27 The spirit of vengeance!

" I've come to smash. And you should know why." Hulk explained to the people all over the world. Hulk looked down and another image appeared showing off four other heroes Iron man, Mr. Fantastic, Dr. Strange, and Black Bolt. " You call them heroes; I call them monsters. Listen to what they told me before trying to kill me."

" I have always thought of us as friends, Bruce. So, I am truly genuinely sorry." Reed explained to the man. " But for your sake and ours, we're sending you away. It's the only way we can be sure." The playback of reed's message ended.

" Iron man, Mr. Fantastic, Dr. Strange, Black Bolt. They shot me into space. Sent me to a planet called Sakaar where I could be cut even killed." The hulk explained as videos of his many battles on sakaar played for the world to see. " Where the emperor made me a slave and then a gladiator. They sent me to die." Hulk then stepped to the side and five others appeared beside him. " But I survived with my war bound. Korg. Miek. Elloe. Brood. Hiroim." The images changed again to Hulk on his wedding day. " We made a world. I was the green king. And Caiera the old strong was my queen." The Hulk explained. Once again, the images changed to the explosion that killed the Hulk's people. " But your heroes sent a bomb. Killed a million people. Now this city will fall. You have twenty-four hours to evacuate. When I return, I want Mr. Fantastic, Iron man, and Dr. Strange. And if they're not here." Hulk explained. He then held up the beaten and bloody body of Black Bolt and showed him to the world. " I'll do this to your whole stinking planet."

Hulk then stepped out and showed his face to the city before walking back inside his ship.

Clark looked towards Reed. " What the hell did you do?" Clark asked the man.

" We thought we were saving the world." Reed replied, hanging his head as his wife and the others looked at him in contempt. " But it seems we've only made things worse. I suppose you'll stop him now?" Reed asked.

" No, Reed. You, Stark, and Strange. You made this mess. You all wanted to play God and now it has come back to bite you in the ass. You all have made your beds. Now lie in it." Clark then turned and flew straight out of the Baxter building.

The heroes of New York went into red alert and with the help of shield began evacuating the city to mitigate casualties.

" Looking good folks! Let's keep it moving!" Spiderman yelled as he helped people evacuate.

" This is your last chance for evacuation. All you have to do to receive our help is think about it. Our telepaths will locate you and a team will help you off the island. As of 6:13 anyone who stays is presumed to have done so voluntarily. Th U.S. Government will not be held responsible for your injury of your death." Shield explained to the public as one of its mini ships flew through the air.

" Things are about to get bad. I can tell it. How bad, who knows. It is the hulk after all." Clark said to himself as he looked over the city.

Clark wasn't the only one who had been sitting things out, Robbert Reynolds the sentry was also taking a backseat in things. For now, at least.

But not everyone was content to simply sit on the sidelines. Few of Earths mightiest stepped forward to challenge the hulk. Including the likes of the Ghost Rider.

Sitting alone in a bar, Johnny Blaze was having a drink when the Hulk broadcast his message to the world. After the message was done, Johnny downed his drink and stepped outside. As he walked towards his bike the rider pulled him back.

" No. This is not our affair." The rider explained to Johnny.

" But." Johnny tried to argue.

" You will obey me!" The rider declared.

Johnny bit his tongue and forced the rider back. " No! No! There are people in New York that need our help!

" There is another world that needs our help. Are you so foolish that you would jeopardize billions of souls only to save a few?" The rider asked Johnny.

Johnny's body lit up in a ball of fire and the Ghost Rider emerged. " My name is Johnny Blaze. I'm a world-famous stunt cyclist who holds nine Guinness World Records. I sold my soul to the devil without even considering that it might not work out. In other words... Yeah I am that foolish. But foolish or not, I'm calling the shots now." Johnny told the rider as he mounted his bike. "And you are gonna do whatever the hell I tell you to do." Johnny told the rider as he drove towards New York to confront the Hulk.

As he drove by a young boy looked out the window to see the rider in all of his glory. " Awesome!" The boy yelled.

' I keep the hammer down all day. I make good time. Until I hit Brooklyn.' Johnny thought to himself as crossed America in record time, until he hit the roadblocks in Brooklyn. ' So, I improvise.' Johnny used the cars alongside the road to boost himself up to the wires of the bridge and road along them, jumping from rooftop to rooftop towards the Hulk's ship.

Seeing the Rider coming from the Distance, Hulk leapt from his ship and landed in the empty streets of Brooklyn to do battle with the mighty beast of vengeance.

