DC

Marvel

The Newest Marvel

Chapter 16

Quathis still seems to be here. I'm as shocked as you are.

*** Hulk ***

The Hulk had fought many people throughout his existence. He fought gods, demons, aliens, celestial, devourers of worlds, the military, even clones of himself. Sometime he'd been defeated, no matter how much he didn't want to acknowledge it, but mostly because they are overwhelmingly powerful or they sucker punch him. The people who actually fought him full on, no holds bar, he could count on one hand, no, scratch that, only one finger.

After today, he will add another person to that list. The person? The guy who called himself Superman.

In all of his existence, only the blonde pretty man could have ever stood with him toe to toe. Sure Thor had that fancy hammer of his, but even with it, the times they always met in battle had only ever came to a draw. On some level, Hulk always wondered what happen if they ever fought all out for real. However, this… Superman was already matching him blow for blow. There did not seem to be any external power up like Mjolnir, it was just a pure fist fight between him and the black haired pretty boy.

Smiling after the Superman gave him a jaw rattling blow to his face. Hulk returned one just as hard with all of his strength across the smaller man face sending him flying away. Not wanting to let up on his momentum, he charged right after the Superman and jumped up intending to crash down on his opponent.

However, Hulk did not expect to see two dots of red lights in the dust of the building. He definitely was not expecting two hot beam of energy to smash into him burning his skin painfully.

"RAGGGGGH!"

*** Superman ***

It has been over an hour since the Hulk had engaged Clark in battle. The devastation left in their wake was staggering. The only bright spot was how that most of the buildings were empty. Buildings can be fixed, homes can be repaired. Tony Stark had all but guaranteed that last part because of his admittance of guilt.

Right now, however, Clark had more things to worry about as he continue to fire his heat vision at the Hulk. He had saved it as a trump card against the green giant. Despite him hitting the Hulk for all he was worth, the famed superhero remained just as vigorous as ever. He could not imagine what it would actually take to put him down. Even Doomsday was not this durable, Clark actually killed that monster! Sure that whole thing with the virus happened to him, but in a physical fight, he was able to kill the monster.

Now Clark was not holding back, and while he was a bit weaker, it wasn't by much.

"RAAGGGGHHHH!" the Hulk roared both in anger and pain. He was now on his knees hunched over as if trying to find cover from it.

The thing about heat vision was that it had to be used sparingly, using it for a prolong time actually start to cause him pain in his eyes. Already he was feeling it, the smell of cooked flesh made him feel nauseated, but he continued to pour the energy into his heat vision as he walked closer to the Hulk, who remained still now.

Cutting off the beam, Clark blinked to get rid of the pain and let it cool down. Of course that was a mistake as the Hulk immediately moved to grab Clark throat in a vice like grip.

"Grugh!" Clark grunted as he tried to break the Hulk grip on his throat. The former scientist was eying him with a look of pure unadulterated hatred. The Hulk eyes glowed green as it to reflect the intensity of his anger.

Just as Clark was able to make leeway with the Hulk's grip, the green giant lifted him up high, his other free hand grabbed one of Clark's leg and the next thing Clark knew, he was in excruciating pain.

"GAUHH!"

***World ***

Many watched in horrified fascination as the Hulk tried to break the back of the superhero who called himself Superman. They saw the wild eyes hate of the Hulk as he roared and he lifted Superman body to repeatedly bring it down over his knee. The force behind the blows was not light as the ground shook every single time the Hulk brought Superman down on it.

However, as if dissatisfied with not being able to snap the spine of the newest superhero, the Hulk proceeded to grabbed him by one of his leg and swing him around wildly against the concrete pavement, against buildings, against cars, against any hard object he could find, Superman was used as the Hulk personal bat.

At the Kent's resident in Boston, the couple hugged each other in comfort at seeing their son so brutalized. While Clark had told them of his other fantastical life, he did not know that they have seen him at his weakest, so no matter how strong he get they will always see him as the boy they needed to protect. To be unable to do so, tore at their heart.

***Jean***

Meanwhile Jean felt horrified at what she was hearing happen on the radio to her boyfriend. She turned to look at Kurt who also wore a matching horrified look. Jean eyes looked at each of her friend in the car, all of them without needing to telepathically talk with one another grabbed onto Kurt, who strain to close the distance between them and the stadium.

BAMF!

