Chapter 15: Wendigo Apocalypse
S.M.A.S.H. Base
Vista Verde, New Mexico
The isolated mountain in the deserts of New Mexico was the home of several creatures suited to its hot climate. There are five creatures who live in the mountain as their base for their heroic deeds. They are known for being some of the physically powerful beings in the world with their leader as the strongest one of all.
They were the Hulks but their official name is the Agents of S.M.A.S.H led by none other than the original Hulk.
Speaking of the Hulks, the four of them were present in the hangar where their aerial transportation was currently missing.
"Where is it?" One of the Hulks asked in a harsh tone, obviously upset. She was also the only female in the team as she was taller than the average Humans but still shorter compared to her male counterparts. Dark brown hair reached her shoulders as it contrasted her light green skin tone and eyes.
A-Bomb chuckled nervously under the intense gazes of his team members. "Um, well I…" He blinked suddenly as he remembered about the important 'package' from Boston. The package hasn't made a noise for a couple of hours now. "Uh-oh."
"What did you do now?" Hulk asked as he recognized A-Bomb's signature troubled expression. The expression that tells him of the blue Hulk's screw-ups.
A-Bomb chuckled nervously after he typed on the ship's keypad. "Well, I may or may not have-"
"Kidnap me?"
"Exactly!" A-Bomb blinked owlishly as he didn't recognize the voice. The blue S.M.A.S.H. agent turned around, only to receive a gloved fist.
Hulk and his members watched their youngest member fly across the hangar before he crashed against a wall. They looked back to see a figure wearing a dominant black with orange streaks and a beaked hood that covered the identity while a katana was strapped to his back.
"Somebody pissed me off and that person is going to pay!" Naruto shouted since it was their first feast in a major holiday. He was out on a quick patrol, but he was caught off-guard by the strange contraption that blocked his strength. Of course, he could've blast the aircraft with a Rasengan and be done with it but that would have mean free-falling to his death unless he used Sage Mode. Even then, it would've been a waste of Senjutsu chakra for a minor thing.
Plus, there was the fact he overheard the blue creature named 'A-Bomb' mentioned the big green and the others, so he wanted to see for himself.
Naruto cleared his throat as he circled his wrist a couple times to ward off the slight stinging. 'Man, that blue guy has some tough skin. I wonder how the others are?' His thoughts were broken when one of the giant humanoid beings, the red one, spoke in an annoyed tone.
"Hey, who are you bum?"
"Who are you?" Naruto repeated the question towards the red one. He wore a light gray sleeveless shirt with military-like green pants and guns on his back. His face was stern with no tolerance towards anything below perfection and he exuded a military presence. "You look like you gotta go to the bathroom or something. Are you constipated by any chance?"
Red Hulk heard stifled giggles from She-Hulk who had her mouth covered by a hand while Skaar pointed a finger at him in a taunting pose. As for Hulk, he has a nod in agreement with the hooded hero's statement. "Why you little…" He stepped close to the smaller Human where his head reached the red Hulk's chest. "If you weren't fragile, I'd teach you a lesson or two."
"Red, you do realize he punched A-Bomb like nothing, right?" Hulk pointed somewhat serious. His eyes were glued onto the smaller Human who wasn't there anymore. "This is no ordinary hero."
"Holy crap, you can speak!" Hulk turned around and was shocked to see the disguised Naruto standing there. "From what I heard about you, I thought you can't talk at all." He poked the green behemoth in the stomach a couple times. "And you're ripped too. What's your secret for the abs?" Naruto asked curiously as he thought about some serious workouts to gain hardcore abs for his wives.
His thoughts were broken to avoid a fist the size of a small car as he simply dodged to the side.
"Hey, that wasn't very nice." Naruto pouted before the annoyed Hulk who pulled back his stretched fist. "But where are my manners? Before being kidnapped, I was merely patrolling the city of Boston. I am Patronus."
She-Hulk's eyes took on realization. "That's right. I heard about you on the news…nice job on the mayor."
"Cap told me about you." Hulk spoke next as he subtly inspected Patronus. "I didn't expect much, but you managed to impress the old man." He crossed his massive arms together. "What else can you do?"
