"Blood of Eden"
Part Three

What Has Come Before: The Hulk continues to exist as a being ripped asunder: thanks to a spell cast by the Lord of the Lake, the personalities known as Banner and the Professor have been removed from the Hulk's inner matrix. Now living as a being of almost pure emotion, the Hulk has been brought into the service of the Penance Council and has successfully completed his first meeting -- defeating the new Abomination and meeting an all-new Iron Man. Shortly after this, the Hulk learned of an assault against the property he'd once shared with Molly Fitzgerald, the Celtic Phoenix. Tracking the villains to Ireland, the Hulk confronted Andreas Strucker and the Rook as they dug up the corpse of Molly's brother. Unfortunately, the Hulk is not the only one to have arrived on the scene -- four of the Pendragons (Captain Britain,  Nocturne, Micromax and Red Sonja) are there, as well. Driven by the lies of Penance Council leader Jim Hammond, the Hulk is convinced that the Pendragons mean him harm. Elsewhere, Molly and the Leader have united to try and locate the Hulk, but they have been sidetracked by the revelation that Rachel Summers is siphoning away some of Molly's power. Finally, Betty Banner is about to emerge under the Barrier, arriving in Latveria with her companions Hawkeye and Polaris.

Note: Some of the above comes from recent issues of Pendragons.

Rachel Summers sat cross-legged on the floor, holding a warm cup of tea in her hands. Its scent filled her nostrils and brought a smile to her face... it was simple pleasures like these that really hit home with her. Growing up in a world where mutants were hunted like animals and she herself had been forced to betray those she'd loved... it had nearly destroyed her. Even now, years after she'd left that world behind, she still wore a shell about her heart, hardened enough to keep away the pain.

"You look like the cheshire cat," Nathaniel said, entering the living room. Rachel's apartment had an Oriental theme to it, with soft mats instead of chairs, low wooden tables and rice paper room dividers. To see Nathaniel Caine -- her lover at present -- in its surroundings made her smile even more. He was thoroughly, wonderfully modern... and this place seemed far older somehow. "What are you thinking about, you lovely minx?" He knelt and kissed her cheek, letting his hands pass over the bottom of her fuzzy sweater. It was a good, cold day... perfect for hot tea and warm love.

"I was just enjoying the quiet, that's all. It's nice just being for awhile, with no plots to destroy humanity or create alternate timelines."

Nat laughed with her, enjoying the smell of her hair and the closeness of her body. They'd met only recently -- when a case had brought him to an alternate world* -- but the electricity between them was uuncanny. Within minutes of first meeting, they were tumbling about on the floor like hormone-driven teenagers. Rachel's theory that there was some magical force bringing them together seemed more likely every day.

(*In Tales of the Pendragons # 20)

"You really have to leave for work?" she asked, pulling him close.

He felt a tremendous urge to stay, but no matter how chuffed he was about their relationship, he couldn't afford to lose his career. "Sorry, luv... but I'm needed."

"I need you," she replied and he felt color rise to his cheeks. She didn't just mean that sexually.

"I'll be back in a--" Nat's words trailed away, as he put a palm to the side of his head. "Bollocks! My head feels like it's about to explode."

Rachel's face darkened immediately, as a glowing image of the Phoenix appeared over one eye. She knew about Nat's mystical abilities and she knew very well what a sudden headache usually meant: Danger.

The walls around them seemed to melt away, as both of them were pulled from their bodies. Nat looked 'down' just long enough to see his physical self falling to the floor, like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

A field of white surrounded them and Nat felt his stomach lurch. Rachel reached out and steadied him, her voice resounding in his head. Hold tight, Nat. You'll get used to being disembodied in a minute.

"Where the hell are we?" he asked, moving his lips though he didn't need to. His 'words' were nothing more than thoughts given form.

"Astral Plane. Someone body snatched us."

"There goes our peaceful evening at home."

"At least we're together," she whispered with a grin. "Got you to spend the night with me after all."

"You two mind taking a break from the lovefest?" a woman asked and even before she and her male companion shimmered into view, Rachel felt a sense of familiarity. It was the Phoenix Force, coming from the newcomer in waves... for a fleeting moment, she felt a surge of hope that it could be her mother... but Jean Grey was dead and a pretender now held her power.

