Chapter 86 Green:??
Whiz, whiz, whiz—
The shriek of rocket projectiles tore through the night sky as dozens of silver-white exhaust trails traced dense ballistic trajectories, like a flock of hunting falcons dragging long ribbons of light straight toward Abomination.
The warheads exploded one after another against its massive frame, the overlapping layers of fire finally merging into a pillar of flame that soared into the sky; a small mushroom cloud rose over the street, illuminating half the block.
Abomination was sent flying back by the Impact.
That hideous body tumbled through the air, limbs splayed out like an overturned beetle.
The bony spurs on its back cast a sinister silhouette against the firelight; its mouth was open, but no sound came out, as the shockwave of the explosion crushed its agonizing scream.
Following that, the iron monger burst through the fireworks.
The three-meter-tall alloy chassis crashed out of the sea of fire, flames licking the surface of the armor without leaving a single mark.
The foot thrusters spat out brilliant white exhaust, two blue-white pillars of light propelling it forward at high speed, trailing a wake of steam behind it like a white cloak.
It caught up with the still-tumbling Abomination.
The external hydraulic claw on its right arm suddenly snapped out, the hydraulic system emitting a sharp hiss as it precisely clamped onto Abomination's calf.
A shallow pit was stomped into the ground as the iron monger's left foot dug deep into the asphalt road, while its right foot kicked forward.
Abomination was dazed by the explosion; before it could react, its head wobbled and its clouded eyes tried to focus, only to see the cold faceplate of the metal giant right in front of it.
"Go to the sky for me!"
The iron monger exerted force through its waist and abdomen as the entire hydraulic system pressurized in sync; the precision pipelines instantly filled with high-pressure oil, emitting a low hum.
Legs, waist, shoulders—every joint released its accumulated power at the same instant.
A standard over-the-shoulder throw.
Abomination's massive body was flung over its head like a ragdoll, tracing an arc through the air as it was tossed high into the sky.
Simultaneously, a compressed air blast erupted from the hollow opening in the center of the claw.
Bang!
The compressed air shot out at supersonic speeds as a secondary propulsion force, slamming into Abomination's abdomen and pushing its body even higher.
The ground's counterforce blasted out a ring of dust; centered on the iron monger, the asphalt road cracked into a spiderweb pattern with a five-meter radius.
The iron monger's right-arm hydraulic claw snapped open.
An empty shell casing flew out of the ejection port, tumbling twice in mid-air before landing with a clink in a pile of rubble.
The glowing-red claw retracted, the arm-side armor slid open, and two six-barreled Vulcan Gatling guns popped out; their dark muzzles gleamed coldly in the night as they tilted high, aiming at the sky.
At the same time, the armor plates on the sides of the torso flipped outward.
Four 30mm autocannons popped out in sync, their barrels swiveling with a faint whir from the servo motors, locking onto the rising black dot high in the sky.
Each barrel adjusted its angle slightly in the night as the ballistics computer on the screen before Green's eyes ran rapid calculations.
"Fire, fire, fire!!!"
Green did not hesitate and pulled the trigger.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang—
The six-barreled Gatlings began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster until they became blurred shadows.
Muzzle flashes erupted in the night sky like blooming orange flowers.
Bullet casings poured from the ejection ports like a waterfall, clattering onto the ground and bouncing around, quickly piling into a small copper mountain.
The four autocannons fired simultaneously, the sound deeper and heavier, like a giant's heartbeat, each blast making the air tremble.
The bullets were like a rain of light flowing upward, trailing thousands of tracer paths as they shot densely into the night sky.
Those ribbons of light intertwined, weaving a massive net of fire that extended from the ground hundreds of meters into the air.
Every bullet struck Abomination with a blinding spark of light; the body was pushed by the stream of projectiles, continuing to fly upward, higher and higher, until it became a twitching speck in the firelight.
"Hey! Man, come give me a hand! This green big-footed monster refuses to go to bed early!"
Tony's voice came from mid-air, sounding somewhat exasperated.
He hovered at a height of over a dozen meters, his repulsors continuously firing orange-red laser beams that left two shallow scorch marks on Hulk's chest; the green skin merely reddened, not even breaking.
Hulk roared in pain, his hands tearing at the wreckage of vehicles on the ground; the twisted sheet metal was kneaded in his palms like dough into a massive iron ball, weighing at least two or three tons.
He hurled it at Tony like he was throwing a shot put.
The iron ball whistled through the air, bringing with it a gust of wild wind.
"Didn't you prepare any tranquilizer rounds? Just making him angry isn't a good idea."
Green's voice came from the ground.
He diverted half his firepower, turning it toward Hulk; the bullets struck Hulk's back, splashing dense sparks like countless fireflies exploding against his skin.
But it successfully drew his attention.
"I just gave him a dose that could knock out half a block's worth of people! He metabolized it in the time it takes to fart!"
Tony dodged the incoming iron ball with a side-roll, narrowly avoiding it; the iron ball grazed his armor and smashed into a building behind him, causing an entire wall to collapse with a boom.
Hulk was irritated beyond belief by being stung by that annoying "mosquito"; he swung his arms to swat away the lasers like he was shooing flies, but he couldn't get rid of them.
He was further enraged by the "Pea Shooter" firing from the other side; although those bullets couldn't break his skin, each one carried kinetic energy that made his flesh go numb.
He suddenly gathered his strength and clapped his palms together; the violent air pressure spread out like a physical force.
With Hulk at the center, a visible shockwave swept out, the ground cracked, rubble flew, and burning vehicles were overturned and sent tumbling in all directions.
Tony was sent flying in mid-air.
"That's cheating!"
Tony spun out of control in the air.
He tried to adjust his posture, his repulsors firing backward in an attempt to stabilize himself.
But the force of the shockwave was too strong, slamming him directly into a neon sign frame of a shop; electric sparks crackled and popped, neon tubes burst, and glass shards fell like rain.
Chaotic dust flew about, instantly enveloping the entire block.
