FacePunch

Teen Titans: Divided We Fall

The rest of the team hadn't heard from Eric yet. Isaac frowned, although somewhere in that screwed up head of his he knew that Pistolera wouldn't know anything. If Accelerate and Sentinel hadn't found him, and he hadn't called Pistolera, then where was Microbat? Was he dead? Captured? Or maybe Eric was hiding out somewhere, waiting for the right opportunity to meet them in Star City. Whatever the case, Sentinel couldn't worry about him now. There were more important things to deal with than a missing teammate, Rao forgive him. All Isaac could do is hope and pray that his friend was alright.

Sentinel's thoughts were averted from Eric as Cell wandered towards him. Rhea looked calm. She looked at peace. Isaac couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of her. How could she hold herself together so well? Why was it that Sentinel seemed like the only person on the planet who couldn't control himself? Her conscious was clear, despite it all. She'd killed as well. Innocents had fallen beneath her blade; mind you, not nearly as many as had collapsed beneath the Kryptonian's might, but that didn't change the fact that they were both murderers. The size and scope of the genocide Sentinel had committed never let itself leave the forefront of Isaac's thoughts. Even as his closest confidant approached him, a look of warm understanding in her eyes, Isaac still felt like the entire world rested upon his shoulders. Death. So much death. And all of it was his own fault. No one else could claim responsibility for the San Francisco Massacre but Isaac himself. No other individual on the team could weigh their sins against Sentinel's and not realize how much guilt truly belonged to the kid from Krypton. Sentinel's powers allowed him to see things that others couldn't see. For instance, facial expressions. There were certain movements people's faces made when they were feeling certain emotions. These expressions were hard to read without training because they moved on too fast for any normal person to examine thoroughly. But Sentinel could see. He could see what Cell started to feel when she looked into his self-stigmatized eyes.

He could see her horror. Her rage. Her guilt. The look in her eye that spoke more clearly than any voice could: It's all your fault. All those emotions disappeared within a moment. The resentment and loathing that had been present before they looked at one another was replaced by a genuine smile. But was it really genuine? Was Rhea just putting up a show, to keep Sentinel from boiling over again and killing the rest of them? It was hard to tell. Her biology did not betray her: Cell appeared to be truly glad that he had returned. His scrutiny turned up no lies. No sign of betrayal. Then why, Isaac wondered, was he so convinced she didn't care? A single flick to Isaac's forehead knocked Sentinel back into the present. He couldn't let himself delve too deep into his own psyche. Not right now. Every time Isaac started to think too deeply about everything that was going on, he would become ashamed and paranoid and angry all at the same time. No time for that, Krypton. Isaac told himself. You've work to do.

A smile crossed Sentinel's face. He couldn't help it. All the distrust in the world couldn't keep him from his genuine affection for the girl. What that affection was, Isaac couldn't tell. But he knew it was there. Whatever he felt for the girl, it was good. Righteous. True and just. The anchor of his sanity. It was in that moment that Sentinel realized that all of his humanity remained in that single, fragile feeling he felt for this girl. Rao, why is everything good and pure have to be so easily broken? "Thanks. I hope you didn't have too much fun without me." Isaac replied to Rhea's greeting. The warmth of her hand caused Isaac to feel at peace. There was a certain amount of hope that allowed itself to drip back into his heart again. There stood a lone, vigilante lighthouse against the tidal wave of chaos within Isaac's heart. A sentinel of truth that Isaac had something to live for. Isaac nodded. He had tried. He'd tried damn hard, and he was afraid all that brought them was more suffering. He didn't know what to say. Isaac had wanted to give up. He had wanted to give up so many times. But that voice inside his head kept telling him: "Keep going, Sentinel. You're not done yet." So he kept moving. One step at a time. Isaac had a duty to his fellow Titans, and to the people of San Francisco. He would redeem their souls. No matter the personal cost.

Sentinel stood beside Rhea as Simone went over the plan. It seemed foolish and hair-brained, but considering the current state of affairs it was their only option. The team was going to Hell. Cell, Accelerate, Stunt-Devil, and Amazon had all been chosen for the assignment. The rest of the team would stay and conduct operations of their own while they waited for everyone else to save the day. Pistolera had explained to Isaac why he couldn't go. Suffice to say, he was angry. He understood, but he was angry. He needed to be there- to protect her- them! His teammates couldn't do this on their own. They'd all die, no doubt about it. Rhea turned towards Isaac, and took his hand into hers. So soft. So fragile. And she was going to Hades instead of him. "'till we be meetin' again." She said. Isaac looked at her longingly. He shouldn't let her go. He should demand to take her place. But in his heart, Sentinel knew that was impossible and moronic and selfish of him. "Come back in one piece, please. I couldn't bear it if you- if you didn't make it back." Isaac whispered. This might be the last chance to talk to her. To tell her the truth. He'd never thought he would tell anyone in a million years who he was. But there was that voice again: Tell her, Isaac. Tell her your name. You might never get another chance. "I'm Isaac, by the way. Isaac Grant. That's my real name. Goodbye, Rhea. I'll see you again. One way or another."

