to assume that was because of his skills and abilities. Going from that, both he and Fury began to create other rankings, along with classifying other superhumans.
He still didn't see how he was classified as an Omega-level threat by the cybiote, but then again, it was from a different reality. Who knows what parallels that universe had with this one. Perhaps he gained more power in that other universe to earn that classification? Who knows. Only time will tell if it ever happens to him. He let out a sigh.
Fury and SHIELD were gone, having cleaned and cleared out in minutes, like they were never there in the first place. They had left him alone in the empty streets of Harlem, amidst all the destruction. He looked at his half destroyed hospital and sighed again. He had some work to do.
– One Month Later –
November 14th, 2001
Retrieve Tony Stark. Those were the three words uttered to him by Nicholas Fury of SHIELD.
After having a full month off to rest physically, and mentally, the team was brought together once more for this mission. This time it was to bring a prodigal son home. All of Fury's other teams had easily been dispatching Ten Rings members, but were no closer to actually locating him. Hence his team.
He didn't know what Barton, Morse, or Masters did during their time-off, but he hoped it helped them relax. Him? He spent the entire month with Laura, catching up on what he missed because of the Hulk mission. Speaking of Banner, the man hasn't transformed once since he started his isolation. He was currently assisting them on this mission by trying to triangulate Stark for them with all of the intel that has been gathered so far.
"Can we turn the radio on?"
Naruto's musing was interrupted by, yet again, Mockingbird. He eyed her through his rear-view mirror. Not much had changed with her after she was given Fury's variation of the serum. Aside from a few superhuman enhancements. She was still the same, and he was glad for that. He let out a sigh. Seeing as this mission was just starting out, and he wasn't irritable unlike the last time she asked this question, he gave her a nod. He slapped her reaching hand away from his radio.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"My car means my radio." he explained. "We're going to listen to what I wanna listen to. That's not a problem for you, is it?" he asked. "Because you can always walk to our destination."
Mockingbird sighed. "Just put on something good."
Naruto nodded, agreeing. "Don't worry. I'll put on something classic."
"Ugh..." She was groaning already.
The blonde rolled his eyes, and jacked in his iPod mini. This particular model wasn't supposed to come out for another three years, but he knew someone at Apple Inc. He got a prototype, and so far he was loving every minute of it. Using the click wheel, he scrolled down to this song of choice.
Sounds of guns, explosions, and rapid speaking was heard throughout the vehicle, and that was when the music began to play. It slowly started with a guitar, then the drums, and lastly the vocals. Clint sent his commander a nod. He knew this song. Apparently, so did Bobbi.
"Metallica huh. Good choice." she commented. "I thought for sure you were going to play some Lionel Richie."
Naruto snorted. "Why? Because we're flying into a war-zone?" She nodded, embarrassed. "You watch to many movies."
Mockingbird shrugged, not going to deny it. "What's our first destination?" interrupted Taskmaster.
"We're going to start at the last known location and go from there."
"So the capital, Kabul."
Naruto nodded slightly. "Just north of the capital actually." he said. "From there, we follow the trail of the Ten Rings, and hopefully it'll lead us to Stark."
Nothing else was said as the three agents under his command digested his words, and mentally began to prepare themselves for this task ahead. And for the possibility that they may end up finding Stark's dead body. The rest of the trip was ridden in silence.
~Three and a Half Weeks Later~
[Anyone have eyes on our target?]
Naruto, Baron, Masters, and Morse were currently in the Badakhshan province, the last stop on their list. Normally, it should take more than three and a half weeks to search half of Afghanistan's thirty-four provinces, but most weren't Naruto Uzumaki. While his team was tasked with searching through the sky with his car, he traversed the land, often speaking with certain locals. It was through this, and some mind walking, that their search time was cut in half.
Of the following twenty locations they'd busted, and eventually burned to the ground, four were dummy locations, fifteen were real, but were only used as weapon depots, and the last was an oddity. It was on the border of Badakhshan and China. The last location was merely a large mountain, with a very large cave mouth, that was blocked by a very, very, large boulder. It was guarded by Shaolin Monks. Or so he initially believed.
A misunderstanding eventually led to a fight between their groups. His team was holding their own, but even he could see it was only a matter of time until their opponents numbers won out. This was despite Bobbi having a few qualities from the super-soldier serum, or Taskmaster's photographic reflexes. He eventually put a stop to the battle, knocking them out with his sharingan. Deciding to find out just who these people were, and how they acquired their strange power, he dove into one of their minds. He had begun to traverse the mind before he was forcefully expelled.
