Chapter 8: Meetings
- New York Manhattan: 14/12/1997
It was the holiday season and all over the city the lights and Christmas trees were dimmed and decorated in festive colors, people were walking through the shops looking for gifts for their loved ones and the children were laughing with a joy that could only be seen so rarely in these times.
But for a man who watched and listened to it all from his seat, calmly sipping a cup of coffee while watching nearby families playing in the snow, it was less than pleasant. No, for the last Kryptonian of Earth-616 it was not a time of joy and goodwill on Earth, the causes of his mood were not just derived from recent events in recent months, although given his nature he would be lying if he said that some were not in fact a factor.
He couldn't be there to stop Bobby Drake's father being beaten by human supremacists for defending his son's right to exist. Despite S-08 using all available resources in the Fortress to cure the Legacy Virus, no results came, despite the incredible technology he had at his disposal, the virus was indeed an ingenious biological bio-weapon.
While that was a fact, since it came from the twisted mind of a madman from the future and with access to Apocalypse's Celestial technology, it should come as no surprise that he was having trouble in that area.
But even worse was the public assassination of presidential candidate Graydon Creed a week ago, although on a personal note he expected the man to be burning in Hell. No, the problem here with this event is that it was the first shot that would trigger Bastion's multiple attack on mutants, while using innocent men and women as living weapons, with no desire but to kill more innocents just because their genetics didn't match. . on par with the rest of basic humanity.
It honestly made him wonder if the bastard came with a swastika branded on him when it was made.
Finally, on the lists of less than pleasant memories, came his encounter with a newly created team of "Heroes" to help make up for the loss of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four... the team known as the Thunderbolts.
Of course he knew them by another name; one he knew thanks to his unique knowledge of the world he found himself in, as he knew them as the Masters of Evil, led by none other than Baron Helmut Zemo. It was just another instance where knowledge of him was seen as a curse as her mind flashed back to that day…
-FlashBacks-
Clark was feeling pretty good now, he had just passed near the Parker house as he routinely did to make sure they were safe and was happy to see baby May laughing happily at her mother Mary Jane as she played with her.
Peter was more than likely in the Bugle or rocking the city on one of his daily patrols, though that last one wasn't all that necessary as Clark wanted to lighten his load to give him more time with his family, the Kryptonian hero figured that if someone he deserved a chance to be happy he was considering everything he was or would go through in his life.
Of course, that didn't mean Clark hadn't encountered the web-slinger during his own patrols, for that was impossible not to, as the man practically ran all over town fighting crime, sometimes venturing into other heroes' territories if he wanted to. look at it that way. Though whenever they did meet, he could tell there was a change in the other's masculine demeanor or the way he spoke to him, as clearly he was grateful for what you did for him and his wife... and that made it all worth it. all the effort he put in. when rescuing May.
'I can't forget to buy food for Krypto, he was the biggest surprise of this last month.' Clark thought with a smile.
Still, what spoiled it was that Osborn was still out there, while Jonah and the Bugle crew really turned the heat down by getting all they could from Mongraine, who sang like a canary. She turned it over to the doctor who had a hand in this, showed them where she was hiding and the bills she got the money from, as well as her phone records.
Of course she demanded round-the-clock protection, as you wouldn't turn against a man with Osborn's level of cruelty, dishonour, and madness. He wouldn't allow anyone to betray him and not pay for it, considering how his highest triumph calling had been thwarted and Clark had no doubt he would be livid.
'Well, damn it, I say, the bastard should have stayed dead for everyone's benefit, especially after he murdered a good man and kidnapped a baby minutes after birth.'
Unfortunately, any further thoughts were interrupted when his powerful hearing picked up the sounds of destruction and screams, concentrating he located the source on Liberty Island and then focused his vision to zoom in on the area.
" Oh no… " he whispers as he discovers the cause of the panic.
Destroying anything in sight, he spotted the quartet of super-powered criminals known as the Wrecking Crew. Led by the Wrecker wielding a magical crowbar, the entire group was present, a black man dressed in green and yellow wielding a wrecking ball that no normal being should be able to move, known as a Thunderball. A man dressed in red and white with hands much larger than normal, he being known as Piledriver and finally a man in orange with an armored helmet that extended to his shoulders called Bulldozer.
All four were powered by Asgardian magic, and although they started out as incompetent super-powered criminals, they participated in the siege of Avengers Mansion and beat Hercules despite the fierce fight he put up.
He flew as fast as he dared while trying to come up with a plan of attack, these men were for all intents and purposes magical beings and therefore could hurt/kill him if he made a mistake. The other problem was the civilians as it was a tourist hot spot and lo and behold there were people cowering inside the monument as well as helicopters and ships to add to this escalating recipe for disaster.
'Okay, first take the snake's head and then finish off the body.' He thought as he accelerated and aimed his fists at the purple masked bandit wielding an enchanted crowbar.
* WHAM! *
"UGH!" The force of the blow sent the Wrecker flying and then digging a trench with his body. This action caught the other three members off guard and it cost them to start with Bulldozer as he was knocked down on their leader, followed by Thunderball being thrown to the ground with enough force to break him before his unknown assailant grabbed him by the arm and threw him on the other two and finally Piledriver who got an uppercut for his troubles before falling into the pile that were his teammates.