"Not much except…" Naruto paused when he heard cluttering behind before his fists racked under his strength. "I'm strong to punish the guy who kidnapped me!" He shouted at the now-conscious blue Hulk.
A-Bomb gasped exaggeratedly and was about to retort a whimsical answer when his team stood behind the smaller Patronus with expecting glances. "Uh, I can explain."
"Can I please?" Naruto asked almost eagerly to Hulk.
Hulk looked at the technical genius who had an innocent look, but this was a good time for the blue-skinned agent to learn consequences. "Go ahead."
Naruto chuckled evilly as he approached the nervous A-Bomb with cracking knuckles before the punishment began with loud solid hits.
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(An Hour Later)
Rocky Mountains, Colorado
"Let me out of here and when I get out, I'm going to smash someone!"
Naruto put down his ears after Hulk's outburst as he turned to the giant. "Are you always like this?"
"Yes!" All Hulks chorused including the green.
"I see. So, what's your deal with taking a vacation, Big Green?"
"I don't like vacations and you won't like me when I'm on vacation." Hulk simply answered.
A-Bomb decided to give the real answer to the hooded hero. "Hulk doesn't like vacations because he thinks we end up trashing the place."
"We do and people end up in danger. Now let me out!" Hulk demanded.
Afterwards, A-Bomb began to list all the ski resort-related events to be done in the mountains such as skiing, snowboarding and snow angels on the ground.
"Okay~" Naruto had to take that answer as he shuddered when the aircraft they are in rocked. "I don't like flying."
After the punishment laid onto A-Bomb, the Hulks introduced themselves to the Bostonian hero and gave him a tour of their secret base. The only reason they did so was because of Captain America's vouch for the hero and his deeds on Yamatai Island which included saving the survivors such as Lara Croft. And the fact he's one of the few Humans who haven't talked down to them, can actually punch one of them or showed any sign of fear upon seeing them.
Naruto grew accustomed to calling the S.M.A.S.H. agents by the way they called themselves. Red for the red Hulk, Jenny for She-Hulk, Skaar and A-Bomb while he calls the green Hulk 'Big Green'. When they offered him a chance for vacation in the snowy mountains, Naruto thought to himself about the girls and kids.
Before he could attempt to call them through Skye's phone, Naruto heard the word 'Sasquatch' from A-Bomb as he looked at the blue member who was talking to one of the floating camera machines. "You hear that, gamma fans? You'll be the first ones to see one caught on camera."
"You watch too much Bigfoot reality shows, kid." Red chided. "There's no such thing as nine-foot monkey people walking around in forests."
Jenny turned around to face her passengers. "All right, guys. Buckle up and prepare for landing."
Just then, the front of the aerial vehicle rocked unnaturally before all passengers looked forward and saw a muscled man in a tight brown and yellow uniform with pointed ears around. Three long-knives emerged from the base of his knuckles as his feral teeth were visible to them with overflowing white mustache/beard combo.
And one of the Hulks recognized him.
"Wolverine?" A stunned Hulk asked lowly.
"Eh?! That's Wolverine?!" Naruto shouted in disbelief.
Wolverine growled before he jumped to the center of the jet and easily cut through the outer hull with his claws. Before anyone could react, the furry hero slashed through one of the jet's engines. "We're going down!" Jenny cried out.
"Thanks for the obvious!" Patronus cried out as his stomach felt like a pit.
The jet crashed against snowy ground as the passengers sans one was ejected from the vehicle. Naruto shuddered against the cold weather while the S.M.A.S.H. agents were not bothered by one bit. "So, was that Jump Jet #9?" Jenny asked her teammates.
"That was your ninth one?" Naruto asked stunned. "What's you guys do with the previous ones?" Silence was his response. "Fine, don't tell me. I'll find out myself."
"Where's Hulk?" Jen asked for her cousin.
By then, Hulk emerged from the flaming wreckage as he busted out of the cuffs that restrained him during the flight. "The jet's the least of our problems."
"Hulk, was that really Wolverine?" A-Bomb asked for clarification.
"I didn't get a good look but yeah. I think so." Hulk answered in his deep voice. "Little weasal's finally went rabid, huh?"
She-Hulk raised an incredulous brow. "Rabid?" She asked disbelieving. "That's an understatement. He's gone nuclear. Look what he did to this place."
