our world's about to break
tormented and attacked
Lost from when we wake
with no way to go back
I was standing on my own
but now I'm not alone
( Avengers, assemble ! )
Always we will fight as one
Till the battle's won
with evil on the run
we never come undone
assemble we are strong
forever fight as one
assemble we are strong
forever fight as one
Arcee, Jen, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Songbird and Vision arrived in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum.
" Strange ! Wong ! Open this door ! We need you ! " Pietro yelled, striking the door
The door opened a crack to show Wong, the Asian sorcerer looking more tired than usual. " I am afraid Stephen is resting, Maximoff. We have been through a great ordeal. "
" Well, right now, it's all of New York that is going through a bigger ordeal. So where is he ? " Jen demanded
Footsteps were heard behind Wong and The Supreme sorcerer appeared, looking like he came out of a slumber.
" Wanda, Pietro, Vision, Songbird ? What are you doing here ? " Strange asked
" We need your help, Doctor. We are invaded by Hulk and an army of outer space and, apart from us, everyone has been captured. " Songbird explained
" Hulk ? Invading us ? What would push him to do this ? " Stephen asked, shocked
" You know why : After all, you played a role in his forced exil, like Pym and Richards. " Gammazone responded
" Who are you, young lady ? " Strange asked, confused
" But, you know us. Gammazone and Arcee, we fought alongside you to stop Count Nefaria. " Arcee explained
" Nefaria was free ? I assure you I never met you before today, for Wong and I spent the last six months on a multi-dimensional quest that nearly cost us our life. We only came back two hours ago. " Strange promised
" He's telling the truth, guys. " An horrified Wanda said
A feeling of dread filled the six heroes.
" But, if it wasn't you we met, who was it ? " Jen asked, having a really bad feeling about this.
( meanwhile, with the captured Heroes )
Everyone was watching as Reed and Pym were forced by the obedience disks to fight against each other.
" This is what we lived through on Sakaar, and it made us stronger than ever. Let's see how you all will emerge from it. " Hulk stated
" If you want us to beg, you can forget that, Hulk. " Steve responded
Slow clapping was heard and everyone turned towards the source of the sound.
" Ah, Captain Rogers, how I missed your little speeches of courage. " A man mocked
He was black-haired, had a goatee, and was wearing green robes and cape
" Mordo ?! " The Avengers and Heroes for hire said
" Who is that clown ? " Bulkhead asked
" That's Baron Karl Mordo, Doctor Strange's worst enemy. " White Tiger answered
" I would have never thought our plan would work as good as it had. " Mordo gloated
" You said our plan. Who is your help, this time ? " Ms Marvel asked
Someone emerged from the shadows. A man wearing a green and yellow outfit with a horned helmet.
" Loki !? " Everyone apart from the cybertronians cried
" Yes, my enemies. Do you really think it is a coincidence that the green beast returned when my stupid brother is busy defending Asgard ? " Loki responded " It was I who pushed Odin in the Odinsleep, forcing Thor to come back to his home. I pushed all of Asgard's enemies to war. And it is now I who control the Bifrost. "
" So it was you who manipulated us all. " Pym said
" We manipulated nothing, Pym. I just impersonated Strange while he was on his Travel in the multiverse. You decided on your own to do what you deeply desired. We would have been content to watch all of you destroy each other but Hulk's return is an unexpected boon. " Mordo said
" Oh yeah ? And why should I not smash the two of you ? " Hulk ask
" Because we can give you what you always wanted. " Loki answered
Mordo and Loki then blasted Hulk with magic. He let out a howl, a howl of pain greater than anyone had ever head as green energy covered him completely. The Warbound were quick to raise their weapons and move in but a wave of the hand from Loki held them back.
"What the hell are they doing?" Tony gasped
Reed's face was one of horror. "Oh no…No, he cannot…he must not…"
With a final howl of utter rage and pain, the Hulk threw out his hands and something seemed to exit from his body. The light faded as he collapsed to his knees beside a pale shape lying on the ground. The figure was a small and slight man with dark brown hair and simple purple pants, heaving for breath, his face looking as if it hadn't seen the sun in months.
From his spot among the heroes, Rick Jones felt his jaw drop. "Bruce?" he whispered as he stared at the body of Bruce Banner lying next to the Hulk.
