While the rest of the Defenders dealt with the surprise new arrivals, the Hulk separated himself. He had no interest in the flat woman or the guy with the red cape she came with. Nor did he care about the swamp-like creature that was perpetually on fire.

All he cared about is who he really was. And it seemed like less and less of a priority for Strange.

As the Hulk stepped out onto the back porch, he could hear something. Like a soft voice, calling to him in the night. He felt drawn to it and before he could process what he was doing, powerful leg muscles hoisted him into the air, sailing over Greenwich Village. He touched down just slightly, long enough to spring up again.

The Hulk traveled for miles. How many, he didn’t know. He didn’t even know where he was going. And no matter how far he traveled, the voice still seemed the same distance away.

He landed with a quake. This was his destination. He didn’t know how he knew…he just did. He was in a forested area, just off an interstate highway. He felt the voice, just over the road. He hopped over the four lanes of the interstate and landed near the off-ramp.

A parking lot with a neon MOTEL sign, although the sign had seen better days as a few of the letters were burned out. He stepped into the parking lot and saw her, lying seductively on the hood of a car.

She was dressed in skintight leather pants and a corset. Her skin was pink and her nails long and perfectly manicured. Horns rested atop her head in a nest of burgundy hair. And a purple tail snaked along her leg. She raised one of the hands and a motel key dangled from her outstretched finger.

“Who are you?” asked the Hulk.

“You can call me Mephista,” she purred. “I’ve been watching you, big guy. For a long time.”

“Whaddaya want?”

“Direct, I like that.”

She beckoned him with a wagging finger. He approached, the distance between them now nonexistent. She reached her hands forward and gently laid her palms on his chest, slowly moving them across his skin.

“Oooh, now that’s nice.”

“The hell’s this all about?” asked the Hulk.

She smiled. “That’s exactly what it’s about, honey.”

“Hell?”

Mephista said nothing, but continued to caress him. Her tail moved between her legs and she began to moan just a little. The Hulk grabbed her arms with one massive hand and hefted her from the car, holding her away from him with an outstretched arm.

“Save the porno act, what do you want?”

“Doesn’t seem like you’re gonna play along, huh?” She pouted “Very well, I’ll get to the point. I can tell you who you are.”

“So tell. I’m gettin’ sick of games.”

“Nuh-uh, first you have to do something for me.” Mephista smirked. “Give me what I want and I’ll give you what you want.”

“An’ what is it that you want?”

Mephista licked her lips. The Hulk rolled his eyes. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

FEAR AND PAYNE

Part II

By Ed Ainsworth and Dino Pollard

“Her name’s Sorrow,” said the Devil-Slayer. “I met her when I was in the Rosewell Sanitarium.”

“What is she?” asked Doctor Strange. “I’m having trouble discerning an answer.”

“And she doesn’t seem willing to speak,” said Hellstorm.

“She’s one of the Fallen Stars—a living embodiment of one aspect of the creator’s feelings,” said Devil-Slayer.

“You talking about God?” asked Sleepwalker.

Hellstorm snickered. “There is so little you know, boy.”

Sorrow’s eyes flashed and the gathered Defenders felt her namesake weighing on their souls. Some, like the recently-resurrected Scarlet Spider and the recently-liberated Starlight, nearly collapsed in shock. The emotions that had dominated their existence up until recently suddenly came back in full, terrible force.

Only Hellstorm seemed unaffected and smiled. “That was…fun.”

“I…see what you mean, Eric,” said Doctor Strange. “The embodiment of sorrow.”

“And what you were talking about just now, the Caro Institute?” asked Devil-Slayer. “I think I know what’s happening. Or at least, Sorrow knows.”

“You know what we are up against, Eric Simon Payne?” asked the Valkyrie.

“From what I can remember,” said Devil-Slayer. “See, I recently went through a massive nightmare scenario in Ravenscroft. My cloak was stolen, but then I got a new one. And it was given to me by a big, demonic guy in armor who told me I needed to find Strange.”

“Well, that’s not ominous at all…” muttered the Scarlet Spider.

“Has thine wretched foe returned?” asked the Valkyrie.

Devil-Slayer shook his head. “No, it wasn’t Belathauzer. It was her. Sorrow.”

The Scarlet Spider hung from the ceiling on a strand of webbing. He rubbed his chin as he examined Sorrow. “Might just be something wrong with my eyes, but she doesn’t look like a giant demon in armor. In fact, looks like she’d fall over if you tried to put any armor on her.”

“She appeared to me like that because my psyche was so fractured, I needed a basis to build it up again,” said Devil-Slayer. “Took some time, but eventually I got back to myself. And in return, she needs our help.”

“This is all tying together,” said Doctor Strange.

“Uhh…it does?” The Scarlet Spider raised his hand. “‘Scuse me, the noob’s got a question—what ties together and why am I not able to follow just about any of this?”

