Chapter 14: Chapter 14.
War world was still light years away, and neither of them knew what to say except to stare out into the vastness of space and the occasional asteroid they passed by.
Flying was out of the question because the distance alone would deplete over half of Clark's strength, perhaps jeopardizing his rescue effort. Diana's presence was also related to their use of the spaceship, as she was unfamiliar with space travel at the time. They both dreaded the worst, as it was one of the only worlds where Krypton had never established an outpost due to its rowdiness and anarchy.
A low humming sound was heard throughout the ship cutting into the silence that enveloped the crew. Diana's eyes were glued to the computer scanning every article she could find on War world and Kelex had plenty. The more she read the more dread filled her.
She let out a tired sigh, capturing Clark's attention which was solely focused on steering the ship. He had to engage his mind so as not to make any rush decisions.
"They'll be okay." He spoke up as his keen senses saw her tense body language and hand gripping her Lasso. He leaned back in his seat and engaged auto pilot.
"You don't know that Kal." She answered, looking at the ship's navigation system, evidently impatient. "For all we know they could already be fighting in..."
"Hulk won't allow that." He reassured her and rose from his seat to kneel in front of her. "As harsh as that planet is, he won't let down until we get there." His past encounter with Banner's alter ego, as well as the Avengers' opinions about Hulk, gave him a glimmer of hope that he would be able to distract them long enough for their arrival.
"I hope you're right. If anything happens to Cate..." Diana's expression was angry before she turned to stare out at the stars and Clark got back to his seat, taking in the scenery around them leaving auto pilot feature to continue.
Fortress
"Are these everything you have on war world and Mongul?" J'onn inquired of Kelex as he perused the many files handed to him. Krypton's database was really remarkable. It was almost at par with that of the green lanterns. They possessed data on practically everything that happened before they became extinct, including the tragedy that struck his home planet, Mars, which resulted in certain disclosures he was completely unaware of.
He didn't like what he was reading about Mongul, and in Kelex's opinion, the intergalactic warlord and War world were strong and powerful enough to be the only planet never invaded by anyone, including Apokolips. His ability to make Lobo, the bounty hunter, work for him was not to be underestimated. He glanced at the screen showing his cell.
"What the...!?" He got up abruptly, magnifying the live footage and appearing bewildered and worried. "How can that be?" He directed Kelex to inform the league if he was unable to contain the situation.
On the screen, Lobo was laughing hysterically and yelling commands to another Lobo who was undoing his partner's bindings. The key difference between the two was that one was dressed and the other was entirely naked.
J'onn became intangible and vanished into the floor, heading for the holding cells.
"The Main Man will be back for you!" The original Lobo pointed to him after he had blocked their route out of the lower levels. "You know what to do!" He directed his clone who charged toward him.
True enough, it wasn't magic, as he suspected, because the clone was just as powerful as the original. "How did you get inside here!" He inquired as he examined the clones' memories or non-existent memories and all he could think of was following whatever instructions he was given.
The clone was equally as hostile, but after a few minutes, he subdued him and went to get the actual Lobo.
When he arrived at the hanger, he noticed that the space hog was missing and that the control room door had several dents in it, indicating that the hunter had attempted to get access but was unsuccessful. He went back to secure the clone and waited for his teammates to come.
Watchtower
Blaze entered the watchtower via the hanger and proceeded directly to the control room, leaving Hal some distance behind. After learning what had happened from the guardians, he took off quickly, with him hot on his heels, but his top speed considerably outpaced the lantern's ring speed. They also learned Killowog had been transferred to Apokolips, but because his ring had not yet returned to OA, it was assumed that it had run out of power while the lantern remained alive. The guardians were currently debating how they planned to tackle that particular problem because all of the green lanterns wanted to go and save their comrade, even if it meant fighting the entire Apokolips army.
"What happened?" He asked the first person he encountered. "Have they succeeded?"
"We haven't received word from them." Iron Man informed him while he watched a video from the Fortress of Solitude.
"Why weren't we notified!?" Blaze inquired slightly angrily as Trixx accessed the film currently playing on the large monitor.
"Complications arose." J'onn responded by phasing through the floor and coming to stand alongside them. "Superman and Wonder Woman are on their way as we speak. They'll bring them back. "Where is Hal Jordan?"
"Right here." Hal announced as he entered the control room. "Dude's got stamina," he said, pointing to Blaze and admitting he was faster. "Where's Lobo?"
"He fled." J'onn displayed the footage from the fortress.
"Why are there two of them?" Hal and Blaze were perplexed, as the guardians knew of only one Lobo.
"Apparently he can spawn clones of himself." Ironman had obtained DNA samples from the clones and stored them in his suit, planning to examine them back on their home planet. He was the one who responded to J'onn's request for backup at the fortress, only to discover that the clone had consumed something that caused him to begin disintegrating.
"Lobo used him as a distraction to escape." J'onn explained while Hal and Blaze were viewing the film. "We believe he's no longer on earth."
"That's good." Everyone turned to face Hal. "What? If you heard half of the stories about that guy from the hardest space criminals, you'd agree with me."