" What have you done ?! " the alarmed T'challa asked
" We gave Banner and Hulk what they always wanted : Be separated from each other. " Mordo sneered
Hulk seemed to have grown in size, his muscles more pronounced as he knelt, his head bowed down. The Warbound were just as jarred as everyone, Elloe slowly moving forward. " Hulk? Hulk, are you all right? "
A wind picked up and blew through the arena as the Hulk slowly rose. He was taller by a few feet, the power seeming to exude from him. But it was his face that got everyone's attention, twisted and dark and showing no sign of humanity whatsoever. "Never better," he said and he smiled, a horrible sight to behold.
"Oh, dear God," Hawkeye said.
Reed swallowed. "He's not Bruce anymore. No remorse, no guilt, no humanity at all."
"He is the World Breaker!" Miek called out. "He is our King forever."
The Hulk looked down at Banner who was staring with shock at his former self. He looked up to Loki and nodded. "So…I'm assuming I'm supposed to feel indebted to you, Puny god? " His voice was rougher than usual and also contained a taste of twisted menace.
Loki smiled. " You can try to attack me if you wishes. But perhaps would be better to simply take your revenge upon those who sent you away and then depart this planet? Great is the universe, a wide array of new worlds that you may make your own."
"And leave you Earth." The Hulk paused and nodded. "Fine, Puny god. Do what you want, waste them all or enslave them." He looked down at the frozen human below him. "Just let me do what I've been wanting to do for years."
The Hulk lifted up a large foot and held it over Banner. " Puny Banner…All that time saying you were the strong one of us…and you're the one who's gonna be turned into mulch. "
But a magical portal appeared and Jen ran out of it and leaped at Hulk, sending the two away.
Strange, Wanda, Songbird, Quicksilver, Arcee and Vision followed her.
( earlier, Sanctum Sanctorum)
" It must have been someone really powerful to replace me and imitate me. " Strange pondered " And I know only one person who know me enough to do this : Baron Mordo. "
" Mordo was dead from the last time we saw him. " Vision said
" That's what we all thought, or hoped. " Wong corrected him.
" And I think it is really weird that Thor needs to defend Asgard when Hulk returns to destroy us all. There must be someone pulling the strings. " Strange added
" We'll think about that later. Right now, we need to save everyone. " Jen said
" You are absolutely right, Miss Darby. " Strange said
He opened a portal and everyone ran through it.
( present Time )
" What !? Strange ?! " Mordo yelled
" Mordo and Loki. I should have known that someone who can influence Odin was behind this. " Strange said, using magical blasts against the two villains.
Loki teleported away and Mordo raised a magical shield.
Quicksilver fought against Miek, Songbird fought No-name, Vision fought Korg, Wanda was fighting Hiroim and Arcee was having her second round with Elloe.
Hulk and Jen were having a rematch, but this time Jen was having an easier time avoiding his blows, for without Banner, Hulk was becoming more of a beast.
" You think you can defeat me, newbie ? " Hulk taunted, throwing another punch
" Without Banner inside you, I have no reason to hold back. " Jen responded, avoiding the punch and throwing an uppercut that sent Hulk flying and crashing on the ground.
Mordo sent a wave of Magic at Strange, sending him back and created a whip that he sent towards June, whom he dragged to him.
He then put an arm around her neck.
" ENOUGH ! " He yelled, magically enhancing his voice, making everyone fighting turn towards him. Loki reappeared, smirking.
" Mom ! " Jen yelled
" Surrender, or she dies. " Mordo threatened them, creating a ball of energy
But June took another pepper spray in her pocket and spread it in Mordo and Loki's eyes, making them yell in pain and threw her on the ground.
" You bitch ! " They yelled before throwing lightning and energy on June, making her yell in pain.
At this moment, Gammazone was filled with rage unlike any she ever felt before. She punched Hulk away, jumped towards Mordo and Loki and punched them away before going towards her mother.
" Mom, don't worry, I'll get you out of here. " Jen said
But June didn't heard her for she was filled with pain unlike anything she felt. She began to grow in size until she reached 6 feet 5, tearing apart her clothes which leaved her only in a black sports bra and black shorts. Her hairs, usually held in a ponytail, grew up to reach her middle back. She also became very curvy and her skin became the same as Red Hulk.
