The Hulk's massive form charged toward Richard with thunderous footsteps, each stride shaking the ground beneath them. When he reached striking distance, the green giant swung his enormous right fist directly at Richard's head with enough force to shatter concrete.
Most people would have immediately dodged such a devastating attack, but Richard had no intention of retreating.
As the Hulk's fist approached, Richard simply raised his right hand and caught the blow with casual ease.
BOOM!
The impact created a thunderous crash that echoed through the forest like a war drum, sending shockwaves rippling outward in all directions. Despite the Hulk's tremendous strength, Richard had effortlessly stopped the attack without budging an inch.
This was indeed the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where the Hulk's power levels were significantly lower than his comic book counterpart. The creature before him, while impressive by normal standards, was far from the reality-breaking force of destruction found in other media interpretations.
If Banner had been in control, he might have recognized the futility of direct confrontation and attempted a more strategic approach. However, the primitive consciousness currently governing the massive body possessed no such tactical thinking.
Seeing his attack so easily neutralized only served to enrage the Hulk further. Driven by pure instinct, he immediately swung his left fist toward Richard's torso.
BANG!
Before the second punch could connect, Richard lifted his right foot and delivered a devastating kick to the Hulk's midsection. The green giant was launched backward like a golf ball struck by a professional driver, sailing dozens of meters through the air.
Betty watched in stunned amazement as the seemingly unstoppable creature was sent flying with such casual ease.
Richard didn't wait for the Hulk to land. Using his flight capabilities, he instantly positioned himself above the airborne giant and drove his fist down into the creature's chest.
CRASH!
The combined force of Richard's punch and the Hulk's momentum sent the green behemoth plummeting toward the earth like a meteor. Upon impact, he created a crater that resembled the aftermath of a small asteroid strike, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions.
Rather than pursuing his advantage, Richard descended gracefully to land beside the newly formed crater, curious to see how quickly his opponent would recover.
Within moments, the Hulk emerged from the depression, shaking off dust and debris as he prepared for another charge. His primitive mind couldn't process the concept of retreat—only the overwhelming desire to destroy the source of his frustration.
The previous exchange had given Richard a good sense of the Hulk's durability and combat capabilities. When the green giant rushed him again, Richard decided to provide a more comprehensive demonstration of their power difference.
He raised both hands and began systematically dismantling his opponent using basic boxing techniques.
Jab, cross, hook, uppercut, straight right, left hook, combination punches...
Richard employed no exotic martial arts or supernatural abilities—just fundamental boxing skills executed with overwhelming precision and power. Even these simple techniques proved more than sufficient to completely dominate the confrontation.
The Hulk found himself unable to mount any effective offense, reduced to stumbling backward under the relentless barrage of perfectly timed strikes. Richard's superiority was absolute across every metric: strength, speed, agility, technique, and experience.
Unless some cosmic entity decided to possess the Hulk directly, the outcome of this battle had been predetermined from the moment it began. Even using only a fraction of his true power, Richard was completely untouchable.
THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD...
The sound of fist meeting flesh created a rhythmic percussion that echoed through the forest clearing. Each impact drove the Hulk further backward, his attempts at counterattack proving utterly futile.
The green giant had been reduced to a living punching bag, absorbing punishment without any ability to retaliate effectively.
After only five or six seconds of this one-sided assault, Richard noticed the Hulk beginning to show signs of serious distress. The creature's head was wobbling unsteadily, and his movements were becoming increasingly uncoordinated.
Deciding that the demonstration had achieved its purpose, Richard stepped back and ceased his attack.
The Hulk immediately collapsed to his knees, then fell forward onto his hands, breathing heavily as he struggled to remain conscious.
This really is much weaker than the comic version, Richard mused silently.
"Alright, get up," Richard said aloud, his tone almost gentle. "I'm finished fighting."
Upon hearing these words, the Hulk slowly raised his head and managed to sit upright, though his expression was one of profound bewilderment and hurt.
While the Hulk lacked Banner's intellectual capacity, he possessed his own distinct consciousness and emotional range. His intelligence was roughly equivalent to that of a five or six-year-old child—which made his current demeanor all the more striking.
The massive creature sat on the forest floor looking exactly like a child who had been unfairly punished. His eyes held a wounded confusion that was almost heartbreaking to witness. Apart from the absence of actual tears, the Hulk's expression perfectly captured the essence of innocent suffering.
Weak, pitiful, and helpless—hardly the image one would expect from the supposed strongest creature on Earth.
Richard approached the dejected giant and patted his shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you anymore. Let Banner come back now."
Under normal circumstances, any request to relinquish control would have been met with violent resistance. The Hulk jealously guarded his time in the physical world and typically required significant persuasion to step aside voluntarily.
However, the source of this particular request was the same person who had just delivered the most thorough beating of the Hulk's existence.
Without any argument or hesitation, the green giant nodded obediently and began surrendering control back to Banner's consciousness.
Both Richard and Betty watched in fascination as the Hulk's massive frame began shrinking like a deflating balloon. Within seconds, the towering monster had been replaced by Banner's considerably more modest human form.
Banner clutched at his tattered pants with one hand while using the other to steady himself against the ground.
"You win," he said simply, his voice carrying notes of exhaustion and resignation.
"I already knew that," Richard replied with a slight smile.
He reached into his system storage and produced a clean shirt and pair of pants, which he handed to the nearly naked scientist.
"Here, wear these."
"Thank you," Banner said gratefully, accepting the clothing.
As Banner began changing, Betty politely averted her gaze to give him privacy. Once he was properly dressed, Richard retrieved the Cosmic Cube and opened a dimensional gateway back to Betty's house.
Without needing explicit instructions, Betty and Banner walked through the portal one after the other, with Richard following at a more leisurely pace.
They emerged in Betty's familiar living room, though Banner looked around with obvious surprise. He had expected to be returned to Dr. Sterns's office, not brought to his former girlfriend's residence.
While the years had brought some changes to the space, the overall layout and furnishings remained much as he remembered. The primary difference was his own status—where he had once belonged here as Betty's partner, he was now merely a guest with complicated emotional baggage.
Before Banner could voice any of the thoughts racing through his mind, Richard made a practical suggestion.
"You look like you haven't been sleeping well lately," he observed. "Why don't you take a shower and get some rest? We can discuss everything else over dinner."
"I'll show you to the guest room," Betty added, her voice carrying a mixture of warmth and awkwardness.
Banner simply nodded and followed Betty down the hall to the second bedroom. After she had provided him with towels and toiletries, Betty returned to the living room and settled onto the sofa beside Richard.
"I need answers," she said firmly, her earlier shock giving way to determined curiosity. "How did you know where to find Banner? How did you know he could transform into that... creature? What else have you been hiding from me?"
Richard met her gaze calmly. "I know these things because of my abilities—they extend far beyond simple teleportation. As for why I kept this information from you..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Because I knew you had never truly forgotten about him."