#8-Hulked Out Heroes
At a secret base in Istanbul, Turkey, Widow, Radiance and Fury had escaped an explosion as AIM agents cornered them.
"Hold fire! We got them."
"Put down the memory drive and maybe we'll let you live."
They turned, which made the AIM agents.
"Nick Fury? Black Widow? Radiance?"
"Ok, now I know you're messing with me. You could've handled a couple of MODOK's AIM goons with your other eye closed," Widow told him.
"I wanted to talk. You only return my calls if you smell a fight," Fury coutured.
"That's not true."
"Ahem," Radiance cleared her throat.
"Ok, that's true. What do you talk about, boss?"
"The memory drive!" An AIM agent chimed in.
"This?" Fury implied as he tossed it in the air then and he and Widow kicked down some with him and grabbed the drive.
An AIM armed his blaster at Radiance but she used her magic and blasted him.
"We need to talk about your new playmate. One in particular," Fury said.
At Avengers Tower, Hulk and Hawkeye were playing video games with Hulk losing.
"Stpuid controller, why is it so small!?" He growled.
"It's about finesse not growling and pounding things," Hawkeye said as Hulk ripped the controller as he lost, then Hawkeye tossed him another one. "Just a game, Hulk… That you lost to me."
"Jerk."
Back in Istanbul…
"The Hulk is the Hulk. He growls, eats like a pig, and smashes." Widow told him as she kicked an AIM Agent in the ribs. "Pretty straight forward."
"Have you, develop a straightforward plan to take if he ever loses control," Fury rebutted.
"What did we just steal?" Radiance asked to create a frying pan and bonked it on AIM Agent.
"Under MODOK's leadership, AIM has been experimenting with gamma energy. If they can make a Hulk. Maybe SHIELD can reverse engineer the tech to stop a Hulk,"
"But he's with us," Radiance said as she created a barrier to block the AIM agents' gunfire then did a magic blast to knock them out.
"Call me over cautious, but I think a rampaging monster should have an off switch. Don't you?"
Back at the Tower…
"Let's see if he wins this game," Hulk broke Hawkeye's arrows in half then went outside to the balcony view to see Iron Man and Matterhorn.
"Hey, mean green. Lend us a hand?" He asked him.
"What is it?"
"It's a little over your head. Just push while we pushed the thrusters,"
Then Hulk kicked Iron Man's invention over the tower.
"I said push not pulverize."
"Your instructions are over my head," Hulk said to him before Hulk-jumping out of there as two figures look at him from what appears to be the Blood Brothers.
"Hulk's alone. What do we do?"
"Let's have some fun."
…
…
"If Hulk ever lost control, it would be very bad," Widow said as the three were topside of the base with Widow drop mines to AIM Agents at bay.
"We have no idea how strong he really is, Natasha. He's the reason why fail-safes were invented."
"Good point! Radiance and I will get you a contingency plan."
Both of them jumped off only to land in Widow's jet cruiser.
"If the Hulk did lose it, we ended up being smashed," Widow said as it took off.
…
…
"Hit him fast, hit him hard!" Blood Brother I said as and his twin ambushed an unsuspecting Hulk
"Drop that freak, Blood Brother style!"
They dropped him all the way down to the streets then Hulk grabbed a car and smashed it through their heads then roared then braced for two thrown cars that were thrown at him.
"Isn't every day the Blood Brothers get to hit someone who gets back up again."
Then Hulk emerged from the pile.
"If you like that, wait till I start hitting back!"
Hulk causes a small tremor that forces the two to dodge then brings him to ground.
"KO time?"
"Not yet."
From out of nowhere, an exploder arrow and energy shot sended all of them back, as Captain Cosmos and Hawkeye showed on a sky-cycle.
"What's the deal? New Episode of Christmas Colors Gone Wild?" Hawkeye asked as the Blood Brothers got back up.
"They went to smash. Hulk smashes better!"
