[Third person POV]
As the Red Hulk was kicked away, his massive body hurtled through the air before crashing into the ground with thunderous force. He skidded violently, tearing through the earth as clumps of dirt and grass exploded in his wake, forming a long trench. With a growl of frustration, he slammed both of his enormous hands into the ground, the impact sending cracks through the earth as he finally managed to slow his momentum.
Slowly, he rose to his feet, his crimson form towering and steaming under the heavy downpour. Rain splattered against his glowing red skin, instantly turning to vapor upon contact, surrounding him in a swirling haze of steam. Flames burst from his eyes like molten fury as he threw his head back and released a deafening roar into the storm-filled sky. "RAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" The sound shook the battlefield, reverberating through the earth as lightning flashed above him.
Snarling with unrelenting rage, the Red Hulk locked eyes on Peter, his fists clenched with volcanic tension. But Peter didn't flinch—he didn't even look at him. Instead, he turned calmly toward Aria, speaking over the sound of thunder crashing in the distance.
"Aria, do you think you can handle the Leader on your own, without any distractions?"
Aria scoffed, placing her hands on her hips with an air of confidence. "Of course! That green booger doesn't stand a chance against me."
Before any further words could be exchanged, the Red Hulk charged again, roaring like a beast unleashed. But just before he could make contact, two glowing portals swirled open behind Peter.
Out of the portals burst Gwen and Lizzy. Gwen spun through the air with grace, her fist slamming into Red Hulk's ribs with enough force to crack the sound barrier. At the same time, Lizzy's feet connected with his face in a brutal flying kick. The double impact sent the Red Hulk hurtling backward like a meteor, crashing through the mud and skidding toward the Leader.
The Leader, standing calmly at the base's edge, raised a single hand. With a mere flick of his fingers, he halted Red Hulk's motion mid-air, then casually flung him aside like a ragdoll. The crimson beast crashed into the ground with a loud grunt, steam hissing from his body as he growled in frustration.
The Leader's eyes narrowed as more portals began to appear, swirling open one by one. Out of them emerged the rest of Peter's squad.
He scoffed in disdain.
"You think you're the only ones with an army?" the Leader said coldly. "Don't let arrogance blind you. Betty. Jennifer. Bruce. To me."
The team tensed, their eyes locked on the figures beginning to move.
Betty's body started to convulse, her muscles bulging, her skin rapidly darkening to a deep crimson. Her eyes flared with gamma energy as her hair grew longer and wilder, two distinct red streaks running through it. She let out a low, guttural growl as her transformation completed—Red She-Hulk had arrived.
Behind her, the sound of glass shattering rang out. A containment chamber cracked open, shards falling to the ground as a green fist punched through. Red emergency lights bathed the area as alarms blared. Jennifer Walters stepped out, now fully transformed into She-Hulk. Her skin gleamed a powerful jade hue, and her eyes were vacant—blank, like she wasn't fully in control. Her steps were slow, almost reluctant, as she walked through the chemical-soaked floor toward the Leader.
Bruce Banner's transformation was already underway. He grunted through gritted teeth as his body surged in size, shredding through restraints like paper. Now the Hulk, he groaned, his eyes distant and lifeless. With heavy, echoing steps, he joined the others.
Red Hulk, still steaming, stood again. Each step he took left glowing red-hot footprints on the base's scorched metal floor. He walked forward without hesitation, steam swirling around him as he joined the Leader's growing army.
Together, they marched. Through the gaping hole in the facility, into the cold rain and under the shadow of the storm, they stepped forward—an unstoppable line of gamma-infused monsters with the Leader at the helm.
All around them, towering humanoid enforcers with pink skin and glowing red eyes patrolled menacingly, clutching advanced plasma rifles designed by the Leader himself.
Betty glanced to the side, snatching one of the plasma guns from a humanoid soldier's grasp with a single hand.
The robotic humanoid looked down at its now empty hands, blinking rapidly in alarm. Its red eye flashed as it let out a series of loud warning beeps towards Betty.