Sentinel turned back to the rest of the team as Accelerate decided to join Evan's team on their mission. He could feel a bit of comfort in knowing that the speedster was there to protect Cell. Isaac might not like the bastard much, but he was a dependable bastard. Sentinel watched as Rufus turned his head and glared at him. The way he emphasized everyone ticked Isaac off a bit. Was he blaming Sentinel for the deaths of the others again? Or maybe the killings in San Fran? Or, perhaps, he meant to tell Isaac that he would keep Rhea safe. That last one didn't fit with Rufus' M.O. The speedster didn't give a care about anyone else. He would only bring everyone back to save his own pride.

A voice over the intercom interrupts Pistolera's explanation. The identity behind the voice was unknown. This seemed to put everyone, especially Simone, on edge. He mentioned Sandstorm. Where had Luke gone? He'd disappeared the night before the attack. During all the chaos, Isaac just assumed he had escaped like Ravager and hadn't bothered coming back. Or maybe he was dead like the twins. There was no way to be sure. Isaac only hoped the guy was okay. Simone looked to Sentinel, and explained how things were going to go down. She wanted Isaac to be on high alert. Okay, Sentinel thought. I can do that. He nodded his understanding before Simone allowed Hellfire to enter. When the unknown uniformed figure entered, Simone made clear that whoever this was had only moments to talk before he died a painful and swiss-cheese like death.

A rush of air knocked clothes and hair about as Sentinel appeared behind Hellfire. Isaac crossed his arms and squinted, watching the man's every movement. Looking for any sign of hostile intent. The man began to speak. He explained his connection to Luke and his reasoning for looking for Sandstorm. Apparently the two kept in frequent contact; contact that had ceased within recent times. Sentinel listened to the beating of Hellfire's heart. He wasn't lying, that much was apparent. But he did seem nervous. And the way his eyes moved...Was he..Checking Simone out? Isaac raised an eyebrow at that one. Certainly, Simone was well-built and good looking. But hormones generally took a backseat when someone threatens to murder you.

"He's telling the truth." Sentinel said after a beat. "And he's piss-himself scared." Isaac half-smiled.

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The rest of the team hadn't heard from Eric yet. Isaac frowned, although somewhere in that screwed up head of his he knew that Pistolera wouldn't know anything. If Accelerate and Sentinel hadn't found him, and he hadn't called Pistolera, then where was Microbat? Was he dead? Captured? Or maybe Eric was hiding out somewhere, waiting for the right opportunity to meet them in Star City. Whatever the case, Sentinel couldn't worry about him now. There were more important things to deal with than a missing teammate, Rao forgive him. All Isaac could do is hope and pray that his friend was alright.

Sentinel's thoughts were averted from Eric as Cell wandered towards him. Rhea looked calm. She looked at peace. Isaac couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of her. How could she hold herself together so well? Why was it that Sentinel seemed like the only person on the planet who couldn't control himself? Her conscious was clear, despite it all. She'd killed as well. Innocents had fallen beneath her blade; mind you, not nearly as many as had collapsed beneath the Kryptonian's might, but that didn't change the fact that they were both murderers. The size and scope of the genocide Sentinel had committed never let itself leave the forefront of Isaac's thoughts. Even as his closest confidant approached him, a look of warm understanding in her eyes, Isaac still felt like the entire world rested upon his shoulders. Death. So much death. And all of it was his own fault. No one else could claim responsibility for the San Francisco Massacre but Isaac himself. No other individual on the team could weigh their sins against Sentinel's and not realize how much guilt truly belonged to the kid from Krypton. Sentinel's powers allowed him to see things that others couldn't see. For instance, facial expressions. There were certain movements people's faces made when they were feeling certain emotions. These expressions were hard to read without training because they moved on too fast for any normal person to examine thoroughly. But Sentinel could see. He could see what Cell started to feel when she looked into his self-stigmatized eyes.

He could see her horror. Her rage. Her guilt. The look in her eye that spoke more clearly than any voice could: It's all your fault. All those emotions disappeared within a moment. The resentment and loathing that had been present before they looked at one another was replaced by a genuine smile. But was it really genuine? Was Rhea just putting up a show, to keep Sentinel from boiling over again and killing the rest of them? It was hard to tell. Her biology did not betray her: Cell appeared to be truly glad that he had returned. His scrutiny turned up no lies. No sign of betrayal. Then why, Isaac wondered, was he so convinced she didn't care? A single flick to Isaac's forehead knocked Sentinel back into the present. He couldn't let himself delve too deep into his own psyche. Not right now. Every time Isaac started to think too deeply about everything that was going on, he would become ashamed and paranoid and angry all at the same time. No time for that, Krypton. Isaac told himself. You've work to do.

A smile crossed Sentinel's face. He couldn't help it. All the distrust in the world couldn't keep him from his genuine affection for the girl. What that affection was, Isaac couldn't tell. But he knew it was there. Whatever he felt for the girl, it was good. Righteous. True and just. The anchor of his sanity. It was in that moment that Sentinel realized that all of his humanity remained in that single, fragile feeling he felt for this girl. Rao, why is everything good and pure have to be so easily broken? "Thanks. I hope you didn't have too much fun without me." Isaac replied to Rhea's greeting. The warmth of her hand caused Isaac to feel at peace. There was a certain amount of hope that allowed itself to drip back into his heart again. There stood a lone, vigilante lighthouse against the tidal wave of chaos within Isaac's heart. A sentinel of truth that Isaac had something to live for. Isaac nodded. He had tried. He'd tried damn hard, and he was afraid all that brought them was more suffering. He didn't know what to say. Isaac had wanted to give up. He had wanted to give up so many times. But that voice inside his head kept telling him: "Keep going, Sentinel. You're not done yet." So he kept moving. One step at a time. Isaac had a duty to his fellow Titans, and to the people of San Francisco. He would redeem their souls. No matter the personal cost.

