1963-12-03 - Wait, there's a Cincinnatus in New York?
Summary: The Hulk is apprehended by a group of heroes and a surprising source
Related: If there are no related logs, put 'None', — please don't leave blank!
Theme Song: None
maximus peggy magneto drew crystal karolina bruce 


NEW YORK HIGHWAY 41
OUTSIDE CINCINNATUS

During the first major snowfall in this part of New York, Bruce Banner is walking alongside the road. He can hear his mother now. You'll catch a cold, she'd say. You'll get hit by a car, she'd say. If only he should be so lucky. If only he could find some sort of release. If only.

He's pelted every so often with snow and water from the road as cars pass by; often getting honks. Under his baseball cap he shivers, just hoping to make it to the next town.

Finally, someone stops, a young woman on her way home from Syracuse University. As Banner leans into the car and nods, he notices three baskets of laundry in the back seat. He's unsure if she recognizes him with his beard. He hopes not. He really needs to get warm.

Banner reaches for the door handle, but just as he does, the late horn of the oncoming driver is too little too late. Intoxicated beyond recognition, and without his headlights on, the speeding vehicle hits the young woman, in this case Stacey Laurence's front left end, killing her immediately.

Banner is thrown down into the ditch and loses consciousness for who knows how long. When he wakes, he sees a staggering drunkard, holding his brow, feeling guilty now only after their consequences to his stupidity.

ONE HOUR LATER

A line of vehicles litters the way into Cincinnatus And the large green creature, in the middle of the snow storm is now ripping apart the water tower and throws it into the distance angrily. He stomps down upon the pavement, first with his feet and then with his hands, smashing everything within site.

With no way to combat this sort of terror, the local authorities reach out to anyone and everyone who might listen.

*

Peggy arrives from RP Nexus.

*

Peggy has arrived.

*

Lucy is on her way upstate on an errand, driving a borrowed car. It's been ages since she was behind the wheel and she's never driven in snow before. It's frankly quite terrifying and she finds herself wishing, desperately, that she wasn't hiding out as a human because flight would have been so much easier. As she takes a turnoff that will take her up past Cincinnatus, the voice on the radio that's been playing quite low changes tenor and the shift in tone is enough to catch her attention — past her pounding heart and white-knuckled grip on the wheel.

"…mutant of some sort…monster…" The radio announcer has lost all professionalism. "Reports are that it's twenty feet tall…death and destruction headed for Cincinnatus…natural disaster."

Well. Lucy manages to keep control of the car as, before she can even think about it, she takes the next turn. Tires squeal but she stays on the road, foot bearing down on the gas. She lets go with one hand to pull her bracelet off with the other. Ahead, she sees the first of the ruined cars. Time for her to go on foot from here. She pulls over and, moments later, a rainbow streak soars into the grey sky so she can get a look from above.

*

The authorities had, of course, reached out to the Fantastic Four. They're some of the most well-known heroes on the planet, after all — and they have a publicly listed number. Which meant that they had already been called away. Bummer. Good thing they have a house guest right now who has no issues answering somebody else's phone.

Clad from head to toe in a tight suit of red deep enough it almost looks black, save for the bright white spider wrapped around her torso, Jessica Drew has hitched a ride out to the scene on the bottom of a news helicopter, sitting crosslegged on the underside with her hands cupped around her eyes as she looks for — "Oh. Oh, geez. He's… he's really big."

Not for the first time, Spider-Woman experiences… regrets.

*

While no one may have reached out to the X-Men, the X-Men were listening. Erik Lensherr was in the underground bunker, quietly going through a number of papers he's collected via courier from the public records office in Sacramento, California. Behind him, a series of receivers were scanning every radio wave known to man, while a complicated sorting system prioritized signals based on a collection of magnetically charged punch cards. At one point, the system latched over onto a frequency from upstate, and began feeding information from the Cincinnatus area.

Erik turned and looked, then dashed away from his work, charging upstairs and toward the library.

Bursting in, some of the students seemed alarmed at seeing Erik at this hour. He rushed over toward Crystal, grabbing her by the shoulder. "Crystalia. There's an emergency upstate. You must call Lockjaw."

*

Crystal turns from helping one of the students with a bit of chemistry homework when Erik bursts in, brows rising in surprise. "All right," she says calmly, dipping her chin and stepping back from the student with an encouraging smile. From there, it takes only a few minutes to get changed into the black and yellow jumpsuit she wears when she's actually ready for a fight and jog out to the rear grounds, where Lockjaw is waiting.

