Chapter 40: Second Legacy.

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(Billy's P.O.V)

I died.

I know I did.

I felt the life leave my body as it was completely shredded apart and disintegrated in the worst heat I'd ever experienced.

Not even my TK aura, something I had been immensely confident about it's defense capabilities, had stood a chance.

My costume had melted and seared into my skin, I'd lost all my hair, and just as the heat and agony reached mind breaking levels, the sweet release of death came upon me.

I'd really died.

It wasn't the first time I'd died but still...that wasn't meant to happen.

I was supposed to save everyone. To get to Tony and the others and tell them of Ultron's arrival.

But I had been too late. There was literally no one else responsible for this except Ultron. Yet, a nagging part of my brain told me if I'd only been faster to act on the information...

Fuck. Too late for regrets now.

Wow. I really am dead. There was nothing but darkness around me. I couldn't feel my body or sense anything. I only had my thoughts and self awareness.

Was this what being not alive was like? Oh god, will I be stuck like this forever? Okay. No need to panic.

Let's take stock. I was dead yet conscious.

The follow up question was naturally, where the heck was I then?

The instant that thought popped in my mind, the darkness around me was replaced by lush greenery going as far as the eye could see.

I blinked at the suddenness of it all.

Feeling returned to me in a sudden wash of color, scent and sensation. I could also hear the wind sweeping through the field.

The grass swayed gently in the breeze. Was this...really death? I thought the afterlife would look different but this seemed like a beautiful field out in the countryside.

Somewhere you could have a picnic and just relax.

"Or somewhere you can have a glorious death battle with a hated rival! Hahaha!"

A voice boomed from my back.

"True, the field would be suitable for a fair one on one-"

I stopped.

Someone was behind me.

I couldn't help it, I yelled in fright, turning around to face the newcomer who had snuck up on me, with my hands raised in preparation.

However, calling onto my Psionic energy yielded nothing.

"That's not going to work little man. Not here at least."

The new comer grinned down at me, and that's when I could fully focus on him.

"Who are you calling little..."

The words died in my mouth as I craned my neck, then some more. And then some more.

He was tall. Like reeaaalllly tall. And muscular as well. Dude was the same size and height as the Hulk. Only slimmer. His arms were still double the size of my thighs though. Tanned too.

Dressed in a leather skirt and holding a massive club, Hercules stared down at me. And how did I know it was him?

Well, the guy was wearing the hide of the Nemean Lion as shoulder cloak. And the necklace hanging off his neck had a fang bigger than any of my fingers.

Plus, I'd seen him before. In a dream I think.

"Enough staring! You'll make me blush!"

He said with a wide smile, hands on his hips, not even looking the least bit flustered.

"Huh?"

I was left gaping widely. Blush? Who was he kidding?

Hercules tilted his head at my weird response as he mused to himself.

"Did I do the soul interaction wrongly, I could swear I followed that guy's instructions perfectly."

"Who?"

I demanded, had someone instructed Hercules to save me? Or bring me here? No that would make sense. I know I died.

I looked around.

Wait, a lush green field stretching to the horizon. Taking into account Hercules' presence here and the Greek nature of my abilities, had I died and gone to Elysium?

Hercules doubled over in laughter, startling me out of thoughts. What was he even laughing about?

"Hahahahaha sorry little man, this is not Elysium."

He said in between chuckles.

"Infact it's the opposite."

He straightened up, gaining a fierce look on his face, though the grin never left it either.

"You're in hell Kid."

The news hit me like a lightning strike.

"Hell?"

I dumbly asked.

"Yep, and right in the hands of the nastiest bastard there. Mephisto."

Shit. I was dead. In hell. In the custody of Mephisto.

"Wait." I motioned around at the pleasant environment.

"This doesn't look anything like hell fire, Brimstone and sulphur."

"That's because I used the link we have between us through the legacy to pull your consciousness out. Your soul is very much still in the hands of the Hell Lord."

My mind went blank.

This was bad. My soul in the possession of a demon was literally the worst case scenario of landing in a fictional world as crazy as the Marvel Comics.

"Cheer up little man. Besides, you have other things to worry about."

Hercules slapped my shoulder, almost sending me to the ground.

"Oof." I coughed from the blow, staring up at him heatedly.

"Oh yeah, like what?"

Hercules' smile widened, showing his sharp canines and battle crazed eyes.

"Making you strong of course! You are pitifully weak for my Legacy. Buckle up!"