The X-Men found themselves right inside the Arena much to Hulk's Warbound's surprise. However, before they could engage each other in battle, the Hulk jumped back in with Clark in tow by the ankle. Her heart broke at see him so battered and bruise against the Hulk. His t-shirt was all but in tatters and were rips at several spot along his jeans.

"X-Men?" the Hulk rumbled in annoyance as he glared at the four offenders. "I thought I let you off."

"You will not hurt him anymore!" Jean yelled as her powers flared, and she sent a powerful telepathic beam at the Hulk, the intention was to wipe out the Hulk personality completely.

*** Hulk ***

Hulk came to the Arena with the intention of putting an obedience disk on Superman. He was frustrated that no many how hard he tried, Superman back would not shatter. Broken bones or ribs, yes, but his spine, to cripple him, no. He was frustrated. This was an opponent he could not afford to have roaming free, fighting him took a lot out of Hulk, as loathe as he was to admit it.

So when he was confronted with the X-Men mutants, he was annoyed. He had been merciful and let them off, but he should have known better. Before he could teach them a lesson however, the Hulk felt an attack on his very mind. Normally he would have been shielded by his anger, but once more, the battle with Superman burned a lot of it off. So he was struck by Jean Grey's aka Phoenix's telepathic attack.

Hulk felt as if his world was on fire as if the existence that made him up was being slowly erased and drowned. However, the mutant made a mistake, in her trying to erase his mind, she also touched upon the memory of his love and wife, Caiera, and that he could NEVER allow to happen.

They would never be allow to forget about her! Never!

"RRAAGGGHHH!"

Hulk rage burned once more, hotter than ever before, as he shattered the redhead's attack on his mind, making her reel in pain from the backlash. While it felt like an eternity, her attack only lasted a few seconds. Clapping his hand together he scattered the X-Men that had intended to attack him, the sound wave was so harsh it slammed the four against the arena wall.

Just when Hulk was about to stalk toward the four shaken X-Men and give them the punishment they so richly deserved. Something unexpected happened.

"ENOUGH!" A loud booming voice shouted that cause the ground to quake beneath their very feet.

The volume might have been different, but the voice he knew. Hulk slowly turn around, shocked to see his resilient opponent back on his feet and this time, he looked very angry judging by the red glow in his eyes. Almost as angry as Hulk.

Hulk was ready for an attack, what he was not expecting was for Superman to fly up into the sky. A moment later knew finally knew why as he saw Superman flying at him again. That type of flying punches coming from Superman hurt like hell! It also deal a lot of damage to him from a single blow. Still Hulk was ready for it, he might not have had super speed but he had super reflexes. And the moment Superman twin punches smashed into him, Hulk brought down his two fist down like hammers onto the superhero's back.

Hulk spat out green blood as he felt his chest caved in and his ribs shattered before flying through the stadium, this time a fourth of it collapsed on itself. His body worked like hell to recover from the damage even as Hulk angrily smashed his way out from the debris just in time to see the Superman stand back up. His eyes were still glowing red and his face spoke of the anger he must be feeling as he flew at Hulk.

"GARRRAAAAAHHHHHH!" Hulk roared in reply to Superman challenge as the two collided.

*** Heroes ***

"Ngggh!" Jean and the rest of the X-Men covered their ears when Clark and the Hulk collided with each other. The echo was still ringing in her ears well after the two fighters moved their fight out into New York City itself.

"J-Jean, are you okay?" Psylocke staggered over to her friends in concern. She knew how painful a physic backlash could be.

All around them, Jean could see the captured heroes along with Hulk's Warbound staggering to get on their feet. She finally understood the Hulk's anger, in that moment of attack, she was not defeated by anger but by the love the Hulk held for is wife.

"He loved her so much Psylocke," Jean muttered softly as she got to her feet with the Asian woman help.

"That's why he's so powerful. All of this… destruction was for love."

"As romantic as that sound, how are we even going to help C-Superman?" Kitty asked looking at her team leader.

"There is no way in hell we can get between them now, not at the way they are fighting. Listen you can hear their punches all the way from here!"

And sure enough, the sound of destruction and collapsing building could be heard in the distance, the steady sound of thunder reverberating right beneath their very feet!

"Nothing can stop the Sakaarson from exacting his vengeance," A handsome tattoo alien man walked up to the X-Men, his allies also circling around to prevent the X-Men escape.

"Your Superman fought well, better than anyone else here or we've faced, but he too will fall before our Green King's might. Then those who have wronged him will be punished."

