Chapter 56

The Fastest Man Alive

Chapter 56

The Savage Beginning

Taleb

Gladiator, Slave

Taleb stood back and listened to the cheers of the crowd. It had been years since he was taken as a cub and made into a warrior. He could barely remember his parents, let alone imagine what they’d think of what he’d become. Would they love him? Hate him? Pity him? Taleb shook his head as he banished the dark thoughts from his mind. Right now, he was a warrior, not some fresh meat carried in from a raid to the outer lands, and the crowd was roaring for blood.

The arena rumbled with the roar and stomp of the crowd but Taleb paid them no mind. He was used to it, having done this song and dance so many times he’d lost count. He closed his eyes as he breathed in the scents of the arena. Idly, he noted a few strange new smells mixed in among the usual scents of the watchers and guards. Sniffing the air deeply, Taleb then cataloged those scents for later; he knew that even the most minor detail couldn’t be overlooked with what he was planning.

Turning his head away once he had the scents down, Taleb flexed his hands to pop his claws in and out. Testing to make sure that they were still sharp and to his standards. Once he was certain of that, Taleb picked up his sword and shield. The edge was sharp, which he noticed after some inspection, and the shield was still strong.

His ears twitched and he heard the crowd cheer his name: instead of smirking to that sound like he wanted to do Taleb knelt and did a prayer to the battle goddess above to carry him through one more day. For if this day were to be his last, then he would make sure he went to the great beyond while taking his opponent with him.

“You’re up!” The guard with yellow scales yelled out for Taleb to hear. Shifting his weapons around, Taleb stood by the large door that would lead him to the arena. Wrapping the chain around his chest, Taleb listened to the announcer introducing his opponent to the crowd.

“And here is the moment you have all been waiting for! The one! The only! Savage Claw!”

The crowd cheered and Taleb strolled out of his side with his weapon and arms raised high in the sky. He had to acknowledge the crowd because, besides the ruler of this hell hole, the crowd would decide if he would live or die.

As the crowd cheered around him, Taleb took the time to peer at those lording over his battle between life and death. In the seat of the ruler sat his lord and master, Sauron. Beside his lord were his lord’s sons and beside his lord’s sons, sat a blue-furred man.

His nose twitched as he realized that was the new scent he had smelled, and behind that man were guards. Even where he stood in the arena he could smell all of the newcomers. Putting those scents aside Taleb turned his gaze back towards his opponent and sized up the Saurian before him.

The Saurian had four horns on his head, a gash over his left eye, and a large bony frill that protected the back of his neck. That would be an issue Taleb noted as he strolled to the center of the arena. The Saurian stood two heads taller and half a shoulder wider, he noticed. He made sure that he was at least ten paces from his opponent as he waited for the signal to start.

His ears twitched as he let back in the noise of his surroundings and Taleb tried not to growl at the nonsense of it all. The commentator was trying to sell the fight to the new people, but Taleb only wanted to defeat his foe and go back to his room.

His ears flicked as he listened to the ground crunch underneath his opponent, but his attention was still facing his lord and master. As he kept his attention raised to the high stands, the announcer gave the start to the battle yet Taleb did not move.

He heard the grunt before his opponent bellowed out his roar for his attack. His ears twitched as the crowd gasped as they watched his opponent come barreling down on his location. Eight paces, five paces, two paces, at the last moment, he twisted his body and lashed out with his claws.

His opponent held up and roared as one of his eyes popped like soft squishy fruit, but Taleb was not paying attention to that. No, he was already twisting his body around as he reached down and swiped his claws across the back of his opponent’s heels.

He felt the muscles down there hook into his claws and they moved inward and around them and as he flexed his arm while yanking back: and it was over. To Taleb, it was a series of actions; but to the crowd, it was a quick blur of action that left one fighter mutilated and down.

Dropping the chain off of his shoulder, Taleb walked to his downed and roaring opponent. He looked at him, then felt it was time for mercy, but he had to make sure that everyone understood. He might be chained, but it was not he who was stuck inside with them. No, it was they who were stuck inside with him.

Putting his foot claws on the back of the bone frill he pushed forward so that he could access the back of the neck. His opponent ate dirt, but he cared not for his opponent would be dead soon.

