Chapter 30: Gamma World
In the city of Las Vegas, people were bustling about, carrying on with their everyday lives. Just then, some looked up and saw a massive bubble of green energy expanding around them. The citizens screamed out in horror as they tried to run from it, but they were quickly overtaken. Once they were swallowed by the dome, everyone began transforming, ripping through their clothes as they became mindless, gamma monsters.
Inside one casino though, as patrons were running out, one elderly man sat at his slot machine, placing in coin after coin, hoping for a payoff.
"Hey, where's everybody going?" He asked. "These things are practically giving money away."
…
After his meet up with Yuri in Russia, Clint decided that continuing his search for Natasha would be a futile one, and decided to convene with the Avengers. After failing to get in contact with them, he'd put in a call to Fury, learning about the Cube and the incident occurring. He took off in the Quinjet towards the prison, his mind on a million things at once.
What was Nat's deal with the Winter Soldier? Why did she block him out? What had she gotten herself into to the point she had to hide it from everyone?
Despite all this, Clint knew he had no time to worry about it now. Something told him that this Cube deal was going to require his full and undivided attention.
…
Back at the Cube, the last of the supervillains were being loaded onto a S.H.I.E.L.D. jet, with the Avengers looking on in a pleased demeanor.
"So no Leader," Iron Man admitted. "But still. Nine gamma villains in one night? We're on a good pace."
"All in a day's work, I guess." Wasp quipped.
That's when Spidey suddenly shot up.
"Uh, guys?" he let out. "My spidey sense is tingling like crazy!"
Just then, a mass of gamma radiation moved straight towards them from the town. Before anyone could react, it washed over them, causing them all to revert to their gamma irradiated selves. Wasp and Ant-Man became insect like once more. Panther became a humanoid panther with vibranium claws. Spider-Man began to convulse, two sets of hairy legs sprouting from his ribs and large, bulbous eyes emerging from his skull. Iron Man fused with his armor, becoming an abomination of man and machine. Finally, Rick reverted back to his blue form, looking at his hands in confusion and disgust.
"Oh shit..." he cursed.
The only ones who remained unaffected were Hulk, Samson, Thor, and surprisingly Wolverine.
"What the hell?" Wolverine let out.
"I don't understand." Thor said, confused. "We destroyed the Leader's machine."
"Guess he had a back up plan." Wolverine responded, extending his claws.
"We really should have seen that coming." Rick lamented. "I mean, his back-up plans have back-up plans."
"Makes it really hard to smash!" Hulk added, punching an oncoming gamma monster.
The five fended off the transformed Avengers, trying their best not to hurt them.
"Remember, your friends are still in there!" Samson warned. "So try not to kill them!"
"I doubt the feelings mutual, Doc!" Wolverine called back, holding back the mutated Spider-Man.
"Avengers!" Thor cried out, batting another gamma monster aside. "Remember who you are!"
That's when a mutated Panther took a swipe at him, scratching deep gashes into his armor.
"I don't think they're in a listening mood." Wolverine deduced, kicking the mutated Spider-Man away, only to get attacked from behind by the mutated Cap.
"Wolverine!" Thor let out, trying to run over to him.
Before he could reach him however, he got blasted in the face by Wasp, and tackled to the ground by Ant-Man.
"Hulk! Rick! Get out of here!" Thor told them.
"What about you?!" Rick questioned.
"Just go, kid!" Wolverine snapped, just barely holding back Cap. "Right now, you two are the only ones who stand a chance of beating the Leader! Now go!"
After standing in hesitation for a second, Rick nodded as he and Hulk took off, jumping into the air and disappearing. Seconds later, Wolverine was brought to the ground by Cap, landing right next to Thor. the two heroes slowly looked up at the monsters that were once their friends standing over them. Cap and Iron Man stepped forward and punched the two heroes, knocking them out.
…
With Rick and Hulk, the two landed clear on the other end of the desert, the former shaking somewhat.
"Wow, that is a lot different when you're the one doing the jumping." He commented.
"Glad you're enjoying yourself." Hulk told him. "But we still need to find a way to help our friends."