Jean and her friends were ready to battle Hulk Warbound when she felt a strong emotion of glee. Normally, she would have better control of her power and filter out the background thoughts, but after what the Hulk did, she was too weak to even do it.

That, however, let her trace the source of the glee to the insect like creature. Her eyes widen as she read his thoughts.

"There!" Jean pointed at the yellow bug alien. "There is your traitor! He knew the Red King's loyalist planted a bomb to kill the Hulk, but he did nothing to warn him! He was even hoping that would happen!"

"Preposterous!" The large giant rock like creature name Krog defended his companion, the other also seem similarly angry.

"You dare place the blame on our brother?"

"Ask him!" Jean pointed at the yellow insect. "Ask him on his honor!"

The male alien looked at Jean dubiously before he turned to look at his brother in arms. However, it was not anything Miek said that condemned him in Hiroim eyes. In truth, he didn't say a word, it was all in his body language, the defensive posture.

"Miek… tell me it is not true, tell me!" Hiroim demanded as his Warbound brothers and sister began to look at Miek in disbelief.

"It was all for the World Breaker!" Miek defend himself as the red Brood alien attack him.

"You let a million die, our brothers, your hiveling, DIE and you can say it is for the Sakaarson?!" No Name, the Brood, a different type of insectoid alien, was on her traitor ally hammering into the yellow insect.

"You stain us all with your crimes! You destroyed our honor!"

Hiroim looked at Miek, and then back to the captured heroes, before back to Jean. "So we were were in the wrong this entire time..."

"Release the others."

"Hiroim?" Elloe Kafi the female alien asked her companion.

"We can still redeem our honor if we let the Sakaarson know the truth," Hiroim spoke quietly even as the obedience discs were deactivated on Earth's heroes.

"We now go to redeem ourselves."

Tony Stark, who had witnessed the entire exchange, merely shrugged as he looked at his people.

"Alright, those that think they can get in the middle of that," Tony jerked his thumb in the general direction of the battle. Even now the ground was continuously shaking from the battle between the two.

"Let's go, I might have something up my sleeves that might help if everything goes south."

Carol was the first one to stand up and hovered, she looked worse for wear, weak almost but she looked to Jean and she sent her a look to let her know she knew Clark's secret. Unexpected feelings came back when she saw Clark's broken form dragged in by the Hulk. Anger, worry, fear that he's dead. The weak boy that he was came back into her mind yet she knew it was her Clark. His glasses might make him look different to people but she seen him without it and similarly messy hair.

"Those that can still fight, with me, the rest, get some help," Carol told the group before she looked in the direction of the explosive thunderclaps. Just how powerful was Clark?

"Alright then, Avengers Assemble!"

*** Clark ***

Ducking under the Hulk's wide swing, Clark threw another vicious right hook again at the green giant. He was tired, bone weary almost. The damage was starting to take a real toll on his body. His only consolation was that the Hulk looked just as worn out as him. That was good news at least, he really had thought the Hulk was inexhaustible. The anger that he felt at the Hulk for hurting Jean burnt out a while ago, the Hulk had seemed unusually incense and enraged also appeared to be more subdued.

Hulk threw a punched at Clark's face and was rewarded with a broken nose. However at the same time, Clark also threw a punch at the Hulk's face. He heard bones breaking and a grunt of pain. Clark staggered from the punch while the Hulk backed up unsteadily on his feet.

"Y-You give up yet?" Clark panted heavily as he didn't even bothered flying anymore. Would take too much effort and energy.

"H-" Hulk began with a huff. "Hulk will not lose to puny man!"

"That's Superman!" Clark corrected as he and the Hulk charged each other once more. The two stood toe to toe. No more cat and mouse game between him and the Hulk, just standing on one feet and slugging it out like two heavyweight boxers.

A right hook from the Hulk made Clark head whipped back. Clark set his feet and returned it in kind. He was please the Hulk was also teetering before he set his feet once more. Clark threw a body shot at Hulk sides, the Hulk returned the favor with a punch to Clark's lower ribs. Clark threw a full power punch at Hulk's chin making him spit up blood, the Hulk returned the favor by head butting Clark on top of his head.

Every punch Clark threw was with the intention of it being his last one, hoping that'll be the one to finish the Hulk, but the Hulk was still up, so that meant Clark could not quit. He had a job to do. However, the old proverb, the spirit was willing but the body was not came to mind.

