"Hahaha! Hulk likes this! Smash the nasty bug!"
The green giant's booming laughter shook the air. Watching Abomination get pounded by Kurogai made him happier than anything else. In their earlier clash, Hulk had taken more than a few hard hits from the monster. Now, seeing Abomination being taught a brutal lesson, he couldn't hide his joy.
"Hulk," Kurogai said without turning fully, his voice edged with reproach, "I haven't even called you out yet. You actually dare to fight in the middle of the city? Think I've been too lenient with you?"
Hulk froze, the laughter dying in his throat. He glanced at Kurogai with something like embarrassment. Among the people Hulk knew he should never provoke, Kurogai was near the top of the list. The man's abilities were too dangerous, too troublesome.
"I didn't start it," Hulk muttered, sounding almost… defensive.
He wasn't lying. Hulk had planned to leave the area entirely, but things changed when Emil Blonsky—Agent Bronsky—whom Hulk had dealt with earlier, transformed into that hideous, spined monster and came at him full force. Hulk hadn't exactly gone looking for this fight.
"Alright," Kurogai said with a sigh, "Change back to Banner for now."
There was no point scolding him further. Hulk was like a child in some ways—there were things he'd only listen to when they came from Dr. Banner.
Hulk seemed relieved, the tension in his massive shoulders loosening. He stepped back, the green receding from his skin. His hulking form shrank, muscles and bone shifting until Dr. Bruce Banner stood where the monster had been.
Kurogai turned his attention to Stark, who was standing a short distance away in his Iron Man armor.
"By the way, Stark," Kurogai said, "that sword of yours—consider it mine now. As for payment, I'll give you one promise. Name the condition yourself."
He'd already discovered that rare metals were the key to unlocking the sixth Pupil Ring. Stark's long blade was forged of Vibranium, and there was no way Kurogai was letting it slip away.
"That wasn't easy to get," Stark replied, voice echoing through his helmet. "Fine, I'll have to think of a really important condition."
There was no real protest in his tone. Stark knew that if Kurogai wanted the weapon, there was nothing he could do to stop him. Besides, a promise from Kurogai Blackwood was worth more than almost any physical item. Still, Stark intended to think very carefully about what that promise would be.
A groan from nearby drew their attention.
"Kurogai? What are you doing here? And the monster—did Hulk take it down?"
Bruce Banner had finally regained his bearings. His eyes flicked from Kurogai to the armored figure of Stark, then to the damaged street around them. It didn't take much to imagine the scale of the battle that had just taken place.
"Abomination's down. I handled it. But what about you, Doctor? Why are you in the U.S.?" Kurogai asked.
"Dr. Reed Richards said some of his important equipment was here. He invited me back so he could run a full check-up—see if there's any hope of fixing my… condition." Banner's voice trailed off, and for a moment, his expression softened. "I also happened to run into an old friend."
Kurogai gave a slow nod. "I see. That explains the mess."
"Dr. Banner, long time admirer," Stark said, stepping forward. "Tony Stark."
Before Banner could respond, a deep roar of engines rolled in from the distance. A military aircraft was approaching fast.
"Ladies and gentlemen on the ground," a voice boomed from the plane's loudspeaker, "this situation is now under military jurisdiction. Do not interfere. We are here to recover military assets."
It didn't take a genius to guess what they were after—both Abomination and Banner were prime targets for General Thaddeus Ross. Abomination had been an accident, but one with potential in the military's eyes. If they could drag him back for study, their super soldier program might advance years in a matter of months. And Banner…
Banner was the crown jewel of their experiments. Right now, in human form, he looked harmless. The perfect time to capture him.
Greed was all Ross could see.
Inside the Iron Man armor, Stark shook his head slowly. "Are they seriously trying to take something from you? I almost feel sorry for them."
He wasn't exaggerating. Stark himself had never been reckless enough to cross Kurogai in matters of gain. He knew the man's sense of principle was ironclad, and anyone trying to force his hand would regret it.
The pity was real—Ross and his people saw only the prize in front of them, not the danger behind it. They were about to poke a hornet's nest the size of a tank.
Kurogai's eyes were ice as he looked up at the descending plane. He didn't bother much with the military, not out of fear, but disinterest. That they dared to move against him now was… irritating.
"Once again," the voice from the aircraft barked, "do not obstruct the recovery of military property. Failure to comply will place you on the military's blacklist."
"Blacklist?" Kurogai's voice was calm, but his tone was lethal. "What do you think happens when you blacklist someone who can kill your men and tear your plane from the sky?"
Flames burst to life behind him, forming the towering shape of a giant. The blazing construct reached down, an arrow of fire materializing in its grasp. Its aim settled squarely on the aircraft overhead.
And the heat in the air began to climb.
________
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