One Earth: The Marvel/DC RPG

[MST3K 4ever]

Betty enters the control room where a guard is standing and sees Bruce being fitted with an ankle shackle in his cell by another guard.

Betty cuts on the P-A and says, "I sense a serious trust issue here."

Bruce looks up at the window and smiles.

It feels like it's been days since I did that.

Betty returns the smile as the guard with her goes through a serious of pass-codes and opens the door.

Bruce and the other guard enter the room

One of the guard says, "That ankle shackle not only is a GPS, but it is a security measure. If your heart rate starts to elevate past a certain level, you attempt to leave or you leave that on for more than 40 minutes you won't leave long enough to regret it. There's a enough liquefied arsenic to drop a rhino in 2 seconds."

Bruce and Betty start to walk around and Bruce says, "Gives new meaning to the phrase dead man walking."

Betty asks, "How are you doing Bruce?"

Bruce shrugs his shoulders and says, "All things considered okay I guess."

Betty asks, "I saw the footage and what you can do? Why are you still here? Why don't you break out?"


Bruce replies, "Why? so Lex can track me down again and I can cause more damage and pain? I don't know besides he says that my body chemistry concerning the Hulk could prove to be useful in so many ways."

Betty looks at him and asks, "And you believe him?"

Bruce just looks back and Betty replies, "Me neither."

Bruce says, "Besides I need to know what Luthor's end-game is. I need to know that when I leave here I'm done with him."


Betty says, "Bruce so many have tired and failed to take Lex down. What makes you think you can do it?


Bruce replies, "They don't have a green giant on their side. I have vague memories of what I did as The Hulk, but there was also a side of me that was trying to reason with him and be his moral compass. I truly believe I can do that Betty."

Betty asks, "And what if you're wrong?"

Bruce shakes his head and says, "I'm trying not to think of that. It depresses me."

Betty says, "You realize Lex probably has that thing bugged."

Bruce looks "stunned" and says, "Really? You think so? Well might as well have some fun."

Bruce says, "You'd think with all that money Lex could afford a decent hair-piece. I mean it's done wonders for Trump."

Betty starts to laugh and says, "And William Shatner!"

They make a few more jokes at Lex's expense and head back to his cell.

Betty and Bruce embrace as the guard prepares to remove his shackle.

The guard says to Betty, "Step back now!"

Bruce looks at the guard and says, "Hey you don't talk to her like that!"

The other guard says, "Keep your trap shut freak!"

Betty says, "Bruce it's okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

One of the guard says, "Afraid not. Mr. Luthor has all kinds of fun tests scheduled for him tomorrow."

Betty nods and says, "Understood."

She watches the ankle shackle get removed and knowing that Bruce will go through hell during these tests she makes a quick decision. Just as it is removed Betty grabs Bruce's arm and she yells, "Let's GO!"

Bruce starts to follow but one of the guard shoves Bruce quickly into his cell and slams the door.

The other guard shoves Betty to the ground and says, "You really screwed up lady!"

Bruce sees Betty get shoved and yells, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

That yell was the last human voice the guard heard from Bruce Banner. The next thing they heard was a primitive growl from glowing green eyes.

They turn to see The Hulk has appeared.

One of them says, "Tell me you activated the security protocols!"

The other shakes his head as the Hulk roars, "BETTY!!!"

The Hulk smashes through the door and slams the guards to the side. He then grabs Betty and says, "We go!"

The Hulk carries Betty out to the hall and Betty says, "Listen to me and I'll guide you out."

The Hulk looks at Betty and says, "Trust me."

The Hulk nods as Betty starts giving him directions out.

 

[Andy C.]

"I....I don't know what's wrong with me," I say with a sigh, sitting uncomfortably in a plush leather chair in the counselor's office. "I mean, I've always been talkative, but now? Now I just can't seem to shut up."

Uncle Ben's funeral was small, most of his friends and relatives having already passed on years before him. A few of his former co-workers from the plant made it, as well as one or two old old men in uniform--friends from his days in the Army--but that was about it. Aunt May's been inconsolable, and I've been too guilty to say anything. After all, it's my fault he's gone.

I'm kind of glad there weren't too many people, however, since I nearly ruined the entire ceremony. After nearly every sentence the priest said, every speaker who went up to pay their respects, I'd mutter some smartass remark, a snarky one-liner. Not loud enough to be heckling them, but still loud enough that some of the people around me were genuinely offended. Aunt May was still too broken up to say anything, but Gwen gave me an earful about it.

"Everything anyone says, I just....I have to make some kind of crack about it," I continue. "I just lost one of the most important people in my life, maybe the most important.....and all I can do is joke and try to get a laugh. Do you think......I dunno......I'm losing it?"

"Hardly, Peter," says the psychologist in a soothing, yet impersonal, voice.

She's a slim blonde woman in her mid to late twenties, who's clearly gone out of her way to make everything about her as 'professional' as possible. Her clothes are neatly pressed and tastefully cut, her hair pulled back tightly into a bun, her posture straight and deliberate. Her voice sounds like she spent a long time training it to be as neutral and pleasant as possible, even if she does still have the occasional hint of New Jersey brass to it, suggesting she's from somewhere like Newark or maybe Gotham. Really, she'd be extremely attractive, in kind of a 'sexy librarian' sort of way, if it weren't for her uptight demeanor.

"It's actually fairly common for people to use humor to cope with tragedy," she continues. "Laughter can be a very effective painkiller from a psychological perspective, able to cover up feelings of loss, or remorse. From what you've told me, you're suffering not only from the grief of losing your uncle, but also guilt. You blame yourself for his death."

"Well, I--.....that is, I should have...." I stammer, trying to explain my feelings without giving away any details regarding my mutation, or my doings as Spider-Man.

"Again, this is a normal, if not entirely rational, response. Classic survivor's guilt," the counselor explains. "It's understandable to imagine how you might have affected the outcome if things had been different, but you must remember that dwelling on the past, or what might have been, isn't a constructive line of thinking. Still, it's healthy to express these sort of feelings to cope with your grieving."

"So.....you don't think I'm crazy?"

"Far from it," she says, with almost a hint of disappointment in her voice, like she was hoping I'd be some nut-bar who she could use to further her career. "I think you're a very gifted young man who is going through a very difficult time in his life. What's important is how you channel those negative emotions. I'd suggest taking up a cause of some kind, volunteering or doing some other work to help out your community. If you're using humor to make yourself feel better in your time of loss, maybe you can turn that to something good, and make other people laugh and smile with you."

"Gee, I, um.....I didn't really think of that," I say, with a sigh of relief that I'm not going looney after all. "Thanks for the advice, Doctor........Quinzell?"

"It's just Harleen," she says with a smile that's meant meant to be warm, but comes off as phony. "And please, call me Harley; all of my friends do."

I leave the psychologist's office feeling slightly better, and incredibly glad that I don't have to run up a huge medical bill of psychiatric medication.

Aunt May meets me at the waiting room, looking at me hopefully.

"So how did it go?" she asks.

"Not bad," I say. "Doctor Quinzell recommended I start volunteering, do some good around the neighborhood."

"That would be nice, Peter," she says with a smile. "It would do you a world of good. That kind of work builds character, you know."

"And it'll be a great way to shut me up," I say as we head out to the bus stop.

As we're waiting for the bus, Aunt May's phone rings.

"Hello?" she answers. "Oh, hello, George, how are you? Yes, yes, I'm fine. Well, as fine as can be expected, I suppose. ......yes? ...............oh my. I see. Yes, we'll be down at the station as soon as we can. Yes, thank you, George. I'll see you soon."

She hangs up the phone, and looks at me sadly.

"That was Captain Stacy," she says. "It seems the burglar, the man who--......." she pauses, unable to complete her sentence. "......he's died, too."

I go numb when she says that. Not gripped by fear or panic like when I heard about Uncle Ben, but still.........

I threw the man out of a three-story window. He was barely moving when I left the scene. I wasn't sure if he was going to make it, but......there it is. I've killed a man.










"Dennis 'Spike' Carradine," says Captain Stacy, showing us the police dossier on the killer down at the precinct house. "Arrested previous times for carjacking and petty theft. This time, he was found with over a hundred thousand dollars from a string of robberies and home invasions committed over the course of two nights. He was taken to the hospital in a comatose state after multiple critical injuries by the vigilante known as 'Spider-Man.' Masked freak threw him out a window from three stories up."

"Good Heavens," Aunt May says.

"And those injuries," I say, still reeling from the news. "That's......that's what killed him?"

"No," he says. "Carradine's condition had stabilized; while he was still comatose, it looked like he was going to pull through. No, he was smothered with his pillow. The man was intentionally murdered in his bed."

The shock of having killed a man washes away, replaced instead by the shock of having not killed a man.

"That's awful," says Aunt May, visibly upset. "Who would do such a thing?"

"To be perfectly honest? We don't know," Captain Stacy answers. "Some of our sources indicate that Carradine was involved in organized crime, specifically in a new syndicate run by someone known only as 'Kingpin.' Right now, though, we don't have any knowledge about Kingpin's identity or who works for him, but we're working on it."

Kingpin......


......when I found the guy, he said something about owing the Kingpin money, having to pay him off. Whoever he is, I guess Kingpin got to him for not getting the money to him.

"Anyway, the Kingpin investigation is still ongoing, but since Carradine won't be making it to trial, we won't be needing your involvement anymore," he says. "Anyway, I'm.....I'm genuinely sorry for your loss. Ben Parker was a good man. I just thought you two would like some closure on the matter."

"Thank you, Captain," Aunt May says. "It's a shame this happened to him."