Sentinel stood beside Rhea as Simone went over the plan. It seemed foolish and hair-brained, but considering the current state of affairs it was their only option. The team was going to Hell. Cell, Accelerate, Stunt-Devil, and Amazon had all been chosen for the assignment. The rest of the team would stay and conduct operations of their own while they waited for everyone else to save the day. Pistolera had explained to Isaac why he couldn't go. Suffice to say, he was angry. He understood, but he was angry. He needed to be there- to protect her- them! His teammates couldn't do this on their own. They'd all die, no doubt about it. Rhea turned towards Isaac, and took his hand into hers. So soft. So fragile. And she was going to Hades instead of him. "'till we be meetin' again." She said. Isaac looked at her longingly. He shouldn't let her go. He should demand to take her place. But in his heart, Sentinel knew that was impossible and moronic and selfish of him. "Come back in one piece, please. I couldn't bear it if you- if you didn't make it back." Isaac whispered. This might be the last chance to talk to her. To tell her the truth. He'd never thought he would tell anyone in a million years who he was. But there was that voice again: Tell her, Isaac. Tell her your name. You might never get another chance. "I'm Isaac, by the way. Isaac Grant. That's my real name. Goodbye, Rhea. I'll see you again. One way or another."

Sentinel turned back to the rest of the team as Accelerate decided to join Evan's team on their mission. He could feel a bit of comfort in knowing that the speedster was there to protect Cell. Isaac might not like the bastard much, but he was a dependable bastard. Sentinel watched as Rufus turned his head and glared at him. The way he emphasized everyone ticked Isaac off a bit. Was he blaming Sentinel for the deaths of the others again? Or maybe the killings in San Fran? Or, perhaps, he meant to tell Isaac that he would keep Rhea safe. That last one didn't fit with Rufus' M.O. The speedster didn't give a care about anyone else. He would only bring everyone back to save his own pride.

A voice over the intercom interrupts Pistolera's explanation. The identity behind the voice was unknown. This seemed to put everyone, especially Simone, on edge. He mentioned Sandstorm. Where had Luke gone? He'd disappeared the night before the attack. During all the chaos, Isaac just assumed he had escaped like Ravager and hadn't bothered coming back. Or maybe he was dead like the twins. There was no way to be sure. Isaac only hoped the guy was okay. Simone looked to Sentinel, and explained how things were going to go down. She wanted Isaac to be on high alert. Okay, Sentinel thought. I can do that. He nodded his understanding before Simone allowed Hellfire to enter. When the unknown uniformed figure entered, Simone made clear that whoever this was had only moments to talk before he died a painful and swiss-cheese like death.

A rush of air knocked clothes and hair about as Sentinel appeared behind Hellfire. Isaac crossed his arms and squinted, watching the man's every movement. Looking for any sign of hostile intent. The man began to speak. He explained his connection to Luke and his reasoning for looking for Sandstorm. Apparently the two kept in frequent contact; contact that had ceased within recent times. Sentinel listened to the beating of Hellfire's heart. He wasn't lying, that much was apparent. But he did seem nervous. And the way his eyes moved...Was he..Checking Simone out? Isaac raised an eyebrow at that one. Certainly, Simone was well-built and good looking. But hormones generally took a backseat when someone threatens to murder you.

"He's telling the truth." Sentinel said after a beat. "And he's piss-himself scared." Isaac half-smiled.

All-Star Marvel: Audax Mundus Novus - Season 1 (Completed)

The pterodactyl didn't seem too keen on the idea of leaving. Hyperion glanced over at Captain America as he hovered out of a hole in the wall on falcons' wings. It would seem the Captain had finished with his opposition quickly and efficiently; what a good little soldier. Perhaps I'll keep him. He'd make a decent enforcer when I take over the earth. Zhib-Ran thought. In that brief moment, when Hyperion let his mind wander, he left himself open to attack. Sauron charged forward with unexpected speed and slammed into Hyperion's midsection. The two supers went crashing into the nearby jungle, knocking down trees and scattering foliage as Sauron blitzed his attacker with all he had. "You're stronger than you look." Zhib-Ran commented non-nonchalantly as the two came tumbling to a halt. Hyperion and Sauron both took to the air, floating away from each other. A smug look crossed Zhib's face, while Sauron continued to glare on in silence. "You want a fight, then, reptile?" He asked. "I'll give you a fight. You can even have the first punch." Zhib taunted and tilted his face in such a way that his cheek was left wide open.

"I can practically taste the power oozing out of you." Sauron spoke. The creature's voice was dark and gravelly. This caused Agent Milton to raise an eyebrow. "You can speak?" But Sauron didn't care enough to answer Hyperion, and carried on talking. "Solar power. Yes. It's as plain as the beak on my face." Sauron's eyes began to glow, and Hyperion's instinct was to look away; he believed the flying extinct beast was trying to hypnotize him. Then Zhib began to falter. He fell out of the air and onto the dirt and mud below. His arms shook as he pushed himself to his feet. "What's happening to me?" Zhib-Ran questioned, a feeling of panic briefly rising up in his throat before Milton forced it back down. "I'm feeding off your energy." Sauron said simply. Zhib-Ran took one last look at Sauron before turning on his heel and sprinting towards the nearest source of sunlight. He wasn't used to feeling this slow. This weak. Zhib-Ran was Hyperion, champion of the gods! A deity among mortals!

