8 Chapter 7: Bruce is Bored
New York City, 2011
In a city flowing with human blood after a mass genocide was done by two shinobi.
A single boy with red hair, Sasori, along with his 100 puppets blocking the skies is facing a group of people.
Two squads, agents of SHIELD lead by Hawkeye and Black Widow, Ironman and our MC, Hulk.
The standoff didn't last long as Sasori controlled his forces to attack. 5 puppets were left around him while the remaining 95 rained down on his enemies.
Faced with such numbers, Hulk charged forward with Ironman flying right above him while the rest supported them from a distance with their weapons.
Note that their weapon was the prototype of the prototype Phil Coulson will use on Loki, in Canon.
So, with great firepower, the puppets made of wood, no matter how strong were reduced to bits and pieces as they displayed Earth's currently most advanced weapon against the extraterrestrials.
Not counting any hidden factors such as Wakanda and the rest in the dark.
Sasori himself was surprised, though just a bit. He was surprised how these beings in this world were able to create such weapons when they clearly lacked chakra compared to civilians in his world.
But that doesn't mean he's losing. Sure this 100 Puppets of his was clearly his strength, but that wasn't it entirely. It was only a part of it.
Explosions could be heard in the battlefield as the SHIELD agents rained fire on the enemy. Some exploded, some were broken to pieces, some were blasted by a repulsor while some were smashed by a big green fist.
Ironman POV
I have been breaking these things for a while now. I think I broke about 20 - 30 already but somehow it feels like it's getting harder and harder to destroy them the lesser their numbers get.
If I had to guess, the enemy must be able to focus more on controlling these puppets of his if their number is only a few unlike earlier from the start.
And what's even more frustrating is that they know some kind of martial arts and know how to utilize their weapons.
End POV
Just below Ironman, the same situation could not be said. Which made the support behind them focus more on helping Tony rather than Hulk.
Even if Hulk was not possessed or replaced by our MC, why would you need to support the Hulk against enemies made of wood? Now imagine if Hulk knows how to fight.
Needless to say, it was Hulk's turn to massacre Sasori's puppets.
But as their number dwindles, the remaining puppets were somehow able to dodged and fight back. Some even manage to leave a cut on Hulk which immediately regenerates.
Hulk just finished punching another one when another came to his back with a spear. Sensing the approaching enemy, he blocked the spear and stole it.
Using the enemy's weapon, he beheaded that puppet and charged towards Sasori since he was able to clean his side of any other puppets while the rest were still engaged with ironman and some were also charging towards their support.
Seeing his approach, Sasori commanded the remaining 5 puppets to engage Hulk while he himself started his mechanisms as the blade behind him starts to rotate.
Hulk made quick work of the five puppets that approached him. He shoots the spear ending one, using shunshin. When Sasori's focus was not on him he arrives at the remaining 4 puppets.
Sasori himself flew up but his direction was not to Hulk, it was towards their support. Hulk destroyed the 4 puppets in front of him by grabbing two in each hand and throwing them against the remaining.
Then he turned around and tried to catch up with Sasori on the ground.
In a distance, Ironman was still facing at least 10 puppets. All of whom were able to dodge him and the support. In other words, they were fast.
If it wasn't for Tony's suit being an alloy, he might have been cut to pieces already. Clear scratches and blade marks were all over his suit. Then the support also somehow stopped.
"Uhhh, guys? Why did you stop?" asked Ironman.
[We're out of ammo. It should've been enough to take care of them but they're moving too fast. They can easily avoid our shots. And the prototype weapons are no longer functioning.] Hawkeye replied.
[Heads up! The enemy is going for the support!] Hulk's rough voice sounded through the comms.
And as they all looked for the enemy, Sasori was indeed fast approaching Clint and Natasha's team with Hulk catching up below.
As Sasori saw that he was nearing his target, the cable on his stomach shoots out with its blade first towards the agents' direction.
The agent who was targeted was able to quickly dodge prompting Sasori's blade to be stuck on the ground. But that doesn't seem have stopped Sasori's approach as he went to them.
