Xu Shang Chi and Xu Xialing boarded their flight to the tournament separately but, through some scheduling quirk, ended up on the same private aircraft. Shang Chi had come to New York alone and brought no spectators. He had few friends beyond his coworker in San Francisco, and he didn't want to drag anyone into this dangerous, bizarre situation.
Xialing, by contrast, brought ten members of the Golden Daggers. They were elite fighters, clad in black, and loyal to her personally. They sat in absolute silence, their presence filling the cabin.
Neither sibling mentioned inviting their father. That particular conversation wasn't happening.
On Tony's private jet, the atmosphere was lighter. Melina and Yelena, dressed in immaculate Fraternity suits, served as his escorts. Tony looked around the plush cabin as they took off.
"I thought Smith would come personally," he remarked, settling into a leather seat. "Didn't realize he'd send you two instead."
Melina smiled professionally. "Mr. Stark, the leader is currently at the venue making final preparations. He couldn't leave."
Tony waved a hand dismissively. He'd just been complaining for the sake of it.
"You said I can bring spectators, right?" He grinned at his companions. "Happy, Pepper, let's go experience Smith's special party."
He looked at his bodyguard and assistant. "Remember to cheer for your boss."
"Happy, bring the case."
Tony wore his latest Mark armor, the red-and-gold suit forming a sleek, powered-down shell around his body. Happy carried a reinforced, metal briefcase containing the Four-Star Dragon Ball. Pepper brought her tablet, her expression already pinched with worry about the liability issues.
All five contestants boarded their respective aircraft, each carrying their Dragon Balls. As they flew over the Pacific, Fraternity staff members began explaining the tournament rules.
The Repairman stood in the aisle of Banner's plane. "I'll now explain the rules for this inaugural Dragon Ball tournament."
He pulled out a laminated map of an island. "The competition takes place on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. The island sits in international waters and has been purchased by the Fraternity."
"In other words, your battles won't endanger civilians. You can fight at full strength without restraint."
"There are five contestants. You'll land at five different locations around the island. During the tournament, you'll compete for each other's tickets."
"Anyone who collects three tickets total may proceed to the island's center and qualify for the finals."
Banner raised his hand. "There are five people with five tickets. How do we get two finalists from that?"
"Some contestants possess multiple Dragon Balls," the Repairman explained. "Each Dragon Ball represents one ticket."
He glanced at his notes. "In each battle, the winner may only take one ticket from their opponent."
Similar explanations were happening on the other flights. On Selene's plane, X handed her a second gold coin, identical to her first.
"Of course, after a defeated player surrenders their ticket, our staff will escort them from the field. If an opponent has no tickets remaining, they're eliminated."
"Anyone who loses all their tickets is defeated. After surrendering, they may not continue fighting."
"After two people qualify, they'll face each other in the final match."
"The ultimate winner receives the right to summon the dragon and make a wish."
"As for the Dragon Balls in your possession, you'll need to hand them over to us for safekeeping during transport."
Everyone processed the rules. It was a battle royale to collect tickets, with each ticket representing a life. Five contestants, seven Dragon Balls total. That meant two people held two Dragon Balls each, while three held one.
Tony's voice crackled over his helmet speakers. "Five people, seven tickets. Two winners. What happens to the remaining ticket?"
Yelena answered from the cockpit. "There are only six tickets in total for the tournament."
That sparked interest on every flight. Only six tickets? Someone in the Fraternity must be holding the seventh Dragon Ball.
The Repairman produced a specialized, rugged watch. "Every contestant must wear this device."
"It displays a map of the entire island. Every thirty minutes, the watch updates with the coordinates and locations of all remaining participants."
Banner examined the watch. "When I transform, my size increases dramatically. Won't the strap break?"
"We anticipated that, Mr. Banner. The watch uses a special elastic material that stretches with your body. It won't break or fall off."
Banner's eyes lit up with genuine scientific interest. "Really? That's incredible material. I'd love to get some for clothing."
The Repairman smiled slightly. "Perhaps we can arrange something after the tournament."
He continued his briefing. "As for spectators, you'll be taken directly to the summit viewing area. From there, you'll be able to watch every competitor's performance on the main screen."
Across the country, General Ross stood in a military operations room, coordinating the manhunt.
"The FBI is monitoring Banner's cell phone, credit cards, and online accounts," he said, his voice a low growl.
He pointed at the tactical map. "Local police departments are on alert. We'll receive information the moment he surfaces."
An analyst spoke up. "General, with respect, Banner hasn't been caught in five years because he's smart. He wouldn't use credit cards or make traceable calls."
Ross nodded. "Exactly. If he wanted to run, he'd already be gone."
"But he came back to the United States. There's a reason he had to return."
"He's looking for help. We can exploit that."
Ross pulled up communication logs. "We know he's been trying to find a cure. We know he's been in contact with someone."
"You all have copies of his communication records. The aliases 'Mr. Green' and 'Mr. Blue' have been flagged in S.H.I.E.L.D's database."
"Once they make contact, we'll have his location."
"We'll monitor his communications, and we'll capture him when he shows weakness."
Agent Sylvette, S.H.I.E.L.D's representative at the meeting, cleared her throat.
"According to our intelligence, the object Bruce Banner threw away during his transformation was a Dragon Ball."
"It's connected to Smith Doyle and the Universal Capsule Company. Should we investigate that angle?"
Ross shook his head. "I had people look into it. We don't know what it's used for, but Banner discarded it. Not relevant to the capture."
He paused, surprising everyone with his next words. "Also, during the incident, Mr. Smith Doyle personally intervened to prevent Banner from causing further damage."
In the conference room, Ross actually defended Smith for once. The general wasnt stupid. He recognized that Smith had saved lives, including possibly his daughter's. That earned a small measure of respect, even if he'd never admit it publicly.
The briefing continued, but Ross's mind was already working through scenarios. Banner would surface eventually. When he did, Ross would be ready.
What he didn't know was that Banner was already on a plane, heading somewhere Ross's surveillance network couldn't reach.
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