"Yeah, but how the hell are we gonna do that?" Rick questioned. "I mean, our usual strategy of 'you distract, I sneak around' won't exactly work with me like this. Plus, we have no idea where to start looking for Leader's other dome generator."
"And our entire team is either Leader's stooge or his prisoner." Hulk added.
Just then, the sounds of a jet echoed across the desert. The two looked up and saw the Quinjet flying in and landing near them.
"Not all of them." Rick replied, running up to where it was landing. "Hawkeye! Whatever you do, do not open the Quinjet!"
Clint looked out the window and saw Hulk and Rick standing there. However, because of Rick's gamma irradiated form, he didn't recognize him.
"What the hell?" He let out, about to open the bay door.
Suddenly, he got a call on his ID card from Hulk. Curious as to why he'd call from right outside, he answered.
"Hulk, what's going on?" Clint asked. "And who's your new friend?"
"It's Rick." Hulk answered. "Open that door, and you'll be as handsome as he is."
"I'm standing right here, big guy!" Rick snapped.
"I'm guessing this has something to do with the situation at the cube?" Hawkeye deduced.
"Yeah." Hulk answered. "Leader's got this dome set up, turning everyone into monsters like me."
"Unfortunately, not all of them have Hulk's, or my, ability to think clearly." Rick added. "The entire team has basically become Earth's Mightiest Monsters."
"Well that's just peachy." Hawkeye remarked, slumping in his chair. "Well what are we gonna do? I can't stay in the jet forever."
"And this dome can't go on forever." Rick guessed. "Maybe if we find the edge, we can regroup and figure out a plan. And we better get out of this dome and fast. The longer the team's exposed, the less chance they have of returning to normal."
"Then let's get doing!" Clint declared.
Clint reactivated the jet and took off, the two hulked out heroes grabbing onto the landing gear as it took off.
…
Inside the city, Wolverine, Thor, and an unconscious Samson were dropped at the feet of the Leader, who was sitting at a command console atop a metal column. The two Avengers slowly pulled themselves to their feet, looking up at the Leader.
"Well, well." Leader let out. "Out of all the Avengers present at the Cube, it's the mutant and the Asgardian that managed to survive my Gamma Dome. One can only wonder why."
"Got a hell of a healing factor." Wolverine told him. "As for blondie, he's just special that way.
"Mortal science has no effect on an Asgardian." Thor declared.
"So I see." Leader observed. "Well if I can't have you as part of my army, I can always make use of you as entertainment."
"I ain't gonna be your plaything, pal." Wolverine told him.
Leader laughed, tilting his head back as he did.
"My dear boy, what makes you think you have a choice?" he cackled. "Abomination!"
Before either Avenger could react, Abomination came seemingly out of nowhere and tackled them both. He tossed Wolverine aside and began wailing on Thor. As Abomination continued to pound on Thor, Wolverine got back up and leapt onto Abominations back, slashing at him with his claws.
"Cute." Abomination jeered as he took the blows, his gamma enhancer making him nearly invincible.
He grabbed Wolverine from behind and swung him at Thor, knocking the Asgardian back. He then slammed Wolverine into the ground repeatedly, cratering him every time. Once he grew bored of the mutant, he cast him aside and turned back to Thor, barraling straight towards him.
…
It took awhile to get clear of the dome, especially since its expansion rate had increased exponentially. Upon leaving the irradiated atmosphere, Rick had transformed back into human, Hulk grabbing him before he fell. They flew a little longer before landing in a forested area in Colorado.
"That should buy us an hour or two." Clint reported. "Gotta land this bird, so hop off."
Hulk let go and landed in a small lake as Clint landed the Quinjet. He and Rick surfaces as the archer descended, carrying two towels.
"Here, you might need these." Clint remarked, tossing them the towels.
The two took the towels, drying themselves off. Rick used his to cover his modesty.
"Man, I forgot how easily gamma creatures go through pants." Rick muttered.
"Comes with the territory." Hulk told him.
"We'll talk to Stark about stretchy pants later." Clint told them. "Right now, we need to figure out a plan on how to breach the dome without me losing my mind."