All four men groaned as they got to their feet and shook off the vertigo and looked at whoever knocked them down.
"Shit! It's that new guy flying around." Piledriver cursed as he prepared for a fight.
"We are not being paid to be involved with this wildcard wrecker." Thunderball spoke to their leader as he readied his ball and chain.
"So we get street cred for taking him out, we're not like those six idiots who can't even handle that freak on the web. We took down that Greek idiot and destroyed Avengers Mansion! This guy and those Avengers impersonators got nothing on us! " Their leader shouted to gather his team, which seems to work as they prepared to attack.
Clark, for his part, wondered what the man meant by Avengers impersonators until he remembered who he was talking about.
'Oh sh…!' Unfortunately he wouldn't complete that thought as Wrecker screamed.
"Pick it!" as one, all four of them rushed towards the man dressed in red and blue.
'Get in the game Clark!'
Bulldozer being the fastest of the group walked away and aimed his head to run over the hero, Clark counterattacked by blowing a gust of cold arctic air at the man's feet, as he placed his foot on the ice sheet, gravity made him slip backwards while his momentum caused him to slide towards the hero.
"Whoooooaaa!" He yelled as he glided.
* WHAM! *
A kick to the stomach later and he was slammed sideways to the ground, leaving behind a trench.
The next attack came very quickly, though in truth the Piledriver was hardly stealthy to begin with, as Clark swayed and dodged the flurry of punches the man threw. There was no real technique to speak of just raw aggression coupled with poor street fighting style... then again this seemed to be this group's theme and therefore why they had occasional trouble with the better trained heroes or those with more street experience.
Thunderball and Wrecker could tell they weren't going to win at this rate, let alone when their real prey got there. They knew the man was faster, just as strong and from what they remembered when he first arrived on the scene, he had more power to show for it… they needed an edge.
"Thunderball, we need a distraction so we can take this idiot down." The team leader spoke while pointing upwards. The other man looked and understood with a sinister smile on his face as he began to swing his weapon of choice.
Meanwhile, Clark began to redirect the Piledriver's blows, deflecting them with ease due to his enhanced senses, increased speed, and strength. After blocking a left hook, he used the super-powered bad guy's outstretched arm to execute a classic judo throw.
"Ugh!"
And then he rolled to the right as Bulldozer swooped down from behind his back, again stealth not being his strong point as he practically announced his intentions as he bellowed in rage at being dismissed so easily at the start of the battle before charging like an enraged Rhino.
'He and Rhino must share the same trainer.' He thought humorlessly to himself.
He ran after the man and grabbed the man's uniform and threw it at the Piledriver, causing both men to fall in a mass of limbs. It would buy him some time, but he wanted to get this over with before fate decided to rise to the challenge... unfortunately he was too late.
"Hey hero! Do you like to play tag!? Well, take this!" Thunderball screamed as he launched his ball at the statue's outstretched arm.
*BOOM!*
"NOT!" Clark and all onlookers present and at home screamed as they watched the symbol of freedom being desecrated by the crook, worse yet, people were right in his way. Without delay Clark ran to the falling wreckage and caught it with powerful arms, being careful not to let go, giving people time to run.
Unfortunately, it was time for another bad turn as he felt his world explode with pain as he was hit from behind.
"Agh!"
"I hit you!" Wrecker screamed as he summoned back his enchanted crowbar as his three compatriots cheered.
Clark hit the ground hard and it cracked, he was on his knees as he tried to work through the pain.
"Son of a...! I forgot what pain felt like." He gasped as he held onto his back as he tried to stand up, the bulldozer however would oblige him as he charged towards it at full speed...
"Ugh!"
"Nobody messes with The Crew!" The man screamed as he kicked him in the ribs.
"Give him here Bulldozer!" Piledriver yelled like his teammate as he cracked his knuckles and grinned at what he was about to do. Bulldozer wore the same as he grabbed the Kryptonian by the neck and cape, spun him around once and threw him at the man with a huge fist raised back and ready to unleash his rage on the hero.
* WHAM! *
But he regretted it when his fist met Superman's, the sounds of bones breaking filled the air, the criminal screamed as he held his hand.
'I forgot how much I hated the taste of my own blood too.' He thinks grimly before facing the group who looked very smug now.
"Why don't you get lost before we get really nasty?" Wrecker demands, his voice filled with bravado at the sight of the injured hero.
"Why don't you dance like brainless monkeys?" He retorts with equal bravado despite the pain he was feeling and such glee in the affronted looks the four cast at him.
"I'll crush your fucking skull!" The leader of the four shouted as he and the other charged at the hero.
It should be noted, however, that in their sole effort to destroy the man before them, they forgot that he was not their primary target... as evidenced when four missiles flew straight at them before they could come within striking distance from Superman.
//---------------------//
I'm going to stop here but there will be a continuation of this flashback, did any of you remember these four? , I didn't even know they had Asgardian magic until recently.
Detail, American superhero comics are confusing as hell, continuity is an illusion and I'm a rocket.
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