"Why can't we help rescue Kara and Cate?" Blaze queried, turning to stare at J'onn. "From what I read about war world on my way here I think extra help would be needed."
"The Hulk will aid with the rescue. Otherwise, we will send out help if Superman requests it." Batman responded, entering the room with Cyborg in tow.
"Are you sure those three are enough?" Hal was skeptical. "Mongul is probably as strong as superman and that's not counting all the gladiators and warriors he has access to."
"I still think I should go." Blaze agreed, thinking of what he would do to the so-called warlord. "The green lanterns have no jurisdiction on that planet." Trixx brought up everything she had on it, including Mongul and Lobo, for him to read. If he had been present during the attack, she would not have been taken as easily.
"They are enough." Iron Man spoke up. "Infact Hulk is more than enough to make them surrender." He stepped up from his seat and gave way to the cyborg, who began typing.
"We need some of our heavy hitters to remain on earth incase this was a trap to lure superman off world." Batman explained. "It's not a coincidence Lobo and Mongul had partnered up to kidnap him and take his database."
"I want to be notified the instant they issue a distress call. "I will not lose another friend today." Hal gritted his teeth as he considered the various forms of torture Killowog could potentially be subjected to on Apokolips.
"Same here. I'd be damned if I let the war world continue forcing people to fight." Blaze spoke up after telling Trixx to monitor all frequencies in and out of the watchtower in case Batman and the others failed to alert them that the rescue team was in trouble.
War World
Hulk was intercepted in midair by a projectile that detonated upon impact, causing him to crash and create a large crater around him. He rose up and walked out of the crater, smoke still streaming from him, and his durable skin was repairing quickly. That explosion was more powerful than anything he had ever encountered on his home planet or this one, which made sense given that this was a warring world with practically every advanced weapon in the cosmos.
Looking around, he observed that the palace was still some distance away, and that a lone man was keeping a close eye on him.
"I'm going to enjoy beating you into submission." Dragga declared to himself as he watched the green giant crawl out of the crater with seemingly no wounds, demonstrating its immense power. That delighted him because no one had ever recovered instantly from the affects of the weapon he had just used on it. Powerful warriors, like himself, typically fall unconscious, like he did the first time he attempted to flee War World. He saw the Hulk growl and focus his eyes at him, as if he had just heard his remark, before charging forward.
"Okay... Let's brawl it out."
Mongul was watching the battle with interest and had instructed his guards to encircle them but not engage unless Dragga was defeated.
"Puny alien!!!" Hulk shouted as he slugged Dragga so hard that half of his teeth and some blood spurted out into the ground before taking a punch nearly as strong from him, but his teeth just came loose before straightening themselves.
Dragga couldn't believe he was having difficulties brawling with his insignificant monster, whose punches just continued to get stronger. Halfway into their battle he noticed a number of guards surrounding them but not assisting him, and concluded that Mongul wanted to assess his performance, which led him to this point.
He was the first to sucker punch the Hulk, who was unaffected by the hit and responded in kind, starting the brawl. The guards, on the other hand, were awestruck by the display of power but concerned about who would emerge victorious, as the Hulk appeared to suffer less damage than their strongest warrior. Their punches sounded like miniature explosions being detonated one after the other.
Dragga shook his head, dispelling the dizziness that was setting in, before punching his stomach and landing an uppercut to his chin, which caused the Hulk to lift off the ground slightly whilst shaking his head. Dragga smirked and wiped the blood from his mouth. "Come on!!!" "I could do this all day!!!" He bumped his chest, staring up at the camera, knowing who was watching and waited for the Hulk's submission.
"HMPH!!!" That statement, which filtered through his rage-filled mind, reminded the Hulk that he was on a rescue mission, and time was not on the side of the two heroines. His rage erupted, and he punched him so hard that the guards cringed at the sound of the broken jaw and the bloodcurdling yell that followed.
Dragga instincts caused him to raise his hands to support his jaw, which collided with the Hulk's other fist, throwing him violently back against the wall of guards, who collapsed down as a result of the force produced. The Hulk roared at the guards, who took a step back after seeing their warrior defeated and struggling to get up.
Dragga stood up, glared the Hulk in the eyes, and began striding forward, the flesh of his mouth holding his shattered jaw and stretching out his arms before popping them back in place.
"What are you waiting for, idiots!" "Get him!!!" He yelled at the guards, who looked at each other, unsure what to do.
The Hulk exuded rage, daring them to attack.
"ATTACK!!!" Dragga grabbed one of the guards by the neck and hurled him at the Hulk, who snagged him before collision and effortlessly tore him in half, flinging both halves at them. After witnessing this exhibition of might, the guards stayed motionless; after all, Mongul had not given them the command to attack, and Dragga was not their boss.
When his opponents hesitated to strike and threw up a barricade between him and the palace, Hulk charged again, with no intent to stop.
Dragga punched one guard and grabbed his shield and weapon before charging and firing at the angry Hulk. Given that they were in the path of the giant, the guards also raised their shields.
The Hulk collided with him, shattering his shield, and the only thing he remembered was the Hulk hitting him and sending him airborne before everything went dark. The guards, on the other hand, hastily moved out of the Hulk's path and watched him take a few steps before propelling himself into the air.
