Chapter 19: The Stage Is Set
The piercing sound of sirens echoed through Broadway Street.
"Woooo—!"
Police Captain George Stacy drove his vehicle forward at full speed, weaving recklessly through the chaotic traffic.
He had to reach the front lines as quickly as possible.
Several officers under his command had already been killed.
Others were missing.
At a time like this, there wasn't much Stacy could do except push his car forward through the crowded streets.
More than once, he nearly collided with vehicles fleeing in panic.
Even so, he kept both hands firmly on the steering wheel, his expression grim.
Although he had spent fewer years patrolling the streets recently, George Stacy had once been a legend among New York's police officers.
But what he didn't realize was that a military helicopter hovered directly above him.
Inside the aircraft, General Ross and his team were observing the same rampaging monster below.
Their target was Emil Blonsky.
Inside the helicopter, however, the atmosphere was tense.
Especially for Bruce Banner.
Since the moment Lance Ryder and Betty Ross had boarded from the villa, Banner's expression had been noticeably stiff.
Lance and Betty seemed unusually close.
And Ross had deliberately mentioned that Lance had been staying at Betty's home for several days.
Betty herself noticed none of this.
Her intelligence was exceptional, but her emotional awareness was less sharp.
She focused entirely on Bruce.
Sitting beside him, she asked question after question about his condition after the injection.
Her concern was obvious.
Lance watched the scene with faint amusement.
Finally, he turned toward General Ross.
"General," Lance said calmly, "I'll need a military uniform."
Ross raised an eyebrow.
Lance continued, "If I appear in public dressed like this, it may cause unnecessary trouble later."
Ross immediately understood.
Lance didn't want his true identity revealed.
That suited Ross perfectly.
If Lance operated under the military's banner, many future complications could be avoided.
Ross rummaged through a storage compartment and produced a camouflage uniform.
"This is the only one available," he said.
"Most of us are already in combat gear."
"Of course, if you want to make yourself a sniper target, that's your choice."
Lance took the uniform.
"To be honest," he said while changing clothes, "I've always admired American generals appearing in the media in those impressive uniforms."
"But since I can't have that…"
He shrugged.
"This will do."
Then he looked at Ross again.
"One more thing, General."
"If anyone comes asking about my identity, I hope you'll help keep them away."
"I'd rather not deal with endless trouble during my four years at university."
Ross nodded firmly.
"Don't worry."
"Very few people know about you."
"Other than me, no one will approach you."
That promise carried weight.
Even Nick Fury from S.H.I.E.L.D. had tried to recruit Lance into their organization.
Ross had rejected the request immediately.
In fact, aside from Fury, only the President and a handful of senior military officials knew Lance's real identity.
They had authorized Ross to manage the situation personally.
With super-powered individuals appearing more frequently across the world, the military needed its own superhuman task force.
Especially after Tony Stark refused to share the technology behind the Iron Man armor.
Although Lance didn't know the full details, he had already sensed the tension between the U.S. military and S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. might appear powerful.
But ultimately, it still answered to the American government.
"Then I'll handle the rest," Lance said.
He nodded once to Ross.
Then glanced briefly at Betty.
Without hesitation, he pulled open the helicopter door.
And jumped.
Gasps filled the cabin.
They were flying at least three hundred meters above the ground.
Without any protection, a normal person would have been reduced to pulp upon impact.
Betty screamed instinctively.
But Ross remained calm.
"Don't worry," he said confidently.
"If he jumped, he knows what he's doing."
Bruce Banner leaned forward.
"General," he said quietly, "let me go."
"I can help."
Ross turned to look at him carefully.
Instead of answering directly, he asked a different question.
"You can still transform?"
The soldiers inside the helicopter reacted instantly.
Several rifles were raised and aimed directly at Banner.
There was already one monster tearing Manhattan apart.
If Banner transformed now—
The situation could become catastrophic.
Especially inside a helicopter.
If the Hulk appeared midair, everyone onboard could die.
Banner met Ross's gaze calmly.
"I have a feeling," he said quietly, "that he won't let me die."
The three people present—Ross, Betty, and Banner—understood exactly what he meant.
For years, Ross had tried repeatedly to kill Bruce Banner before the Hulk could emerge.
Every plan had failed.