The Celtic Phoenix, Molly Fitzgerald, hovered in the field before them. At her side was a green-skinned man with a long moustache, emerald skin and an overly enlarged cranium. Molly's face bore an expression of barely-restrained fury. "Rachel Summers. You have something that belongs to me."

Rachel bristled, sensing the other woman's meaning. "The Phoenix Force is my birthright!"

"It chose me as its host, Rachel. Not you."

"I was held prisoner by Mys-Tech at the time. Maybe it would've chosen differently if it'd had the chance."

Molly felt her rage begin to rise, despite her efforts to control it. At her side, the Leader sensed her struggle... something about this matter was beyond simple human jealousy over shared power, however. He felt it keenly... the Phoenix Force had found two suitable hosts... and there was a part of it that was eager to see one prove themselves stronger than the ever. It wants a fight, he mused.

Just as he'd feared, Molly launched an assault. The primal fire of creation leapt from her hands and rushed towards Rachel, shaping itself like two burning claws. Rachel generated her own shield of flame to protect herself, but both Nathaniel and the Leader were left to fend for themselves. Both men propelled themselves backwards, away from the fray. Nathaniel immediately prepared to launch a mystic assault against Rachel's attacker, but he found his mind filled with an unfamiliar presence... the Leader had decided to let the women settle this for themselves. 

Meanwhile, the twin bearers of the Phoenix Force conducted a psychic battle of epic proportions. All around the globe, psychics and sensitives reeled from the sudden onset of 'background noise' that obliterated their ability to concentrate. This was a war for power beyond imagining... and at its heart were two women from painful backgrounds:

Rachel Summers, daughter of Scott and Jean -- two of the stalwart X-Men, whose heroism had failed to prevent the Sentinels and anti-mutant hysteria in Rachel's native timeline. She herself had been pressed into service as a 'Hound,' hunting down other mutants for capture or death.

Molly Fitzgerald, daughter of a religious zealot who'd desired powers for his son and who had never felt anything but scorn for the daughter his wife had bore him. She'd been betrayed by her da, forced to battle her own flesh and blood when the evil Arnim Zola had come calling. Molly's poor brother, Paddy, had been struck down by a terrorist bomb... and now Molly was all alone in this world.

They lashed out at one another, fueling their incredible power with refined pain, intermingled with rage and lost loves.

And Reality trembled, wondering who would have the strength to carry the day....

O'Shay Cemetery - Belfast, Ireland

Captain Britain screamed aloud, clutching at the sides of her head and nearly falling to her knees. Only the quick action of her lover, Nocturne, prevented her from landing in the open grave belonging to Paddy Fitzgerald. "Betsy! What's happened?"

"Something's wrong," she groaned, trying without much success to block out the noise that was filling her mind. She heard female voices -- was one of them Molly? she couldn't tell -- and felt the mental blows of a terrible battle. "It's Molly, I think... She's in trouble."

"So are we," Red Sonja asked, unsheathing her sword. "Yon troll seems intent on slaying us all."

Micromax stepped forward, growing to his maximum height. "If Betsy is down, I'm the heavy hitter, mates. Get behind me."

Nocturne gritted his teeth, noticing that the villains of the piece -- Andreas Strucker and the Rook -- were attempting to disappear into the darkness. He knew the Hulk was approaching, the ground rumbling with each step, but he also knew that he couldn't allow Strucker to escape. He freed one hand from Betsy's grasp and extended his electrified tentacle from his left gauntlet. It snaked around Strucker's ankle and unleashed a powerful burst of electricity that sent the young man into spasms of pain. 

The Rook drove his sword through the tentacle quickly, risking electrocution himself. He thought he could smell Strucker's flesh burning. "On your feet, m'lord! We don't need to be here...."

"He hurt me!" Strucker said incredulously. "If I still had my powers, I'd--"

"Hurt him terribly, I'm sure. But let us make haste!"

The ground suddenly rumbled again and the air was broken by a roar of biblical proportions. The Rook looked back over his shoulders, where the Hulk had begun to beat his chest. He looked like some emerald King Kong, having broken free of the confines of celluloid and sprung to life. The Pendragon known as Micromax was moving to meet him, but a powerful backhand from the Hulk sent the hero flying through the air. He landed just past the Rook, who gasped aloud at the strength of the Jade Giant.

