KellHound270's Work

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It's back!

Special thanks to Wolf Mike for providing a list of Monarch Outposts. I really appreciate it! Of course, it will be a while before you will hear about them, but it won't take long!

Not to mention that there will be another Titan in another location. Here's a small hint; in Hindu myth, Mayura was created from the feather of another mythical bird.

Enjoy, and please R&R!

Chapter XVII

Serizawa leaned against the railing of the Saratoga. He was due to fly to the Navy camp in the Sequoia Forest in a few minutes, but he needed a moment to get a handle on what was happening.

Jon had been missing since yesterday, when Mayura attacked the Phillips. He suspected that Jon had gone to parasitize Mayura and Bakunawa. Serizawa had no idea where his friend was now, and it worried him.

His worrying, however, was interrupted by a loud slam behind him. He turned to find a woman laying on the ground, curled into the fetal position. Serizawa, upon seeing the woman, was distracted by another slam right behind him. He turned around to see a horrific creature.

It had a similar body design to the European wyvern, but it had a much shorter neck. It was covered in dark blue scales, with a pair of mandibles flanking its mouth, and a white covering of bone on its head. It had large membranous wings on its arms, shrouded in a light covering of silvery feathers. Its tail was long and covered in silvery translucent quills.

"HYDRA is still alive," the monster said in a growling voice. "Their leader, Wolfgang von Strucker, is here, and he means to enslave them."

Serizawa was frozen in fear, until the beast's appearance melted away and revealed a familiar human.

"Jon?" the doctor asked.

"Hey, Ishiro," the man replied. "Sorry I left. Had to 'refresh' myself, and I found some agents. She's the only survivor."

"We better tell Fury and the Admiral." Serizawa helped Jon walk into the ship. "And you need clothes."

The Avengers had their hands full, trying to slow Leviathan down, or divert it long enough for the plant to shut completely. They managed to distract it, but Leviathan was so powerful, it only saw the Avengers as pests, and it intended to crush them.

Leviathan sprayed its boiling water attack at Iron Man, continuing its attack to try and divert Iron Patriot, Falcon, and Thor. Thor used his lightning attack to evaporate the water and send electricity directly into Leviathan's body. Leviathan screamed in pain and swiped his tail at the God of Thunder. Thor dodged easily and threw Mjonir at Leviathan's head, causing another scream.

An explosion racked Leviathan's shoulder, causing no visible damage but causing visible pain. Hawkeye readied another arrow, while Black Widow pulled out a hand grenade. As they aimed, Captain America threw his shield at Leviathan's head, striking its cheek with a loud ringing clang. Leviathan, seeing its attacker, lunged at Rogers. Cap recovered his shield in time to wedge it between its jaws, keeping its mouth open just enough to keep it from crushing him.

"Ugh, I need a shower after this," he muttered.

He was rescued when the Hulk finally intervened and pried Leviathan's jaws apart. Cap crawled out from between the beast's teeth.

"Thanks, big guy," he said to the Hulk, who only grunted in response.

Once the Captain was clear, Hulk let go of Leviathan's jaws, instead crawling to its eye socket. He didn't bother to stare at its eye, just punching it. Leviathan screamed and slapped at the Hulk with its tail. Hulk simply grabbed its tail and held on to the rim of its eye socket, causing Leviathan to remain in a doughnut shape, as moving any more would cause it more pain.

Seeing its immobility, Stark launched a rocket into Leviathan's gills. The resulting explosion caused an ear-splitting scream, fire from the explosion pouring out of Leviathan's mouth and gills. Leviathan drooled blood from the wounds, but the fluids became clear and steaming within a minute.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., are you seeing this?" Tony asked.

"I am," he replied. "It seems that Leviathan used its boiling water attack to cauterize its burns."

Leviathan looked at Stark, its burns evident from within its mouth and gills. It was clear that the giant snake was extremely pissed off.

Its water reserves drained, Leviathan instead used its tail, which Hulk had released in the explosion, to smack Iron Man. Iron Patriot fired his shoulder-mounted machine gun at Leviathan's leg, doing nothing to prevent it from slamming its tail into him. Hulk crawled to the top of Leviathan's head before smashing at its skull. Leviathan retaliated with its tail, sending Hulk through a nearby building. Leviathan acted proactively and smashed Thor into the pavement.