Taleb wrapped the chain to his hammer, once, twice, then thrice around his opponent’s neck. He then looked up and locked eyes with his lord and master, the growl started deep inside and threatened to rumble outwards for all to hear.

He couldn’t hold it anymore as his anger boiled over and he roared while pulling with all of his might. Muscles strained, claws popped and the chains in his hand creaked as the force he applied tested them to their limits.

Taleb felt the crack and pop before he heard the bones of his opponents neck-snapping, but by then it was already too late. His opponent’s neck was crushed before bursting and releasing its load allowing the head to flop forward.

That was all the chains needed as they went taut and the crowd watched in hushed silence. They looked on as Taleb’s arms came up and stretched out, snapping the chain into pieces as he roared for all to hear.

“ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!”

Taleb breathed hard as the rage burned in his chest, arms outstretched for all to see his scars gained from countless battles. His eyes stayed locked with his lord and master for some time. Sauron never moved from the throne in which he sat. Beside his lord, the blue-furred one spoke, but Taleb had already had enough. Lowering his arms he turned to leave regardless of not being dismissed.

He was able to make it to the far side of the arena before everyone erupted into cheers. The guards on the other side looked at him fearfully, but he had no care as he waited for them to open the bolted door.

Walking past his guards, Taleb ignored the room’s silence as he made his way to the weapons rack. Looking down at the now broken weapon that he had barely used, Taleb snorted before putting it back on the rack. His armor went next then the bottom half of his trousers.

Ignoring the sound of another fighter being called to battle, Taleb went to clean himself before he had to go back to his small room. Once he was finished he dressed in clean linens before walking behind the guard waiting on him.

What he did not expect was for them to walk him in the opposite direction of his quarters; but Taleb steeled himself. He was now sure that this would be the day that he died by his lord’s hand, but he was certain that he would not go without a battle. His lord would have to prove his worth if he wanted his life this day.

They walked and walked and as they walked, his surroundings changed from that of a grim stone surrounding to one of opulence. Taleb couldn’t tell when it had started but where he was now was a stark contrast from where he had just come from.

The guards leading him said nothing as they walked up towards a person wearing strange armor. Ignoring them, Taleb walked through the door that was being held open for him. What he found on the other side was a grand feast and in the guest seat of honor was the blue-furred man from the arena.

In the throne at the head of the table sat his lord and master, getting down on one knee. Taleb waited for his lord to give the word. Silently Taleb stayed as he felt eyes bore into his kneeling form, yet he did not waver.

“The guest I have invited today was happy with your battle in the arena.” Lord Sauron said, a nail tapping at his wine goblet. “So impressed, that he offered to purchase you, I of course did not agree at first. I of course am attached to one with such loyalty as you have displayed countless times.”

Silence descended and Taleb could have sworn that hours passed before his lord spoke once more.

“Yet, no matter how loyal you might be, I was given an offer that I couldn’t in good conscious refuse. So, let’s introduce you to your new lord and master. Raise your head and take in the grandeur that is Doctor Hank Mccoy, ambassador from the nation of Pandora.”

Taleb looked up and took in the nice high-grade lining that his new master wore. They met eyes briefly, and Taleb could have sworn he saw a hint of something in those eyes. He had no chance to say or do anything as his new master spoke to one of the strange armored guards at the side. The guard made a signal and Taleb noticed two others came to take him away. That was fine with him because he didn’t want to stay and look at their richly filled table and stand without being able to dine.

The two guards that were leading him away, led him to a strange building with a door that was lowered down to the ground. Ignoring that, he followed them up the ramp and down a hallway into an interesting room with a lot of fragile-looking instruments.

The guards said nothing as they directed him to sit on what appeared to be a white bed. Sitting on the bed Taleb paused as his form sank into the bedding. It was strange to note how soft it was, definitely high class, and not filled with straw like his mat back in his room.

“Alright then, let’s take a look at ya.”

Taleb’s ears flicked at the person that just walked into the room holding a strange scroll in his hands.

“I was told your name is Taleb, can you understand me?”

Looking down at the short doctor Taleb rolled what he was told over in his head before he answered back. “Yes.”