The entire group looked around the forest and saw slash marks on the tree barks, felled trees and some metal equipment as well. It looked like someone used a chainsaw to level the place or in this case, a feral mutant with shiny blades out of his hands.
Patronus groaned at the situation he got sucked into as A-Bomb talked to the camera about his horror movies. "I should've taken the bus back home instead." He was tempted to Hirashine back to the Homestead but his good nature wouldn't let him abandon the Hulks in the cold winter mountains. "Damn it, my good side."
Feral growling echoed in the snowing field, putting the heroes on alert. "Beast man coming back." Skaar pointed out in broken English. The growls grew louder and louder as the shadowed man approached them by the passing second until it was time to strike.
And it was for the smallest person in the group.
"Patronus, look out!" She Hulk cried out when she saw Wolverine leap in the air and held his claws in a downward motion at the Boston hero.
Seeing him from a mile away, Naruto twisted his body and grabbed Wolverine's leg and arm as he spun around with the mutant's momentum before throwing him away. "Easy boy. Want a treat?" He joked as the bearded Wolverine brandished his claws together.
"That ain't the Wolverine I know. We go way back." Hulk circled around like Wolverine as they prepared for another round. "Calm down, wolfie. As much as I want to smash you into next Saturday-" Wolverine snarled into a howl before he charged at him. "Have it your way." Hulk kicked up a fell log as it tangled Wolverine towards him before he punched the costumed man into a tree.
Patronus watched the downed Wolverine before he quickly got up like nothing happened to him. "Damn, this guy must be tough."
"He's a mutant with super healing abilities." She-Hulk informed the smaller hero.
Red cut in after her with crossed arms. "And a skeleton laced unbreakable Adamantium. He's really tough…for a runt." Wolverine growled loudly as Red approached him. "I'll show how to be put this rabid wolf down. Huh?"
Wolverine had fallen to his knees with groans of pain.
"Good job there, Red. Your constipated face made him bow to you." Naruto said sarcastically.
"I didn't even hit him yet." Red responded almost disappointedly.
Hulk noticed something different about Wolverine's body mass as he seemed to be shrinking. That led to one realization to the Green Giant. "He's changing!"
She-Hulk stopped Red from hurting the mutant as she pointed at him. "He's right, look!"
"J-Jen?" Wolverine asked confusingly. The white beard/mustache combo was gone and the red eyes disappeared as well as his voice was roughly deep. "Where am I? What happened?" He sounded out of breath.
"You were possessed or something." Jen answered unsurely.
Wolverine grunted as he cracked his neck from the punch earlier by Hulk before he looked the ensemble before him. "So, it's true Hulk. You got your own set of dwarves. Nice." He said sarcastically. "Let me guess: Dopey, Happy and Bashful." He marked A-bomb, Skaar and Red respectively.
And one of them didn't like that at all.
"Hey shrimpy." Red stood in front of the mutant. "You better know I'll pound you so deep into the ground you'll think you're a fossil."
Wolverine responded with his claws threatening to dig into his chin as Red had lifted his head upwards. "My mistake. Guess I found Grumpy instead." He remarked with an amused grin.
Red was pushed aside by a grumpy Hulk. "No, I'm Grumpy!"
"This reminds me of my rivalry with Sasuke." Naruto whispered to himself. "Geez, man." He blinked as he realized something. "Did he just call me a dwarf?!" He dashed at Wolverine, only to be held back and carried like a kitten by Hulk. "Let me at him! I'll teach him not to call me dwarf!" His arms and legs kicked nothing but air as the Hulk had him by the back of his cloak.
"As much as I want to smash him, kid, we need to work with him." Hulk said begrudgingly as Naruto finally calmed down and let him down on the ground.
"Who's the runt?" Wolverine asked gruffly. He chuckled at the hooded figure's response by trying to kick him again. "That outfit though…Looks familiar."
She Hulk intervened by stepping in between them. "If you're done, let's get to the bottom of this." Patronus was let down afterwards. "Wolverine, what happened?"
"Ugh, I think I was bitten by a Wendigo." Wolverine walked past them. "It's an ancient curse monster. All bites are contagious." He knelt down to a particular spot where the ground was visibly disturbed.
