"ROAAAR—!!!"
Hulk's rage detonated instantly.
He spun around, eyes flooding red, locking onto the gold-and-crimson tin can hovering in midair.
"METAL MAN!! DIE!!!"
With a thunderous roar, Hulk kicked off the ground like a human cannonball, launching himself straight at Tony.
But Tony had clearly planned for this.
"Thrusters—full power! Lateral maneuver!"
Auxiliary fins snapped open on the Mark 43's back, engines flaring with blinding blue light as the armor jerked sideways in a razor-sharp turn.
"WHOOSH—!"
Hulk's massive fist swept past the armor by inches.
And in that split second—
Tony didn't pull away.
Instead, his wrist flicked.
A syringe filled with glowing green liquid popped out from a concealed compartment in his gauntlet.
"Time for your meds, big baby!"
Catching Hulk right as he roared and opened his mouth—
"POP!"
Tony fired the injector straight into Hulk's mouth.
Hulk, mid-rage and mid-roar, suddenly felt something unfamiliar jam into his throat. Instinctively, he bit down.
"CRACK!"
The glass shattered instantly.
The green serum poured straight down his throat.
"PTUH! PTUH!"
Hulk landed hard, spitting shards of broken glass onto the pavement. He wiped his mouth, fury escalating.
Metal Man not only hit Hulk—
Metal Man fed Hulk glass.
Hulk howled and took a step forward, ready to smash that walking soda can flat.
Then—
He froze.
As if someone had slammed a pause button.
A choking, drowning gurgle bubbled from Hulk's throat.
His pupils shrank violently. Beneath his dark green skin, veins bulged and writhed like living serpents, glowing with an eerie neon green light.
Tony hovered calmly above, faceplate sliding open as he flashed a victorious grin toward Antony.
"Didn't you say something earlier, Homelander?" Tony called out smugly.
"About protecting everyone?"
He pointed at Hulk's convulsing body.
"Then let's see if your strength is enough to contain a Hulk like this."
"Shit…"
Antony cursed under his breath.
That was T-VEX.
Talk about karma coming back around.
"GRAAAAAAAHHHHHH——!!!"
A scream that shook the skyline.
Hulk mutated.
"SSSSSS—!"
White steam poured off his skin.
His already massive frame began to swell like an overinflated balloon, bones cracking and popping as they expanded.
Three meters… four… five—
No pupils.
Only white.
Only destruction.
BOOM!!
One colossal foot slammed into the ground.
That single step collapsed Park Avenue into a twenty-meter-wide crater. Windows across surrounding buildings exploded simultaneously, and parked cars were hurled into the air like toys.
"My God…"
Jessica instinctively took a step back, heart pounding.
"What is that thing?" Angelica's flames dimmed slightly, heat flickering uncertainly around her.
Robbie swallowed hard, legs shaking.
"So… uh… hypothetically," he muttered, "if I gave up my overtime pay right now, could I clock out early?"
The Avengers clearly knew what was coming.
The moment Hulk locked up, they'd already retreated two full city blocks.
For the first time, Antony's expression turned genuinely serious.
Not because he feared losing.
But because he feared the aftermath.
This was New York—his first stronghold, his first voter base.
Those fans.
Those screaming girls holding banners.
They'd be turned into red paste if this continued.
And Antony was nothing if not fan-friendly.
He pressed his earpiece, speaking rapidly.
"Ashley!"
"I'm here, sir!" Ashley replied crisply.
"Emergency mobilization—deploy every Hummingbird drone we have. All of them. Immediately."
"Target location: Jamaica Bay Park."
"And I want numbers. A lot of them. Five hundred—no, a thousand!"
"That green brute's state is unstable. This fight's going to be rough, and I refuse to let the world miss my heroic close-ups just because some drones got smashed."
"Understood, sir! One thousand Hummingbirds rerouting now!" Ashley reported excitedly.
"And sir—good news."
"Vought Tech's latest SkyEye-II high-speed cameras are already installed on the drones."
"They can capture crystal-clear footage at up to Mach 5, with enhanced stabilization and impact resistance."
"Excellent."
Antony smiled, thoroughly satisfied, and cut the line.
"Hrrr… hrrr…"
Hulk's transformation was nearly complete.
Now standing close to six meters tall, each breath blasted white vapor from his nostrils like a runaway engine.
Antony turned to Jessica behind him.
"Listen. Plans have changed."
He gestured toward the Avengers retreating in the distance.
"I'll take care of the big guy. I'm dragging him out of the city—unless we want tomorrow's headline to read 'Manhattan Sinks'."
"As for those mind-controlled 'villain heroes'…"
He looked directly at Jessica, voice firm.
"That's your assignment."
"Remember—capture alive. They're victims, not enemies."
"And whatever you do," he added calmly, "don't twist Tony's head off. He's my friend."
Jessica stared at him like he'd just lost his mind.
"Wow. You really think highly of me, huh, boss?"
"That's Iron Man. That's Thor. Plus a deadeye archer and a swarm of killer robots."
"You want them alive?"
"Do you think I've lived too long—or that my health insurance hasn't been fully used yet?"
"Chasing them off is one thing. Capturing them? Who do you think I am—Supergirl?"
She complained nonstop—
—but her body had already moved.
Feet planted. Fists up.
Standing firmly at the front line.
"Have some confidence, Jewel," Antony said with a smile.
"I'm a great judge of character."
He then turned to Wanda.
She was staring anxiously at the battlefield, red energy twitching restlessly at her fingertips.
"Wanda," Antony called.
"I'm here, Antony," she replied, forcing a smile through her nerves.
His voice softened.
"This is a test for you too."
"You're a child of miracles, Wanda. You have immense potential."
"I have a feeling that one day, you'll be my greatest partner."
"Go help Jessica. Protect our people. I believe in you."
"Yes, Antony!"
Her eyes lit up instantly. She straightened, crimson power surging through her hands like living fire.
"I won't let you down! I'll prove I deserve to stand beside you!"
Antony nodded in approval—then shot Jessica a look, eyebrow raised.
"See? Learn from her."
"..."
Jessica exploded.
"WHO SAID I COULDN'T DO IT?!"
"I was stating objective facts! You don't know shit!"
Her voice cracked with fury as she squared up, energy radiating off her.
And somewhere behind them—
Hulk inhaled.
And the city braced itself.
--------------
T/N:
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