“Good, good, means the universal translator is working properly, we’ll have you get you one of those too. Ohh sorry, the name is Doctor Affleck.”

Taleb nodded his head in confirmation as he waited. The doctor looked him over with a critical eye and Taleb tried not to look too closely at the doctor’s non-furred features.

“Nasty! Let’s get those chains off ya.”

Before that statement registered inside his mind, Taleb was not prepared for the doctor reaching over and just snapping off his chain. He stared in surprise down at his wrist no longer held by the manacles. There was another double snap as the one around his neck was also removed by the doctor.

Taleb looked down at the collar in his hands and tried not to growl, but he could not hold himself as he twisted the metal into useless scraps.

“Yes, yes, our king will not be pleased with this development at all.”

Taleb listened to the doctor mutter and was starting to wonder who were the people he was sold to. Their leader was odd, their gear and armor even more-so, but he would hold and wait for his moment of escape. He would not while under the watchful eye of Sauron, but they were not the monster able to absorb one’s lifeforce. He had seen it more than once to know that he would only become a meal if he broke his chains in any attempt to escape.

Dr. Affleck put his scanner away before turning towards his latest patient. “Well, you have a few bones that weren’t healed properly, but we can fix those right up. Also, do you want to get rid of them or keep the scars?”

“Leave the scars,” Taleb growled out not wanting his validation of life to be removed.

“That’s fine, not going to get between a warrior and his proof of surviving a life and death battle.” Dr. Affleck replied with a shrug. “Kriffing warriors, bloody lot of them all the same.”

Taking the doctor’s instructions, Taleb laid back on the bed and allowed him to run a light over his body. He didn’t know how long he was there before his stomach started to growl, but when he sat up Taleb found a small tray of food next to his bed.

“You’re good for now; finish your meal and someone will bring you to your new quarters. Ohh, there is a jumper over there on that chair, wear that large one.”

Then before Taleb could respond the doctor was gone out of the room like a whirlwind. Taleb got up and got dressed before he ate his meal. One thing he did notice with his new clothing was that he now had a hole for his tail.

Stretching to check his range of movement, Taleb’s nose twitched at the smell he wasn’t receiving from the food tray. Frowning down at the tray, he was trying to figure out why not because ever since he stepped foot into this place his senses were being bombarded with new scents and sounds.

Slowly reaching out, he pulled what he assumed was the top of the tray away. Eyes widened and pupils dilated at the scent that danced with his senses. He ate and ate until there was nothing left on the tray for him to enjoy. The sound of something sliding before him drew Taleb’s attention to one of his guards.

The guard in the weird armor slid another tray before him and was waiting with a hand out. Looking at the hand and then down at his now empty tray, Taleb handed it over before starting in on his second serving.

With the completion of his second meal, he felt the hunger he had endured for so many years slowly subsided. His guards held out a hand once more but this time once he handed over his tray another set of guards came and escorted him out towards what would now be his quarters.

Standing before a wall, Taleb was wondering why when the wall before him slid back and revealed a room far larger than his last one. Looking around, he found his bed in another smaller room on the side with a connecting bathroom he had no idea how to use.

Ignoring that for now, he sat on the bed which was also as soft as the last one he tried. Sleep hit him swiftly removing all complaints he might have had to being sold off like fodder.

The beep had him shooting up into the air, his ears were trying to pick up everything while he attempted to figure out where he was currently. It didn’t take long for him to remember being sold to a far better master when another beep drew his attention.

Looking around he couldn’t figure out where the beep came from before he remembered the door that led out of his room. Once he was back in the outer room, Taleb noticed the flashing blue light next to the door he had entered through.

Walking to the blue light, he pressed his hands to the glowing window and his room door slid right open. Shifting his body weight in preparation for a fight. It never came as the blue-furred Dr. Hank Mccoy came walking into his room.

“I see then, I apologize if I have woken you up.”

Taleb didn’t answer but he did motion for them to proceed. Hank gave him a nod before stepping over and taking a seat on one of the sitting chairs.

“Now, you were told that I purchased you, correct?”

Taleb nodded at the man to see where this was going, it took a lot of his self-control to not unsheath his claws and make his escape.