The grayish-yellow dust blotted out the sky, visibility dropping to less than five meters; the dust churned in the firelight like countless dancing ghosts.
At the same time, Hulk gave up on Tony and turned toward Green, who was hitting him harder.
[High-risk humanoid lifeform detected approaching you.]
An alarm sounded inside the cockpit, while a red arrow was projected onto the faceplate, pointing to the massive silhouette growing closer in the dust.
"I can see it."
Green drove the iron monger, its hydraulic legs striding forward as he met the threat head-on.
In the dust, the silhouette became clearer and clearer.
Compared to their first meeting, Hulk's body had grown even stronger.
Muscles knotted, his height approached five meters, standing there like a mountain of flesh.
The iron monger's alloy chassis, over three meters tall, looked like a little brother standing in front of him.
The two approached each other.
The distance was shortening.
Twenty meters. Ten meters. Five meters.
"Hulk—SMASH!!"
Hulk roared, raising both arms and clasping his two massive fists together like a heavy hammer forged of muscle, pouring all his strength into slamming them down on Green's head!
[Kinetic energy estimate: 25 tons—]
Before Thursday's warning could finish, Green had already moved.
He braked urgently.
The foot thrusters suddenly fired in reverse, brilliant white exhaust blasting from the soles and impacting the ground, forcefully pushing the heavy chassis back two meters.
Boom!!!
Hulk's fists slammed into the ground.
In that instant, the ground rippled like water, and cracks spread frantically from the point of Impact, spiderweb-like fissures instantly extending over a dozen meters.
The asphalt road looked as if it had been overturned by a giant plow, with chunks tilting up, shattering, and flying everywhere.
At the center was a deep pit large enough to hold an adult, dark and hollow, its edges constantly collapsing as gravel and soil trickled down.
Those fist-sized fragments clattered against the iron monger's armored shell with a series of metallic snaps; several hit the faceplate, exploding before Green's eyes and leaving behind a series of scratches.
"Tsk, the more brainless he is, the better he fights."
Green braked while backing up, then suddenly increased the power of the foot thrusters; blue-white exhaust surged out, lifting the iron monger off the ground and launching it toward Hulk.
The thrust of the boosters combined with gravitational acceleration made the alloy chassis fly like a cannonball.
Taking advantage of the moment before he could recover from the recoil of that strike,
"Wake up!"
A knee strike slammed into Hulk's face.
Hulk's head snapped to the side, his mouth fell open, and a large tooth mixed with blood sprayed out, tracing an arc through the air.
The tooth was as long as an adult's finger, trailing blood as it tumbled into the ruins.
The iron monger soared over his head.
In mid-air, the right-arm hydraulic claw snapped out, its five alloy knuckles spreading as the hydraulic system emitted a sharp hiss.
Green's body was still surging forward; using that momentum, he turned and grabbed the back of Hulk's neck with a yank!
Hulk's massive body lost its balance.
He fell backward, arms flailing as he tried to grab something, but only caught a handful of air.
Then, his back slammed heavily onto the asphalt road.
Boom!
The ground trembled.
In that instant, another crack spread out from the point where he landed.
His back smashed a shallow man-shaped indentation into the ground, his limbs splayed out like a specimen pinned to the earth.
Hulk's eyes were a bit dazed.
He lay on the ground, staring at the grey sky, his bloodshot eyes filled with confusion; this combo had come too fast for his brain to process.
In a daze, he saw a small figure on a helicopter in the distance.
Betty.
She stood at the cabin door, one hand clutching the handrail and the other covering her mouth.
The night wind tousled her hair, strands flying beside her face. Her eyes were full of worry, rims red and shimmering with tears,
and even a hint of inexplicable... apology?
"Betty..."
His vision began to blur, but his brain was like it had been infected by a virus, with images constantly flooding in.
Betty.
She was lying on a huge bed covered in black sheets, naked, her skin flushed with an unnatural crimson, being violated by a person whose figure was unclear.
The person had their back to him, showing only a blurred silhouette—taller than him, stronger than him, much... much bigger than him.
Betty was crying, her slender ankles held up by him.
Tears slid from the corners of her eyes, wetting the pillow; her mouth was open, but no sound came out, she struggled, her fingers clutching the sheets, creating rows of wrinkles.
Then, she turned her head.
Her gaze passed over the person's shoulder and looked at him.
Looking at him standing nearby, those eyes were full of despair, full of pleading, full of helplessness.
He just watched like that, kept watching...
Fury was boiling!!
The thoughts belonging to Bruce Banner were being swallowed, crushed, and incinerated.
Those remnants of humanity, that reason, that hesitation, all turned to ash in the fury, gradually reaching a consensus with Hulk's personality.
"I'm an ally, look closely. If you don't want to be sliced up for research, then just stay down. Betty sent me." Green's voice came from behind the mask.
He needed to calm Hulk down, or at least stop him from going crazy right now.
He could use the Vought Company's network to bring Bruce Banner into a high-clearance position in the research department.
Before coming, he had checked in with Edgar; that old fox readily agreed, eager to bring in someone who was both a world-class scientist and an excellent experimental subject.
It was a three-way win.
"Betty?"
An eerie green light lit up in Hulk's pupils.
The light grew brighter and more intense, like two burning green Suns.
"You... raped Betty!!"
"What?" Green frowned. He hadn't even done anything yet, so how did that count?
"You..." Hulk's pupils suddenly contracted, and those two green lights violently exploded.
His form expanded, shoulders broadening, chest thickening, and his spine lengthened section by section, crossing the five-meter mark in the blink of an eye.
The hydraulic claw on the iron monger that was gripping the back of his neck made an overburdened snapping sound; the metal wailed as the alloy knuckles were forced open, cracks spreading from the center of the claw to the edges.
[Warning: Target's vital signs showing abnormal peak fluctuations—]
Red warning boxes flashed before Green's eyes as various data points surged—heart rate, body temperature, gamma radiation values, all off the charts.