Hulk POV
This is getting boring. Sasori is almost at the fools. I body flickered towards the cable from Sasori's puppet body that was stuck on the ground. I took the cable and began pulling prompting Sasori to stop on his tracks.
Pulling one last time with great strength, Sasori was now in front of me. And with one punch, I broke his puppet body to pieces. Looking for his core around me, I saw it popped to another puppet body.
The hell, that was not a coincidence at all. Using body flicker again, I appeared in front of the new puppet body of Sasori. I picked up one of the swords lying around on the ground and jabbed it on Sasori core while doing a hand seal.
'Seal!' using sealing arts, Sasori was unable to escape and died right in front of me.
POV end
[This is Hawkeye, the enemy has been neutralized.] Clint reported through his comms upon seeing Hulk stab the enemy that surprisingly got up from one of the puppets lying around. None of them was even able to notice the sealing arts Hulk did nor did they notice him using body flicker.
[…..] There was no response from the other line.
[Fury?] Natasha asked this time but still got no response.
Everyone was silent for a few moments before they heard a sigh from the other line.
[Attention all, we have an emergency level 8. As of now, we are at war.]
[What's going on?] asked Ironman who was on the verge of going away from the group.
[The tesseract has been stolen by Loki; he has informed me happily that he will bring an army and using it he wants to conquer Earth.]
[Loki? Who's that?]
[He's the brother of Thor, god of thunder from Asgard, who visited us few months back.] This time Coulson answered on the line.
[Thor? As in Norse mythology Thor?] Ironman asked incredulously.
[Yes, Stark.]
[Coulson? Where have you been?] Ironman asked. He was assigned to Ironman when Tony was synthesizing the new element Badassium.
[I was assigned to get a Legend, he's currently with me.]
[Good job Coulson. Stark, I suggest you prepare another set of armors for the upcoming battle. Loki is not someone to be underestimated.]
All personnel of SHIELD including Hawkeye and Black Widow prepared to regroup with Fury while Ironman left to his Tower. Only Hulk was standing still while looking at the bloodshed and the new SHIELD agents who are now cleaning the scene.
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Underground Secret Facility
Classified Location
A few hours ago
Research was set to be conducted on a powerful artifact called the Tesseract. It holds inside it and infinite power of space which is called the space stone. It represents the space aspect of the known universe.
Dr. Selvig was set to be invited here but before such a scene could unfold, the Tesseract which was kept hidden inside a secured safe pulsed with incredible power. The safe that was holding it folded and a portal opened, sending forth a long-haired man with a scepter on his left hand. He was wearing a green themed attire that doesn't belong to any era on earth.
Fury who was inspecting the preparation of the site despite an emergency situation, truth be told, it was exactly because of the current emergency situation that he was personally checking all of this.
Who would've ever guessed that at this time, someone would be able to use the tesseract and come to Earth.
Seeing the silhouette emerging after the lightshow from the safe where the tesseract was kept, Fury in all his wits told the figure to put down his staff.
Loki, in all his mischievousness, smiled and fired the scepter towards the crowd where Fury was. This started the Loki's kill count after arriving to earth.
Despite that, Fury survives and conversed with Loki while sneaking the tesseract away while Loki was busy collecting his personal flying monkeys. In that conversation, Loki admit to have planned to rule earth by sending an army to take them over.
Fury miraculously survived Loki's onslaught but the people with him did not, it was to the point that he even rode a helicopter and that copper crashed while he, a fucking cockroach, lived and declared an emergency to everyone!
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Helicarrier
Up in the Air
A few hours after the Battle against Sasori and Deidara
Around a table reserved for the Avengers just a few distance from Fury's spot where he commanded the Ship. A group of remarkable people were gathered together to discuss how to respond against Loki's scheme and possible Army called the Chitauri.
Surrounding the table was the two elite of SHIELD agents, Hawkeye, and Black Widow, along with their superior, Nick Fury, director of SHIELD.