He placed his meaty palm on my shoulder, and then jumped. I found myself sailing through the air in terror as he took huge bounds, clearing over hundreds of miles while laughing in glee.

(General P.O.V) (Savage Lands)

In only a single week, the world had become a desolate wasteland, a graveyard of civilization destroyed by nuclear warfare and mother nature's anger.

Yet, one place remained untouched, a sanctuary from the devastation - the Savage Lands.

A hidden tropical jungle region located in Antarctica. This mysterious and prehistoric land was home to dinosaurs, primitive tribes, and various superhuman beings.

It was a land frozen in time, where the prehistoric past still thrived amidst an environment untouched by the chaos of the outside world.

Nick Fury's hover car descended onto the Savage Lands' unspoiled terrain, and as the wheels inverted and touched the ground, he couldn't help but marvel at the unique surroundings.

Getting here hadn't been easy. But he had finally made it.

And what a difference there was.

Winter was already setting in on the outside world, plants had been dying due to the unexpected climate change.

However here,

Towering palm trees with colossal fronds lined the horizon, their leaves rustling in the breeze.

Lush, tropical foliage stretched out in every direction, concealing the secrets of this ancient land.

The air was heavy with the scent of exotic flora, a stark contrast to the scorched and cold Earth he had left behind.

But Fury's moment of wonder was short-lived as the ground beneath him trembled.

A deafening roar echoed through the jungle, and from the foliage emerged a colossal T-Rex, its razor-sharp teeth gleaming menacingly.

Fury was introduced to the other feature of the Savage Lands. Huge fucking animals.

Reacting swiftly, he tapped the side of his head and activated the hover car's concealed weapons systems.

The headlights opened up to unveil barrels glowing with the energy of the Arc reactor powering the hover car.

Blasts of energy erupted from the barrels at maximum setting, but only managed to scorch it's hide. The T-Rex retreated with a thunderous roar, leaving the spy unscathed but on edge.

Fury shook his head, a wry smile forming on his face.

"This place," he muttered to himself, "it's never going to change."

With the prehistoric threat momentarily averted, Fury turned his attention to his destination, the looming mountain ahead.

Its towering height seemed insurmountable, but he was prepared.

He left the vehicle behind, proceeding on foot with his vigilance on high alert.

Then unexpectedly, at the foot of the mountain, the bottoms of his shoes unfolded into thrusters.

The propulsion from the rocket boots pushed him upwards quickly, sending him flying over the lush jungle filled with prehistoric- almost mythical creatures.

As he neared the mountain's rugged surface, Fury approached a particular section on the rocky terrain.

He landed on the ledge smoothly, then approached the only flat surface along the mountain's side.

Without hesitation, he extended one of his fingers, which then transformed into a USB.

With a deft motion, he inserted it into a hidden panel on the wall. Then that section of the mountain slowly rumbled open, revealing an entrance.

He waited for the dust to settle before stepping inside, the hallway lighting up as he passed through. Another round of identification at the last entrance and he was through, finding himself inside an advanced operations room.

The room was filled with advanced weaponry, suits of armors, alien tech and a whole slew of other useful spy equipment.

At the center of the chamber, was a huge computer screen that showed a realtime map of the earth.

Red dots blinked across the globe ominously, showing the devastation that had swept through the entire planet.

Next to the console was a cryostasis chamber.

And inside it lay a figure. It was another Nick Fury.

The real one.

The left side of his skin was an eerie shade of green, and his body appeared to be in a state of suspended animation.

The Nick Fury who had been navigating the Savage Lands wasn't him but a Life Model Decoy (LMD).

This Life Model Decoy had been living as the stand in for the World's Premier Spy for many years now.

And what was a Life Model Decoy? A robot created in the likeness of an individual then programmed with a set of behavioral patterns, indistinguishable from the original.

LMD Fury stared at his authentic counterpart who had a pissy expression on his face even as he slept.

"So much has happened, sleeping beauty." LMD Fury said.

"Get ready for some craziness."

The LMD Fury walked around the Cryostasis chamber to the chair right behind it.

He settled into the high-tech seat, and shortly afterwards, a helmet descended from the ceiling, connecting to the back of his head.

"Initializing memory transfer."

The console in the chamber stated in a female voice.

The LMD stiffened as it's memories of the last 5 years were transferred into the real Nick Fury inside the chamber.

Once the transfer was complete, the LMD slumped on the seat.

The Cryostasis chamber hissed, smoke leaving the interior as it opened.

The real Nick Fury emerged, his first words, a curse filled with frustration and disbelief.

"Motherfucker."