"Hulk knows what you want to do," the Hulk bellowed. "You want to force him to take Banner back! But Hulk won't do it! Hulk is fine without him!"

Captain Britain pushed Nocturne away from her. Blood was trickling down from one nostril and her head was pounding, but she knew that she alone could stop the Hulk. Everyone else here was woefully overmatched... but her psi-powers could even the playing field with her former teammate. 

Before she could attempt to stop him, he'd jumped towards Red Sonja. The warrior woman refused to back down, ducking below one of his massive fists and driving her sword point with all her strength into his emerald hide. The mystic steel of her blade didn't break but Sonja felt as if her arms were going to... she howled in pain and, for the first time in ages, she felt the prickly hand of fear along her spine. She looked up into the eyes of the Hulk and saw only maddened rage. He reached for her, his mind buzzing with the voice of Jim Hammond. The android leader of the Penance Council, Hammond used telepathic commands to alter the Hulk's mood. And right now, he wanted the Hulk to sever all ties with the Pendragons... for good.

The Hulk hesitated, however, feeling another sensation enter his mind. A woman's voice... Molly's? Betty's? Both? 

Hulk... Please. The Pendragons are your friends. They wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I promise.

The Hulk staggered away from Red Sonja, who stared at him in resolute fury. She held her sword at the ready, limbs aching, ready for whatever may come. "Hulk doesn't want Banner back."

Hammond's voice shouted in his head Ignore it, Hulk! It's a trick! It's a tri--

Someone's manipulating you, Hulk. This man... Whoever he is... he's doing something to you.

The Hulk felt his body flood with adrenaline again and the rage threatened to drown out the woman's words. He saw Red Sonja before him and felt the warm splash of rain as it began to fall. The skies seemed to open all around them and the Hulk heard Hammond's buzzing in his ear once more. He vaguely remembered something being implanted in his ear... something that the Blazing Skull had referred to as a 'telepathic radio.'

The Hulk jammed a massive finger into his ear, grunting and growling. Blood splattered down onto Sonja's face and she recoiled in disgust, moving away from him. The assembled Pendragons could only stare as the Hulk forced his finger in deeper, shoving until Nocturne felt certain the behemoth was going to kill himself....

And then the Hulk pulled his fist away, dripping with gore... and dropped a tiny silver piece of metal at his own feet. The mud quickly began to consume it but Red Sonja knelt and plucked it up. "What foul sorcery is this?" she wondered aloud, feeling the odd texture of the metal with her fingers.

"It's what they were using to control him," Betsy whispered, moving towards the Hulk. The pain in her head was still overwhelming and the strain of using her powers to help the Hulk had nearly done her in. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

The Hulk, blood streaming from his battered ear, nodded. "Hulk's head is quiet. Now even Molly and Betty are gone." A disconsolate look came over his face. "They like Banner better."

Betsy looked over to see Nocturne tending to the wounded Micromax. Rain continued to pour from the heavens, drenching them all. She could see no trace of Strucker and his ally, nor could she focus enough to sense them. "We can help you. We're your friends, just like the girls said." She reached out and touched his arm, trying to force a smile through her pain. "I think that Molly might be in trouble."

The Hulk sighed, his massive chest rising and falling. He looked almost like a child now, though his massive physique made that comparison difficult. "What can Hulk do?"

Betsy closed her eyes for a moment, letting the pain well up inside her. It was so powerful that her teeth now ached. She could still feel the Hulk's mind... and she saw Dane Whitman's fingerprints all over it. The damned fool had exorcised the only parts of the Hulk's soul that could contain his rage. Just one more thing that bastard's got to pay for, she mused. "I can feel her mind... it's all around us." She opened her eyes again and saw the Hulk watching her intently. "We might need your help. Whatever's fighting her is almost as powerful as she is...."

"Just tell Hulk what to do!"

Captain Britain turned to face her teammates, aware that there was still an open grave beside them. What deviltry was Strucker planning, disturbing the dead like this? "We don't have time to pursue Strucker. We'll have to catch up to him later... In the meantime, I want us to go to Avalon. From there, we can tap into our powers more fully... and locate Molly. She's in terrible danger." She glanced around them, at the torrential rain and flashing lightning. "We all are."