"It is?" I scoff. "I mean.....after what he did.....you honestly feel bad that he's dead?"

Aunt May looks at me, disappointed.

"Don't you ever think like that again, Peter," she says. "The man deserved to face justice for what he did to Ben, but justice isn't the same thing as revenge. Hurting people to make yourself feel better never does any good for anyone. And that man dying doesn't bring Ben back."

"I guess, yeah, I just....." I say, shrinking into myself. "I miss him."

"So do I, Peter," she says, putting her arm around me and hugging me tight.

Neither of us says anything on the way home. Instead, I find myself thinking.

Thinking about "Spike" Carradine, the desperate fear in his eyes.

Thinking about the mysterious Kingpin, and wondering how deep his claws go into the city.

Thinking about what Dr. Quinzell said about taking up a cause........

.....and thinking about the red and blue Spider-Man costume stuffed in my closet......

 

[Batman]

"He calls himself The Turtle."

The five officers standing on the steps of the Central City Police Department greet me with wide eyes and , as I casually drop the large man in the green turtleneck on the ground infront of them. I can hardly blame them for their surprise, considering that I must have just appeared out of nowhere to them, but apart of me also can't help but wonder if it's the uniform. Six months into this, and I'm still not sure that red is nessecarily my color. "I tried checking him for an ID, but he doesn't carry a wallet. Smart, for a small-timer. Dumb for everything else."

It dawns on me that as I'm speaking, everything else is slowing to a crawl. I pace myself accordingly so that my speech doesn't end up jumbled, recallibrating my body's own vibrational patterns. Then again, that's hardly my problem right now. This clown just tried to rob a bank by timing alone, and he nearly succeeded. Heck, even with my speed, he narrowly escaped. It was a brilliant plan to try and use my own friction to help him escape across the Harbor, pushing his boat ahead even faster so that he could get away after his motor had stalled. But in the end, I caught onto his scheme. And all that this pathetic little man has is a swollen lip to show for it. Not to mention a set of very soggy clothes.

"You'll find nearly twelve million in cash that belongs to Keystone First National, sitting in a speeder on the Marina. This man just tried to commit a bank robbery in broad daylight, and no one would have noticed if I hadn't arrived. So, be careful with him. He's crafty. Aren't you, little man?"

He lowers his head, knowing he's utterly defeated.

"It's... all... true. I... readily... surrender."

I smile, just a little proud of myself. This is my first big catch. Hopefully I didn't screw it up.

"Good to hear. He's all yours, officers."

Awkward silence between me and the police settles in for a good minute, before they finally shake off their shock and respectively grab ahold of their holstered weapons to raise in my direction. I surpress a rising smirk that beams across my lips, as my feet get ready to move. Can't say I didn't see that coming. But in all honesty, it was my choice to make. This is the first time I've ever fully appeared in the prescence of the police, and I knew I had to make my entrance right. I just figured I'd get another split-second of curteousy before I became their target.

After all, I did just deliver them one of the city's most notorious criminal masterminds.

"H-Hold it right there! FREEZE!"

"Put your hands in the air where we can see them!"

Doing little to hide my own amusement, I wave off their threats and turn away, glancing for the open road. I guess that when it comes to me and the boys in blue, it's a relationship that's a work-in-progress. But hey, at least I gave them all a story to tell around the watercooler.

"Sorry, maybe another time. I've gotta run."

"Hey... HEY! We said---!"

What greets them next is a sudden burst of wind, as I take off for the inner-city and don't look back.

A rush of adrenaline only adds to my excitement, as I drift into open traffic with ease and watch as the world's colors become nothing more than a few chance glimpses. You've gotta admit it, Barry, that was wild. Dropping off a perp infront of Police Headquarters, reveling in the villain's defeat like you were in a movie? And in this ridiculous outfit, no less? I'm actually kind of surprised they greeted me with hostility first and not full-on laughter.

But then again, what I lack in fashion, I more than make up for in other departments. The look on their faces as I came racing down Waid Avenue was more than worth the trip. Not that I had anywhere else to take that idiot, given his prior offenses. If I had just left him on the street like the others, he'd have found a way to escape. I guess it was just good to finally let the anonymity go, for a change, and present myself to the world. People have been asking so many questions, and I'm not really comfortable with answering alot of them.

So the least I can do is give them solid evidence that, yes, I exist. And that I'm always gonna be out there, working to protect them the best that I can.

My name is Barry Allen. I used to be a scientist - a forensics analyst. For awhile, it was all that I considered myself to be.

Until I was hit by a bolt of lightning and everything changed. Soon after, I discovered that I could move faster than light. That I was faster than anything. The fastest man alive.

Now? People have started calling me The Flash.

And this is how I became him.

 

[Byrd Man]

​

Previously

Spoiler

Juarez, Mexico

In the city's industrial section, there was an abandoned fertilizer processing plant. In the basement of the plant, locked behind a double dead bolted door, Frank Castle sat on a cot and cleaned a .45 caliber pistol. Three of the basement walls were covered in weapons. Pistols, knives, grenades, assault rifles, shotguns, a sniper rifle, a rocket launcher, and even a flame thrower.

The remaining wall was covered in intel. An organization tree of the Juarez Cartel with mugshots of the surveillance photos of the members in action, their schedules and job inside the organization. Frank reassembled the pistol, leaving the clip out. He aimed at two low level rungs on the organizational chart, his index finger inside the trigger guard.

"Felipe Sanchez, Roberto Martinez..."

CLICK! CLICK!

He aimed at a higher rung.

"Manuel Ortega..."

CLICK!

Then the whole second highest row

"Ramon Vasquez, Martin Cabrerra, Carlos Fring..."

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

Standing, Frank walked to the picture at the top and placed the barrel of his gun on the picture's face.

"Don Diego Eladio..."

CLICK!

His gesture done, Frank slid the full loaded clip into his pistol before putting it in his hip holster. He slid on his skull-painted body armor, slung an M4 on his shoulder, clipped grenades to his belt, and headed out. There was work to be done.

*****
​

Drug Enforcement Administration
El Paso Field Office

King Faraday looked over the gruesome photos on the table in front of him. They were pictures of dead bodies laying in the Mexican desert. Most of the bodies were burnt and charred. Those that weren't were covered in blood and bullet holes.

Faraday looked up from the pictures and at the man with the coffee cup standing across the table from him. The two men were inside a conference room. Files and pictures were pinned on the walls and dry erase boards across the room.

"This looks like Castle's handiwork. No survivors, right?"

"Not a one," the man said with a shake of his head. "From what the lab said about the truck wreckage, there was some serious weight in dope being hauled up here from central Mexico. We believe it was their bi-monthly shipment of weed and coke to run across the border. This Castle guy set fire to about two hundred million dollars worth of product."

"He's getting their attention," Faraday said, looking towards the organizational chart on the wall. The chart was filled with mugshots of the surveillance photos of the members in action, their schedules and job inside the organization. "He's trying to piss Eladio off. Force him to make a mistake. It's a smart play. What can you tell me about Eladio, Agent Perkins?"

"I assumed you were briefed on that, Agent Faraday," Perkins said with an arched eyebrow.

"Reading a file in DC is one thing, getting the impressions of a field agent is another. So, humor me."

"Well, in case you didn't know, Eladio was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Mexican Army. He commanded a special unit, Los Lobos Blancos. The White Wolves. About ten years ago, Eladio retired and used his military and government contacts to get into the drug game. When he took over the Juarez Cartel, he installed a lot of his former special forces soldiers in key positions. Most of them are dead are in jail now, save for his closest advisers, Ramon Vasquez and Carlos Fring."

While Perkins talked, Faraday looked back at the photos of the attack from yesterday. Castle was outnumbered, heavily. Castle beating the odds was something that Faraday was used to seeing, but this seemed different. These people were ready for a straight on raid, but he got the jump on them... how?

"How did Castle ambush them?"

"Come again?"

"There's no way Castle didn't fight these guys head on. He's good, but not that good. He ambushed them... how did he know when and where to strike?"

"He's killed nearly a dozen of the cartel's men in a week and a half. Maybe he interrogated one first?"

"Maybe...," Faraday said. His eyes glanced down at the coffee cup in Perkins' hand. It had the Marine Corps logo stamped on it. "Perkins, let's take a drive."

*****
​

Eladio Compound

Don Eladio was in front of his pool with the half dozen men who acted as his most important lieutenants. Their mood was somber as they watched their boss pace in front of him.

<Two hundred million,> he said in Spanish. <Not pesos, but dollars. Two hundred million dollars gone up in ****ing smoke!>

Eladio growled and kicked a lounge chair. The chair flipped and splashed into the pool. <This son of a ***** can kill as many men as he wants, I can always get more men. But money, product? He burns those, he burns my reputation! The rest of the cartels think I am some fool who cannot control his own territory! It makes me look weak!>

Breathing heavily and panting, Eladio started to compose himself. He looked at the men in front of him with a neutral face, all hints of rage and anger were gone. <Ramon?>

<Yes,> the oldest of the lieutenants asked.

<Go inside. Get me my pistol and treat my whip.>

Ramon nodded and hurried inside. The rest of the lieutenants watched their boss with slightly nervous looks.

<Story time,> Eladio said. <When I was little, my favorite show was a western called Rawhide. I loved that show, the theme song as well. Everyone knows the theme song. I loved the show so much, when I got wealthy I bought the same whip they used in the song.>

Ramon came out the house with a tray. On the tray was a coiled up leather whip, a bowl of salt, and a pistol. Eladio nodded at Ramon and looked at the rest of his men.

