Chapter 78 – Hellscape
78
The Nation of Wakanda
6.5 Miles Outside the Golden City
4:24 p.m.
He burned the very lands he walked upon. He scorched and infected the air with his sickening breath. He spread turmoil and chaos with every mighty step he took, shaking the earth and the foundations of Wakanda beneath him. His eyes burned and centered on the ultimate prize resting before him.
Typhon wailed to the Golden City of Wakanda, slowly but surely making his way towards it.
King T’Challa stood with his allies, almost numb to the events having unfolded before him.
As if witnessing the complete decimation of his people, hundreds of brave Wakandan soldiers giving their lives for their home wasn’t enough, then being forced to watch as the only shield keeping Wakanda safe from the Chitauri invasion completely fell apart. And when it fell, so too did the dragon that dropped straight from the heavens, burning in a unholy fireball as it descended from the skies alongside the blood red lightning and the swirling vortex of clouds. It was as if the very atmosphere, the environment itself shifted to its presence, the clouds billowing and spitting a dark green rain in the edges of the Wakandan battlefield. Its smell was horrific, but not as bad as the black smog escaping the seven-headed beast’s numerous maws. It polluted the air, filled the already smoke infested skies with even more black and sickness.
The Avengers stood as one for what felt like the first time in eternity. Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Falcon, War Machine, the White Wolf, and… Steve Rogers. He turned to them, to his team, for the briefest of milliseconds, and saw them for who they were. Even through the armor, the grime, the bloodshed, he still saw them. Saw Natasha Romanoff, Thor, Bruce Banner, Peter Parker, Sam Wilson, James Rhodes, Bucky Barnes… and Tony Stark. Together, they stood. Together, they all gazed in the only direction they could, watching with awestruck wonder and shock as the titanic dragon burned the skies and stomped ever so closer to the capital city of Wakanda.
Steve stared too, stared for eternity alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Peter Quill—alongside Gamora, Drax, and Nebula—all stood together and watched as the dragon fell from the sky, struck the earth, and proceeded to rip it apart with every mighty stomp forward. Of all the shit Peter had seen in his life, that definitely took the cake. Wakanda was already a pretty messed up place, and the battle he and his fellow Guardians took part of had shaken him to his very core. But seeing the dragon, seeing the seven heads cry out to the world struck him deep, struck him somewhere he never even thought was reachable. Yet there he was, he and Gamora and Drax and Nebula all watching in shared horror as the dragon clawed at the earth, growing so much closer to the city they were supposed to protect.
From the cockpit of the Milano, Rocket and Groot had the best seats in the house when the dragon crashed into the world. They sat in their seats frozen in silence, Mantis sitting behind them and holding the most terrified expression she could muster. Flying beside them, Melinda May in her Quinjet hovered almost aimlessly above the burning landscapes below. She had seen the worst that mankind was capable of in her long, dreaded career at S.H.I.E.L.D. She had seen Inhumans rip through human minds and force them to do their bidding. She had been forced herself to make the hardest decisions, decisions that haunted her to that very day.
But seeing those glowing red eyes, those giant, leathery wings, those seven slithering heads, and hearing that wretched roar cry out amongst the thunder in the clouds… that was a level all on its own, a new form of horror and tragedy Melinda May never could have experienced in her own life. But she experienced it there, in Wakanda, right then and there as she sat still, paralyzed in her seat within the Quinjet. Down below, the remaining agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fared no better.
Daisy Johnson felt the wind blow in her face, throw her black hair aside and let it flow behind her. But it wasn’t cool by any means. The wind was hot. Blistering hot. It did not originate from the fires dotting the landscapes. It did not come from the remains of the Chitauri warships scattered across the grasslands. No. The fire, the heat, the wind came from the dragon itself, as if the gargantuan beast actually radiated the fire. That would explain the smoke escaping its jaws. Yet she stood there, sweating profusely alongside Lance Hunter, Bobbie Morse, Alphonso Mackenzie, Elena Rodriguez, Piper, and Davis. The numerous other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who had survived the initial battle stood and stared aimlessly, like lost souls in the darkest pits of Hell gazing onto Satan himself.
As for Robbie Reyes, the Ghost Rider gripped its Hellfire Chain with one palm, the other slowly tightening into a fiery fist just by staring onto the seven-headed demon before it. Alongside Ghost Rider, the following Defenders could hardly stand at all, let alone gaze onto the burning demon that fell from heaven.
The sun and the air were darkened by its cloud, the fires raging and heat in the wind like that of a great furnace. Like a falling star, the dragon fell from heaven and struck the earth, all seven heads and all seven crowns upon them facing the helpless city. Matthew Murdock could only see the Biblical events unfold before him, struggling to believe that whatever it was—maybe even truly the Devil itself—was real. The seven-headed dragon. The Beast. The Devil, Satan, demon, whatever it was… it was real. It was there. And the Daredevil could only gaze onto its burning form, listen to every horrible cry that escaped its jaws. Danny Rand, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage all fell under the same boat, frozen in shock, eyes plastered to the beast stomping forth to the Golden City.
Frank Castle stared numbly into the distance, the blood dripping from his face and body and painting him as a warrior coated in warfare. But deep down, when he stared onto that beast that fell from the sky, he could feel his heart drop. The bloody blade fell from his limp fingers, striking the earth and resting there. Forever. Doctor Strange was in a world of his own. His eyes were plastered to the seven-headed dragon he had seen before, the dragon that was meant to come.
Typhon was meant to come here, in Wakanda, and Strange knew… it couldn’t be stopped.
He knew that.
M’Baku and the Jabari Tribe, Okoye and Ayo with the remaining Dora Milaje, Nakia standing with the Border Tribe, and the Wakandan army itself all gazed in shared horror and unison to the dragon approaching their city, their capital of their beloved home. Several eyes slowly shifted over to one person, one man whom they trusted. One king who could bring them out of the abyss and into the light. The King of Wakanda just felt himself freeze at that, watching as the mighty beast proceeded forth towards his home with no mercy, no relent, and no stop in sight.
No mercy.
No relent.
No stop.
He froze.
The shields crumbled above, shards of the blue dome fizzling out while others fell right from the air. No piece survived for long, every single shattered shard of the shield fading away before it could hit the grass. Surprisingly enough, the Chitauri did not continue the invasion. It was as if the dragon’s mere presence frightened them off, warships abandoning the Wakandan airspace and numerous other Command Centers retreating from the battlegrounds. Leaving the skies bare.