The trio blinks into view in the snow about a hundred yards from the last reported location of the monster, though Lockjaw disappears again soon after. The world may be ready for super heroes, but giant dogs are still in the works. "What, exactly, is this emergency?" Crystal asks as she tugs her gloves up to her elbows, a glint of flame in the corners of her eyes.

*

While Peggy's not SUPPOSED to be doing field work right now, and the two agents she's drug with her are looking very unhappy about it, with news of the raging Hulk comes some hope that maybe she could help. He carried her off once — in protection, not in anger — and that means that possibly she can get through to the heart of the massive green man. If he'd recognize her now, that is. She had to try. So, the moment the report came in, she and two junior agents loaded up into a helocopter bound for upstate. It will take time to get there, but it's a sight faster than a car.

*

A poor Sheriff's Deputy has driven up towards the commotion as the green monster is busy screaming and rampaging; throwing piece of asphalt into assorted houses and shops. The poor guy is murmuring something about calming down and listening to reason. He's lucky to get away when the Hulk picks up his squad car and tears it right in half!

*

Lucy is hard to miss, from the helicopters, a bright spot against the grey sky. When she sees the poor deputy nearly get smushed, and the car ripped in half, she decides to at least get the man, and any other civilians in the immediate area, out of the way. She zips down in a swoosh of light and scoops the deputy out of the way before the…thing. Hulk-thing… throws the car at him. If there's anything she's learned it's that things go more smoothly for everyone when your sort — the above average — aren't turning law enforcement into paste.

"Excuse me," she says sweetly, as she leaves the deputy standing on a street corner a block away. "And sorry about your car!" She goes zipping back toward the angry green thing, looping around him to see if anyone else is in danger.

*

With a whimper, Spider-Woman just releases her hold on the news copter and allows herself to drop out of the sky like a stone, because if she doesn't do it now then she's definitely gonna chicken out entirely.

She fires a pair of weblines from either hand just in time to catch a pair of rooftops and angles herself into a swing upward, a far sight better than hitting the ground face-first, even if it does mean she is now sailing through the air in a distinctly Hulkward direction.

She lands in a crouch on the side of a shop not too far away just in time for the squad car to be ripped in half. "…this was not one of my best ideas," Spider-Woman mutters to herself. Then, she's raising her voice, waving towards Big Green with a hand. "Uh. Hey, big… fella. What's the matter? Thorn in your paw?"

*

After blinking into view alongside Crystal, it's revealed that Erik had time to change clothing, as well; he wears a black jumpsuit, close fitting, with purple trim running its edges and a large 'X' insignia running across the chest in a stylized fashion. Above his shoulders, three small, shining metal spheres hover, bobbing around his face in a manner that somehow seems ominous, even though it looks frankly a little silly.

Magneto turns toward the sound of carnage. Even at such a distance, the Hulk is clearly visible in all of his destructive glory. Magneto nods his head slowly. "That's the emergency," he answers, grimly.

Magneto lifts his arms to either side and rises into the air. Those metal spheres begin unfolding and reforming themselves into pieces of armor, which then collect against his frame to protect his most vulnerable places.

The pieces of automobile that are torn in half from the Hulk do what they should do, at first; they fly, headed toward the ground, as they should. Suddenly, with a yank of his hand, the two halves divert and fly into the air, headed toward Magneto himself. "What on Earth," he murmurs to himself, then casts a look Crystal's way. He nods his head to her. Got your back, Princess.

*

ROLL: Bruce +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 19

*

ROLL: Magneto +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 44

*

"That is…not a Skrull," Crystal observes when she catches sight of the Hulk, hesitating for a moment as she tries to figure out just what the beast is. "Or if it is, it's the largest one I've ever heard of." Now isn't really the time for green threat genetics, though. Time to move forward.

Crystal rises up over the snow with a gust of air beneath her feet, one that propels her toward where the Hulk rampages. The closer she comes, the more the snow around the beast starts to melt into water.

*

"Get me as close to the incident as possible. I need to be on the ground with him. If… if I can just get him to *recognize* me…" Peggy's clipped British voice calls loud over the noise of a fast moving helocopter. The SHIELD logo on the side, they aren't being quiet about who they are or that SHIELD is happy to help come intervene in such things — whether they were asked or not. That 'copter, however, is not firing violently at the Hulk, trying to restrain, net, or do anything to him. It's just hovering over and then going in for the closest safe landing place.