“Well, that is only half correct, that was a simple little subterfuge to get you out of that arena. Though, you will gain your freedom since our kingdom does not deal in slavery. I would like you to speak with my king about helping your people.”

That brought Taleb up short and he couldn’t stop himself from speaking up.

“He would not be able to defeat Sauron, he eats life.”

That caught Hank off guard and he leaned forward in his seat, “Tell me everything.”

O.O.O.O

SOL System

The light overhead was shining far too harshly and Bruce had to put his hand up to stave off the harshness. Putting his other hand to good use, Bruce rubbed his eyes and wondered when his glasses vanished. Before he could even start to look around Bruce had to double over as the headache he didn’t notice before slammed into the forefront and took every last bit of his attention.

Eyes held shut, Bruce rubbed his forehead as he relived the intense images of his time being the Hulk. After what seemed like forever, he released the breath that he didn’t even know he was holding. Releasing a grumble, Bruce leaned over as he started to stand in preparation to find his glasses when he noticed his surroundings.

Bruce wanted to panic but had to damper that emotion down so he could at least understand why he was behind bars. Because, yes, that was here he was right now. It was a large room at least twenty by ten and he was currently in some type of cell. The metal was dark silver and Bruce was certain that he had never seen a metal like that before.

Tapping the bar nearest to his location, Bruce noticed how it didn’t react in any way to the kinetic force he applied with his light tap. Shifting, he noticed that his glasses were on a side table sitting within arm’s reach right outside his cell. Shaking his head at his own good fortune, Bruce picked up his glasses before opening the drawer to the table.

What he found inside the drawer had him snorting in dark humor: what he had found was an easy meal bar and a note.

{ Yeah, it’s not going to be that easy. }

Instead of being angry, Bruce crushed the paper before opening the easy meal bar and taking a bite. The taste of honey and other flavors surprised Bruce as he took another bite and then another. Before he knew it the bar was gone and Bruce had to wonder about who could have made such a thing. He wondered about this because he could no longer feel his hunger or the thirst that normally came with eating a meal.

Putting aside the deconstruction of that interesting meal for later, Bruce finally noticed the one other person inside of the room with him. Well, not in the cell, Bruce noted.

What had Bruce interested was the other person in the room with him was floating in the air with what appeared to be no assistance. Bruce wanted to speak up, but he held his tongue as he watched his jailer play with metal between his fingers as if it was made of clay.

Bruce couldn’t help but be transfixed for a brief moment before snapping himself out of it to clear his throat. He did a simple ahem, but his jailer didn’t seem to hear him, transfixed as he was playing with that metal.

Bruce waited for a minute and when nothing happened he tried a louder and more forceful ahem, paired with his vocal expression of, “excuse me, sir.”

The person floating before him instantly stopped what he was doing before turning seamlessly in the air towards Bruce. Bruce easily noticed the air of power which applied pressure on his own uneasy feelings and the urge to change came over him.

That unbridled rage and the unending need to rip and tear all that lay before him: Bruce felt that and so much more was pushing at the back of his brain. To smash it all until nothing could bother him anymore. What happened next cooled some of the raging storm, but Bruce still felt it and knew it was there.

“Easy, now Doctor, I wouldn’t want to have to kill you after all I have done to get us out here.” The person chuckled as he put away the metal he was playing with.

“You can’t kill me, see: I tried. I put a gun in my mouth and the big guy spits it right back out.” Bruce growled with his hands on the bars of his cell. “So, when I tell you that I can’t die, I mean it.”

“Ohh, Dr. Banner, but you can die, it only takes a bit of creativity. For example, if you were dropped into the sun, then you would, most assuredly, be dead.” I replied back easily with a shrug.

“Yeah, well I don’t see that happening anytime soon,” Bruce replied condescendingly.

“Ohh, but Dr. Banner it can.” As I answered him, I pressed the large yellow button on the remote in my hands. Bruce looked at me with worry on his features as the bottom of his cell started to recede, showing us floating out in space with the sun right below him. The look of worry was replaced with one of astonishment as he bent down to run his hands over the forcefield keeping his vibranium prison afloat. We were in the same location where I had released Exodus only a few months ago.

