M95- My World

Nigel stood in the underground lab, his mask on as usual, watching Bruce Banner work. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead, casting shadows on the scattered research notes and monitors displaying biometric readings.

Bruce adjusted his glasses, glancing at the data before looking at Nigel. “It’s stabilizing.”

Nigel didn’t respond immediately, simply observing the readings. Then, after a moment, he nodded. “Good.”

Bruce leaned back against the desk, rubbing his temples. “It’s not perfect, but… it’s progress.”

“Hulk agrees?” Nigel asked.

Bruce sighed. “He’s not throwing a fit, if that’s what you mean.”

“Improvement.”

Bruce let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah. Something like that.”

The sound of movement came from the side as another monitor beeped. Bruce adjusted the settings. “The Limit power—you’re sure it doesn’t have side effects?”

“Not on you.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “And on you?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Bruce studied him for a moment but didn’t push. Instead, he turned back to the screen, checking Hulk’s neural activity. The spikes that would usually indicate instability were lower, more controlled. Hulk wasn’t dormant, but he wasn’t raging either.

“So…” Bruce adjusted a few more settings. “We keep doing this, and eventually?”

“Harmony.”

Bruce let out a skeptical noise. “You say that like it’s inevitable.”

Nigel didn’t answer. Instead, he tapped the edge of the console. “You feel it?”

Bruce hesitated. “…Yeah.”

That was new. A few months ago, the idea of ‘feeling’ Hulk in a way that wasn’t sheer rage or panic would’ve been impossible. Now, there was something else—an awareness.

Bruce exhaled. “It’s weird.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

Nigel tapped the table once, the sound sharp in the quiet lab. “Call Hulk out,” he said. “Alien invasion’s at the door. You may want to step up.”

Bruce glanced at him. “Just like that?”

“You’ve been sitting in a lab,” Nigel said. “Time to stand.”

Bruce exhaled, adjusting his glasses. “You know, most people would approach this a little more delicately.”

“You’re not most people.” Nigel crossed his arms. “Neither is he.”

Bruce looked at the biometric readings again. The neural activity remained stable, steady. The work they’d done over the last few months had taken hold. Hulk wasn’t buried under layers of rage anymore—he was aware, present in a way he hadn’t been before.

Still, calling him out just because Nigel snapped his fingers? That was pushing it.

Bruce rolled his shoulders, shaking off the tension. “You want to talk to him. Why?”

“Because you’re two halves of the same whole,” Nigel said simply. “And I want to hear both of you.”

Bruce studied him, then sighed. “Alright.” He pulled off his glasses and placed them on the table. “Let’s see if he’s in the mood to chat.”

He closed his eyes, focusing. A deep breath in. The shift wasn’t immediate, but it was controlled—something that never would’ve been possible before.

His skin darkened, muscles stretching as his form expanded. The transition was steady, not violent, not a sudden explosion of destruction. Instead, the transformation settled smoothly, the lab’s reinforced walls groaning slightly under the weight of it.

When Hulk opened his eyes, they weren’t wild or confused. They were focused.

Nigel tilted his head. “You’re getting faster.”

Hulk’s gaze shifted to him. “Cloud,” he rumbled, voice deep, layered. “Why here?”

Nigel didn’t waste time. “Aliens. They’re coming. You’re fighting.”

Hulk blinked once. “Good.”

Bruce’s voice, layered beneath Hulk’s, came through as well. “That’s it? No build-up? Just—‘fight’?”

Hulk answered, “Bruce coward. Hulk fight.”

Nigel chuckled. “You two still arguing?”

Bruce’s voice layered beneath Hulk’s. “It’s not an argument. It’s a disagreement.”

“Hulk right,” Hulk added.

Nigel found the whole thing amusing. A few months ago, they were tearing apart cities fighting for control. Now, it was starting to sound more like a couple’s quarrel—constant bickering, but neither actually wanting the other gone.

Bruce exhaled. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“A little.” Nigel adjusted one of the monitors, glancing at the readings. “But mostly, I just like seeing progress.”

Bruce didn’t argue. Harlem had been a mess, but after that, Nero and the others had taken Hulk to a secure location, away from SHIELD and the government breathing down his neck. Time passed, and between Nigel’s Limit power and whatever insane methods Nero had, something changed.

Hulk wasn’t just rage anymore. Bruce wasn’t just hiding. They were… working.

Bruce sighed. “Alright, so what are we dealing with?”

“Alien invasion,” Nigel repeated. “You know how that goes.”

Hulk grunted. “Smash?”

“Smash,” Nigel confirmed.

Nigel stood up, waving his hand as he turned to leave. “I’ll let you know the details. Be ready.”