<Oscar, Jorge...,> Eladio said, pointing at the two men. They looked at each other and then slowly nodded. <Bring Angel up here.>

The two men grabbed their fellow lieutenant and escorted him up to Eladio. Eladio nodded and the two men stripped Angel's shirt off. While they stripped Angel, Ramon brought the tray Eladio. Eladio picked up the whip and smiled as he looked it over.

<I practiced with this whip morning, noon, and night. I haven't practiced as much as I should, but I figured I can get some work in. Oscar, Jorge?>

The two men drug Angel away, about ten feet away from Eladio. They held on to his shoulders and turned Angel around so his back was to Eladio.

<First,> Eladio said with a smile. <Some music. Let's sing the theme to Rawhide.>

Ramon began to whistle the music of the Rawhide them as Eladio sung in English.

"Rolling, rolling, rolling, through the streams are swollen, keep them doggies rolling, Rawhide!!!"

Eladio twirled the whip over his head. The whip whistled as it cut through the air. "Move em' on, head 'em up, head 'em up move 'em out, Rawhide! YA!!!"

The whip cracked through the air, the leather missed Oscar and Jorge but it cut into Angel's back. The man cried out in pain, his knees buckled, but he stayed on his feet courtesy of Jorge and Oscar.

"RAWHIDE!!!"

Eladio cracked the whip again, slicing through the meat on Angel's back with the whip. "YA!" He screamed, cutting another chunk of Angel's flesh from his back.

"Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, ride 'em in, cut 'em out! RAWHIDE!"

Another crack of the whip, and a loud scream from Angel. His back was covered in blood and bruises. "RAWHIDE!" Eladio screamed again, taking another crack with the whip.

Ten minutes later, Angel was sobbing on his knees, his back a bloody and swollen mess. Eladio put the whip back on the tray and grabbed the bowl of salt and gun. He clamly walked over to Angel and proceeded to dump the salt all over his back. Angel cried out, screaming and bucking against Oscar and Jorge's grips. He begged for mercy in Spanish, but was cut short as Eladio shot him in the head with the pistol. Angel's dead body fell to the ground, his body spasming from the last motor impulses his brain gave off as it died.

<That was a lesson,> he said to the group. <You are all replaceable, but the product is not. Find this ***hole, Castle, and bring him to me. Either he dies the way Angel did, or you all do. Understood?>

Everyone nodded slowly, too scared to speak. Eladio looked around and smiled.

<Move 'em out, little doggies! Rawhide!>
​

La Araña Discoteca
El Paso, Texas

The bouncer outside the nightclub didn't have time to get his answer. A powerful fist struck him in the face and drove him to the ground. The bouncer looked up, his sunglasses astray, and right into the blade of a butterfly knife. The clubgoers standing outside watched on in shock.

"Carlos Fring," Frank said, placing the blade of the knife under the bouncer's eye.

"**** off!" The large man yelled.

"Wrong answer," Frank said as he quickly raked the blade up the bouncer's face. The bystanders recoiled and horror and began to scatter.

"Ahhh!" The bouncer screamed. He held his bloody face with both hands. "He's in the back office!"

Frank flicked the blade back into its handles and slid the knife back into the holster strapped to his thigh. He stepped over the bleeding bouncer and into the club, a sawed-off shotgun hidden under his coat.

Strobe lights flashed and heavy, techo music blasted out the club's speakers. Frank navigated through the jumping and bumping throng of people towards the club's back offices.

A few hundred feet away, Carlos Fring sat at the desk in the club's backroom. He had his pants around his ankles and a woman's face buried into his crotch. While Carlos "relaxed", twin brothers Rob and Roy James were busy at a folding table in front of the desk. They were counting and weighing the half dozen bricks of cocaine and marijuana that were stacked on the table.

"This all?" Roy asked. "This ain't ****."

"Times are tough," Carlos said as he titled his head back and closed his eyes. "In a few more weeks we will have a full shipment. Relax. For now, get your people to...," Carlos lost his train of thought as the woman between his legs rolled her tongue. "... Just, business as usual. Smaller supply, cut it more."

On the main dance floor, Frank started to climb up a flight of stairs when a pair of powerful hands grabbed him by the shoulders. He was spun around and brought face to face with a large, Latino man in a dark suit. He tried to shout over the music, but couldn't be heard. While he was shouting, Frank leveled his shotgun at the man's stomach. The gun kicked in his hands and knocked the man back, but the sound of the music masked the sound of the blast. The dying man tumbled down the stairs and came to a stop on the bottom step. One gyrating young girl saw the dead body and screamed before running towards the exit.

Frank turned around and quickly climbed the steps. Another guard was waiting at the top of the stairwell. Before the man could react, Frank brought the butt of the shotgun up into his face. He drove the cartilage from the man's nose into his brain. The guard collapsed to the ground, spasming from the brain injury as he died.

Frank calmly walked down the hall leading towards the backroom. He was almost there when a black man jumped out at Frank and knocked his shotgun from his hands. The man drove Frank into the corridor's wall and slammed up against him. The guard pummeled Frank with blows to the face. Frank shook off the blows and headbutted the man in the face. The man stumbled backwards and Frank whipped out his knife, flicking it open as the guard charged. Frank took a glancing blow to the shoulder, but managed to drive the blade of his knife into the side of the man's neck. He cried out and fell to his side. Frank loomed over him, his face bloody and bruised, and kicked the hilt of the knife further into the man's neck. He went to scream, but blood bubbled out of his mouth and ran out on the floor.

Frank picked up his shotgun and kicked in the office door. Rob and Roy James looked up just in time to be hit with a shotgun blast. The twin brothers fell to the ground, their heads and chests covered in blood and buckshot. Carlos cried out in pain from behind the desk. The sudden shock of the gun had caused the woman between his legs to bite down.

"Crazy *****!" Carlos yelled. He rolled back and the woman underneath the desk popped up, blood and chunks of flesh coated her mouth. "You bit it off! ¡Oh, Dios. Me voy a morir! Maldita perra."

"Go," Frank growled, looking at the woman. She scurried off and Frank walked over to Carlos. The Cartel member was holding on to his bloody crotch and moaning. Frank looked down at the bloody member laying on the floor. "I guess it's true what they say about men with little feet... I had planned to shoot you, but I think this is worse."

Frank kneed Fring in his crotch. "¡Dios mío," the man howled in pain and sobbed. Frank grabbed him by his shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

"Now that I have your attention, you're going to deliver a message to Eladio..."

 

[bkhedr]

The Gorgon watches from the bridge of the Akizuke as the Fantasticar heads in their direction.

With a wave of his hand the Gorgon orders the small, but elite cadre of Hand warriors who flank him to prepare for an assualt on the carrier.

The ninja prep their weapons before being teleported in a flash of light. They Gorgon's keen eyes catch the small band as they reappear on the deck of the Stennis and attack Ben Grimm and Sue Storm. The ninja would be no match for the pair, but they would keep them busy long enough for Ultimo to complete his objective.

As for the remaining ninja, fifty or so swords, they take their positions, hiding at various points along the deck of the Akizuke, lying in ambush for the other half of the fantastic four.

The Gorgon remains on the bridge as the ambush is prepared and begins typing commands into the Akizuke's main control panel prompting warning lights to flare to life. The Gorgon ignores the warnings and keeps working as the Fantasticar reaches the now seemingly abandonded destroyer.

 

[bkhedr]

Tires screech as the Porsche makes a turn so sharp that its tail end skids off of the paved road and kicks up a small shower of gravel in its wake.​

Inside the car, 15 year old Tony Stark lets out a whoop of excitement, works the gear shift and slams his foot on the gas, while the exceptionally beautiful teenage brunette sitting in the passenger seat alternates between excited screams and delighted giggling.​

Tony makes a right turn, taking them on to the freeway and what should be a wide open ride straight to Florida. Tony and his companion may technically be too young, but they've decided that they are going to Spring break.​

With the open road strectching out before them the girl relaxes, leans over towards Tony and plants a kiss on his cheek while planting a hand on his thigh. The young Stark grins widely and is about to say something when something dark appears on the horizon, blocking the road.​

The young couple's hearts sink as the obstruction grows larger and they are able to identify it as a police road block. Its not the police presence that so abruptly kills their fun as the two stretch limosines they see parked beyond them.​

A Highway patrolman on a bull horn orders them to stop and Tony, seeing no real alternative, dutifully obliges.​

The Porsche comes to a halt a few feet from the barricade and two burly men in suits advance on it, heading for the driver and passenger doors.​

Tony and his companion frown at each other before the doors are opened and they are yanked out of the car and away from each other.​

"Your father the Count is not happy Mistress." Tony hears the man scold his companion and he turns his head to look in her direction only to feel a sudden flash of pain as a hand slaps him across the face, on the street, for all to see.​

Pain is already turning to shame when a second slap connects and he looks up, tiring welling up in his eyes, to meet his father's angry gaze.​

"Dammit Tony!" Howard Stark growls "When the hell are you going to grow up?"​

Tony doesn't answer, he and his father have danced this dance many times and it has grown old. He looks past his father, to the gorgeous brunette he almost ran away with, to Whitney, and the pair manage the most fleeting of eye contact before she is shoved into the waiting limo by her father. He sees Count Nefaria steal a glance out of the window towards him before the limo drives away.​

Just like that Whitney is gone and excitement, adventure and optimism have been replaced with anger and depression. Tony looks at his father with contempt. Bad enough the old man never had time for him, bad enough he never let him have any fun....​

.....and now that damn bell won't stop ringing!!!​

Tony is suddenly awake. He sits up in his chair, still wearing his armor and tastes bile in his throat. His head is foggy and he can feel the beginnings of a head ache coming on.​

