44: World War Hulk
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~A month later~
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—— 3rd Person's P.O.V ——
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A month has passed since the death of Captain America, and the surrender of the Secret Avengers.
A lot of things happened in this month like Tony becoming the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, and forming a new group called the Illuminati alongside Reed Richards, Black Bolt, Charles Xavier, and surprisingly Dr. Strange who had previously refused to join any non-mystic conflicts.
This month has also been quite eventful for Bryan as well. After contacting Wanda, and telling her that it will take a few more months for him to return home. It wasn't easy to convince Wanda she was ready to jump into this Universe if Bryan hadn't strictly stopped her too, and even then she grumbled quite a bit.
And after all that, Bryan, and Steve started to enjoy their peaceful month which he felt slightly guilty after all his serious talks with Wanda.
But he put that back of his mind because it helped him to connect and relate with his human side again, during all this time Bryan has been drifting away from humanity.
And this led them to their current situation where Bryan and Steve are racing in an underground racetrack, they are using their superhuman senses to navigate the dangerous track without speeding down, making the crowd go crazy with every wild turn and drift they take.
Of course, Steve didn't like this place when they first came. He even reprimanded some underage fellas for coming to such a dangerous and risking their life without their loved ones knowing.
But after coming here a few more times and losing to Bryan, he stopped pestering young people.
"WOOOAAHH!!!" The crowd yelled in excitement as Bryan and Steve took the last turn, and pressed their nitro boosters.
Bryan's Purple modified GTR and Steve's blue GTR moved at insane speed, the crowd watched in anticipation as both cars not losing to one another even a bit.
Some people who bet on Steve became happy seeing him not losing to Bryan, and even gaining a slight advantage as they moved closer to the finish line, but just before the finish line, Bryan's car exploded forward and reached the finish line just a second before Steve's car.
"YEEAHH!!!" Bryan's supporters exploded in thunderous cheers after seeing him win.
"You cheated!" Steve said as he exited his car.
"I did not," Bryan replied.
"Admit it, Bryan, you can't beat me without using your powers" Steve accused while approaching Bryan's car.
"Ohh, when did you ever win?" Bryan questions, as he exited the car as well.
"You already forgot the beatdown I gave you last night in Tekken." Steve's words made Bryan laugh in embarrassment, as a guy born in the 21st century in his previous life, he felt embarrassed losing to Steve who didn't even know what a console was before yesterday night.
"Ahm, that just goes against your previous comment about me cheating every time." Bryan said making Steve snort, "Who was the one to keep muttering "If only I had a technopathy" huh?"
*SHAKE* Bryan and Steve's conversation is cut short by a sudden earthquake.
They looked at their surroundings only to see many people falling off from the sudden movement of the ground.
"What happened" Steve questioned Bryan who was looking towards a certain direction.
"It's the Hulk…he destroyed the Stark tower." Bryan's words made Steve frown.
"You sure everything will be fine, right," Steve asked.
"Yeah don't worry, Hulk didn't kill Tony, and as for the passerby, I saved them from getting hurt." Bryan assured Steve, and then points at the panicking crowd, "You should calm them down." Steve followed Bryan's finger and nodded after hesitating for a moment.
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~Next Day~
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—— Bryan's P.O.V ——
Watching The Hulk and the Warbound transform the Madison Square Garden into a gladiatorial arena, I "~whistled" in amazement.
The people who are supporting started to enter the arena, and from the even larger number of Illuminati haters, It did not take long for the arena to fill up, and after it did, the Hulk brought out the beaten members of the Illuminati. Such as Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Black Bolt and Mister Fantastic, with obedience disks attached to them, preventing them from using their power.
Following speeches from Hulk's Human supporters, the Hulk arranges for Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Black Bolt, and Mister Fantastic to fight a tentacled alien, which they defeat after a grooving battle.
I couldn't help but laugh at Tony's victorious smirk freezing when Hulk jumped from the spectator seat and challenged them to mortal combat.
I can see from Tony, and other's faces that they have no hope of winning against the Hulk.
"It's good that Steve didn't come, or else he would pester me to stop this fight," I muttered as Hulk beat the squad of Illuminati to just inches away from their death.
The hype around the watching crowd shows the real nature of humans. A few days ago these same people were chanting for the Illuminati, and now they are chanting for their death.
This reminds me of a sentence, a wise man once said, "They love heroes, but the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually, they will hate you." It's also one of the reasons I never developed a hero complex.
Anyways, After Hulk beat the Illuminati, he declares his intention was for "justice and not murder", and nobody had to or would die. He plans to destroy New York City and leave the Illuminati to their shame. And just as he was going to do that someone stopped him.