"Your mother..." Green laughed in anger, but before he could finish,
"DIE!!"
Chapter 87: Phase Two
A palm as large as a cattail leaf fan crushed the hydraulic shears.
Five fingers closed tight, and the alloy knuckles crumbled like crackers in Hulk's palm.
He turned and threw a punch, striking the reactor core dead center. The high-strength alloy shell shattered instantly, and the reactor's light flickered violently twice before dimming.
White steam hissed from every joint of the iron monger. Relief valves opened automatically as the hydraulic system lost power, causing its kinetic energy to plummet.
The three-meter-tall alloy frame stood stiffly in place, looking like a hollowed-out tin puppet.
[Power output dropped to 17%—]
[Immediate ejection recommended—]
"Once the enemy reaches a certain level of strength, this suit of armor becomes a shackle instead."
Green felt the sluggishness caused by the iron shell encasing his body.
With every breath, he could feel the weight of the metal layer; every movement required fighting against the failing hydraulic systems.
Hulk roared, wrapping his arms around the iron mongerand hoisting it high. The three-meter-tall metal frame looked like a toy in his hands.
"Hey! Put down my quarterback!"
Tony dove in, firing his repulsors repeatedly. Orange-red lasers struck Hulk's back, sending sparks flying.
But to Hulk, it was nothing more than an itch.
The sound of rushing wind descended from the sky.
A massive figure plummeted from the heights. Abomination crashed down trailing flames, remnants of the fire from the earlier rocket blast still burning on its body.
Its skin was charred black and several bone spurs were broken, but the fury in its eyes burned even brighter.
It roared as well, setting its sights on the iron monger that had caused it so much pain.
At this moment, the two giants shared a surprisingly identical thought:
Kill this weird thing!
Hulk threw the iron monger straight up.
The metal frame tumbled through the air, flying toward Abomination.
"I'll catch you!"
Tony increased his thruster power to give chase, but before he could accelerate, Hulk grabbed his leg and hurled him away.
"Holy fuck!!"
Tony spun and crashed into a nearby building with a loud boom. The wall collapsed, and then there was silence.
Meanwhile, the iron monger collided with Abomination in mid-air.
Instantly, a white shockwave carrying residual flames expanded in the air.
The two massive bodies collided, sending a shockwave like a transparent ripple outward from the point of Impact. The compressed air let out a series of explosive booms.
Metal fragments flew, hydraulic lines snapped, armor plates were blown off, and wires sparked as they drifted down.
The iron monger's heavy iron shell slammed into the ground, sending a wave of earth three or four meters high like a muddy yellow fountain. Rocks, dirt, and debris were all jolted into the air before raining back down.
The ground trembled, shaking a layer of dust from the walls of the buildings on both sides. The dust slid down the walls like a waterfall.
Something inside the crater ignited, causing a secondary explosion.
Flames rose from the bottom of the pit, accompanied by billowing thick smoke.
After smashing through a two-story building, Abominationslowly stood up. Bricks and stones rolled off its body as it shook off the dust.
Its burned skin healed at a visible rate; the charred outer layer peeled away to reveal fresh, pink flesh beneath. Bone spurs regrew, and muscles tightened once more.
It turned its head and locked eyes with Hulk, who was not far away.
Neither of them attacked immediately; they had both quite enjoyed the combined move they just pulled off.
"Hmph."
Hulk let out a heavy snort. Although he didn't understand what love was, he knew what possession meant. Those images and that anger were real.
Bruce Banner's personality had also partially influenced his own.
He looked at the burning flames in the distance where the iron monger had fallen. The fire was still dancing, and thick smoke continued to billow.
A sudden sense of satisfaction welled up in his chest, rising to his throat and turning into a low roar.
In the shadows, a man named Mr. Blue, whose brain was swollen like a tumor, hid inside a building. His eyes were fixed on Hulk in the distance, the light in his pupils gradually fading.
"No matter how strong you are, without a sufficient mental framework to support it, you are ultimately just a mindless Beast. My power is still the best!" he cackled, filled with pride.
[Note: Mr. Blue's real name is Samuel Sterns, from "The Incredible Hulk." He was infected by Hulk's blood while transforming the super-soldier Bronski into Abomination, granting him high intelligence and telekinetic abilities.]
It was also he who had just mentally interfered with Hulk, causing him to go berserk.
As for why?
Perhaps to test his abilities, perhaps because he didn't want Hulk to be controlled; he had too many ideas to put into practice, and he needed Hulk.
Meanwhile, on the helicopter, General Ross looked down with some disappointment at the silent iron monger in the crater as the dust began to settle.
"Did he fail?"
He murmured, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Beside him, Betty covered her mouth in regret.
"Bruce... you killed him... why?"
In her eyes, Green was fighting for her; he had promised her.
But why did Bruce suddenly attack him?
Why...
The way she looked at Hulk held a bit more resentment and a touch of distance.
At that moment, just when everyone thought the iron monger was incapacitated by such heavy damage, it suddenly moved.
To be precise, it was the person inside.
A hand covered in black scales reached out from the torn hatch.
Its five knuckles were as thick as cast iron, with bone spurs protruding from the joints piercing the skin. Sharp claws extended from the fingertips, hooking onto the edge of the tear and ripping it open. The alloy plate was torn like paper, the ear-piercing sound of metal rending echoing through the ruins.
Green stood up, stepping on the iron monger's head. The three-meter-tall alloy frame warped and deformed under his feet like a peeled-open iron coffin.
Electrical sparks still flickered at the tear, and hydraulic oil mixed with coolant flowed out, sizzling and evaporating on the scorching ground.
The orange-red firelight danced, illuminating his face, which no longer looked human.
"Motherfucker, you don't like it soft, do you?"
He cracked his neck, his bones making a crisp snapping sound. His shoulders shrugged, his spine straightened, and his entire presence began to surge.
"Fine."
"Fine, fucking fine!"
