A/N: I told my patreon part of why I've been gone (injured my wrist to the point I can't write with it until it heals), but it got worse when I fell on a block of wood a couple days ago and hurt my eye. Luckily, it wasn't too bad and I didn't think I needed to go to the hospital since it didn't hit my eye directly but my left eye was swollen shut for a few days so I iced it and I now have a scar in the corner of my eye. So I was just put off of writing even when I planned on putting out a chapter for my patreon. I have the chapter but am not happy with how it is so I just haven't released it yet. Anyway I'll edit it a little more and post it tonight, but I may need to go on a bit of a hiatus to not only heal but improve the direction of the story since I have many ideas about how I'm going to move forward with this. Enjoy the chapter.
XXXX
Amanda stood in the middle of the street, her towering green frame heaving with each breath. Her eyes were wild, glowing green faintly beneath a tangle of long, dark green hair. A guttural roar ripped from her throat, echoing off nearby buildings and setting off car alarms.
People started screaming and scattered, fleeing in all directions. Cars swerved, with some crashing into light poles. Amanda's rage boiled over as her giant hands tore chunks of concrete from the ground. Her mind was a blur of fury. She didn't recognize where she was or even who she was. All she knew how to do was SMASH.
And just as she grabbed a parked SUV, intending to hurl it into the nearest storefront, a voice cut through the haze.
"Hey!"
She spun, car still in her grasp, just in time to see Mark land directly in front of her. His cloak fluttered behind him, his posture cautious. She threw the car towards him.
Mark reached out, catching the vehicle and putting it gently back on the ground with no effort.
"Amanda," Mark said, locking eyes with her. "I know the rage is a lot. But I need you to fight through it. Once you ride this wave, you'll have no more issues with this again. Just… try to calm down and not wreck the city."
Amanda roared in response, a primal scream of defiance. She ran towards him, grappling hands and pushing against him, and for a moment, Mark felt the pressure. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was slowly growing. He frowned. She wasn't getting her Kryptonian abilities yet as it would take a while, but her growing anger was increasing her strength.
"Alright fine," he muttered.
Mark swiftly shifted his grip, catching her wrists. Then, with a burst of speed, he lifted off, flying her out of the city. She struggled wildly in his grasp, legs kicking, fists jerking in resistance. Amanda's knee slammed into his ribs. He didn't budge, but he felt that hit. The fact that he felt it meant she was already very strong and would only continue to grow stronger.
He soared toward a beach just outside the city, a place with almost no foot traffic. As they reached the sand, Mark released her, and she slammed into the ground, carving out a wide crater with her impact. He zipped around the area, moving the handful of sunbathers and joggers out of harm's way.
When he returned, Amanda was clawing her way out of the pit, glowing green eyes blazing with unchecked fury. Sand clung to her skin, and her hair hung like a curtain around her face.
Mark hovered in front of her, watching her. '...She's still pretty hot', he thought. 'Even like this, she looks beautiful. Glad I ditched that male ogre form.'
Amanda lunged again, throwing a wild haymaker. Mark dodged, weaving around her strikes. But her strikes continued to grow faster and heavier.
"Amanda, I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner to help you fight Omnipotus," he said, hoping to reach Amanda's consciousness beneath the rage. "You don't have to fight anymore, so you can calm down."
Her roar was all the answer he got, more guttural and filled with anger. Mark winced. "Okay, okay... no more of the O-word."
He caught her next punch and flung her toward the ocean. She smashed into the waves with a massive splash, sinking deep. Mark dove in after her, hoping the cold water would slow her down.
...It didn't...
She surged with even more anger and unleashed a thunderclap that created a sonic boom underwater. Mark was launched out of the ocean, tumbling through the air before catching himself mid-flight.
"Damn," he muttered.
He darted right behind her as she breached the surface and caught her in a tight bear hug, restricting her arms. They landed hard with Mark's back taking the brunt of the impact.
"Listen to me!" he whispered in her ear. "You're stronger than this. You've been through worse than this and managed to deal with it for such a long time. You can get through the rage."
She writhed and snarled, but he didn't let go. He held her for over an hour, letting her rage burn out. He kept talking, repeating her name, telling her he was here, that she was safe, and that she was loved.
Slowly... it worked.
Amanda's breathing slowed, showing she was calming down. Her body shrank. The green skin faded back to pale. Her muscles receded, and her wild hair fell across her face, returning to brown. When it was over, she lay in Mark's arms, blinking up at him.
"…Mark?" she asked, voice groggy and confused. "Why are we… on a beach?"
Mark curious. "You don't remember?"
She sat up, brushing hair from her eyes. "Kinda, it feels like a fog of different scenes, so I don't have the full picture. But I remember raging out and smashing stuff."