The ringing bell that woke him up is actually the ringer of the vid phone on his desk. He tries to stand but his sense of balance is nowhere to be found and he tumbles onto the floor.​

Tony breathes deep and shakes his head, then wills himself to his feet. Moving slowly, leaning on anything he can find for balance, Tony makes his way to the vid phone and answers the call.​

The video display comes to life and Tony squints and turns his head as the brightness of the screen assaults his pupils.​

"Tony?" Pepper's familair face appears on the screen "Tony my God are you ok? I've been trying to get you online for the last 10 minutes."​

"I-" the words catch in his dry throat and he has to swallow to try to lubricate his mouth before he continues.​

"I'm fine Pepper." He finally croaks, turning to face the screen.​

Pepper's eyes widen "The hell you are."​

"Oh don't give me that." Tony says dismissively. Pepper has never been one to sugar coat things for Tony's benefit and her accusing tone helps jolt him into a state of defensive alertness "I was fighting terrorists."​

He turns away from the screen, opens a small fridge to his right and pulls out a carrafe full of relatively fresh orange juice. Under normal circumstances the juice would be consumed with copious amounts of vodka. Right now Tony is content to take several long gulps of pure juice while Pepper continues.​

"Well you look like crap and I don't even want to imagine how you feel, but I'm afraid there's no rest for the wicked."​

Tony puts the caraffe down and meets her gaze.​

"What's on the program?"​

"Happy is already waiting for you downstairs and the jet is fueled and ready to go. Get yourself cleaned up first though, you know what a stickler for appearances Luchio Nefaria can be."​

"Huh?" Tony looks up at Happy from the back of the limo. His eyes are tired and glassy.

"I said 'hard time getting to sleep'?" Happy repeats from the driver's seat, looking at Tony throught the mirror.

Tony forces a weary smile, then shrugs "Guess so."

"Hey I'm not judging Boss." Happy says returning the smile "You had a heck of a night. Must be especially hard when there's no one around to watch your back."

And here it comes Tony thinks to yourself

"I'm just saying..." Happy continues, aware of Tony's irritation at being lectured and acting oblivious to it all the same "..If I were a billionaire industrialist playboy with a fancy suit that everyone wanted to get their hands on, I sure as hell wouldn't run off to Vegas without telling anyone, including my bodyguard."

Happy turns and looks over his shoulder at Tony "Know what I'm saying?"

Tony rubs his temples slowly, the weary smile still on his face.

"Iron Man's my bodyguard" he quipps.

"Oh har de har har Boss." Happy remarks dryly "I'm serious. You can't always be wearing that armorm and another pair of eyes can make a world of difference."

Tony wants to challenge Happy's statement, but he's too tired for that and deep down he knows that his old friend is right.

"Fine." He finally says "You're right"

This causes Happy to grin "Of course I am."

The Limo has reached the airport and is pulling up to Stark's private jet when Tony's cell phone buzzes in his pocket.

Tony opeates on instinct, pulling out the phone and answering the call "Hello? Oh hey Rhodey. How's my favorite Marine Colonel doing these days?"

There's a pause as Tony listens while Happy unabashedly stares at Tony through the driver's rear view mirror and trains his ears, trying to pick up James Rhodes' side of the conversation. Rhodes was another very close old friend of Tony's but he rarely called and Happy was more than a little curious.

"You're kidding." Tony says into the phone.

Another pause follows. "You're not kidding."

"Alright" Tony nods "Thanks for the heads up Rhodey. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Tony shuts the phone and shoves it in his pocket. He is suddenly more awake and alert than he has been all morning.

"Change of plans Hap. We won't be making the flight to LA."

"Nefaria's gonna be pissed." Happy warns "Remember what he said he'd do if you missed another meeting?"

"Nefaria's full of hot air" Tony retorts "Now get me somewhere where I can armor up."

 

[Byrd Man]

​

The Gorgon watches from the bridge of the Akizuke as the Fantasticar heads in their direction.

With a wave of his hand the Gorgon orders the small, but elite cadre of Hand warriors who flank him to prepare for an assualt on the carrier.

The ninja prep their weapons before being teleported in a flash of light. They Gorgon's keen eyes catch the small band as they reappear on the deck of the Stennis and attack Ben Grimm and Sue Storm. The ninja would be no match for the pair, but they would keep them busy long enough for Ultimo to complete his objective.

As for the remaining ninja, fifty or so swords, they take their positions, hiding at various points along the deck of the Akizuke, lying in ambush for the other half of the fantastic four.

The Gorgon remains on the bridge as the ambush is prepared and begins typing commands into the Akizuke's main control panel prompting warning lights to flare to life. The Gorgon ignores the warnings and keeps working as the Fantasticar reaches the now seemingly abandonded destroyer.

On board the USS Stennis, Ben swatted at a gaggle of ninjas with his rocky fist. Sailors were fighting off the dark clothed assassins with guns and whatever available weapons they had. One of the ninjas struck at Ben with a sword. The sword clattered off his hardened hide and Ben picked the ninja up over his head.

"How are things going with you, Susie?" He asked as he tossed the ninja off the deck into the water.

"I'm doing alright," Sue said from behind him. She sent out an invisible bubble and knocked several attackers off their feet.

"Look out!" One of the sailors, a petty officer, said with his arm pointing upwards. The robot was looming over the ship and had its fist reared back.

"This is going to hurt," Sue said, thrusting her hand out into the air. A forcefield shimmered over the ship. The robot brought its fist down, striking Sue's barrier. The barrier cracked and Sue grunted, blood running from her nose. The barrier managed to stay intact, but the robot's powerful second punch did major damage to her construct. Sue's knees buckled, but she managed to stay up and reinforce her barrier.

"Keep it up!" Ben roared over the sounds of combat. He smashed his fist into an assassin's face and knocked the man into the air.

"We should be over there," Johnny said a half mile away. He was hovering over the deck of the abandoned ship while Reed climbed out the Fantasticar. Reed frowned as he looked back at the ship and the attacking robot.

"I know... but If this ship does indeed hold the key to control that thing, then our place is here."

Johnny flamed off and dropped a foot to the deck of the ship. Reed had his scanner out and was stretching his arm across the deck to scan every inch. He snapped his arm back into place and read the results of the scan.

"The readings I'm getting are similar to the ones I encountered on the robot, so that much is correct... oh, no..."

"Why the 'oh, no'? I don't like the' oh, no'. The 'oh, no' is always bad."

"The ship, while appearing to be abandoned, has fifty lifeforms present on it... right here, on the deck."

 

[MST3K 4ever]

Lex continues working on the schematics of his Battlesuit with Alexis.

Lex says, "I like the use of the overlay grid within the the thrusters to give me more manuvering room in tight quarters. Well played Alexis."

She replies, "Thank you sir. There is a call coming in for you from Mr. Corbin."

Lex closes his eyes and says, "Head of my security detail at Sector 14, and there could only be one possible reason for his calling me."

He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly and says, "Patch him through."

Alexis says, "Acknowledged."

Lex says, "Hello Jon. I'm guessing the reason you're calling me is that there is now the appearance of a nearly 9 foot tall green skinned bemmoth with a mono-syllabic vocabulary?"

Through the alarms and the shooting and yelling Corbin says, "Yes sir what happened was...."

Lex interupts and says, "Don't tell me how it happened Jon I don't care. Fix it! Take care of it now! If I have to intervene it won't be pleasant for any of you. If it looks like he's going to get to the surface call me immediately. Luthor out."

Lex says, "Alexis interface with the security interlink of Sector 14."

Alexis says, "Acknowledged."

Lex then says, "Monitor the Hulk situation updates as needed."

Alexis says, "Acknowledged."

Lex says, "And just in case arm but do not activate the fail-safe system."

Alexis replies, "Acknowledged."

Lex nods and says, "All-right then back to the battle suit."

 

[bkhedr]

"The readings I'm getting are similar to the ones I encountered on the robot, so that much is correct... oh, no..."

"Why the 'oh, no'? I don't like the' oh, no'. The 'oh, no' is always bad."

"The ship, while appearing to be abandoned, has fifty lifeforms present on it... right here, on the deck."

​

The hidden ninja choose this moment to strike and Reed and Johnny suddenly find themselves surrounded and attacked from all sides.

The attack is brutal and merciless. The ninja make up for what they lack in sheer power with ferocity and numbers and manage to keep their foes on the defensive while the Gorgon watches from the ship's bridge. He knows that the ninja cannot win, but they do not have. All they have to do is keep Richards and Storm busy for a few moments more.

The Gorgon flips a final switch and red emergency lights flash all around him. An automated voice starts to issue a warning in Japanese but The Gorgon quickly silences it. The Akizuke's engines are now set to overload and the ship will go up in fiery explosion in less than a minute.

The Gorgon takes one last look at the battle going on on the ship's deck and smiles "Goodbye Reed Richards"

With that the Gorgon activates his personal teleporter and disappears in a flash of light only to reappear a moment later on the deck of the John Stennis.

With the element of surprise still with him the Gorgon strikes Sue Storm on the back of the head, causing her to yell out then fall unconscious.

"Susie?" " The Thing turns his head, following the sound of his friend's abruptly silenced voice and finds her on the floor at the Gorgon's feet.

"SUSIE!!" He bellows and charges towards the Gorgon who remains unmoving, hurling ninja left and right as he advances.

The Thing is a mere twenty feet from the Gorgon when Ultimo's massive fist comes crashing down on his head. The blow punches Grimm through the reinforced deck and he lands with a thud and is left groaning on top of the ruined heap of what had once been an F-18 Super Hornet.

