"Bastard! Damn it!!"
General Ross's face was dark red with rage. At first, he believed Hulk would be enough to stop Abomination, but he hadn't expected this outcome.
Now Ross was genuinely frantic, frustrated, powerless to control the situation.
How the hell had Blonsky become so powerful? Had he really become stronger than Hulk!?
Ross, who secretly longed for that kind of power himself, had never considered killing Abomination.
But now, when even Hulk couldn't restrain him, everything fell back on the military.
If he could take down Abomination, then proceed with his original plan, to capture both him and Hulk, then regardless of the day's destruction, he'd have every reason to benefit from it.
Because he possessed a secret weapon capable of revolutionizing soldiers' physical capabilities.
Of course, as long as he managed to capture that monster.
"Give me command! Give me authorization! I'm launching the operation!"
"Remember! I want to survive!!"
Ross shouted through the radio, giving orders.
But he forgot one crucial thing, if their weapons weren't enough to stop Hulk, how could they stop Abomination?
Machine guns opened fire, a barrage of bullets hitting the target, but the damage was negligible.
The only thing they managed to do was attract the monster's attention.
Abomination raised his head and looked at the helicopter firing at him. He immediately recognized Ross's face.
"Ross...!"
A wicked smile twisted his already grotesque face. That was the man he also wanted to destroy.
He let the bullets strike him without resistance, then dashed forward at full speed. In just a few strides, he reached a building, pushed off with his feet, and leapt into the air.
"Turn! Faster!! NO!! Turn now!!"
Seeing the monster climbing toward them, Ross screamed frantically at the helicopter pilot.
But it was too late.
Leaping, Abomination reached the helicopter's altitude, grabbed its undercarriage, and yanked it downward with brute force.
The immense force overwhelmed the engines, and the entire helicopter crashed into the concrete wall of the nearest building.
In the explosion and rubble, a few crew members miraculously survived, but most weren't so lucky.
"Ross!!"
Cries rang out among the wounded as the monster slowly approached the wreck.
Only Ross, Betty, and his closest adjutant remained standing shocked, injured, and in utter fear.
"Blonsky! What are you doing!? I'm your commander!!"
Ross shouted desperately, trying to awaken what little military honor might still exist within the monster.
But that wasn't Blonsky anymore.
He was no longer a soldier.
He was something else. Something dark, mutated, and filled with pure destructive intent.
Blonsky, now Abomination, was a being that had cast off humanity and retreated into the darkness of his own power.
And what he saw before him was just an enemy. No longer a commander. Just a victim.
"Ross... I'LL KILL YOU!!"
Abomination raised his massive fist, wrapped in grotesque muscle and thickened skin, aiming it straight at Ross, who couldn't even move.
Betty and the adjutant, paralyzed with fear, knew they couldn't escape.
If that fist fell, there was no hope.
One strike would be enough to turn them all into pulp.
People around the world, watching everything live, held their breath.
The tension was unbearable.
In the distance, a furious roar was heard.
"HULK!!"
Hulk was forcing his way through the streets, eyes carrying only one thought to save Betty.
His roar pierced the sky as he charged toward Abomination.
"Jarvis. Activate the suit."
Tony saw that Ross was actually about to die and had no other choice but to act.
As the famous Iron Man, a major star in New York and the only superhero, if he didn't appear now, it was estimated he would be heavily criticized.
"Right away, sir."
...
"Ahhh!!" Jane covered her eyes, unable to watch what was about to happen next!
She knew what was coming, bloody, brutal, certain death for everyone beneath Abomination's fist.
Darcy clung tightly to Jane, screaming in fear, but her eyes remained wide open, locked onto the screen!
...
"Die!!"
As Abomination's massive right hand was raised into the air, ready to strike, the entire nation held its breath.
Ross, Betty, and the adjutant shut their eyes in despair, certain it was the end.
But, the expected crash never came.
Nor did they feel pain. There was no death.
"You're going too far... destroying my home like this?"
A quiet, calm voice reached their ears.
With confused expressions, they opened their eyes, the first thing they saw was a fiery red cape.
Alaric was standing in front of Abomination, holding the monstrous fist above his head with one hand, calmly, effortlessly. He tilted his head slightly and shook it, disappointed.
That sight not only shocked those witnessing it live, but instantly lit up the internet, social media, and global news.
Alaric didn't even try to strike back.
He just stood there, arms crossed, the red cape fluttering on his shoulder, while Abomination's fist, which could level a building, couldn't even move him.
The scene looked like something out of a movie, but it was real.
...
"Sir! Someone has appeared! He stopped the monster!"
Jarvis's voice alerted Tony, who was already suited up.
"Display the footage."
A projection appeared on the holographic screen in front of Tony. He stared, trying to recognize the figure.
"Red cape... That's the wizard, Alaric!!"
"Rewind the footage! Back! I want to see how he appeared!"
Tony shouted, nearly losing his mind.
The footage rewound a few seconds and showed the moment Alaric suddenly appeared, right beneath Abomination's fist.
"WTF!?"
...
"Jane! Jane, guess who that is!! Come right now! Isn't that your boyfriend!??"
Darcy was still staring at the screen, her eyes nearly popping out. The scene she was watching was completely unreal.
She shook Jane, trying to make her look.
"Alaric!?" Jane's words caught in her throat when she recognized his face on the screen.
In disbelief, she stepped closer, nearly pressing her forehead against the screen, staring without blinking.
"Really... Alaric!?"
"Wow! Jane, your boyfriend is literally a superhero! This is... next-level cool!!"
...
In another apartment, Wade Wilson was hugging Vanessa and holding the remote, screaming as he pointed at the screen.
"That's Alaric! Look at this!! He just blocked a punch from that massive monster!?? Am I the only one who thinks this is insane!?"
Vanessa covered her mouth with her hand, shocked.
"Is he really that strong!?"
"Of course! If it wasn't for him back then, I never would've been able to save you on that mission!"
Wade was both excited and proud.
"My friend is a miracle!!"
...
At S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Nick Fury stood before the screen, his only eye wide open.
"Who is this guy?"
He turned to the agents in the room.
"Check everything!! I want a file, identity, footage, everything!! And in three minutes, not five!!"
He growled.
"Damn it, how are there still guys with that kind of power, and I don't know about them!?"