Spider-Man 0X

Ch: 252 [HULK SMASH!]

The scene on the bridge was no less chaotic. Johnny Storm flew through the sky, leaving a trail of fire behind. He flew straight into a group of Chitauri soldiers attempting to reinforce the enemy's front lines, incinerating them with a fiery burst. "Hey, rockhead!" He shouted into his comm. "How about you stop hugging the bridge and join me in the air for some real action?"

On the ground, The Thing—Ben Grimm—slammed his massive rocky fists into the ground, sending a shockwave that toppled a line of outriders like bowling pins. "Flame brain," Ben growled, his gravelly voice dripping with sarcasm, "some of us don't got wings, remember? Besides, someone's gotta hold the fort down here while you're busy roasting marshmallows."

Johnny laughed, launching another fireball at a Chitauri gunship that had gotten too close. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't get squashed, okay?"

Not far from Ben, Emma Frost stood at the center of a temporary SHIELD barricade. With her telepathic powers, she coordinated their movements, projecting calm into their minds despite the chaos around them.

"Agent Max," Emma said, her voice cool and composed, "take your squad and secure the eastern side of the bridge. There's a weak point in their line there. Push through, and we can split their forces."

The agent nodded, rallying her team and moving out. Emma turned her attention back to the battlefield, her diamond skin shimmering as she deflected incoming energy blasts. Then she turned back to her normal form. With a flick of her hand, she sent a telepathic command to a group of Chitauri soldiers, causing them to turn on one another in confusion.

"Primitive minds," she muttered, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Hardly a challenge."

Ben lumbered up beside her, his rocky shoulders hunched. "You wanna let me in on the joke, Frosty?"

Emma glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "Just enjoying the simplicity of the enemy, darling. Now, do be a dear and smash that group over there, would you?"

Ben cracked his knuckles. "With pleasure."

He charged forward, barreling through a squad of outriders with the force of a freight train. His fists swung like wrecking balls, sending enemies flying in every direction.

Above them, Johnny unleashed a concentrated blast of flame at a Chitauri cruiser that had been bombarding their position. The ship exploded in a brilliant display of fire and debris, earning a cheer from the SHIELD agents below.

"Not bad, Torch," Ben called out, swatting an outrider aside. "For a lightweight."

"Lightweight?" Johnny shot back, his flames flaring brighter. "I'm carrying this whole fight up here!"

Emma ignored their banter, her focus on a new threat approaching from the north. A massive Chitauri transport ship was descending, its cargo bay opening to release a fresh wave of troops.

"We need to take that ship down," Emma said, her voice cutting through the noise. "Johnny, think you can handle it?"

Johnny grinned. "Watch and learn, Frosty."

He flew toward the transport, dodging its defensive fire with ease. Flames engulfed his body as he smashed into the open cargo bay, unleashing an inferno that incinerated the soldiers inside. He shot out the other side as the ship exploded in a fiery explosion, plummeting into the river below.

"Boom! How's that for carrying the fight?" Johnny called out, hovering above the battlefield.

Emma rolled her eyes but allowed herself a small smile. "Adequate."

Ben grunted in amusement. "Don't let it go to your head, Torch."

As the fight raged on, Emma's telepathic link connected her to the mutants and SHIELD forces across the battlefield. She coordinated strikes, identified weak points, and provided a steady stream of intel to the teams fighting to hold the line.

"Emma, we've got civilians trapped under some rubble near the west side of the bridge," Jean's voice echoed in her mind. "Can you send help?"

Emma's diamond form shimmered as she turned toward the area. "I'll handle it. Grimm, with me."

Ben followed without question while clearing a path through the chaos. They reached the collapsed section of the bridge, where a group of civilians huddled under a pile of debris. Emma shifted back into her human form, her telepathic powers probing the rubble to assess the situation.

"Hold still," she said to the civilians, her voice calm and steady. "We're getting you out."