Sauron soared over Milton's head, flying in front of Zhib-Ran to block off his path towards the clearing. Hyperion didn't skip a beat as he charged towards the meta-powered dinosaur. Sauron reared his head back to unleash another torrent of flame. Luckily, Milton was still pretty quick on his feet - he managed to reach Sauron before he blasted him, and slid between his scale-covered legs. A quick glance at the creature's talons told Zhib-Ran that he was still in danger, and needed to get moving. Now. The SHIELD agent tucked and rolled forward, bouncing up to his feet and using his previous momentum to continue sprinting forward. By now, Sauron had turned around and was flying head first towards Hyperion's back. He was more than likely planning to bite Zhib's head off in one go. Milton could feet Sauron's talons sink into his shoulders, and he reached his fingers towards the light in one last, desperate attempt at freeing himself. The tip of Zhib-Ran's middle finger bathed in the light of Earth's star for less than a second. But that was all Hyperion needed to catch Sauron off guard. Hyperion slammed the back of his head into the pterodactyl's snout, causing Sauron to reel backwards and release his prey from his grip.

Hyperion leaped forward into the clearing, letting his body absorb the rays of the sun.

"NO!" Sauron cried in a fit of rage. The pre-historic beast took to the air once more, blasting a stream of fire into Hyperion's chest in an attempt to kill the powerful alien. Hyperion was sent flying by the strength of the attack, landing with a thump on the other side of the clearing. Zhib-Ran floated off his back and into the air. He tore his burnt shirt off, tossing it into a nearby bush. His tie had already been eviscerated in the previous fighting. Hyperion and Sauron's eyes met once last time, before they both flew head on at the other. Beams of heat and waves of napalm covered the jungle as the two powerhouses poured on the heat. Flames spread over the trees and bushes, consuming any organic material in their path. Hyperion used his physical might to keep Sauron knocked off balance. He used his speed to stay away from the flying reptile's sight, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. Milton wouldn't give the creature a chance to drain him again. The battle was taken back into the darkness of the jungle as Hyperion slammed Sauron around like a pinball machine.

"Enough, you stupid brute!" Sauron spun around mere moments before Hyperion hit him again, and used his talons to slice Hyperion's face. The Adamantium-like sharpness of the claws was enough to cut Zhib-Ran into ribbons if he wasn't careful. Three long slash marks formed across Hyperion's face, blood leaking out of the wounds. It was then that Hyperion realized he was not yet at full strength. He couldn't have suffered such a grievous wound from any mere mortal at his full power. Hyperion brought a hand up to his face, wiping the blood out of his eyes. "Cant...See.." He muttered. Sauron racked his talons across Hyperion's chest thrice more, before firing off another steady wave of burning napalm into Hyperion's face. The enraged alien backhanded Sauron's face with the full force of his strength, sending his enemy flying. Trees snapped and broke as Sauron's body smashed through the jungle. Hyperion gave chase, though his flight speed was staggered due to the blood in his eyes. Zhib-Ran landed, slamming his boot into Sauron's windpipe. He should kill this...thing. It would be easy. Just fire off his lasers into the thing's eyes, and melt its brain. "P-Please." Sauron sputtered. "Don't." Sauron could tell what Milton was thinking. There was rage in the agent's eyes. "Take me prisoner. Take me back to SHIELD."

A smile crossed Hyperion's face. He knew what to do with Sauron. "I am no mere agent of SHIELD," Hyperion began, a look of pure madness growing on his face. "I am called Zhib-Ran, Hyperion of Tok and displaced king of my crime empire. I plan to conquer this planet, and make myself it's king. Your world is the perfect place to launch my new empire. I will conquer this galaxy, and there is no one who can stop me." Hyperion took his boot off of Sauron's throat. The doctor began to crawl backwards, desperate to escape the insanity standing before him. Hyperion grabbed the back of Sauron's head and tossed him back into the dirt. "There will come a time when I call for aid in my conquest. If you answer that call, I will reward you handsomely. Perhaps your own city. Or maybe you want to direct AIM. Whatever you wish, I can fulfill it. But only if you join my regime when the time comes. If you don't, though?" Hyperion leaned down to Sauron, grabbing his beak. "I'll tear you in half." Zhib-Ran let go of the Pterosaur. He turned around and took to the air, looking towards the AIM base. "Leave. And do not return." Sauron took to the sky, and didn't look back.

With that done, Hyperion flew off to find Captain America. Perhaps the good captain needed his assistance destroying this facility.

