"-And as the presidential motorcade is entering Houston Street, we can see President Kennedy waving to the waiting crowd, the First Lady and Captain America sitting next to him. Governor Connally is- wait... something seems to be- *static* -there seems to be some sort of tremor... I'm not sure what- OH GOD! THE STREET IS SPLITTING APART! DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN, WHAT IS HAPPENING?! WHAT THE HELL IS- *static* -NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS! JESUS CHRIST, THE CARS ARE- *static* -ISN'T THE POLICE DOING ANYTHING?! Wait-wait, there seems to be- oh dear god, something is coming up through the- *transmission is cut off*
Eddie Barker, CBS News, 12:30 PM
"-reporting directly from the scene of President Kennedy's Dallas tour, where just minutes ago, some sort of... attack struck the motorcade. I don't know how to describe it, the street just tore apart, like tissue paper, and... wait, yes, I can see someone... or something moving down there... Dear god, they just threw the cars aside like they were nothing- wait, is that... Yes, yes, it's the President! He seems to have survived the attack, but... Captain America seems to be protecting him, and one of the attackers, a man in a mask... they're talking, but we're too far away to hear anything. Can we zoom in? Hold on, something just- my god, the President just disappeared in a flash of light! Someone took him! Did anyone see who-"
Bob Walker, ABC News, 12:33 PM
"-hold on, I'm getting a report. Alright... alright, yes... Yes, understood... From Washington D.C, we're now getting confirmation... as of 12:36 PM, President Kennedy is safe. He was apparently rescued from the scene of the Dallas attack alongside the First Lady, and has been safely delivered to his security detail at the White House. I repeat, President Kennedy is safe. Reports indicate that the rescuer was the crimefighter known as Mr. Sunshine, but we're still awaiting official confirmation on this."
Walter Cronkite, Special News Bulletin, CBS News, 1 PM
.....
One of the things comic books never really captured is just how fucking chaotic a battle between superhumans really is. Hell, even the movies didn't really do it justice. And as someone with only some rudimentary fighting skills to back up his superpowers, this is pretty goddamn terrifying.
Though admittedly, having the Worlds Mightiest Heroes as backup does help to alleviate it a bit.
Marko doesn't even wait for Zemo to finish his orders, and morphs into a tidal wave of sand as he launches himself towards me in a snarling fit of rage. Cap dodges out of the way, making a beeline towards Zemo himself, who grabs for the sword hanging from his belt. There's a screech of metal as Rhino smashes a wrecked car out of his way as he stampedes towards the Hulk, who meets him head on.
"Yer a dead man, Sunshine!"
"Better men than you have tried, Marko! And you'd have to catch me first!" Avoiding him is easy enough, simply a matter of flash-stepping out of his way, but actually harming him is another. I can't fuse him again, not with everyone gathered this close, so I need a new plan, and fast. Maybe if I-OHSHIT!
I barely flash away from a chunk of asphalt crashing into the ground where I was just standing.
Okay, less thinking, more fighting
There's a glowing flash to my left, and I catch a glimpse of the Melter firing his chest beam in a wide arc, trying to catch Iron Man in it who's zooming above him, the beam turning several street lamps and a mail box into molten piles of goo as he misses his real target.
"You know Melter, you might be a threat if you ever actually hit anyone with that ridiculous thing!" Iron Man mocks as he darts out of the way of another blast. I can hear The Melters cursing even above the noise of the battle.
"Go to HELL, Iron Man! Get down here and fight me like a man and we'll see if you'll still be that smug!"
Hmm... this might work.
I flash out of yet another one of Marko's charges, and point towards him, sending a thin beam of light at him, which zaps straight through him. "You're going to have to step it up, Marko! I can dodge you all day if I have to!"
As I was hoping, this just makes him angrier "You fucking coward, I'll catch you sooner or later!" He charges towards me, the sand wave forming a large version of his face in the front as he barrels towards me... right where the Melter is trying to hit Iron Man with another one of his melting blasts.
"Gotcha!" And with that, I zap out of the way, leaving Marko charging headlong into the Melters beam.
You ever hear sand scream? It's not a pleasant sound.
"SHIT!! Marko, you idiot! I almost had-GRAKK!" The Melters rant is cut off as Iron Man takes the opportunity to fire his repulsors at him, sending Melter into the pile of goo he just turned Marko into. Marko is down for the moment, but not out, I can already see him starting to reform from the goop on the ground, drawing from the sand he left behind earlier to replenish himself.
"Sunshine, we don't have time for this, there are survivors all over the place, we need you to take as many of them as you can to the hospital!" Iron Man says as he lands next to me.
"What?! I can't just leave you here! What about the Masters?"
"We can handle ourselves, but these people aren't going to last much longer, and you're the only one who can get them help fast enough!"
"Iron Man is right!" Cap says as he blocks a sword swing from Zemo with his shield, before lashing out towards him, sending the Nazi backwards with a grunt of pain "The longer this fight takes, the more people are going to die! Hurry!"
I look around, taking in the carnage around us. Shit. He's right.
"I'll be back as soon as I can!"
.....
An older man with thinning, combed back grey hair and a rather large nose is trapped under one of the wrecked cars behind the President's, bleeding from a large gash on his forehead, and clutching his very obviously broken arm. One of his ears is a mangled, bloody mess, and it takes me a moment to recognize who he is.
I'd honestly forgotten he was even present in Dallas today.
Vice-President Lyndon Johnson looks around with a dazed look, blinking uncomprehendingly as I manage to pull him loose. "P-please. My wife. She's... she's still in there... get her help first!"
I kneel down to get a better look, and grimace at the sight. A middle-aged woman with dark hair lies unmoving behind him, her neck wrenched almost completely around, and a bone shard is sticking out of the side. She isn't breathing.
"Sorry sir, but I'm afraid she's beyond any help I could offer now."
Johnson's face falls, shock visible even through the blood "No..."
Things don't get any better from there.
...
Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, Texas, 12:45 PM
The first thing I hear when I appear in the lobby of the hospital is the scream from the woman behind the front desk at the sight of myself and the bloodied and injured Vice President, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room, the workers and patients staring in horror at us. I set Johnson down as gently as I can before turning towards the closest doctor.
"I'm sure you've already heard about what's happening downtown. Get Mr. Johnson help as fast as you can, and get everyone ready, do whatever you have to, because I got a lot more injured people coming, and I have no idea how severe their injuries are going to be. But I'd prepare for the worst if I were you."
I don't bother explaining any further before I head back towards the fight.