Ben braced himself and began lifting the larger pieces of debris, his strength making short work of the blockage. Emma used her telekinesis to shift smaller pieces, her precision ensuring the civilians remained unharmed.

"You're safe now," she told them as they emerged, her tone reassuring. "Move quickly to the evacuation point."

As the civilians were escorted away by SHIELD agents, Emma and Ben turned back to the battlefield. The fight was far from over. The barrier around the Earth should have held, but Thanos' army had teleporters that allowed them to directly beam down, not to mention the rifts he created using the Space Stone, allowing his army to get past.

"Alright, Frosty," Ben said, cracking his knuckles again. "What's next?"

Emma's lips curved into a faint smile. "We keep fighting, darling. Until the very end."

All of a sudden, a loud noise filled the battlefield as the Hulk came crashing down from the sky, looking like a green shooting star. His landing was so powerful that it made a huge shockwave, knocking Chitauri soldiers everywhere. Bits of broken things and dust filled the air, but the big, green Hulk stood up, his skin almost shining with anger.

"Now it's a party!" Johnny quipped from above, though his flames dimmed slightly in comparison to the sheer force of Hulk's arrival.

The Hulk stared at the huge creature far away, its giant body destroying everything in its way. Without thinking, the green giant growled deeply and jumped into the air, his legs pushing him forward like a rocket.

"Uh, did anyone tell Banner to aim?" Ben grumbled, watching the Hulk soar toward the leviathan.

"I don't think he needs directions," Emma replied dryly, her diamond form gleaming as she deflected another energy blast.

Hulk crashed into the leviathan's side, his fists pounding into its thick armor-like skin with thunderous blows. The creature roared, twisting its massive neck to try and shake him off, but Hulk clung on, his fingers digging into its flesh.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE BIG?" Hulk's voice boomed. "HULK IS BIGGER!"

The leviathan whipped its body around, smashing into buildings and scattering Chitauri soldiers in its path, but the Hulk held firm. He climbed up to its head. Then, he leaned back and hit the creature's skull with both fists. The force of the blow broke the giant's tough skin and made its whole body shake.

On the ground, Ben shaded his eyes with one hand, watching the spectacle. "That guy's got a real gift for property damage."

"You're one to talk," Johnny shot back, hurling a fireball at a group of outriders trying to regroup.

The leviathan roared once more, but its movements slowed down as Hulk kept attacking. Hulk grabbed one of the creature's big armor pieces, pulled it off with a loud shout, and started using it as a weapon. He hit the creature's head with it like a giant club.

"HULK IS STRONGER!" Hulk roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "HULK SMASH!"

Emma tapped into her telepathic link, broadcasting to the teams below. "Focus your fire on the leviathan. Hulk's creating an opening—we need to bring it down before it can recover."

Energy blasts, fireballs, and ice spears converged on the leviathan, their combined force striking its exposed wounds. The creature staggered, its massive body swaying as it struggled to stay upright.

From above, Johnny dove toward the leviathan, encasing himself in a swirling inferno. "Time to turn up the heat!" he shouted, slamming into the creature's side and setting its armor ablaze.

On the ground, Ben charged forward, his massive fists pounding into the leviathan, further destabilizing it. "You're goin' down, ugly!" he roared.

The leviathan let out one final, ear-splitting roar before collapsing to the ground, its massive body creating a shockwave that shook the entire battlefield. Hulk leaped clear at the last moment, landing with a thud beside Ben and Johnny.

"Nice work, big guy," Ben said, clapping Hulk on the shoulder.

Hulk turned to him, his chest heaving as he slowly began to calm down. "Hulk…always smash."

"Yeah, we noticed," Johnny muttered, though there was a note of admiration in his voice.

Emma approached, her diamond form gleaming in the fading light. "Well done, everyone. But don't relax just yet. There are still pockets of resistance, and we need to secure this area before they regroup."

Hulk growled, cracking his knuckles. "Hulk not done smashing."

"Good," Emma said with a faint smile. "There's plenty left for you to smash."