Mark explained everything about how she was injured, how he'd removed her curse, how he'd healed her, how he used She-Hulk's DNA and his Compound HK to give her powers, and how she now had control of her powers since her first transformation is over. However, he didn't tell her how he tested his Compound serums against evil versions of people he's fought before. (That reminds him he should stop by Evil Thragg's dimension and see if he can help that Mark come back, as well as acquire some Thraxan-Viltrumite hybrids.) But Amanda listened in quiet awe.
"…So, I'm still me," she said at last. "Just green and sexy?"
"You were always sexy," Mark teased. "But yeah, with some exceptions. The feeling of transformation should feel similar to how it was for you before. But you won't turn into a male monster, but instead a larger, greener version of yourself. Also, when you absorb more sunlight, you'll gain powers like mine."
She smirked slyly. "Did you change my monster form because it was a dude?"
"… No comment," he said, avoiding her eyes.
(She got her answer.)
Still lying on his chest, bringing her face closer to his, "It almost seems like you changed it because you didn't want to be seen dating a male monster, as you put it."
Mark with sarcasm. "I don't recall us dating. If I remember correctly, I'm still waiting for your answer from when I left for Talescria."
Amanda leaned in and kissed him deeply. "For everything you've done… how could I not be your girlfriend?"
Mark grinned. "About time."
They lay in the sand together, kissing each other. Amanda, with her stretched out bikini, lay on Mark, moving her tongue in his mouth while he reciprocated. The two stayed there getting friskier, letting the fading sunlight warm their skin.
XXXX
Meanwhile… somewhere deep in the Alaskan wilderness
A thick blanket of snow covered the dense pine forest. The quiet was broken only by the rhythmic crunch of heavy boots and the dragging of a bundle of chopped logs over one broad shoulder.
Standing at 6'10, with 400 pounds of pure muscle, this shoulder belonged to the former ruler of the Viltrumites, Thragg.
But now, he was undercover as a humble lumberjack who did jobs in a nearby small town.
After Emperor Mark's decree to integrate and reproduce with Earth's population. Thragg landed near a secluded northern town and found an abandoned wooden cabin on the edge of the woods. The place was dusty and clearly abandoned. Though strangely, he'd found what appeared to be an old superhero costume with an "I" insignia hanging in the closet, which he'd promptly tossed into a fire. Over a few days, he'd repaired the cabin with his own hands, cutting down trees, patching holes, and using the funds the Emperor gave to buy essentials.
He was heading home when the ground trembled. A deep, guttural rumble echoed through the snow-draped forest.
Thragg stopped mid-step, his instincts flaring.
With a deafening crash, a massive, dark grey humanoid robot that was fifty feet tall and made from a strong metallic alloy burst through the treeline. Before Thragg could fully react, the machine threw a punch, launching him through a grove of trees like a ragdoll. He caught himself mid-air, righting his body. He narrowed his eyes. Not because he was hurt—it'd take far more than that—but because something dared to attack him.
"What is this... contraption?" he muttered, his voice a mix of fury and disbelief.
Enraged, he rocketed forward and slammed his fist into the robot's chest. It landed... but the moment he made contact brought an agonizing sound to his ears. Thragg staggered back, hands clasping his skull as blood leaked from his ears. The metal vibrated with a frequency designed to disrupt a Viltrumite's equilibrium. The robot, taking its opportunity, retaliated with a brutal backhand, sending him crashing into the snow and through a few trees.
Grimacing, Thragg rose to one knee, the sound still playing as the robot's right arm morphed into a crab-like claw. A glowing yellow energy blast was forming in between the claw's pincers aimed right for Thragg.
The pain was debilitating for Thragg. He struggled to focus as his vision was getting blurry.
But, in that moment, he'd had enough. He was brought to his knees once by Mark Grayson, and he won't kneel to a simple machine.
Thragg snarled, "I WILL NOT BE BEATEN ONCE AGAIN!"
Thragg shot into the air, weaving between the energy blasts as the robot opened fire. Circling around, he bulldozed through the machine's leg, ripping it from the joint. But as the robot buckled, the sound intensified, like thousands of knives slicing through his skull.
The robot staggered but didn't fall. In response, from its back, three segmented scorpion-like tails whipped out, humming with stored power, each firing bolts of concentrated energy.
One beam scorched Thragg's side. Another clipped his shoulder. The third tore a flaming line across his chest. He gritted his teeth and shot upward into the sky, then turned and plummeted down like a meteor.
Thragg screamed. "AHHHHHHH!"
(PLUS ULTRAAAAA)
A sonic boom cracked the air as he launched himself through the robot's chest, tearing through its internal components. Sparks and black smoke exploded around him as the robot collapsed in a heap, its core destroyed.
Thragg floated over the ruined robot, steam rising from his shoulders. His ears still rang, but for the most part, he was fine. He looked around, expecting another attack.
Nothing.
But unknown to him, a small, mosquito-sized drone whirred near some of his fallen blood. It hovered for a second before dipping down and absorbing the small amounts that leaked from Thragg's ears. Then, just as quietly, it zipped away into the sky.
Heading towards its mysterious creator.