Accompanied them was the man who have slept for 70 years on inside an ice, ever since waking up, he's been keeping a low profile but was recruited by Coulson by the sudden emergencies they were facing.
Another one who was with them was the Genius, playboy, philanthropist and superhero, Tony Stark aka Ironman. If this was the original story, then he would be couped inside a room with banner trying to locate the Tesseract.
The said person was currently also within the circle but was busy scrolling on information that was provided by Fury. He was adamant to have his payment as soon as he boarded the Helicarrier which Fury had no choice since that was their consensus.
As someone who worked previously in the underworld and in the shinobi world, information is always a must for him. Especially now that he was not familiar with this world where his past is unfortunately haunting him while aliens, superheroes and gods exists.
"So, where are we on locating what was stolen? Which could possibly start a war against beings we know nothing about?" asked Tony.
"We are currently trying to find it by first trying to locate Loki using all the eyes we have around the world." Replied Black Widow.
"Sigh, if only someone would help us searching for it since it emits gamma radiation, and someone is apparently and expert on that field." Fury commented.
"Then why are you not asking for that someone's help?" asked the innocent Steve Rogers. All eyes, except the captain, were on Bruce who was still busy with the screen in front of him.
Feeling the gazes on him Bruce said: "I want 3 agents from SHIELD as my students in exchange for my services towards locating the Tesseract." Steve looked at him differently and was about to say something, but Bruce spoke again.
"I am not a Hero, if you are wondering why I'm asking for something in return. And if you're still wondering that, then ask yourself this. What did people of this world do for you, for you to even save them with nothing in return?" Everyone was silent for a moment, even Fury was thinking about it, everyone in the room but one righteous person replied.
"Because it's the right thing to do. It is only natural to do it, maybe not as a hero but as a human being."
"Does that mean, those who does the wrong things are not human beings? They do it naturally too." Bruce asked again.
"No one is perfect, that's what makes us human. We strive to be good despite our shortcomings and mistakes."
"Right, keep telling yourself that while somewhere out there. A helpless girl/woman is getting raped. A poor man steals for his family whom no one would help. A child is abandoned or worse killed because he/she was not planned to be born/created. Someone is getting smuggled due to debts made by his/her parents/husband/wife or family relatives. Keep telling yourself that you will strive to be good while a race is discriminated and treated like trash despite being what you call good human." No one was able to say more yet Captain America seems to have an opinion on everything and replied.
"We can't save everyone. But that doesn't mean we can't at least try." This earned him a look from Bruce who was now looking at him.
"If you tried, then why aren't you dead yet?"
"What?"
"A hero is called a hero because he/she will do things for others without asking for anything in return. But the road of a hero always ends in death. First, it will be someone close to you, your friends, lover, and family. And then yourself. Someone once told me: 'you either die a hero or live long enough to be a villain.' I personally know someone who wanted to be a hero but became a villain. Do you know why he became one?" No reply was heard so Bruce answered his own question.
"It was because of love. He saw his friend pierce the chest of his love. Now, you might think his friend was bad. But no, his friend didn't even aim that at her but at the enemy. However, his love sacrificed herself for the sake of everyone else. That was the time she became a hero while the one who loved her became a villain."
"What's your point in telling us all this?" Fury asked.
"I am not joining your superhero team. I will live only for myself, and maybe in time, for those I shall love and consider important to me." Bruce answered and went back on reading more information about this world.
Everyone went out and had a break for themselves after that. Everyone was thinking what they should do, but this only included Tony, Steve, Natasha, and Clint.
Left inside the room was Fury and Bruce
"Your information is lacking. Why are you not giving me everything?" Bruce asked.
"This is the only information that we can share with you at the moment. Everything else is classified." Fury responded but that earned him an annoyed expression from Bruce.
"It seems like you don't know how to fulfill a deal. This will be the last time we will have an agreement Mr. Fury." Bruce said and right then and there vanished to the shocked expression of Fury.
End of Chapter 7