"Just like in a zombie movie. This is so cool!" A-Bomb said giddily. Naruto growled at the mention of zombies. It reminded him of the smug son of a bitch who tried to take Saeko as his sex slave back in her dimension. "Except that it's real. There's gotta be a cure, right?"
Wolverine turned around. "My healing factor did the trick but everyone else in this resort have already been turned. If the curse spreads beyond this valley, the world is doomed."
"The only chance we got is keep it in the mountain, contain it." Hulk affirmed by slamming his fist into his left palm.
Red pulled up a large box he managed to save from the wreckage with a smile. "Then let's lock and load."
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Boston
Massachusetts, United States of America
Saeko hummed happily as she walked with her children in their stroller by the park. Ashla cooed at the butterfly that landed on his head while Misaki watched with awe at a juggler. "Do you want to watch them?"
A duo of affirmative coos came from her twins as Saeko found a bench and sat while adjusting the stroller so her children can watch the juggler.
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Rocky Mountains
Colorado, United States of America
Naruto bended backwards to dodge a claw swipe before he kicked away a being similar to the Hulks in terms of height. They were covered in snow-white fur and had the same red eyes like Wolverine earlier except with a long tail and two black horns on their forehead. It was a Wendigo. Sensing another from behind, Naruto flipped over it and kicked his feet into the other Wendigo's back straight to the ground.
"Kid's got skills." Red had nothing but to be impressed by the hooded hero's casual dismissal of the horde of Wendigos.
Hulk and Wolverine knocked out more Wendigos together but their eyes laid onto Patronus who grabbed two Wendigos' arms before they threw them into several trees. "You knew about this?"
"Not a clue, Wolfie."
Wolverine grunted in response. "Well, whatever you do, don't get bitten or scratched. You'll turn into one."
"Thanks for the late advice, Captain Obvious!" Naruto easily side-stepped a couple of Wendigos before he swept their feet that was followed by two swift axe kicks to the heads.
Red held out his technological gun and fired a couple of stunning rounds at the Wendigos. A-Bomb held out his arms to keep a Wendigo at bay before he pushed it back and curled up in a perfect sphere as he rammed into it through a tree. He uncurled and laughed victoriously as he fired his own blaster at a couple more Wendigos.
"No Wendigo is getting through my armor." A-Bomb stated confidently.
Red chuckled heartily as a few Wendigo were down for the count by his blasts. "You Wendigo smell worse than a hundred wet Wolverines."
"Now you know what your breath smells like, Red." Jen remarked back.
"What?" Red asked indignantly as Naruto snorted after stifling the urge to laugh at the burn remark.
Skar and Wolverine used their sword and claws to cut down a couple trees that fell atop their Wendigo adversaries. Naruto regrouped with Hulk whose attention was drawn to an overlooking hill as he too looked. It was a Wendigo but larger than the others with a crimson gem on its chest and larger horns. The Wendigo King howled through the valley as it echoed to their ears.
"Looks like that guy's top dog."
"What makes you say that? The fact that more Wendigo are coming our way or the glowing gem on his chest?" Naruto asked sarcastically while Hulk suppressed the urge to smash him into the ground.
Red punched several times at a hurt Wendigo that wheezed in pain on the snow. "Take a nap, fang face."
"Uh, Red?" Said the eponymous member as he looked a nervous A-Bomb. "Remember rule #4: the monster never stays down." Red grumbled at his warning while the Wendigo stood up and was about to attack the distracted red colored Hulk.
Fortunately, Jen saved the day and punched the Wendigo away from Red. "I think A-Bomb found his calling: annoying monster hunter."
Meanwhile Wolverine pounced on a retreating Wendigo and was about to kill it when Hulk suddenly grabbed him. "Stop! That's enough!" Hulk told the mutant.
"Let me go!" Wolverine demanded as he struggled against the behemoth's grip while the Wendigos retreated for now. "I had him!" He growled at Hulk who had his face close to his own.
"There are other ways to do this: killing is not one of them." Hulk retorted as he was peeved at Wolverine's willingness to kill. It was that mindset that irritates him by Wolverine.
"You really have gone soft, Hulk." Wolverine grunted as he brandished his claws at the towering behemoth. Hulk growled as his fists clenched with an audible 'crack'.