Hulk crashed into the palace, demolishing a portion of its massive roof and confronting a legion of guards on that level. He plowed through them all without hesitation or contemplating to fight. Every chamber he broke into ended in a dead end, and the floor levels, passageways, and rooms were too numerous and time-consuming for him to investigate them all.
He came to a halt in one of the passageways in front of what appeared to be a control center, given the number of monitors displaying every aspect of the castle. The techs scampered away as they watched him murder their guards with ease and the weapons scarcely harming him.
None of the monitors in the room revealed where the two heroes were housed.
In the basement, he heard Banner mutter something to him. His head turned and he walked out of the room into the corridor, where more guards were stationed at each end of the long, broad corridor.
We do not have time for this. Banner murmured to him. The guards noticed him stamp his foot on the floor a few times as if shaking something off, so they charged up their weapons and began closing in; this time, they had energy-based barriers that could not be readily shattered. The Hulk grinned as he gazed down at the floor.
He stomped his foot down hard, causing the entire floor and supporting pillars to shake, but they held strong. By this time, the guards were charging at him, having figured out what he was planning to do, which may be disastrous for them as well.
The Hulk jumped and stamped his feet again, but this time with so much force that the pillars and reinforced floor gave way and everything crashed to the floor below. The guards' screams and groans of dread were heard among the ruins.
Because of the extra weight from the rubble, he began pounding his way down through the floors. Each floor was substantially fortified, which required him to use extra effort with his punches. When he was about to collapse through his tenth floor, a gateway unexpectedly opened beneath him, and he fell into it involuntarily.
He gasped out as he awoke and pushed aside the massive bits of floor debris that fell on him when they landed. He peered around, attempting to figure out where he was, but he already had an idea thanks to the ear-shattering yells that came from all around. He was in a colosseum of sorts, the size of nearly ten football fields, filled to the brim with people, no wait, those weren't people, but all kinds of aliens; some too disgusting to look at twice, some beautiful, some small, some huge, and, most importantly, he couldn't tell the gender of the majority of them that he could see. They were cheering nonstop.
Huge displays the size of the tiniest skyscraper he'd ever had the pleasure of destroying were installed all around the colosseum, each showing an up-close live footage of him, causing him to look around but failed to notice any cameras nearby. A massive hologram of Mongul, their leader, was projected in the center of the colosseum, and everyone appeared to revere him as he put his hands behind his back, watching the crowd bow down to him and periodically cheer at the Hulk. His rage grew as he saw this extraterrestrial playing cat and mouse with him.
He grabbed one piece of rubble and tossed it with enough power that it passed through Mongul's projected head and crashed into one of the screens, causing it to glitch briefly before returning to normal. The crowd cheered for him louder than before, pumping their limbs and raising their hands in the air in encouragement.
They were there to watch a match between two well-known gladiators, but the sudden appearance of the green being, along with some rubble, meant that Mongul had captured a new warrior, and they were all eager to see what he could do because their leader only valued strength and handpicked who got to fight.
Mongul raised his arm, and the entire colosseum became silent, despite the fact that there were most likely millions of aliens present. The Hulk looked about, trying to find a way out of there and back to his mission. He surveyed the tall walls encircling the battle zone and estimated that it would take him several minutes to punch them down, but it was something he could do, and it appeared Mongul understood what he was thinking.
"MY people of WAR WORLD," his words echoed throughout the Colosseum. "KILL AND LIVE!!!"
The applause and screams were even louder than before, with aliens throwing weapons at the Hulk and on the ground all around what he imagined was the battlefield. That declaration indicated that no matter what happened, one fighter would have to die, either at the hands of their opponents or at the hands of their leader, if necessary.
He raised his hand again, and everyone quieted down. "This beast has defeated our great champion Dragga not too long ago."
Gasps and murmurs erupted around the Colosseum as the massive screens showed Hulk's fight with their champion and him becoming furious before being defeated alongside the guards. They all had assumed the Hulk would ultimately fight him if he was powerful enough, but seeing him destroy their champion was surprising. Then who will he fight!!!? was the question on most of their thoughts, but their commander beat them to the punch.
"Let the battle begin." Mongul proclaimed to the quiet audience, who observed each gateway in anticipation of who the fated opponent would be. Some speculated that another new fighter, or maybe their leader himself, would face the behemoth, as he was the only one on the globe capable of surpassing Dragga.
One doorway opened, revealing their second strongest warrior, a massive humanoid alien with red eyes and yellow skin who reminded him of Four Arms, one of Ben's aliens. It had the physique to match it, wielding a sword and a spear in each hand.
Warzoon! Warzoon! Warzoon!! Part of the crowd chanted for their brave warrior, the most brutal and skillful of Mongul's elite guards who later became a gladiator. It snarled at him.
The Hulk actually snickered at this and echoed his earlier statement, "Puny alien," and it appeared that some of the audience agreed with him based on their silence, with the majority dissatisfied that it wasn't Mongul. Hulk began walking towards it, intending to exit and continue his search through the same entrance, but was stopped when another one opened next to it, then another, and so on, until every entrance surrounding the arena opened and aliens dressed in various types of combat gear entered the ring.