"That's what you do best," Cosmos said as Hawkeye fired two exploder arrows at them but knocked them right at them which exploded and sent the two back.
"I'm the only one who gets to knock out Hawkeye!"
"Now?"
"Not yet?"
Then both of them get knocked down by Cap's shield as the rest of them arrive.
"Mind if we tag in?"
"It's like a mutated Christmas Tree threw up all over 23rd street."
"Already crack the Christmas theme joke, and something else."
"Iron Man, who or what are those guys?" Zapp asked.
"Want to fight?" Hulk roared as he tried to fight both Blood Brothers.
"The Blood Brothers, alien wrestling washouts. Now they're intergalactic thugs for hire," Iron Man told her.
Both brothers holded Hulk down.
"Now?"
"Now!"
Blood Brother I placed a device on Hulk's back as it turned on.
"Sanyoura, suckers."
Both of them slammed Hulk's face on the ground then leaped out of there.
"Hulk let me see that," Iron Man said to him as Hulk got up and went after them with the Blood Brothers causing chaos.
"Hulk, stop. We need to do… Who am I talking to? Stop!" Matterhorn magic blasted him to the ground.
"Is it a weapon?" Cap asked.
"It's using the Hulk's gamma energy to power up. Bio tanks."
The tanks started to release gas.
'Falcon. Zapp. Funnel, now!"
Both flyers created a funnel and sent it into space.
"Oh carp," Cosmos uses her horn to stop falling cars from some people, then gasps as Zapp landed.
"Ok, Falcon and I, funneled that gasp into space. What's with you, Starlight?" She asked. "What got you so spooked?"
"That," Cosmos said, looking at Hulkified Hawkeye.
"Sweet Celestia," Zapp exclaimed.
In the sea, inside of the Skull's Submarine, Chrysalis and Tirek walked in the main hall where Skull, Cozy, Spellbreaker and MODOK were.
"The gamma genome project! My biological prototypes are gone!" MODOK shouted. "There's only two people who have security cards. That's me and you."
"I'm aware. I took them."
"What? Why would you do that? The subjects were too unstable!"
"But, your AIM agents couldn't protect a simple memory drive! I took matters into my own hands," Skull told him. "Cozy Glow, what word of the Blood Brothers?"
"They said that they did it," Cozy Glow said as she giggles. "Oh, I can't wait to see it in action."
"In what action does it do?" Tirek asked.
"Let's just say that MODOK's pet project will have the Avengers see green," Cozy smirked.
Meanwhile, with Widow and Rarity, they have landed just outside of the Tower.
"Hulk turns out SHELD doesn't trust you, have any weakness we can exploit? Like that's going to work," Widow said as both of them approached the front door. "Jarvis, open up."
Sorry, girls, not a good idea," Twilight came on a video screen. "Most of the team are feeling green, and I meant that literally."
"What happened?" Rarity asked.
"Bio weapon, gamma energy. We sent it into space but before Stark and the others got a mad case of gamma flu. So far, I'm running tests."
"Then open the door, and let us help."
"I can't. Once it got airborne, Thor got infected too. Stark put the whole place on lock down until we get this under control," Twilight said as the screen was cut.
"So, now what now?"
"Like a lock, stop me before," Widow thought of something.
Within minutes, both of them had on hazmat suits and went through the air duct.
With Hulk…
"Stay calm or I will smash you."
"Calm? You tell me to stay calm? We're out of pizza bagels!" Hawkeye shouted as tried to shoot with his bow but his quiver snapped.
"Stupid doors!" Falcon came in being frustrated. "That's the fifth one!"
"Where are you trying to go?" Hulk asked him and Falcon showed the bathroom door to him. "There are six more bathrooms. Concentrate. Pretend that the door knob is an egg, pretend everything is an egg."
"Why am I so hungry? I already ate the pizza bagels in the freezer! Not even Fill-Second Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes aren't cutting it!" Cap complains as his stomachs growls.