Adam Crown sat up quickly, his body drenched in sweat and his breathing coming erratically. He felt his wife, Ginny, stirring beside him, but he paid her no heed as he pulled himself from the sheets and moved towards the window. It was nighttime, a full moon hanging fat and bloated in the sky above. A storm was raging, the rain falling in mystically-tinged pink waves. "By Avalon's grace," he whispered. Outside in the courtyard he could see his old friends, Kenneth and Jacqueline Crichton, staring up into the sky. He could see the fear on their faces... and felt it mirrored his own. They'd come as guests, eager for a vacation, but this... this threatened that peace.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, moving up behind him. She wore only a thin nightgown and she shivered as harsh winds blew in through the partially opened window.

"I need Mordred." He turned to her, his brilliant blue eyes shining. "Stay here. In this room." Without waiting for her to answer, he pulled on a robe and grabbed hold of his scabbard. The weight of the sword felt reassuring as he buckled the belt around his waist.

Adam burst into his sorcerer's room, finding that Mordred was already awake... and bent over a desk, busily studying an ancient parchment. The mage didn't even look up as Adam slowly walked towards him, leaning over to read what was written on the page.

Most of it was in some ancient, foul tongue that Adam could not recognize. Nevertheless, it filled him with revulsion. This was sorcery, dark in nature. "Mordred! Awaken!"

The son of Morgan Le Fey seemed to rouse from some deep sleep. He regarded Adam blankly for a moment before shaking his head to clear it. "What's wrong?" he snapped.

"This storm... and my dreams. I'm plagued by feelings of something dark and horrible."

Mordred rose slowly, composing himself. "Storms often disturb you, my lord."

"Don't play games with me! I saw visions of you in some Hellish realm, flanked by demons."

"You saw me... with demons?"

"Have you been lying to me, Mordred? About your whereabouts when you leave the kingdom?" Adam's eyes flashed hotly and the soul of Arthur Pendragon -- which normally lay dormant within him -- seemed to flare to life. "Speak to me honestly, or I'll slice your lying tongue from your head!"

Mordred paused, fear welling up in him. "I journeyed to Hell, yes... to rescue a fallen comrade of yours. The Spirit of Vengeance known as Noble Kale."

"Ghost Rider? Where is he?"

"He and Blackheart -- for I freed them both -- are resting, in a sort of mystic coma. I expect them to awaken soon, when--"

"Where. Are. They?"

Mordred sighed and moved to the center of the room. He moved his hands about in a complex gesture, causing the air to shimmer before them. The figures of Ghost Rider and Blackheart both shimmered into view, wrapped up in golden energy. But to Mordred's surprise, there was a third figure with them, one free of any spell. It was a woman... and an enemy. "Shevaun Haldane! What in the name of the seven hells?!"

Adam shoved the wizard back behind him and drew the sword he wore at his side. This woman before him was not the Dark Angel with whom he'd adventured for so very long. She was much older, with a face lined by age... and her body seemed more ethereal somehow, as if the Fabric of Reality she wore had melded with her more deeply. "Shevaun... is that you?"

She smiled coldly, her hands resting on each of the imprisoned men before her. Cosmic energy crackled all about her. "Yes, Adam. It's me. I'm sorry I didn't announce myself when I arrived... but I thought you might have a problem with what I'm about to do."

"Which is?"

"I'm stealing a bit of energy... in this era, I'm not as powerful as I'll need to be."

Adam moved forward, knowing that he might have to strike at this woman who wore a friend's face. "Tell me what's you're talking about... Perhaps I can help."

"I doubt that, Adam." For a moment, sadness flickered over her features. "I really do. You see, I'm going to prevent my reality from coming to be. And the best way to do that is to make sure that Betsy Braddock doesn't sink her idiotic claws into Molly's brain. I'm going to do one of two things... I just haven't decided which." She turned from the imprisoned men, her body shimmering. "I'm either going to kill Betsy... or Molly."

At that moment, Spitfire burst into the room, her body tense. "Adam! I've run over the whole castle looking for you! This storm isn't normal. It's-- Dark Angel?"

Shevaun looked away from her old friend, sadness tinging her words. "Jackie. It's been a long time since I saw you alive. Sorry I can't stay longer... but I've got to save the world."

And with that, she was gone.