Just enough for the clouds to invade and spread a new form of sickness.
The sun was gone, blackened by the swirling clouds. Shards of sunlight managed to sneak in, break through the clouds and give light to the darkening landscape. The clouds gathered heavy around the dragon, swirled like a vortex. Like serpents. Like the many hundred attached to the body of the beast. Lightning the color of a bright crimson shot out across the darkness, lighting it, filling it with renewed life. Within the center of it all, of which the clouds followed, the dragon stomped forth to Wakanda’s capital.
Nothing stopping it.
Nothing…
Okoye had to double take when she saw the Black Panther charge forward without hesitation. Without word. Without order. He just ran ahead, right past every agent, every Wakandan, every Defender, every Guardian, and every Avenger. And when they all saw him, watched as King T’Challa raced ahead into the chaos awaiting them, no one else hesitated. No one else froze like he had.
They ran.
They flew.
They charged as one.
What remained of the Wakandan army and numerous tribes raced forward alongside their king. M’Baku, Ayo, Okoye, and Nakia were quick to follow, running with T’Challa, running with their king to face the storm together. Black Panther cast his gaze quickly to his left, seeing his friends and family run with him. Charge with him. Then he turned right and saw her. Nakia never turned away, never ran in the opposite direction, never stood still. She ran with her love and never once held back. It was all T’Challa could focus on before his eyes were forced ahead.
Hearing the repulsors, T’Challa saw as the Iron Man flew high overhead, leading the charge in the skies alongside War Machine, Falcon, the Milano, the Quinjet, and what remained of the Wakandan ships. T’Challa felt more at ease to see he and his people weren’t alone. There were those still willing to follow them into the gaping maw of Hell itself.
And one of those people was Steve Rogers.
He—with the likes of Natasha, Hulk, Thor, Peter Parker, Quill and his three Guardians, Doctor Strange, the Defenders, and Bucky—all quickly caught up with the remaining Wakandan forces. Though Strange allowed the Cloak of Levitation to fly him forward from then on, the growing army only increased in size with the likes of the Avengers and Defenders joining them.
It only grew from there.
Daisy Johnson led the remaining agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., charging ahead and joining the Wakandans. Joining them as one living, breathing people. Lance Hunter abandoned his mask, ripping out dual pistols from his belt and charging alongside the Mockingbird, Bobbi Morse rushing headstrong with her twin batons. Mack gripped his Shotgun-Axe and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, his girlfriend Elena rushing at average speeds right by his side. Piper, Davis, Deathlok, and Ghost Rider all joined them, trailed closely by what remained of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. They weren’t much. Less than twenty soldiers. But they ran all the same. Against such horrific odds, knowing not what to do but to join the cause. Fight together as one.
Defend Wakanda… with everything that they were.
They didn’t know what would happen when they reached the dragon. They didn’t know if they were strong enough, large enough in number, or willed enough to take on a beast so massive, so utterly gargantuan that when they grew nearer in their charge… they finally realized just how big the dragon was. Its crowns scraped the skies, its body larger than any mountain within Wakanda. It encompassed so much land that anything behind it was blotted out, not a single one of the defense forces of Wakanda able to see the world beyond it. Its claws, whenever they struck the earth, created a feral dust storm and tremor that shot out and nearly made the beast’s attackers stumble.
But they never fell.
One of the mighty heads of Typhon saw this.
The hundreds of serpents upon his body saw this.
Typhon cried out. The serpents cried out. They all, in conjoined unison, faced the earth, every last serpent extending their jaws and pointing their mouths… to the earth. Together, they all proceeded to gag and cry, hiss and thrash, until nearly every serpent upon Typhon’s body began to cough up that bulge in their throats, spit out that white egg sack upon the ground. And when those sacks struck grass, they exploded upon impact, unveiling the crying, screaming, thrashing, horrific children of Typhon.
They were multiple, numbered in the hundreds and only continued to grow from there as the serpents spit out more and more eggs. Beasts of Tartarus, demons with disfigured faces and bodies, monsters of Equus, and numerous other demonic entities rose forth and proceeded to stalk the landscape. There were hellhounds, a pack of three crawling forth on top of a boulder and gazing out to the battlegrounds that awaited them. Their black fur burned with red cinders, ancient and demonic language written right on their bodies, their skull-like faces, and glowed within their crimson eyes. The pack growled as more and more hellhounds emerged from their eggs, joining them to glare upon the approaching Wakandan army.
Monsters and demons ranged from cyclops to chimeras, harpies to dragons, hydras to manticores, and hundreds of deformed, skeletal-like demons that practically melted with fire. Their eye sockets were empty, the burnt skin hanging off their bones like rags, like tattered clothing. The skeletal army had limbs literally morphed with weapons, ranging from swords to axes and scythes. Chugging alongside the skeleton army, numerous other reptilian-like creatures emerged from their egg sacks, some lizard-like, others similar to serpents, but all of them unquestionably loyal to their father.
Every last one of them.
The skeletal army led the charge, the most horrific battle cry escaping their unhinged jaws as they pointed their limbs, their weapons dead ahead. Towering demons and monsters of all shapes and sizes roared out, charging alongside the skeletons, the demons, the hellhounds, the serpents, the monsters, with every last child of Typhon towards one specific location, one specific goal.
Unleash hell.
That’s exactly what they did when the two armies collided.
It was nothing like Thanos’ army. It was nothing like the swarm of Outriders, the Chitauri, or even the Black Order. It was worse on every single scale.
While the Outriders were biological engineered creatures bred for warfare, the hellhounds were fiercer, quicker, and more feral when they finally made impact with the Wakandan forces. Even the demonic, skeletal army proved to be fearsome foes, the clang of vibranium against Tartarian metal sounding off as the swords from the demons struck their opponents’ own blades. From the earth, Black Panther and Steve Rogers made the most headway once again, with Thor coming in for backup. His lightning-fueled fists struck multiple packs of demons, their bodies bursting apart and crumbling to the ground. The Hulk rammed his own body against a towering behemoth, both he and the demon roaring in each other’s faces. The demon, with jagged horns protruding from its skull, slashed with its nail-like claws right for Hulk’s head, the green beast ducking and ramming his shoulder right into the demon’s abdomen. He brought the beast down on its back, proceeding to slam its face in with his fists again and again.