No sooner had they entered the arena than the crowd erupted in a thunderous wave of cheering, demonstrating how much their leader respected this fighter. A fight like this had never occurred in the history of War world, and every alien was rushing to lay bets against the new warrior. A total of 23 of their most experienced gladiator combatants was competing against a single opponent. It seemed too good to be true.
Hulk stood rooted to the spot, his eyes roaming over each and every fighter who was also sizing him up, gripping whatever weapon they possessed; and it was at that point that he realized there was plenty of life outside Earth, places where he wouldn't be viewed as a monster and hunted down; places where he could smash all day and people would love it.
He looked up at the hologram and saw Mongul smirking down at him, mistaking his momentary pause for fear, before experiencing a stinging agony in his chest that brought him to his knees and caused blood to shoot out of his lips. Glancing down, he noticed a massive, incredibly sharp spear head protruding from his chest and drops of green blood already pouring onto the ground.
The cheering died down as the massive screens showed the Hulk's defenseless state, people lining up to place bets pocketed their money, and the other gladiators had disappointed expressions on their faces because that was a killer shot that normally ended every fight the owner was in. Only their leader had ever survived being pierced in the heart. They were waiting for the Hulk to tumble down. What a short fight for such a fantastic fight.
Getting past the shock and discomfort of being impaled, Hulk seized the tip and pulled until the spear's head was half a meter away from his torso, while a puddle of green blood formed beneath him.
Everyone stared at him. The Colosseum was absolutely silent. Those too far away from the arena were fixated on what the screens were showing, fearful of missing any moment.
Large green hands grabbed the spear's bloody metallic extension and, with some difficulty, split it in half before extending his hand to his back and pulling the remaining piece out of his chest, dumping it in the puddle of green blood on the ground. He could already feel his body rapidly healing his heart and the rest of his wounds. He took up the spearhead and inspected it. The metal utilized was unquestionably stronger than earth's because not even the sharpest arrow could inflict such damage on him. The throng continued to stare, mouths agape and eyes as big as saucers, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
Hulk slowly rose up, still holding the spear in his left hand, wiped the blood streaks from his mending chest, turned around, and searched the gladiators behind him for the perpetrator as his shock and anguish turned to rage. The warzoon made eye contact and couldn't help but raise his shield, despite being as massive and fearless as Abomination, with his body wrapped in titanium armor and a large sword attached to his back.
Hulk's roar pierced the silence before he charged with incredible speed into his shield, punching whatever part of his body he could find while dragging him to the entrance he had just emerged from. The warzoon awoke from his stupor that his ultimate move did not grant him victory and began to fight back, but it was too late; the spear's head was already breaking through his shield, piercing every part of his body as the hulk delivered a blow.
The audience jumped and cheered so loudly that the foundations of every building in the capital city trembled, and those outside the Colosseum had to cover their ears for a few minutes.
The vibrations penetrated down into Mongul's personal underground chambers, where he stored his valuable treasures from across the galaxy. Cate looked up when her heightened hearing detected a distant cheer and briefly halted her escape attempt.
She had been unsuccessfully attempting to break her bonds since she regained consciousness before the creature returned to check on them. Her hands and legs were shackled to the end of a metallic column shaped like an X. The metals employed were surprisingly robust and solid; even when she applied her full strength, they would not budge. An energy force field was also keeping her inside the jail, preventing her from escaping, and she noticed a small piece of kryptonite next to her.
Her initial thought was, "They think I'm a Kryptonian."
Kara, on the other hand, was still unconscious in the cage opposite hers, chained in the same way, with the chunk of kryptonite beside her causing actual damage, unlike in her situation. She noticed her sweating and convulsing from time to time.
Hera! I need to get us out of here; who knows what's going on outside.
OA
"Should we send out reinforcements to help them?" one guardian asked his peers, who had quickly convened a conference after Hal Jordan detailed what had happened.
"We have not gotten involved in War worlds politics for thousands of years because they honor the lantern treaty of not invading or harming the planets under our control." Another guardian pointed out. "They have clearly broken it by attacking earth and kidnapping two of its citizens."
"Technically, they are not part of earth's citizens." Every guardian turned to face the one who spoke, forcing him to elaborate. "Kara Zorel is from Krypton, and Princess Cate is from a sovereign nation with no allegiance to Earth's laws or government. No human has been abducted."
That sparked a series of conversations between them, dividing them into two groups: one who voted for their involvement and the other who did not.
"If we intervene, we will be forced to attack Apokolips for grabbing Killowog. Thus, fight two conflicts on different ends." The leader interposed, knowing full well that the circumstances would not favor a conflict of any type.
"If we keep doing nothing, the green lantern corps will be thought of less seriously throughout the Galaxy. Even though Ben rescued them on his own, word of the invasion has spread." Another person pointed out.
"Speaking of Ben, have we identified any correlation of the alien species he turned into with any one in our universe?" The leader inquired as an image of Whampire and the corruptura appeared in hologram form in the center.