"Pizza Bagels!" Hawkeye screamed.
"You just turned into a living reactor. You need fuel."
"Is this what it's like for you all the time?"
"I'm a monster!" Thor exclaimed.
"Pretty much," Hulk shrugged.
"So that's what it's like to live with me?" Hulk asked himself. "I hate living with me."
…
"The moment we headed back to the tower all of the guys turned into highly unstable rage monsters," Applejack said. "Those Blood Brothers left in a hurry."
"This smells of a MODOK plot," Pinkie said.
"What makes you say that?"
"It feels like a nerd would do it, after all gamma energy is nuclear energy," Pinkie said as weird enough everything agrees with that.
With Twilight…
"Jarvis, anything on your end, because I got nothing," Twilight asked him.
I'm searching for the virus in 's blood stream, Miss Sparkle.
Then Rarity and Widow came in.
"How did you guys get in?" Stark asked.
"Have you met us?" Rarity does eye roll. "Clearly we're short on time, Twilight, start from the top."
"Okay, the gamma energy had a deadly virus infused. Once in the blood, it mimics Hulk-like qualities."
"And the others?"
The others had no symptoms in their bloodstream.
"So, how bad is the virus?"
Worse, Miss Widow, the virus is unstable. If the gamma energy isn't dispersed, it will build to critical levels. And the Avengers will detonate.
"Don't interrupt me! Stupid computer!" Stark smashed it then his muscles got bigger in his armor and started to pop.
"Tony?"
"Stark Smash!" He roared. "Stark fix! Leave Stark alone!"
He fired a repulse blast from his right arm causing the three to run away forcing a chase. Meanwhile Hulk and the others gathered in the training room.
"Calm down, or we're going to break some faces," Zapp said.
"What she said, go to your happy place!" Hulk cracked his knuckles.
"Listen to Hulk. We have to wait for Stark and Matterhorn," Cap said.
"Cap smarter than Stark. I should be in that lab!" Falcon shouted as Hawkeye came in front of him.
"I want to cry about it, go home momma, and get me some cookies!"
"Leave him alone!"
Cap threw his shield which bounce threw the whole area then Hulk caught with his hands.
'Enough! Sit down and…" From out of nowhere Hulk got hit by Thor's hammer.
"No command!" Thor exclaimed but ducked as Luna blasted a magic beam at him.
"Thor, you are not well, calm."
Just then Rarity came in.
"Oh cheese curds," She simply said, then teleported to the other side as Stark crashed through the door and a brawl between them started as Hulk and others watched on the other side.
"It's different seeing me from your side. That's why everyone's so mad at me all the time?" Hulk asked.
"Widow. Always spying on us.'
"Fury's pet."
"Okay, everyone calm down and take a deep breath. You're sick. If you get help, you'll well… explode."
Stark charged his repulsor hand then Marevelous threw a horseshoe to throw him off balance.
"No time!" Matterhorn glowed her horn and teleported everyone out of the Tower.
"Everyone, this is an AIM viral weapon. If we don't cure them now…
"They go boom," Hulk said, which gave everyone surprised looks. "Gamma expert, remember?"
Then Widow's communicator beeped.
"You going to answer that?"
"Hold on. Fury, this is not a good time."
How's the Hulk contingency coming along? Ready to give me the memory drive back yet?
"Contingency plan? Until five minutes ago, I was the only Hulk in the tower. You looking for a way to shut me down, too?"
"Hulk, I…"
"Make sure they stay inside. They get out, you'll need that contingency," Hulk said to Widow before leaped out of there then she followed him.
"Should we follow?" Saddle Rager asked.
"No, Saddle, you go after them, while the rest of us make sure the rest of the Avengers don't get out of the Tower," Matterhorn said as Saddle Rager took to the skies and flew off.
Much later…
"Hulk, do you want to talk things out," Saddle Rager said.
"Talk it out? Can't trust her."
"Me?"