“That’s just what we call an average day at the Sanctum,” said Nighthawk.

“Seriously, this is annoying. I’m starting to feel like I’m on the shortbus Defenders,” said the Scarlet Spider.

“You get used to it,” said Nighthawk.

“Stephen, I’m afraid I must agree with the Scarlet Spider,” said Starlight. “What does any of this mean?”

“Daimon, would you like to explain or should I?” asked Doctor Strange.

“Be my guest, Stephen. I don’t believe I can dumb myself down enough to make them understand,” said Hellstorm.

Strange sighed. “Very well. Daimon has recently brought it to my attention that there are demons going missing from Hell. Now, as you are all aware, the Caro Institute recently attempted to install a demon into Valkyrie’s body. And now the Man-Thing, Devil-Slayer and this Sorrow appear?”

“The Caro Institute has set up a business, manipulating the Nexus, to implant demons into human bodies,” said Devil-Slayer. “Think of it as a demonic version of selling foreclosed properties.”

“Oh, now it makes sense,” said the Scarlet Spider.

“Really?” asked Sleepwalker.

“No,” said the Scarlet Spider.

“Eric, do you know who’s behind the Caro Institute?” asked Doctor Strange.

“Termineus,” said Devil-Slayer. “He’s one of the Fallen Stars as well, and he’s pretty much the embodiment of death. At one point, Sorrow was his mate, but he was so hateful towards her, he made her into the sliver of a sub-human cosmic entity that you see before you.”

“And if Termineus unleashes all these demons on the world, provides them with the means to run roughshod…” muttered Hellstorm.

“…Armageddon,” said Doctor Strange. “The forces of Heaven will see it as the beginning of Armageddon.”

“And they will lay waste to this realm,” said Hellstorm.

“…okay, that I understood,” said the Scarlet Spider. “Although I’m really wishing I didn’t.”

“How do we stop him?” asked Starlight.

“If he’s manipulating the Nexus, then the Man-Thing can lead us to him,” said Doctor Strange.

The burning form of the Man-Thing looked at Strange with pleading eyes. Doctor Strange simply nodded to him. “It’s okay, my friend. We will help you, but first, I need you to brave your fears and take us to the source.”

The Man-Thing solemnly nodded.

The Caro Institute

Mr. Termineus pushed open the double doors, revealing rows of gurneys. The patients on each gurney was comatose and hooked up to life support machinery. If he had a mouth with which to do so, Mr. Termineus would be smiling. He walked down the rows, hands clasped between his back, eyes glancing over each and every patient. Mr. Moore and Mr. Grant flanked him on either side.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Each and every one of them, an empty vessel waiting to be filled with a demonic host.”

“Quite lovely indeed, Mr. Termineus,” said Misters Grant and Moore in disconcerting unison.

“Of course, the real question is when will our friends get here,” said Mr. Termineus.

“Frightfully sorry, Mr. Termineus, but I am afraid I do not understand,” said Mr. Grant.

“I must concur with my colleague’s astute observation of my own mental state, Mr. Termineus,” said Mr. Moore. “Thank you ever so much for lifting that burden, Mr. Grant.”

“Oh you are quite welcome, Mr. Moore.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, the two of you are not as sensitive to the energies of the Nexus as I,” said Mr. Termineus. “The Guardian has gotten help. From Strange’s rag-tag group of castaways. And I can feel them getting closer.”

“Shall we kindly inform them that there presence is not requested?” asked Mr. Moore.

“Please,” said Mr. Termineus. “And have some of our friends go with you. Meanwhile, I have a meeting of my own I must take.”

“It would be our pleasure. Isn’t that right, Mr. Moore?”

“Correct as always, Mr. Grant. You are a scholar and a gentlemen.”

“You are too kind, Mr. Moore.”

Doctor Strange’s portal took them to the front entrance of the Caro Institute, in the warehouse district. From the outside, nothing looked out of place. But the inside would be a different matter.

“So what are we looking at with these guys?” asked Nighthawk.

“The Caro Institute is staffed by two demons. They go by the monikers of Mr. Grant and Mr. Moore,” said the Valkyrie. “They are polite to the point of disconcertment.”

“And this Termineus guy?” asked Nighthawk.

“He can warp reality,” said the Devil-Slayer.

“Oh…good,” groaned Nighthawk. “Why did the Hulk have to pick now to go running off?”

“We will deal with the Hulk’s absence after we’ve taken care of Termineus,” said Doctor Strange.

“I think you meant to say if somewhere in there, Doc,” said the Scarlet Spider.

“Let us proceed,” said the Valkyrie. She charged forward, kicking the doors in. “Brunnhilde shall have her vengeance!”

Past the doors, the Defenders had no clue what to expect. They thought it would be something terrible, but they certainly never imagined they’d find rows of gurneys with coma victims laying atop them.