Johnny slammed on his brakes and hopped off his bike. He walked up to the Hulk and stared him right in his eyes. " Bruce, listen to me! I know what it's like to have something inside of you that wants vengeance, no matter the cost. But you can control it! You have to! Look around, man. This has gone too far! This has to stop. You have to stop! You gotta get a hold of yourself! Hell, if I can do it, you can!" Johnny said to the Hulk in an attempt to end things peacefully.

Hulk looked down and smiled condescendingly at Johnny and raised his hands. " Heh. Bravo." Hulk replied. He clapped his hands together and the shockwave sent Johnny flying.

Johnny rolled across the street, eventually coming to a halt and got to his feet. Johnny slapped his face and his burning skull burned hotter. He grabbed his chain off his jacket and hop on his bike and began circling a building with it.

Hulk looked on confusion as the Rider drove around the building in, but as he looked up, Bruce realized what he was doing. " Now I get it." Hulk stated as he watched the entire building falling towards him. The building landed on Hulks head and drove him into the subway tunnels below.

Johnny looked over at the wreckage from his little stunt and suddenly heard a noise. The Hulk's hand shot up from the ground and grabbed Johnny's leg and pulled him under. " Stay out of my way. This is none of your concern." Hulk said to the rider as he held him.

' He's right.' The rider said to Johnny.

" Shut up." Johnny replied to the rider.

However, Hulk believed Johnny was talking to him and it angered him. " What?" Hulk asked in offense. He grabbed Johnny by his head and threw him up the hole he made into the sky.

As he flew, Johnny used his chain and wrapped it around the Hulk's head. Once Johnny landed back on the ground Johnny hoped on his bike and tried dragging the Hulk with it. But when the chain reemerged from the ground instead of the Hulk a train had been attached, as Hulk switched places. " DAMN IT!" Johnny cursed

" RAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Hulk yelled drawing Johnny's attention back.

Johnny looked up to see Hulk standing on a skyscraper and Johnny hoped on his bike to retreat.

" Bug. Gonna squash you like a bug!" Hulk yelled as he leapt from the top of the very tall building.

" Fuck." Johnny cursed just before the Hulk slammed into him at full force

Overlooking the battle were some of Hulk's targets.

"Stephen are you seeing this?" Reed asked

" Yes, reed I am." Strange replied.

" Based on your knowledge, do you believe it possible for the Ghost Rider to actually defeat the Hulk?" Reed asked the man with a glimmer of hope in his voice.

" Possible? Yes. The Ghost Rider's powers are, for most intents and purposes, boundless. Godlike. However, I sense that it is Johnny Blaze, Not the Ghost Rider, who has chosen to engage in battle." Strange explained to the man.

" There is a difference?" Reed asked.

" A vast difference. Understand, Reed that the Ghost Rider is a wonder of mystic design. Johnny Blaze-- Along with every human who has ever hosted the Ghost Rider, throughout the ages-- Acts as a built-in safety. He limits the Ghost Rider's power simply due to the fact he is human. As long as he?!" Strange was explaining to Reed when he felt a shift in the rider's powers.

" Stephen? Is something wrong?" Reed asked in concern.

" The safety's off, Reed." Strange replied.

" And that is not a favorable occurrence?" Reed asked in confusion.

" No." Strange replied.

" And why is that?" Reed asked.

" You'll see." Strange replied.

Deep down in the hole, Hulk stood over Ghost Rider in victory. However, just as Hulk was going to walk away, the flame lit in the Rider's eyes once again and his full power was released. In a massive explosion of Hellfire an entire city block lit up in blaze engulfing and burning the hulk badly.

" GRRRRR AARRRRRRRRRRHHHHH!" Hulk roared in pain and agony.

The Rider emerged from his hole on his bike and released another massive blast of his hellfire.

The Hulk grunted and stood ready to battle the Rider as he revved his bike.

However, the rider stopped and looked up at the Hulk. " Innocent." The Rider uttered. He then turned and left the battle, his hellfire receding back into nothing.

" He's leaving?" Reed asked.

" Yes, as I expected him to." Strange replied.

" But why?" Reed asked.

" The reason is simple as grave as it is." Strange explained.

" So, the Rider believes the Hulk is innocent in this fight and that Reed and the others are guilty." Clark stated as he looked down at the battlefield. " Things are shaping up to be even worse than I imagined. If another fight like that breaks out, which I believe just might happen, I might have to get involved just to keep the planet from being destroyed." Clark said to himself as he watched Hulk leap off into the distance for the X-men.

Clark huffed and flew down into the city and began clearing the rubble from the streets and putting out any fire that were still burning.

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