Before the bitter rivals could dish out, their throats were threatened by two blades of deep blue and gold. Naruto stood between Hulk and Wolverine as he held the blades close to restrict their movements. "Knock it off, you two. As much as I want to see you fight it out especially since I have five bucks on Hulk, we have bigger problems here."
Hulk breathed deeply as he nodded at the hooded hero's reasoning while Wolverine snarled lowly at him. His eyes stared at the blue blade that held Hulk back until they wandered onto the small golden blade that threatened to pierce his throat. They widened slightly as he recognized the design from a long time ago. "So, he's one of them. They still exist." He put away his claws as a sign of agreement. "Fine, fine."
Naruto retracted his Hidden Blade and sheathed Kogitsune on his back. He walked to one of the footprints and bent down as his vision changed colors to soft bluish-white and dark brown bordering black trees. Far away, he caught a glimpse of red running over the hills.
"They went that way."
"Let's move." Hulk stated as the group began their march into the dense forest.
And none of them seemed to notice the three scratches on A-Bomb's blue skin/armor.
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Time has passed since they followed the Wendigo but neither party member knows the exact amount. They could only estimate the time and their silent party was not so silent at all.
"Please make him stop." Naruto complained as A-Bomb continued to list all the information about monster movies and how their aspects apply to their current situation.
"This is important information here, Patronus. You'd do well to heed my warnings." A-Bomb pouted before he returned to his cell phone.
Naruto sighed as Wolverine stepped in stride with him. "You okay there, kid?"
"Fine." Patronus answered curtly.
"How long?"
"What?"
Wolverine was about specify his question when A-Bomb spoke of the supposed Wendigo King. "Wendigo King? Never heard of him."
"I think I saw your Wendigo King up in the mountains in our last round." Hulk said as Naruto nodded since he too saw the creature. "If he is the leader, we find him and smash him to pieces…hard."
She-Hulk looked at her cousin. "I like the sound of that."
"Apparently smashing runs in the family." Naruto thought until he stopped as did the others. "They're here."
Wolverine sniffed as he picked up a scent…several of them in fact. "Everywhere in fact."
The group walked backwards to cover each other's backs as the snarling and growling grew louder but they could not find them anywhere.
"We can hear them but they're not right or left or above…so underground!" A-Bomb shouted the last word as several Wendigos burst out of the ground and pounced on them.
Red fired his stun gun as She-Hulk launched a blast from her shockwave gauntlets at a group charging towards them. Hulk punched through several of them while Naruto used Jujitsu to throw his enemies away. A-Bomb morphed into his ball form and ran over a couple of Wendigos but more just kept coming after them with no end in sight.
"There's too many!" Red shouted to his colleagues.
"Fall back! To the lifters." Hulk ordered everyone as they retreated with Patronus at the rear of the retreating group.
Naruto glanced back and saw the Wendigos catching up to them. "Doton: Dosekiryu!" He punched the ground in front of him as the chakra channeled into the earth, causing it to rise and releasing a wave of snow instead of dirt as its name indicates otherwise.
The pursuing Wendigos got caught in the increasing wave-turned-avalanche and pushed back away from their enemies. Patronus chuckled as he caught up with the lifter when it began its slow ascent towards the mountain. "Whew…that was close for now at least."
"Just in the nick of time too like in-"
An arm-crossed Red interrupted the youngest radiation monster. "A horror movie we get it!"
"He's even grumpier than you, Hulk." Patronus pointed as Red glared at him while Hulk smirked a little.
Skaar looked out the window and saw Wendigo climbing the mountain side, catching up with them. "Wild beast follow."
"Scrape them off." Hulk said strongly as Red and Skaar fired their weapons at the Wendigo, taking some of them off the mountain.
A-Bomb groaned as he held his head between his hands. "Guys?"
"What?" An annoyed She-Hulk asked. "Another rule we forgot?"
"Only rule #5: first guy who gets bitten never makes it." A-Bomb answered solemnly as his eyes were shut closed.
"Oh crap." Naruto thought when he heard him.
A concerned Hulk said softly, "We'll get you help, Rick."
"Too late."
