Back aboard the Helicarrier, Loki was confined inside the highest-security containment cell—a transparent cage surrounded on all sides.
The cell had been meticulously engineered by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technology division and was said to be completely inescapable.
However, sharp minds like Nick Fury and Tony Stark quickly realized something unsettling—
Loki had allowed himself to be captured.
They were filled with doubt, repeatedly analyzing his actions, yet none of them could figure out his true purpose.
Nick Fury still refused to give up.
He tried to morally pressure Wes Elwin and Thor into revealing whatever secrets they knew.
What he received instead was Thor's scornful laughter.
"Without Asgard's protection, Earth would have been destroyed long ago. Your so-called S.H.I.E.L.D. is nothing but a joke."
Thor's words dripped with arrogance and disdain.
Tony couldn't stand Thor's lofty attitude and was about to snap back, but at that very moment, Steve uncovered weapons powered by the Space Stone's energy—arms secretly developed by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Furious, Steve confronted Nick Fury, accusing him of being no different from Germany during World War II.
The conference room instantly descended into chaos.
Arguments, accusations, and shouting collided in a deafening storm.
Even Wes—who already knew the truth—found his own mind being influenced, his temperament growing more aggressive than usual.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion shook the Helicarrier.
Alarms wailed throughout the entire ship.
The sudden attack snapped everyone back to their senses.
[So this is the power of the Mind Stone…]
Wes's gaze fell on the blue gem embedded in Loki's scepter as understanding dawned.
Now everyone grasped Loki's plan.
He had used the Mind Stone to stir distrust and conflict among them—
then planned to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.
They were all intelligent people.
Grudges were quickly set aside.
At this moment, driving back the enemy was the only thing that mattered.
---
They split up and began taking action.
Wes had originally planned to stay out of it and simply observe.
Unfortunately, Thor—the idiot—was tricked by Loki, locked inside the cage, and hurled out from an altitude of ten thousand meters.
With no one restraining the Hulk, the Helicarrier was on the verge of being torn apart.
Wes had been planning to watch Natasha reenact a twisted "Beauty and the Beast" scenario—
but the Hulk locked onto him instead.
"A sharp instinct," Wes muttered.
"He realized I'm the greater threat."
It was Wes's first time facing the Hulk head-on.
He couldn't help but marvel.
The Hulk's oppressive presence was overwhelming—
that massive body, those rage-filled eyes.
An ordinary person would have wet themselves on the spot.
"Stop admiring him and do something!"
Natasha was in terrible shape.
Using the Helicarrier's complex terrain, she had barely escaped the Hulk's grasp after countless near-death moments.
One of the Helicarrier's engines had been destroyed, and much of the internal equipment was heavily damaged.
The massive craft began plunging toward the ocean below.
Its sheer size made the sight utterly terrifying.
If it crashed into the sea from ten thousand meters up, survival would be impossible.
Tony was desperately trying to restore the power systems.
Steve held off enemies, buying him precious time.
Wes might despise S.H.I.E.L.D.—
but he wasn't so cold-blooded as to watch thousands of people die right in front of him.
So he cast a Levitation Charm.
In an instant, the Helicarrier's falling speed slowed.
If he went all out, Wes Elwin could have stabilized the Helicarrier completely and held it suspended in midair.
However, he still needed to conserve magic to deal with the big guy in front of him.
"ROAR!!"
The Hulk let out an earth-shaking roar that sent chills down the spine.
Like an enraged beast, he charged straight at Wes.
Wes flicked his wand, instantly transforming the flat ground in front of the Hulk into a swamp.
One of the Hulk's feet sank deep into the mire.
Instinctively, he tried to pull it out—
only to sink even deeper.
In the end, he dropped straight down to the level below.
The next moment, the Hulk leapt upward and smashed straight through the floor above.
The sheer impact twisted and deformed the metal barriers, leaving them on the verge of collapse.
Wes smacked his lips.
"If this were on the ground, it wouldn't be so easy for you to get out."
The Hulk grew even angrier.
His eyes burned with raging fury.
He slammed his hands together violently, and the resulting shockwave surged outward like a tidal wave, instantly sending nearby fighter jets flying.
The jets were tossed around, crashing into the walls with dull, heavy thuds.
Fortunately, everyone on that level had already evacuated—otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Wes waved his wand, a flash of light neutralizing the shockwave with ease.
Several Freezing Charms struck the Hulk's chest in rapid succession.
Frost spread instantly, threatening to turn him into an ice sculpture.
But the Hulk suddenly slammed his palm against his own chest.
The tremendous force shattered the frost, ice shards scattering in all directions.
[High magic resistance.]
Wes noted this silently.
He stopped holding back.
Black Fiendfyre surged forth like a raging tide.
Wherever it passed, everything turned into molten metal.
The metal floor and walls melted away, releasing a sharp, choking stench.
Even the Hulk seemed to sense the terrifying heat of the Fiendfyre.
He actually hesitated—
and then, surprisingly, dodged.
The Hulk—or rather, the Hulk persona of Dr. Banner—was perpetually enraged, but that didn't mean he was brainless.
Wes guided the Fiendfyre above the Hulk's head, where it transformed into droplets of black "rain."
With a body that massive, there was no way the Hulk could dodge it all.
The droplets landed on his skin, instantly scorching it and producing plumes of black smoke.
Burns covered his body—
yet in the very next second, they began to heal.
[Incredible defense and regeneration.]
Wes couldn't help but marvel.
Pain only made the Hulk angrier.
His already massive body grew even larger, his strength increasing accordingly.
Ignoring the burning "rain," he charged straight at Wes at lightning speed.
He threw a punch—
and the sheer force tore through the Helicarrier from a distance, ripping a massive hole as roaring winds rushed inside.
Not seeing Wes and assuming he had been taken out,
the Hulk grinned wildly, pounding his chest like an excited gorilla, producing deep, thunderous sounds.
But what he didn't realize—
was that Wes was standing right behind him.
[Terrible perception. One illusion was enough to fool him.]
Wes pointed his wand at the Hulk's feet.
The Hulk sensed danger instantly—
but it was already too late.
The ground beneath him collapsed as Wes shattered his foothold with magic, pulverizing several levels below in one go.
The Hulk fell straight out of the Helicarrier, his massive body plunging downward like a meteor.
"Hulk!"
Natasha leaned over the edge, shouting anxiously.
"Relax," Wes said calmly.
"That guy's thick-skinned and tough. A drop like this won't kill him."
After leaving those words behind, Wes turned and walked away.
Because of the confined terrain, the Hulk hadn't been able to unleash his full power, allowing Wes to defeat him through clever tactics.
But Wes knew this well—
The Hulk's strength was absolutely not to be underestimated.
If this fight had taken place on the ground, who would win… was still anyone's guess.
°°°
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