Hulk slammed his fists together, the impact rattling the lab. “Hulk always ready.”

Bruce’s voice slipped through, annoyed. “Be careful, you big oaf. These are delicate.”

Hulk grumbled, “Bruce delicate.”

Nigel chuckled and walked out, leaving the two of them to argue amongst themselves.

Saintess' Clinic was quiet, at least for now. The back room, usually reserved for those in need of real medical attention, was instead occupied by an unusual gathering.

Sakura stood with her arms crossed, already tired of Hercule's dramatic narration. Beside her, Hercule Lucifer looked like he was enjoying himself, all broad gestures and confident smirks, talking about his latest takedowns. Finn the Human had his arms folded, stood near Sakura, her protector. Cat Burglar leaned against the wall, looking bored.

Across from them, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand—the Iron Fist—watched them with varying degrees of curiosity and wariness. Shang-Chi stood slightly off to the side, arms crossed. He had been invited by Danny, but it was clear he was analyzing everyone in the room.

Black Cat was next to Spider-Man, her gaze flicking toward Cat Burglar more than once. Nami had befriended her a while back, and it was obvious she was wondering if they were connected. Elektra stood near Daredevil, unreadable as usual.

Hercule Lucifer shot up from his chair, slamming his hands on the table with a dramatic flourish. “Amigos, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I must tell you—aliens are coming.”

A long silence followed.

Daredevil tilted his head slightly. “Come again?”

“Aliens, compadre. Extraterrestrial invaders. Space cabrones,” Hercule gestured wildly, as if that would somehow make it clearer. “They are coming here, to our beautiful little city, and I, as your beloved protector, have taken it upon myself to warn you!”

Spider-Man shifted in his seat. “Wait. Hold on. You’re telling me aliens. Like, full-blown, not-from-this-planet, UFO-flying, ‘we-come-in-peace’ aliens?”

“No peace,” Hercule corrected. “War. Destruction. Boom! Pow! Chaos! They come to burn, to steal, to crush beneath their ugly alien boots.”

Luke Cage crossed his arms. “Man, you serious?”

Sakura let out a tired sigh, already done with the conversation. “Unfortunately, yes.”

Danny Rand looked between them. “Okay, hold on. How do you guys just... know this?”

Hercule tapped his temple. “Because I am wise, mi amigo.”

Finn snorted from where he stood, arms crossed. “Because we pay attention.”

Shang-Chi, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. “I’ve heard a lot of wild things in my time, but this is a first.”

Danny frowned, arms crossed. “Shouldn’t SHIELD be handling this? You know, global protection and all that?”

Finn nodded. “They will. But the problem isn’t just the invasion. Aliens aren’t coming alone.” He looked around the room. “They’ve got local backup. Kingpin, Vulture, Rhino, Green Goblin, and a bunch of other assholes are all working with them.”

Luke Cage let out a breath. “So they’re covering their bases. Great.”

Finn shrugged. “We don’t have to take the whole fight on our shoulders, but if you’re expecting SHIELD to stop this before it gets messy, you’ll be waiting a long time.”

Spider-Man tapped his fingers on the table. “And what exactly are we supposed to do? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for punching guys in Halloween masks, but this sounds bigger than just street fights.”

“Exactly,” Finn said. “We’re not trying to win a war. We’re making sure the city doesn’t go up in flames while the big guys are too busy dealing with their own problems.”

Hercule Lucifer grinned. “Ah, mi amigos, that is where we come in. The beautiful people of Hell’s Kitchen, the little souls walking these streets, they need protection! And who better than us?”

They all nodded. They weren’t in this for glory, and none of them had illusions about being saviors. They put on their masks to protect the innocent, but they also understood where they stood in the bigger picture. They weren’t world-ending threats or cosmic warriors. They were street-level. They handled the chaos the big leagues couldn’t be bothered with.

Spider-Man was the first to nod. “I’m in. I mean, I can’t just stand by and watch the city burn, can I?”

Daredevil adjusted his gloves. “If Fisk’s involved, it won’t just be an invasion—it’ll be a takeover. We can’t let him gain that kind of foothold.”

Luke Cage leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Yeah, no way I’m letting that happen in my backyard.”

Danny glanced at Shang-Chi, who was still listening. “You?”

Shang-Chi shrugged. “If the fight’s coming to the streets, I’ll be there.”

Danny leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing. “You named a lot of the usual suspects, but you didn’t say Kira. That crazy bastard is dangerous. He in on this too?”

Sakura let out a short laugh, arms still crossed. “Strangely enough? No. He gave the middle finger to the alien leader and the rest of the villains, told them, ‘This is my city. Whoever stands in my way will burn.’” She shrugged. “So, weirdly, he’s on our side this time.”