---

Kestrel sat up in the pilot's seat, a look of worry on his face. The helicarrier was no longer on their radar. The modified Boeing C-17 was much too fast for the helicarrier to catch and the stealth technology on board would mask them from any sort of electronic tracking. However, that wasn't the problem. The problem was a fume leak in one of the engines. The engineers hadn't seen it before they left the compound, and Kestrel hadn't bothered looking over the engines on his own before they took off. Team X had been in a hurry to get to the Hulk before he moved again. He pressed the intercom button, deciding that he should inform Logan of the issue. Fume trails could be tracked, especially if someone was looking for them. And if Kestrel knew anything about SHIELD, he knew that they were thorough. He didn't doubt that they would find the trail with their advanced instruments. The real question was if they would find the trail before it dissipated. If it dissipated before they looked into that particular method of tracking, SHIELD wouldn't be able to follow for very long. "Hey, Wolverine. Get up here. I need you in the cockpit."

Meanwhile, in the back of the plane, Wolverine sat next to a sedated Bruce Banner. The doctor had been placed inside a special containment unit, built from some of the strongest materials available. The containment unit was a large metal box attached to the center of the cargo area, with large panes of (very durable) glass in place for observation purposes. Bruce himself had a pair of magnetized cuffs attached to his hands. The cuffs were made in such a way that they could alter their size to fit either form of Banner, and contained traces of Wakandian Vibranium so as to keep the Hulk from escaping using sheer brute force. Whenever Bruce needed to be contained, the cuffs would activate and the powerful magnets within the cuffs would pull the Hulk to the largest piece of metal nearby. The cuffs could even be put in an 'overdrive' mode that would pull the Hulk towards the Earth's core. The cuffs were worth billions of dollars. But money was no object to Romulus and his organization. "D-Don't do this." Wolverine immediately stood to his feet, his claws extended. "He's wakin' up!" He warned. Maverick pressed a combination into a number pad located on the side of the containment unit, and the IV attached to Bruce's arm flooded him with extra sedative. "You c-can't c-control the Hulk... It's t-too much p-power..." Wolverine looked the doctor in the eye, melancholy beneath his mask. "I know, Bub. I know." It was then that Kestrel called Wolverine to the cockpit and he turned away from Bruce and made his way to the front of the plane.

"What's goin' on?" Logan asked. He pulled his mask down, ruffling his own hair. "We're leaking fumes." Kestrel responded. "Anybody on radar?" Wolverine had a buddy in the air force during Vietnam. He knew a bit about planes. "No, but that doesn't mean we aren't being followed. If SHIELD picked up the trail less than twenty minutes ago, then they could follow us out of range of radar. Or maybe their craft is using some kind of experimental stealth technology we haven't run into before. Something like ours." Logan thought about it for a moment. "How far are we from Weapon X?" Kestrel double-checked at his instruments before responding. "We've been in the air for about six hours. 'Bout half way there, if I kick it into high gear." Logan did a double take at that. "Planes aren't that fast." Kestrel smiled at that. "Most planes. But we modified this baby ourselves with the best stuff available. No government in the world could compete; well, 'cept the U.S. But the Blackbird don't count. Cruise speed is Mach 2.5, but if we wanted we could go up to 4.0. Cruise altitude goes up to 45,000 feet without activating our anti-gravity engines-" Logan interrupted Kestrel. "Wait, we have anti-gravity engines?" Kestrel nodded. "Yup. We also have an energy shield that protects the plane from the increased drag of flying at above the speed of sound, and our own source of oxygen to burn when we fly above 80,000 feet. There are two photon lasers mounted to the bottom of the plane, and we have 21 plasma missiles in case we really need to bring on the heat. We have enough fuel to fly around the world three times without needing to stop, and the most state of the art stealth technology in the possession of humans." Wolverine blinked a few times before he could respond. "Don't sound like much of a plane 'ta me. Sounds more like a UFO." Kestrel shrugged. "That's because we got the tech from aliens. I've been trying to get Doctor Cornelius to modify my baby's appearance, but he won't budge. The C-17 look is less suspicious than a design of our own."

"What do you call her?"

"Azrael. The Angel of Death."

"Heh." Wolverine chuckled. "What?" Kestrel asked, a bit insulted. "Oh, nothin' 'bout your baby. She's a fine craft. Just reminded me o' that clown I killed back at Ypres. Called himself the Angel of Death too; carried some blade called the Muramasa. Stung like a bitch when he stabbed me with it." Logan reminisced, involuntarily moving his hand down to his chest. "Took months to heal those cuts."

"Weird." Kestrel responded. Something was off about him. Wolverine could hear his heart rate climbing. Why was he nervous? John was never nervous around Logan. "You okay, bub?" Wolverine asked. John Wraith only nodded. "But yeah. I'm worried SHIELD might be following us." It was Wolverine's turn to nod. "Kick us into high gear. Use them fancy Anti-gravity engines o' yours. When we get back, we'll put the guards on high alert."

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Kestrel sat up in the pilot's seat, a look of worry on his face. The helicarrier was no longer on their radar. The modified Boeing C-17 was much too fast for the helicarrier to catch and the stealth technology on board would mask them from any sort of electronic tracking. However, that wasn't the problem. The problem was a fume leak in one of the engines. The engineers hadn't seen it before they left the compound, and Kestrel hadn't bothered looking over the engines on his own before they took off. Team X had been in a hurry to get to the Hulk before he moved again. He pressed the intercom button, deciding that he should inform Logan of the issue. Fume trails could be tracked, especially if someone was looking for them. And if Kestrel knew anything about SHIELD, he knew that they were thorough. He didn't doubt that they would find the trail with their advanced instruments. The real question was if they would find the trail before it dissipated. If it dissipated before they looked into that particular method of tracking, SHIELD wouldn't be able to follow for very long. "Hey, Wolverine. Get up here. I need you in the cockpit."