And that someone is not Sentry, but the now-alive Captain America.
"Fuck you, Steve, that's why you didn't want to come with me." I cursed Steve, who confronted the Hulk while donning his Captain America costume.
Steve tried to persuade the Hulk but failed to do so. Some of the Hulk's supporters also tried to persuade him, but they not only failed but also enraged the Hulk even more.
Well I can guess Hulk's simple thought process, he hates backstabbers, and the people who just tried to convince him also fell into that category.
"Hulk, calm down. I know how you're feeling, I also got betrayed, and almost killed by the person I trusted the most." Steve's words managed to stop Hulk from beating his previous supporters.
Seeing his word working Steve continued." Listen, big guy, you have to think from their perspective as well, for example, the person who tried to kill me didn't actually betray me, but instead, she was Brainwashed to kill me."
Very smooth Steve, very smooth. I can't help but praise Steve's persuasion skills.
Steve can probably give Usopp and Naruto a run for their money.
But unfortunately for Steve, Hulk wasn't alone, and the people he was with didn't come here for peace.
The Warbound instantly reminded Hulk about his dead wife and unborn child.
They also said that Steve was trying to manipulate him as Tony and Reed did in the past.
And I really don't have to say that the Hulk became enraged at the thought of Cap also betraying him, so he attacked Cap with a spartan kick.
Steve blocked the kick with his shield, but he was still shot back like a canon bolt. And if I hadn't wrapped his body in telekinesis then he would have definitely broken at least a few bones from the collision his body had with the arena's wall.
The Hulk dashed towards Steve after seeing him standing up without any sign of injuries.
But he was stopped again, and this time by Sentry who had finally decided to show up.
"It was about damn time" I muttered, as I watched Sentry fight the Hulk.
The fight was pretty one-sided at the start with Sentry beating the living daylight out of the Hulk, but slowly it became equal with Hulk getting stronger after every punch.
Their fight lasted almost half an hour and finally stopped when they both returned to their skinny selves, but even if their battle duration was quite short. If I hadn't placed a barrier around the arena, they would have definitely levelled the continent at the very least.
Shaking my head at their thoughtlessness, I landed beside the bloodied Cap and knocked out the giant man, who Steve was fighting.
"You didn't haa-have to do thaa-that, I could do this aaah-all day." Steve breathlessly said, making me almost punch him in the face.
"Sure man, whatever makes you happy," I said with so much sarcasm that would have made Chandler feel proud.
"What a fun game, but too bad it ended this quickly" Suddenly a playful voice sounded throughout the arena. I immediately realised who the voice belonged to, and as if to confirm my suspicions, the Beyond appeared above the arena in his white leather outfit.
"Ohh! Look who we have here" Beyonder sensed my gaze and turned his head towards me.
"Such a fascinating thing you are." Before I know what was happening I found myself trapped inside a 10x10 glass cube, and to my horror I couldn't use my powers, more accurately the cube is stopping me by overpowering my efforts.
I tried to use everything, from [Spatial Manipulation] to my newly accumulated [Anti-matter Manipulation], but the cube is cancelling out my efforts with even stronger versions of My powers. The only way to escape this cube is to overpower the cube or the maker of this cube: The Beyonder, but that is impossible with my current strength.
My only relief is that I can still feel my Pocket Dimension, but I know that even if I opened the portal to my Dimension, the cube will stop me from entering the portal.
"Hehe! I will open you later, but first," Beyonder playfully said as the whole Earth changed into a humongous planet-size arena.
With More than 15 billion shocked humans filling the spectator's seats.
"What's happening"
"Where am I"
"Mum Where are you"
"The fuck"
Billions of humans questioned, but the Beyonder silenced them with a flick of his finger.
"People of Earth 6161616, and 6161617, today you are gathered here to watch your heroes fight for the survival of your Universes," Beyonder said while pointing towards the arena, where two lines of superheroes suddenly appeared, above each line, floated the Name of their Universe.
I noticed that both lines contained the pair of every hero I can name, except Steve who didn't have a parallel self, probably died because there was no parallel me to save him.
"Your heroes will fight the parallel versions of their selves, whoever wins the most will have his Universes not be destroyed by yours truly." Beyonder continued with the same playful voice, not minding the horror-struck expression of 15 billion people.
"Ohh, and you can't refuse to fight because whenever someone declines to fight, a million people will die from his side." The horrified Crowd tried to shout and curse at the Beyonder, but they quickly found, they still couldn't speak.
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{AN: Go to my patr*on for extra 12 unedited chapter and 2 extra weakly updates on every Friday and Saturday.
Patr*n/41_Claws}
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