General Ross wrestled with himself for a long moment before he was finally forced to accept Banner's proposal.
In the current situation, aside from Hulk, there really wasn't any other option.
Yes, as a general he could call in reinforcements from nearby bases. But by the time soldiers arrived, Abomination might vanish just like Hulk had in the past.
Worse still… judging from what he'd just seen, Abomination's strength exceeded even Hulk's.
Even if the monster didn't disappear before reinforcements arrived, Ross had little confidence in his troops' ability to subdue it.
After turning the matter over in his mind, he finally ordered Banner's cuffs removed and let him go face Abomination.
"Find a place to land," Ross said with a deep breath to the pilot.
"No need."
Banner refused without hesitation.
Partly because Stark's condition below wasn't looking good—he could be killed by Abomination at any second.
But mostly because every time Banner was in mortal danger, the Hulk surfaced on his own. It was the quickest, surest way to trigger the transformation.
Seeing Banner's determination, neither Ross nor Fury pressed him further.
Inhale… exhale…
The soldiers slid open the helicopter door. Banner stepped forward, glancing down.
The dizzying height made his head spin, and the thin air left him short of breath.
But then he thought of Abomination's rampage—of the innocent lives below, filled with despair.
Banner didn't hesitate again. He leapt, surrendering himself to Broadway's streets.
"HULK!"
He roared the name, trying to summon his other half.
But this time… the Hulk didn't answer.
"Damn…"
He felt nothing—no surge of power, no primal presence. His mind was clearer than ever.
No matter how much he cursed, all Banner could do was free-fall, plummeting toward the ground.
BOOM!
Instead of a bloody smear, his body punched out a massive crater.
And then—two green eyes flared open in the darkness.
At the same moment, Stark was knocked sprawling by a single punch from Abomination.
The violent shock rattled his entire body, leaving him aching head to toe.
Thankfully, his Iron Man armor had absorbed much of the force, sparing him from serious injury.
"Tell Ross—only I am worthy of this power!" Abomination bellowed as he landed with an earthshaking crash. He raised his fists high and brought them down with lethal force.
Stark's gut clenched. If that blow landed clean, he was finished.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., divert all power to my chest reactor!"
Spreading his arms, Stark bared the Arc Reactor at his chest.
Abomination's fists plummeted. In that split second, J.A.R.V.I.S. unleashed sixty percent of Stark's remaining energy in one devastating blast.
BOOOOM!
A blinding white beam erupted from his chest, slamming into Abomination head-on.
The monster hadn't expected it—caught off guard, he reeled, thrown through the air like a severed kite.
CRASH!
He slammed into the ground, gouging out another crater. Smoke rose from the charred wound burned into his chest, filling the air with the stench of scorched flesh.
"Hah…"
Relieved the attack had worked, Stark staggered upright.
But his relief didn't last. His flight systems were damaged—he couldn't take off.
And worse, Abomination was already stirring.
Even after taking more than half of Stark's total energy output, the beast wasn't dead.
Not even slowed.
"Damn it…"
Cursing, Abomination rose, his injuries knitting rapidly before Stark's eyes. Not fully healed, but enough to keep fighting unhindered.
"Haruto!"
In his desperation, Stark found himself shouting Senju Haruto's name.
That troublesome kid should've been here by now.
"Haruto?"
Abomination frowned, confused. Why would Stark call out such a strange name? If he wanted help, shouldn't he be yelling for Ross?
Was Stark not with the military after all?
The thought flickered and was gone. Abomination didn't waste time pondering it.
He lunged forward again, snarling:
"Today you die!"
He roared at Stark, then lifted his voice to the skies.
"Ross! Bring Hulk here! If you don't, I'll slaughter everyone in this district! Not one will live!"
His monstrous voice echoed across Broadway.
Ross and Fury heard it clearly from above.
So did the innocent civilians still fleeing for their lives, many of whom nearly collapsed in terror. To them, it wasn't the voice of a man.
It was the roar of a demon.
And Stark was in the worst position of all.
Grounded. Outpaced. His armor's speed was no match for Abomination's.
Sweat ran down his face as he forced himself to keep breathing steady. All he could do was pray for Haruto's arrival.
"J.A.R.V.I.S…"
He raised his arms again, palms glowing, chest reactor flaring—ready to repeat the move, though he knew it likely wouldn't be enough.
Cold sweat drenched him as Abomination began his charge.
And then—
A blur of green streaked overhead.
Before Abomination could react, two massive arms locked around his waist.
It wasn't anyone else. It was Hulk.
With a furious bellow, Hulk clamped down tight and drove forward, shoving Abomination off balance before leaping high and slamming them both into the ground.
BOOM!
Another crater exploded into existence.
Meanwhile, Senju Haruto was speeding toward Broadway.
Thanks to the AllSpark's power, he didn't need to worry about traffic. Even abandoned vehicles cleared a path for him, parting like loyal subjects before their king.
It wasn't long before the scene came into view—Hulk and Abomination, locked in a clash that shook the city.
"It's begun already," Haruto murmured, eyes narrowing.
He tightened his grip on the wheel, ready to ram Abomination head-on.
But just then, the familiar voice of his system assistant chimed in his ears:
Congratulations, Host. You have successfully arrived at Broadway. Sign-in officially begins!