"Big guy, I hate to admit it, but we don't need Hulk right now." Rick told Hulk. "We need Dr. Banner."
Hulk snorted.
"Not happening." he insisted.
"What?!" Rick let out. "Hulk, you can't be serious!"
"I can smash the Leader myself." Hulk told them. "Just brought you out of the barrier so you'd be safe."
He shoved Rick towards Hawkeye, knocking the two together.
"Get him out of here." he ordered. "I'll deal with Leader."
"Alright that's it!. Clint cried out, stepping towards Hulk. "Listen here, Jade Jaw! I just spent the last few weeks searching in vain for my partner! The Avengers are all I got right now, and I'm not gonna leave them in there! So either you give me Bruce Banner in the next three seconds, or bottom line, I will take you down."
Rick braced himself for the inevitable fight, but much to his surprise, Hulk just busted out into laughter. He slapped a boulder hard enough to crack it, then his form began to shrink. Rick's jaw dropped as Bruce slowly came out, still laughing as he tried to regain his composure.
"I'm sorry." he apologized in between gasps and chuckles. "Give me a minute. That was… unexpected."
"Wow..." Rick let out. "Haven't seen that happen since Spidey told him a knock-knock joke."
"Eh, it's a talent." Clint remarked. "You ok, Banner?"
"Yeah… just a little dizzy." Banner reported. "He hasn't let me out in weeks."
Rick quickly went to his side, helping to stabilize him.
"You caught up on everything, Bruce?" Rick asked.
"I get the general idea." Bruce replied. "And I think I have an idea."
"What do you need?" Clint questioned.
…
In a nearby cabin that was covered in snow, the three gathered inside. Rick immediately started a fire in the fireplace, raiding a large chest for clothes for both himself and Banner. Clint looked around the cabin, seeing the scientific equipment, as well as the stockpile of canned and non-perishable goods.
"What is this place?" he asked.
"One of the many places that we hid out in during our fugitive days." Rick explained. "Were able to hunker down here for a whoppin three months before Ross found us."
"Once of the many places I tried to cure the Hulk," Bruce continued. "In vain of course. Though one of my attempts maybe just what we need."
Bruce then opened up a cabinet containing a vial with a yellow serum inside. He grabbed it, fishing around for a syringe as Clint glanced at the concoction.
"That one of those cure attempts?" Clint asked.
"Yup." Bruce confirmed before straight up injecting it into Clint, who yelped in response.
"Ow! What the hell?" Clint replied.
"It should protect you from the Leaders gamma dome." Bruce explained.
"Should?" Clint repeated skeptically.
"Look, we don't exactly have time for a field test." Rick interjected. "We need to get back to Vegas and stop the Leader."
"Then let's get back to the Quinjet." Clint insisted.
"We're not taking the jet." Banner replied, his eyes flashing green.
In an instant, Bruce transformed into the Hulk and picked up Clint and Rick before leaping through the roof and towards Vegas and the Leader.
…
Back with Wolverine and Thor, the two were still getting the snot beaten out of them. Abomination refused to let up as he slammed the two into a wall. As he let go, the two dropped to the ground with a thud. Thor then began to pick himself back up and turned towards Leader.
"You call yourself Leader?" Thor spoke. "What gives you the right to lead? You hide behind trickery and the strength of others! You are nothing but a coward and a fiend!"
The Leader sneered in contempt, looking down at the Asgardian.
"You dare insult me!" Leader replied. "You want know what gives me the right to lead? I am the greatest scientific mind on this planet. My brain processes information on a level normal humans can't even begin to comprehend! I am the only being that can see what this pathetic species needs to survive!"
"You… are a fool." Thor commented.
"Why?" Leader asked. "Because I see a clearer vision for the future of this world?"
"For talking too much." Thor remarked.
Just then, lightning started striking in the sky. A fast moving object sped its way through the streets of the city outside before heading straight for the building, crashing through the window, hitting Abomination in the face, and returning to Thor's hand, revealing it to be his hammer.
"Your rule is at an end, villain." Thor told him. "And it wasn't short enough."