Chaos continues to reign on the wounded aircraft carrier and the Gorgon remains still while Ultimo, no longer obstucted by Sue Storm's force field, starts smashing through the great ship's hull. The carrier rocks violently and men and equipment are hurled around the deck so forcefully that the Gorgon has to side step a tumbling aircraft before it crashes into the ocean waters below.

In a matter of moments the John Stennis is fatally wounded and sinking. A half a mile away the JDS Akizuke suddenly erupts in a ball of fire.

With the Akizuke burning and the John Stennis sinking, the Gorgon lets out a long, terrifying laugh and Ultimo's hands reach inside the heart of the damaged ship and takes hold of its twin nuclear reactors.

Ultimo roars again, before easily tearing through the protective shielding around the reactors. There is a loud thump, an implosion, instead of the expected explosion, then a blinding flash of light before more explosions, the loudest yet are heard. Then everything goes black.
​

 

[bkhedr]

"My God..." Tony mutters in disbelief after descending through the cloud cover. Spread out beneath him is a scene of total destruction with ships burning and secondary explosions still going off every couple of seconds. There is no sign of the giant robot Rhodey mentioned and seemingly no survivors. "What could take out a whole Carrier Strike Group?"

"Unknown." Jarvis responds "Scans indicate that the Carrier's reactor core has been breached but no radiation is present in the vicinity."

"Whatever did this absorbed the radiation." Tony concludes.

Tony hadn't expected an answer to the question. In fact he can't even imagine one and Jarvis' answer only leads to more questions. Iron Man packs a hell of a punch, but compared to the stopping power of an entire Carrier Strike Group, his best shot hardly registered as such. For something to take on the entire fleet and drain the Stennis' reactors? Whatever it is would have to be incredibly powerful.

"Jarvis, open communications on all available frequencies: Attention any survivors of Carrier Strike Group Three. This is Iron Man. If you can hear me please respond. Repeat. This is Iron Man and I am on the scene. Is anybody alive down there?"

 

[Byrd Man]

Sue's eyes fluttered as she opened them. Her thoughts were hazy and unfocused. Where was she? How had she gotten here? Why did she hear water?

Her eyes focused and she saw chunks of scrap metal and debris. Turning her head, Sue could see the bridge of a ship, its windows destroyed and the equipment inside smashed to bits.

She stood up on her knees and looked out at the scene before her. She was on the deck of a navy cruiser. The ship had been split in two, with the two opposite pieces floating away from her. Bodies littered the deck of the ship, some dead and some alive and injured. Sue gazed out into the ocean. The rest of the ships were also filled with as much destruction. That's when she remembered.

"Oh, my God," she said. She tapped the comm piece in her ear "Reed, Johnny, Ben! Come in!"

While she got no response from them, another voice answered.

"Attention any survivors of Carrier Strike Group Three. This is Iron Man. If you can hear me please respond. Repeat. This is Iron Man and I am on the scene. Is anybody alive down there?"

"This is Susan Storm-Richards. I'm on the deck of the USS John Stennis, we have wounded."

While her thoughts were on her family, Sue still had to help out the sailors first and worry about the others later.
​

 

[bkhedr]

Tony is relieved to hear Sue Storm's voice, not the least of which because her presence means that the Fantastic Four are already here.

Good Tony thinks Something tells me I'm going to need all the help I can get.

"I read you Mrs. Richards." He says into his comm "I've contacted US NAVAL Command and they confirm that the rest of the Third fleet was already patrolling the area. They're on their way here now to mount a rescue and salvage operation."

With that Tony begins a rapid descent. As he gets closer to the surface he is horrified by what he sees and has to fight the urge to shut his eyes to the scene of carnage spread out before him.

He finds Sue Storm lifting a group of sailors out of the water, presumably by means of one of her invisible constructs. She deposits the sailors on the relative safety of the Stennis' deck then waves at him.

He returns the wave then banks sharply before straightening out and landing on the deck beside her.

Tony grimaces behind his face plate when he gets a good look at her. The poor woman looks like she's been through hell and back

"Are you alright?"​

 

[Byrd Man]

Tony grimaces behind his face plate when he gets a good look at her. The poor woman looks like she's been through hell and back

"Are you alright?"​

"Nothing other than a few bumps and bruises," she said, instinctively touching her bruised and swollen face. "I lost contact with the rest of the group when the explosion happened. Nothing from any of them."

"The hell you say!" A voice crackled in Sue's ear. "Look off the side of the deck." Both Iron Man and Sue looked over the deck and saw Ben all the way down in the water, clinging to the side of the wrecked ship. Sue created an invisible platform and levitated Ben back to the deck. Sue hugged Ben and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was afraid you were dead."

" Almost was. If I woulda let go of that boat, I'd have sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Ain't exactly the most buoyant of fellas." Ben nodded at Iron Man. "When'd he get to the party?"

"Just showed up, why didn't you answer any of my calls?"

"The water fried my comm, it's been goin' on and off. I been yellin' for someone for awhile now, waitin' for it to actually work.."

"I'm sorry, Ben. Have you seen any sign of Reed or Johnny?"

"Nope. I was holdin' on to the ship the whole time. They was on that other ship. I think I saw it go up in flames right before everything went boom."

Sue's heart sank a little at Ben's description. She turned away from him and looked at Iron Man. "I'm going over to that ship to look, I can levitate myself, but could you carry Ben for me?"

 

[Byrd Man]

​

Previously

Spoiler

Then
Kenya


Bruce Wayne stood over the frightened man, a large knife in his hands. The man was lying in the grasslands, crying and begging for mercy in Swahili. Kraven stood behind them, watching his protegee with his arms crossed.

"Do it," Kraven said. "This is the last lesson, Richboy. You have successfully captured your quarry. Now, finish your kill."

"No," Bruce said, looking at his master. "He's a poacher, he needs to be brought to justice."

"You have hunted down this cheater, made him feel like the beasts he hunts, and now, like those animals, he will have his throat slit.You want justice? This is justice, Richboy. This is not man's law, but the law of the wild. Fair and cruel, this is justice."

"No," Bruce said again, dropping his knife to the grown. "Not like this. We may hunt animals, but we are not animals. I'm sorry, Sergi. I made a mistake."

Bruce turned around and walked through the grasslands while Kraven watched. "YOU THINK YOU ARE BETTER THAN ME?!" He yelled as Bruce walked away. "YOU ARE NOT! NOBODY IS BETTER THAN ME! I AM KRAVEN THE HUNTER! RUN AWAY, RICHBOY! RUN AWAY!"




Now
The Bowery
3:00 AM

Kraven the Hunter carefully crept down the alley. Each step was careful and precise. His shoulder was bloody and burning from the trap Wayne had sprung on him earlier. Since then, Kraven had made sure not to make on move without carefully weighing the consequences of it. Wayne was trying to make him his prey, but Kraven knew better. He could not be snared, he could not be defeated. He was the best, and no one would ever come close him.

"Run away, Richboy," Kraven muttered under his breath as he spotted an object on the ground. "Run away."

Kraven approached the object and squatted down beside it. A metal cable was laying on the ground, knotted together like a noose. It was a hastily made snare trap, Kraven observed, but it had been made rather well considering the circumstances. Kraven eyed the trap and found the trigger in the middle of the noose. He stood and walked a safe distance away from the trap. Taking a dart from his belt, Kraven tossed it at the snare and hit the trigger. The noose closed and zipped upwards towards a fire escape ladder.

"You see?" He shouted in joy. "Nobody is better than me! I am Kraven the Hunter Who are you, compared to me?!"

Kraven watched the cable go up and smiled at his cleverness... but then stopped when he noticed the trap's counterweight, a large tool chest, was falling down to the ground towards him. He rolled to his right just as the heavy box crashed into the ground, tools and scraps of metal exploding out of it as it crashed.

Kraven rolled to his right and looked up just as a large, steel toed work boot crashed into his face and knocked him back onto his back. Kraven felt blood in his mouth and at least two teeth rattling around free from the gum.

"Who am I?" Bruce Wayne asked as he stood over Kraven. He was dressed in the clothes he had found at the hardware store. "I'm Batman."

OOC: Moving from first person to third

The Bowery
3:06 AM

Both Kraven and Bruce crashed through a brick wall, brick dust and concrete power flying through the air. The two men tumbled across the floor of the rundown building. They came to a stop just feet apart. Both men started to pick themselves up. Kraven moved for the large knife on his hip, but Bruce's powerful leg swooped in and kicked the knife from Kraven's hand. The blade clattered away and Bruce drove his shoulder into Kraven's body. He picked the Russian up off his feet and slammed him into the wall of the building. They struggled against each other. Bruce punched Kraven hard in the sternum while the hunter wrapped his hands around Wayne's head.

"I will not be defeated," Kraven said through barred teeth. He worked his thumbs into Bruce's eye sockets and started to create pressure. "You want to be bat? Now, you will be blind as one."

Bruce yelled in pain as Kraven drove his thumbs into Bruce's eyes. Bruce reached out blindly and slammed the back of Kraven's head into the wall. The attack caused the hunter to pull back from his eye-gouge. With his free hand, Bruce punched Kraven hard in the jaw and jumped back. Kraven fell to the ground as Bruce wiped trickling blood from his tear duct.

"Surrender," Bruce spat.

"Never," Kraven countered. "A hunter never gives up. To give up is to die. For the hunter, there is only the hunt and death. This, you never understood. You could be a great hunter. Instead, you would rather dress up like fool and cry for mommy and daddy. You are useless."