Everyone was shocked by what had happened, but none were more than Jen, who grew angrier than ever.
Something happened to Gammazone too : She grew 12 inches taller and her muscles became way more huge than usual. Her chest began to glow green.
She took a deep breath and roared, before a green beam was shot out of her mouth, and pushed the two villains back.
" The hell was that !? " Luke Cage yell
" Holy shit! Did you see that?! " Wonder man added
" She didn't do that before, did she ? " Starscream asked
" She must have unlocked this because of her anger. " Knockout stated
Jen continued her advance towards Mordo and Loki.
" Enough ! You are all inferior to me ! I am a god, the new all-father, you stupid girl and I will not... " Loki began to yell but he was cut off.
By Gammazone who took him by his leg and slammed him against the ground three times, paused to look at him and slammed him two more times before letting go. Loki laid there, apparently traumatized
" Puny father. " She said before turning towards Mordo
But Hulk came back and punched Gammazone and continued to do it repeatedly.
But June awoke, saw what was happening and she was filled with maternal fury. She jumped towards Hulk and grabbed him by the neck.
" No one hurt my daughter ! " She yelled, dragging him away
But something happened while she was holding onto Hulk : Green energy was coming out of the green goliath and entered June's body, making her grow taller and curvier until she was like her daughter in her normal state but in red by the time Hulk threw her off. Hulk had shrunk back to his form before being separated of Bruce Banner.
" Mordo, what have you two done to June ?! " Arcee yelled, while fighting Elloe
" It wasn't us, machine. " Mordo answered
" This time, he is telling the truth. We saw the bug throw her against a wall at the Triskelion and two vials fell on her. " Iron fist confirmed
" Our gamma samples. " Pym realised " It must have been those of Red Hulk and Jen. "
Just then, as Hulk went to charge at the two, a tentacle was shot in his eyes, blinding him and he was sent away by its owner : a black mass as tall as Hulk, with a white spider symbol on its chest, wide white eyes and a mouth full of very sharp teeth.
" Venom ?! " spiderman said
" Hello Parker. Just to be clear, we are only helping the innocents that Hulk is endangering. " Venom said
" Just like I am. " A powerful voice added before its owner made himself known
A flaming skeleton wearing a biker outfit.
" Ghost Rider. " Captain America said
At this moment, the skies overhead filled with dark clouds. The winds howled with the fury of a hurricane, typhoon and tornado combined, ripping guns out of hands and blowing aliens back. Lightning struck downward to blast sections of the arena and send more alien troops flying back to avoid the blasts. More lightning struck the Stone Ship overhead, pieces of its hull flying in all directions. Yet despite its fury, the storm did not appear to overly affect the buildings of the city, as if localized over the Garden itself.
Everyone turned towards Storm.
" What ? It's not me. " She said
" But if it's not you, then... " Hawkeye said, before a huge smile appeared on his face
" The Hulk was frowning when something streaked downward and smashed into his jaw, knocking him away from the ten fighters of Earth still standing. Loki was stunned at the sight, his eyes focusing on the object that flew away from the hulk: a piece of stone attached to a mallet.
"No ," he whispered, his face and Mordo's going pale. "It cannot be….no…no…NO!"
" YES ! " A very powerful voice responded
A flash of lightning illuminated the shadow of a figure hovering above the Garden. All could see the muscular body and the cape flowing behind him. Then the lightning faded to reveal the face and body. The body was clad in a very familiar armor.
The blond hair whipped around it, the handsome features in a stern expression as he held his hammer in his hands, the mallet crackling with energy. His eyes flashed with anger, with power, with regal majesty no clone or android or combination of the above could possibly duplicate. There was no mistaking this was the real man as his eyes fixed upon the army of invaders.
The relief of having the prince of Asgard back made Jen came back in her 7 feet 3 height.
" Ah-ha-ha! You guys are so screwed now! " Ant-man yelled
And if the fearful expressions on Korg's and Elloe's faces were any indication, they knew it too.
Thor directed lightning towards the obedience disks on everyone and destroyed them.
" AVENGERS, ASSEMBLE ! " He yelled
Phew, another intense chapter. Strange being innocent in this mess, Loki and Mordo, June becoming like Red She-Hulk, Jen's New power and Thor's return.
Next Time : The final battle against Hulk and a travel to Asgard.