Black Widow, Spider-Man, and Ghost Rider all fought in a cluster. The Spirit of Vengeance brought demons down to their knees, just a single punch from his fists sending every skeleton, every hellhound, and every reptilian monstrosity back to hell from whence it came. His Hellfire Chain was unraveled, the whip of fire dancing through the air before swiping forward and burning multiple demons right on the spot. Natasha and Parker rushed forward, Peter firing a strand of webbing onto the nearest skeleton and yanking as hard as he could. He ripped its spine clean from its body, Peter allowing the Iron Spider’s additional arms to burst forth and cover his backside. Natasha rolled as a skeleton swung for her head with his sword, the Black Widow spinning accordingly and wrapping her palms around the creature’s wrist, yanking him downwards, Natasha proceeded to drive the blade directly into the demon’s skull, the sword piercing its lower jaw and bursting forth right on the top of its head. It fell dead, Natasha already turning to the next demon. And the next.
Star-Lord, Gamora, Nebula, and Drax were dealing with a cluster of skeletons when a dragon landed directly ahead of them, spewing a torrent of flames where the four Guardians stood. Shielding themselves, they realized there wad no need when Doctor Stephen Strange landed right in front of them, creating a wall of Eldritch Magic right from his fingertips. The massive Tao Mandalas burst forth, devouring the flames the dragon spewed and redirecting them to their surroundings, burning every demon that surrounded them.
All that left was the dragon, the winged beast with scales burning a bright orange and red, flames flickering off its body and wings and burning in its eyes. The dragon snorted out pure flame from its nostrils, rearing back and breathing in deep to unleash another torrent of fire from its jaws. It never had the opportunity when the Iron Fist struck its cheek, sending the dragon rocketing back and crashing into multiple other demons and creatures of hell.
Danny Rand fell back to the earth, the Guardians and Strange watching as he single-handedly dealt with all the swarming demons trying to charge them. The golden glow of his right fist, followed by the raw determination in his eyes made Danny Rand an unstoppable force. He punched, kicked, dodged and drove his Iron Fist again and again into any demon that tried to come near. Everything was either destroyed upon impact of the Iron Fist or slowly withered to the earth, screeching out their final cries before settling into a dark and lonesome world of nothingness.
The remaining Defenders were soon to join him, Daredevil and Jessica Jones fighting with all the strength they could muster. Luke Cage fought with that same vigor, killing demons with each deafening strike from his fists. With them soon came the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Daisy Johnson blowing back a cluster of hellhounds with the power that quaked in her palms. Lance and Bobbi fired and struck at any demons that got in their way, Mack slamming the axe head from his shotgun down onto a demon’s shoulder. He pried out the weapon, roaring as he swung it for the beast’s neck and severed its head clean from its body. A demon with an axe attached to its right arm charged Mack from behind, leaping into the air and bringing the weapon down on Mack’s backside. Only the blur stopped it, that blur being Yo-Yo Rodriguez. She literally saw every aspect of the battle, meticulously shifting the odds ever in their favor as she ran through the madness, the rest of the world and reality slowing down for her.
Piper, Davis, Deathlok, and the remaining agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fired relentlessly on the approaching demon swarm. Their bullets did little to the behemoths, but easily tore through the hellhounds and skeleton army. And fighting on the frontlines, leading the assault was Black Panther, M’Baku, Nakia, Ayo, Okoye, and the full weight of the Wakandan tribes. The battle upon the earth was hard-fought, deadly in every sense of the word, but ultimately shifting in the tides of the heroes.
But from the air, things weren’t so bright. Nothing truly was. The battle had only just begun.
Iron Man, Falcon, War Machine, Melinda May, the Milano, and the Wakandan ships found themselves swarmed by a cluster of harpies. The demented, female-like creature screeched and clawed at their enemies, War Machine’s bullets managing to take out several dozen, but there were always more. Always more that kept spewing from egg sacks Typhon’s serpents kept birthing. It got so bad that Stark could hardly see anything, forcing him to fly closer to the ground, leaving him open for any pouncing demon upon the earth. Thankfully, Stark knew better than to keep himself open for long. He dodged and weaved through the air, firing a cluster of rockets from his backside into the demon army, blowing up several dozen each time. Sam Wilson did the same, launching numerous drones from his jetpack that exploded once they the ground. It only last so long.
Agent May couldn’t even see anything. The harpies, the dragons, anything that flew in her way blinded her, cracked her windshield as they made impact, and quickly overcame the Quinjet. May fired everything the ship head, from the minigun to the rockets. All useful when the Quinjet burst into the flame from the dragon swooping overhead, breathing a wave of fire directly onto the Quinjet. The ship teetered and careened through the air, firing rockets and bullets in every direction, until the Quinjet came to a devastating crash on the outskirts of the battle. Melinda May kicked the Quinjet’s windshield open, ripping out her pistol and firing onto the crowd of demons that swarmed her the second she stepped out into open air. Daisy and the other agents quickly came to her aid.
The cluster of harpies were relentless, swarming and overcoming the Milano as well. Numerous other Wakandan ships were taken out by either dragons or harpies, falling to the earth as did the Milano. Rocket—despite being a phenomenal pilot—couldn’t keep control of the Milano forever, and was forced to bear himself as the ship crashed right in the middle of the demon army. Not on the side. Not in the outskirts. They weren’t that lucky.
Regardless, watching as the demons proceeded to swarm the ship, Rocket fired away from the cockpit of the Milano. The bullets from the ships proceeded to shred anything that was caught in front of it, demons, beasts, dragons, monsters, hellhounds, anything caught standing or charging for the front of the Milano were instantly torn apart. Rocket kept firing, kept his fingers on the triggers and screaming like a madman. Groot and Mantis shared a quick and horrified glance with one another, Groot smiling just as mad as Rocket was.
“I am Groooot!”
The adolescent hopped out of his seat, ramming his fist directly into the windshield of the Milano and knocking it clean off the ship. Rocket, after having run out of ammunition, watched as Groot hopped out right into the battle, swinging madly with his fists and impaling numerous demons with his arm, the vines and roots shooting outwards.