Just then, a strange megal liquid rose up from the floor, surrounding Thor, much to his surprise and Leader's delight.
"A fool, am I?" Leader replied. "I knew you would retrieve your hammer eventually. I let you do it."
The liquid then solidified itself into a bald man in a white wife beater and striped pants, holding a hand to Thor's hammer. His hand soon shimmered until it began becoming the same metal Mjolnir was made of. The process spread over his entire body.
"Hi ya pal." he greeted. "Why don't I show you why they call me the Absorbing Man?"
His body then began to course with electricity, causing trepidation in the god of thunder.
"Nay…" Thor let out.
"You ask what right I have to lead?" Leader asked. "For one, there's no one to stop me."
Absorbing Man then formed his hands into hammers before using them to knock Thor out a window. He leapt out after, leaving Wolverine alone with Leader and Abomination.
"Hey bub, don't tell me you forgot about me." Wolverine jeered.
Abomination just grinned, cracking his knuckles.
"Your healing factor may make you difficult to kill," Leader conceded. "But I look forward to see how much punishment you can take."
Abomination charged at Wolverine again, who leapt into the air and kicked him across the face. As he landed, he slashed at the monsters legs, causing him to growl in responde. He tried to bring his fist down on him, but Wolverine just backflipped out of the way.
"Your fight is futile, mutant." Leader told him. "In roughly 24 hours, the entire planet will be consumed by my gamma dome. And everyone that has been affected will be mine to control."
"Not everyone!" Rick's voice suddenly shouted.
Just then, part of the floor exploded, and Hulk, Rick, and Hawkeye leapt up through the hole.
"Leader." Hulk spat. "Long time no punch."
"Ah, my old nemesis, we meet again." Leader recognized. "Though I'm surprised you're here under such violent circumstances."
"Why now?" Hulk asked.
"Look around you!" Leader let out. "The world that once feared you, shunned you, hunted you, will soon be you. Everyone that tried to lock you up and kill you will soon bow down before you. You would be a king among monsters. Are you really going to stop that?"
"No, not stop you…" Hulk answered. "Smash you!"
"Besides, we owe you big time for all those times you used me against the Big Guy." Rick agreed, cracking his knuckles.
"Ah, Mr. Jones." Leader spoke again. "I see you have taken to a much more beastial form. In fact, I wouldn't mind making this change permanent."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Rick replied. "Still, I suppose I should thank you. Now I get to do some smashing!"
"So be it." Leader relented. "Abomination!"
Abomination charged forward at the two gamma monsters, intent on taking them out. Rick and Hulk quickly uppercut Abomination, sending him flying through the roof. The two followed after, leaving Wolverine and Hawkeye alone with the Leader.
"What took you so long?" Wolverine quipped, glancing over at Clint.
"Had a lot of ground to cover." Hawkeye replied. "Now let's take cucumber head down."
"Fortunately, I am not alone." Leader told him.
One by one, the mutated Avengers came out of the shadows, each one of them eying the two heroes down. Clint looked them over, wordlessly notching an arrow.
"Well this is gonna be fun." Wolverine remarked. "Don't you suppose you have an arrow for this one?"
"As a matter of fact, yes." Hawkeye remarked, firing his arrow at Ant-Man.
As the arrow made contact, Ant-Man dropped to the ground and began demutating to his human form. Wolverine was honestly surprised by the sudden change.
"What was-?"
"Something Dr. Banner cooked up." he answered. "Now unsheath your claws."
Wolverine did as he was asked and leapt towards the mutated Cap. He put him in a choke hold, which distracted him long enough for Hawkeye to shoot him with an arrow. It struck him right in the head, turning him back to normal. As Wolverine landed on the ground, he quickly spun around and kicked an oncoming Wasp in the face.
"Easy Logan." Hawkeye warned as he shot Wasp. "We're trying NOT to hurt them."
"Might wanna tell them that!" Wolverine called back.
Just then, Spider-Man tackled him to the ground, trying to take a bite out of him with his mandibles. Wolverine held an arm to his throat to prevent him from biting him.
"Any! Time! Now!" Wolverine cried out.
