Garfield and Holland shouted the moment they heard General Ross.
"What? He's dead?"
"He died from one slap?"
Nick Fury and Natasha headed to the crater. Sure enough, the Abomination didn't move—no vital signs at all. That hulking body showed not the slightest twitch.
Only then did Fury, Black Widow, and the others accept it: the thing that had been destroying the city moments ago had really been killed by one slap from Maguire.
A heavy, nagging dread settled over Fury's heart.
Meanwhile, our Bully Maguire had already gone home. He took a cold shower to bleed off the pent-up adrenaline. The moment he stepped out of the bathroom, the voice he liked most chimed in his head:
[Congratulations, host: Bully Points +300.
Villain bonus +100.
"Plot character" bonus +200.
Current Bully Points: 1130.]
This Sheep Talisman is absurd. One slap and I knocked the Abomination's soul right out of his body. I could use the Sheep Talisman to shove his soul back in… I can see his soul; others can't. Well—maybe Doctor Strange and that crowd can. Whatever.
As Maguire got dressed, Natasha and the others loaded the Abomination's body onto a Quinjet. Hovering beside the corpse, a translucent soul floated in midair.
Blonsky had realized he'd become a spirit. Panic-stricken, he dove for his body—but some unseen force barred him. He couldn't get back in.
"Can you see me?" he yelled at Fury and the others.
Of course, no one heard a thing. He couldn't touch anyone either. As the reality sank in, despair twisted Blonsky's face.
Not far away, Iron Man walked over to the Red Hulk and the Hulk. Banner and Ross had both reverted to their normal forms. Ross eyed Iron Man, puzzled—he didn't know Iron Man was Tony Stark. Tony lifted his faceplate.
"It's you? Tony?" Ross blurted, surprised. Business ties had made them friends long ago.
Tony smiled. "Didn't expect to see you like this, old friend."
Banner cut in, urgent. "Sterns still has my blood samples at his place. We need to arrest him now."
Fury frowned and immediately sent Black Widow and Hawkeye to Dr. Sterns's home.
On the flight line, Fury stepped up to Banner and Ross. "You two interested in joining S.H.I.E.L.D.'s special unit—the Avengers?"
Banner and Ross exchanged a look. "What are the Avengers?"
Tony strolled over. "I'm already in." He sketched out the Avengers for them. Ross—career military—agreed on the spot. Banner stayed quiet.
"What do you say, Banner?" Fury asked.
"I don't object," Banner said at last. "The Avengers just got a lot stronger."
Ross glanced at Tony. "Is the Hellblood Demon an Avenger, too?"
Tony's mouth twitched. He shook his head. "No. Not an Avenger. Call him… a partner."
"Partner? With what logic?" Ross asked, baffled.
Fury sighed. "Hellblood Demon and the Spider-Men are members of the Spider Alliance. Hellblood Demon leads them. With the Avengers, it's cooperation."
Ross nodded. The memory of Maguire's power had left both him and the Hulk more than a little rattled. "He's… terrifying."
Fury's phone rang. He answered. Black Widow's voice came through: "Sterns is gone. Everything here's been cleaned out. If he could build that thing once, he can do it again. We have to bring him in."
Elsewhere, on a rooftop, Garfield and Holland stared at each other.
"How many powers does Maguire have?" Garfield muttered.
"Is he really not human but a spirit out of hell, like people say?" Holland whispered.
They agreed—they needed to ask Maguire themselves.
The next morning, warm sunlight spilled over Maguire as he stretched and got out of bed. Downstairs, Aunt May's voice called, "Peter, breakfast!"
"Coming!" he answered.
His phone rang. Holland, his favorite "nephew."
"Maguire," Holland said, "come over for lunch. Aunt May made a lot of food. She wants you to come eat."
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