"Guys we better retreat," Black Widow warned. "Leviathan isn't going to cool down."

"We retreat, and the city is as good as gone," Tony said, recovering from the attack. "We have to slow him down."

Leviathan, hearing Iron Man, smacked him again, all but burying him in the rubble.

"Rhodes, grab Stark," Captain America ordered. "Thor, Sam, think you can last a little longer?"

"I got a little fight left," Thor replied.

"Same here," Falcon added.

"OK, we just need a distraction." Cap turned to Widow. "Ready to try out the Lullaby?"

"I'll try," she replied.

"Can I help?" a deep, growling voice asked.

Cap turned to see a humanoid creature, covered in dark-blue scales on its body and a bony sheath over its head.

"Jon?" Cap inquired.

"Yep." The bony sheath retracted, revealing an almost human face. "I can't do much against Leviathan, but I'll do what I can."

"OK. Try to help Thor and Falcon. Nat's gonna try and change Banner back, and the rest of us are retreating."

"Got it."

Jon's bony sheath returned and he extended his arms, unfurling a pair of wings as he flew off.

"Well, that's something I didn't anticipate," Cap said.

"None of us anticipated any of this, Cap," Nat replied. "Best you don't assume anything."

"We got ahold of Jon's relatives," Fury said. "His niece's daughter will let him and Maigo stay with her."

"Why does he see the need to take care of her, anyway?" Stenz asked.

"When he was in his twenties," Serizawa recounted, "Jon was dumped with his own daughter by his former girlfriend. He did everything in his power to keep her alive. He almost quit Monarch because of her."

"What happened to her?"

"He raised her to age 10. She disappeared when she went to school one day. No trace of her was found. Jon was on the brink of suicide."

"Damn," Fury exclaimed.

"What got him out?" Stenz asked.

"The discovery of Mayura," Serizawa replied. "He had a fascination with myths and legends since he was seventeen, and he had a special interest with mythical birds, like the Phoenix and the Roc."

"And Mayura," Fury added.

Serizawa nodded grimly. It was painful to remember his friend's trials.

"Sir!" a soldier called out. "We have the World Defense Council on the line."

Stenz sighed. He wasn't looking forward to talking to them, especially when he heard that the new Councilmen are complete hardasses.

"Ready, Fury?" he asked.

"I'll sit it out," he replied. "They think I'm dead, and it's best it stays that way."

Stenz nodded, and gestured to Serizawa to join him. Stenz turned on the communication interface, now 'face-to-face' with the World Defense Council.

"Good day, gentlemen," he greeted, "and lady. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We have been briefed about these 'M.U.T.O.s,' Admiral," one Councilman, an elderly, balding British man said. "We have decided to order a nuclear strike on San Francisco."

"That would be a mistake, Councilmen," Serizawa said. "These creatures feed on radiation. You fire that warhead, worst case scenario, you make them angry, and they'll destroy the entire city."

"And what is the best case scenario?" another Councilman, a middle-aged Canadian, asked.

"They simply become stronger."

"And you're willing to take this chance, Admiral?" the third Councilman, a former American senator, inquired.

"Considering the circumstances, Councilmen?" Stenz looked briefly at Serizawa. "Yes. It's our only viable option."

"My apologies, Admiral, but we have already sent a nuke." The Canadian Councilman had an apologetic face. "It's being sent in by train. Safer that way."

"Well, Councilmen, if that will be all?" Stenz gave them a salute.

"Godspeed, Admiral." The Council faded from view.

"This is really bad," Fury remarked.

"Yeah. Hopefully, they get wise, and Mayura will catch it in midair."

"May not come to that, Admiral," a soldier said. "Satellite tracking found Mayura flying over one of the railroads running into San Francisco. We also found the warhead that's being brought in from out of state. It's the same rail."

Stenz nodded and looked at Serizawa, who had walked out to the balcony. He stood next to him.

"This alpha predator of yours, doc," he said. "Think he has a chance?"

"The arrogance of man is thinking Nature is in our control," Serizawa replied. "And not the other way around."

Serizawa nodded slightly, displaying his confidence in Gojira.

"Let them fight."