"Avengers or SHIELD? Fury or us? I'm angry, not dumb."
"I guess that's fair."
"Tell the truth. Just one. A real truth."
"Before today, I didn't really trust you either. I thought you were a cornered animal ready to snap at the closest hand. But while everyone else is acting like monsters, you're not. You're the only one in control."
"I have to be in control. Otherwise I'd be like them. I'm not like them," Hulk said before he pulled some type of extractor. "Here. Banner made it. I hid it."
"It's light. What does it do?"
"Gamma energy siphon. This will destroy the gamma virus and the Avengers will go back to being puny."
"What would this thing do to you?"
"I'm practically a gamma reactor. Turn it on me, I turn to ash. Come on, we need to head back, they're get stronger and I don't think the others can hold them for longer.
…
…
"Understand the plan?" Hulk asked.
"Simple enough that a SHIELD agent can handle it. We sneak back into the tower and take them out by one so long as it says contained.
Widow? Hulk? Saddle? Are you there?
"Yeah, Fill-Second we got something that destroys the virus, is everything okay?"
Well… the other Hulks broke out.
"What!?"
A loud explosion went and the rest of the team were on the balcony.
"Avengers, smash!"
"New plan!" Hulk exclaimed as the team crashed the Widow Cruiser and pushed Hulk off it. Then Widow crashed her ride on a nearby building, then both her and Saddle Rager rolled out of the way, then Hulk landed near them.
"What's the new plan?"
"I'm smash, you give them your medicine."
"Hey!" Hawkeye grabbed their attention. "Been waiting for this."
"You won't enjoy it as much as I will." Hulk cracked his neck.
Hawkeye lunged a punch at him but Hulk didn't get fazed by it.
"Always worry about hurting people. Always hold back. Not now."
Then Hulk caught his fist.
"Now!' Hulk punched his face.
"Hulk unleash!" Hulk body slams him then holded Hawkeye tight. "Zap him! Not me!"
Widow and Saddle Rager used the siphon on him to go back to normal, just as the rest arrived.
"Too many. Need to thin them out."
"What now?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Yeah…
"They meet me on the street."
He grabbed both of them and chucked right into a pool just as Falcon, Iron Man, Cap, and Thor came at Hulk and pushed him off the building and crashed into the ground right on a bus then they started punching but Hulk hold his ground as he pushed Falcon back then the others. Then Hulk trapped Falcon in a crushed car.
"Me Falcon gonna crush!"
"Right, work on that kid."
The remaining three came at him but Fill-Second quite literally ran circles around them making them dizzy then fell down. Then Widow came and used the siphon on them, releasing the gamma virus as they returned to normal.
"That was easy. Want to go Galactus in the face for desert?" Widow asked if they both lied on the ground being exhausted.
"I vote we get some serious shut eye."
What none realized was that a HYDRA drone was spying on them and the drone gave live feed in Skull's sub where Red Skull and most of the Cabal have watched.
"It failed," MODOK grinned.
"Not unlike his own teammates, it appears we underestimated the Hulk," Skull simply said. "Be assured that won't happen again."
"But, on the plus side, Attuma is on the Cabal," Chrysalis smirked.
The next day, SHIELD's personal clean up crew Damage Control worked on repeating the Central Square.
"Okay, from the top, what happened?" Fury asked.
"Bad guy's plan foiled. Heroes save the day. Classic good conquers evil," Widow explained.
"And just how exactly did you de-power the Hulked-Out Avengers?"
"We just have a safeguard for this type of event, Director," Widow said. "Courtesy of the Hulk."
"The memory drive?"
"Somewhat damaged, it took a unexpected swim."
"That's what you putting in the report?" Fury raised an eyebrow only to having Widow smirked. "Okay then, good work not blowing up New York… again."
"You're not going to him about the device."
"We're Avengers, we watch each other back. No matter how big and green those backs get. Far as I'm concerned, this doesn't exist."