Meanwhile, in the back of the plane, Wolverine sat next to a sedated Bruce Banner. The doctor had been placed inside a special containment unit, built from some of the strongest materials available. The containment unit was a large metal box attached to the center of the cargo area, with large panes of (very durable) glass in place for observation purposes. Bruce himself had a pair of magnetized cuffs attached to his hands. The cuffs were made in such a way that they could alter their size to fit either form of Banner, and contained traces of Wakandian Vibranium so as to keep the Hulk from escaping using sheer brute force. Whenever Bruce needed to be contained, the cuffs would activate and the powerful magnets within the cuffs would pull the Hulk to the largest piece of metal nearby. The cuffs could even be put in an 'overdrive' mode that would pull the Hulk towards the Earth's core. The cuffs were worth billions of dollars. But money was no object to Romulus and his organization. "D-Don't do this." Wolverine immediately stood to his feet, his claws extended. "He's wakin' up!" He warned. Maverick pressed a combination into a number pad located on the side of the containment unit, and the IV attached to Bruce's arm flooded him with extra sedative. "You c-can't c-control the Hulk... It's t-too much p-power..." Wolverine looked the doctor in the eye, melancholy beneath his mask. "I know, Bub. I know." It was then that Kestrel called Wolverine to the cockpit and he turned away from Bruce and made his way to the front of the plane.

"What's goin' on?" Logan asked. He pulled his mask down, ruffling his own hair. "We're leaking fumes." Kestrel responded. "Anybody on radar?" Wolverine had a buddy in the air force during Vietnam. He knew a bit about planes. "No, but that doesn't mean we aren't being followed. If SHIELD picked up the trail less than twenty minutes ago, then they could follow us out of range of radar. Or maybe their craft is using some kind of experimental stealth technology we haven't run into before. Something like ours." Logan thought about it for a moment. "How far are we from Weapon X?" Kestrel double-checked at his instruments before responding. "We've been in the air for about six hours. 'Bout half way there, if I kick it into high gear." Logan did a double take at that. "Planes aren't that fast." Kestrel smiled at that. "Most planes. But we modified this baby ourselves with the best stuff available. No government in the world could compete; well, 'cept the U.S. But the Blackbird don't count. Cruise speed is Mach 2.5, but if we wanted we could go up to 4.0. Cruise altitude goes up to 45,000 feet without activating our anti-gravity engines-" Logan interrupted Kestrel. "Wait, we have anti-gravity engines?" Kestrel nodded. "Yup. We also have an energy shield that protects the plane from the increased drag of flying at above the speed of sound, and our own source of oxygen to burn when we fly above 80,000 feet. There are two photon lasers mounted to the bottom of the plane, and we have 21 plasma missiles in case we really need to bring on the heat. We have enough fuel to fly around the world three times without needing to stop, and the most state of the art stealth technology in the possession of humans." Wolverine blinked a few times before he could respond. "Don't sound like much of a plane 'ta me. Sounds more like a UFO." Kestrel shrugged. "That's because we got the tech from aliens. I've been trying to get Doctor Cornelius to modify my baby's appearance, but he won't budge. The C-17 look is less suspicious than a design of our own."

"What do you call her?"

"Azrael. The Angel of Death."

"Heh." Wolverine chuckled. "What?" Kestrel asked, a bit insulted. "Oh, nothin' 'bout your baby. She's a fine craft. Just reminded me o' that clown I killed back at Ypres. Called himself the Angel of Death too; carried some blade called the Muramasa. Stung like a bitch when he stabbed me with it." Logan reminisced, involuntarily moving his hand down to his chest. "Took months to heal those cuts."

"Weird." Kestrel responded. Something was off about him. Wolverine could hear his heart rate climbing. Why was he nervous? John was never nervous around Logan. "You okay, bub?" Wolverine asked. John Wraith only nodded. "But yeah. I'm worried SHIELD might be following us." It was Wolverine's turn to nod. "Kick us into high gear. Use them fancy Anti-gravity engines o' yours. When we get back, we'll put the guards on high alert."

All-Star Marvel: Audax Mundus Novus - Season 1 (Completed)

Hyperion post is finished. I'll start working on Wolverine's immediately.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

Thunderbolt and Boom unknown?! I'll need to rectify that soon enough.

Teen Titans: Divided We Fall

Present!

Titans East: United We Stand

I was called?

FacePunch's Gallery of WIPs

The pterodactyl didn't seem too keen on the idea of leaving. Hyperion glanced over at Captain America as he hovered out of a hole in the wall on falcons' wings. It would seem the Captain had finished with his opposition quickly and efficiently; what a good little soldier. Perhaps I'll keep him. He'd make a decent enforcer when I take over the earth. Zhib-Ran thought. In that brief moment, when Hyperion let his mind wander, he left himself open to attack. Sauron charged forward with unexpected speed and slammed into Hyperion's midsection. The two supers went crashing into the nearby jungle, knocking down trees and scattering foliage as Sauron blitzed his attacker with all he had. "You're stronger than you look." Zhib-Ran commented non-nonchalantly as the two came tumbling to a halt. Hyperion and Sauron both took to the air, floating away from each other. A smug look crossed Zhib's face, while Sauron continued to glare on in silence. "You want a fight, then, reptile?" He asked. "I'll give you a fight. You can even have the first punch." Zhib taunted and tilted his face in such a way that his cheek was left wide open.