"And you're vain," Bruce said with a hint of a smile. "That's what made this so easy. For years, they've called you the world's greatest hunter. You've believed in your own legend, Kraven. You've become complacent, cocky. I threw you off your game so much, it's pathetic."

"Lies! I am the greatest!"

"Really? Look around. You're here in a unfamiliar environment, with a foe you underestimated. He's taken the upper hand, stripped you of all your weapons. He did this, because he knows you better than you know yourself. Tell me, what's the first rule of the hunt?"

Kraven roared, charging towards Bruce. Wayne crouched, ready for Kraven's strike. The hunter slashed wide from up top, a move Bruce was ready for and easily countered. He grabbed Kraven's wrist and twisted it until he heard a loud pop issue from the arm. The twisted wrist hurt, but Kraven fought on. He kicked his leg up, Bruce dropped low and sweeped his leg at Kraven's one standing leg.

The hunter fell backwards and landed hard against the floor. Bruce pounced, landing on Kraven and striking. He broke two of Kraven's ribs with one punch, his left collar bone with another. Kraven fought off the pain and tried to throw his pupil off of him. Bruce responded with a punch to Kraven's right kneecap. The knee buckled and made a crunching sound and Kraven screamed in pain.

"You're beaten," Bruce said as he loomed over Kraven, a fist at the ready to strike.

"This... cannot be," he said, his voice filled with frustration as well as pain. "I am Sergei Kravinoff, Kraven the Hunter. The world's best."

"There's this saying a man told me once. It's something to say when things don't go your way. It goes, '&#1048;&#1085;&#1086;&#1075;&#1076;&#1072; &#1090;&#1099; &#1077;&#1096;&#1100; &#1084;&#1077;&#1076;&#1074;&#1077;&#1076;&#1103;, &#1072; &#1080;&#1085;&#1086;&#1075;&#1076;&#1072; &#1080; &#1085;&#1077;&#1089;&#1091;&#1090; &#1089;&#1098;&#1077;&#1089;&#1090;&#1100;,'" he said in perfect Russian.

"Sometimes, you eat bear," Kraven mumbled under his breath.

Bruce delivered a powerful punch to his former teacher's face and knocked the Russian unconscious.

"Sometimes, the bear eats you."
​

 

[Carnage27]

​

Thor locks arms with Terrax and is shocked to find that the axe wielder's strength rivals his own. The two continue to grabble with neither able to get the upper hand until Terrax looses a beam of destructive force from his eyes which hits Thor in the eyes, causing him to recoil in pain and cover his face with one hand. This gives Terrax the opening to strike Thor in the jaw with a closed fist.

Terrax doesn't have time to press his advantage against Thor. Yea, the guy's name is seriously Thor. I form a minigun in my hand and open fire. The bullets do little more than annoy the brute, and he comes back at me.

"Alright, fine," I mutter to myself and replace the minigun with an RPG launcher, and fire one straight into his face. The grenade explodes and dazes him a bit.

I send a battering ram towards him. It meets him head on, but he takes the blow and drives his fist into my stomach, knocking the air outta me faster than imaginable and sending me hurtling through space.

As I attempt to stabilize myself, not to mention breathe, I see Terrax heading for the so called Recorder. As I do my rings voice echoes through my head, Lantern, the Recorder, and no doubt its master, is also a threat. Caution is recommended.

Well, the Recorder isn't trying to kill me. Not yet, so I decide to worry about Terrax. As I spin, I get a clear shot and send a green comet screaming to intercept the marauding alien. It strikes him across the face, fazing him for a bit. I move in with a few Lantern-powered punches, but it has much less of an effect than I would have expected.

Terrax slams his head into mine, and I see stars. Well, you know, other than the ones that surround me right now. He then kicks me in the chest, sending me hurtling away from him.

 

[Carnage27]

"As far as utilizing the students in whatever it is you have planned, Erik, I'll trust you to leave the choice of who helps us to me. I promised Charles that nothing would happen to them, so to endanger their lives would be placing them directly into my hands."

Logan smirked to himself, listening to that. Maybe Jean hadn't completely lost her mind after all. Just a portion of it.

"That's my only term. If we're to do this, we're to do it with only the best that the school has to offer."

I quickly accept Grey's terms. Not that I had much of a choice. And if she's only picking the most capable students, then I'll get to see what Charles's next batch of X-Men will look like. And maybe a look at what the next round of Brotherhood recruits look like.

Grey and Wolverine lead my friends and I towards a lift that takes us down to the lower levels of the mansion. It's been years since I've been here, but instantly the construction of the place floods back to me. I helped Charles turn his home into a school as well as an instantly defensible position. The lower levels act like a giant panic room, as well as a training facility for the X-Men.

The doors open, and I exit and head down the illuminated hallway that forms the lower level, not bothering with directions. When I reach the one inhabited room, I press the button to open the door, and inside the younger mutants jump at the sight of me.

"Holy crap dude!" one with green skin says as he turns into a tiger. Another, with blue and purple fur reading himself for an attack, as well as a smattering of others.

"Relax, that won't be necessary," I say, putting up my hands as the others come in behind me. "It turns out we're on the same side this time. As you all know my name is Erik Lehnsherr. But you may call me Magneto."

The confused look on their faces brings a smile to my face. The young. They never understand the gravity of important situations.

 

[Batman]

The doors open, and I exit and head down the illuminated hallway that forms the lower level, not bothering with directions. When I reach the one inhabited room, I press the button to open the door, and inside the younger mutants jump at the sight of me.

"Holy crap dude!" one with green skin says as he turns into a tiger. Another, with blue and purple fur reading himself for an attack, as well as a smattering of others.

"Relax, that won't be necessary," I say, putting up my hands as the others come in behind me. "It turns out we're on the same side this time. As you all know my name is Erik Lehnsherr. But you may call me Magneto."

The confused look on their faces brings a smile to my face. The young. They never understand the gravity of important situations.

For a moment, Logan considers stepping ahead of Magneto and the group to tell the little twerps to back off. But the feeling soon passes, and it only does for two reasons: One, and most obviously, because he'd love nothing more to attack the Brotherhood himself. But with the metal running throughout his entire body, and Magneto's specific power over magnetism, the fight would only last as long as the initial encounter. For that reason alone, he was going along with this insane pact to retrieve the missing members from each respective teams.

The other reason was, he didn't exactly know how he'd be able to reach through to these kids. He wasn't a teacher at the school, and he wasn't even an active part in the school's functions. He just used the place as a temporary roof over his head between wavering fights and trips down to the local bar. As far as they were concerned, he was probably more akin to a distant drug addict than any symbol of actual authority.

So when Jean steps ahead in his place, her hands held high in defense of Magneto, he's hardly offended. Even a little grateful for saving him the trouble.

"Children, please. Listen to me. I know what this looks like - believe me, I know more than most of you would. We have alot to explain to you, and I promise that we will when this is over. But for right now, you're going to have to trust me. Magneto is not your enemy today. On the mansion grounds, he's still a teacher, just like the Professor."

A few of them look towards Jean, still skeptical. She eventually sighs, pointing towards one of the students in the crowd with the inherent abilities of telepathy - a girl who also wore a blindfold over her face, indicating her unique handicap.

"Ruth, isn't it? Could you do me a favor, honey? Could you assure everyone that this isn't a trick. I'm not under some sort of telepathic attack or manipulation. These words are my own. Please, just let them know that everything's alright."

For a moment, the blind girl concentrates, focusing her abilities on Jean's mind.

Then, she eventually turns, giving a silent nod towards the others. Jean breathes an obvious sigh of relief as they gradually begin to back off. All except for one, the kid that everyone's been calling Beast Boy since he was transferred to the school. Jean backed away, somewhat surprised, as a growl escaped the lips of his tiger's form.

Logan smirks, stepping ahead. It seemed that the kid had some stones after all.

"Let this one go, kid."

Hesitantly, he places a hand on the tiger's head.

"This one ain't worth fightin'. Believe me, I tried."

After a moment of confliction, Beast Boy eventually resumed his more humanoid form, stepping back into the group of children and silently letting his reservations with Magneto go. Turning around, Logan glanced back at the Master of Magnetism, still partially hostile.

"There. I got a monkey off your back. Satisfied?"

The group of children are instructed to follow as Logan and Jean lead the rest into the X-Men's central meeting room, overlooking the training module. The Danger Room, as Xavier often called it. Logan took a glance at it, silently contemplating the fact that after all this time, he had never gotten the chance to use it. It would have done wonders to work out some of his aggression.

Hell. I could stand to work some of it off now...

 

[bkhedr]

"Nothing other than a few bumps and bruises," she said, instinctively touching her bruised and swollen face. "I lost contact with the rest of the group when the explosion happened. Nothing from any of them."

"The hell you say!" A voice crackled in Sue's ear. "Look off the side of the deck."Both Iron Man and Sue looked over the deck and saw Ben all the way down in the water, clinging to the side of the wrecked ship. Sue created an invisible platform and levitated Ben back to the deck. Sue hugged Ben and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was afraid you were dead."

" Almost was. If I woulda let go of that boat, I'd have sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Ain't exactly the most buoyant of fellas." Ben nodded at Iron Man. "When'd he get to the party?"

"Just showed up, why didn't you answer any of my calls?"

"The water fried my comm, it's been goin' on and off. I been yellin' for someone for awhile now, waitin' for it to actually work.."

"I'm sorry, Ben. Have you seen any sign of Reed or Johnny?"

"Nope. I was holdin' on to the ship the whole time. They was on that other ship. I think I saw it go up in flames right before everything went boom."