Seeing as that path was closed to him, he instead chose to just ask what they were doing. It worked this time around. Before they had started fighting, he had tried speaking to them, but then things turned a bit sour. One started yelling, pointing his weapon, and before long the others followed suit. The herd mentality was quite annoying. However, now that he had one alone, things went a bit smoother, just a bit.
The man, whom he'd heard being called Nu-An, said they were warriors from K'un-Lun, and their soul reason for guarding the area was to ensure that the jade dragon, Fin Fang Foom, never awoke again. He would have asked the man where this K'un-Lun was located, or how powerful this dragon was, but one look in his eyes told him the man would never answer. He could respect the man and his devotion to his home and mission, so he left it that. However, just because he said that didn't mean SHIELD isn't going to investigate them. He'd phoned Fury as soon as they had left the area.
[Negative.] said three voices over the radio.
The team was currently hitting the last location gathered from their intel. Once they had swept the area of everything, and hopefully found Stark, they were done. If they didn't find their target, well, then they were starting all over again. That being said, yes it was the last spot, but this one felt different when compared to the others. Not only were there more weapon crates, but twice as many men as well.
Naruto suddenly looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun. Judging by it's height, only a few more hours of sunlight were left. He nodded to himself.
[Regroup for the moment.] he ordered.
[What's going on?] inquired Clint.
[I've got a plan.] answered the super-soldier. [Seeing as we've only got three hours of daylight left. I don't see a point in attacking anytime soon.]
[So when do we attack?]
[During the magic hour.]
~A Few Hours Later~
[Everyone in position?]
[Affirmative.]
[Roger.]
[Copy that.]
The super-soldier took a deep breath, and exhaled. [Remember, we've only got a few minutes until the sun begins to rise. Take 'em out quick, and as silently as you can.] he ordered. [In three...two...one…]
The line went dead.
Overlooking the entire camp from his perch, Clint used his sharp eyesight to see exactly what his team was doing. He watched them move with coordinated precision as they methodically began to remove every single member of the Ten Rings.
Hawkeye wasn't present just so he could be their eyes from afar, no, he was here to fight. Normally, a person with his specific set of skills wasn't used to snipe, but then again, most archers weren't him. He never missed a target. Sentry after sentry was taken down by his bow.
'I should get started on my other job.'
Once he was done covering his team, he removed a single arrow from his quiver, he nocked it onto his bowstring, and let it fly. As expected, it hit it's mark. He repeated this process until every single crate of weapons had an arrow sticking out of it. Returning his attention to his team, he noticed that they were about halfway done with eliminating most of the terrorists. His attention diverted to the east. The sun was beginning to rise in the horizon. He tapped his earpiece.
[Sun's beginning to rise in the east.] he informed. [You've got twenty seconds. Make 'em count.]
[Copy that.] They replied.
Once daylight lit up this valley, all of his teammates would be visible, and prime targets for any of the surviving Ten Rings members. Not about to let that happen, he began to eliminate any that came across his vision. Just as he was about to inform his team that the sun was up, he heard gunfire and a lot of screaming. Looking every which way, he couldn't pinpoint where all the chaos was coming from. He tapped his earpiece again.
[Anyone got eyes on what's going on!?]
[Negative.] replied Taskmaster and Mockingbird.
[It's coming from inside the cave.]
Hearing the voice of his commander, he looked to the cave, and was treated to one hell of a sight. Full grown men were running out of the cave, screaming at the top of their lungs, and he honestly couldn't blame them. A streak of fire came out after them. Wondering what was causing it, he soon received his answer. A hefty suit of armor emerged from the mouth of the cave, ruthlessly killing Ten Rings members left and right.
[Any of you seeing what I'm seeing?]
[We can all see it now, Hawkeye.] answered Naruto.
[Oh good. Thought I was going crazy for a second.]
[You're not, but you are the only one who doesn't have their hands full at the moment.] said the super-soldier. [I want you to follow the suit of armor and find out who's controlling it.]
Clint sighed. [Copy that.]
Naruto continued to systematically eliminate any terrorist that attempted to attack him, but he wasn't paying them much attention. He was looking for one specific man amongst this terrorist cell. His name is Raza Hamidmi Al-Wazar, said to be one of the commanders under The Mandarin. He found out the man was here after entering the mind of Abu Bakar, the second-in-command after Raza. He eventually found the man he was looking for at the mouth of the cave, buried under rubble. Checking his pulse, he frowned. The man was dead, and so was a potential lead to his leader. Cursing his luck, he moved on from the man, and started to head further into the cave, to look for Stark, when he received a call.
