Hulk's massive frame slammed into the earth, kicking up a colossal cloud of dust. Within that haze, the battlefield suddenly fell into a deathly silence.
The piercing screech of high-frequency electricity vanished, and Hulk's agonized roars came to an abrupt halt.
This sudden quiet caused Gwen, Felicia, and Tony to hold their breath, their hearts leaping into their throats.
After what felt like an eternity, the dust finally settled, revealing the scene within. Peter, having already deactivated his Knight form, stood as straight as a javelin.
At his feet, the green monster that had left the military utterly helpless was gone. In its place lay a naked, unconscious man with a through-and-through hole in his chest.
It was Bruce Banner. He was out cold, but that terrifying wound was already knitting itself back together at a visible speed.
Peter's earlier Hell Stab hadn't killed Hulk, but it had instilled a primal, unprecedented fear in the beast.
Combined with Hulk's consecutive outbursts of rage, the physical strain had reached the absolute limit of what Banner's current body could endure.
Regardless of how unwilling Hulk felt, he had no choice but to expend his last remaining strength to repair Banner's vitals before retreating into the depths of his subconscious.
The onlookers stared at the fallen Banner, then at Peter, who stood silently in thought. For a moment, they felt a profound sense of awe.
Little did they know, Peter was currently screaming with joy internally. His smile wasn't just for mastering Armament Haki, but for the absurdly lucrative reward he had just "scavenged" from the Hulk:
[Detected Purple Rare: Banner's Purple Stretch Pants]
[Elastic pants that even the Hulk cannot destroy. They contain a strange 'Law of Physics' power. Perhaps something incredible can be researched from them.]
[Sacrifice for: 8,000 Points]
[Sacrifice Point Balance: 20,000]
A full 20,000 points! He had never been this rich! Peter could already foresee that next month's shop refresh was going to be absolutely wild.
While the others were lost in respect and Peter was drowning in his "gains," the roar of propellers descended from the sky.
A military helicopter circled down, the cabin door slid open, and a spirited old man with general's stars and a distinct toothbrush mustache jumped down, followed by a beautiful blonde woman.
The woman didn't hesitate for a second before rushing over to cradle Banner. She was Betty Ross, Bruce's first love. And the old man beside her was, naturally, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross.
Betty checked Banner's breathing, letting out a long sob of relief when she confirmed he was alive.
Meanwhile, General Ross surveyed the ruins of Brooklyn, his gaze shifting between Peter, Tony, Gwen, and Felicia.
His expression flickered through a dozen emotions before he forced a dignified, "amiable" facade.
"Mr. Arbiter, Mr. Stark, Miss Ghost-Spider, and Miss Nightingale... on behalf of the military and this nation, I thank you for your heroic actions. You have saved this city; you are true heroes!"
Ross's bureaucratic tone grew smoother as he spoke, sounding more sincere by the second. He even reached out a hand toward Peter, acting as if the day's disaster had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Gwen and Felicia, unaware of the deeper context, felt a bit bashful receiving such high-level praise and hid slightly behind Peter.
Tony, however, looked like he had swallowed a fly. He knew the truth, but his ties to the military were deep, and he didn't want to officially declare war on his own country just yet. He suppressed his urge to blast the old man.
Everyone waited for Peter's response. Under their expectant gazes, Peter didn't reach out. He simply stared coldly at Ross.
The atmosphere plummeted to sub-zero temperatures. Ross's hand froze awkwardly in mid-air, his face turning from pale to a livid shade of red.
"Mr. Arbiter... what is the meaning of this?"
"Heh~ what do I mean?" Peter sneered, finally looking Ross in the eye with a chilling clarity that made the General's heart skip a beat.
"A certain someone first designed a trap to kill and study me. After that failed, they remained unrepentant.
Despite me giving you 'face' and warnings, you went behind my back to capture Hulk privately. Then, when you botched it and created this massive mess, you came crawling back to have me wipe your ass."
"Now that it's over, you pat your own back, spout a few lines of nonsense, and expect everything to just be forgotten?" Peter's voice was quiet, but every word hit like a sledgehammer.
"Old man, do you really think I'm some 'Mr. Nice Guy? Do you honestly think I wouldn't dare wash you in blood?"
Gwen and Felicia's expressions changed instantly upon hearing that Ross was the cause of the day's tragedy and had targeted Peter before. Their eyes filled with sharp hostility.
"Peter, you've misunderstood..." Colonel Rhodes stepped forward, trying to play peacemaker.
"Shut up, Rhodey." Peter cut him off brutally, turning instead to Tony. "Tony. Do you remember what you promised me?"
Tony's body jolted. He looked into Peter's calm eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke with heavy resolve.
"If the military refused to follow the rules again, I would leave with you." He looked at Rhodes, his voice hardening. "Don't worry, Peter. A Stark keeps his word."
"A wise choice," Peter smiled at Tony, then raised his voice for the surrounding soldiers to hear. "After all... staying here, who knows what other 'innovative' nonsense they'll pull? They dare to treat me like this today; tomorrow, they'll probably use 'illegal possession of high-threat weaponry' as an excuse to force you to hand over your Iron Man suits."
The moment the words left his mouth, the color drained from Ross and Rhodes' faces. Because... behind closed doors, that was exactly what they were secretly planning to do.
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