The forest didn't stay quiet.
It never really had.
But now, it felt wrong.
Trees bent in directions they shouldn't. The ground dipped and cracked in uneven lines, like something had moved through without slowing down.
Lord stepped forward, looking around.
"…Yeah," he said quietly. "This is him."
The trail wasn't clean, but it didn't need to be.
Another step.
Then—
A sound.
Heavy. Close.
Lord stopped.
Something moved through the trees ahead—slow at first, branches snapping under its weight. Then faster.
And then—
It came through.
Hulk.
He didn't hesitate.
The moment his eyes locked onto Lord, he charged.
No warning. No pause.
Just movement.
The ground split under his first step.
Lord didn't move.
The hit came fast—faster than before.
He raised his hand. The space around him shifted.
The punch landed.
The force carried through, throwing him back across the ground, tearing through dirt and debris before he stopped himself.
Lord stood still for a second, then looked up.
"…Okay," he said. "You hit harder."
The Hulk roared and came again.
This time, Lord moved first.
He stepped forward, closed the distance, and met the next strike head-on.
The impact cracked the air around them, a shockwave pushing outward into the trees.
Lord held for a second—
Then slid back.
Not thrown.
Pushed.
"…Still no control."
The Hulk didn't care.
He swung again—faster, harder.
Lord shifted to the side, the strike missing by inches, then reached out—not to stop him, but to feel it.
The moment their forces met again, Lord's expression changed slightly.
"…You're not holding anything back."
That explained it.
No limits.
No restraint.
The Hulk grabbed him.
No hesitation.
One hand locked around him—
Then slammed him into the ground.
The impact cratered the earth beneath them.
For a moment, everything went still.
Then—
Lord moved.
Not panicked. Not rushed.
He pressed his hand against the ground, and the space around them shifted violently.
Not subtle this time.
The force pushed outward—
And the Hulk was thrown back.
Not far.
But enough.
Lord stood up, brushing dirt off his sleeve.
"…Alright."
That was new.
He looked at the Hulk again.
This time, more focused. More serious.
"…Let's try this properly."
The Hulk roared and charged again.
This time, Lord didn't adjust to avoid.
He stepped forward, and the space around them bent sharply.
The Hulk slowed—just for a moment—
Then broke through it.
Lord's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You really don't follow anything, do you."
No answer.
Just impact.
The next hit landed clean, driving Lord back again—deeper this time, the ground cracking beneath every step he took to stop it.
But this time—
He didn't reset.
He pushed back.
Not redirecting. Not avoiding.
Matching.
The collision that followed was louder.
Heavier.
More real.
From a distance, S.H.I.E.L.D. watched in silence.
"Both targets engaged," an agent said. "Repeat—both targets engaged."
No one spoke after that.
Because this wasn't like before.
This wasn't testing.
This was escalation.
Elsewhere, Loki watched, expression calm.
"…Good," he said quietly.
Because this—
This was exactly what he needed.
Back in the forest, Lord stepped back once more.
Not forced.
Choosing distance.
He looked at the Hulk—really looked this time.
"…You're not like the others."
A pause.
"…But you're not random either."
The Hulk roared and charged again.
And this time—
Lord didn't hold anything back.
The sky split.
Not with sound—
But with presence.
A beam of light tore down from above, striking the ground between them with enough force to shake the entire area.
Both of them stopped.
For a moment—
Even the Hulk hesitated.
The light faded.
And Thor stepped forward.
His gaze moved first to the Hulk—
Then to Lord.
And hardened.
"So," Thor said, voice steady but charged with tension, "you've found something else to test yourself against."
Lord didn't look surprised.
"…You came back."
Thor stepped forward, lightning beginning to build around Mjolnir.
"I warned you. This realm is not yours to tear apart."
The Hulk roared—louder than before.
And now—
There were three of them.
Lord glanced between them briefly.
Then exhaled.
"…Alright."
Just—
Ready.