"I can practically taste the power oozing out of you." Sauron spoke. The creature's voice was dark and gravelly. This caused Agent Milton to raise an eyebrow. "You can speak?" But Sauron didn't care enough to answer Hyperion, and carried on talking. "Solar power. Yes. It's as plain as the beak on my face." Sauron's eyes began to glow, and Hyperion's instinct was to look away; he believed the flying extinct beast was trying to hypnotize him. Then Zhib began to falter. He fell out of the air and onto the dirt and mud below. His arms shook as he pushed himself to his feet. "What's happening to me?" Zhib-Ran questioned, a feeling of panic briefly rising up in his throat before Milton forced it back down. "I'm feeding off your energy." Sauron said simply. Zhib-Ran took one last look at Sauron before turning on his heel and sprinting towards the nearest source of sunlight. He wasn't used to feeling this slow. This weak. Zhib-Ran was Hyperion, champion of the gods! A deity among mortals!

Sauron soared over Milton's head, flying in front of Zhib-Ran to block off his path towards the clearing. Hyperion didn't skip a beat as he charged towards the meta-powered dinosaur. Sauron reared his head back to unleash another torrent of flame. Luckily, Milton was still pretty quick on his feet - he managed to reach Sauron before he blasted him, and slid between his scale-covered legs. A quick glance at the creature's talons told Zhib-Ran that he was still in danger, and needed to get moving. Now. The SHIELD agent tucked and rolled forward, bouncing up to his feet and using his previous momentum to continue sprinting forward. By now, Sauron had turned around and was flying head first towards Hyperion's back. He was more than likely planning to bite Zhib's head off in one go. Milton could feet Sauron's talons sink into his shoulders, and he reached his fingers towards the light in one last, desperate attempt at freeing himself. The tip of Zhib-Ran's middle finger bathed in the light of Earth's star for less than a second. But that was all Hyperion needed to catch Sauron off guard. Hyperion slammed the back of his head into the pterodactyl's snout, causing Sauron to reel backwards and release his prey from his grip.

Hyperion leaped forward into the clearing, letting his body absorb the rays of the sun.

"NO!" Sauron cried in a fit of rage. The pre-historic beast took to the air once more, blasting a stream of fire into Hyperion's chest in an attempt to kill the powerful alien. Hyperion was sent flying by the strength of the attack, landing with a thump on the other side of the clearing. Zhib-Ran floated off his back and into the air. He tore his burnt shirt off, tossing it into a nearby bush. His tie had already been eviscerated in the previous fighting. Hyperion and Sauron's eyes met once last time, before they both flew head on at the other. Beams of heat and waves of napalm covered the jungle as the two powerhouses poured on the heat. Flames spread over the trees and bushes, consuming any organic material in their path. Hyperion used his physical might to keep Sauron knocked off balance. He used his speed to stay away from the flying reptile's sight, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. Milton wouldn't give the creature a chance to drain him again. The battle was taken back into the darkness of the jungle as Hyperion slammed Sauron around like a pinball machine.

"Enough, you stupid brute!" Sauron spun around mere moments before Hyperion hit him again, and used his talons to slice Hyperion's face. The Adamantium-like sharpness of the claws was enough to cut Zhib-Ran into ribbons if he wasn't careful. Three long slash marks formed across Hyperion's face, blood leaking out of the wounds. It was then that Hyperion realized he was not yet at full strength. He couldn't have suffered such a grievous wound from any mere mortal at his full power. Hyperion brought a hand up to his face, wiping the blood out of his eyes. "Cant...See.." He muttered. Sauron racked his talons across Hyperion's chest thrice more, before firing off another steady wave of burning napalm into Hyperion's face. The enraged alien backhanded Sauron's face with the full force of his strength, sending his enemy flying. Trees snapped and broke as Sauron's body smashed through the jungle. Hyperion gave chase, though his flight speed was staggered due to the blood in his eyes. Zhib-Ran landed, slamming his boot into Sauron's windpipe. He should kill this...thing. It would be easy. Just fire off his lasers into the thing's eyes, and melt its brain. "P-Please." Sauron sputtered. "Don't." Sauron could tell what Milton was thinking. There was rage in the agent's eyes. "Take me prisoner. Take me back to SHIELD."

A smile crossed Hyperion's face. He knew what to do with Sauron. "I am no mere agent of SHIELD," Hyperion began, a look of pure madness growing on his face. "I am called Zhib-Ran, Hyperion of Tok and displaced king of my crime empire. I plan to conquer this planet, and make myself it's king. Your world is the perfect place to launch my new empire. I will conquer this galaxy, and there is no one who can stop me." Hyperion took his boot off of Sauron's throat. The doctor began to crawl backwards, desperate to escape the insanity standing before him. Hyperion grabbed the back of Sauron's head and tossed him back into the dirt. "There will come a time when I call for aid in my conquest. If you answer that call, I will reward you handsomely. Perhaps your own city. Or maybe you want to direct AIM. Whatever you wish, I can fulfill it. But only if you join my regime when the time comes. If you don't, though?" Hyperion leaned down to Sauron, grabbing his beak. "I'll tear you in half." Zhib-Ran let go of the Pterosaur. He turned around and took to the air, looking towards the AIM base. "Leave. And do not return." Sauron took to the sky, and didn't look back.

