With a mighty leap, he soared through the sky, vanishing into the cityscape.
At the same time, Aetheris struggled to stay airborne. There was nothing he could do—the Mark II Hellfire Armor's performance was still far too weak, built with outdated materials.
As the saying goes, a skyscraper starts from the ground up. True strength has to be built with your own two hands.
This so-called gift from the system was honestly disappointing. Ordinary titanium alloy? It couldn't even withstand a full-force punch from an enraged Hulk.
If it weren't for the fact that he had mastered the Golden Bell Shield for protection, he probably would've been sent straight to the afterlife before Abomination even got the chance.
Ding! Congratulations, host, for helping the Hulk punish evil and uphold justice. You have defeated Abomination!
Ding! System reward issued: Hulk bloodline has been installed.
Ding! Hulk bloodline successfully installed. Please use it with confidence.
Aetheris let out a frustrated groan. His attempt to show off had completely fallen flat.
The whole spotlight had been stolen by Dr. Banner, who then casually walked away without even saying a cool line like, "Call me the Red Scarf."
Now that was true peak-level showing off. No need for words—everyone already knew who the hero was. Banner nailed it.
So, what was the point of this system? What good was this armor?
"Damn it!" Aetheris stumbled out of the sky—only to freeze as his eyes landed on Liv Tyler.
"An absolute goddess," Aetheris whispered, stunned in place.
My god… over twenty years of life, and I've never seen someone this breathtaking.
Her aura, her figure, her face—every aspect was flawless. She had the youthful charm of Sophie Marceau combined with the cool, androgynous vibe of Kristen Stewart. Utterly captivating.
The perfect woman for a girlfriend… or a secret lover.
"So, this is the girlfriend of the Hulk from The Incredible Hulk?" Aetheris's heart stirred. Back then, he'd been too young, completely distracted by the green brute, completely overlooking this stunning beauty.
But it's not too late to fix that now.
Doesn't the saying go, It's never too late to fix the pen after losing the sheep? I can always sneak onto the train and buy the ticket later!
And this Liv Tyler had that irresistible, mature charm too. The only question was whether Banner had already…
But with someone like General Ross as a father, strict to the bone, there's no way he'd have let his daughter get involved in any premarital… activities, right?
But even if she had, no way I'm letting her go now. Married women have their own… unique appeal. Ahem.
Aetheris greeted Liv Tyler, but to his surprise, she was still lost in sorrow from losing her boyfriend.
After all, in the later Avengers movies, Aetheris never saw Banner's girlfriend again. It was obvious the two had broken up after that big battle.
Given Hulk's… physical situation, maybe only that lady in black tights with the mysterious smile could handle him.
I am Aetheris—the so-called "Little Overlord of New York" in the underworld. Liv Tyler, just stay fresh and flawless until I come find you!
With that thought, Aetheris pushed the thrusters to full power and vanished from everyone's sight.
But General Ross? His eyes stayed locked on the direction Aetheris disappeared.
Ross had spent his life researching human genetics, creating two mutants—Hulk and Abomination. And in the comics, he himself would later become the even more powerful Red Hulk.
A general with expertise in genetics… who knows what he'd do after seeing the Hellfire Armor?
Meanwhile, far off in the distance, Norman Osborn—the chairman of Oscorp—collapsed weakly to the ground, legs trembling.
He let out a long sigh of relief. The battle between Hulk and Abomination had shaken all of Brooklyn, and he wasn't spared.
At first, the fight had been heading toward Stark Industries. The gleeful Green Goblin had even popped open a bottle of champagne, ready to enjoy the show. Who could've predicted an armored man would appear out of nowhere, redirecting both monsters straight toward his own company?
It nearly gave the Green Goblin a heart attack.
Sure, he had the full Green Goblin arsenal—but that entirely depended on his opponent. He couldn't even handle Spider-Man, let alone Hulk and Abomination. He figured he'd be dead within two minutes.
And that's including suiting up and tossing out a few tough-guy lines. The actual fighting time wouldn't even hit ten seconds.
Thank heavens, thank God—the two giants stopped a kilometer short of Oscorp.
His board of directors already didn't respect him. If headquarters had been flattened, he wouldn't have lasted a week.
But that armored, flying man… where did he come from?
Why the hell did he lead those two monsters toward Oscorp? Was that man really such a dangerous potential enemy?
"Your armor's full of bullet holes. Are you sure you're okay?" Pepper Potts asked as Aetheris stepped off the armor dismount platform.
"For you? I could be indestructible," Aetheris replied, pulling her into a kiss.
"Mmm—mmph—"
Everyone adored Iron Man. But only Pepper loved Tony Stark.
"Wait." Flustered but still clear-headed, Pepper managed to push Aetheris away with all her strength.
"Sorry, I'm not ready yet." Her face flushed as red as a chili pepper. She looked shy, but her gaze remained firm.
This was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted. No wonder she ended up becoming Stark's wife.
"It's me who should apologize. I got carried away," Aetheris mumbled awkwardly.
He could easily flirt with emotionless toys, but when faced with a woman who truly cared for him, he turned into a blundering mess.
"Alright. The board meeting's tomorrow. You need a good rest. Good night." Pepper smiled gently, waving him off.
"Good night," Aetheris replied with a smile.
But in his heart, he added softly: I love you three thousand.
"Jarvis, play today's news."
Aetheris sat down to eat the breakfast prepared by his Filipino maid—milk, coffee, and a sandwich.
Truthfully, what he really craved was fried dough sticks, soy milk, and tofu pudding.
But unfortunately, those weren't exactly common here. He had no choice but to go along with local customs. To be fair… it wasn't bad.
"Yes, sir."
Hans Industries has released a statement claiming it has reached a strategic partnership with Stark Industries. Hans Industries' stock price has soared!
"What the hell? That old fox! I haven't even signed the damn contract yet!" Aetheris muttered as he bit into his sandwich.
Oscorp's stock has plummeted due to poor management. Company shareholders are preparing to vote on removing Norman Osborn as chairman.
"Hold on—Norman Osborn is stepping down?"
Aetheris's eyes lit up.
He remembered in Spider-Man 1, Norman Osborn had suffered a mental breakdown from business troubles. Desperate, he rushed into human experimentation… ultimately turning into the Green Goblin.
(End of Chapter)
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