“Val, you see this last time?” asked Nighthawk.

“Nay, ‘twould appear they’ve expanded.”

“Doc, are they alive?” asked Sleepwalker.

Doctor Strange closed his eyes momentarily and the Eye of Agamotto began glowing. “So it seems.”

Starlight examined the monitors next to the beds. “There’s no brain activity.”

Both Sorrow and the enflamed Man-Thing backed as close to the door as possible. They seemed frightened by…something. The bodies began stirring. Slowly they climbed off the gurneys and began lumbering towards the Defenders.

“I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that this is not good,” said the Scarlet Spider.

One of the coma victims lunged at the Scarlet Spider. The clone’s warning sense alerted him and he fired an impact webbing ball that exploded on contact, wrapping the victim up in the substance. “Yup, I was right. Not good.”

“Do not hurt them!” said Doctor Strange. “These people are simply possessed!”

Hellstorm wrestled with one of the patients, who tried to wrest his trident away from him. “Why don’t you tell them not to harm us?” He pulled the trident and fired a burst of Hellfire into the victim.

Nighthawk used his artificial wings to defend himself against a blow from a victim. He threw the wing back, using its forced to knock the demon away. He lunged for another one, cutting into the demon’s skin with his claw-tipped gloves. The toxin worked its way quickly through the victim, knocking it unconscious.

Sleepwalker used his eyebeams to warp gurneys around several of the victims, containing them before they could cause more of a threat. They struggled against their bonds, but couldn’t break free. Starlight tried to avoid using her nuclear powers, not wanting to risk endangering any lives. Instead, she simply relied on her strength to defend her from the hordes.

The Valkyrie, however, was far too enraged to use caution. While she kept her sword and spear sheathed, she did not pull her punches on the demon-possessed horde. The Devil-Slayer produced a pair of truncheon sticks from within the folds of his shadow-cloak, using them to knock back the forces.

Doctor Strange weaved spells to expel as many demons from the bodies as he could, but there were too many to handle at once. He noticed the two men standing in suits with smiles on their faces—one bald, one with silver hair and a beard. Both wore sunglasses.

Mr. Grant walked towards Doctor Strange. “Please forgive my rudeness, good Doctor, but I do not believe your service is needed. Mr. Moore, do you recall if anyone requested a house-call from the good Doctor?”

“Although it pains me to say, I have no such recollection, Mr. Grant. But thank the Doctor for appearing and do show him out.”

“Indeed I shall, Mr. Moore.” Mr. Grant removed his sunglasses, and there were dark voids where his eyes should be. “Doctor, if you would be so kind as to look into my eyes…”

Doctor Strange tried not to, but he could not stop himself. His world began to twist and turn, moving upside down. He felt every atom in his body tearing itself apart. Even for one who had been to countless hell dimensions, the Sorcerer Supreme found himself completely overwhelmed by these experiences. He wanted to tear off his skin, defile everything in his path, and at the same time he absolutely despised himself for those thoughts. It was a sick and twisted dichotomy that he could not pull away from.

“I think that’s enough of that!” Sleepwalker flew through the air, tackling Mr. Grant to the ground. He pinned him down and stared at him. “Now you look into myeyes!”

Sleepwalker turned his eyebeams on Mr. Grant, shining them into the demon’s void. Mr. Grant screamed out in pain as his own powers were reflected right back on him. He writhed on the ground, slowly burning away into ashes.

“Such a pity,” said Mr. Moore. “Poor, poor Mr. Grant. He was an upstanding chap.”

With his hands still clasped behind his back, Mr. Moore’s hair and beard grew to unbelievable lengths. Each strand of hair, became like an unbreakable tentacle, ensnaring the Defenders. They fought against the bonds, but breaking through the individual hairs was an exercise in futility.

“Now then, I do believe it is time for the endgame.” Mr. Moore’s jaw unhinged and it opened into a gaping wide maw. A vortex started to pull the Defenders towards the void that was his mouth, in addition to the hairs, and it took all their strength just to hold it at bay. But they were slipping.

The flaming Man-Thing charged forward, breaking the distance between the two. He jumped, allowing himself to be the first to be sucked in. But once inside, Mr. Moore felt something disconcerting. He tried to expel the Man-Thing, yet it was too late. Mr. Moore screamed as the Man-Thing’s vegetation oozed from every one of his orifices. The Man-Thing continued to reassemble itself, growing all over Mr. Moore until the only thing left of the demon was his screams.

“Not gonna lie, that was kinda gross,” said the Scarlet Spider.

“What if the demon hath possessed the Man-Thing?” asked Valkyrie.

“Then the Eye will tell us,” said Doctor Strange. He shined the Eye of Agamotto over the Man-Thing and came to a realization of his own. “I believe I know why our friend is on fire. There’s something happening in Citrusville. The Nexus is being tampered with.”

To be concluded…