Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night...
Upper New York lay in ruins, the air thick with dust and smoke. The surrounding skyscrapers bore the scars of devastation, and the entire neighborhood near Brooklyn looked as if it had endured a brutal artillery bombardment, now reduced to complete rubble.
As dawn broke and the night receded from New York, people took to the streets. The homes that once held their fondest memories had now become shattered ruins.
The terrifying battle that had shaken New York had finally come to an end.
In its aftermath, the government swiftly dispatched large-scale rescue teams. Organizations from all walks of life rallied together, launching donation campaigns for those who had suffered property damage and personal injuries.
Many wealthy elites stepped forward, and even the typically profit-driven medical corporations, swept up in the tide of public sentiment, offered free treatment to the injured. It was as if, overnight, the nation had returned to the solidarity of wartime, with everyone united as one.
Of course, this was merely the surface that ordinary people saw. Those in power and the wealthy were not benevolent philanthropists. The compassion they showed now would eventually be reclaimed in other ways.
Insurance companies became the second hardest-hit group in this incident... The sheer scale of destruction from the battle, that being Iron Man's carpet bombing, the Hulk's rampage, and the Sentinel's demolition spree, had left countless buildings in ruins, with wrecked cars and collapsed shops beyond measure.
Faced with overwhelming compensation claims, many insurance firms had no choice but to declare bankruptcy due to being unable to pay...
Another point of criticism was the performance of the so-called superheroes who had once vowed to protect the people and save the world...
In this battle, they had failed to live up to expectations. Iron Man, who had boasted that he alone could defend New York, was swiftly defeated by the Hulk.
The Fantastic Four, meanwhile, seemed more like bystanders, offering no effective countermeasures.
Had it not been for the sudden appearance of the Sentinel, viewers watching on TV could only imagine how much worse the destruction of New York might have been.
With superheroes under fire, the federal government also faced scrutiny...
Seizing the opportunity, the Vice President issued a statement that very day, announcing that Umbrella Corporation had successfully developed a human enhancement serum and that the Department of Defense would soon possess a formidable army of super-soldiers.
This declaration instantly propelled Umbrella into the spotlight as the year's most dazzling rising star. Countless investors clamored to strike deals with the genius behind it all, only to be politely turned down by Sean.
Amid the flurry of major headlines, the arrest of Justin Hammer, head of Hammer Industries, on charges of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit murder, was relegated to a mere footnote in the news.
Having crossed a high-ranking general and the NYPD commissioner, the once-prominent arms dealer was unlikely to enjoy a comfortable life behind bars.
As for Sean, he merely instructed his secretary to send Mr. Hammer a care package of soap... after all, Umbrella had acquired Hammer's weapons manufacturing plants at a bargain price, along with a slew of military contracts. It was only right to offer a gesture of goodwill in return...
...
Weeks after the Hulk's rampage, the affected citizens, now focused on rebuilding their lives, no longer fixated on assigning blame for the disaster... Instead, they redirected their anger toward the ineffective federal government and the inactive superheroes...
A barrage of public opinions emerged, with many questioning the government's incompetence and, more pointedly, condemning the superheroes who had participated in the battle... especially the typically flamboyant Iron Man.
Tony Stark paid the price for his brash claims. Not only had he failed to uphold his self-proclaimed duty of protecting the world, but he had also been forced to flee in defeat by the Hulk.
The Fantastic Four, thanks to their longstanding popularity and approachable image, largely escaped severe backlash, apart from Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, whose humiliating beatdown by the Hulk was captured on video by an anonymous bystander and quickly turned into viral meme material.
Never one to miss an opportunity, The Daily Bugle, seized the moment to publish a photo of Iron Man in an embarrassing retreat.
Tony Stark, who was once hailed as New York's airborne guardian, was now ridiculed as a clown. His reputation was in tatters...
All of this, however, had little to do with Sean, who was quietly recuperating. In fact, he had profited immensely from the catastrophe that had shaken New York...
Umbrella secured a long-term partnership with the Department of Defense after Emil Blonsky, in his Abomination form, left military officials (including General Ross) stunned during a demonstration.
The aging general who had spent his life pursuing the super-soldier dream had seen footage of the Abomination battling the Hulk. Against the unstoppable green goliath, Blonsky had not only held his own but demonstrated overwhelming combat prowess.
Blonsky's performance convinced Ross to abandon his pursuit of Banner. To him, the Hulk was an uncontrollable beast, whereas the Abomination retained rational thought and followed orders... a perfect creation beyond his wildest dreams.
"You successfully replicated the super-soldier serum... why didn't you tell me sooner?" the general grumbled half-heartedly.
His admiration for Sean had only grown, especially after hearing how the young man had heroically rescued Betty from a gang of ruthless mercenaries.
Coming from a military family himself, Ross deeply appreciated this kind of reckless-yet-heroic approach... so long as it succeeded that is. Had Sean been gunned down, the general would have dismissed him as a foolhardy musclehead...
"I just wanted to surprise you, General," Sean replied humbly.
"Soon, you'll need to address me differently," Ross said, clapping Sean on the shoulder with paternal pride, "Ever since Betty came back, she's been distracted. You should visit her when you have time."
Sean smiled faintly. The general's daughter had witnessed his brutal slaughter of the mercenaries firsthand... it was no surprise she was traumatized. Even Gwen had taken leave, avoiding him in the lab whenever she returned.
There wasn't much he could do about it, but one thing was certain: both women would keep his secret. Not that it mattered much... he had plenty of excuses ready if needed.
"Women are so troublesome," Sean sighed.
Mature women like Maya Hansen didn't beat around the bush. After the incident, she had approached Sean directly, assuring him of her silence and thanking him for saving her life.
The scientist who had once shared a fleeting romance with Tony Stark knew better than to leak information. Instead, she chose to pledge her loyalty to Sean outright...
Just as Sean was grappling with how to handle the two girls, an invitation arrived from Stark Industries extending an olive branch to Umbrella for a charity gala for the victims' families...