Hawkeye shot at Spidey, striking the kid in the ribs. His spidery features retracted and he slowly returned to normal.
"Ugh… Don't eat the meatloaf Gwen." he muttered deliriously. "It's gone bad..."
Wolverine just groaned as he shoved Spidey off of him, only to come face to face with Tony and Panther.
"Oh great." he muttered before cracking his neck. "So… who wants to go first?"
Panther charged out first, tackling Wolverine as the two wrestled on the ground. Wolverine managed to get the upper hand and kicked Panther into a wall. Hawkeye fired another arrow, making direct contact. Pather's feline features faded away as his more regal and king like form returned.
"What happened?" he questioned.
"No time, just move!" Hawkeye shouted.
"Just got Stark left." Wolverine reminded.
"Just give me a clear shot." Hawkeye told him.
Tony let out a roar that almost sounded technological before firing twin repulsor blasts at the archer, causing him to roll out of the way. He then notched three arrows in his bow before firing them. Tony shot down two of the arrow before the third collided with his arc reactor. Ever so slowly, the metal jutting from his skin began falling away, leaving him human once more, and in his underwear.
"What else ya got?" Hawkeye challenged, turning to Leader with a smug grin.
"Well, since you're so inquisitive." Leader replied before pressing a button in his console.
His command pillar then sprouted arms and legs as a glass dome formed around him. The pillar, now more of a battle mech, shuffled forward. The two heroes backed away in trepidation.
"You had to ask." Logan reprimanded.
…
Down below in the streets, Absorbing Man continued to wail on Thor repeatedly with his hammer hands. The Asgardian was forced farther and farther back, unable to do more than take the blows.
"Fight back!" Absorbing Man demanded. "You coward!"
"I am not afraid." Thor told him before getting hit again. "I am merely… concentrating."
Enraged, Absorbing Man yelled in a rage before charging forward. As he swung a hammer hand at him, the blow stopped mid strike. He tried to move his hand, but he was unable to even twitch.
"What the hell?!" He let out.
Thor got to his feet, holding out his hand like he would summoning Mjolnir.
"You were a fool to take of the form of Mjolnir." Thor told him. "Its power is not yours to command! It is mine!"
With that, Thor used his control over him to lift him further and further up into the air.
…
Back with Hulk and Rick, the two proved to be an effective tag team against the Abomination. While he was increased in strength by the Leader's tech, Hulk had more experience with his form, and Rick still had his sanity, leaving Abomination in the dust. The two kept dealing out one punch to him after another, barely giving him a chance to react.
"How is this possible?!" Abomination let out. "I'm stronger, smarter, more skilled in every way!"
"That's because I've got something you don't." Hulk told him. "Backup."
With that, Rick ran forward and punched Abomination in the chest, ripping off the gamma enhancer he had. Abomination backed up in pain as his form shrunk slightly, disoriented for a few precious seconds. As he regained his composure, he was greeted by a double fist punch to the face. The combo sent him flying through the Nevada sky, where he would land was unknown to both of them.
"Damn that felt good." Rick said happily
"Nice work back there." Hulk complimented.
"Yeah, felt like a regular A-Bomb back there." Rick commented.
Just then, part of the roof blew up, allowing Wolverine and Hawkeye to leap of with the Leaders mech following after them, shooting all the way.
"Still one more to smash." Hulk said, turning to Rick with a grin. "Ready, 'A-Bomb'?"
Rick returned the grin.
"Like you even have to ask."
The two then charged towards the Leader, who turned to see them and smirked.
"Two more imbeciles to put in their place." He declared. "A pity. You would have enjoyed my new world."
"Heh, any world ruled by you can't be that great!" Rick threw back.
"What he said!" Hulk agreed.
Leader continued to shoot at the four heroes, all of whom were dodging the blasts and, in Hawkeyes case, returning fire in kind.
"You know, for such a smart guy, you sure are a lousy shot!" Hawkeye threw out.
"Do not think for a second that you four have even the slightest chance of defeating me!" Leader declared in a rage. "I have already calculated over a thousand ways to destroy you!"
