The air in the training room was still thick with the residue of Bruce Banner's transformation. With a sound like a wet sail ripping in a gale, Bruce's high-end button-down shirt was reduced to confetti. This was, quite frankly, becoming a logistical nightmare.
Every time Bruce "went green," he essentially burned a hundred dollars in wardrobe costs. If he kept this up, he'd be the world's most brilliant scientist living in a barrel.
Huang Wen watched the transformation with a hand on his chin, looking more like a concerned tailor than a martial arts grandmaster. Does the Fantastic Four exist in this version of the world? he wondered. If Reed Richards was out there somewhere, maybe he could borrow some of that "unstable molecule" fabric. But then a thought struck him.
Wait a second. Bruce has seven PhDs. He's a god-tier genius in nuclear physics and biology. Why hasn't he just sat down and engineered a pair of elastic boxers yet? Is it possible that even the smartest man on Earth has a weird, subconscious streak of exhibitionism? Or is he just that distracted by the threat of global destruction?
"Roar!"
The Hulk's voice shattered Huang Wen's internal monologue. The massive, green wall of muscle loomed over him, his breath smelling faintly of the apples he'd eaten earlier. Hulk wasn't interested in the nuances of textile engineering.
"Hulk... want... fruit!" the giant rumbled, his voice vibrating in Huang Wen's chest.
Huang Wen didn't flinch. In a blur of movement, he activated a spatial displacement technique he'd been perfecting. In the blink of an eye, the clean, modern training hall vanished. They were suddenly standing in the middle of a collapsed, subterranean ruin—the remains of the control room near Lake Alkali. Jagged slabs of reinforced concrete hung from the ceiling by rusted rebar, and the floor was a treacherous carpet of sharp stones and broken glass.
The sudden shift in scenery caught the Hulk off guard. He stumbled back, his massive feet crunching through a computer console. He bared his teeth, his emerald eyes darting around the shadows. "Hulk... no like! Tiny man! Give fruit! Go home!"
Huang Wen crossed his arms, standing perfectly still amidst the wreckage. "Banner respects me, so I'll give you a pass for that 'tiny man' comment once. But let's get one thing straight, Big Guy: the free lunch is over. You want the premium fruit? You want the stuff that actually tastes like something? You have to earn it. You're going to practice boxing with me."
Hulk tilted his massive head, a look of genuine confusion crossing his face. He looked at his own fists—each the size of a prize-winning ham—and then at Huang Wen's slender arms. "Banner... teacher... not Hulk teacher. Hulk strong. Hulk smash. You... you are like a twig. Hulk no learn from twig!"
Huang Wen let out a soft laugh. This was the infancy stage of the Hulk. He was raw, he was reactionary, and most importantly, his "Rage Meter" hadn't been pushed to the point of infinite strength yet. This was the perfect window to instill some discipline before he became truly unstoppable.
"Is that so?" Huang Wen's eyes flashed with a competitive glint. "Tell you what. Let's play a game. If you can knock me back even one single step—just one—I'll let you quit. I'll even give you a crate of the best peaches you've ever tasted, no questions asked. But... if you can't move me? If I'm still standing exactly where I am after you hit me? Then you're my student. And you do exactly what I say. Deal? Or is the 'Incredible' Hulk actually just a 'Scared' Hulk?"
"HULK IS FEARLESS!" the giant bellowed, the sound waves rattling the loose stones on the floor.
He didn't wait for a countdown. Hulk lunged forward, his massive fist whistling through the air like a falling boulder. He was actually holding back a bit—a lingering whisper from Bruce Banner's subconscious telling him not to kill the only person who had been kind to them lately.
Bang!
Huang Wen didn't dodge. He stood his ground, his skin suddenly taking on a dull, metallic gold sheen. The Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill hummed through his meridians. When the Hulk's fist connected with Huang Wen's chest, it didn't feel like hitting a man. It felt like hitting the core of a mountain.
Huang Wen didn't budge. Not an inch. Instead, he leaned into the impact, stepped forward with his trailing leg, and drove a short, crisp palm strike into the center of the Hulk's solar plexus. It wasn't a "smash," but a concentrated burst of internal energy.
