The Hulk staggered back, his massive green form swaying slightly. For a moment, the battlefield seemed to quiet. Even Tony Stark, still partially downed from his earlier clash with the Hulk, watched Daniel in awe. The air itself seemed to shift, heavy with the tension of something monumental about to happen.
Daniel Park stood tall, his body radiating a quiet confidence that contrasted sharply with the chaos of the situation. He had made his move, but he wasn't done. Not by a long shot.
The Hulk growled, low and guttural, clearly frustrated by the sudden shift in the tide. Daniel's intervention had thrown him off balance, but the green behemoth wasn't one to stay down for long. With a deafening roar, the Hulk charged, fists raised, aiming to obliterate anything in his path.
But Daniel was already a step ahead.
His eyes glowed faintly, a sign that his Infinite Evolution was in full swing. His body surged with raw, untapped power, his muscles tightening and adapting to every shift in the environment. It wasn't just about physical strength. Daniel had learned to evolve mentally as well, analyzing the situation in real-time, adapting to the behavior of his opponents.
He allowed the Hulk to come closer, baiting him with subtle movements that seemed almost careless. The Hulk's rage-filled eyes locked onto him, and just as the massive fists came swinging down, Daniel moved.
He ducked under one swing, pivoted on his foot, and with an almost unnatural grace, planted a single knee into the Hulk's side.
The impact wasn't much. But Daniel's intent wasn't to deal physical damage. As his knee connected with the Hulk's skin, the evolution began. Using his Infinite Evolution, Daniel's body reacted in real time to the Hulk's enormous size and strength. The punch wasn't about overwhelming the Hulk's mass; it was about manipulating the energy within it, rerouting the force of his attack to destabilize the Hulk's coordination.
The Hulk, momentarily disoriented, stumbled back a step.
"What the—" Tony Stark muttered from the ground, still stunned by Daniel's sudden display of skill and power.
Daniel didn't waste the moment. He wasn't just reacting to the Hulk's rage; he was countering it. His body had already started analyzing the Hulk's chaotic physiology, taking note of the Hulk's patterns, the rhythms of his immense rage.
"Is that all you've got?" Daniel taunted, his voice calm but laced with an edge that seemed to irk the Hulk even further.
The Hulk roared again, enraged beyond measure, and charged with renewed fury. This time, his fists came down in a flurry of unstoppable force, each strike designed to turn everything around him to rubble.
But Daniel was already adjusting his own stance. The Hulk's power, though overwhelming, had a certain predictability to it. Daniel had learned that from the moment the Hulk started swinging. Every punch, every smash, every roar followed a rhythm he could understand. With a fluid motion, Daniel twisted to the side, avoiding the first two strikes effortlessly, and when the Hulk swung again, Daniel ducked under the punch, closing the gap between them.
With a sudden burst of speed, Daniel grabbed the Hulk's massive wrist, using his leverage to spin and slam the Hulk's arm into the pavement, using the ground as an anchor. The sheer force of Daniel's move created an explosion of dust and debris, but to his surprise, the Hulk barely flinched.
"You really don't know when to quit, do you?" Daniel muttered under his breath.
His mind raced. He had studied the Hulk's moves, learned how his rage made him stronger and faster, but also predictable. The key was manipulating the Hulk's rage—not to fight against it, but to use it to his advantage. As the Hulk struggled to free his arm, Daniel let his power evolve again, this time focusing on the Hulk's own physiology.
Adapt to survive. That was the essence of Daniel's power. He wasn't just enhancing his own body. He was learning how to adjust, how to manipulate the very forces at play around him. And with each evolution, his body adapted to the Hulk's monstrous strength, shifting into a more efficient combatant, one capable of meeting the green giant's fury with calculated precision.
And then it happened.
The Hulk paused.
For the briefest of moments, his rage faltered. There was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, a flash of confusion. Daniel had planted the seed, tweaking the Hulk's hormonal balance just enough to create doubt in his own movements. The Hulk's primal nature—the very core of his power—was shaken.
And that was when Daniel struck.
With a snap of his wrist, Daniel's hand shot out, aiming for the Hulk's chest. But instead of a simple physical blow, Daniel's body surged with energy, harnessing the flow of natural forces. He delivered a blow not just to the Hulk's body, but to his core—the emotional epicenter of his power.
The Hulk recoiled, and in that split second, Daniel's body took a sharp turn, releasing a shockwave of energy that knocked the Hulk off balance. It wasn't a knockout blow, but it was enough to throw him into a momentary pause.
One step at a time, Daniel thought. He could feel the Hulk's body and mind reeling, trying to readjust, trying to retaliate. But this was the moment Daniel had been waiting for.
"You're not unstoppable," Daniel muttered, as the Hulk roared in fury, but a hint of uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
Tony Stark, still lying on the ground, stared in disbelief. The Hulk had just been taken down—not completely, but far more than anyone had ever managed. And who was this guy? Where had he come from?
"Okay, kid," Tony said, pushing himself up, his voice full of disbelief. "I don't know who you are, but that was impressive. Not many can make Hulk think."
Daniel turned toward him, his expression calm, his body already starting to shift back to a less combative stance. The energy from his last attack still radiated around him, but he seemed unfazed. The thrill of the battle, of testing his limits, was already subsiding.
"I'm just getting started," Daniel said simply.
He looked back at the Hulk, who was still struggling to regain his footing. Daniel had taken a moment to analyze the damage he'd done, but he didn't need to finish the fight. Not yet.
The Hulk let out another roar, but this time it was more frustration than rage. With a great heave, he stepped back, clearly realizing that Daniel was not a typical opponent.
"Well, if that's the best you've got, I guess I'll just have to wait until you get mad again," Daniel said with a wry smile.
The Hulk seemed to hesitate, as if understanding that he had met something—someone—who could match him.
"Alright, big guy," Daniel said, lowering his stance slightly. "You can take a break for now. But next time we meet, I'll be even better."
Tony, still in shock, finally got back on his feet, brushing off the dirt from his suit. He had been in some pretty intense situations in his time as Iron Man, but seeing someone challenge the Hulk like this was something new.
"Yeah, you better be better next time," Tony muttered, rubbing his head. "Because I'm not sure I can handle another round with him."
Daniel gave a half-smile, shrugging nonchalantly. "We'll see."
As the Hulk turned and leaped away, disappearing into the distance, Tony couldn't help but turn back to the young man who had just altered the course of the battle. There was something... different about him. Something unsettling, even.
"Alright, kid," Tony said, walking up to Daniel, now more curious than ever. "You're not just some random guy. You've got some serious skills. I've got a lot of questions, but first, we need to get out of here. This whole area's gonna get swarmed with cops soon."
Daniel didn't respond immediately. He was still processing, still adjusting to his own evolution. But one thing was clear—this world was filled with challenges, and he was ready for each one.
"I'll follow you," Daniel finally said. "But you should know something: I'm not here for just the fights. I've got bigger plans."
To be continued...