"Calculate this!" Rick shouted
Rick then punched one of Leader's legs, causing him to stumble a bit. He then jumped up, slamming the gamma enhancer right into the center of the Leader's control console. Everything began sparking with green energy, the machine going haywire.
"What?" The Leader let out, his eyes going wide. "No! What have you done?!"
"Taken you down a peg!" Rick declared.
The Leader used one of the Mech's arms to grab Rick and slam him into the ground, its blaster ready to fire at his head.
"Finally, after so long, I can finally be rid of this annoying pest!" Leader declared.
"Hurt him, and I tear your head off!" Hulk threatened.
"Take one step towards me, and not even his new form with save his worthless life!" Leader promised.
Just then, something appeared in the reflection of his dome. He looked up to see Absorbing Man flying towards him at incredible speeds. The bald man was shrieking in fear as he collided hard with the glass dome, shattering it. The mech went crashing to the ground and broke into pieces. Leader held his head in pain as he looked up and saw Thor landing on the building.
"Destroy, you say?" Thor repeated. "You do not know the meaning of the word!"
"So, anyone have a clue as to how we can undo this crapfest?" Wolverine asked.
"This is how." Hulk spoke up.
Hulk then went over to the tower on top of the building and began tearing it out from the foundation. The damage to the tower caused the Leader's equipment to go haywire and the dome to begin glitching out. The headband he was using to control the gamma monsters also overloaded, causing his head to grow to an enormous, bulging mass. Finally, Hulk managed to tear the tower from the supports and lift it over his head. With a massive growl, he chucked the tower into the air, sending it flying into space. As the tower soared into the atmosphere, the gamma dome dissipated completely.
Everything began to revert back to normal. Those still afflicted by the Gamma radiation could be seen returning to normal. Rick collapsed back to normal, falling to his knees and gasping.
"Man, I'm not gonna miss that feeling."
"Take it easy kid." Wolverine told him. "It's all over now."
"It would have been beautiful…" the Leader let out. "A perfect world… all in my image…"
Hulk walked over to the fallen villain and looked down on him.
"That's the problem." Hulk told him. "You're ugly."
…
Some time later, S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived to help with the clean up the mess. They led the gamma villains off as various doctors looked over the Avengers. Janet looked over at Tony, snickering under her breath at his underwear.
"You know Tony, I always knew you were full of yourself," She told him. "But to wear Iron Man boxers is a bit much."
"This isn't gonna go away anytime soon, is it?" Tony asked.
"Not by a long shot." Jan told him.
"I'd say it's a long time coming." Hawkeye quipped.
"Glad you came in when you did Clint." Cap told him. "Sorry the search for Natasha came up empty."
"Eh, she'll turn up when she's ready." Clint replied. "In the meantime, I still have you guys to keep me busy."
Thor patted Hawkeye on the back, hard enough to nearly knock the archer over.
"Do not worry, Friend Barton." he insisted. "Natasha is as tough as the Valkyries of Valhalla. She will prevail, and return to us with the tales of her great battle."
"Uh, thanks Thor." Clint replied. "Besides, it seems you need me more than I need you."
"What are you talking about?" Spidey asked, with the eyes of his mask the only things still in tact. "We had everything under control."
"Yeah right," Clint remarked. "Look how easily the Leader took you guys out. You guys are hopeless."
"Hey, we just got caught by surprise this time." Tony insisted. "Not our fault the Leader caught us-"
"With our pants down?" Jan continued.
"I get it!" Tony replied as some of the others laughed. "I'm sorry for mocking you. Can give it a rest?"
"Maybe." Jan jeered.
"So… this is what I've been missing out on?" Clint asked.
"More or less." Wolverine answered.
"It's good to be back." Clint declared.
…
Meanwhile in the mass desert, Abomination crawled across the long stretch of sand on all fours, hoping to find some semblance of civilization, but continued to come across nothing. His trekking continued until he saw sets of feet on the ground before him. He looked up to see Zemo standing before him, with Enchantress, Executioner, Klaue, and Wonder Man standing behind him.
"Hello Mr. Blonsky." Zemo greeted.
