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

[marvel-cosmic.livejournal.com]

"We are here, and you will release Captain America now!"

A bald woman floats in front of them, and releases a strong mind-shock towards Nocturne, attempting to drive her out...

[bub-snikt.livejournal.com]

... while at the same time, telekinetically launching Wolverine at the makeshift platform Morph has created.

"Ya shoulda gone home, kids... now it's gonna hurt."

[tj-nocturne.livejournal.com]

And TJ is thrown out of Cap, and stunned for a few moments as she falls quite ungracefully onto the Morph-platform.

Walker is unharmed, though in a very, very deep sleep from which he won't be waking from for a few hours.

Dammit! She'd wanted to get to throw the shield at least once!

[marvel-cosmic.livejournal.com]

Walker's body is immediately snatched from the platform and drawn to Moondragon, who relies on Wolverine to keep these interlopers busy while she makes an attempt to revive him...

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

Morph moves to get his passengers to terra firma, so he can engage the enemy more freely.

"We're here to help, you dinks!"

[bub-snikt.livejournal.com]

"Tell that to yer brat buddy!" comes the response, as Wolverine charges Spider-Man. "She's tryin' ta keep us from killin' that damn thing!"

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

This guy again. He hates this guy. At least Mystique is off with that biker girl so she won't angst over this.

"Why do you have to KILL it?" he barks, as he springs upwards into a flip to rake the hell out of his attacker's face with his own claws.

"Aren't you morons smart enough to come up with a way to contain it?"

[bub-snikt.livejournal.com]

Large chunks of flesh are torn off of his face, but as expected, they start to knit back up immediately. A spin and a turn, and the claws swing out in a large arc back at the jumpy guy.

"Apparently not. You got a better idea, bub, spit it out!"

[marvel-citizens.livejournal.com]

Warbird swoops in, firing a few blasts at both Morph and Dazzler.

"Forget it, Logan! They sound like tree-hugging pinkos to me!"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

A few blasts come up from a shadowed zone, and a figure rolls out of hiding, buying the Exiles some cover.

"Don't bother with these dopes," he orders the others. "Go help the flying girl! I'll hold these guys off!"

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

Holes open in Morph's body - in advance of Warbird's blasts, allowing them to pass through.

"Don't you guys have a Reed Richards on this stupid world? He can fix anything!"

Nevertheless, Morph changes directions, moving to help Crusader.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Dr. Richards was consulted on this -- but he was unable to find a way to subdue the Hulk which didn't involve merging it back with Banner," he replies, firing at Warbird, the stunning energy output set to maximum.

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

A gob of webbing into the hairy munchkin's face.

"Who the shock are YOU, then?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"You can call me Patriot," the man answers, firing a blast of stun-energy at Wolverine, taking advantage of the webbing. "You must be with the flying girl, right?"

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Another gob to Moondragon's face.

"In case you haven't noticed, there are about FORTY flying girls here, Pattie, but we're with the one with the hammer!"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"That's her," Patriot replies, sending a kick to Wolverine's gut. "I'm an old friend of her old man -- I'm not sure, but I'm guessing we're on the same side."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

"How 'bout you tell us what your side is, and we'll figure it out from there!"

His body jerks suddenly - WAY too close with that last blast from the lightning-bolt swimsuit woman...

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

Morph moves towards the Hulk, shifting his form almost randomly, hoping the beast will be confused by the changes.

"So, can we knock him to the North Pole or something?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Long as you're not murderers," Patriot replies. "We need to save Phoenix, but we can't let them just kill the Hulk!"

He turns his energy blasters on the Hulk to further distract him. "Look at me, you big green bastard!"

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Spidey swings with Dazzler, but lands a reasonable distance from the creature to keep the non-invulnerable types safe.

"Why not? It's obviously going to have no problem killing us - and if the guy that spawned it isn't even IN there anymore... what are we really killing?"

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Who's to say?" Patriot replies. "How do we know that there isn't a duplicate of Banner in there? We don't know what the Beyonder did to him." He fires again, trying to get the Hulk pursuing him.

"And what set him off towards Phoenix anyway? Look... there are other alternatives, but the Hulkbusters don't want to hear them!"