There was no plan that could survive the Hulk, so I went with the conventional of course.

“Impossible,” Bruce whispered as he cleaned his glasses before poking at the shield with his fingertips.

“Very possible doctor, very possible, but your death is not why we are out here in a disposable prison ship,” I replied with a chuckle. “We are here to discuss you and your rather large lack of self control.”

“There is nothing I can do, and trust me, I’ve tried them all,” Bruce said, leaning on his cell’s bars. It was easy to tell the man was starting to give up.

“So, I guess introductions are in order?” I asked Bruce floating in a sitting position before his bars. Before he could reply, I hit the button to close up the bay doors hatch beneath his cell. Bruce looked at me and I returned a raised eyebrow at him.

He released an exasperated sigh then spoke up, “Doctor Bruce Banner, at your service, sir?”

“Benjamin Blake, a Master in the Mystic arts, King to the Empire of Pandora. Avatar of the Speed Force and Wielder of the Strength Force, God to all Meta-humans of Terra, and the man who will lead humanity’s advancement into the stars. ” I said as my feet touched the floor with power radiating off of me in seismic level waves.

Bruce stared at me for a moment and I could hear his muttered words, “that’s a mouthful, isn’t it.”

Pulling the ball of metal I was using to experiment with earlier, I had it quickly construct a chair for me to sit on as I faced Bruce in the cell.

“So tell me Doc, why haven’t you gotten control yet?” I asked, not wanting to give the man an inch.

With a tiredness in his voice, Bruce spoke, “You think I haven’t tried? I’ve tried, but there is no way to control the big guy.”

“I see, but I want you to think about what you just said for a moment,” I replied. I then rubbed my chin as a few hypophyses formed in my mind. Of course, being a Marvel fan, I had my own thoughts and conjectures on Banner and his alter ego.

“What do you mean?” Bruce asked, clearly not able to understand what I was getting at.

“You called your transformed state the ‘Other Guy,” I replied pointing it out and trying to highlight how important that statement was. “The fact that you are dissociating could be the main problem you are having. You’re not looking at this as an extension of yourself, you are looking at this as another person entirely once the transformation is over.”

“Of course it’s not me in control, otherwise none of this would have happened!,” Bruce replied looking at me as if I was a moron.

“Don’t you give me that look: last time I checked I didn’t hear about you having multiple personalities,” I said with a huff at him. Bruce took off his glasses and I watched him clean them in his nervous tick to try and control at least a small detail of this conversation. “I’m not even a shrink and I can tell that’s not a healthy mindset to have.”

“Look, I have tried meditation, I have tried martial arts. Hell, I have even tried chemicals and that last primer and nothing has helped,” Bruce answered with so much exhaustion in his voice, you could just feel it. I almost felt bad for him, well, I would, if I wasn’t so certain that if he got his head out of his ass he would be able to do it.

“Maybe those are not what you need, you’re very vigorous once transformed after all, maybe,” I muttered to myself loud enough so Bruce could hear everything. “You’ve ever tried to go to an abandoned island and transform, let it all out. Maybe that’s what you need, time, and space to transform without having to worry about your surroundings.”

“No, I haven’t tried anything like that,” Bruce replied looking lost in thought.

“So besides the anger and all that power what else is there?” I asked, trying to probe the good doctor some.

Bruce looked at me before using his hands to ruffle his hair, “I don’t know, I’m always lost in all of the sensations.”

Snapping my fingers, I pointed at his chest, “BINGO, sensory overload.”

“Sensory overload?” Bruce asked with furrowed brows.

“Exactly, you have stated that you suffer from sensory overload when you wake up, right?” I asked, clearly excited to zero in on a major fix. Well, besides the extreme anger he was holding inside. Fuck, I could feel it even now and it’s commendable in how Bruce was able to operate with all of that inside of him. The anger felt like a raging inferno that could burn the cosmos around us. “Have you ever tried anything to help damper all of that input?”

Rubbing his chin, Bruce tilted his head to the side as he started to mutter underneath his breath. “No, but I don’t think there are any brain implants advanced enough, but maybe. Hmm, I would need access to a lab, but maybe.”