Almost shocked by Groot’s actions, Rocket quickly shook it away and turned back. From her seat, Mantis lazily bobbed her head back and forth, a large, red gash on the side of her head definitely not looking too good. Grumbling, Rocket pried his laser rifle from the floor of the Milano, cocked it, and stared right at Mantis.
“All right, stay right here and don’t move! I’ll keep us covered!”
He had hoped she heard him. Mantis lifted her head only slightly, her eyelids starting to droop. That was the best he was gonna get, Rocket hopping onto the nose of the Milano and firing upon the charging demons, picking off several that tried to rush the Milano, and picking off even more that tried to rush Groot’s backside.
Amongst the madness, Steve Rogers was flung through the air, a pack of hellhounds surrounding him. He fought them off valiantly, barely rolling out of the way as a demon stabbed the dirt where he once lay. The demon, standing at a menacing seven feet, roared at Rogers, lifting its claws and jamming its foot repeatedly into the ground where Rogers continued to roll. Steve quickly readjusted himself, lifting his gauntlets just as the demon’s blade came down on his head. He knocked the sword aside, jamming his shield into the demon’s abdomen and knocking it back. Shaking off the pain, the demon screeched, its skeletal-like head centered solely on Rogers, its razor-sharp teeth practically dripping molten magma. Steve grit his teeth, fists held out, the First Avenger breathing heavily.
Swinging its sword once again, the demon was met with Rogers blocking its strike. The demon retorted by grabbing Steve’s right arm and prying the gauntlet right from his forearm. It tossed the shield into the madness of bodies and bloodshed, doing the same thing with Steve’s left arm. Rogers kicked himself free, gazing to his arms to see his shields gone, leaving his arms bare and open for—
Steve’s eyes shot open, the Avenger ducking and rolling as the demon swung its sword right for his head. Even with his sweat-drenched hair blinding his vision, Steve let his instincts take command, every ounce of his strength put forth when he rammed the creature in the back of its leg. The leg snapped like a toothpick, the demon screeching out as it fell to its back, Rogers straddling him. It came quick, too quick for Rogers to react. The demon shrieked and jammed its blade into Steve’s shoulder.
Rogers grunted in agony, gripping the blade by its edges with his gloved palms. He could even look as the sword dug into his shoulder, forcing every bit of his strength once more to pry it out. Slowly. Painfully. He screamed as the blade was released, Steve twisting the creature’s own arm at an odd angle, ripping the sword right from its arm, and driving its end directly into where he presumed its heart to be. The demon thrashed and screamed, but slowly fell beneath Steve Rogers.
Gripping his bloody and wounded shoulder, Steve hopped off the corpse and nearly collapsed right then and there. He gazed about, breathing so very heavily that he felt as if his lungs were going to explode. Staring forward, Steve could see it all. He could see the bodies slamming into each other, the colossal demons stomping across the battlegrounds and swiping low at the field, ripping bodies right from the earth whether they were demon or Wakandan. Dragons and harpies and every other horrible abomination he could imagine filled the air alongside the smoke and the ash and the death. That’s all there ever was. Nothing but that.
And beyond it all, stomping across the battlefield and slowly approaching the Golden City, the seven-headed dragon continued on its rampage. Whatever it was, wherever it came from, it had a goal in mind. It set its sights on the capital and wouldn’t stop until it reached it. And it unleashed an army right from its very being, filling the African plains in mere minutes and only continuing to do so.
Steve stared onto the beast. He watched as one of the heads birthed a gargantuan behemoth right from its jaws, supplying the army while the rest of the body proceeded closer to the city.
What was this thing?
Word, meaningless. Thoughts, unimportant. All that mattered was the now and reacting appropriately now to the madness. But all around him, all Steve could see was madness. All he saw and experienced and breathed was seeing his friends and allies being tossed around, forced back, and fighting for their very lives. The defense of Wakanda had completely fallen apart.
In the corner of his vision, he had witnessed Frank Castle retrieve his large LMG, stomping ahead with that horrific glare painted on his face. Painted alongside the alien and human blood. Some of his own. He reloaded the M249 SAW and stomped forth, roaring and unleashing the weapon’s unrelenting firepower upon the approaching beasts of hell. He roared louder than them, louder than anyone Steve had ever heard.
Then he turned in the opposite direction, watched as his closest friend Bucky Barnes fired with his own LMG, the same type of weapon that Castle had, upon the demons and monsters. He shot harpies right out of the sky, unprepared as the hellhound latched itself onto Barnes’ backside and bit hard onto his shoulder. James cried out, thrashing and trying to pry the demon off his back.
Steve’s eyes widened, the Avenger forcing himself back to his feet to act. To retaliate. Just as the hellhound tackled him from the side and knocked him to the earth.
Bucky grabbed the hellhound by the back of its neck with his metallic arm, using its added strength to fling the fierce canine right from his back and clear across the battlegrounds. Jamming his M249 SAW forward, Bucky caught himself when he heard the roars. Just as powerful as the demons’ own, if not more so, prompting his eyes in its direction. There, he saw the Punisher himself unloading everything his gun had on the nearest chimera. The beast staggered back as the bullets impacted and tore through its hide, but it stood alive regardless.
Just as Castle ran out of ammo.
The chimera launched itself at Frank, knocking the Punisher flat on his ass and back. His LMG rolled out of sight, leaving Frank bare and open for the beast. He crawled backwards, eyes wide and filled with adrenaline as the chimera screamed and pounced him. Had the metal fist not struck the beast in its lion head, it would have ripped Castle to shreds.
The beast fell on its side, its underbelly exposed which allowed a torrent of bullets to rip it utterly apart. The creature slashed and cried, but slowly faded away into the cold embrace of death. Frank watched the chimera slowly die, his eyes turning right to meet that of his savior’s. Perhaps neither truly expected to see one another when their eyes met. Perhaps Castle had expected a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, someone who had actually fought by his side earlier on in the battle, but no.
He stared into the eyes of James Buchanan Barnes. The Winter Soldier.
Bucky stared into the eyes of Frank Castle. The Punisher.
And neither could seem to move. All except for Barnes, who felt his metallic, left arm being forcefully gripped and yanked back. Turning accordingly, Bucky’s eyes widened when he saw his arm latched by a long, slithery tongue, Barnes following it to see the demonic lizard glaring at him from afar. The creature barred its teeth, backing up and dragging Barnes towards its awaiting jaws. Panicked, and finding no other means of escape, Bucky jammed his LMG forward and fired every last bit from his magazine into the creature’s face. The bullets pierced the creature’s mouth, eyes, and teeth, but couldn’t pierce its heavy scales. Still, Barnes found himself dealing quite the amount of damage, the lizard starting to break away and give in.