[Liberation Degree: 75%]
His clothes burst apart, fragments peeling off his body and being licked by the flames, turning into scattering ash.
His stark white teeth grew sharp, glinting coldly in the firelight.
Green's form swelled, transforming into a humanoid Dragon Body. His appearance was more like a suit of armor covered in pitch-black scales.
Flames surged around him, licking at his lower body. The tongues of fire reflected on his cold, stern face, flickering in and out.
Golden dragon pupils snapped open, burning hotter than the fire.
"I like tough nuts."
Simultaneously, a burst of pure malice erupted.
This malice was intangible and formless, yet it weighed on everyone's heart like something physical.
It spread through the night wind; everywhere it passed, people's hair stood on end.
Hulk and Abomination instinctively turned their heads at the same time.
Their bodies reacted faster than their minds—an instinct for danger. Both pairs of eyes locked onto the figure standing on the wreckage of the iron monger.
At the same time.
A supersonic shriek tore through the night sky.
A dark shadow broke the sound barrier, leaving a white sonic boom cloud in the air.
Homelander landed on bended knees.
Then, just a fraction of a second later, another figure rushed in, braking beside him.
A-Train looked up at Homelander, only to find a truly warm smile on Homelander's face—one he had rarely seen before—directed toward a person he didn't recognize.
"Am I late? I was just at a press conference; I only saw this on TV," Homelander said.
"Not too late."
Green, his mouth filled with fiery breath, exhaled. Scalding flames poured out like a river of liquid fire, surging toward a building in the distance.
The flames struck the outer wall, blowing it open and tearing through the body of the person inside.
There was only a single scream.
Followed by a secondary explosion.
A ball of fire erupted, igniting the entire floor. Orange-red light poured out from the windows.
[You have killed Big Boss (Mr. Blue).]
"Obstructionist trash."
Green spat out a mouthful of fiery blood. When it hit the ground, it sizzled and burned a small pit.
The moment he fell, he had focused all his senses on the Cursed Energy around him, leaving him with no defensive posture at all. The Impact just now had put some strain on his internal organs.
These tiny fractures were rapidly repairing under the Dragon Body's self-healing ability, but it still hurt.
Amidst several sonic booms, a few more people appeared beside A-Train.
These newcomers looked at the suddenly changed scene in confusion, then bent over and vomited violently.
"Heh... heh..."
A-Train was also bent over, gasping for air. His legs were shaking; he had almost broken his own speed record.
He looked up at Green.
"Are you crazy? There were people in that building, and there are reporters broadcasting live here."
Green looked at him, his golden dragon pupils landing on him.
A-Train's body shuddered.
A chill surged up his spine, reaching all the way to the back of his head.
Somehow, he felt an aura from the other man similar to Homelander's, perhaps even more terrifying.
"Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?"
A-Train's pupils constricted suddenly.
"No! Great job, well done, at your service anytime!"
His expression changed in an instant; the face that had been full of doubt was now covered in smiles. He held both thumbs up high, making sure Green could see them.
"Ignore him."
"Which one do we hit first? They look a bit troublesome."
Homelander spoke, his gaze shifting from Green to the two behemoths in the distance.
"Just two disgusting bullfrogs with genetic mutations."
Green cracked his neck, his bones snapping. His shoulder blades moved as his Dragon Body stretched out in the firelight.
"We'll fight them both at once!!"
Chapter 88: If You Didn't Provoke Me, I Wouldn't Have Known I Was This Strong
"Hehe, I like the way you talk."
Homelander grinned in response, his sharp canines peeking from his lips, exuding a forced kindness that felt inherently evil. The smile was like a wolf trying to mimic a human—it looked unsettling no matter how one viewed it.
Suddenly, he turned his head back, a red light bursting from his eyes.
Two thick laser beams shot out from his sockets, blasting straight toward Hulk.
Unlike Tony's gentle knockback effect, Homelander's lasers had no limitations regarding people or objects.
Where the beams passed, the air was scorched with a burnt stench. The lasers sent Hulk flying directly, his massive green body streaking past Abomination.
He roared in pain as the blood flowing from the scorched wound on his chest was instantly evaporated by the residual heat of the laser, emitting sizzling white smoke.
Abomination rolled his eyes, his gaze drawn to the direction where Hulk had been sent flying. Before he could turn his head back—
"What are you looking at?"
A fierce wind rushed toward him as Green appeared by Abomination's side. His hand, covered in black scales, opened wide. With fingers like claws, he grabbed Abomination by the face and slammed him into the ground.
His charging figure pushed forward with the momentum.
Using Abomination's face as a brake, he plowed a deep trench into the asphalt road.
With a toss from Green, Abomination's massive body soared into the air and smashed violently into the wreckage of a car in the distance.
The engine exploded into a ball of fire, orange flames licking Abomination's back as fragments of parts scattered everywhere, clattering against his body.
Homelander flew over, hands clenched into fists and raised high above his head. He smashed down with a punch, causing a large indentation in Abomination's chest.
Abomination counterattacked with both fists, but Homelander pinned his wrists.
"This is called a mouth blast! Hahaha!!"
Red light erupted from Homelander's eyes, and lasers sprayed out at point-blank range, shooting into Abomination's roaring mouth.
The beams poured into the oral cavity, melting his throat.
Abomination's mouth visibly turned crimson. First, his lips charred black, then his gums carbonized, and finally, the entire oral cavity was obscured by the brilliant red light.
The light seeped through the gaps at the corners of his mouth, making his entire face glow.
"Jie jie jie..."
Green landed on the wreckage, dug one hand into Abomination's eyeball, grabbed the inner bony edge of the socket, and pulled outward with all his might.
High-temperature scorching combined with the pulling force.
Abomination's head was ripped out directly by Green.
Puff!
The sound of the cervical vertebrae snapping was dull but clear. The head, connected to several thick vertebrae, was pulled out, swinging in the air and dripping meat juices melted by high heat, looking like a skinned snake.
The headless corpse was still twitching, but the brain that commanded it was in Green's hand.
[You have killed Abomination (Bronski)]
"As I thought, we are a perfect match, Green."
Homelander wiped the blood from his face and flicked it away, looking at Green with a smile, the red in the depths of his eyes not yet fully faded.
"There's one more."
Green looked toward Hulk.
Homelander followed his gaze.
Hulk stood up while clutching his chest. The burn wound was still smoking, the flesh rolled back to reveal the pink new meat underneath.
Having just crawled out of the ruins, he was still a bit dazed. How did that little brother, who seemed okay just a moment ago, die?
It was too fast.
He turned his eyes to look at the two killers standing in the firelight.
One red, one gold—two pairs of eyes watched him coldly.
"Your turn."
Green stepped forward, still carrying Abomination's head. Black blood mixed with brain matter, leaving a continuous trail of filth on the asphalt road.
Homelander immediately followed, unable to suppress the smile on his face. It had been a long time since he felt this refreshed.
This kind of unscrupulous combat, this feeling of not needing to pretend, made his entire being tremble with excitement.
"I don't need you. Go play."
Green said without looking back.
"OK, don't come back crying to me if you get your ass blasted. I'll only give you more."
Homelander didn't insist. He stopped and habitually smoothed his slicked-back hair, forgetting his hand was stained with blood. Smearing those black bloodstains onto his blond hair gave it a somewhat eerie hue.
His gaze scanned the ruins, looking for something.
People.
He wanted to save people.
What a great news headline: Homelander saves the day at the last moment, battling mutated monsters while not forgetting to rescue citizens trapped in danger.
He imagined tomorrow's press conference—the flashes, the praise from reporters, the admiring looks of the public...
Happily, he turned and walked toward the nearby ruins.
"Roar... Roar—"
Hulk let out a low growl. It wasn't as fierce as before, carrying a bit of hesitation and testing. He wanted to use the roar to force back the approaching figure.
But Green continued to walk toward him.
Running was impossible. Just do it!
Hulk indignantly pounded the ground and charged at Green with a roar.
Green threw Abomination's head directly at him. Hulksubconsciously swung a fist and sent his temporary teammate's head flying.
The two inhumanly strong bodies met in a few steps, punching simultaneously, fist to fist.
Buzz—
In that instant, the World went silent.
An invisible sonic wave of empty sound centered on the Impact point and spread frantically, as a physical ring of air blasted outward.
A visible circle of Impact exploded, shattering the air. No, the air was forcibly squeezed aside, creating a brief vacuum around the Impact point before being filled by an even more violent current of air.
Countless cracks burst open on the surrounding buildings. Those cracks climbed from the foundations to the rooftops, spreading from windows to load-bearing pillars. The entire building groaned and shook.
The wind swept up dust and ash, and even the helicopter watching from above was affected. Its fuselage wobbled, and the pilot desperately pulled the control stick to stabilize it.
Deep within the dust,
Hulk clutched his numbed arm and retreated several steps, a flash of alarm and doubt in his eyes.
Since his birth, anything around him would be destroyed if he wasn't careful. But this strange person in front of him...
So hard!
His strength was even greater than his own!
Green didn't care what he thought. He shook his similarly numbed hand and continued to follow with slow steps.
He had basically figured out his current body's combat strength relative to this World; he was at the upper-middle level of the Earth tier. Thus, there was no need to take hits head-on; he wasn't a machine.
Hulk gritted his teeth and threw another punch at his face.
Bang!
But that punch only hit an afterimage. Green tilted his head to dodge and then countered.
It was also a punch to the face.
Hulk's head snapped back, but he used his neck muscles to forcibly snap it back forward, nose bleeding.
"Come on, don't be shy. Kill me."
Green beckoned him with his hand, as if calling a dog.
Hulk roared and reached out with both hands to grab him.
Green was faster than him.
Stepping forward, he delivered a hand-blade strike straight into his throat bone.
Hulk coughed, his voice momentarily lost as gastric juices surged from deep in his throat to his mouth.
Green shifted from the strike into an elbow, an upward swing hitting his chin.
That elbow forced Hulk to swallow it back down. He retreated a few more steps, shaking his dizzy head.
He didn't understand. Why couldn't he hit the opponent?
Angry!
Very angry!!
However, as soon as his face contorted, Green knew he was about to power up.
"Getting hard again?"
With a flicker of his body, he stepped forward quickly.
"I'll beat you soft!!"
A high kick whipped against his left ear.
The intense vibration made Hulk's brain ring. Those emotions that were about to boil over were forcibly kicked back into chaos by this strike.
Hulk staggered, taking another step back.
Afterward, it was the same pattern: counterattack, failed counterattack, and constant retreat.
And Green's attacks became faster and faster.
He almost turned into a blurred shadow, using joint locks, meat-shredding strikes, continuous hits and parries, and horizontal elbow slashes. Every part of his body turned into a lethal weapon, venting upon Hulk.
The flesh on the front of Hulk's body visibly indented, rising and falling across his frame.
Finally, he stopped struggling altogether, dragged along the ground and sent flying by the force of the punches.
The wind tore through the air around them, and a golden light could be seen flickering within that figure, along with that grinning face.
"You're quite durable."
Green built up momentum, pulling back his right fist.
"Clench your damn teeth!!"
[Liberation Degree 75%] — Rider Punch!!!
In a split second, the surrounding dust was drawn in, rotating into a massive vortex. The grayish-yellow dust surged frantically with his punch's momentum, slamming into Hulk's abdomen along with the punch pressure.
Boom—
The exploding airwave formed a fan shape, gushing out from behind Hulk's protruding spine.
Parts of the building structures were blown away, as if a layer of skin had been forcibly scraped off the face of this block.
The force of the punch blew all the way to the end of the street.
The strength spent.
Green slowly pulled his blood-stained forearm out of Hulk's pierced abdomen. The black scales were covered in dark red shredded meat and blood clots, which dripped one by one from his elbow.
At the wound, blood and unknown bodily fluids mixed together, gushing out in a stream.
Hulk's eyes rolled back, and his massive body knelt on the ground, his knees smashing into the cracked asphalt and kicking up a small cloud of dust. As his body swayed and began to tilt forward—
Green grabbed him by the hair, forcibly holding up that massive head like a Beast hung on a hook.
Green leaned down, his gaze passing over Hulk's shoulder to land in the distance.
Betty was jumping down from a helicopter that hadn't fully landed. She landed on the ruins, staggering for two steps as her ankle clearly twisted. She frowned but didn't bother to check, desperately running toward them.
The wind blew her blond hair into a mess, and her skirt fluttered above her knees, revealing her calves wrapped in flesh-colored stockings.
Green's eyes lowered with a hint of cruel playfulness. Lids half-closed, he watched the figure running desperately in the distance, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint arc.
"I know, you might have seen something—a scene that made you angry, helpless, and terrified, wanting to erase that possibility."
"But I can tell you clearly, that wasn't a hallucination. It was real."
Hulk's limp fingers suddenly twitched.
"Do you know what Betty sacrificed to save you?"
"Hmm?"
"Jie jie jie..." Green laughed like the hoot of an owl.
"I will let Betty experience an ultimate bliss that you could never achieve."
Green watched the approaching Betty and whispered one last harsh sentence into Hulk's ear.
"She will lie on the bed where you two once snuggled, without a stitch of clothing."
"And die in happiness."
Chapter 89: The Next Battlefield
He let go and stepped aside. Hulk collapsed to the ground, his massive green physique beginning to shrink. Within seconds, only a naked man remained lying prone on the ground.
"Bruce! Bruce!!"
Betty rushed over and knelt by his side. Her knees struck the gravel, but she ignored the pain, turning him over before gasping sharply.
A hideous, bloody gash on his abdomen was exposed in the firelight. The flesh was mangled and charred at the edges, and one could faintly see his internal organs twitching inside.
She instinctively recoiled, sitting back on the ground and pushing herself away with her hands, only to bump against Green Morgan's leg.
"Don't worry. Theoretically, he isn't human, just a monster wearing a human skin. So, he won't die..."
Green Morgan had already returned to his normal form, his body naked.
His hand reached out and touched her face; it was a bit cold and slightly damp.
Betty looked up, glancing at the giant bird. Her pupils constricted slightly with a hint of fear, yet her tone remained firm.
"You are a monster, too."
Green Morgan's hand paused for a moment before he withdrew it.
"Heh, remember your promise..."
He chuckled and turned to walk away.
Betty turned back and lowered her eyes, quietly looking at Bruce Banner.
"You should stay away from him."
General Ross walked over and stood beside her, speaking in a heavy voice.
Betty did not look back.
"You know I love him, Father." Her voice was very soft, her gaze tender.
"If you love me, you should understand me."
"Nonsense."
General Ross was silent for a few seconds, then snorted and turned away.
"How did I end up with such a rebellious daughter?"
He waved to the medical staff behind him, signaling them to come forward. Carrying stretchers and medical kits, they jogged over.
With his back to her, General Ross sighed imperceptibly.
"Consider this for your sake, Betty. I'll keep this guy alive. As for you, you still haven't grown up."
However, he didn't notice that as Betty watched his retreating back, her expression was also complex.
"For your sake, Father, I am also willing to give my all."
The two stood back-to-back, each professing their silent love for the other.
Meanwhile, the third party—and the beneficiary—walked toward Homelander, who was carrying a child out of the ruins. He casually tore off Homelander's cape and wrapped it around his waist, using the Stars and Stripes as a pair of trunks.
"Hey!" Homelander cried out in dissatisfaction, still holding the dirty little child in his arms. "That's my second favorite cape!"
"They're all the same." Green Morgan glanced at him and leaned down to pick up his only possessions: that lighter and half a cigarette that hadn't gone out yet.
He stuck the cigarette in his mouth, smoke slowly drifting from his nostrils.
"It's an honor for it to cover my bird."
Homelander gave him a look of pure disgust and then looked down at the child in his arms, his expression instantly softening as he said gently:
"Let's go. We won't play with this weird uncle."
The child nodded timidly, small hands clutching Homelander's collar.
"Am I that old?"
Green Morgan rubbed his stubble. Yeah, it really was time for a trim. He'd been staying up late gaming recently, and his beard was growing too fast.
He looked up, his gaze sweeping across the ruins and landing on A-Train, who was half-kneeling on the ground, gasping for air.
A-Train had just moved every living person who hadn't escaped the block. He had no choice; the cameras were rolling. If he did nothing, he would surely be criticized.
"You, come here."
A-Train hadn't rested enough. Hearing that voice, his whole body stiffened. He slowly turned his head and pointed at himself.
"M-Me?"
His voice held a hint of caution. He had to be careful; this freak seemed even more cruel than Homelander and had no inhibitions whatsoever.
He was certain the man knew there were survivors here, but for the sake of winning, this man didn't care how much collateral damage there was.
"Is there a second flashy-dressed black guy here?"
"It's premium Electric Blue... I actually like this color scheme..."
A-Train muttered softly, his feet moving compliantly. Clutching his chest, he staggered over to Green Morgan.
Green Morgan whispered a few words in his ear.
As A-Train listened, his gaze drifted over Green Morgan's shoulder to the naked man being carried away on a stretcher in the distance.
He nodded to show he understood.
"Get it done, and you'll get to retire safely for a while. You'll have the best medical team perform your heart transplant." Green Morgan brushed the ash off his chest.
Hearing this, A-Train's pupils shrank, a flash of terror in his eyes.
"What are you talking about, man?" He forced a fake smile.
"I'm not that close to you, don't call me that. And this is an order, not a request," Green Morgan said flatly.
A-Train's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
"...Understood."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he ignored the strain on his body, turned, and bolted, leaving a trail of dried sweat. The cold sweat on his back evaporated instantly during the high-speed movement.
He felt that standing next to this man, he had no secrets. How did he know about his medical history?!
"Were you lying inside having a wank? Did you treat my fight like a movie?"
Green Morgan withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Tony Stark, who was emerging from a gap in the building.
The gold-and-red armor walked slowly, its left arm hanging somewhat unnaturally. The faceplate flipped up, revealing Tony's mustachioed face.
As he walked, he pressed his left arm and hissed in pain.
"You really have a poisonous tongue." Tony walked to his side and leaned against an overturned car.
"Even if others think I'm heartless, I think you're even more heartless than me."
He stretched his shoulder slightly.
"I think I have a fracture. Pepper's going to nag me again when I get back."
"All I hear is a bragging tone."
"Maybe you should find one too, someone who truly understands you."
Tony smiled, his expression a bit mischievous.
"I found some. A whole group."
"Heh." Tony raised an eyebrow, his mustache twitching as the corners of his mouth curled up.
"How was that female Agent from the phone call last time? Pretty good, right?"
"The wine was good." Green Morgan narrowed his eyes as if reminiscing. "Very strong."
"What?"
"The experience was good."
"Hey..." Tony laughed, his shoulders shaking. "Top-tier, huh?"
He looked Green Morgan up and down.
"Female Agents are hard to handle. If you managed to get her, I'm impressed."
"I'm just well-equipped and skilled." Green Morgan made no effort to hide his strengths.
"Don't get squeezed dry." Tony glanced at him, his tone carrying a hint of envy—no, it was pure jealousy.
"There's plenty more where that came from." Green Morgan exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Enough to go around."
"Good luck with that." Tony sighed.
"I can't even satisfy Pepper. I nearly broke her the other day," he said with lingering fear.
"Is that so?" Green Morgan remembered her being quite well-behaved. She was very patient when learning about his'strengths' and communicated a lot; it was just that her blonde hair tickled a bit when she lay on his chest.
"Go for a few drinks?" Tony patted his shoulder.
"My treat. Pepper's been mentioning you lately, even said she wanted to use your surname for a future child's name."
"I agreed, too."
"I'm honored, though for her, it might be a misfortune."
Green Morgan flicked the cigarette butt into the ruins. The tiny red light traced an arc through the air before falling into the burning wreckage.
"Forget it, urgent mission." He walked toward the shadows.
"So busy? Which chick is it this time?" Tony shouted from behind, his voice teasing.
"Saving the World, I guess."
Chapter 90: The Mantis and the Oriole
"Tch, like I'd believe you."
Tony waved his hand. He paused mid-air, feeling a bit of belief in his heart, but then dismissed it again.
Who could say it so casually, like they were just going for a joyride? Maybe it was another one of this guy's puns.
"Did he hook up with some high-ranking female figure from another country?"
As he was thinking, a black SUV slowly approached, interrupting his train of thought.
The headlights cut two white beams through the night, and the engine hummed as it stopped at the edge of the ruins. On the door, that familiar eagle emblem flickered in the firelight—S.H.I.E.L.D.
The door opened, and a bald man stepped out, wearing his signature beige trench coat with a gentle smile on his face.
"You guys always love showing up after dark and calling it a 'covert operation,' don't you?" Tony said.
Coulson walked to his side and glanced at the surrounding ruins.
"Just here to clean up. Believe me, I didn't want to miss a wonderful cello performance either."
[Note: Coulson's girlfriend is the cellist Audrey Nathan. In Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1, Episode 19, the timeline is after Avengers 1.]
"Do you get overtime pay? Or do they just give you a few more packs of cocoa gummies?"
"Soon."
Coulson didn't get angry at his sarcasm; he still smiled gently and headed toward General Ross.
"What a nice guy," Tony muttered to himself as he watched him walk away. It felt pretty good; after bickering with a mean guy, switching to Coulson felt like the difficulty level had suddenly dropped.
Someone's presence had attracted something, which crawled out from the shadows after he left.
"Sir, please look over this agreement and sign it."
Just then, a soldier appeared abruptly.
It was as if he had seeped out from the shadows of the ruins; one second there was no one there, and the next he was standing there like a mushroom growing in the night.
His cap was pulled low, covering most of his face, and his arm was extended, holding a document at chest height.
"Talk to my executive assistant about these things."
Tony didn't like taking things from people's hands. His mask snapped shut, and he immediately took off into the sky.
The soldier stood rooted to the spot, slowly raising his head. Beneath the brim of his cap, an ordinary face was revealed.
Four-eyes. The eyeballs behind the lenses moved slowly—not the smooth movement a human eye should have, but a jerky, mechanical rotation.
He watched Tony leave with a wooden expression.
"Failed. He did not 'accept' me."
Beside the ruins of the iron monger.
A female corpse lay prone on the ground, limbs splayed, face turned to the side. Her eyes were open, pupils dilated, reflecting the flickering flames in the distance.
"It wasn't a failure. Our target was always only him. Don't be too reckless; if he finds out, we'll die."
Her pale lips suddenly twitched open, as if she were talking to herself or communicating with someone.
Not far away on the ground was a pool of blood, deep red and still warm minutes after leaving the body.
"Now, his remains... found."
On the other side, Betty stood by the ambulance, watching Bruce Banner on the stretcher being slowly pushed into the vehicle.
The doors slowly closed like a sluice gate, completely separating her from that familiar figure.
"Can't you tell me where you're taking him?" She turned to look at General Ross beside her.
General Ross didn't respond. He stood there, his shoulder straps glinting coldly under the streetlights, wearing that same stern expression she had seen since childhood.
He raised his hand halfway, wanting to pat Betty's shoulder, but stopped just before touching her and pulled it back, clasping it behind his waist.
"You've had enough of a scare tonight. Go back and rest early," he said in a deep voice, his gaze falling into the distance.
"Go with them."
Betty lowered her eyes and nodded.
"Understood."
She turned and walked toward a black car parked to the side. At the open rear door, she paused and turned back, looking at the starting ambulance with a complex expression.
"I hope you can keep your promise, Mr. Green."
Her agreement with Green also included Bruce Bannersuccessfully escaping General Ross's control and regaining his freedom. But Green was nowhere to be found, having vanished without a trace after the battle ended.
But she could only trust that man, even if... she wasn't ready to fulfill her end of the promise.
Betty lowered her dim eyes and bent down to sit in the car.
The moment the door closed, she suddenly realized that perhaps from the moment she agreed, she had lost her longing for love.
Like a rotten apple, it still looked fresh on the surface, but a bite revealed only bitterness.
The car started, its headlights moving in the opposite direction of the ambulance's taillights, getting further and further away.
The ambulance drove away from the city, heading toward a remote harbor.
Whether out of selfishness or the pressure from the politicians surrounding him, General Ross couldn't allow a human weapon with such low self-control like Bruce Banner to remain in a densely populated city.
Therefore, he would be shipped to a deserted island for imprisonment—far from people, far from the media, and far from all variables that could trigger a disaster.
The convoy was escorted by five military vehicles, surrounding the ambulance from all sides, transporting this extremely dangerous cargo.
They were a few blocks away from the transfer point, passing through a quiet tunnel.
*Pfft.*
Almost simultaneously, the windows of several cars were splashed with paint—red and thick, pouring down from above and covering the windshields.
At the same time, the red dots on the surveillance cameras in every corner of the surrounding buildings went out.
The vehicles braked hard, tires screeching on the ground.
"Enemy attack!"
"Stay alert! Don't get out of the car!"
"We need visibility!"
"Report to headquarters, now!"
"The signal is jammed! We've lost contact with the rear vehicle too!"
The people inside the cars quickly checked their situation. There was only static on the walkie-talkies, the communication lights on the dashboard were all out, and even the car radio only emitted a hissing sound.
The best option was still to get out of the car, provide cover for each other, and locate the enemy.
The rear doors popped open simultaneously. A squad rolled down the windows to provide cover, pointing their guns in all directions, fingers on triggers, breathing low.
"Watch out for snipers."
Everyone quickly dispersed into positions, two by two, back-to-back, covering each other's blind spots.
The two men in the very front raised riot shields, the transparent surfaces glinting under the tunnel lights.
"Copy that!"
"Advance toward the ambulance!"
The dozen or so men didn't speak; they communicated with hand signals and glances, moving forward in a coordinated manner.
Suddenly,
*Whiz—*
A sharp whistle of wind, like the sonic boom of something moving at high speed.
The sound came too fast—so fast that before their eardrums could catch it, the air began to vibrate.
By the time everyone reacted, oxygen masks had already been placed on their faces.
They weren't "put on"; they "appeared." That speed was so fast it was invisible, giving these well-trained soldiers no chance to even blink.
Transparent masks clamped onto their faces, tightly covering their noses and mouths. Then, anesthetic gas sprayed out.
Before they could notice, they inhaled it.
Their bodies went limp, and they collapsed instantly, guns clattering to the ground.
It could only be said that no matter how professional one's skills were, they would suffer when facing the "instant-kill" ability of a Speedster—especially since they were just ordinary people.
"Phew—done! Easy!"
A-Train, having come to a halt, carried a backpack and struck a proud victory pose, hands on hips, chin slightly raised.
Then he remembered someone's cold, golden dragon pupils, shuddered, and ran toward the ambulance without daring to delay.
His figure blurred, and with a *whiz*,
The car door was flung open, clanging against the vehicle body.
The panicked medical staff and accompanying soldiers inside didn't even have time to draw their guns before they received the same treatment as those outside and fainted.
"Target confirmed." A-Train walked to the stretcher and looked down at that lifeless face, clicking his tongue.
"I don't know how a wimp who looks this pathetic can turn into that big green guy and still get girls."
While complaining, he unlatched the stretcher's locking mechanism and casually pulled the medical lines off Bruce. Then, he gave the stretcher a push.
Bruce's body slid out of the vehicle with the stretcher, hitting the ground with a thud.
"So slow. I'm still waiting to go fuck my dark chocolate beauties."
A-Train looked at his watch impatiently, then glanced toward the end of the tunnel.
He plopped down on Bruce's body and crossed his legs.
The task Green had given him was simple: take care of these people and wait for the team sent by Vought Company to take over.
At the end of the tunnel, two headlights lit up.
A small truck drove up slowly. The headlights grew closer, blinding A-Train a bit. He raised a hand to shield his eyes.
The truck stopped, and the driver's door opened.
A blurred, sturdy figure jumped down and walked over. The lights were too bright to see his face, only a silhouette: broad shoulders, a straight back, and... a shield on his right arm?
A-Train squinted, looking at the newcomer through the gaps in his fingers.
"You're slower than expected, you bastard," he shouted unhappily.
"Don't you want—"
Before he could finish,
A shadow lunged forward fiercely, and the shield smashed directly into his face.
Under the heavy blow, A-Train's brain exploded with a roar, his eyes rolled back, and saliva sprayed from the corner of his mouth. He collapsed sideways, his head hitting the hard ground.
In the hazy light, he saw blood dripping from the back of the truck, forming a small pool on the concrete.
"There's a third party... who is it?"
He forced his eyes to roll up and look at the person.
Blond hair, a strangely familiar face—he seemed to have seen him somewhere before?
"Don't... I surrender... I surrender..."
A-Train shouted through his dizzy brain. His voice was intermittent, squeezed out of his crooked mouth, blood flowing from the corner.
"You take him... I didn't see anything..."
The person didn't stop, nor did he speak.
He unstrapped the shield, straddled A-Train, and knelt over him.
The shield was raised and smashed down, then raised and smashed down again. Blood splattered onto his icy blue eyes, running down his eyelids and leaving red streaks on his face.
He didn't stop until A-Train was completely still.
Inside the tunnel, only the flashing hazard lights and the man's slightly heavy breathing remained.
"Trash."