[Kagebōshi, do you copy?]
[Go ahead Hawkeye.]
[So I found out who was in the armor.]
[Yeah? Who?]
[Our target, Tony Stark.]
Well that certainly worked out in their favor, he was alive, and out of the cave no less.
[Copy that.] he replied. [Secure the area until SHIELD arrives. We'll meet up with you shortly.]
[Roger. Over and out.]
~A Few Minutes Later~
Naruto had wanted to speak with Stark, to see how the man was doing, but didn't get the chance. That and one look at his face told him it would have gone in one ear and out the other. They had all seen the look on his face. He wasn't the same man who had originally came to Afghanistan. Being held prisoner, and to his own weapons no less, was an eye opening experience he would never forget.
While his team was picked up by a SHIELD chopper, Stark was picked up by the Air Force, and by the son of a friend no less, James Rhodes. It felt so long ago now when both he and Terrence first had that conversation about a name for a baby boy he may or may not have. The reason they hadn't all ridden together was due to Fury interfering. Something about having a plan, and Stark being apart of it.
He let out a sigh. He didn't want to think of Fury's plans right now. All he wanted to do right now was the exact same thing his team was doing. Sleeping. He leaned back in his chair, and slowly began to close his eyes. When he opened them again, they would be home.
– Two Months Later –
January 5th, 2002
Naruto was currently in his bedroom watching the television, all the while absentmindedly packing for his trip. Normally, he didn't have all that much time to watch TV, nor did he really want to since there wasn't much on these days, not since one of his favorite shows, 24, had their season finale, but this was different. It involved Stark.
The CEO of Stark Industries was currently holding a live press-conference, detailing what occurred out in Los Angeles just a few weeks ago. How Obadiah Stane, the bad dude, Stark's words not his, was the man responsible for his kidnapping in Afghanistan.
"What do you think he's trying to say, Fury?" Naruto had been speaking to the one-eyed man over the phone since the beginning of the presser.
"Hell if I know." grunted the man, currently on his way to California. "Stark should just stick to the cards that my agents prepared for him."
Returning to the screen, both men watched Stark, and both had seen the moment of clarity shine in his eyes. He looked out at the reporters as he put his cards down.
"The truth is...I am Iron Man."
"Sonuvabitch!"
Naruto actually burst out in laughter, never having seen this coming. "Well, that was certainly ballsy of him."
"I sent those agents there specifically to stop Stark from saying that." he sighed. He could feel a major headache coming.
"If his secret is out, why are you still flying over there for?" The cat was out of the bag as they say.
"Aside from stopping him from saying that, I also planned on having another talk with Stark."
"Oh? What kind of talk?" inquired the blonde.
Fury remained silent for a second. "...I plan on revealing to him that's he's part of a bigger world now, a world he just entered voluntarily."
Ah, now the blonde understood. Well, that was certainly going to be a lengthy conversation. "Go easy on the kid when you get there."
"...I plan to."
Somehow, Naruto didn't quite believe him.
"You know where I'm going, but I don't know where you're going?" questioned Fury.
"I'm going out."
That wasn't what he wanted to hear. The director of SHIELD decided to change topics. "You're going to be sorely missed out in the field."
"Unlikely." said Naruto. "My team can get the job done without me." he reassured. "Hell, all three of 'em can lead a squad of their own if they so choose." He'd trained them like that, giving each member of the team time as squad leader during specific missions.
"I hope you're right." He hung up.
No sooner had he put his personal phone down did the door to his bedroom suddenly blow open, and in barged his four, eventually five, year old daughter, Laura. She had been doing this all day. Coming in unannounced and asking him the same question with a pouty face.
"Do you have to leave again?"
"I'm afraid so sweetie." He didn't like leaving her, again, since lord knows he's done it enough, but he kinda had to this time. A favor was called in for a friend. "A friend of mine is in trouble, and they asked for daddy's help." he explained. "And what do we do when our friends are in trouble?" he asked her.
"We always help a friend in need."
The super-soldier nodded, proud of her. "That's my girl." Naruto pulled her into a hug. "Are you done packing your things? Because the Drew's are on their way to pick you up."
Laura pulled away from her father, her chest puffed out, and smile on her face. "Yep! I'm already done packing all my stuffed animals."
Naruto shook his head and let out a tiny chuckle. "I'll be over in a minute to help you." She shrugged, and left his room.
