Chapter Seventeen
For the first time in hours, the Brood weren't devoting all of their energy to attacking the group of heroes. Some of them had actually started to scatter as the natural, instinctive panic set in that always occurred in the presence of Galactus, when the inhabitants of a planet began to sense their own impending doom.
Many of the creatures, however, still had some fight in them. Especially the green, mutated, Hulked-out ones. A Brood the size of a Buick lunged at Cap, who reared back and delivered a crushing blow to the creature's face with his bare fist. It was enough to stun the beast for a moment, and then Cap followed through with his shield, decapitating the vile thing in one swoop.
"All right, troops!" Cap bellowed. "Fall back!"
"What!" the Madroxes cried in unison.
Cap winced. "Damn it, Jamie, don't say anything! When all of you talk at once like that, the sound is deafening! Just try to start pulling yourself together, if you even still can! We won't be able to take all of you back through the portal, start decreasing your numbers, NOW, soldier!"
The Madroxes slowly started merging with each other, but it was an almost futile endeavor. More multiples were still being created every second, as more Madroxes were being knocked around by the Brood. For every dozen Madroxes that managed to merge themselves together, it seemed that a hundred more were being created somewhere else.
"What do we do about Banner, Cap?" Namor cried, trying with all his might just to keep fighting.
"Magneto," Cap yelled. "Do you think you can immobilize the Hulk? Tear up some more of the ground, and encase him in it, like a shell, so we can bring him back to Earth?"
"I don't know," Erik called back, still soaring above them. "The creature's rage is still so intense... it will take a tremendous effort for me to keep him contained. I'm not sure I have the strength."
Just then, Erik heard a voice in his mind. It was the voice of his old friend, Charles Xavier. I will help you, Erik, Charles said. I heard you calling for help a moment ago. It is not easy for me to reach across such a great distance, but I have been trying to read Banner's mind... he is filled with a greater rage than ever before, his mind poisoned by Mephisto. I am trying to calm him down, to get him to revert back to human form, but it is proving to be very difficult. Right now his rage is fixated on Logan. Get the two of them to stop fighting, so that I can try to calm him.
"Logan!" Magneto yelled. "Stop fighting with the Hulk! We need him to calm down so that he will revert back to Banner!"
But his words fell on deaf ears. If the Hulk's rage was fixated on Logan, then Logan's rage was just as fixated on the Hulk. The two old rivals had reached a primal, animalistic state and were going at each other with an inhuman frenzy, tearing, smashing, clawing, biting. They were both covered in blood and were sporting wounds that their overtaxed healing factors just couldn't keep up with. The Brood warriors were now staying clear of the violent mess that was the Hulk/Logan fight, since so many of them had been crushed and killed beneath the fury of the two combatants.
"I'll see if I can break them up," Namor said.
"Don't bother, Namor," Erik replied. "Besides, you'd probably get yourself killed." With another gesture of his hand, Erik locked onto the metal that lined Wolverine's bones, and lifted him into the air, away from the Hulk.
Wolverine thrashed around in the air as Magneto held him, suspended high above the confused Hulk below. Logan spat and swore and slashed at the air.
"Be quiet," Erik said, trying to hide a slight grin at the sight of his old enemy thrashing about like a madman. "Or I'll rip out your adamantium again." With that, he casually waved his hand from right to left, and sent Logan flying a good mile away from the Hulk.
Go ahead, Charles, Erik thought. Bring Bruce Banner back to us.
The caves beneath the surface of the planet were now completely ablaze. Ghost Rider stepped through the flames, dragging his chain behind him. Mephisto lay on the ground, having been knocked off his feet by Ghost Rider's last blow.
"Ketch," Mephisto hissed. "You know who is here. You can feel his presence as well as I can. The Devourer of Worlds. We must leave."
"I thought you didn't fear death, Devil?" Ghost Rider laughed. "Or aren't you sure what will happen to you if you're on this planet when he feasts on it? What Hell does the Devil go to when he dies? Let's find out."
Mephisto sprang to his feet, lunging at Ghost Rider. He shoved him off the ledge that they currently occupied, and Ghost Rider landed with a thud on the level beneath them. Mephisto snapped his fingers, and two of the green Brood pounced on Ghost Rider, their teeth digging into his arms.
"Thought you were going to leave them out of this, Mephisto?" Ghost Rider said, struggling to break free of their grip.
"You surprised me, Ketch, I must admit. You were a worthy adversary after all, and your power actually rivaled my own. I had not expected that. However, I know when to make my exit. I wanted your soul, and it looks like I'll get it anyway. You can stay here on this damned planet while Galactus feeds on it, and I'll see you in Hell soon enough."
Mephisto turned and walked away, the sound of his laughter echoing throughout the flaming cave.