Instead of listening to Bruce doing his little science thing, I pulled a quarter pound of vibranium from my utility belt. Paying no attention to Bruce, my hands heated up and I started to play with the metal until it was liquid.

The metal flexed and stretched between my fingers as I worked out the impurities. Magnetic manipulation synergized with my gravitational control working seamlessly together as the metal bent to my will. Smiling as I worked the metal at a molecular level, I watched as it became gunmetal grey in color as I worked it into something usable. A quick pulse of magnetism through the metal had it curl up in my palm before I pulled a few graphite nanotubes from the other utility belt pouch.

Testing the nanotubes’ stretch and flexibility, I was happy with what I had before setting them into a braid while applying the vibranium. Once the chain was made, I used the leftover liquid metal to form small five centimeter beads.

Six of the beads hovered before me, the tip of my left index finger glowed with power. I wrote out the runic script, clear mind, unbent will, and smoldering passion with a swiftness. A clear mind and unbent will was all self-explanatory, but the smoldering passion was something interesting. I found it inside one of Selene’s grimoires and it was to help a lover not be overcome by his passionate emotions.

The smoldering passion script would keep Bruce’s emotions at bay and allow him to keep a clear head for some time. Once I was finished with that, I had the beads integrate back into the chain. There was a soft glow of blue as the magic activated, giving it a nod, I looked up before tossing it at Bruce.

Bruce caught the chain I threw him before looking up completely lost at what to do.

“It’s magical, put it on,” I said, omni-tool active with the ship’s sensors scanning Bruce for any changes.

“I did catch the glow from that little doodle you were doing,” Bruce grumbled. “Still don’t believe that was magic, so what does it do?”

Thinking it over for a moment, I then gave him a look before I answered. “Should help with the overload issue. It’s only a stop-gap for now though.”

Bruce looked at the chain bead of vibranium before putting it over his head and around his neck. I heard the soft gasp as the chain glowed a soft green as it synced with his blazing aura. The necklace did its work and I could feel the refinement around the edges of Bruce’s aura, though he was still blazing like a thousand suns. I was fine with that because this gave us some wiggle room to work with.

A wave of my hand had a hologram of Bruce pop up for him to see. With a few taps I had it show an overlay of green surrounding his body. On one side I had the scan of before and on the other, I had the current scan running in real-time.

Bruce had his glasses on and was looking between both of the images. “That is a lot of bioelectrical activity.”

“Something like that, but not quite,” I answered, clearing up the situation. “It’s the image of your current astral self. The left is the raging inferno you were before and the current scan is after you put on the magical necklace.”

“I’m not schooled in magic, but I can read a graph properly,” Bruce replied as he looked over both images.

“So will you make any attempt at applying self-control?” I asked the good doctor.

Bruce rubbed his hands over his cheeks in deep thought before he answered me. “I don’t have anything to lose.”

“Ha Ha, good good, so now that we have that settled, you want to pilot us back to earth?” I asked with a mild interest in my voice.

“I don’t know how to fly,” Bruce replied looking at me with mild worry. Chucking, I liquified the cell of vibranium alloy he was standing in. Before Bruce had a chance to figure out what was happening, I already had us both moving to the bridge of the small ship.

“Seriously, but don’t you have like seven Ph.D.’s?” I ask clearly, enjoying myself as I needled Bruce. I couldn’t contain the chuckle as I pushed him into the open pilot seat.

By now Bruce was clearly worried but had no way of telling me no.

“Yeah, but none of them are about flying spaceships!”

Laughing at the look on his face, I ignored his protests as I sat down in the co-pilot’s seat.

Looking at Bruce, I had the co-pilot’s seat tilt all the way back for me. “Well, you’re a super genius so that means you learn easily enough. Kelix overlay instructions and let’s give the good doctor the controls.”

There were two beeps as the flight control Bruce was sitting in front of came to life. Then there was a shudder through the ship and I laughed out loud at Bruce’s widened eyes.

“I didn’t do that,” Bruce said, worry plain in his voice for anyone to hear.

“Of course, you didn’t, that’s just the star’s gravity pulling us in since you didn’t give any juice to the engines,” I replied, putting my legs up on the dashboard.