Which, well… isn't all that safe with raining cop cars and the like. Peggy swears beneath her breath, "Just… hover low and drop the ladder. I can get down." Sure. That's exactly what a six and change month pregnant woman should be doing. At least she's in pants today? So, a moment later, the craft comes hovering in low, close-ish to where the Hulk rages, and a softly plump woman in a black coat begins climbing down that ladder.

*

The very idea that Lucy has intervened seems to bring the Hulk's rage to an even higher level. He lets out a blood curdling, achy scream and begins to stomp after Karolina with each half of the car in his hand, intent on all sorts of damage.

And then, as the small spider arrives, the Hulk turns his head toward the side as he sneers. He may not be smart in this state, but he's at least bright enough to realize when he's being surrounded. He reaches back, ready to throw each of the halves at Lucy and Drew, but just as he does, the metal is ripped from his hands, albeit in a host of pieces as they make their way toward Erik.

Not even noticing Crystal now, Hulk reaches and pulls a post with an attached power line straight out of the ground. Live electric wires plummet to the sidewalks like menacing eels. The beast throws the post up towards Erik, eager to knock the annoying gnat from the sky.

*

Lucy surprises herself by how not-perturbed she is when the green thing yells at her. She's getting better at keeping her cool and she knows she has a better chance than these poor, squishy humans — part of what makes it easier is knowing she's not human, for sure — if it comes charging her way. Part of her regrets not bringing Laura again. That happens a lot. It could be because her hands are cold or it could be because it would be good to have backup against huge monster-things. Either way.

When the hulk-thing throws that post, Lucy doesn't pay attention to what he's aiming for, she just slaps a beam of light and power about the size of a transport truck out to knock it away. The beam isn't very powerful, it's diffuse, but it's enough to divert the post from its course. And, since it's big, she doesn't have to be terribly accurate. On the other hand, it's a bit showy.

*

Maximus arrives from RP Nexus.

*

Maximus has arrived.

*

It's probably good that Spider-Woman's mask covers her entire face. Noone can see the face she makes when the Hulk starts yelling and preparing to crush her with half a squad car. Thank you, magnet-man, for the save.

The mask does nothing for how high-pitched her voice is. "Okay. Not a thorn in the paw," she says tightly, peering after Lucy for a moment before she shakes herself. Quickly, she fires another pair of weblines towards the Hulk's arms, with the theory of anchoring him down against the ground.

Her webs are probably not strong enough for this by a long shot, but she doesn't know that. Yet.

*

With shredded pieces of car in his magnetokinetic grasp, Erik reveals just why he hadn't yet used the materials as a weapon. Eyes on the beast widen when he throws the pole his way, and Erik brings his hands together, briefly alarmed.

Pieces of doorframe, axle, hub and engine block move with a sudden ferocity, coming together in a vector to intercept the wooden post. Erik snarls a bit during the process; his fingers curl, and the materials swirl around, ready to catch their wooden pray with shredded metallic fingers.

Then, there's a beam of light, striking and diverting the post. From his vantage point in the sky, Lucy is hard to miss; Magneto takes note of the masked woman in red, before his attention is drawn to the helicopter. His head tilts in a curious way, when he notices a woman climbing down the ladder.

The strategy here is easy. All eyes off that pregnant woman.

Magneto draws the metal items into a narrow spear-like shape, then, with a heavy thrust forward, the spear makes a ferocious beeline toward the Hulk's face.

*

Live electrical wires are a problem. Especially given the growing pool of melted snow Crystal was in the process of building for something else. She curses when she sees the sparks, her flight coming to a sudden standstill, and bedrock starts to flow up from the ground in bubbling magma. The molten stone forms around the broken, sparking wire, grounding it before it can strike out at civilians or allies alike. But the heat of the melting rock has certainly contributed to the growing pool of melted snow around the Hulk.

*

ROLL: Magneto +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 58

*

ROLL: Bruce +rolls 1d125 for a result of: 85

*

This really, REALLY isn't a good idea, but Peggy is halfway down the ladder and no going back now. She braces a few moments as the ladder swings in the wind, heart in her throat, hair whipping around her face, but then she's still moving downwards. "HULK! Don't DO THIS! You… you are BETTER than this! I KNOW YOU. I want to HELP!" She yells in his direction, over chaos and helicopter blades. She's just about ten feet from the ground now, which puts her a little lower than eye level. Maybe he'll see her. Maybe he'll recognize? She can only hope. But she's screaming for the actual creature, not the man inside. The creature that carried her through these mountains so many months back.

