Chapter 30: Black Shadow, Green Hulk
In New York, on one of the most expensive pieces of land, stood the brand-new Stark Industries headquarters.
Its futuristic spiral design radiated cutting-edge style, the rooftop large enough to serve as a landing pad for fighter jets. With the unique STARK logo glowing proudly, even in the skyscraper-packed heart of Manhattan, this tower was dazzling and unmatched.
At this moment, inside the luxurious hall built into the rooftop platform of the Stark Tower—
"How do you like it?"
A gentleman in a sharp black suit swirled his glass of red wine. The faint blue glow from the arc reactor in his chest shone through his shirt as he spread his arms wide, as though he were embracing half the city outside the glass wall.
Behind him stood a man who seemed completely out of place in such a refined environment—messy hair, gray shirt, work pants, worn boots, and glasses sliding down his nose.
"How should I put it…" The scruffy man adjusted his glasses, thought for a moment, and said, "It's very much your style."
Stark chuckled. "From now on, this will also be our alliance headquarters."
"That's even better. This will give our not-yet-born alliance an instant upgrade." The scruffy man shrugged. "But I don't have money. All I can offer is some muscle."
"Not just muscle." Stark shook his head and looked at him earnestly. "Banner, I need your wisdom and knowledge too. With your help, I believe many of my technological ideas can actually come to life."
The man named Banner didn't respond, his face calm despite Stark's unusually high praise.
Because in the scientific world, he truly had the right to such praise.
Banner.
Full name: Robert Bruce Banner. Holder of seven PhDs, a world-renowned physicist. If not for his years in hiding, his name would still be on the front pages of science journals.
But he also carried a secret identity—the true reason he lived in seclusion all these years.
The Hulk.
Not long ago, the monster Abomination that appeared in Washington was indirectly his creation.
"Banner—"
Stark was about to continue when the warning alarms on the rooftop suddenly blared.
"Jarvis, what's going on?" Stark frowned.
Beams of light flickered from the table in the hall, quickly forming a three-dimensional holographic projection.
Jarvis's calm voice explained, "Sir. Just moments ago, an extraordinary incident occurred in Queens. Here is the live footage."
Banner also turned to look curiously.
The projection began with a scream. On a busy street, a heavily modified muscle car roared at full throttle, tearing down the road.
Red light. Intersection.
Crash!
The muscle car smashed through several vehicles blocking its way, swerving madly into oncoming traffic.
Just as it was about to plow into a crowd of cars—Stark and Banner's eyes narrowed sharply.
The car suddenly stopped. A black shadow flashed by like mist. The next moment, the car's front caved in unnaturally before the entire frame split apart as if ripped by some monstrous force!
Even worse, pieces of human bodies flew out of the destroyed car, landing on different parts of the street.
Two mangled torsos landed right in the middle of the shocked crowd.
Screams erupted.
"What the hell jumped out?!"
"Run!!"
The black shadow darted across the intersection, vanishing down a side street.
The footage cut off.
"What just happened?" Stark's face grew grim as he turned to Banner. Banner shook his head—he hadn't seen clearly either.
"Jarvis, rewind the footage."
"Yes, sir."
The hologram rewound to the moment just before the car's destruction.
"Right here. Zoom in and slow it down."
The slowed video revealed it—a small black beast darted from between parked cars like a cannonball, slamming into the muscle car's front.
"Frame by frame."
Now, everything became clear.
Banner's eyes widened in shock.
It was a cat.
A small cat, furless, its body covered in smooth, tough black skin.
At the instant it slammed into the car, the speeding vehicle was stopped cold. The cat's body swelled several times larger, muscles bulging grotesquely as razor claws ripped the car apart like paper!
That was the cause of the explosion.
And in the next moment, the monstrous creature shrank back into a small cat and darted after a flying corpse.
"What the hell is that thing?" Stark muttered, his face darkening. But what alarmed him even more was Banner—his face had gone pale, his breathing erratic, his body trembling as if he were about to lose control.
"Jarvis!" Stark instinctively stepped back.
The floor beneath him rose, mechanical arms locking pieces of red-gold armor onto his body.
Within five seconds, Stark was fully armored as Iron Man, the arc reactor and metal eyes blazing with light.
"Calm down, Banner!" Iron Man raised a hand, trying to steady him.
"I—I'm fine!" Banner clenched his fists, breathing heavily to suppress the rage boiling inside.
His face shifted between pale and green.
Finally, the veins on his neck subsided. He slumped against the table, exhausted but stable.
Stark exhaled. "Stay here. I'll handle this."
"Wait, Tony!" Banner leaned on a chair, pointing at the shadow on the hologram. His voice trembled. "That creature is extremely dangerous! The moment I saw it, it was like putting a gun to my own head. My body wanted to transform into the Hulk!"
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