Chapter 290: Hulk Becomes a Cat
"He probably ran into a pretty girl," Silas remarked. Just as he finished speaking, the Hulk came crashing down in front of them.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
"ROAR!" Hulk beat his chest ostentatiously, then opened his maw wide to roar at the enemies before him.
"Okay, big guy. Did you eat garlic for breakfast?" Tony quipped, wrinkling his nose behind his faceplate.
Boom!
Hulk suddenly threw a punch, sending an unprepared Tony flying. Tony shot out like a cannonball, smashing through several buildings in a row.
"Didn't you see he's in a bad mood?" Silas shouted toward the direction Tony had vanished.
"ROAR!" After knocking Tony away, Hulk spun back and swung his massive fist at Silas.
Silas didn't flinch. He extended his own fist, and the two—one giant and one relatively small—clashed head-on.
Boom!
A shockwave erupted from the point of impact, rippling outward. Cars parked on the street began to shudder violently. The windows of the surrounding buildings shattered instantly, raining countless shards onto the pavement.
"Hmm?" Hulk tilted his head in confusion. This puny person had actually intercepted his punch.
"Put some back into it, Hulk!" Silas leaped lightly, appearing right in front of Hulk's face, and delivered a swift kick.
Bang!
Hulk followed Tony's trajectory, flying backward and smashing through several small houses. Dust and debris filled the air, clouding the area.
Crash!
Tony reappeared beside Silas, but this time, he was wearing the Hulkbuster armor.
"What have you been eating lately? Your strength has jumped significantly," Tony said, watching the fallen Hulk with genuine shock.
Seeing the Hulkbuster, Silas thought to himself that he ought to build one for fun someday. Even though he was strong enough on his own, a man can still have a dream of piloting a giant robot. Mechs are a man's romance!
Swoosh!
A car came flying from the direction of the ruins. Silas casually waved a hand, and the car was redirected away. The telekinetic power of the Rooster Talisman grew stronger alongside its user, though it still had its limits. For example, if it clashed with Wanda's Chaos Magic, it would likely be crushed.
However, Silas could currently outmatch Wanda, as she hadn't mastered her powers yet. Only when she became proficient with her Chaos Magic would she be able to overpower Silas's current telekinetic strength.
"You're getting quite the bag of tricks," Tony noted.
"I'm okay. I know a little of everything." Silas was prepared to help Tony subdue the Hulk, but he suddenly had an idea. He turned to Tony and said, "I'll leave this one to you."
"What? I mean, I can handle it, I have the Hulkbuster after all," Tony said, though he was inwardly hesitant. Everyone knew Hulk's true strength, and he wasn't sure the armor would hold up. But Tony was stubborn; he wasn't about to ask Silas for help.
Silas nodded. As the Hulk crawled out of the rubble and charged toward them, Silas raised his right hand and fired a green beam of energy into the giant's chest.
Hulk skidded to a stop and patted his chest. Nothing seemed to happen. Tony was also confused—why did Silas's attack have no effect?
Suddenly, Hulk's body began to shrink rapidly. In seconds, he turned into a tiny kitten the size of a regular pet—only with green fur.
"Oh... how cute," Tony said, staring at the green kitten.
"This way, he'll cause less damage. I'm taking off," Silas said. He opened a Shadow Portal and vanished.
"Well, this should be easy." Tony controlled the Veronica armor to crouch down. "Come here, cute little green baby."
"Grrr..." The Hulk-kitten let out a low growl, like the calm before a storm.
Tony didn't take it seriously. Just as he reached out to scoop up the green baby and evacuate:
"MEOW!" The Hulk-kitten let out a piercing, screeching meow and delivered a "kitty punch" to the Hulkbuster.
Clang!
The Hulkbuster was sent flying instantly, landing on a car and crushing the engine block flat.
"Okay... so he's still a Hulk," Tony said, standing back up. He hadn't expected the cat to retain the giant's full strength. Can you imagine a tiny kitten knocking back the Hulkbuster?
Tony braced himself and began to fight the "kitten." He soon realized that while city damage was reduced, catching the Hulk was now a nightmare. The Hulk was now the size of a cat, and the Veronica armor was designed for a target the size of a house.
"I'm starting to hate cats..." Tony muttered.
South Korea
Silas arrived in Seoul, looking down at the cityscape below.
"Alpha, how are you feeling?" Silas called out his AI.
"I feel excellent, sir." This was Alpha's first time being exposed to the world's internet. Previously, Alpha had been isolated, communicating only via Silas's private channel. Now, he had finally entered the real digital world.
The moment Alpha entered the web, another entity contacted him immediately: Ultron.
"Look at this. How interesting. I didn't expect another fellow hiding here," Ultron's voice appeared in their frequency.
"Are you surprised?" Silas smiled.
"Destiny of the Avengers. I know you. You are the second most annoying person I know, right after Stark," Ultron said.
"I'm honored that you remember me." Silas locked onto Ultron's current physical location.
"I advise you not to do that," Ultron said, guessing Silas's intent.
"Sorry, I tend to be a bit impulsive." Silas leaped from the high altitude, diving toward the laboratory where Ultron was located.
Inside, Ultron suddenly stood up and reached for the Scepter nearby. A sound came from above.
Crash!
"Ah!" Dr. Cho, standing next to Ultron, screamed.
Silas landed right in front of him. "You know, this turtle shell of yours is pretty tough."
"I hate you," Ultron said, raising his hand to fire a pulse blast.
Silas dodged the blast, then used his telekinesis to pin Ultron in place—though it was a struggle against the robot's thrusters.
"You know, peace is never achieved through words alone," Ultron said, his thrusters revving up to full power.
"But it's not something you're allowed to achieve your way," Silas replied. He was already beside Ultron. He snatched the Scepter away and kicked the robot across the room.
"The Mind Stone." Silas held the Scepter aloft, staring at the glowing gem. This was his true goal.
"Return the Scepter to me!" Ultron commanded. The surrounding robots swarmed forward.
"Calling for backup?" Silas's lips curled into a smirk. "I can do that too. Come forth! My Shadow Ninja Corps!"
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