He was almost free.
Nearly there.
Until his eyes turned left, watched as the demon leapt through the air, axe in tow…
And freed him.
Barnes screamed, falling on his back and watching as the lizard’s tongue retracted, returning to the deceased, demonic reptilian. And with it carried Bucky’s arm, the metal gleaming in the sunlight, the red star shimmering. Bucky gulped, looked over to his left arm, and saw nothing. His shoulder remained, but the forearm was lacerated, shredded metal and sparks dancing off his wound.
His eyes returned forward, head perking up when the scream caught him off guard. The same demon that sliced off his arm held that same axe high above its head, the weapon attached to its right arm, nearing Bucky’s head and ready to bring it down. The gun cried out faster than Bucky could lift his LMG, Barnes flinching as the bullet soared right over his head and struck the demon square in the chest. It was followed by several more, the creature gasping for air before falling flat on its back.
Dead.
Barnes could hardly believe what he just witnessed. He turned his head back, eyes latching onto the pistol jutted forward, the smoke exiting the barrel and the pistol lowered to Castle’s side. Frank breathed heavily, limping forward to Barnes, slowly raising his pistol. Bucky tightened his lips, closed his eyes, and fully expected to hear and feel the gunshot and then nothing else.
Instead, he felt a hand wrap under his right arm.
He felt himself being pulled up to his feet.
He opened his eyes and could hardly believe it was Frank Castle who slung Barnes’ arm over his shoulder. He kept his pistol pointed outwards, slowly but surely limping forth and making a hasty retreat away from the battle. He and Barnes. Both of them together. Two soldiers, both wounded, ensuring they could escape and live to see another day.
As they retreated, Bucky watched as numerous demons charged them. Castle picked them off with his pistol, earning perfect headshots each time. Right between the glowing red eyes. Every single time. Barnes heard him huff with each kill, growl every time he ran out of ammo, and roar whenever he slammed a new magazine inside right before he killed again and again.
Keeping himself and Bucky safe. And alive.
Away from the battle and away from Typhon’s horrific cries.
Royal Palace of Wakanda, War Room
4:30 p.m.
Phil Coulson watched everything, every single decisive moment since the Battle of Wakanda had begun. He watched his heroes battle it out for the very fate of the universe, giving their lives and their bodies to ensure nothing made it passed them and reached the city.
Of course, no one could have accounted for the dragon.
Not even Phil.
With him, Loki gazed out into the madness of the war and was actually shocked to see the seven-headed dragon crash right through the shield, shattering it instantly. Leopold Fitz and Jemma Simmons were both utterly breathless, Jemma trying to conceal her fearful cries as the gargantuan titan stumbled closer and closer to Wakanda. To them. Deke Shaw shivered, his wide eyes gazing alongside his grandfather’s. He and Fitz exchanged that look of horror, twisting it to Coulson for an answer. An explanation.
Only there was none.
The Queen Mother Ramonda stood with her youngest child Shuri, she and the Wakandan royal guard standing by and watching events unfold before them, watch travesties befall their people on the battlegrounds below, and witness the towering behemoth of a dragon diverge its attention for their city.
It got to the point where the tremors of the beast’s footsteps could be felt in the War Room. After realizing that the Avengers wouldn’t be able to reach them in time, what with the demon army stopping them from doing just that, Coulson took matters into his own hands once more. He thought about making a call, but knew he wouldn’t even have time for that.
So, instead, he said, “Everyone get to the Zephyr. We need to leave.”
He proceeded towards the exit of the War Room, joined promptly by Loki, Deke, Fitz, and Simmons respectively. But he stopped. Just at the exit he stopped and did a head count. He turned back, Fitz and Simmons doing the same alongside Deke. Even Loki hesitated momentarily. Just momentarily.
And all stared onto the Queen Mother.
“Your Highness,” Phil prompted her, taking a step forward and staring nowhere else. “We need to leave now. You and your daughter, your guards, all of us have to go.”
She stayed right where she was, gazing off through the massive window and onto the battle unfolding for their very world. Her hands gripped each other, shivering slightly over her abdomen. Shuri, confused and nervous, looked to her mother. And Ramonda stared straight ahead, keeping that frozen expression latched with the dragon.
“Mother, we have no choice,” Shuri urged, panic rising in her voice. When Ramonda refused to move, Shuri gripped her arm, pulling with all her might. “Please, mama, we can’t stay here!”
“You can’t stay here.”
Shuri froze. Phil Coulson remained silent, remained out of the conflict between mother and daughter, knowing it was only meant for them. “I know my place,” Ramonda whispered, her lip quivering. The lands before her were being torn asunder, the dragon toppling the outer defenses of the city. Her home. “I was born in this very city… and I will live as long as I can… to die in it. Alongside every Wakandan who gave their lives defending our home… so will I.”
“Your Majesty,” Coulson interrupted, knowing they were desperately running out of time and didn’t need this type of pride getting in their way. “We can’t let you do that.”
“You will, and you must,” Ramonda fiercely stated, jamming her bloodshot eyes over to the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. And when they locked gazes, when Phil stared into her and saw the burning soul that was the Queen Mother, saw the raw determination bleeding from her eyes and flowing down her cheeks like the tears that they were, he knew he couldn’t fight against that. He fought many things in his life, but that was a losing battle. A battle they were already losing time on.
Shoving Shuri along, Ramonda closed her eyes and gasped. “Take my daughter. Keep her safe… away from here!” she cried, Shuri swiping her mother’s hands away, staring at her with disbelief streaming from her tears and expression. But she didn’t move. Her stand was clear, the Queen Mother nodding to Coulson. “Do it… before I change my heart.”
“I’m not leaving you, mama,” Shuri cried, leaping forward and wrapping her arms around her mother’s waist. Simmons whimpered, a hand rising to cover her mouth and shield her cries, but not her tears. Fitz held her close, watching the scene as silently as he could. Shuri dug her head into her mother’s dress, the tears blotting her vision and slurring her voice. “I’m not leaving my home.”