Hulk reached out for A-Bomb but the latter turned around and showed his transformed state of a Wendigo. "Oh no." The original behemoth muttered before he was punched by his transformed colleague to the other side.
Patronus had knocked three Wendigos off the lift while A-Bomb was restrained by Red and Skaar. "Easy, kid. We don't want to hurt you." Red told the howling A-Bomb.
"Everybody up on the roof!" Patronus shouted as the lift was being covered by leaping Wendigos. Everyone else complied after Hulk blasted away with his wrist gauntlet.
Wolverine noticed A-Bomb was following them and kicked him hard in the head. "Sorry about that, kid."
"Come on!" Naruto hurried as he realized they were surrounded by Wendigos.
"Blast them all!" The Hulks fired with their weapons to blast them off the lift.
"They just keep coming!" She-Hulk countered as she punched a Wendigo before firing at it.
Red kept firing at them while Patronus used Seikuken to push Wendigos back from his radius before he used Oshi Itte and sent them off the lift. Skaar noticed a new trio of their furry enemies and threw his metal boomerang at the howling one. That same Wendigo grabbed his boomerang in mid-air and glared at the owner before it broke the projectile in half with a howl.
"This isn't working!" She-Hulk cried out before another Wendigo climbed up to her and slashed at her as she lifted her gauntlets to protect herself. Much to her surprise, the Wendigo's claws had cut through them. "He cut through my gauntlets."
Wolverine punched one of his adversaries before he slid under a charging one. He saw that he was surrounded and climbed up the lift's connecting hand to the wires. "This isn't getting better. Hulks and Patronus, hang on to something."
"Wait, are you going to do what I think you're going to do?" Naruto shouted indignantly before Wolverine cut the wires with his Adamantium claws.
The lift fell with all the occupants, both the pursued and pursuers, to the deepest part of the mountain.
Sometime later, Naruto groaned from his landing spot as he looked up. Hulk and Wolverine were nearby but Red, Skaar or She-Hulk was not at all. If it wasn't for the Nemean Lion pelt plus his vastly-improved durability, Naruto was doubtful that he would have survived even with Sage Mode since the height was at least five times the height of the spires in Mount Myoboku. At least, he would have broken bones if his luck stood out.
"Red, Jen, Skaar." Hulk called out as his voice echoed in the forest.
Wolverine started moving with Hulk and Patronus behind him. "Come on, we're better off without them."
"No, I'm not leaving them." Hulk answered back.
"Hopefully they're safe when we find them." Patronus said.
The trio stopped when they heard snarls ahead of the inside a thick mist as Wolverine had his claws out while Patronus and Hulk readied themselves. When four pair of eyes emerged from the mist with their bodies, Hulk and Naruto were shocked. "Oh no. The Agents of S.M.A.S.H. have turned into Wendigos."
"We can see that, Big Greenie. No need to say aloud." Patronus drawled out as Wolverine chuckled gruffly.
Hulk sighed in conflict. "I'm not going to hurt my friends."
"They're not your friends anymore, Hulk." Wolverine brandished his claws once more. "We got no choice."
Patronus shook his head. "I'll have to disagree with you there, wolfie. There's always a choice or better options. We just got to find them." Hulk smiled while Wolverine growled in discontent.
"Come on, Hulks. Don't give into your rage." Hulk informed to his transformed team, but they didn't heed his words as their attack commenced on them.
Hulk stepped back as Red and She-Hulk charged at him while Skaar chose Patronus to be enemy which left Wolverine with A-Bomb. The green behemoth dodged their attacks as he hesitated to fight back thus on the defensive while Wolverine slashed at A-Bomb who avoided his attack and clotheslined him towards a tree.
As for Naruto, Skaar swung his swords at the hooded hero who side-stepped or pivoted around each strike. Naruto grabbed the hilt of Kogistune and held it diagonally as Skaar's blade slid across, forcing the transformed Hulk to stumble past him. "Haze." He would have completed the second part of the technique but Skaar could die from it.
Skaar snarled as he turned around and charged at Naruto who kicked up snow to blind him. When the deed was done, Naruto swung around the distracted Skaar and hit him in the back of the head with Kogitsune's flat side and sent sliding across the snowy ground while Hulk threw Red into She-Hulk as they tumbled into a heap.