Hulk's eyes widened as he was sent staggering back three steps, his heels digging deep furrows into the debris. He stared at his chest, then at Huang Wen, a look of wounded pride on his face. He wasn't hurt, but he was profoundly embarrassed. He had just called this man a twig, and the twig had just shoved him.
"You... you cheat!" Hulk roared, his face turning a darker shade of green. "Hulk jump! Hulk CRUSH!"
He leaped into the air, using the low ceiling to propel himself downward with double the force. He brought both fists down in a hammer-blow that would have pancaked an armored personnel carrier.
Huang Wen took a deep breath, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit aligning in perfect harmony. His combat power surged past the 3,000-point mark. He met the Hulk's descent with an upward double-block, his feet braced against the earth.
BOOM!
The shockwave blew the dust out of the room. The concrete floor beneath Huang Wen's feet disintegrated, spider-webbing outward for ten meters. But Huang Wen himself remained upright, his golden skin shimmering through the debris.
Impressive, Huang Wen thought, his muscles straining. He's only been 'alive' for a short time, yet his raw output is already pushing the limits of my Vajra form. If I let him get truly angry, he'll eventually brute-force his way through my defense. Time to switch from power to technique.
"Round three, Big Guy," Huang Wen challenged, a smirk playing on his lips.
Hulk pounced again, swinging wildly. This time, Huang Wen wasn't there to be hit. He melted away like a shadow, his hand reaching out to catch the Hulk's massive wrist. Using the giant's own momentum, Huang Wen stepped into the Hulk's personal space, swept his leg across the giant's ankle, and gave a sharp tug.
The Hulk, caught mid-charge, found himself horizontal. He hit the ground with a bone-shaking thud, sliding through a pile of bricks. He scrambled to his feet, panting, his eyes burning with a mix of fury and confusion. Every time he tried to use his strength, it felt like it was being turned against him.
"I've knocked you down three times now," Huang Wen said, his voice echoing in the ruined chamber. "And I haven't moved an inch from my starting position. Are we done? Or are you going to keep acting like a sore loser who can't admit when he's been outclassed?"
"Hulk... Hulk NO LOSE!" the giant screamed, but he didn't attack. He stood there, his fists clenched, vibrating with a rage that had nowhere to go.
"Oh? You didn't lose?" Huang Wen asked, raising an eyebrow. "I seem to remember your backside hitting the dirt three times. I also remember saying that if you couldn't move me, you'd have to listen. My feet are still in the same spot, Hulk. Look down."
Hulk looked at the floor. Huang Wen was standing in the exact center of the crater he had made. He hadn't retreated a single centimeter.
The giant's shoulders slumped. His rage began to ebb, replaced by a childish pout. Suddenly, his massive frame began to ripple and shrink. The green receded, the muscles withered, and a few seconds later, a shivering, half-naked Bruce Banner was sitting in the rubble.
"Teacher... you really shouldn't push him like that," Bruce wheezed, rubbing his temples. "I was in there, trying to keep him from blowing a fuse. If he'd gone into a full-blown berserker rage, this whole mountain would have come down on us."
"He needs to know there's a ceiling, Bruce," Huang Wen said, walking over and offering him a hand. "If he thinks he's the strongest there is, he'll never grow. He'll just be a blunt instrument. Tell him for me: if he wants to be a 'coward' who loses and then hides, fine. But cowards don't get peaches. Cowards don't get to be heroes. And cowards definitely don't get to protect Betty."
As if on cue, the green tint flickered back into Bruce's eyes for a split second. The Hulk wasn't coming out, but he was listening.
"He... he says he's not a coward," Bruce translated, a small smile appearing on his face. "And he says that if martial arts will make him 'Smash Better,' then he'll do it. But he wants the fruit before the next lesson."
Huang Wen laughed, reaching into his spatial storage and pulling out a perfectly ripe, glowing red apple. He tossed it to Bruce. "Deal. Tell him we start with the basics tomorrow. If he masters the Horse Stance, I'll get him a whole orchard."