He was still getting sunlight and power, but his body was not processing it fast enough due to the damage inflict by the Hulk. While the Hulk looked wrecked with his lower jaw almost hanging, bruises all over his body and face, blood freely flowing but his hits were still as strong as ever.

It was on the last exchange that sent Clark to his knees. He panicked at giving the Hulk such an advantage and look up to block the next attack only to see the Hulk was also on his knees, breathing heavily while looking at him. Their eyes met and Clark knew they had been thinking the same thing.

There was no verbal agreement but the two of them no longer attack each other. They just remained their quietly while breathing in air hoping to recover. One by the yellow sun, the other by gamma radiation. Each hoping to recover faster than the other.

"Stay-," Clark gulp in some more air. "Down."

"Same-," Hulk gulped in large amounts of air. "To you."

Once more, without speaking, the two got back up on their feet ready to continue this to the bitter end. One for revenge of a love one, the other to protect his love ones. However, just as they were able to launch forward, people that should not have been here showed up.

"Bruce! Stand down!" Carol shouted loudly. Behind her was She-Hulk, Spider-Man and Ares, along with Tony Stark and Reed Richards and Susan Storm. Practically all the captured heroes.

"How did you get free?" Hulk looked at the sight in surprised before his expression twisted into one of rage.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY WARBOUND?!"

"We are here, Sakaarson," the tatoo male alien came forward with the others, confusing the Hulk.

"What is this Hiroim? How are they free? Why are you with them?"

"We have been betrayed Great King," Hiroim explained patiently. The group behind him then pushed a yellow insectiod alien to the front.

"He knew of the bomb, and he knew who planted it. They were not the Earthmen."

Clark watch the Hulk eyes slowly look at the yellow alien who was prostrated before the giant.

"Miek? Is it true? Who was it? Who planted the bomb?" Hulk demanded as he stared at the yellow alien.

"You have gotten to comfortable, you are a warrior! To be a warrior means to fight, we need you to fight! Never stop making them pay! Remember? You taught me Miek that!"

The yellow insect, Miek, rambled and Clark was surprised to see true tears coming from it's large eyes. A scan at the other aliens show their face was also filled with grief and sorrow by the betrayal from one of their own.

"Yes, Miek saw, the Red King Loyalist plant the bomb and because Miek's said nothing, look at you now, powerful! You defeated this world champions! This was how you are meant to be, Worldbreaker!"

It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Clark saw the Hulk's face became expressionless as if processing everything. After all, everything he had done here was done on a lie. Reed Richards was the first one to try and approach the Hulk.

"Bruce, we can help this time around, we'd do everything in our pow-"

That proved to be a mistake.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"! Hulk roared, throwing the unsteady heroes off their feet.

"Bruce! Calm down!" Tony, unarmored, tried to reason with his friend, but a single stomp of his foot shook the entire area.

No.

Clark hearing could tell that it extended through state lines. Clark looked on as the Hulk began to glow green. Energy was leaking from him, unstable energy.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! WITHOUT YOU NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED! I HATE YOU FOREVER!"

Tony Stark recoiled back from the volatile energy washing the area destroying everything.

"ALMOST AS MUCH AS I HATE MYSELF!"

The Hulk then turned to look at Clark, his eyes were completely encompassed by the light but Clark thought the Hulk looked more sad than angry.

"KILL ME, BEFORE I BREAK THE WORLD."

It was as if there was a permanent earthquake that was getting more intense with as the green energies begin to coalesce.

"Crap! It was hard enough to try to fight him, how are we even going to stop him if he's in this state?" Luke Cage was the one that spoke up as he looked at the enrage Hulk. The Avengers both Secret and Mighty looked to be uncertain on how to stop the Hulk. Most was shielding their face from the light and gamma powered wave rolling off the the Hulk's body.

Clark heard Reed and Tony trying to figure something out to do with the satellites. One thing was for certain, if the Hulk energies explode, the world was gone. If the Hulk was killed, he was stopped. Clark knew physical attacks would not do the Hulk in with the way he currently was right now.

No.

This required something else.

At this point, Clark body had begun a very speedy recovery of the damage inflicted on him, he felt better but not great. But strong enough to do what needed to be done next. Walking through the currents of gamma energies, Clark stood in front of the enraged Hulk.

"I'm sorry," Clark whispered to the out of control green protector. To his surprise, the Hulk heard him as he looked down and gave a small nod.