Wolverine leapt onto A-Bomb and twisted his body around as he used the momentum of the jump to send the blue furry Hulk against a tree and landed on the ground. He jumped to the downed Hulk and raised his right set of claws for a downward stab motion, but a large green hand stopped him.
"Enough!" Hulk demanded. "Put your claws away, Wolverine. We got to find a cure."
"Get this through your thick skull, Hulk. There. Is. No. Cure!" Wolverine pulled his arm out of Hulk's grip.
While they were distracted, A-Bomb regained himself and swiped his claws at Hulk. "Gah, you little-" Hulk snarled as he grabbed and twirled A-Bomb around before releasing him to crash against Red and She-Hulk. Then a rush of great pain flowed into his head, causing him to grasp it with his hands. "The curse!"
Patronus leapt to Hulk and Wolverine's side. "What happened?"
"He got scratched." Wolverine answered as the Hulk-Wendigos approached them.
A clearly upset Hulk roared before he began smashing the mountainside with his bare hands. "Easy, Hulk! You'll shatter the mountain!" Patronus warned him.
"That's the idea." Hulk answered, much to Naruto's surprise.
The mountain peak exploded from the several powerful punches of Hulk. An avalanche it was called and headed straight to their location. Naruto was about to use Kazeheiki when Hulk pulled him under his arm with Wolverine in the other as the 'Strongest There Is' launched in a mighty leap to a hill that was out of the avalanche's path.
When they were in the clear, Wolverine looked at his old rival. "There's the Hulk I've been waiting for. The ice will slow them down."
"But I don't have a lot of time." Hulk warned lowly. "We got to move."
"Then let's get moving." Patronus urged as the Hulk leapt towards the last location of the Wendigos.
If they had stayed a little longer, the trio would have noticed a lone blue arm burst out of the ice with a clenched fist.
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Wendigo Lair, Deep Mountain
They followed the tracks that Naruto and Wolverine found using their respective abilities. The tracks led to an abandoned mine shaft with a symbol atop. It resembled the necklace of the Wendigo King noted by Patronus.
"You wanted His Furry Highness, get ready to be his chew toy." Wolverine joked as Naruto snorted in response.
Hulk on the other hand wasn't pleased. "Really? You're going with that?"
"It's funny, Hulk. You got to admit it." Patronus said as they entered the mine/lair.
The trio of heroes carefully walked in the dark tunnel with the slight beams of the winter moon as their only source of light. It was enough for them to use since they saw countless skeletons of different species littered on both sides of the tunnel. They eventually reached an area that had enough space for them to fight comfortably.
And that also includes the Wendigo as well.
Nods were shared before the trio made quick work of the first wave of Wendigo as they soon retreated deeper into the lair. The heroes followed them in the same path until they found another area with bigger space this time along with their prime objective.
The Wendigo King stood before them with his transformed horde as his eyes glowed bright red while Hulk's was dimmed compared to it to their unknown. "Green Beast…come into the light. You and your world will be marked by the beast…forever!" The King snarled with glee.
"No thanks, Fido." Wolverine brought forth his claws before he leapt at the Wendigo King. Said creature turned into mist and avoided his attack as the mutant remained guarded.
Naruto watched as he sensed the malevolent emotions around the room until it centered behind Wolverine. "My power is that of another world. And you will suffer with it." Wendigo King dissipated his form to avoid Wolverine's claw swipe and solidified his body to punch the mutant away from him. He repeated the action to reach the downed Wolverine before tossing him against a pillar of skeletons, felling it in the process.
Sharing nods, Patronus and Hulk charged as they punched or kicked away the smaller Wendigo before reaching the King. Hulk took the first action and leapt at King with a downward punch, but like with Wolverine, the furry creature rematerialized itself behind the green behemoth, picked him up before throwing him towards a larger pile of skeletons.
Naruto grabbed the King's tail and heaved him in the air as he swung several times before releasing his grip. At that same moment when the ninja's grip freed King, Hulk burst out of the pile and delivered a haymaker to send him sprawling across the ground.
The two heroes stood ready as Wendigo King rose to his knees and looked at Hulk. "You can be a Wendigo." Hulk blinked before he groaned in pain as his body grew green fur, sharp teeth and horns on his forehead with his hands on his head.