Each guardian shook his head, still staring at the hologram. Every time they met, saw, or heard about Ben, they got to see a new extraterrestrial he could transform into, and this one was just as powerful as the others. An alien vampire capable of controlling any living creature by attaching a corruptura to their forehead, completely inhibiting the individual's will, which is extremely dangerous.
"I still reiterate we should be the ones to be in possession of such technology and not a teenage human." Their strategist expressed his thoughts on the subject for the hundredth time.
The leader turned slightly to glance at him before returning to the hologram. "Describe to us a scenario in which we would acquire the Omnitrix from him without killing him or worse, turning him against us and our cause" He couldn't refute the logic behind the statement, but it would be easier said than done.
The strategist maintained a contemplative expression on his face.
"I forgot to mention the part about taking it peacefully without him turning into any alien or the omnitrixs protocol being activated as I am sure it has protocols for such things."
Over a million possibilities ran through the strategist's mind, each of which resulted in an all-out battle with either Ben or the Justice League, as well as a significant reduction in the lantern corps membership. "What if it ends up in the wrong hands?"
Everyone pondered about Darkseid and now Mongul, who had undoubtedly taken an interest in Earth.
"We get your point, but there's nothing we can do." The leader waved his hand, and the hologram disintegrated. "As for Kara and Princess Cate, Hal indicated that the green being is already on War world to rescue them, and based on his teammates' comments, he may be successful. If not, Superman and Wonder Woman are on their way to help." A hologram of the Hulk surfaced during his fight with Lex Luthor and Grodd, according to a footage obtained from Lex Corp.
"A small group of individuals cannot bring down War world, even if two of them are Kryptonians and the others are super powered. Apokolips has never threatened this planet, nor has any other warlord in the cosmos." The strategist sneered at the suggestion, but then had an idea. The only thing that happened was that planets with significant power joined into treaties with it, allowing them to establish mutual respect.
"We'll have to wait and watch how things play out. At the end, the planet's defense systems will be weakened enough for us to take control and restore order."
"You think so highly of the kryptonian and the princess." One guardian observed, intrigued by the potential. It could happen.
"I have to, an angry powered up Kryptonian is not someone you would wish to fight without the help of kryptonite." In all of his tactics, the only and safest method to defeat Superman was to use kryptonite or battle on a world with a red sun, even though he would still be somewhat more powerful than the normal human being.
"We will prepare our forces in case he succeeds and weakens the planet's defenses. That will make up for our failed invasion and capture of Killowog." The leader spoke up.
Elsewhere...
"Why are we landing here?" She inquired, her gaze drawn to their navigation system and the planet's topography outside the glass. Her enhanced vision allowed her to view miles and miles of barren land punctuated by massive craters that reminded her of Earth's moon but were half the size.
"We are two planets away from War world where we need to arrive undetected because I know Mongul has increased his security." He said while opening a trunk and taking out the clothes Kelex had packed for them.
Diana nodded and turned to watch him put on what appeared to be a black skin suit over his superhero costume. "What are you doing?" She couldn't help but admire the magnificent figure that the skin suit did little to conceal.
"I am changing into something unobtrusive, and you should do the same. Mongul will have everyone searching for us." He walked over to her and handed her a bunch of garments. "Kelex packed some for you."
She stood up and placed the garments on top of the controls. "Thank you, but I have my own," she said, twirling into a matching black skin suit, the lasso nowhere to be seen.
"That can work too." Clark commented quickly, his eyes averting her gaze before turning around and headed towards the ramp. "We will need to identify where Mongul is holding them and Hulk before they figure out we're on the planet."
"I understand but won't their radar system detect us when we fly in?" The watchtower's radar system never failed to alert them when someone flew in, and because Earth's technology was behind that of the other civilizations, she could only presume that they had a more advanced system.
They walked off the ship, and Clark peered overhead, his telescopic vision registering the positions of war world satellites and the route they could take. "If we fly fast enough, they won't be able to." His feet rose off the ground, beckoning her to him. "I'll get us there."
"What? I can fly almost as fast as you," she lifted off and hovered close to him, wary of his strategy in case it was as she suspected.
"Almost as fast as me." He repeated her own words. "Remember, we don't have much time. Who knows what they're doing to them or the Hulk," he said when she tried to make her point again.
"Fine." She hovered closer and extended her lasso towards him. He cocked an eyebrow at the motion.
"To hold on to."
"We won't need it." He smiled, wrapped his left arm around her waist, and pulled her towards him.
Diana's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she found herself forced against his broad, hard, well-defined chest, forcing her to circle her arms around him for stability. She was reluctant to look up at him because of their height difference and this was so different from holding a typical male human during rescue missions, as her very durable skin could not feel theirs.
Clark hesitated for a second, wishing he could have gone along with her plan to use her lasso since, unlike hugging Lois, he could feel every curve of her pressing against his impervious skin, which was a little distracting. He was also relieved that any pressure he applied would not immediately harm her.
After a minute of awkward silence and repositioning themselves to be comfy, he asked, "Ready?"