Somehow, the Hulk always appeared at the critical moment and saved Banner.
Ross studied him carefully.
Then a strange hope flashed in his eyes.
"So you can control him now?"
Banner hesitated briefly.
"I think… I can."
Ross turned to his daughter.
"Betty?"
Banner also looked at her, waiting anxiously.
He needed this opportunity.
Even with the antidote suppressing his powers, he had no intention of remaining in military custody.
Betty spoke slowly.
"He might be able to."
Banner's face brightened—
But only for a moment.
"However," she continued, "that only works if no one attacks him."
"And looking at what's happening down there…"
"Who can guarantee that?"
Ross nodded silently.
He said nothing more and turned back to observe the battle below.
Banner's faint smile froze.
Betty gently took his arm.
"Bruce," she whispered softly.
"In your current condition, taking risks isn't wise."
She understood the truth.
Even if Banner could transform while under the antidote's influence, the Hulk would likely be far weaker than usual.
Better to watch Lance Ryder's abilities first.
Unfortunately, men's decisions were rarely easy to control.
Below them, Emil Blonsky, now transformed into a monstrous creature resembling a green triceratops, rampaged through the streets.
With a single leap, he crushed several cars beneath his feet.
Screaming civilians fled in every direction.
Gunfire echoed constantly.
Occasional explosions added to the chaos.
Thankfully, the military had finally arrived.
Heavy weapons were deployed.
More than a dozen specialized rocket launchers were aimed directly at Blonsky.
The rockets fired.
Blonsky moved far more quickly than the Hulk.
He dodged most of the rockets with incredible agility.
Still, two rockets struck near him.
The explosion's shockwave staggered him.
But when the smoke cleared—
There wasn't a single wound on his body.
Everyone watching was stunned.
Blonsky roared with rage.
He grabbed a nearby car and hurled it toward a military vehicle.
The soldiers inside barely managed to jump out before the vehicle exploded.
Standing amid smoke and flames, Blonsky laughed wildly.
He loved destruction.
"Bruce!"
His voice thundered through the street.
"Where are you, Bruce?"
"Come out!"
For Blonsky, only one enemy mattered.
Bruce Banner.
The hatred between them had begun in Brazil.
And tonight—
He believed everything would finally end.
But the person who appeared wasn't Bruce Banner.
It was Lance Ryder.
Suddenly, several fire hydrants along the street exploded.
Two towering jets of water shot more than twenty meters into the air before crashing down like a torrential rain.
The water poured directly over Blonsky.
At first, he ignored it.
But the hydrants kept bursting.
Again.
And again.
Every time he moved forward, another surge of water drenched him completely.
Blonsky finally realized something was wrong.
He roared in fury, searching for the hidden attacker.
A cold wind swept through the street.
Even the monstrous creature shivered slightly.
Suddenly—
Blonsky slammed his foot into the ground.
The pavement shattered.
He launched himself toward a nearby building.
But before he could reach the rooftop—
A figure appeared above him.
And stepped down.
Hard.
The impact sent Blonsky crashing to the ground with tremendous force.
The street cracked beneath his body.
Then the figure landed on his chest.
Cameras from news channels across the city captured the moment.
Standing atop the monster was a U.S. soldier wearing full combat gear and a military helmet.
Though smaller than Blonsky, the soldier's posture was unwavering.
For everyone watching—
He looked like a giant.
That soldier was Lance Ryder.
By wearing the uniform, Lance cleverly wrapped himself in the authority of the U.S. military.
In today's world, the most powerful force wasn't ancient mages from Kamar-Taj, nor legendary sorcerers like Merlin.
It was the United States military.
No one openly challenged it.
Not even Hydra.
But the fight was far from over.
Blonsky wasn't easy to defeat.
Lance's sudden attack had only left him briefly dazed.
Lance gave him no chance to recover.
In the blink of an eye, water rushed across the ground like a living creature.
It wrapped around Blonsky instantly.
A massive sphere of water formed around him.
More water kept pouring in.
Even after transforming into the powerful monster, Blonsky hadn't fully adapted to his new body.
Inside the sphere, he felt like he was drowning in the depths of the ocean.
He struggled violently.
But the water moved with strange purpose.
It forced its way toward his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
Blonsky's expression twisted in shock.
Something was terribly wrong.
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