Chapter 9: Avengers Assemble
The battle had been won. Hydra was no more at least to their knowledge. The world was still a mess, and for the first time in a long time, it felt like they’d made no difference. Captain America (Steve Rogers), Iron Man (Mark 85), and Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) have been communicating and coordinating with the other heroes to stop the chaos in the city while they took Hydra down. With the Venoms now growing stronger, thanks to Hammerhead’s ruthlessness with the dark hold and Jack O'Lantern’s explosive attacks, the situation grows dire.
Being in communication with the Avengers and having just got a call from Spider-man Captain America (Sam Wilson) knows he needs to act fast and decides to call upon the unlikely alliance that has been slowly forming: Luke Cage (MCU), Doctor Strange (MCU), Moon Knight (MCU), Shang-Chi (MCU), Blade (Wesley Snipes), Spider-Men (Tom and Tobey), Wolverine (MCU), Ghost Rider (Comic), Quicksilver (MCU) and even Deadpool (MCU). The fight has gone from isolated skirmishes to full-blown citywide warfare.
Captain America (Sam Wilson) stands at the head of the war room table, suited up awaiting the others. He’s not a rookie anymore. He’s the leader now. Everyone had finally arrived. Cap started his speech “Everyone… Thanks for coming. I know some of you don’t exactly play well with others. Hell, some of you barely play by the rules at all. But this? This is bigger than any of us. . . .”
Luke Cage had his hood up, arms crossed listening to Cap’s speech. Doctor Strange was being distracted by his cloak which was twitching impatiently, Moon Knight with his hood down was talking to himself not listening, Shang-Chi was playing with one of the ten rings and listening, Blade was leaning in the corner listening, Spider-man (Tom Holland) and Spider-man (Tobey Maguire) were side by side, both suited, joking with each other. Ghost Rider’s skull flickers with fire behind the group, he was silent just looking around the room. Quicksilver was eyeing Deadpool down because he didn’t trust him. Wolverine lights a cigar without asking. Deadpool looked at Wolverine and said "You know I have lung cancer right?” Wolverine was annoyed and replied “I’ve tried to kill you before, unfortunately I couldn’t so I doubt this is the thing to get to you.”
While the Avengers met and prepared to make their way to the bank as soon as possible. The Venoms headed to the bank while Hammerhead was already wreaking havoc. The double doors slammed open to the bank. Hammerhead strolled in with his tailored suit. He didn't yell. Didn’t give a warning shot like most would. He simply drew his gold-plated pistol and without breaking stride, aimed at the first person he saw behind the counter…BANG!!! A bank teller’s skull erupted. Bone, blood, and brain matter splattered across the marble wall behind him like abstract art. His body dropped lifelessly, twitching once before going still. Hammerhead calmly and coldly said “This is my bank now.” Screams erupted. Chaos spilled across the lobby like wildfire. People ran for the exits but it was too late. Several armed goons rushed in behind him, rifles raised, barking commands like rabid dogs. One carried a heavy duffel bag. A goon said "Bomb's ready Boss.” The goon moved toward the vault as civilians were forced to their knees, kids crying, adults trembling, one woman sobbing uncontrollably. The family was just there to open a savings account with a father, a mother, and a little boy no older than six. They sat quietly in the corner, huddled together. The boy clutched a Spider-Man backpack, trembling as his parents whispered promises they couldn’t keep. Then came the countdown.
The air turned electric. Civilians sobbed softly. A few muttered prayers. Others stared in blank silence numb from fear, from disbelief. The mother squeezed her son tighter. The father leaned forward, as if to shield them both with his body. Too late. With no mercy and no hesitation the bomb was set off. BOOM!!! The explosion was apocalyptic to those civilians. The walls quaked like thunder. Glass burst into razor shaped pieces. The shockwave ripped through the bank with force. Flames swallowed half the room in an instant. Smoke and fire carved through the interior. A few unlucky civilians too close to the blast were vaporized, their bodies torn apart by the shockwave or set ablaze where they stood. The chandeliers above shattered, glass daggers raining down. Fire scorched the walls, burning away the polished luxury into charred ruin. Oak desks were overturned, splintered and aflame. Ash snowed through the lobby like black confetti. The screams didn’t stop. They only got worse.
The vault door blew unexpectedly outward in a hellish detonation. Unfortunately some of the people were killed including the family, it wasn’t the fire that killed the family. It was the vault door. A steel slab the size of a small car, launched from its hinges like a missile toward them. It flew spinning, whistling through smoke and ash and crashed into the far wall with bone-crushing impact. The family was gone in an instant.The vault door obliterated them flesh, bone, limbs smashed into nothing but chunks. Their bodies folded and flattened, reduced to red puddles and shattered skeletons. The child’s tiny Spider-Man backpack lay torn and soaked in blood nearby.The noise of the crash of metal, the scream that never finished echoed louder than the explosion. No one could even scream anymore. Just choked gasps, trembling lips, wide eyes filled with horror. The woman who was sobbing uncontrollably earlier vomited on the marble floor. Another man pissed himself. One hostage tried to run and a shot rang out, and he dropped with a hole in his back.
Hammerhead looked to the crowd and said “Let that be a lesson in disobedience. You move, you die. You breathe too loud, you die. I'm the goddamn bank manager now.”
The stench hit next , burnt flesh, smoke, gas,charred remains, and melted metal. It clung to the air, thick and suffocating. It got into your throat. Into your memory. Into your soul.
Hammerhead stood at the center of it all, untouched, unbothered arms folded, smirking like a mobster straight out of a noir flick. The Venoms finally arrived, twitching and unstable . Jack O’Lantern hovered above the bank on his glider, tossing flaming pumpkin bombs at the police outside of the bank.