Hulk's roar split the air, shaking the rusted rafters of the warehouse. His chest heaved, green muscles flexing like living steel cables.
Alex stood steady, one hand raised—not in defense, but in command."I said let's talk, Hulk."
But the giant only snarled in reply, pounding his fists into the ground. The concrete cracked under the shockwave, dust rising like smoke. Then, without hesitation, Hulk lunged again, both fists coming down like hammers.
Alex vanished in a blur, reappearing just to the side as the blow cratered the floor where he had stood."You really don't waste words, do you?" he muttered, side-stepping another swing.
Hulk roared louder, eyes blazing. He ripped up a steel beam from the wreckage, swinging it like a club. Alex caught it mid-swing, twisted, and snapped the beam clean in half before driving his shoulder into Hulk's chest. The monster stumbled back but only grew angrier, slamming his fists together with a thunderous clap that rattled the walls.
"Fine," Alex said, rolling his neck, calm but firm. "If words won't reach you, maybe fists will."
The clash became brutal. Hulk swung, Alex deflected. Hulk smashed the floor, Alex vaulted over him and countered with precise strikes—never to kill, only to stun, to force Hulk back into focus. Every blow Alex landed was controlled, a steady rhythm meant to slow Hulk's rampage, not escalate it.
"You feel that, Hulk?" Alex said sharply as his fist sank into Hulk's gut, sending him stumbling. "This isn't me trying to hurt you. I'm not your enemy. I want to reach you."
Hulk roared, grabbing Alex and hurling him through a pile of crates. Wood splintered, dust clouding the air. Hulk stomped forward, each step cracking concrete, each breath a growl of fury.
Alex emerged from the wreckage without a scratch, brushing off splinters. His crimson eyes glowed faintly as he steadied his stance."Rage, anger, instinct—I see it all. But that's not all you are."
He darted forward in a blur, fists colliding with Hulk's arms, forcing them apart. The giant tried to crush him, but Alex locked his strength against Hulk's grip, neither yielding.
"Listen to me!" Alex's voice cut through the roar like a blade. "You're not a monster. You're survival. You're Bruce's strength made real!"
But Hulk only answered with a roar of defiance, headbutting Alex with skull-cracking force. Alex staggered back, wiping blood from his lip, then smiled faintly."Good. That means you heard me. You just don't want to admit it yet."
Hulk charged again. The fight raged on—blow after blow, neither side relenting. Alex moved with precision, Hulk with raw fury. Every impact shook the building, yet Alex's tone never wavered, every word timed between strikes:
"You think I don't understand rage? I do."Dodge, counter, parry."You think you're only destruction?"Elbow to the ribs, sweep to the legs."You're more than fists. You're the shield Bruce never had."
Hulk roared again, louder this time, his strikes faltering for just a heartbeat. His glowing eyes flickered with something other than fury—something almost like confusion.
Alex didn't waste the moment. He caught Hulk's fist mid-swing, planting his feet firmly as the ground cracked beneath them."Enough running, enough smashing without thought. Look at me, Hulk!"
For the first time, Hulk hesitated. His chest heaved, his nostrils flared, and the growl in his throat dimmed for a fraction of a second.
Alex's voice came calm but unwavering, his grip iron on Hulk's massive fist."I'm not here to chain you. I'm here to talk. You want to fight, fine. But sooner or later—you will listen."
Hulk snarled again, jerking his hand free, but there was hesitation in the sound. His next charge came slower, less certain.
Alex narrowed his eyes. "Good. That's the first crack in the wall."
Hulk's fists slammed against the floor, sending cracks spiderwebbing through the concrete. The warehouse groaned as dust fell from its rafters.
Alex darted through the falling debris, weaving between the swings with casual precision. Each time Hulk lunged, Alex's counter was clean—controlled blows to redirect force rather than destroy. Still, every strike he landed rattled the beast like a drumbeat.
Finally, Alex caught Hulk's arm mid-swing, twisting and planting him hard into the ground with a thundering crash. The floor trembled, half the lights above flickering out.
Alex didn't press the attack. Instead, he crouched slightly, his hand resting on the downed Hulk's shoulder like a weight meant to ground him.
"Enough." His voice cut through Hulk's growls. "I don't want to fight you. I want to talk."
Hulk snarled back, teeth bared, muscles coiled with raw power. He slammed his fist against the ground, cracking it further, then roared loud enough to shake the walls. Words wouldn't come—only rage.
Alex didn't move away. He stayed steady, eyes locked on the emerald titan.
"You can growl all you want, but I know you understand me. I'm not here to chain you down. I'm here because Bruce doesn't need to fight you anymore. He needs to live with you. And so do you with him."
Hulk's answer was another sudden lunge, his massive hand swiping across with the force of a wrecking ball. Alex slipped past it, striking once at Hulk's ribs—not to injure, but to force him to stagger back.
"Talk, Hulk." Alex's voice rose, firm but calm. "Or we'll keep doing this until you realize I won't break."
Hulk roared again, chest heaving, rage boiling—but this time there was something else in his eyes. Confusion. Frustration. The cracks of something buried beneath all that anger.
Alex tilted his head, waiting.
"Come on," he muttered softly, almost like a challenge. "Say something."
The Hulk's chest heaved, breath coming out in guttural, almost animalistic bursts. His fists clenched and unclenched, nails digging into his palms. At first, only broken sounds came out, tangled with growls.
"Hulk… smash!!" he roared, slamming a fist into the cracked floor, the impact rattling the warehouse walls.
Alex didn't flinch. He just watched, waiting.
Hulk's massive frame shuddered. His jaw tightened like words were fighting their way past a lifetime of anger.
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