There was a brief silence.

Luke Cage raised an eyebrow. “The hell?”

Spider-Man sat forward. “Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me Kira—the guy who torches entire gangs for fun—isn’t working with them?”

Finn smirked. “Nope.”

Danny shook his head. “I don’t buy it. He’s too ruthless to play hero.”

Finn shrugged. “He’s not playing anything. This is just what happens when two warlords clash over the same turf.”

Shang-Chi, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. “So he’s not with them, but he’s not with us either.”

Hercule grinned, throwing his arms out. “Ah, amigo, now you understand! Kira is Kira. He burns his own path. But lucky for us, his path just happens to cross theirs in the worst possible way.”

Daredevil exhaled. “That means we can’t predict him.”

Sakura nodded. “Which is why we don’t rely on him. He’s just another fire in the middle of the storm.”

Elektra, who had been listening from the side, finally spoke. “That fire might be useful.”

Black Cat glanced at her. “Or it might burn us.”

Daredevil tapped his fingers against the table. “Either way, we focus on what we can control. Kira’s going to do what he does. We’re here to keep the city from turning into a complete warzone.”

Luke Cage nodded. “Alright, so we’ve got an invasion, villains backing it, and Kira running wild in the middle of it all. What’s our play?”

Finn glanced at Sakura, who nodded before he turned back to the group. “Simple. We hold the line.”

Spider-Man blinked. “That’s it? That’s the big strategy?”

“SHIELD and the heavy hitters are gonna handle the big fight,” Finn explained. “We keep the streets intact. That means stopping looters, keeping civilians safe, and making sure none of Fisk’s or Goblin’s people take advantage of the chaos.”

Shang-Chi folded his arms. “You’re expecting a riot.”

“We’re expecting worse than that,” Finn corrected. “The second people realize Earth’s under attack, it’s gonna turn into survival mode. We need to be in place before that happens.”

Danny nodded. “Alright. Who’s covering where?”

Sakura tapped the table. “I’ll hold the clinic.”

Elektra raised an eyebrow. “In the middle of all this?”

“The people who can’t run still need a place to go,” Sakura said simply. “They’ll find their way there, one way or another.”

Daredevil nodded. “That makes sense. The clinic’s well-known in Hell’s Kitchen. People will go there when everything starts falling apart.”

Hercule pointed at himself. “I, of course, will be making sure no villain sets foot on these streets. Not one. Not a single toe.”

Black Cat smirked. “You really think you can stop all of them?”

Hercule put a hand on his chest. “Ah, little kitty, you wound me! Have you no faith in your dear amigo?”

She rolled her eyes. “No.”

Finn ignored him. “Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Elektra—you three know the rooftops better than anyone. If the city’s going dark, we need eyes above. You’re covering movement and making sure none of their people are sneaking through unseen.”

Daredevil nodded. “Got it.”

Luke Cage cracked his knuckles. “Where do you want me?”

“Ground-level,” Finn said. “Your neighborhood’s probably gonna take a hit. You hold Harlem.”

Danny glanced at Shang-Chi. “You up for some backup?”

Shang-Chi smirked slightly. “I’m in.”

Hercule clapped his hands. “Fantástico! We are a beautiful, chaotic family.”

Spider-Man shook his head. “You’re enjoying this too much.”

Hercule grinned. “I enjoy protecting my people.”

Daredevil exhaled. “Then let’s make sure they survive this.”

Toph and Sokka stood in front of Xavier, arms crossed, waiting for the conversation to start. Around them, the senior X-Men—Storm, Wolverine, and Beast—watched in silence, while the younger members like Cyclops, Jean Grey, and the others stood behind them, listening.

Wolverine grunted, arms folded. “You two don’t usually make house calls. Something’s up.”

Sokka exhaled. “Yeah. Something big.”

Sokka sighed, looking at Xavier. “I heard from my contacts in Hell’s Kitchen that extraterrestrial creatures are coming to Earth. War or invasion—don’t know which yet.”

Silence. The younger X-Men exchanged glances, some confused, some skeptical.

Cyclops frowned. “You’re serious?”

Jean crossed her arms. “Aliens?”

Nightcrawler blinked. “Like, actual aliens?”

Sokka exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah.”

“Wait, wait,” Bobby Drake held up a hand, eyes wide. “Like, actual aliens? As in, ‘not from this planet’ aliens?”

“No, Bobby,” Sokka said dryly, arms folded. “Aliens as in your cousin from Ohio.”

Logan’s eyes narrowed, his tone flat. “Wolf.”

Sokka exhaled, already knowing what was coming. “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Logan turned to Toph. “Explain.”

“Chitauri,” Toph said.

Silence.

Cyclops frowned. “That’s not an explanation.”

Jean’s brows furrowed. “What the hell is a Chitauri?”

Sokka tapped his chin. "Technologically advanced, monstrous space invaders. We don’t know much either. My old contacts tipped me off, and I’m telling you so we can either take action or hide. Your decision." He turned to Xavier.

The room stayed quiet for a moment.

Cyclops frowned. “That’s a hell of a warning to drop on us.”

Storm crossed her arms. “And you trust this source?”

Sokka nodded. “Yeah.”

Jean narrowed her eyes. “Why would anyone in Hell’s Kitchen know about an alien invasion?”

Sokka exhaled. “Because Fisk is involved. So’s Goblin, Vulture, and the rest of the lunatics running around New York. They aren’t just waiting for the invasion; they’re working with them.”

Nightcrawler shifted slightly, uneasy. “Why would they do that?”

“Power,” Toph answered. “Or they think they’re getting power. Either way, they’re rolling out the red carpet.”

Beast adjusted his glasses, processing. “And you want us to involved because...?”

Sokka tilted his head. “Mutants live in this city too, don’t they? When the sky starts raining aliens, you think people are gonna stop and sort out who’s a mutant and who’s not? If anything, this is gonna be blamed on us.”

Logan exhaled through his nose. “He ain’t wrong.”

Cyclops glanced at Xavier. “This isn’t just a mutant issue. If what they’re saying is true, the entire city’s at risk.”

Xavier finally spoke. “And you’re certain this is coming?”

Sokka nodded. “Not a question of ‘if.’ It’s ‘when.’ And from what I’ve heard, it’s soon.”

Jean exhaled. “So what do we do? Wait? Fight?”

Storm looked at Xavier. “We can’t sit back.”

Xavier folded his hands together. “No, we cannot.”

Kira sat at the bar, idly swirling the sake in his cup. The offroad diner was quiet, the kind of place where people came to be ignored. A trucker flipped through a newspaper in the corner. The bartender barely glanced up as he wiped down the counter. The radio hummed some old jazz tune, distorted through static.

The seat beside him shifted.

He didn’t need to look to know who it was.

“I assume you didn’t call me here for pleasantries,” Magneto said.

Kira smirked slightly, taking a sip. “You assume correctly.”

A brief silence. The bartender refilled Kira’s cup without a word before moving away again.

Magneto didn’t order anything. He simply clasped his hands together on the counter. “You’re not the type to ask for help. Which means this is something else.”

Kira tapped his fingers once against the bar. “Aliens are coming.”

Magneto didn’t react. Not outwardly. “So I’ve heard.”

“They’re not coming alone,” Kira continued. “They’ve invited the usual scum to join them. Kingpin, Osborn, all the other parasites that crawl through this city.”

“And?” Magneto prompted.

Kira set his cup down. “I wanted to see where you stand.”

Magneto let out a breath, almost amused. “You already know.”

Kira smirked. “I do. But I wanted to hear you say it.”

Magneto glanced at him. “You believe I’d side with them?”

“I believe they’d be stupid enough to ask.”

Magneto exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “This world belongs to us.”

Kira nodded slightly. “That’s what I thought.”

The radio crackled, distorting for a second before settling. The trucker in the corner muttered something under his breath about reception before flipping the page of his newspaper.

Magneto studied Kira for a moment. “And you? Are you asking me to join you?”

Kira chuckled. “You already know the answer to that.”

Magneto smiled faintly. “You act alone.”

“I do.”

“But we are not enemies.”

“No.”

Magneto glanced toward the window, watching the headlights of a passing car sweep across the walls before vanishing into the night. “This invasion will not go unanswered.”

“No,” Kira agreed.

Magneto turned back to him. “And when it’s over?”

Kira smirked. “We go back to our usual disagreements.”

Magneto chuckled. “Good.”

He stood, adjusting his coat. “You are a strange man, Kira.”

Kira raised his cup slightly. “So they tell me.”

Magneto nodded once. “If they come for me, I will answer.”

“And if they come for me?” Kira asked, amused.

Magneto smiled. “You don’t need my help.”

Kira tilted his head. “True.”

With that, Magneto walked toward the exit, stepping out into the cold night air. Kira watched him go, finishing the last of his drink.

The bartender came back, clearing the empty cup. “Another round?”

Kira tapped the counter once. “Yeah.”

The bartender poured, then walked away.

Kira took a sip, exhaling.

This world belonged to him.

And if the aliens wanted to take it, they would burn.