Phoenix Under Attack!

[hulksmashed.livejournal.com]

That's the headline people are trying to avoid.

The Hulk doesn't care. His gait brings him ever closer to the populated city, and so far, nothing seems to stop it.

There's hope that the sandstorm that just kicked up might buy them more time. A sandstorm that's the doing of Crusader, the new girl carrying Thor's hammer and Captain America's shield, who's crazy enough to try to face the Hulk without the help of her team, who have been held up by dealing with some other U.S. agent.

The storm doesn't stop him. It only slows him.

Slightly.

Comments

[cap-a.livejournal.com]

"The government didn't believe so. They said the Hulk dies... the Hulk died. A soldier obeys orders, Barnes. You're barely a step better than a mutie terrorist."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Sarah mutters, trying to stretch a little to see if there's anything that doesn't hurt. "Better man than you'll ever be."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Oh," Patriot laughs grimly. "A mutant terrorist." He can't bring himself to use the slur. "Like Xavier was?"

[cap-a.livejournal.com]

Cap glares for a moment... then makes a grab for Patriot's shirt.

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

John walker is definitely enhanced. Bench presses something like 15 tons. Can survive a full clip from a heavy machinegun. His reflexes are on par with an Olympic gymnast's.

Even with her hurt, its not nearly enough.

A small, feminine hand closes on his wrist, and 'Cap' is spun to face Sarah squarely.

[cap-a.livejournal.com]

"And you!" he spits. "You're lucky I don't bring you up on charges..."

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

There's a double of Captain America now, but with a large 'L' on his head.

"You know, a lot of Nazis said they were just following orders, bucko.."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Her hands go to his lapels, as Patriot had him a moment before. "You know something, I saw that uniform, and because of all it meant... all it means to me, I jumped. I fought the Hulk and probably saved a couple of your boys and girls. But from the moment I actually knew something about the man behind the mask, I knew there was something wrong... and I just figured out what that was..."

[cap-a.livejournal.com]

"What might that be?" he replies, a snarl on his face, looking at her hands on his lapels.

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

She steps forward, both feet planted on the toes of his boots, and as if he were a small child, less than nothing to her, she lifts him out of his boots and holds him up with one hand.
"Those shoes you're trying to fill are much too big for you." she states flatly, before throwing John Walker for distance.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

Patriot smiles and claps a hand on her shoulder.

[cap-a.livejournal.com]

Cap scrambles to his feet in the dusty ground, but he holds his hand out, stopping his team before they attack.

"All this posturing doesn't change the fact that our side won today, Barnes. We were right."

He turns, letting one of his teammates retrieve his boots. His teammates follow.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

Patriot casts a gaze over the assembled Exiles.

"Judging by the side you were fighting on, I'm assuming the magic bracelet said something about helping the Avengers East?" he asks them.

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Sarah turns away to look back to her team, having pretty well declared what she thinks about his version of the Avengers. She walks with a limp, and her words are still slurred, but she's moving.

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, the Ghostrider has gotten off her bike, the struggle with Moondragon over.

It...He...Was innocent. How she knows this, she can't say, but it makes the arguing feel futile. Something went wrong.

She enters the crater to collect the body.

[hulksmashed.livejournal.com]

She's a bit too late.

Samson has already collected the body, and is heading back to the Hulkbuster base.

This most certainly bears further study.

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Spider-Man levels his unreadable glare at this guy.

"It told us to 'Protect the Killer.' The fact that we're still here probably means we've screwed something up."

Really doesn't wanna be stuck here.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Well, if you're lost... I'll have Reed or someone check out your story. If you're really from another dimension, you should have a dimensional resonance different from this world." He shrugs. "It's not much, but if your story checks out... we can put you up until you figure everything out."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

"Well, if your Thor still has his hammer, that ought to set off some alarm bells, anyway. Right now, though, I just need to lie down for a bit, then everyone can tell me what's going on... again."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

"Morph? Can you give her a cot or something, until we can find someone who can play doctor with her?"

Er.

"Really didn't mean it like it sounded."

Then, he looks to the flaming biker chick, then back to Barnes.

"Is that one of yours, then?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"I thought she was with you. Ghost Rider's a man around here."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

"Thanks Spider... but I'd rather fly than trust the plastic pervert to carry me around. Just... hope we can rest somewhere close."

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

"I am not a pervert. Sheesh, you embarass ONE busfull of nuns.."

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

The Ghostrider wants to lash out at someone. Anyone. But nothing is clear here. Nothing makes sense in it all.

The only thing she can do is emit an unearthly wail which belows canyon to canyon. It is a sound that will haunt nightmares - a cry of a banshee.

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Go team. Everybody hates everybody.

His eyes widen as his head jerks to the Tallus.

"Oh boy. Yes, I'd say we've screwed this one up."