"Everyone, looks like I'll have to use the Hypnotic Ability protocol..."
Tony's voice came through the comms, calm but strained.
"Tony, everyone's hurt..."
"Yeah, I can see that," he replied grimly. "Looks like I'll have to call in Veronica for help."
He knew full well that most of his teammates were down, and he was the only one still standing. That meant facing a rampaging Hulk—alone.
As soon as he finished speaking, one of Stark Industries' orbital satellites shifted position in space. Ten massive, box-shaped modules detached and rocketed toward Tony's location.
From high above, Blaine observed the chaos and sighed helplessly. Tony was rushing off to contain Hulk while the rest of the Avengers lay wounded. *I'm the strongest one here,* Blaine thought dryly, *yet I'm stuck cleaning up and watching the show.*
In the next instant, he teleported directly to Captain America and Thor's side. The battle had already ended; Quicksilver had vanished, his mission apparently complete.
Blaine understood the real play here. The attack wasn't about Vibranium—it was a distraction. Their true goal was to unleash the Hulk, break the Avengers' morale, and leave them leaderless. Everything was unfolding exactly as planned. He saw through it all but chose to stay silent.
He grabbed Captain America and Thor, teleporting them back to Stark Tower. After ensuring they were safe, he turned his focus toward the battlefield where Tony and Banner were clashing.
"Hey, Blaine, since when did you become a babysitter? You are a Bounty Hunter, not a bounty nanny!" he muttered to himself.
"System," he said through gritted teeth, "can I cancel this mission?"
"Once the host accepts a task," the AI replied coolly, "it is automatically logged into the system and linked to the Hunter Reputation Level. Canceling will result in penalties."
"Nani?!" Blaine groaned. "Since when do I have a Hunter Reputation Level? Great—new system, new problems." He sighed in frustration. Once you accepted a mission, you were stuck with it. He had no one to blame but himself.
Meanwhile, in a small city nearby, Hulk was completely out of control. Like a wild beast starved for too long, he rampaged through the streets, smashing everything in sight—cars, walls, buildings. Anything that stood before him was destroyed.
With one leap, he brought down an entire building.
Panic erupted. People fled in all directions, screaming in terror.
The chaos soon drew the attention of the local police. Sirens wailed as patrol cars sped onto the scene, officers armed and ready, though they had no idea what they were up against.
Hulk barely noticed them. To him, they were just obstacles—he kept smashing and tearing through the streets, unstoppable.
When the police opened fire, bullets rained down on him. But the barrage only enraged him further. The rounds bounced harmlessly off his skin, fueling his fury. With a roar, Hulk kicked a police car into the air, sending an officer flying with it.
Snarling, he reached for a nearby streetlight to use as a weapon. One officer, dazed on the ground, still managed to fire his rifle at Hulk's back.
That was a mistake.
With a guttural roar, Hulk ripped a car from the pavement and hurled it straight at him. The impact forced the officer to drop his weapon. Hulk loomed over him, eyes blazing, ready to crush him with a single blow.
The terrified man couldn't even move. He stared up as Hulk's massive hand came down—
Boom!
A thick iron pillar slammed into the ground between them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One after another, more steel pillars crashed down, surrounding Hulk in a tight circle. Within seconds, five or six massive rods connected, forming an electrified containment cage. High-voltage current arced between them, trapping the raging monster inside.
Above, metal components locked into place around Tony, assembling the new armor midair—layer upon layer until the full suit was complete.
It was the Mark 44: the Anti-Hulk Armor.
The steel giant landed with a thud, its towering frame gleaming under the city lights.
In the distance, the ground shook violently as Hulk slammed against the electrified cage. The structure trembled and cracked, the concrete beneath it beginning to sink. Trapped above, Hulk suddenly smashed downward instead, tearing through the floor.
"Seriously? Did he just dig under it?" Tony muttered. "You've got to be kidding me."
Finally, the Mark 44 fully powered up. Though bulky, its strength was immense. The massive "toolbox" of armor modules hovered nearby, ready to provide reinforcements at any moment.
Tony's voice came over the speakers. "Okay, people, everyone evacuate immediately."
Hulk froze for a moment, staring at the enormous iron-clad figure before him.
"Can you hear me?" Tony called out. "That witch is messing with your head. You're stronger than her. You're smarter than her. You're Banner."
Hulk's only reply was a series of guttural roars that shook the ground.
"Oh yeah," Tony muttered. "Definitely not the time to mention the 'weak Banner.'"
Right now, the Hulk was in full control—and he hated the part of himself that was Banner. To him, Banner was fragile, soft… weak.
Tony's attempt at reasoning went nowhere. Hulk grabbed a nearby car and hurled it like a missile. Tony raised his armored arms to block, but behind the cover of the flying wreckage, Hulk charged. His fist slammed into the armor's abdomen, sending Tony crashing through a building.
"Okay, fine," Tony growled. "No more Mr. Nice Guy."
The Mark 44 lifted off the ground in a burst of thrusters, lunging at Hulk. The massive gauntlet clamped down over Hulk's face, slamming him into the pavement and grinding him along the street.
But Hulk wasn't new to fighting. He twisted violently, breaking free, then countered with a brutal uppercut that sent Tony staggering back.
Tony fired his repulsors in response, each blast driving Hulk backward. The final shot sent him crashing into a parked semi-truck, crushing it under his weight.
Tony advanced cautiously—
And then, out of nowhere, Hulk swung a streetlight like a baseball bat.
WHAM!
The blow connected squarely, knocking Tony through the air. Before he could recover, Hulk had vanished again, disappearing into the shadows beyond the ruined street.
*************************************
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