He was still amazed at just how quickly his daughter was growing up. Though in hindsight, he really shouldn't be, considering what she had flowing in her veins. Speaking of that, while he had seen small snippets of the super-soldier serum, such as her punching harder, or moving faster than a girl her age should, he's yet to see anything from Kaguya's blood manifest. Either she didn't inherit anything, which he highly doubted, or it's yet to awaken. His money was on the latter. Regardless of all that though, he still planned on training her, abilities or no.
Wishing he could stay and continue watching her grow up, he looked down at his plane ticket and let out a sigh. "The things I do for friends." he muttered. "New Mexico, here I come." He eventually left the room to help Laura finishing packing.
End – Chapter Thirteen
Took some liberty with the Hulk origin. I used scenes from the movie, parts of the comic, and added a bit of my own flavor. Honestly speaking, this origin was what was holding the story up. That, and work, plus my laziness, but also the fact that I was fleshing out the time-line I created for this story. Gave Betty Ross a different background as well.
Wanted to give Wendell Rand-K'ai, aka Wendell Rand, a cameo in the K'un-Lun scene, but it just wouldn't have worked, mostly because of the time-line. Instead I went with different characters to cameo, Nu-An and Fin Fang Foom. Though only one of them will make an appearance later on.
For obvious reasons, I couldn't really change much of what makes the two MCU movies used in this chapter different. The only thing I did was tweak them by adding other things to them. Like certain characters, or a cameo here and there, which sets up stuff later on. That is what is going to happen in the next chapter as well. You're going to see most of the movie again, but with a touch from me here and there.
Okay, if you read the message up top, then I am now going to post just what I have added to the first twelve chapters. If you don't want to re-read them to find out, which is fine, then you can read these:
Very has little changed in chapters 1 thru 5; mostly clean-up – grammar, with additional scenes and dialogue added as well. There was only one significant detail altered throughout. It's the relationship between Naruto and Tsunade. In the original, #4, I had him forgive her, and then hook up. That doesn't happen in the re-write. He does forgive her, but they don't hook up. Instead, he begins a relationship with Namora, though that doesn't lead anywhere either. It all comes to a head towards the end of the 5th chapter when he's taken advantage of by Tsunade after he reads some terrible news about Bucky, which is how she now gets pregnant with his child in the re-written version.
Not all that much changed in chapter 6, mostly dialogue and a few added scenes, especially between Naruto and Brünhilde. In the original, Naruto denied her advances, he didn't in the re-write, though no Lemon scene was added(Sorry). Also, the Asgardians are no longer Eternals, but Gods, as are the rest of the pantheons, though extra-dimensional they may be – Used their comic book origins, look it up on the Marvel Database. Reason for doing this was because I have something planned later on that needed them back as Gods.
Chapter 7 – The conversation between Naruto and Death was somewhat the same. He still got marked by her, and Tsunade, with child, still died at the hands of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. He still meets with the Shintō Kami. Still becomes their champion, still gets new clothes along with Adamantium Kōdachi's. The history of the pantheon(Japanese) is still the same, except they're not Eternals, as stated above. Take this next detail as you will. Since he has Kaguya's blood, the blood of a goddess, he is technically a Demigod. Though not a traditional one of course. He is also now related to Amaterasu, Kandakoro, and Izanagi because of Kaguya's blood, along with a few other gods and goddesses.
Chapter 8 stayed mostly the same. Added new characters to the Department K scene – Dr. Dale Rice, Dr. Martin Sutter, and Dr. Adam Harkins. Two will play a role in the future. Brought the Weapon Plus Program into the story, and it's ties to Naruto past. The Wendigo fight was the same with some extra dialogue at the end of the fight. Still meets the Eternals in the Savage Land. He also still gets a coating of Anti-metal for his kusarigama, but also gains new combat gear made of Vibranium, similar to that of what Black Panther wears, as Naruto asked for this from the Eternals as well, seeing as he couldn't get an entire weapon made of Anti-metal.
Not much has changed in chapters 9-12 except for a few things. Introduced a new minor character in chapter 11, who eventually has a son that plays a big role later on, though with a different character that is not Naruto. Naruto still became a Man on the Wall, still fought The Sentry, and won, still watched Adriana, Morita, and Dernier die. Steve was still found by Namor. Sarah Kinney still died, and still gave birth to Laura Kinney. Doctors Martin Sutter and Adam Harkins both played a role in Sarah's death as they both worked for Mr. Sinister. Used them instead of the OC created for that scene in the original chapter. Still fought against The Fury, and won.
REVIEW