Ramonda held her daughter close, hardly concealing her own tears of pain, of anguish, of terror. She kept the fear inside where it belonged, bringing her daughter’s face close to her own. “Where you go…” Ramonda muttered, taking off her necklace and letting it rest on new shoulders, “… Wakanda lives.”
And Shuri had absolutely nothing to say. Nothing.
“Go… go and don’t come back. Return only to rebuild, my child!” Ramonda called out, pushed her daughter away and into Phil’s arms. She almost fought back, but after staring into her mother’s eyes, seeing the promise, the assurance, and felt Phil’s warmth hold her tight, Shuri calmed herself and… followed them.
She left.
They all did.
Leaving just the few, the brave. The Queen Mother of Wakanda breathed steadily, sharply, more tears boiling in her eyes and slipping down her cheeks to see her daughter for quite possibly the last time. Wiping her cheeks and eyes free of the distractions, Ramonda stepped forth and returned to her position, watching the battle unfold and the dragon zero in on the Golden City.
The Zephyr took off from the landing pad, jetting off far away from the city and towards the impending battle. Ramonda watched.
“You should have gone with them,” she said, knowing only her royal guard remained.
And only one of them responded. “We will never leave your side, Queen Mother.”
Ramonda breathed in sharply through her nostrils, shakily exhaling and watching the buildings tremble and fall once Typhon entered the city. “Wakanda forever.”
All seven heads rose up, all seven mouths opening, a brightness erupting deep within the dark.
“Wakanda forever,” her guards whispered in unison.
6 Miles Outside the Golden City
4:33 p.m.
“There’s way too many!” Star-Lord shouted, the reds of his mask’s eyes darting back to his allies, only to return forward when he blasted a pouncing hellhound right in the chest.
As much as everyone hated to admit it, Peter Quill was right. From the skies blanketed in the darkness of the clouds, the harpies, and the dragons, to the earth filled with stumbling behemoths, cackling demons, and armies upon armies straight from the gaping mouth of Hell, everyone soon came to realize that there was too many. The odds were stacked too high against them. They were being pushed back and hardly making any ground closer to the city.
The city Typhon already breached.
“We gotta fall back!” Steve declared as loud as he possibly could.
“Steve, behind you!” Natasha cried. Spinning about, Steve drove forward with his right fist leading as he punched the snarling hellhound right in its skull, shattering it instantly. The hellhound dropped dead, Steve ripping his eyes back forward with his sweat-drenched hair following him, blowing madly in the chaos.
And what chaos it was.
Fire and death rained down as dead harpies and dragons fell from the onslaught delivered by Tony Stark and James Rhodes. The grounds surrounding the city were filled to the brim with bodies, slashing weapons, claws, and screams. There was hardly any breathing room, and what was given was only taken time and time again by more demons. They kept on coming, all birthed from the serpents on the dragon’s body. And all it was… was that chaos. Nothing else.
Steve flinched. Natasha too. Even Stark high above.
They all did when Phil Coulson’s voice yelled in their comms, “This is Director Coulson on all channels! The Golden City has been breached! This battle is lost! Retreat to the Zephyr One! I repeat, retreat to the Zephyr One!”
At first, people were wondering what he meant by that, then turned to the skies to see a massive jet break through the smoke and fire. It flew clear across the battlefield, away from the fighting and resting just behind the Wakandan forces. The ramp on the backside of the Zephyr opened wide, Coulson himself running down and waving everyone towards him. Towards their escape.
Towards retreat, a word no one wanted to accept.
But knew they had to.
The first people on the jet were Frank Castle and Bucky Barnes, both practically carrying each other up the ramp and into the awaiting arms of Fitz and Simmons to get them the medical attention they deserved. Joining them without questions, without hesitation, were Daisy Johnson and the remaining agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Melinda May limped as she ran, joined quickly by Mack, Yo-Yo, Hunter, Morse, Piper, Davis, Deathlok, and even the Ghost Rider. Robbie Reyes currently, the Spirit returning deep within and leaving Reyes a sputtering mess on the floor of the Zephyr. All that survived were eight other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Just eight. Phil’s heart ached even worse than it had before just counting them.
All it took was one glance for Quill and the other Guardians to call it quits. After seeing the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents book it, that prompted them to follow suit. They had seen the Milano crash ahead earlier, but considering the overwhelming demon army standing in their path to their ship… they didn’t see any other way accept turning back. That’s exactly what they did, Peter Quill leading Gamora, Drax, and Nebula back and into the Zephyr One.
With his mask deteriorating, Quill pressed his comms link and said, “Rocket, if you’re still out there, get to the Zephyr One!”
“The what?!”
“The big black jet! Turn around and you’ll see it!” Quill shouted in irritation, lowering his hand from his ear and turning back alongside Gamora and the others. Staring off towards the world burning down and the battle turning in the enemy’s favor. “Come on, Rocket…”
Deep within the battle, a certain raccoon was busy scrounging around the bodies, observing and admiring the limbs scattered across the landscape, but deciding they were ultimately useless. Groot was busy himself, fending off more and more waves of hellhounds, skeletons, and other beasts of hell while Rocket continued to dig around aimlessly.
“I am Groot?!” Groot called back, twisting his neck back to Rocket. His eyes widened when he saw Rocket still unmoving, still keeping his eyes plastered to the dirt. “I am Groot!”
“What?!” Rocket yelled, scurrying off next to a deceased, demonic lizard, cursing when it wasn’t the right one. “I’m just lookin’ for somethin’! Get Bug Eyes and go on ahead; I’ll catch up with you guys later!”
“I am Groot!”
“I’m serious!”
“I am Groot!”
“It’s not just some ordinary arm! I had my eyes on that bad boy since we landed in this crap hole! Got this big red star on it and everything! Oh, man, the units I can get with that thing—!”
“I am Groot!”
“Don’t you tell me what to do, Groot!”
“I am Groot!”
“I know we’re out of time, but seriously—!”
“I am Groot!”
“But—!”
“I. Am. Groot!”
“Ugh, fine!” Rocket admitted defeat, rushing over to the Milano and pulling Mantis right out of the cockpit. When Groot came to their aid, he wrapped his roots safely around Mantis’ body, carrying her clear across the battlefield to their retreat. But Rocket hesitated, looking to the demolished remains of the Milano and sighing.
“Arm looked like a piece of junk anyway.”
