(Krypton: The City Of Kandor)
Upon leaving the palace, Bruce followed Queen Kara, along with her dog, Krypto, through the streets of Kandor, but opted to stay several steps behind them just in case he needed to make a quick break for it and escape. "You don't have to keep your guard up around me, Bruce." Kara said, glancing at him briefly. "You're perfectly safe here in Kandor."
"Sorry, your Majesty, It's just a force of habit from being on my own for so long." The former Gamma Scientist replied, thinking back to some of his memories on the road and helping people in need across the world. "Plus, being on another planet far away from home for an unknown reason doesn't help either."
"Understandable." The Kryptonian Queen nodded. "If I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same way, but I can assure you, Bruce, nobody will try to harm you on Krypton." She said with a warm smile.
Bruce looked Kara directly in the eyes, trying to see if she was lying, but she didn't seem to be and a part of him believed her. Maybe, it was Kara's beautiful face and bright blue eyes that was making so easy to trust her.
"I'll...hold you to that, I guess." The former Gamma Scientist said, walking a little closer to the Kryptonian Queen and Krypto, who was too busy being an overgrown puppy and trying play with everyone that he saw. Queen Kara giggled lightly at Bruce's response, before they continued their tour.
"Sooo...how long have you been queen?" Bruce asked, trying to make conversation.
"I've been ruling Krypton and my empire for almost 30 years, but it would be the equivalent of 30,000 years on your home planet of Earth." Kara explained.
"30,000 years!?" The former Gamma Scientist exclaimed, completely shocked. "You're 30,000 years old!?" He asked.
"Actually, I'm 29,000 years old, but it doesn't matter as time holds no sway over a Kryptonian." The Kryptonian Queen replied with a wink.
Bruce was stunned by that, softly asking himself, "If Kara looks this gorgeous at 29,000 years old, what would she look like in 40 or 70,000 years from now?..."
The former Gamma Scientist quickly pushed those thoughts aside and glanced around, marveling at the some of the beautiful architecture of Kandor's buildings, it looked as though they were polished to the point that each building had a light glow to it and not a speck of dirt on them. The air was also much cleaner and had not a trace of pollution in it, unlike some cities back on Earth.
"The plants here are beautiful." Bruce said, when they passed through an area that looked somewhat like a park and seeing how green and colorful Krypton's native plants were.
"Thank you, Bruce." Kara said with another warm smile at the former Gamma Scientist that made him feel more at ease. "They're some of the most beautiful plants on this side of the galaxy."
The Kryptonian Queen spotted a particular plant hidden within the bushes, she walked over to it and gently plucked it out, before walking back over to Bruce. "This Oregus Plant is a symbol of Krypton's strength, honor, achievements, wisdom, perseverance and so many other titles." Kara explained as she handed it to the former Gamma Scientist, who accepted it. "According to our holy scripture, a tear drop from Rao, our Sun God, had brought these plants into existence."
"Why are you telling me this, your Majesty?" Bruce inquired, looking down at the plant in his hand which looked similar to an orchid on Earth.
"Because I can tell by your eyes that you have been through so much in your life...and yet, you prevailed against all of those odds, be it with your strength...or with your mind." Kara replied in a serious and yet wise tone. "Plus, they make for a good snack if you're feeling hungry." She added, taking a leaf from the Oregus and eating it.
The former Gamma Scientist chuckled as he took a leaf and ate one as well, it didn't taste half bad; kind of like a very bland potato chip.
They continued on as a few people had stopped to either wave at or politely bow towards Queen Kara, who returned it back in kind. Most of them didn't pay Bruce any mind, but they did look at him curiously before going about their day again. A small group of children, who were playing in a nearby grassy field had spotted Kara, Bruce and Krypto, before they excitedly flew over to them and tackled the Kryptonian Queen to the ground into a group hug.
Stopping their tour momentarily, Bruce watched curiously as Kara laughed warmly at the kids and pulled them into a embrace. "Queen Kara, can you play with us?" One little girl asked adorably.
"Maybe later, sweetheart, I'm showing my new friend around." Kara said, nodding her head towards Bruce, who was standing by Krypto awkwardly. "However, Krypto will play with you." She glances at her loyal companion and then whistles at Krypto, who barks happily and starts play-chasing the children.
The children let out excited screams and ran away as Krypto tried pouncing onto one of them, but he missed his intended target and switched to chase after another kid as they ran in all directions.
"You have a...way with kids." Bruce told Kara, watching the children running around and playing with Krypto.