After a while, Thragg just continued on towards his cabin, continuing his walk home.
XXXX
Thragg stepped towards the doorway of the wooden home he'd refurbished with his own hands. The front door creaked as it opened. Though he wasn't the one who opened it.
Thragg had reached for the door, but before his hand could touch the knob, it swung open from the inside.
"You're home late, and what the hell happened to your clothes?!"
Standing in the doorway, arms crossed and brow furrowed, was a petite woman with sharp features and a sharp tongue to match. She was of Asian descent, her sleek black hair styled into a bob cut. She had a C-cup chest, an athletic build, and had a purple-and-black hoodie peeking out from under a pink apron that read "Shut Up and Eat."
This woman was Katherine "Kate" Cha—better known to the world as Dupli-Kate.
Thragg grunted, brushing past her as he stomped snow off his boots. "Was just some branches. Clothes got scratched up."
Kate blinked, eyes narrowing. "Branches, huh? So that explains the burn marks?" She followed him inside, arms still folded.
He didn't answer. Trying to brush past the topic. She knew it was a lie, but also knew better than to push when he was in one of his gruff moods.
Thragg hadn't explained what he was as he was undercover. Though Kate could tell he wasn't a normal human. She just figured he was an enhanced person who didn't want to be a hero or a villain and just acted as a civilian, but had powers.
"I made dinner," she said, watching as he headed toward the back hall. "You should wash up first."
He continued moving, but she reached out, grabbing his arm and turning him around before pressing a single finger to his chest.
"Uh-uh. Where's my kiss?"
Thragg paused.
With a reluctant grunt, he leaned in and kissed her. It was meant to be quick, but Kate pulled him in closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. The kiss deepened. Thragg's massive hands found her waist, holding her gently. Their bodies pressed together, warmth blooming between them.
When they finally pulled apart, Kate smiled up at him. "Now you can go clean up."
He turned again without protest. But as he walked away, a faint red touched the tips of his ears.
"Okay," he said quietly.
Kate smirked and turned back to the kitchen.
XXXX
*Flashback - How it all began*
When Thragg was first sent down to Earth as part of Mark's integration initiative, he needed a cover. Using the funds Mark granted him, he began restoring the abandoned cabin deep in the wilderness he'd found. He also found a job as a lumberjack. One day, while buying hardware in town, he bumped into her—literally.
Kate, or rather one of her clones, had been shopping for groceries. The clone collided with him and bounced off like she'd hit a brick wall.
"Watch where you're going," she grumbled, rubbing her forehead.
The reason she was out here was because this town was actually the place her original body was located. She kept herself hidden here as it was safe, and so if one day all of her other clones were to die, she'd survive.
Thragg was about to kick her away. His first instinct was to dismiss and belittle, as he'd done this for many millennia to inferior races. But he remembered Mark's orders: do not harm humans.
With barely masked disgust, he sucked his teeth, reached down, took her by the wrist, and helped her up. He then turned and walked off.
Kate had watched him go, her eyes lingering. "Weirdo… but damn," she mumbled, noticing how ridiculously built he was.
Their paths crossed again. First in silence. Then with brief nods. Eventually, she approached him at the general store.
"Hi."
Thragg was going to walk away.
But he didn't.
"Hi," he said stoically.
She then asked him questions, like where he was from, what brought him to town. He snapped back at her eventually, frustrated by her curiosity.
"Why do you keep pestering me?"
She recoiled, then fired back. "Because you're new around here, and I was just interested. But, forget it."
She stormed off toward the edge of town, leaving Thragg standing alone. He just stood there dumbly before going back to his shopping, though slightly confused.
That same evening, taking a different trail home, Thragg found Kate curled on the ground by herself, clutching her head and trembling. Her face was streaked with tears.
He said nothing at first. Just stood over her.
Kate barely noticed him. Her pain—emotional and psychic—was overwhelming. Another clone had just died on a mission with the Guardians. Even though they could think independently, they felt collectively. And ever since Omnipotus… when so many of her died, the loss of a clone hit harder.
"You okay?" Thragg asked, his voice devoid of concern but not quite hostile.
Kate looked up, confused and angry. "What does it matter to you?! You don't know what it's like to die over and over again. To feel every death, whether it's to be stabbed, burned, or mauled. To feel older than others, as if living multiple lifetimes from your perspective, but each life being cut short due to death. To be raised and bred to fight, just to be used and discarded!"
Thragg stiffened. Those last words hit too close to home.
She turned away, still sobbing.
Thragg kneeled toward her. He then wiped her tears with his thumb.
Kate looked up, startled. His touch was careful, gentle in a way she hadn't expected.
He stood again, picked up his supplies, and walked away. But before disappearing into the trees, he paused.
"I know what it's like… to be bred for battle and to be thrown away."
Then he left.
This was the start. From then on, Kate tried getting closer, leading to the two being around each other more. Though they have only limited themselves to kissing so far and Kate comes over for dinner sometimes.