Sue's heart sank a little at Ben's description. She turned away from him and looked at Iron Man. "I'm going over to that ship to look, I can levitate myself, but could you carry Ben for me?"

​

"Sure thing." Tony says with a nod before lifting off and grapping a hold of Ben Grimm's wrists.

The three heroes make their way to the remains of the Akizuke in silence. Once there Tony lowers Ben onto a burning hunk of metal that used to be part of the ship's aft section.

Damn Tony thinks as he takes in the wreck Hard to imagine anyone surviving this​

 

[bkhedr]

Terrax slams his head into mine, and I see stars. Well, you know, other than the ones that surround me right now. He then kicks me in the chest, sending me hurtling away from him.

​

"Stubborn insects." Terrax growls unaware that Thor is now stalking him from behind with Mjolnir raised high above his head. "You are no match for Terrarrgh!!!"

The magic mallet comes crashing down on Terrax's head. Thor follows with two more expertly delivered strikes that send Terrax hurtling towards the surface of the moon where he lands with an inaudible thud that kicks up rocks and dust.

The Thunderer moves to press his temporary advantage when Terrax, still lying prone in a crater caused by his impact, waves an open palm in Thor's direction.

Suddenly, Thor finds himself assaulted by an unending wave of stones, meteorites and chunks of ice. The space debris which varies greatly in size and consistentcy hammers at Thor mercilessly and the Odinson has no choice but to raise Mjolnir to block the attack.

With Thor thus occupied, Terrax takes the opportunity to climb to his feet, leaning in on his axe with his palm still hold before him.

Once on his feet, Terrax brings his axe up and points it at the center of Thor's chest. The edge of the weapon begins to spark and glow, warning of a powerful blast to come.
​

 

[Byrd Man]

​

"Sure thing." Tony says with a nod before lifting off and grapping a hold of Ben Grimm's wrists.

The three heroes make their way to the remains of the Akizuke in silence. Once there Tony lowers Ben onto a burning hunk of metal that used to be part of the ship's aft section.

Damn Tony thinks as he takes in the wreck Hard to imagine anyone surviving this​

"Johnny!" Sue yelled with her hands cupped around her mouth. "Reed!

"Heeelp," a small voice said from nearby. Ben and Sue rushed over to the source of the voice, a pile of debris and scrap metal on the deck. They dug into the pile and pulled out a dirty and exhausted Johnny Storm.

"Johnny! Thank God," Sue said as she went in for a hug.

"What," Johnny asked. He stood up on weakened legs and brushed his sister aside. "You think a little fire is going to hurt me?"

"Did ya see Reed before everything went up?"

"No...," Johnny said with a frown. "We were fighting ninjas, believe it or not, and it was all a bit crazy and confusing."

"We have to find Reed, we have to!"

"You're standing on him..."

The sound of another voice surprised the group. They all looked down and saw the strange color of the deck. It was gray and soot colored, with flecks of blue in it. Reed's face was visible in the deck.

"DUDE!"

"That has gotta be the kinkiest thing I ever seen."

The deck began to move and retract underneath their feet, revealing the true metal underneath. The retracting material began to gather beside the group. A figure dressed in a soot covered blue supersuit began to form beside them.

"Sorry about that," Reed said, dusting his suit off. "The explosion knocked my form loose. I kind of went haywire."

Sue suddenly jumped up into Reed's arms and hugged him tightly, kissing her husband on the cheeks.

"Susan... might need to breath."

"Shut up, you don't even have lungs anymore."

"Point taken," he said, turning to Iron Man as he and Sue embraced. "Nice to meet you, Mister Stark, although maybe this isn't the most ideal circumstances."

 

[bkhedr]

"Point taken," he said, turning to Iron Man as he and Sue embraced. "Nice to meet you, Mister Stark, although maybe this isn't the most ideal circumstances."

Tony face plate pops open and he extends an open palm which Reed accepts.​

"Just Tony's fine if you'll let me call you Reed. I may be exceedingly wealthy but I'm not big on standing on ceremony" He says as they shake hands. "Glad your team made it out of this mess in one piece."​

"So any idea what the heck we're dealing with here?"​

Reed quickly fills Tony in on the events of the last hour prompting Tony to shake his head and let out a low whistle.​

"Alright then. As I told Susan the Navy is already on route for a rescue and salvage operation. I'm tracking their movement via satellite and the rescue choppers should be seen in a couple of minutes. That will free us up to..." Tony suddenly pauses as if listening to something the others cannot hear. "...hold on."​

After a moment Tony raises an upturned palm which generates a holographic image "You guys better see this. Its broadcasting on all frequencies across the North American Continent"​

"People of the United States of America, I am the Gorgon and I bring you a warning. Yours is an arrogant and spiteful nation that consumes far more than its fair share of the world's resources. The burden you place on this planet has become unsustainable. Like a cancer you must be purged so that the body may live."​

The Gorgon pauses for effect​

"In less than twelve hours my organization will detonate a series of radiological weapons in major cities throughout your nation. All those caught within range of these detonations will die painful deaths. Understand this: Your military cannot protect you. Your heroes cannot save you. Your only chance is to heed my warning and flee these cities while you can."​

A list of cities scrolls, ticker tape like, along the bottom of the screen.​

New York, Los Angeles, Metropolis, Gotham, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Philadelphia, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Austin, Colombus, Jacksonville, Memphis, Baltimore, Boston, Seattle, Washington, Denver, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Raleigh, Cleveland, Miami, Minneapolis....the list goes on and on and when it has run its course the camera zooms in on the Gorgon's face.​

"I have arranged a series of demonstrations to convince you of the seriousness of your situation. These demonstations were timed to coincide with this broadcast and you are likely already seeing their effects."​

"You have less than 12 hours people of America. Flee your cities now, or make peace with your gods."​

The communication then cuts off returning everyone to their regularly scheduled programming and causing panic to erupt from coast to coast.​

2 minutes ago in various locations across America​

A Hand ninja makes an excellent terrorist. With their ability to move unseen and foil most security measures the Hand ninja are able to make their way into various Federal buildings in every city on the Gorgon's list.​

From these locations the ninja hide in wait, their deadly payloads strapped to their belts. Their signal comes in the form of a broadcast which interrupts all regular programming.​

The fifty or so hand chosen warriors sit in silence and wait for the list of cities to scroll by, then as one, they activate the explosives in their belts.​

Cities across America are suddenly rocked by small explosions in government buildings. Screams follow, then coughing. A green gas emerges, wafting lazily from the scene of each explosion. Those exposed cough and struggle to breath, then drop dead, clutching their throats. Dozens dies in seconds but the gas clouds are far too small to be a threat to the wider populations of the targeted cities. They are meant to cause panic and sow chaos.​

Across the nation, frightened people readily oblige overwhelming already stunned authorties as hundreds of thousands if not millions react by frantically trying to get out of the cities.​

"He's not bluffing." Tony comments "I'm getting reports of terrorist attacks on Federal buildings in almost every major city in the country."​

 

[Byrd Man]

"Dammit, dammit, dammit," Ben said under his breath, his fists clinched.

"We need to get back to New York as soon as we can," Reed said to Iron Man. "I think I may have a few items that can help out with this."

"What about our teleporters?" Sue asked, pointing to the 4 on her chest. "Or was that a one time thing."

"No, we can use them to get back to the Baxter Building. Let's use it."

Sue and Johnny tapped the logos on their chest, disappearing in a flash of light. Ben hit the 4 on his waistband and follow suit.

"I'll be working in my lab," Reed with a nod directed at Iron Man. "If you need me, just contact the Baxter Building. If I need you, I can find out how to get in touch. Good luck."

Reed double-tapped the four and disappeared.

*****
​

​

Wayne Tower

Sitting at the computer in the bunker hundreds of feet underneath Wayne Tower, Bruce Wayne was reading the police booking report of Sergei Kravinoff. After had lost consciousness, Bruce had turned him in to the police. Turned out, he was wanted in about six other countries. Poaching in some, murder in others. Based on his ramblings about the hunt, the police thought it was best to transport him out to Arkham for observation.

Bruce frowned at that last part. He would have to keep an eye on Arkham in the coming days and weeks. If Kraven tried something, Bruce would have to be ready.

A warning flashed on the screen, telling him that an incoming communication was flagged as important. Bruce switched over and watched the video feed.

"People of the United States of America, I am the Gorgon and I bring you a warning. Yours is an arrogant and spiteful nation that consumes far more than its fair share of the world's resources. The burden you place on this planet has become unsustainable. Like a cancer you must be purged so that the body may live."​

The Gorgon pauses for effect​

"In less than twelve hours my organization will detonate a series of radiological weapons in major cities throughout your nation. All those caught within range of these detonations will die painful deaths. Understand this: Your military cannot protect you. Your heroes cannot save you. Your only chance is to heed my warning and flee these cities while you can."​

A list of cities scrolls, ticker tape like, along the bottom of the screen.​

New York, Los Angeles, Metropolis, Gotham, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Philadelphia, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Austin, Colombus, Jacksonville, Memphis, Baltimore, Boston, Seattle, Washington, Denver, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Raleigh, Cleveland, Miami, Minneapolis....the list goes on and on and when it has run its course the camera zooms in on the Gorgon's face.​

"I have arranged a series of demonstrations to convince you of the seriousness of your situation. These demonstations were timed to coincide with this broadcast and you are likely already seeing their effects."​

"You have less than 12 hours people of America. Flee your cities now, or make peace with your gods."​

The communication then cuts off returning everyone to their regularly scheduled programming and causing panic to erupt from coast to coast.​

"Computer," Bruce said as he pulled away from the computer. "Holographic map: Gotham."