*

ROLL: Peggy +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 99

*

Its really fun to spy on people. Then, they get some sort of blocking device and you can't find them. Except when they are facing a giant green rage-monster and they stop concentrating on trying to block you. So it is that THIS is the moment that Maximus the Magnificent and his teleporter of a guardsman, decide to appear, judging a balcony on a building, nearest to Crystal, to be the right spot. Its a weird teleporting ability. It looks vaguely like a giant, yellow egg, that then suddenly pops and hatches two men. POP. Max surveys the scene with wide eyes, glancing to Crystal, then to the main threat. He cocks his head curiously. Wondering…can I control /that/…hmmmmm. "Crystal!" He shouts.

*

At Lucy's beckoning, the post is shot out of the way as it flies off in a third and fourth vector, as Magneto's metallic fingers give it the extra nudge. The wooden beam heads right into a garbage dumpster and while the big metal can is done for, but no one was hurt at least.

The wooden spear comes right towards the Hulk, who watches it as it soars towards him. It collides with the side of his face in a might *BNK*, not dissimilar to the sound of a baseball being hit by an aluminum bat.

As it explodes, the Hulk is still standing, indeed having hardly moved at all. As he looks to Magneto, he simply spits.

But before he can take any further action, the Hulk hears a familiar voice, and then stops.

"Peg-E."

*

Well, it's talking. That's helpful. The shouting, Lucy ignores. And then she realizes that there's a very chubby — oh, not chubby — lady hanging from a helicopter. Well. She tries to quiet down her glow as she heads that way. Not too close — don't want to startle the pilot — but close enough that she can catch the woman if she falls.

Lucy's mother did say pregnancy made ladies crazy but she didn't think it was literal.

*

Spider-Woman just kind of stares when the giant metal javelin does… nothing. She is feeling all kinds of regrets right now for having picked up the phone. She inches her way backwards up the side of the shop she's perched on, watching the ground come up and swallow the downed power lines. So very, very many regrets.

She makes it up to the roof just in time for the Hulk to actually say something that isn't a blood-chilling shriek and she takes a quick look around. Peg-E? What's a — oh, there she is. That must be a Peg-E.

Since talking to the big guy looks like it might work as long as she isn't the one doing it, she just kind of hangs tight, watching the Hulk warily from her perch.

*

Erik's mouth parts in an expression of surprise. That should have at least made a mark! He looks again toward the others, keeping an eye on each of them. He can't help but spare the smallest of smiles at Crystal's intervention, before turning his attention back upon the Hulk.

Well. That's interesting. The Master of Magnetism relents in any further assault, instead gently guiding his makeshift javelin to a safe landing away from any bystanders, and looks on from his position in the sky, waiting to see how this plays out.

*

The melted snow Crystal has been stockpiling rises from the ground in a sheet of water, a shimmering curtain in the cold winter air. Before she can do anything with it, though, two things happen. One, the monster stills, calmed by the arrival of the woman dangling from the helicopter. Two, she hears her name from a familiar voice that almost never bodes well.

Crystal goes very still, hands up as she holds the wall of water at the ready and turns toward the shout. "I am a little bit busy at the moment, Maximus," she calls back.

*

In truth? Director Carter didn't really expect that to work. She had hopes, but there was so much chaos going on, so many attacks, that she was going to be lucky if he heard her, much less responded. But luck is, occasionally, on her side. She, ever so carefully, wraps her elbow beneath a rung on that dangling ladder and her attached hand holding onto the one above it, bracing herself with that single arm so her other arm can reach free. She's trying to reach out to the green monster, her palm open and soft. Something almost tender about it, "Yes! It's Peggy! Remember? You….You need to take a breath. We… we don't want to fight, Hulk. We're here to help…" She calls loudly over to him, hoping to hell that everyone else listens too.

It's going to go real poorly if she promises help then someone else tries to shoot him in the back of the head.

*

"I have come for this reason! Agree to talk with me again, then I won't ruin this all for everyone!" A beat and Maximus adds, "Because you know I can help or hinder, here!" He's asking for it, but…also, he just needed to get out of the house. "He truly is /wonderful/ at destruction." Max's guard looks a little slumped in the shoulders and he sighs.

*

"Peg-E."

The Hulk repeats himself as he moves over, closer towards her. "Bad people want hurt Hulk!"

There's a deep intake of air as if he's a petulant toddler who is pausing to take a deep breath.

"Car man kill nice girl."