He joined his fellow Guardians in the Zephyr One soon enough.
Joining them were the Defenders, all four of them nearly collapsing as they made their way safely into the Zephyr’s embrace. Matthew took the moment to catch his breath, listening to his and all of his friends’ heartbeats to ensure everyone was accounted for. There was Rand safe and sound sitting next to Jessica, Luke leaning against the Zephyr’s walls. All of them absolutely spent. Then came Doctor Strange, settling himself away from everyone else to take a seat in the far-off corner of the ship. His head fell into his hand, Matthew hearing his heart beating harder than everyone else’s, aching far worse than anyone’s ever could. Matt leaned on that, then turned quickly to the approaching hearts.
Tony Stark flew inside, his mask materializing back and turning around to see Rhodes do the same. In came Parker, the Spider-Man’s mask retreating and revealing his sweat-covered face and horror-filled eyes. Then Sam Wilson. Then Thor. Then Natasha and finally Steve Rogers. It seemed like everyone did a headcount, specifically Coulson and Rogers. As they counted away, both men seemed to come to the same conclusion, their meet meeting and sharing the same feelings.
Steve ran back out and stood on the ramp, shouting, “T’Challa!”
Black Panther sliced the throat of a thrashing demon, twisting back to gaze onto the call of the First Avenger. Beyond the blood-soaked and body-infested battleground, the lone Zephyr One sat on the grass, its ramp extended, so many souls inside and awaiting just the few more. Upon it, Steve Rogers called to them, waved them forward, and shouted, “Get on board! We need to leave now!”
Steve’s heart dropped when he saw T’Challa shake his head.
“You may all leave… but it is not your city that is in danger! It is not your people who need protecting!” T’Challa shouted in return.
M’Baku slammed his club against the skeletal head of the demon, crushing it, killing it. Standing above it alongside his Jabari Tribe as they glared down and chanted to the oncoming waves of Typhon’s children.
“We will stay!” the king screamed.
Nakia, Okoye, and Ayo cleared the path alongside the Dora Milaje and Border Tribe, leaving the lands bare and awaiting the oncoming forces of evil. The awaiting forces of Wakanda. They gripped their weapons tight, vibranium shimmering under the sun.
“We will fight as one!” King T’Challa bellowed, roared so loud that everyone heard him. Everyone got behind him. Everyone stared in the same direction as their king and saw the waves upon waves of demons flooding the lands separating them from their city.
And everyone watched the seven-headed dragon enter it.
“We will die to defend our home!” Black Panther roared.
The Hulk did, too.
They all did, charging forth alongside the Black Panther towards the impending clash. An army of demons, of alien reptiles, of monsters straight from Greek legend itself all roared in response, charging together to meet the Wakandan army halfway. Some ran on two legs, others on all fours, almost all of them brandishing a sword, an axe, a scythe, any form of weapon that could kill, maim, and scar. And they all ran. They all screamed, rivaling the Wakandans in their own battle cry.
With the Hulk raging by their side, T’Challa and his army rushed forth towards their city, to the overwhelming odds, and stood against it. Fought against it. Fought against fate and the very universe itself. Because when their armies clashed, when the bodies fell and blood soaked the air, all that mattered was that who remained standing, who stood against the fallen and raised the flag of victory. T’Challa could see no flag in sight, just unending waves of death and destruction awaiting them.
He thought that was all he could see.
He wanted desperately to just see that. But no…
Fate saw differently.
When the two armies were only a hundred yards away and closing in, T’Challa found his eyes shifting ominously upwards, beyond his own will, to the unnatural sound bellowing above and beyond. Above and beyond, standing within the Golden City, the demonic dragon slowly curled its seven necks backwards. Slowly but surely raised them high into the air. Altogether, in perfect synchronization, all seven jaws fell at the same time.
T’Challa stopped dead in his tracks.
As did M’Baku.
As did Okoye.
Ayo.
And Nakia.
The Wakandan army continued to charge ahead and past them, leaving the leaders gazing to the same thing, leaving them as the two armies neared closer and closer. But they never made it. Neither side clashed with the other.
All there was… was fire.
From the jaws of the mighty Typhon, an unbridled flame boiled deep from within the beast’s wicked heart and soul. And from all seven jaws, towers of fire expelled directly downwards, straight into the city, filling the darkness with the brightest light anyone could have imagined. The flames continued to rain down from the jaws of the dragon, impact the capital city, and burn it to its very core.
The fire shot out like a shock wave initially, the firestorm shattering buildings and creating an explosion so immense and so powerful that the blast shot out across the entire city. Buildings crumbled. Lands erupted into pure fire. Across all the valleys surrounding it. The wave of fire decimated everything in its path, shredding trees and scorching rivers into nothing but blackness. It even reached the army of demons, engulfing every last one of them in the storm. But it wasn’t finished. Far from it.
The wave washed over the entire demon army and kept spreading further and further…
And further…
Never stopping.
Even for the Wakandans.
T’Challa’s eyes widened, the king shielding his face with his forearms as the fire washed over him. Over everyone. Several Wakandans cried out, tried to run away, tried to raise their shields, tried to fall behind a rock, a tree, anything for cover but it was all pointless. Their cries were instantly silenced as the wave of fire and death washed over the African plains and engulfed it all within a fiery inferno.
Zephyr One picked up, barely escaping the flames and knocking Steve Rogers back inside, the ramp closing and everyone trapped in a perpetual state of darkness and uncertainty. A darkness that could only spread, only grow, only infect as the fire finally died and the smoke began to rise.
Within that darkness, only one body remained standing.
T’Challa slowly, shakily lowered his arms and observed the aftermath. His eyes opened.
He breathed.
He coughed.
He lost that breath.
The valleys surrounding the Golden City were no longer lush with grass and flowing rivers. Instead, they were filled with flame and cinder, the blackness of the smoke infecting even the earth itself. Everything was black, burned to a crisp from the wave of fire. In the distance, T’Challa witnessed what remained of the Golden City, his home, his kingdom… just burn.
Just… burn.
A horrific mushroom cloud hung higher than any building Wakanda could have constructed, mixed with the fires that engulfed the city and burned the plains surrounding it. The blackness of the smoke in the air and death of the grasslands infected the cloud, a burning fireball glowing deep from within it. It rained down ashes. Black ashes. Glowing red ashes. Almost every horrific color imaginable.