The city appeared before him, every building had a bluish hue and floated just inches in front of him. Millions of people in this city, miles and miles of city to track. Bruce had a good insight into who Gorgon was and how he acted, but this was too much ground for him to cover.

"Master Bruce," Alfred's voice came in on the intercom speaker. "Looking out the window, sir, I just saw an explosion downtown. Police scanner says that it was a suicide bomb at Gotham's FBI field office."

Bruce pulled himself away from the console and started to walk towards his wardrobe. "Don't wait up."

 

[MST3K 4ever]

Lex has stopped working on his battlesuit schematics, and is now studying the video footage of Superman and The Hulk's brawl as Mercy enters his Penthouse with a dinner tray.

Mercy asks, "You've been studying that footage for sometime Mr. Luthor. Perhpas a dinner break is in order?"

Lex nods to a spot on his desk and she places the tray down and steps away.

She asks, "Anything in particular you're looking for?"

Lex nursing a glass of scotch says, "I don't know yet Mercy. I feel there is something there that can bring everything together and eliminate Superman or worse case The Hulk and then my Banner issues are resolved."

He removes the dome from the tray and begins eating a few bites of salad.

Mercy asks, "You do realize that if somehow you could use a being of that power and a mind like Banner's the others corporations wouldn't stand a chance?"

Lex nods and says, "True and I am going to try and make use of that for as long as I can, but I'm afraid sooner or later they both will become more trouble than they're worth."

Mercy asks, "Will there be anything else sir?"

Lex shakes his head and says, "That will be all."

Mercy leaves and Lex continues his dinner.


Steak and Baked potato classic meal. Gonna need to hit the gym an extra 20 minutes tomorrow, and program the simulator for....program. I think I have an idea! It could work rather nicely. Play those two off of each other is the perfect plan

Lex says, "Alexis."

The computer responds, "Yes Mr. Luthor."

Lex asks, "Is it possible to use one of our LexCorp satellites to project a 3D holographic image to a specific location?"

Alexis replies, "Yes it is Mr. Luthor."

Lex smiles and says, "Excellent!"

 

[Batman]

That went about as well I expected.

Luckily for all of his belligerence, Mr. Siegel decided that he'd let all of my mistakes pass because of other factors. I guess the fact that I was on time, never bothered the customers during my shift, and always made sure to be polite and helpful to the rest of the staff paid off for all of my bumbling. I honestly still don't know what happened to me back there, but it was as if I became a different person altogether. I've never been so nervous in my life, even when it came to much more important matters. That was the kind of person I might have been, if I had never inherited my abilities. A meek, hollow shell of what a strong and powerful man could be. But at least the day's over, and my orientation is complete. The job is mine if I truly want it, so I have some decisions to make.

First and foremost, how this is going to all fit into a schedule as hectic as mine. I need the job and I need the money, and yet I also need the time to be able to put aside my own personal commitments. I'd be lucky to only be working another job, but the world is dependent on a savior who's constantly on the alert for trouble. Superman may have only just made himself known to Metropolis, but I'm here to help everybody that needs it. I've circled this planet hundreds of times, listening to every cry for help that I could, trying to respond to every disaster that strikes. And even with my speed, I can't always make it to two places at once. How am I supposed to fit something like this into such an awesome responsibility?

Maybe Pa was right. At the end of the day, no matter where I really came from, I need to learn that I'm always going to have the mindset of a human. A flawed outlook dependent only by the choices I make, and not the ones I could have made. Which means that sometimes, I'm going to have to live with being wrong. I can't be doing this all the time. Part of me - no, all of me - has to have a human side. I wasn't born just to wear a cape.

Least there's a bright side, I think to myself, crossing Kelly Blvd and 6th, the street a block away from my apartment building. I have all night to think about it.

"People of the United States of America, I am the Gorgon and I bring you a warning."​

I freeze in place just as my hearing kicks in, picking up the latest broadcast from the Luthortron in the heart of New Troy. The largest known public monitors in the world, right where everyone can see it. And from the sounds of people gathering around it, everyone is. I take a step forward and continue to listen, contemplating my next move.

Knew I shouldn't have tried to head home. This is what happens.

Your's is an arrogant and spiteful nation that consumes far more than its fair share of the world's resources. The burden you place on this planet has become unsustainable. Like a cancer you must be purged so that the body may live."

Before long, it's made very clear what I have to do. And in the alleyway nearby, I make a darting sprint for the other side, casually slipping off layers of my street clothing - and adopting a new outfit entirely.

"In less than twelve hours my organization will detonate a series of radiological weapons in major cities throughout your nation. All those caught within range of these detonations will die painful deaths. Understand this: Your military cannot protect you. Your heroes cannot save you. Your only chance is to heed my warning and flee these cities while you can."​

"I have arranged a series of demonstrations to convince you of the seriousness of your situation. These demonstations were timed to coincide with this broadcast and you are likely already seeing their effects."​

"You have less than 12 hours people of America. Flee your cities now, or make peace with your gods."​

Incredible heat burns behind my eyes as I take off into the skies, right after the madman's transmission ends. I can hear the people in New Troy beginning a widespread panic, only confirming my fears of what's in store for Metropolis. The Gorgon has hidden his weapon in the city, and several others. I may be able to reach the one in Metropolis in time, but I can't be as certain that I'll be able to find all of them without a proper sense of where they are or what I'm even looking for.

But you can sure as hell bet that I'm going to try.

If I were a radiological weapon...

 

[bkhedr]

Sue and Johnny tapped the logos on their chest, disappearing in a flash of light. Ben hit the 4 on his waistband and follow suit.​

"I'll be working in my lab," Reed with a nod directed at Iron Man. "If you need me, just contact the Baxter Building. If I need you, I can find out how to get in touch. Good luck."​

Reed double-tapped the four and disappeared.​

With the Fantastic Four's departure, Tony opens a comm channel. "Pepper, Happy? Are you two alright?"​

"I'm fine Tony." Pepper responds​

"I'm here Boss." Happy says a moment later​

"Good." Tony nods "Fill me in."​

"Security is locking down Stark Tower along with all the employees who have chosen to stay." Pepper begins "Per our disaster management policy any of them who want to bring their families in are welcome to do so and some are already doing that. Tony I know you're going to need me here but my Mom..."​

"I'm on it Pepper." Happy interrupts "I'm headed to your Mom's place now. I'll pick her up and make my way to Stark West Coast."​

There is an audible sigh of relief of Pepper's end "Thanks Happy. You'll let me know when your both safe?"​

"Count on it." Happy says.​

"Alright then" Tony says "You guys stay safe and try to keep everyone calm. I'll update you if there's any new development you need to know about."​

Tony then closes the channel. Now that's he's checked on Pepper and Happy he can turn his attention to the situation at hand.​

Calling up satellite images of the US in his mind's eye, Tony begins focusing on one major city after another, zooming in on various high population density locations in each city and tuning in to police scanners as he does so. What he discovers is not at all reassuring. Chaos reigns nearly everywhere and the authorities are obviously having a hard time keeping up.​

Not much I could really do to help with a mess that big. If I try I'll likely just get swallowed up in it with everyone else. Tony reasons What I need to do is stop this madness at its source and that means finding that Gorgon guy and his robot. But how....​

Tony snaps his armored fingers as an idea forms in his mind.​

"Jarvis: I need a radiation scan of the immediate area within a one mile radius"​

Information is promptly relayed to Tony via the nanites in his blood stream.​

"Hmm. Nothing. Whatever drained the Stennis' reactors also sucked all of the natural background radiation out of the atmosphere. Ok now extend the range of the scan by one mile increments highlighting areas with little or no background radiation."​

More information is relayed to Tony. It clearly shows a swath of zero radiation areas starting at an otherwise unexceptional point in the pacific and ending in an area with the sinking hulk of the Stennis at its center.​

"And there it is." Tony says, commenting on the swath of null radiation "That robot, or whatever it is, must have started moving there and made its way here to the strike group absorbing background radiation as it went. Jarvis: call up satellite imaging of the null radiation area for the last 10 hours and overlay to the existing display."​

The AI responds and Tony is shown imaging of the Akizuke rriving followed by Ultimo rising from the ocean depths before it. The imaging then shows the advance on the Carrier strike group and the subsequent attack. The satelite imagery ends with the destruction of the Stennis' reactors.​

"Ok so it took out the Stennis' reactors, but then where did it go?" Tony wonders. The robot had been absorbing radiation as it went but there was no null radiation trail leaving the area, only the one by which it had arrived.​

Maybe it teleported. Cap's reports on the Gorgon confirm he has access to some kind of teleportation technolody. No reason to think he couldn't rig it to the robot.​

"Jarvis, give me a scan of known radiation hot zones around the world, start with Chernobyl and Fukishima. If this thing is absorbing radiation those will be the most obvious places to get it."​

A pause​

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Tony scratches his chin with an armored finger and looks up at the sky. He's starting to wonder if he's barking up the wrong tree but there are no other trees and he adds "Extend your scan to cover US nuclear powered naval vessels and all nuclear power plants on the continent."​

Another, longer pause​

"Dammit." Tony mutters "Ok then, since I don't have any better ideas run an active global scan and keep running it. Let me know if you come across any null radiation zones or spot the robot."​

Tony closes and seals his face plate as the first of the Navy's rescue choppers arrive on the scene.​

"And keep me patched in to all emergency channels. I want to know the second there are any new developments."​

Iron Man then activates his thrusters and takes to the air so as to aid the Navy's rescue and salvage efforts.​