*

Okay, the crazy pregnant lady and the crazy green guy seem to be getting along. And there's…finally Lucy recognizes Crystal. Hey, it's Crystal! Hi! She waves happily. Crystal, who is being yelled at by some guy talking about making things worse.

Oh. Really. Most people would think Laura is the loose cannon in their relationship but that is simply not the case. Lucy's glow brightens as she glares at the interloper. If he makes things worse, she's going to have a few things to say about that. With her fists — figuratively, of course, but still. If something happens to that pregnant lady, she's going to turn someone into paste as best she can.

*

Okay. Spider-Woman is not going to question the magical powers of a pregnant english lady. She is, however, going to peer thoughtfully after the Hulk for a moment before slowly, carefully, picking her way down to ground level. Maybe there's still a cop whose car isn't in two or more pieces who she can — politely, carefully, quietly! — ask after this dastardly car man from. Maybe all the big guy needs is some justice. Yeah?

*

From his hovering position above, Magneto is paying close attention to the interplay between this Peggy and the green monstrosity. However, a familiar voice draws his attention, and he turns to regard Maximus with a sidelong glance, and soon enough, a scowl.

With arms outstretched, Magneto slowly begins lowering himself to the ground, moving at a diagonal to put him closer to Crystal. Once his boots hit the ground, however, he lowers his hands to his side… and twists them.

Beneath the balcony supporting Maximus, there are three metal struts that secure the balcony to the building proper. These struts are, of course, secured by metal screws. These metal screws suddenly begin turning, and one after the other, they pop out.

*

"Maximus, if you upset the nice green man, I will never speak with you again," Crystal warns her cousin, splitting her attention between him and the Hulk. It's telling that she seems to consider both of them as an equal sort of threat. "But if you can wait until there is not threat of imminent death to these nice people, then yes, we can talk afterwards."

She glances up at Lucy's wave, managing a tight, uncomfortable smile. Well, that's interesting. The girl glows and flies and apparently fires those bolts of light. Good to know.

*

ROLL: Maximus +rolls 1d20 for a result of: 9

*

Still with her hand out, Peggy is doing her very best to keep the Hulk calm and focused. Her expression is gentle, understanding, soft as her body is right now. She's trying to play up the delicate, gentle pregnant lady thing instead of the terrifying director of an international spy agency thing. While the helicopter doesn't like it, it actually hovers her JUST a bit closer so her fingertips can reach out to touch that once raging beast's cheek. "No… no. I won't let any bad people hurt you, but you have to come with me, please? You trust me, right? WE… we'll figure out who killed the nice girl. Who the car man is. We won't let him get away, but you have to help me now… and take a breath. Calm. Down. If you help me, then we can figure out everything else. I promise…" Peggy could care less about what is going on around her as she really focuses on just getting this rampage under control.

*

Maximus is busy listening to Crystal, then, as she replies to him, and isn't about to notice anything as trivial as screws beneath him where he can't even see. Not until they are out, that is. Its rather impressive, like a delayed reaction to all the other destruction of cars and roads, the ground, the water, the ruined electricity. And now that things are calm…everyone is holding their breath, and then suddenly there is a Crack. REEEEE. CRUMBLE. as the balcony shudders, ponders staying up, then grinds metal braces against the wall as it topples, taking the two Inhumans with it. Almost comically will they simply disappear beneath rubble on the street. No one will be lucky enough for them to be dead.

*

The Hulk staggers over towards Peggy and begins to undergo some massive changes. First, his height slips away like the height of water in a glass with a hole in the bottom. His green body loses its muscle mass in a violent, herky jerky manner, that brings the man down to his knees. The green skin turns pale, clashing oddly with the snowy ground as the monster turned man crawls towards Director Carter. Whatever he's undergoing is clearly awful for him by the pain he looks to be in. What was once a very large, green, walking disaster is now only a shell of a man in tattered pants, lying in the snow.

Bruce Banner lifts his head, brown hair tangled and face badly needing a shave. "Peggy," he says breathlessly. "Peggy," he tries again.

"Kill me."

"Please."

FOUR HOURS LATER

A host of SHIELD agents enter the large abyss of a hanger substation. As they unload their cargo plane, a large silver cocoon is being wheeled down the ramp and towards the prison prototype, only newly opened under the watchful eye of SHIELD.

Cut to an overhead view as the reflection of lights scroll by like movie credits, there's a cut away where one can see down into the sarcophagus below. There, the unconscious body of Dr. Bruce Banner lies, far more peacefully than he has for quite some time, with his eyes closed as the bay door slams shut with a cacophonic thud.

*

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