With that done, Hyperion flew off to find Captain America. Perhaps the good captain needed his assistance destroying this facility.

---

Kestrel sat up in the pilot's seat, a look of worry on his face. The helicarrier was no longer on their radar. The modified Boeing C-17 was much too fast for the helicarrier to catch and the stealth technology on board would mask them from any sort of electronic tracking. However, that wasn't the problem. The problem was a fume leak in one of the engines. The engineers hadn't seen it before they left the compound, and Kestrel hadn't bothered looking over the engines on his own before they took off. Team X had been in a hurry to get to the Hulk before he moved again. He pressed the intercom button, deciding that he should inform Logan of the issue. Fume trails could be tracked, especially if someone was looking for them. And if Kestrel knew anything about SHIELD, he knew that they were thorough. He didn't doubt that they would find the trail with their advanced instruments. The real question was if they would find the trail before it dissipated. If it dissipated before they looked into that particular method of tracking, SHIELD wouldn't be able to follow for very long. "Hey, Wolverine. Get up here. I need you in the cockpit."

Meanwhile, in the back of the plane, Wolverine sat next to a sedated Bruce Banner. The doctor had been placed inside a special containment unit, built from some of the strongest materials available. The containment unit was a large metal box attached to the center of the cargo area, with large panes of (very durable) glass in place for observation purposes. Bruce himself had a pair of magnetized cuffs attached to his hands. The cuffs were made in such a way that they could alter their size to fit either form of Banner, and contained traces of Wakandian Vibranium so as to keep the Hulk from escaping using sheer brute force. Whenever Bruce needed to be contained, the cuffs would activate and the powerful magnets within the cuffs would pull the Hulk to the largest piece of metal nearby. The cuffs could even be put in an 'overdrive' mode that would pull the Hulk towards the Earth's core. The cuffs were worth billions of dollars. But money was no object to Romulus and his organization. "D-Don't do this." Wolverine immediately stood to his feet, his claws extended. "He's wakin' up!" He warned. Maverick pressed a combination into a number pad located on the side of the containment unit, and the IV attached to Bruce's arm flooded him with extra sedative. "You c-can't c-control the Hulk... It's t-too much p-power..." Wolverine looked the doctor in the eye, melancholy beneath his mask. "I know, Bub. I know." It was then that Kestrel called Wolverine to the cockpit and he turned away from Bruce and made his way to the front of the plane.

"What's goin' on?" Logan asked. He pulled his mask down, ruffling his own hair. "We're leaking fumes." Kestrel responded. "Anybody on radar?" Wolverine had a buddy in the air force during Vietnam. He knew a bit about planes. "No, but that doesn't mean we aren't being followed. If SHIELD picked up the trail less than twenty minutes ago, then they could follow us out of range of radar. Or maybe their craft is using some kind of experimental stealth technology we haven't run into before. Something like ours." Logan thought about it for a moment. "How far are we from Weapon X?" Kestrel double-checked at his instruments before responding. "We've been in the air for about six hours. 'Bout half way there, if I kick it into high gear." Logan did a double take at that. "Planes aren't that fast." Kestrel smiled at that. "Most planes. But we modified this baby ourselves with the best stuff available. No government in the world could compete; well, 'cept the U.S. But the Blackbird don't count. Cruise speed is Mach 2.5, but if we wanted we could go up to 4.0. Cruise altitude goes up to 45,000 feet without activating our anti-gravity engines-" Logan interrupted Kestrel. "Wait, we have anti-gravity engines?" Kestrel nodded. "Yup. We also have an energy shield that protects the plane from the increased drag of flying at above the speed of sound, and our own source of oxygen to burn when we fly above 80,000 feet. There are two photon lasers mounted to the bottom of the plane, and we have 21 plasma missiles in case we really need to bring on the heat. We have enough fuel to fly around the world three times without needing to stop, and the most state of the art stealth technology in the possession of humans." Wolverine blinked a few times before he could respond. "Don't sound like much of a plane 'ta me. Sounds more like a UFO." Kestrel shrugged. "That's because we got the tech from aliens. I've been trying to get Doctor Cornelius to modify my baby's appearance, but he won't budge. The C-17 look is less suspicious than a design of our own."

"What do you call her?"

"Azrael. The Angel of Death."

"Heh." Wolverine chuckled. "What?" Kestrel asked, a bit insulted. "Oh, nothin' 'bout your baby. She's a fine craft. Just reminded me o' that clown I killed back at Ypres. Called himself the Angel of Death too; carried some blade called the Muramasa. Stung like a bitch when he stabbed me with it." Logan reminisced, involuntarily moving his hand down to his chest. "Took months to heal those cuts."

"Weird." Kestrel responded. Something was off about him. Wolverine could hear his heart rate climbing. Why was he nervous? John was never nervous around Logan. "You okay, bub?" Wolverine asked. John Wraith only nodded. "But yeah. I'm worried SHIELD might be following us." It was Wolverine's turn to nod. "Kick us into high gear. Use them fancy Anti-gravity engines o' yours. When we get back, we'll put the guards on high alert."

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

Sorta-kinda back. Still busy, but less busy. Dunno what posting is going to be like quite yet.