A/N: This brief snippet was inspired by Worldmaker's Origin Story. However, in this YAHF snippet, Xander had basically turned into a young version of Superman, rather than Powergirl. I felt like this had to be written after Worldmaker said that he likely wouldn't be putting the "World of Cardboard" speech into his fic. Regardless, I highly recommend checking it out.
Alexander Harris was looking down at the carnage below, waiting to see when the most opportune time for him to step in would be. Ever since that fateful Halloween, very few beings could prove a decent challenge for his new found powers, but if there was anything on Earth that could, it was the being that was the cause of all the chaos below.
"HULK IS STRONGEST THERE IS!" came the bellowing shout from an 8+ ft. green hulking behemoth as it laid waste to its' enemies.
Tony Stark, a.k.a. The Ironman, struggled to stand, his Hulkbuster Mk III Armor completely busted by the Hulk, as he placed his fingers at the temple of his helmet. "Anyone got any ideas? We're getting our asses stomped out here!"
His armor had been completely thrashed, Carol had been knocked into orbit, Hank knocked out and Logan kept getting knocked around. Those who were left standing, which included Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Panther, were barely more than distractions.
"Just more stalling until someone like Thor or Ben can get here," Capt. Rogers replied.
"Perhaps I can be of assistance?" replied a voice unfamiliar to Tony. He looked up and spotted a teen who didn't look quite old enough to vote, let alone anything else, floating above him. It was the new guy who'd suddenly appeared one day wearing a blue body suit with a red cape, boots and belt with a red and yellow 'S' on his chest and belt buckle. Given what little anyone had seen him do, the press had almost immediately dubbed him "Superman", though in Tony's opinion, Superboy would be much more accurate.
"Rrrraaaaggghh!" came a roaring cry as a man in yellow and black charged at the Hulk, six razor sharp blades sticking out from both of his fists.
"What can you do?" Capt. America asked his would be provisional teammate.
The Hulk, almost as if by instinct, grabbed the nearest object- a black SUV- and swung it one handedly at Logan, smashing him underneath the bulk of the automobile.
"A lot more than him," Superman replied with a smirk as he began to hover towards the Hulk, his cape billowing slightly.
"STAY DOWN PUNY CLAW MAN!" The Hulk shouted at his feral adversary.
"You have to know he'd never do that, not by a long shot." Xander stated smoothly. The Hulk immediately turned to him, but instead of instantly attacking, the raging beast looked at his new adversary appraisingly. "And neither will the other Avengers. But people like us, on the other hand… We have a different problem. I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard, always making sure not to break something, someone. Unlike you, I never let myself lose control for even a second because I could seriously hurt someone. But right here, right now, we don't have that problem do we? I can take anything you got, do you think you can handle me?"
"Hulk is strongest there is!" The Hulk exclaimed.
"The let's cut loose and show the world just how strong we truly are!" Xander replied with a feral grin. "Try to keep up!" As he said the final word he vanished.
"Where the hel-" Tony began to ask before Superman reappeared, his fist buried in the Hulk's jaw, the lumbering beast's head snapped back. Not only did what had happen only take a few seconds, there wasn't a single sound. For a short-lived moment, time seemed to stand still, as if there was an ominous calm before a raging maelstrom. Had Tony not witnessed it himself, he'd have described the phenomenon he'd just witnessed as impossible.
First was the disappearance/reappearance of Superman, when went from simple talking to the Hulk to suddenly having his fist buried into the Hulk's chin in a rather seemingly ineffectual uppercut. That was when it happened, a visual distortion of air displacement rippled from Superman's fist and Hulk's face, followed by a rather large boom and chaos sparking all around them as the powerful shockwave sent everything flying around them.
Just from a single punch, the Hulk was gone. Superman touched down for a brief moment, he knees bent as if he was about to take off again and before anyone else could say anything, he was gone, having shot up into the air after the Hulk.
"Well…" Tony began, trying to think of something, anything to say. "Damn…"