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The laughter and chatter from the kitchen came to an abrupt stop.
Wanda froze mid-stir, spoon in hand. Kara turned her head toward them too.
Jiro's expression darkened. "Go on."
"The military deployed new sonic tanks and heavy weapons, but still suffered heavy losses. Hulk destroyed half the campus before Adam stepped in."
Wanda quickly put down her utensils and walked over. "Adam fought Hulk again?"
A holographic projection expanded, showing a blurry bit of surveillance footage.
The Hulk and Adam, surrounded by bluish energy, clashed violently in the sky above the city. The shockwaves shattered windows for miles.
"The fight lasted seventeen minutes. Hulk eventually broke away and disappeared. No one knows where he is. General Ross has already issued a global manhunt."
Kara walked over, wiping her hands. "That Hulk guy—he's the big green one, right?"
Jiro turned off the projection and stood up. "Ross won't let this go."
Wanda was already grabbing her coat. "Are we going after him?"
Jiro paused for a moment. "First, contact Tony. If he's this desperate to find me, it's probably about this."
He turned to Kara. "Sorry, you just got here and we're already dealing with this mess."
But Kara just grinned, looking excited. "Don't apologize—this is way more fun than sitting around in the Fortress of Solitude."
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Need my help?"
Wanda chuckled and threw an arm around her shoulders. "Of course! But are you sure you don't want to eat first? I promise my Hungarian beef stew is worth five minutes of your life."
Jiro was already dialing Tony. "Tony, I heard you were looking for me?"
Tony's scruffy face popped up in the hologram instantly. "Thank god! Jiro! If you hadn't shown up, I was two seconds away from hacking into your home system! You heard about Banner, right? Well, it gets worse…"
Jiro listened without a word, his expression calm but unreadable.
Tony looked exhausted and irritated in the projection—clearly, he'd been arguing with the military for a while.
"I've already made an official statement in SHIELD's name—Banner is SHIELD research personnel and under official protection." Tony rubbed his temples.
"But Ross, that stubborn old mule, refuses to listen. He still insists Hulk is an uncontrollable biological threat to national security."
Wanda frowned. "What about Adam? Are they trying to go after him too?"
Tony shook his head. "Adam's different. He's been known to the public since the last century. Even though he was forced to retire, he's still got fans. The military doesn't dare go after him openly. But Hulk… Hulk's a different story."
He sighed. "Every time Hulk shows up, there's massive destruction. Ross is clinging to that like a lifeline."
Kara crossed her arms, looking half amused. "Seriously? If it wasn't for the military screwing around, Hulk wouldn't even have shown up. And now they think they can just grab whoever they want?"
"That's not even the worst part," Tony said, lowering his voice.
"I found out they've been secretly moving around gamma research resources. Looks like they're planning something."
Jiro's eyes narrowed as he listened, his expression growing colder.
"Got it," he said shortly, then ended the call.
The room fell quiet.
Wanda looked at Jiro, waiting for his decision.
Kara stood by the window, her gaze sharp—clearly pissed at how the military was handling things.
Jiro slowly stood up, voice calm and steady.
"If the government doesn't play fair, then we're done playing by their rules too."
Wanda's eyes lit up. "You mean…"
She and Kara had both been locked up for a long time—they didn't take this kind of thing lightly.
Jiro looked over at her and nodded. "We move. Find Banner. Make sure he's safe. And then…"
His eyes swept across both of them. His voice was firm.
"Let the military know—The Steel Man's anger isn't something they can handle."
Kara grinned. "I like this plan."
Wanda's fingertips were already glowing with red energy. "So, what are we waiting for?"
Jiro raised his hand, and a golden portal swirled open in the middle of the living room.
"Turing, lock onto the Hulk's last known location."
"Confirmed, sir. Target was last seen near the Canadian border. Gamma radiation signature is weak but traceable."
Jiro stepped toward the portal. His black battle suit silently covered his body, golden patterns flowing like liquid under the light.
"Let's go," he said without looking back."It's time some people learned what real uncontrollable power looks like."
Just as he was about to step into the portal, Kara suddenly spoke up, "Wait—shouldn't we make a proper plan first?"
Her voice was clear and crisp, standing out in the quiet living room.
In the hologram, Tony—who had been about to end the call—suddenly widened his eyes. "Hold up! Who the hell was that voice?!"
The image wobbled wildly, like he'd jumped up from his chair. "JARVIS, crank up the audio analysis. Jiro! Why is there some strange woman's voice in your house?!"
Jiro chuckled. "Tony, maybe it's time you picked up your Oscar."
Tony's face filled the whole projection as he squinted and leaned toward the camera. "Let me guess… another super hot girl you somehow dragged home?"
Kara curiously leaned closer to the hologram, golden hair falling over her shoulder. "Hi, I'm Kara Zor-El."
The moment Kara finished her intro, Tony froze mid-sentence.
His eyes bulged, finger pointing at her. "Wait—Kara Zor-El?! Supergirl?!"
His face lit up with excitement. "From DC Comics! The Kryptonian chick in the blue skirt from Smallville!"
He clutched his chest dramatically. "JARVIS, get a heart monitor. I need to memorialize this moment. A real-life comic book character is standing in front of me!"
Kara blinked. "Sounds like you're a fan."
Tony stroked the stubble on his chin, giving her an appraising look. "No offense, but that battle suit is way more practical than the tiny skirt in the comics."
Wanda immediately stepped in front of Kara. "Hey! Eyes up here!"
Jiro cleared his throat, cutting them off. "Tony."
"Alright, alright." Tony raised his hands in surrender."But seriously, this is insane. I'm actually discussing how to deal with the U.S. military—with Supergirl! Even DC wouldn't dare write a plot this crazy."
Then something clicked in his brain. "Wait—so you absorb solar energy like Jiro does, right? In that case, if a fight breaks out—"
Kara smiled slightly, and her eyes suddenly lit up red.
"Whoa! Heat vision!" Tony looked like a kid seeing a new toy.
"That's so cool! I've seen it in movies, but never in real life. Can you show me freeze breath too? Or maybe super speed?"
Jiro sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Tony."
"Alright, alright, back to business." Tony dropped the joking tone.
"Listen, now that we've got two Kryptonians…"He glanced at Wanda. "Okay, three powerhouses if we count you—we might actually be able to go big on this."
His hologram shifted to a 3D map. "Ross has gamma research bases here, here, and here."
A few red dots blinked on the map. "But I suggest you guys find Banner first. He's not doing so hot right now."
Just then, a loud alert cut Tony off. JARVIS's voice chimed in: "Sir, incoming call from General Ross."
Tony clicked his tongue. "Ugh, not this guy again."
Then the communication cut out completely.
Silence fell over the living room.
Kara raised an eyebrow. "Is he always that… lively?"
Wanda sighed. "That was actually him being calm."
Jiro walked toward the portal. "Come on. Let's find Banner."
Kara rolled her shoulders. "Hope the big green guy doesn't punch me on sight."
Wanda smiled. "Relax. Hulk's not scary—just don't make him mad."
"....."