On the other side, the atmosphere inside General Ross's helicopter was equally heavy.
Ross and his daughter Betty stared blankly at the two massive craters below, speechless for a long time.
They were both still shaken by what they had just witnessed.
For years, they had been among the people who understood the Hulk best.
They knew all too well just how terrifyingly strong the green giant was, how destructive his power could be.
Which only made the scene they had just witnessed all the more shocking.
Henry Stark—the notorious playboy who, in their minds, had only ever existed in financial magazines and tabloid gossip—had effortlessly defeated the Hulk.
It was unheard of, unimaginable!
And not only the Hulk—even Abomination, after his secondary enhancement, had been knocked down in one punch, like a child being disciplined by his father!
It was absurd. Like something out of mythology.
Was Ares himself descending?
To them, it looked more like Superman fighting King Kong and Godzilla at once.
Finally, Betty broke the silence. Her voice trembled with worry.
"Dad… what should we do? Bruce… Bruce was taken away by them. Will he be okay?"
She was deeply worried about her boyfriend.
She and this poor man had suffered too much together.
She didn't know why fate was always so cruel to them, but she truly didn't want to lose Bruce Banner again.
Ross looked at his daughter's worried face and felt his chest tighten.
Why did she have to fall for him?
Imagine your daughter bringing home some scrawny nerd one day—how would you feel?!
He had lived his entire life as a soldier, facing storms and battlefields without fear.
But what happened tonight filled him with a deep sense of powerlessness.
He sighed, his tone weary. "He should be fine. Those two Stark brats are unpredictable, but I don't think they'll harm him. In fact… this might even be good for him."
Betty turned her eyes toward the dark night sky where they had vanished, and after a long pause, simply nodded.
Back at the battlefield, police and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were already busy organizing cleanup efforts.
Countless reporters and media personnel, drawn like sharks to the scent of blood, swarmed around the area, but the police held them back behind barricades.
Not that it mattered.
Everything that had happened tonight had already been broadcast live through countless channels, spread by the relentless media who would risk life and limb just for ratings.
The appearance of the Stark brothers, the birth of Iron Man, the rise of the Black Knight, and the epic battle…
The entire world was in an uproar.
---
"Good evening, viewers. This is CNN News Live. Just moments ago, an unprecedented battle erupted in Harlem and Manhattan, New York. From the footage our on-site reporters have transmitted, we can see that the combatants were two massive unidentified creatures…"
"Breaking news! After being missing for days following his press conference, Stark Industries CEO Tony Stark—and his younger brother Henry Stark—have both suddenly appeared on the battlefield! They intervened as heroes!"
"My God! Ladies and gentlemen, did you see that?! That man in the pure black battlesuit just one-punched one of the monsters! According to our experts, the strength, speed, and durability he displayed are beyond any known single-soldier weapon system. He even unleashed a terrifying high-energy heat beam from his eyes! Perhaps we shouldn't call him a playboy anymore. Maybe… we should give him a greater name. Something like… Superman!"
"You're right, Tom! And what about Tony Stark? Flying freely through the skies in that dazzling red-and-gold armor, like a knight from the future! What should we call him?"
"Hmm, let me think… His whole body is encased in iron, full of masculine energy. Perhaps we can call him… Iron Man!"
"Superman and Iron Man! Oh, my God! This sounds like something straight out of a comic book! From today, America—and perhaps the whole world—has officially entered the era of superheroes!"
...
Tens of thousands of meters high in the sky, Henry and Tony were racing toward Los Angeles.
Henry's bio-field gently carried the unconscious Bruce Banner and Blonsky, now reverted to human form.
"I've got to say, these guys are heavy," Henry complained over the comms.
"Especially Abomination—his body is all bone and ridges, and it's killing my hands. Tony, are we sure this isn't some kind of international human trafficking operation? If regular people got caught doing this, they'd be in jail."
"No complaints here," Tony teased.
"At least I don't have to lug around two grown men like some delivery boy. Honestly, you look like a househusband coming back from the market with groceries. Not cool at all."
"Really? I think I look like a triumphant hero returning home with his trophies after saving the world," Henry said smugly.
"I can already imagine tomorrow's headlines."
"They'll say: The great Iron Man appeared," Tony cut in immediately.
"And that Henry saved New York all by himself," Henry added.
"No, no—they'll say Henry was Iron Man's sidekick, clapping from the sidelines during the fight," Tony shot back.
"Unrealistic!" Henry retorted at once.
"They'll definitely say: Genius billionaire playboy Iron Man's mysterious enforcer—Superman!"
And so the two bickered back and forth, as if the epic battle had been nothing more than a boring video game.
"Hey, J.A.R.V.I.S.," Henry suddenly said.
"Show me how the brain-dead media are praising us. Did they at least get my good side?"
"You always look good, sir—anything related to you is automatically handsome," Tony jumped in before J.A.R.V.I.S. could answer. Then, with a straight face, he added.
"After all, you are my brother."
"Shut up," Henry shot back.
Just then, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice came online.
"Gentlemen, based on real-time network analysis, currently more than 95% of major global media outlets have placed your exploits on their front pages. As for your titles, both the media and the public have reached an organic consensus."
"Oh? Let's hear it." The brothers were instantly intrigued.
"According to popularity rankings and keyword searches, Mr. Tony Stark is most commonly referred to as Iron Man. Mr. Henry Stark is being called Superman."
"Superman?" Henry blinked, then chuckled.
"Sure, the name's a little borrowed, not exactly original. But I'll admit—it's classic. And fitting. I like it. Goes well with my dashing, elegant persona."
"Give me a break," Tony rolled his eyes, then said smugly, as if he'd predicted this all along.
"At least the public has some taste. They even picked the exact names we were joking about earlier."
"Your clunky tin can rattles like an iron pot. Iron Man is just the prettier-sounding version," Henry jabbed without mercy.
"What do you know! It's—"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Henry cut him off.
"Fine, fine!"
"Now, seriously. What do we do with these two? Why are we even bringing them home? Henry, our house can't exactly accommodate two extra men—especially ones more muscular than you," Tony said helplessly.
"Research, of course!" Henry said matter-of-factly.
"These two are walking gamma-ray databases! I've got to dissect every detail of their abilities—figure out a way to harness their power without turning into a brainless, rainbow-colored brute."
"Not a bad idea," Tony nodded thoughtfully.
Henry smiled.
What he didn't say was that his ambitions went far beyond Tony's.
He intended to build the strongest superhero team on Earth—one that would answer to him, and him alone.
***
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