"RRROOOOAAARR!!" Betty roared directly in its face, the sheer force of her voice knocking the creature back a step.
The creature beeped again—this time more like a whine—and reluctantly raised its fists in a clumsy fighting stance.
Smirking, Betty hoisted the plasma weapon over her shoulder and fell into formation beside the Hulk.
And there they stood. In a single, unbroken line beneath the pouring rain—Red Hulk, She-Hulk, Red She-Hulk, Hulk, and the Leader himself. Behind and around them marched an army of red-eyed humanoids, weapons at the ready, expressions cold and merciless.
Before them stood Peter and his squad—tensed, watchful, outnumbered.
Upon seeing Betty standing among the enemy, transformed and weaponized, a flicker of guilt flashed through Peter's eyes. It was subtle, but MJ and Aria sensed it immediately through their power.
Peter closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, pushing away the weight of emotion. Thanks to the Mindstone embedded within Aria, the group remained connected mentally, allowing Peter to share complex thoughts and plans in mere seconds. The strategy flowed between them like a river of intent, clear and direct.
"Alright," Peter began through the link, his tone firm yet focused, "here's how it's going to go."
"Ghost. Star. You two will handle Red Hulk. He's the most volatile, but you've got the speed and power to match him, you two are the perfect counter for him. Stay agile—don't let him pin you down."
He turned mentally toward the next pair. "Red, Kat—you're on She-Hulk. She looks dazed, like she's struggling for control. Red, try to reach her if you can. Kat, maybe your luck manipulation can tip the scales in our favor and speed up her recovery. Just don't get careless."
"Nightwing," Peter continued, "that leaves Betty to you. She won't be holding back—neither should you. Stop her before she can do any serious damage."
His mind shifted finally to Aria. "And like I said before... The Leader is yours. You're the one with the most mental power to counter his psychic powers. Don't let him stall you."
Everyone acknowledged their roles with a wave of determination echoing through the link. Just as the mental silence returned, Gwen's voice cut through with a curious edge:
"I take it that means Hulk is yours?"
Peter opened his eyes, staring into the distance where the green giant loomed. "Yes. Hulk and I… we share the closest connection between all of us. He trusts me the most. If anyone can get through to him, it's me. I'm going to try something different—use the power of friendship! If there's a chance he can break free of the Leader's influence on his own, I want to give it to him."
He added as an afterthought, "Also… those robots? Take care of them at your own pace. Don't let them swarm."
Before anyone could speak again, the Leader stepped forward with an arrogant smirk stretching across his face.
"Do not waste your time planning," he sneered, his voice amplified by the storm. "It is all futile. You stand no chance against the evolution of humanity. What you see before you is but a fraction of your species' future potential. Let me show you just how inferior you Homo-Sapians truly are—"
Felicia scoffed, rolling her eyes as she interrupted him with perfect timing, "The only thing 'homo' here is that widow's peak."
There was a beat of silence. Then the team erupted into snickers and chuckles, despite the tension.
A throbbing vein bulged along the side of the Leader's temple, his smile now long gone. His eyes burned with fury.
"Kill them," he growled, voice sharp and cold. "Kill them all."
"ROOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!"
A chorus of gamma-fueled rage echoed through the battlefield as Red Hulk, She-Hulk, Red She-Hulk, and the Hulk themselves charged forward in a stampede of raw power and fury. The ground shook beneath their weight, their eyes glowing like torches through the storm.
From behind them, the pink-skinned humanoid enforcers surged into battle. Their red eyes flared, and they opened fire with searing beams of plasma, turning the field into a war zone of heat and light. Explosions burst across the terrain, sparks flying in every direction.
Peter and his team didn't flinch.
They smirked, cracked their knuckles, and sprinted forward, meeting the gamma monsters head-on with no hesitation. Thunder roared overhead. Rain continued to fall. And beneath the chaos, a war unlike any before had officially begun—
The war against the Hulks had started.
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