"Yes." She felt him tighten his grip on her and lift off with a sonic boom, her body burning up from the friction caused by him pushing his way through the vacuum of space. She took a look and saw that they were approaching war world. He is fast, she thought.
A few minutes later, they successfully landed undetected and were walking in one of the cities, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Despite their human appearance, locals mistook them for Almeracians or Daxamites passing through as most of them never even heard of Earth.
"Most of the buildings here are covered in lead so we will have to wait for Kelex to infiltrate their system." Clark whispered to Diana, who was continually twisting and turning, staring at everything and everyone.
To her, everything was surreal: the technology, all of the alien creatures they encountered, and the planet itself. It was all chaotic, and everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, while others were huddled up in large groups watching the televisions scattered over the city.
"Diana." To grab her attention, he called out.
"Yes, I heard you." She shifted her attention to him. "We wait for Kelex to direct us."
"Stop staring at everyone who passes. I understand it's different from Earth, but we need to be discreet and appear to belong." He knew she'd never gone on an off world mission, and he experienced the same reaction the first time Hal let him tag along. It was a surreal experience to witness the many varieties of aliens, some of them resembled Earth's wild creatures that had evolved, while others appeared to be pure aliens, impossible to define.
"I never knew so many species could coexist in one planet." She was taken aback as she saw what appeared to be a full-grown lion standing on two feet disputing in an unfamiliar language with a store vendor of the same size and appearance as a raccoon.
All of the groups crowded together let out a loud outcry, startling both of them, while the aliens in the shops hurried to join them before the others ran to the shop, as if they had switched positions.
Clark focused his X-Ray vision on the throng and let out a low gasp at what they were watching.
Diana grabbed on his arm, seeking an explanation. Her heightened senses were picking up on everything from the loudness, the new peculiar odors all around, and the strange looking aliens all around. This seemed to confuse her a lot, and she was having trouble focusing on one item, unlike Clark, who was used to such an environment.
"The... they are watching the hulk fight." Clark responded while remaining focused on the screen, then scanned about them with his X-ray and telescopic vision.
"What? Where? "We need to help him." Diana said that as her fury was rapidly returning, overshadowing her interest. "We need to get to them." She took a step forward towards the group, but Clark held her wrist, preventing her from moving forward.
"They are not with him and not here." He explained while tugging on her arm, dragging her in the opposite direction of everyone else, who appeared to hurry to the screen displays. "Those are gamblers making bets. We need to get to the next city this way." He pointed to the north.
"What's there?" She asked as he dragged her across the congested streets and pathways.
"The colosseum and hopefully Monguls palace." He responded by swerving in and out of the streets, utilizing his eyesight to find a private area where they could employ their abilities.
"Let's go then." Diana was already flying off the ground when they reached a secluded walkway, but Clark's huge palm was still clutching onto her wrist, grounding her even after she tugged on it. She looked at it.
Clark noticed her looking at her hand and instantly let go, apologizing; he did not want to use excessive strength, but they needed to think properly for their rescue to be successful.
Diana landed again and flexed her wrists, looking hopefully at him. She had subconsciously used a little force when marking her hand, but Clarks did not move an inch.
"I can use my speed to get us there." He explained much to her displeasure. She was so used to being the one who took people on missions that she couldn't express how she felt about it all.
"Two people flying through the sky would draw too much attention." He went on to say when he saw her diverse facial expressions.
"Fine." She came closer to him again, anticipating their close encounter.
"I'm going to pick you up now." He motioned with his hands and looked at her, seeing she had a 'are you serious' expression on her face.
"Just wanted you're permission." He defended somewhat, smiling, trying not to flush at what he was about to do. In one seamless movement, he lifted her up bridal style and dashed away faster than a bullet.
Even though she knew what was coming, she could not have predicted the 'Yelp!' sound that escaped her lips as she was shoved up, followed by the tremendous push of wind as he ran. She had to conceal her face against his chest.
It ended abruptly, just as it had begun. "We're here."
"Oh." She looked up and away from his chest to their surroundings, while Clark let her stand on her feet and fix herself. Her eyes were raking over and taking in all the humongous skyscrapers and ships flying throughout the city, as well as the various alien species shouting at something up on the equally humongous screens.
"Wait," she said, returning her gaze to the massive screens, her rage quickly rising. On the screen, the Hulk was covered in a mixture of green, red, and purple fluids and was currently pummeling someone to the ground before being tackled away by another creature, whom she recognized as a gladiator based on the body armor it wore. When he was tackled, the crowds around the city roared, and she could see everyone excitedly discussing the battle.
Clark noticed her stiffening her fists, "We need to go. I can see the palace up ahead." So far, every alien was preoccupied with the battles, and no one paid any attention to them, which was one of the reasons he stopped in the city.
"We can't leave him like this," she said, pointing to the screen, where Hulk let out a roar and ripped one gladiator's limbs off before being cut across the back by another and bombarded with missiles. "We have to help him."
"He will hold out till we rescue them." He could see the hesitation in her eyes as she shifted her gaze between him and the display. "This is what Banner would have wanted. He's strong." He looked up at the television to see Hulk collide with two gladiators before being tackled again by a third.