"Col-No, Superman, what are you doing?" Tony demanded of him but Clark did not bothered answering as he grabbed the Hulk around his midsection and flew up into the sky.

"Superman?!" Carol voice echo behind him but he ignore her.

'Clark?! What are you doing?' Jean voice came urgently through his head and Clark had to smile. 'Tony has a plan that might work!'

'His might, mine will,' Clark sent his thoughts back to Jean.

For those that looked up into the sky, they would see a green star slowly getting larger as it ascend higher into the sky.

Clark gritted his teeth as the Gamma energy began to wash over his skin and attack him on a cellular level. He had wanted to get the Hulk at least out of the planet atmosphere but it look like he won't get the chance.

'Clark!' Jean frantic cries came through.

Clark began to manipulate the solar energies in his body just like he had done with Ulysses. It required him gathering all his solar energy together at a single point.

For the people looking up in the sky at the green star that was visible, a second light joined it, one of pure golden yellow radiance.

'Clark!' /"Superman!' Clark heard Jean voice in his head but at the same time saw Carol flying up to him. Worry was clear in her eyes.

Good thing Clark was finished.

"AAARGH!" With that Clark unleashed his Solar Flare, the combination of all the solar energies in his body for one single powerful burst.

*** Carol ***

Just as she was almost upon Clark and the Hulk an explosion of gold and emerald energies blew her back lighting up the sky briefly. The energies backwash actually hurt her but it did not deter her from looking for her ex.

Carol flew back to the point of the explosion and looked around for a man she realized she did not truly know. Every time she saw Clark, it would ignite feelings she was not ready to deal with. That he was Cobalt, no, Superman mattered very little. Right now she just wants to find him and after a few frantic moments, she did.

Clark and Bruce were both in free fall. Bruce was no longer Hulk out but instead in his human form. What made her heart seized up in fear was how Clark was not moving at all. The injuries on his body from his battle with the Hulk were still very much visible. Flying as fast as she could she was able to reach Clark just as they entered the city. Bruce was still in free fall, but was caught by Spider-Man in mid swing.

The two made simultaneous landing with Spider-Man checking on Bruce who appeared to be in a catatonic state.

Meanwhile Carol was doing her best to wake Clark up.

"Superman," Carol spoke up and tried to shake the man she'll finally admit that she was still very much in love with. "Clark… wake up. Please..."

Carol could feel Clark heartbeat slowing down as tears began to pour through her mask. She hugged Clark tighter, feeling him getting colder, she saw the rest of the Avengers, and even Jean Grey finally turned the corner to look at the scene before them.

Jean was rushing over toward Clark even as the other heroes stood back stunned at the scene. The two shared brief look of grief as Jean was beside her boyfriend, holding his hand.

"H-hulk...is he… is he..." Clark voice came out in a weak whisper. He wanted to know if he completed the job.

"You stopped him!" Carol assured Clark as she hugged him tighter to her, tears flowing down unashamedly. Jean was right next to her looking at him in tears also in falling down as he exhaled one last time.

"You saved us all..."

World War Hulk End.

My Notes:

That's to Qua Qua for his help on this chapter. As always thanks for the enthusiastic review, you guys make it all worth it. Got like ten consistent reader , maybe 15.

Soo... where first to begin. Bet ya'll didn't see that coming!

So the final death scene was straight up homage to the Death of Superman scene in the comics.

Yes, New 52 Superman killed his New 52 Doomsday. Nu Superman was also made to be stronger than Old Superman. Reborn fixed that.

Solar Flare? What is this DBZ?! But no, it's not, you read it right, New 52 Superman has an Ultimate attack where he can release all of his solar energy in one single explosive attack. It also leave him weak like a human for 24 hours after he uses it. The attack strangely enough while detonated like a Nuke was clean energy. No negative side affect beside the obvious barren landscape or anything caught in the blast.

So pretty much, Clark used the energies that was keeping him alive to kill the Hulk (which he in a way) which left his body to process all those injuries naturally. So a normal human would have died form that, so he died.

YEAH RIGHT! But that's what happened.

Anyone who is familiar with Kryptonian biology 101 knows what would happen. For those that don't i'll explain it next chapter... BUT...

Not until I get back from my hiatus. That's right, taking a break. I am not gonna put a set time down but I think roughly a chapter a day for the past two weeks is god enough.

Now as for what happens next?

Hint: Jessica Drew time!