"Hulk!" Naruto growled at the smirking Wendigo who spoke a bit about the so-called Age of the Wendigo. "Not while I'm here!" He vanished and reappeared behind the surprise Wendigo King before kicking him away. "Where do you think you're going?!"
With another Shunshine, Naruto appeared sideways of the mid-air Wendigo and punched him sharply into a wall. Once he landed, the ninja noticed the jewel necklace. "That must be the source of his power. If I destroy it, then the others will revert to normal. Okay then…"
The Wendigo King snarled as he pointed a clawed finger at Patronus. "Death." His subordinates charged and pounced on the hooded Naruto, but the latter was too fast and agile for them as he went straight for King. "Maggot!" He swiped his natural claws at Patronus but the latter flickered moments later.
Soon he found himself surrounded by images of Naruto, cutting off any escape. The Bunshin technique he picked up from Hayato Furinji in the previous dimension was invaluable since it requires nothing but speed and skill. Naruto stopped in front of the Wendigo King, ending the flickering clones as he stabbed the jeweled necklace with his Hidden Blade.
The Wendigo King howled in pain as Naruto pushed his Adamantine blade deeper in the necklace until he was pushed back away by the force. Crimson red ghost heads sprang from the necklace as they flew around the area while their jailor howled as loud as he could until his body disappeared and left behind the broken jewel.
Naruto looked at all the Wendigos as they returned to their normal selves including the Hulks. One woman saw Hulk still a Wendigo and screamed in horror. "A monster!"
"Easy there." Patronus said to the woman as Hulk changed back as well. "That's Hulk."
As they were walking out of the mine with the survivors, spotlights shined upon them from the skies. Naruto, Hulk, the Agents, and Wolverine blocked out the lights as it blinded them until the unmistakable noise. The disguised ninja and Green Behemoth groaned when the vehicles landed in front of them as they recognized the symbol on their hull.
"Ah great, it's those S.H.I.E.L.D. chumps." Wolverine grunted until he noticed Patronus fidgeting in place. "What's the matter, hoodie? Did the cold catch up to you or you scared of the boys in blue?" Then the mutant experienced one of the hardest punches he ever endured.
The audience watched the famous yellow/brown costumed X-Man flying high over the air in a far distance. They heard a boom afterwards that indicated a landing before their eyes glued onto Patronus whose arm was in an uppercut motion. Naruto looked at the staring audience with a quizzical tilt of his head as if he had done something wrong.
"What? I've been wanting to punch the guy for that remark all night." Patronus answered. "I didn't know him at the time and already he pushed all my buttons."
Hulk pointed at him. "Thank you! I'm not the only one who thinks that." He raised a hand for high-five and Patronus gave him one.
Naruto exhaled after he deactivated Sage Mode. With his base form, he could send Wolverine through one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. jets but he thought about giving his punch additional punch with natural energy for the regenerating mutant was extra funny to him and apparently to Hulk and Red.
With all the people safe in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and the Agents giving statements, Naruto retreated behind a tree and Hirashined back home.
"Hey, where's Patronus?" A-Bomb complained like a child. "I wanted his autograph!"
Hulk and his cousin sighed at the blue-skinned agent but they too wondered about the Bostonian hero's whereabouts until they realized that there was obviously more to Patronus than meets the eye.
TTIIPMxTTIIPMxTTIIPM
Uzumaki Manor, Homestead Grounds
Forested Massachusetts, United States of America
"Happy Thanksgiving!" The entire Uzumaki Clan shouted while the twins cooed with their family. After Naruto had barely returned in time for the feast, the women of the clan had spent all day cooking the traditional meals associated with the holiday.
Since the twins are still young, neither of them noticed the tension in the room and it was all directed at the father of the clan. The nervous Naruto chuckled at his wives' glares since he was supposed to help them with the cooking via clones. "Um girls?"
They all turned their heads away from him before their attitude turned 180 in front of the curious twins as smiles shined to them.
Naruto sighed despondingly as Kurama and Ashura laughed at their friend's current misfortune although they knew that the girls would not stay mad later in the bedroom hours from now. Until they will enjoy the delicious meals set before them.
"Itadakimasu!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone