[Item: Red Mushroom (Eat it to get bigger)]
That was the magical little trinket Darren had picked up a while ago.
And when he saw Peter about to be flattened like a pancake, he didn't hesitate for a second.
He popped the mushroom straight into his mouth.
In the blink of an eye, his entire body expanded—muscles swelling, bones stretching, clothes somehow keeping up with him as his height doubled. In seconds, Darren towered over the Hulk by a full head!
All his stats skyrocketed. Strength, defense, stamina—every bar maxed out.
Now he could actually stop the Hulk's punch with his bare hand.
(And, for the record, his clothes growing with him? Totally part of the magic. Unlike the Hulk, who kept destroying his wardrobe until all that was left was one very stubborn pair of purple shorts.)
The Hulk blinked up at him, momentarily confused—
Then, as always, rage swallowed everything else.
"RRRAAAHHHH!!"
He roared, winding back his titanic fist and swinging it with the force of a meteor.
Darren grinned. "Perfect."
He threw his own punch to meet it head-on.
BOOOOM!
Two colossal fists collided with an earth-shaking crack.
The impact blasted a shockwave through the library, flipping tables and sending Peter flying backward into a pile of collapsed shelves.
For a brief moment, the two giants were locked in stalemate, muscles trembling, dust swirling around them like a hurricane.
Darren leaned closer, voice steady even as his arms strained against Hulk's brute force.
"Calm down, big guy! I'm here to help you!"
"RRRRAAAHHHH!!"
The Hulk clearly didn't have "reasoning" installed in his mental software.
He pulled back for another punch—
But Darren was faster.
"Muay Thai Warning!"
He lunged forward, pivoted on his heel, and drove an elbow straight into the Hulk's jaw.
THUD!
The sound was like a cannon going off inside a drum.
The Hulk's massive body launched backward, crashing through several bookcases before slamming into the far wall.
The shelves exploded, pages fluttered through the air like snow, and half the library disappeared under debris.
Peter, buried under an avalanche of encyclopedias, poked his head out, coughing.
He stared at the giant standing tall in the settling dust.
"…This guy's a PE teacher? What the hell kind of curriculum is this!?"
"RRRAAAHHHH!!"
The Hulk erupted from the wreckage, even angrier than before. His glowing eyes locked on Darren with pure, animal fury.
Then he charged again.
The floor shattered under every step.
Darren sidestepped smoothly, swept his right leg around, and kicked the back of the Hulk's knee.
WHACK!
The green giant stumbled, momentum faltering.
In one seamless motion, Darren stepped in—
and delivered a devastating knee strike to the chest.
"OOF!"
The Hulk grunted, air exploding from his lungs. His body arched upward, exposing his back.
That's when Darren brought his elbow down—like an axe falling on a tree trunk.
CRACK!
The Hulk hit the ground with a thunderous crash, floor tiles fracturing beneath his bulk. Dust rose in waves.
For all his overwhelming power, Hulk's technique was almost nonexistent.
And in equal size and weight, technique made the difference.
Before the monster could recover, Darren pinned him down—one knee on his back, one arm locking his neck in a chokehold.
"RRRHHHH!!!"
The Hulk thrashed, punching, clawing, smashing the floor. Each hit left a crater. But Darren's grip only tightened, each motion precise, cutting off leverage and keeping the beast firmly restrained.
"Relax, Hulk," Darren said calmly. "Feeling dizzy is perfectly normal."
Peter finally regained his footing and sprinted over, throwing his weight onto Hulk's arm to help pin him.
Together, they held him down.
Gradually, the rage in Hulk's eyes flickered, dimmed, and softened.
His massive body began to shrink, muscles deflating, skin paling—until, at last, the monster was gone.
And lying on the ground in his place was Bruce Banner.
Darren exhaled. "Timing couldn't have been better."
Right on cue, his own size began to shrink back to normal.
The mushroom's effect wore off in about ten minutes—and just in time.
Had he waited any longer, Hulk's rage might have climbed back up, and then things would've turned ugly again.
Peter stared at him, eyes wide with admiration. "That was… awesome! Is that your superpower?"
Darren chuckled. "Nah. I just took some performance enhancers. Temporary buff."
Peter tilted his head. "Oh… like caffeine?"
"Kind of." Darren grinned and rummaged through his inventory. "Actually, I've got something for you too."
He pulled out a small, blue pill and tossed it over.
"When you feel weak, tired, or just… not in your best shape—pop that one. Instant boost of energy. Guaranteed results."
Peter caught it, blinking. "A secret weapon for emergencies… Got it."
Darren gave him a thumbs-up. "You get it, kid."
Meanwhile, Bruce stirred. His eyes fluttered open, confusion clouding his face.
"Wha… what happened?"
Darren crouched beside him. "Morning, sunshine."
Bruce blinked, panic flashing in his eyes. "Who are you?"
"Darren," he said simply. "I'm here to get you out of here."
"Out? Wait—you mean Hulk didn't escape?" Bruce looked around, shocked to still be inside the school. "Did Ross's men… beat him?"
"Oh no." Darren smiled modestly. "I did."
Bruce just stared at him, speechless.
He knew how unstoppable the Hulk was. The idea that anyone—not even a full military battalion—could subdue him sounded insane.
And yet… here they were.
"Thank you," Bruce finally said quietly. "If you hadn't stopped him, a lot of people would've died."
"Don't mention it." Darren waved him off. "Let's talk gratitude once we're out of this mess."
"Uh, guys?" Peter piped up nervously. "Hate to ruin the moment, but the army's got the school surrounded. If you plan to leave, it's gonna be tricky."
Darren's lips curled into a confident smirk. "Don't worry. I know a shortcut."
…
Ten minutes later.
A kilometer away from Midtown High, two figures climbed out of a tunnel opening in a quiet back alley.
Bruce stared at the hole they'd just crawled through, eyes wide. "That pickaxe of yours is incredible."
Darren patted the diamond pickaxe affectionately. "Thanks, but let's be honest—your Hulk's way more impressive."
He looked Bruce up and down, expression thoughtful. "Though, seriously, where does all that extra mass even come from when you transform? Photosynthesis? You are pretty green, after all."
Bruce gave him a helpless look. "…I honestly have no idea."
Darren grinned. "Don't worry. If it ever turns out you run on sunlight, I'll get you a nice patch of turf and a lawn sprinkler."
Bruce sighed. "You're not helping."
Darren chuckled. "Oh, but I am. I just saved you—and gave the world's angriest lawn ornament a nap."