T’Challa stepped forward, his breath shivering, his body quaking, like he was lost. In a dream. A nightmare. Anything but reality. But he fell to his knees anyways, let the tears burn in his eyes and flow freely down his cheeks when he saw them.
When his mask materialized away and he saw them.
His people were gone. Just husks of burnt bodies. Okoye, Ayo, M’Baku…
T’Challa cried out, his jaw open wide but refusing to close when he saw her face. What remained of it. “… Nakia!”
Her body lied with the others, remained just as scorched and shredded as everything else. Everyone else. All around him, all T’Challa could see where bodies once the smoke cleared. There was nothing else, no other armies, no other glories, but death itself. But even in that death, in that frozen state of nightmarish shock, T’Challa found no glory in it. There was no glory in having given their lives for their home because there was no home.
Not anymore.
He fell to his knees as his country was in flames. As all the Earth and Equus were in flames.
And he screamed. Screamed so loud that he rivaled that of Typhon’s roars to the heavens above, all seven heads rising from the smoke and fire and crying out to the skies. Crying out to Earth. To Equus. To the universe.
Hulk rose up at long last, pants burning, gazing skyward to see the Zephyr One hover slowly down to him and the Black Panther.
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Well... damn.
Things look very bleak for our heroes and the universe and I have a sinking feeling... it's only gonna get worse.
Even in death....Wakanda forever...
Wakanda has fallen. Its once beautiful and lush land and the armies that gave their lives away to defend their home all decimated and burnt to ashes by the raging fires of Typhon and his overwhelming spawns. Everyone's efforts have all been for nothing and there was nothing any of them could do to stop it even when they hopelessly tried. And Strange knew that this would happen. God knows what else he's seen that has to occur.
well guys it looks like this is it the avengers have been forced to flee wakanda or what's left of it and now nothing is between typhon and the soul stone besides maybe thanos which is not any better either way it's officially over you know we're all thinking it
Loss after PERSONAL loss, wave after RELENTLESS wave, where is the silver lining when you need it?!?!
Equestria, now Wakanda... tough times for the good guys...
Like in the first Infinity film, the situation doesn't get better. But the Endgame might change things for the better.
Wakanda forever.
If Killmonger watched from afar, what you think he’d say?
Wakanda is forever, even in death.
9503919
He truly is the worst brother ever to Thor.
Damn.
Just... damn!
Queen Ramonda... Okoye... Ayo... M'Baku… Nakia... the remainder of the Wakandan army... gone.
Thanks to the suit, T'Challa survived Typhon's fire, but right now, he probably wishes he did not.
Now, our heroes are forced to retreat, and there is nothing standing between Typhon and the Soul Stone.
…
… Except for, maybe, Thanos.
Jesus Christ that was truly Hell on Earth and it will get worse when Thanos gets all Stones.
Since its Spring Break will you post more chapters now that you have free time?
I gotta say I'm not sure how much more terrible this can get. I mean what's basically happened is the reverse of the snap. And the snap hasn't even occurred. I don't believe it really can get worst.
This, right here, is as bad as it can get.
Geez, Wakanda was no place to die and everyone but him died.
Also, Thanos is never around when you actually need him for once!
9503903 It can ONLY get worse...
9503919 HA... Lion King and Black Panther. Oh, now I'm sad again.
9504149 Far from here.
9504196 We're in the endgame now.
9504367 F
9504430 "It's not so beautiful..."
9504501 As long as Shuri and T'Challa live... Wakanda lives with them.
9504543 Time for a clash of the titans...
9504603 I'll kind of be keeping it to this schedule from now on, a chapter every two days or so. Gonna finish Part I before Endgame arrives!
9504712 Very true... but it can only get worse...
9505060 "This is no place to die."
*dies*
9505776
T’Challa: Rainbow Dash, if you can here me, when I die, throw my body into the ocean. I will watch the world unbound alongside my cousin.
...... that didn’t go well. First Canterlot, Ponyville, and now the entirety of Wakanda are destroyed and those aren’t even going to be the last of it.
Nice to see Frank realize that Bucky isn’t the bad guy... could have figured that out earlier but hey still progress.
Gotta say I honestly thought T’Challa and Hulk died there for a second. Nice to see they made it, but I doubt T’Challa is feeling any form of relief right now.
9505795 Yup! now Frank can let go of that grudge!
9505776
i.gifer.com/1R1I.gif
9506120
9505776
I gotta ask will you be bringing Ghost and Bill from Ant-man and Wasp in part 2?
It's here!!!
Lots of good things to expect in Endgame! Hopefully, you'll be able to cook up something to blow us out of the water for Part II. Whatever it takes! 
9507174 Oh, I got a LOT of things planned for Part II...
Seriously, I am seeing A LOT of Thor: Ragnarok in here.
So, all Wakandans are dead aside from Shuri and T'Challa. Dang. So, I guess the Elements are replacing Stormbreaker in this version?
While I like the bit with Rocket and Groot expanding on the arm joke, i dunno, it kinda made Rocket a bit too selfish in my eyes.
9507400
Oh my god, PART TWO?!?!?! You mean this isn't the whole story?!
Fuck me, I'm gonna faint.
9555343 Part I is Infinity War, Part II is Endgame.
Anyone else hearing the destruction of Home Tree from Avatar?
Man I kinda wish okoye m Baku ayo nakia and queen ramonda can meet the ponies queen novo would probably bond with queen ramonda 😔
Rocket if you stay there you’ll die forget about the arm
So much destruction, so many lives lost for no good reason. The Golden City reduced to a wasteland as the rest of the mighty country of Wakanda burns. So many lives of innocents and allies lost, Queen Ramonda, Okoye, Ayo, and even M’Baku. Typhon is just as bad as Thanos. But as long as even one member of Wakanda survives, whether it is a normal citizen or a royal member like Shuri and T'Challa, Wakanda can be rebuilt later.
Well if one good thing came out of this it is that Punisher finally realized Bucky is not a bad guy and stopped trying to kill him. He might be a stubborn asshole, but he has been shown to call off his attempts when he finally realizes he was hunting the wrong guy.
Queen Ramonda might not have worn a costume like her husband and son, but she is just as much of a superhero as they were.
Love how stubborn Rocket can be when it comes to getting those body parts. Though he really needs to learn to prioritize, especially if even Teen Groot is calling him out.