The Kryptonian Queen laughed lightly at that as she stood up, dusted off her dress and fixed her crown. "They're the future of Krypton." She said, gesturing to the kids with a fond smile. "Future scientists, future scholars, future teachers and future philosophers, their potential is limitless. Without them, Krypton is nothing but just a floating rock in the void, It's the people that make Krypton what it is. Now, tomorrow...and forever."
"That's very wise of you, your Majesty." The former Gamma Scientist said, smiling at Queen Kara, who wasn't just stunningly beautiful and strong, but wise and intelligent as well. Unbeknownst to Bruce, his connection to the Kryptonian Queen was growing stronger by the minute.
Kara smiled back, "Thank you, once again, Bruce." She waved for him to follow her. "Come, this tour isn't over yet." Bruce readily obliged and followed her, curious to see what Kara had in store.
(Manhattan, New York: Avengers Mansion - The Combat Room)
Back on Earth, Janet was currently sharping her powers and combat skills on some of Tony's battle drones. After discussing a plan of rescuing Bruce/Hulk, each of the Avengers set out to get themselves ready for a fight. Once Thor given them a brief rundown on Kryptonians and their abilities, Janet decided to train herself as much as she possibly could in order to fight them, Tony even upgraded her stingers to pack more of a punch then they usually do.
Janet flew around the Combat Room and blasted several battle drones into scrap metal, she then grew into an immense size and crushed a few more drones under her fists or stomped on them till they were nothing but tiny fragments, before she finally relented and shrunk down to normal size. The shrinking heroine was breathing heavily from the exertion, both of her hands were burning from the intense energy usage on the drones.
"Those alien freaks are going to regret taking Bruce..." Janet snarled, her anger over not being able to save her friend was palpable, It was all she could think about, so much so, it was starting to concern her teammates. "I really hope Bruce woke up in time and Hulked-out on those Kryptonians before escaping." She smirked at the thought, but it quickly changed to worry. "I really hope so..."
Judging by how Thor described their abilities, Kryptonians seem to be an unstoppable force. Hulk-level strength, heat vision, super senses, super speed, durability much greater than an Asgardian and many other powers, which made Janet even more worried for Bruce/Hulk. He might be able to take out two or even three Kryptonians, but an entire army of them would be a different story.
"Feel any better?" A sexy, feminine voice asked Wasp.
The shrinking woman looked over at the entrance of the Combat Room and saw her fellow teammate/friend, Black Widow. Natasha was looking at Janet with concern, just like everyone else on the team, it was starting to get on her nerves.
Janet shook her head, then said with a sigh, "No, Nat, I'm not feeling any better." She replied, sarcastically. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough." The former SHIELD spy stated. "It's Impressive, really. I didn't think anyone - besides Hulk or Thor - could express that kind of rage." She said, before she approached her friend and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Maybe, you should stop and take a break for an hour, Janet, you haven't ate or drank much of anything for nearly 3 days."
"I can't, Nat, not while Bruce needs our help." Janet countered, shrugging Natasha's hand off; hopping that would be a signal for her friend to leave her alone. "JARVIS, restart the Combat Simulation." She commanded, leaving no room for an argument, before getting ready for another round.
"Will do, Ms. Dyne." JARVIS responded.
"You're not going to do Bruce any good, if you die of hunger before we even get there." Natasha said, narrowing her blue eyes at the shrinking heroine, but Janet didn't seem to hear nor care at the moment as she flew around and started blasting away at drones once more.
The former SHIELD spy sighed, annoyed, before she turned and left the Combat Room, but briefly paused in her step and glanced back at her friend. "I know why you want to save Bruce, Jan, I have those same feelings too..." She muttered quietly to herself and headed off, her hips swaying with each step.
(Krypton: The City of Kandor)
Meanwhile on Krypton, Kara was still giving Bruce a grand tour of Kandor and showing him a few of its most magnificent places, including a couple of its museums, science centers, schools, restaurants with food that the former Gamma Scientist had found absolutely delicious after they stopped for a quick break, and so much more.
With each passing moment on their tour, Bruce was finding more and more things to be interested in Kara. Not only was she an incredibly beautiful woman with a body that would put most women and even a few goddesses to shame, but she was also very smart and wise as well. Deep down, he can feel himself connecting with her, which was insane, since they had met only a few hours ago.
They took a route through a park-like area, Bruce was glancing around at the gorgeous forest, before he spotted a row of statues standing in a circular pattern with a fountain sitting in the middle of them. "What's that place, your majesty?" The former Gamma Scientist asked Kara, pointing at the area.
The Kryptonian Queen looked towards the place that Bruce pointed out. "That is the Circle of the Gods, Bruce." She answered with a smile. "Want to take a look?" She asked, glancing at him.
The former Gamma Scientist nodded at her and the pair walked over to the statues. Once the two reached the area, Bruce walked around and looked at each statue with interest. One of the statues in particular was gold in color and appeared to be male with a bald head, it also had six faces on each side of his head, which the former Gamma Scientist found quite odd, to say the least.
"That's Telle, Kryptonian God of Wisdom." Kara explained.
"Why...does he have six faces?" Bruce asked, confused, as anyone not familiar with Krypton would be.
"Besides Wisdom, Telle was also the God of Foresight; being able to see into the past, present, possible futures and much more. His six faces are a representation of that." The Kryptonian Queen answered, before she pointed at another statue next to it, which was of a woman wearing an outfit similar to that of the Kryptonian Queen. "This one is Kara, Kryptonian Goddess of Beauty, of Fertility, of Marriage, of Animals and of Plants."
"Kara...? Were you named after her?" The former Gamma Scientist asked, glancing at the beautiful Kryptonian.
Kara smirked at Bruce. "Hehe! Was it really that obvious?" She said with a soft giggle, which earned a warm chuckle from her soon-to-be husband.
The Kryptonian Queen continued on by sharing interesting facts about each of the Kryptonian Gods with Bruce such as Lorra, Goddess of War, Yuda, God of the Night, Aethyr, God of the Phantom Zone, Mordo, God of Strength and a couple of others, before they finally settled on the last two Kryptonian Gods.
"This Goddess..." Kara began, gesturing to the statue. "Is Cythonna, Kryptonian Goddess of Ice, of the Cold, of Monsters, of the Darkness and of Death."
"I'm guessing from those titles, she wasn't well liked by the other Gods in the pantheon?" Bruce asked, looking at the statue of Cythonna. The Ice Goddess didn't wear a full set of armor, unlike the other deities, but more like an armored corset. She also had longer hair as well as possessing a beauty and a figure that can easily rival Kara's. One thing that stood out about Cythonna was her eyes, they were totally blank, where as the other deities had irises in the eyes of their statues.
"You would be right, Bruce." The Kryptonian Queen said with a nod and smile. "You see, as the story goes: The first Gods walked in the early light among the green hills of Krypton in the beginning of time. The Gods and Goddesses of Dawn reigned over a world in harmony and they sired the first lineages of Krypton to worship them and lived in peace, but harmony was not always the way of life, even amongst the gods and out of the frozen blackness beyond the furthest reaches of the light came an evil entity. Cythonna was as lovely as the hoar-frost in the vale, but her heart was cold and her hate was deep for all that was warm and light. With her, Cythonna bought fear, cold, despair, and finally death onto the world; her curse to the radiant warmth of the living." Kara paused for a brief moment to make sure that Bruce was listening intently. "When first she appeared, Cythonna was a marvelous sight of beauty and immense power, she sought an audience with Rao-"
"Rao?" The former Gamma Scientist asked, confused by the name.
"He's chief amongst all of the other deities and the most powerful one of them all. According to my family, we are Rao's direct descendants." The Kryptonian Queen explained nonchalantly with a shrug.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at that. "Sounds like you don't believe it?"
"I've been told that story multiple times from when I was just a baby, a teenager and even now as an adult. After a while, you would have a hard time believing it too." Kara said, rolling her blue eyes at all of the times her great-grandparents had told her the tale and continued on with her story. "Anyways, Cythonna sought an audience with Rao and, once he arrived, she quickly declared her love for him and desired him to be her mate."
"That fast?" Bruce said, bewildered at how quick Cythonna was infatuated with Rao. "You'd think she would have asked him out on a date first." He added/joked.
The Kryptonian Queen giggled lightly at Bruce's joke, before she shakes her head and says. "Cythonna may have been evil, but even someone with darkness in their heart can have desires and her primary desire was to have a child."
"She wanted a kid?" Bruce asked.
Kara nodded. "Yes. Cythonna, for all of her cruelty and hate, only desired a perfect child for herself to love and care for, but she could only birth hideous monsters. The Ice Goddess felt that Rao becoming her mate would've changed that, but the Sun God saw right through her, so he rejected her advances."
"That didn't go over well, did it?" The former Gamma Scientist asked.
The beautiful Kryptonian shook her head. "No, it didn't. Enraged, Cythonna started a war against Rao and his fellow deities with her monstrous children. Their war waged on for eons, until Cythonna was finally defeated and banished to the farthest reaches of the universe, never to be seen again."
"Quite an interesting story, Your Majesty." Bruce said, smiling at the Queen. He looked at the last statue, which was of a stoic man, who was wearing a unique set of armor and a flowing cape with the symbol of El on his chest. "This one must be Rao?" He asked, gesturing to the statue.
"Correct." Kara said, walking over to the former Gamma Scientist and stood in front of the statue of her ancestor, supposedly. "Rao, God of the Sun."
Bruce looked in-between Rao and Queen Kara, noticing a few similarities between the two of them. "Y'know, your family might be right, you and Rao do look alike."
The Kryptonian Queen looked at the statue of Rao for a moment, before she shrugged. "I still don't see it."
Bruce chuckled at that, but he noticed another larger statue that stood by itself a short distance away. "What's that statue, your majesty?" He asked, nodding in the direction of it.
The beautiful Kryptonian glanced in the direction of the statue that Bruce had pointed out. Once she spotted it, Kara's eyes went wide and slowly she started to hyperventilate. "Your Majesty, are you alright?" The former Gamma Scientist asked, confused and concerned by her reaction.
Kara didn't seem to hear nor respond to him, just kept staring off at the statue in the distance and her breathing began to worsen. Feeling more concerned, Bruce reached out and gently touched her shoulder. "Kara?" He spoke, softly.
The Kryptonian Queen snapped out of whatever state her mind was in and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Bruce, did you say something?" Kara asked, deeply hoping he won't ask why she zoned out.
The former Gamma Scientist was going to repeat his previous question, when Kara's servant android, Kelex, suddenly appeared. " Apologies for interrupting your tour of Kandor, Dr. Banner, but the Council urgently requires Queen Kara's presence."
Letting out an annoyed sigh, Kara glanced at Bruce apologetically. "Do you mind waiting here for a few minutes, Bruce?"
"...I guess." The former Gamma Scientist said, totally unsure, as Kara flew off with Kelex and headed elsewhere for a moment.
Bruce watched her leave, before looking towards the statue that caused the Kryptonian Queen to almost freak out and decided to investigate it for himself.
After a short walk, Bruce came upon the statue and to say it was an interesting sight would be an understatement. The statue was solid black in color, compared to the other ones and It depicted two figures battling it out in a test of strength with each other, one figure was a hulking creature with spikes protruding over most its body and the other figure was a woman grappling with the creature.
"That woman looks a lot like Kara." The former Gamma Scientist thought, looking at the woman grappling with the mystery creature. Bruce noticed a plaque at the bottom of the statue, he bent down to try and read it, but it was in a language that he didn't understand.
"Enjoying your tour?" A soft female voice asked from behind.
The former Gamma Scientist turned around, somewhat startled, and was greeted by another beautiful woman, wearing black armor and a matching cape with her hands clasped behind her back. It took Bruce a few seconds to realize that it was the same armored woman from earlier.
"I've been enjoying it so far." He responded, although, he was still unsure about this whole situation and kept his guard up. "Nobody hasn't tried to attack me yet, so I'd say it's been pleasant."
"I'm glad to hear that." Faora replied with a small smile, she held her hand out to Bruce. "Forgive my manners, Dr. Banner, but I am Faora-UI, General of Krypton's military."
The former Gamma Scientist shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Faora-UI, I'm Bruce Banner." He greeted her back with a smile of his own.
When their hands touched, Bruce felt an instant connection to Faora deep within, just like he did with Kara. It was weird at first, but it felt very...right. The Tigress of Krypton felt it as well, but she kept herself composed as usual. "That was a day Krypton won't ever forget." Faora stated, glancing up at the statue; hoping to focus on something else then the man standing in front of her.
"What happened?" Bruce asked, interested in the story as well as why the Kryptonian Queen had almost freaked out about it. "I asked Kara about it, but she had a small panic attack and left before she could tell me."
"I don't blame her, it was a traumatic time for everyone, especially for our Queen." Faora said in a sad tone, while thinking back to that dreadful day. "We Kryptonians don't like to bring it up, but since you are new here, Dr. Banner, I will tell you..." The General of Krypton paused for a moment to make sure that she had Bruce's full attention; she wasn't going to repeat herself. "Around 3,500 years ago, a scientist named, Dr. Baron Bertron, was caught for illegal experimentations on Kryptonian infants, but when the authorities went to arrest him, Bertron wouldn't come without a fight, so he unleashed his ultimate weapon. An extremely powerful creature called...Doomsday."
"Doomsday?" Bruce asked, confused by the name.
"It's what we called it, because wherever that monster went, it was like armageddon had arrived." Faora briefly explained, before she continued on. "The monster nearly destroyed all of Krypton and killed thousands of people during it's rampage. We tried anything to stop that creature, but nothing worked. Many of our bravest warriors had fallen trying to fight Doomsday." The Tigress of Krypton paused for a moment to wipe away a few tears that were shed for her fellow soldiers. "And I would've joined them to, if it hadn't been for Kara, who intervened on my behalf; she was the only one that could match the monster's brute strength. The Queen fought Doomsday with everything she had, it was a titanic battle that shaped Krypton into what it is today. After a long and hard fight, Kara finally killed the beast, but at the cost of her own life-"
"Kara died?!" Bruce exclaimed, shocked by that revelation.
"Kara was pronounced clinically dead on scene." Faora quickly stated, after she seen how Bruce reacted in concern for her close friend. "But in reality, her fight with Doomsday had taken such a toll on her body that it caused it to shut down and enter a healing coma, she didn't wake up until 500 years later. When Kara woke up, she was fully healed and more powerful than ever, but her mental wounds..."
"Still need some healing." The former Gamma Scientist finished, now finally understanding Kara's reaction towards the statue, she has PTSD.
"Yes." Faora nodded. "The Queen doesn't like to talk about it, unless she brings it up herself. Mentally, she's better now than she was many years ago, but Kara still has a few moments of relapse when she thinks back on that day." The Tigress of Krypton looked up at the statue with a frown. "Doesn't help that this statue is a constant reminder."
"Why doesn't Kara have it taken down?" Bruce asks.
"Because the Council of Krypton had it created in order to honor those lost that day...and Queen Kara let it be." Faora answered, whilst rolling her eyes. "Though, If you ask me, I believe the Council did it to save face, because they knew what that lunatic Bertron was doing in secret, but they chose not to do anything, until a Council member's infant grandson had gone missing."
Bruce felt his anger beginning to raise after hearing all of that, especially for all that Kara had went through from fighting Doomsday, ending up in a coma, only to wake up 500 years later and see a constant reminder sitting in a park not far from her home.
"The Council of Krypton better hope that we don't meet in person, otherwise...it won't end well for them." The former Gamma Scientist thought, angrily. He really wanted to pummel those jerks into paste.
"Hulk agrees." The Green Behemoth growls from within their shared mind.
Faora noticed Bruce's apparent anger, but before she could question if he was alright, Kara and her android, Kelex, had returned, catching both of their attentions.
"Faora, we have a problem!" The Kryptonian Queen said, urgently.
"What is it, your majesty?" The Tigress of Krypton automatically stood ready for whatever her friend ordered. Bruce stood ready as well.
"Mongul, along with his Warworld, are attacking Almerac and Maxima requires some backup." Kara replied.
"Maxima needs backup?" Faora questioned, suspiciously. "Usually, she can handle threats like Mongul by herself. What changed?"
"I don't know, but she needs help and the Council doesn't want Krypton to lose an important ally." Kara said, suspicious of Maxima's motives herself, but decided to table it for later, because right now Mongul was the threat.
"I can help." Bruce spoke up, catching Kara and Faora"s attention. "If this Mongul guy is threatening innocent people, Hulk and I will help."
"Are you sure, Bruce?" The beautiful Kryptonian asked, concerned for her soon-to-be husband's well-being. "Mongul is a being not to be toyed with."
The former Gamma Scientist smirked at that, before he took off his shirt, unintentionally showing off his slim, muscular frame, which caused Kara and Faora to blush red as he slowly transformed into Hulk; surprising both of the women.
"Hulk smash Mongul!" The Gamma Giant said, cracking his knuckles with a dark smirk.
Both women were silent for a few moments, staring at Hulk in awe, before Faora finally spoke up. "Let's go."
(Author's Note)
Hello, my fellow readers! Yes, me and my amazing co-writer Jason Chandler are back! Hope you all enjoy a looooong overdue update for this story!
Bruce/Hulk's harem in this story consist of Kara Zor-L/PG/Karen Starr, Black Widow, Faora-UI, Janet Van Dyne/Wasp, Maxima, Caiera as well as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman and Vixen.