Diana observed for a few more moments and saw that Hulk's wounds had healed, and he was not slowing down no matter what was thrown at him.
"Immediately we find them I am coming back to end this." Diana nodded to the TV, and all of the villagers cheered. How can someone think that killing anyone is a form of entertainment?
Clark was grateful for his connection with Batman because, since arriving, he had to suppress the temptation to march inside the palace and kill everyone he came into contact with until he located his cousin and Diana's sister. They required a plan, despite his diverse abilities, as the dark night advised him every time they went on a mission together.
"I'll help you."
They moved toward the palace.
"We are so in trouble." Cate moaned, fatigued; the only thing keeping her upright were the constraints she was held against, which were also shaking along with the structure. She was sweating heavily and had injured her wrists from attempting to break the handcuffs that bound her while Kara remained still in her cage, the kryptonite having a strong effect on her.
She had whispered and shouted her name, but Kara's' head did not turn to face her. She shivered occasionally.
If only they had stayed in the fortress while waiting for backup was her thought.
"It seems I will have to move you to someplace else." Mongul's harsh voice broke the silence as he approached her cage. "You are not kryptonian." He gazed at the kryptonite beside her before turning to look inside Kara's cell, where she lay still in her bonds.
"What are you?" His voice was curious as he examined her form and noticed her damaged wrist.
"Why don't you let me go and I'll show you." Cate growled at him, fury fueling whatever strength she had left as she stared him down. She couldn't dispute that he had an intimidating statue, but as the Amazon princess, she was taught not to be afraid of anything.
Mongul looked up at the surveillance camera and nodded. He stepped inside the jail after the force field that surrounded her collapsed. She cautiously watched him approach her with a wicked look on his face. "As much as I'll enjoy breaking down your spirit, it's time to move to my secondary palace. I sense your friends have arrived to save you, and the trap I set must be precise."
He smashed her head into the constraint faster than her eyes could follow, causing her to lose consciousness as he tore the restraints off and carried her on his shoulder before going on to the Kryptonians' cell and repeating the process.
As he had been sitting in his chamber high above the Colosseum, he knew the Hulk would soon murder all of the gladiators because he had begun killing them at a rapid pace, indicating that his strength was building, and he would proceed to search the entire palace. His security had also noticed irregularities in the meteorites that passed past his planet, so he knew the Justice League had come, particularly the Kryptonian.
Since his finest fighters were being defeated, he needed to transport the prisoners to his secondary safe house before returning to eventually defeat the Hulk and anybody else who accompanied the Kryptonian. He had instructed his superior soldiers and guards, known as Warloons, to report to the capital city immediately.
"You know what to do." He commanded them as he went away through the opened portal, carrying the two unconscious heroes.
Clark and Diana had infiltrated the palace, disguised in the same clothes as the guards. It was surprisingly simple because most of them were concentrated on the Hulk fight and were clustered in rooms with televisions. They had to restrain a few guards to get entry to restricted levels beneath.
"How do you know they are here?" Diana inquired as she softly placed the unconscious guard to the floor, while Clark used his security card to gain entrance to yet another section.
"Kelex has hacked into their surveillance system and can see two people matching their description at the end of this hallway." Clark was walking quickly, practically racing, to where Kelex was directing them because every wall was laced with lead.
Diana, on the other hand, was glancing back, as if expecting an attack from their blind spot.
"I thought they'd be more guards if they are here." She spoke up. They had subdued less than 50 guards since their invasion, despite the fact that this was meant to be the Monguls' stronghold.
"They're busy watching the hulk fight." He was now hovering along the corridor, and Diana was hard on his heels, accepting his response as they passed through several rooms with guards cheering and shouting at the screens.
"There," he pointed to the row of cells lined up at the end, each containing a prisoner.
Diana quickly soared passed him, unconcerned about anyone witnessing their abilities, and searched every cell. She saw Cate and Kara shackled in their cells, with kryptonite placed on each of their sides. They both appeared comatose, shaking every few seconds. She brought out her sword and hit the force field, but it remained strong.
"We need the code." She stated urgently, glancing at the state of both heroes' garments, which were ripped all over.
"Stand back." Clark launched a powerful flood of heat vision, which impacted with the force field and produced a hissing sound, as Diana turned to face Kara.
She watched her tremble every second, just like Cate did. 'Something isn't right,' she heard her mind whisper before looking around. The other detainees were likewise tied up, and they were all in the same state.
"Clark." She yelled out, but he was still assaulting the force field with his heat vision which was producing a continuous hissing sound.
"Clark!" She called out harder and tugged on his arm to spin him around, his heat vision flying towards her, but she diverted it to the wall, which cracked on impact with her bracelet flashing.
"What!?" He peered into Kara's cell and noticed how the kryptonite was hurting her.
"Something is not right." She felt a nagging feeling that was only becoming stronger.
Of course it isn't. "They were tortured and injured." He slammed Kara's' force field, which absorbed the blow, although the entire floor shook.
"I know, but the kryptonite should not be affecting Cate and she should be conscious." She gestured at her shivering sister.
Clark relented down and gazed at the two of them. Both were shivering in the same way and with the same intensity, but Kara should have been more hurt than Cate given their history with kryptonite. He activated his X-ray vision.