The Leader wanted to scream. It was taking all of his incredible mental strength to remain on the Astral Plane, faced with the conflagration before him. He could feel eternity buckling and he imagined that he could see heaven and hell both shudder simultaneously. 

In his mind's eye, Eden.. Avalon... whatever name one wanted to give it, seemed to be crying. Bleeding. 

And in that tiny moment when the Leader thought he'd seen Creation and Destruction both...

Two entities slipped free of his prison....

And fell from his grasp, seeking out their former home.

The Lord of the Lake -- Dane Whitman -- felt like shit. There was no other terrm for it, really. He hadn't felt this badly since assuming his current mantle, not even when Roma had tried to poison him with the help of Lord Pumpkin. "I botched this all to hell," he murmured.

The Hulk stood before him, alongside the Pendragons... and all of them were grateful for the protection offered by the Green Chapel. The mystic structure held firm as fierce winds and eldritch rain pounded its exterior walls. 

Captain Britain could scarcely contain her surprise. "I'm glad to hear you admit that. You ruined this man's life," she said, gesturing to the Hulk. "I suppose whatever's going on with Molly is your fault, too?"

"Can't take credit -- or blame -- for that one." He hovered above tthem, looking like a living spray of water, but he willed himself back to a human appearance. Stepping up to the Hulk, he cast a quick glance at Micromax, healing him of his wounds. "Hello, Hulk. Feeling as bad as I do?"

"I'm tired... and angry. I want to find Molly."

"I know you do, old friend." Dane cast a glance over at Betsy, sensing her fury at him. "I'm not at my best, as you can tell. Whatever's going on with Molly is bad. The Phoenix Force is ancient and it's tied into the power of Creation. You need to stop it from going any further."

"Brilliant deduction, Dane." Betsy opened her mind, trying to tap into the ambient energy of Avalon. Normally, it would be enough to boost her powers significantly... in this case, allowing her to trace Molly, even on the Astral Plane. It was the same as using Cerebro, only moreso. "The magic is weaker than normal. I-- I'm sensing something odd." She glanced at the Hulk, who had begun to fall forward, onto his knees. "They're coming back."

Nocturne reached out to steady the Hulk but drew his hand back when the creature growled. "Who's back? Strucker and his boy?"

"No! The personalities -- they're returning to him. Being drawn back like a magnet."

"What will happen to him?" Red Sonja inquired. "When these... parts of his soul... return?"

The Hulk laughed aloud, preventing anyone from answering. All of them, even Dane, seemed in awe of what was happening before them. The Hulk had lifted his head, staring at them all. His eyes were narrowed, showing a dangerous glint that seemed intelligent... but deadly. And the smile on his lips was simply terrifying. "Things aren't going to be the same as before, Red. I'll tell you that much. The Boys were spending time with somebody who wasn't very nice. Not very damned nice at all."

Dane narrowed his eyes, scanning the figure before him. He could still his handiwork there -- the spells weaved by Avalon -- but there was something else, too. Something dark and menacing.

"Bruce? Is that you?" Betsy asked. 

The Hulk rose to his full height and ran a hand through his hair, which seemed longer and shaggier than before. "Oh, yeah. It's me. And then some."

TO BE CONCLUDED

Next Issue: It all comes to an end in Pendragons # 66... Who will possess the Phoenix Force? What is the secret of the "new" Hulk? What plan does Andreas Strucker have in mind for Molly's dead brother? And what dark secret does the future Shevaun Haldane still possess....? 

Then come back next issue, as Hulk # 9 features the completion of Betty Banner's dangerous journey... and more shocking truths about the new Hulk.

Author's Notes

Well, we have one more issue to go in this crossover, which actually has its origins back in our first arc, when Dane Whitman pulled Bruce and the Professor from the Hulk's personality matrix. Now we have a new Hulk, one whose first full appearance will be in Pendragons 66. But the Hulk isn't the only one facing a major transition -- what will become of Molly Fitzgerald, whether she wins or loses? And why will the Pendragons be short not one, but two, members when all is said and done?

Eden is bleeding. Creation is ailing. 

And the Pendragons universe will be taking a darker spin following this storyline. Several people have mentioned that the newest design for the Pendragons series page looks more militaristic -- you'll find out why soon enough.