The entire floor and area of the palace went up in flames in a massive explosion that was felt by everyone in the city and those around.
The Hulk rose from the ground for the fiftieth time since his arrival in the coliseum, confronting the surviving gladiators engaged in a Mexican standoff with him. The tension in the air for the next few minutes increased as they gripped the weapons more tightly and disbelievingly watched as Hulk's wounds healed quickly. Eighty percent of the ground was covered in various forms of excrement and blood, and there were scattered alien body pieces, some still grasping weapons.
He had tried to just jump out of the coliseum earlier in the fight, but a force field had sealed off the top, and the only way to access the doors was to not be under continuous attack.
He found it extremely annoying that the warriors were unable to defeat him on an individual basis and that their realization of the situation forced them to operate as a team.
BOOOM! The sound of a distant explosion caught everyone's attention, and the people cheered loudly, not even somewhat concerned that it wasn't coming from the Colosseum. The gladiators recoiled, but they couldn't risk losing sight of the Hulk, whose focus was on the cloud of smoke that was visible from the roof and appeared to be deep in contemplation.
Waiting for the other to make the first move, the decisive move, no gladiator dared to advance and assault their rival. Everyone who initiated contact with the Hulk was either killed or seriously damaged, rendering them unable to continue the fight. Everyone at some point believed that was why Mongul had forced them to battle him.
The Hulk gave a snarl, clenching his fists and narrowing his eyes as he showed signs of wrath. He charged.
As the gladiators took a stand, Hulk unleashed a barrage of uncontrollably powerful punches at them. The force threw away those without shields, forcing those who did to use both arms to support themselves in the hopes that their comrades had already recovered.
Hulk felt a stub on his back and gave the person responsible a backhand, but that was soon followed by a barrage of blows from all directions.
One gladiator yelled, "Don't let up!!" quickly, stabbing the Hulk in the ribs to vent his fury as he knew the beast could regenerate even more quickly than their leader. Like water dripping from taps, green blood was spilling across the ground.
Another one choked him while grabbing hold of his neck and yelling for someone to pass him a knife. He felt a knife in his hand and thought, Lets see you survive without a head.
The impact of the Hulk's punches proved to be too much, causing the shields to bend and the gladiators' limbs to break. I must make it to the door.
They dropped their shields one by one and ducked to the side, letting Hulk's punches connect with the thick, heavily fortified door while utterly ignoring the others attempting to harm his form. I must make it to the door.
He narrowed his eyes, attempting to see what he was punching while being constricted because the reaction power was much different than it had been before. A little pressure point appeared on his neck, and then there was a sting, and green blood spattered across the door. His eyes grew wide at the implication.
He stopped hitting and gave himself a shake, knocking a few gladiators to the side, but the gladiator who about to take his head off him held firm. He spun around and slammed the door behind him, the gladiator serving as a shock absorber while clinging on for dear life and seizing every opportunity to keep cutting faster than his healing powers could restore.
"Hmph!" With a sudden yank to his front, he crashed into the door as his left arm extended sideways to his back, grabbing a fistful of his armor. His neck began to mend as soon as the jagged blade fell to the ground.
"Get him off me!!!" The gladiator called out to his teammates, raising his arms to protect his face from what he expected would be a barrage of blows. No wander this thing defeated Dragga he thought. Hulk's right fist fractured both of his arms, causing him to lower them while screaming in agony. "I yield!!!" He shouted trying to get Hulks attention. The next thing he knew, the armor surrounding his torso began to creak and bend, and the force of Hulk's kick caused all of his ribs to break.
There was a little indentation in the metal, and the corpse in front of him fell aside while muttering something that sounded like nonsense to him. He kicked it once again and threw two punches, which caused the door to get much more dented. He huffed and retreated a few paces, keeping his gaze fixed on the entrance. The other gladiators could only observe from their ground positions, half-scared by him and too exhausted to do anything else.
Their thoughts were, how could you win against a beast that could heal from whatever wound you gave it, and only became stronger the more you fought? While sirens were blazing in the background, perhaps due to the explosion, the audience cheered to show everyone was enjoying the battle. Knowing that the Hulk would now have to battle their leader, nobody sought to flee or appeared to panic. For such a fighter, it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to honor their colosseum.
"HMPH," the Hulk exclaimed as he peered up at the smoke, realizing that the Justice League had obviously arrived. He then peered down at the warriors who lay still, and lastly toward the door.
His steps left imprints on the earth as he charged. The warriors simply sneered.
The doorway's entire wall trembled, with creaking noises coming from the hinges. It resisted his assault. The Hulk retreated more farther than before.
"It is wasting its time." While mending his fractured limbs, a gladiator let out a grunt.
Another said, witnessing the Hulk repeatedly smash against the door, "Better that than it focusing on us."
"ROAR!" Accelerating faster than he had ever run before, ploughed straight through the door ripping out a huge chunk of the wall alongside it and ended up in the tunnels still charging onwards.
Shocked and in disbelief at what had happened, the crowd's yells and screams ceased. It was for free.
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