"Still watching the Hulk take the lead."
"Same here. I've always admired the demolition team captain's fearlessness."
"Going one-on-one with that colossal biological battleship… that says it all."
"I bet even if the Hulk got swallowed by that thing, he'd rip a hole straight through its gut to get out."
"Well, that sounds about right."
"By the way, anyone got a Hulk animation clip?"
"??"
[ On the street, the Black Widow struggled to take down a Chitauri, her breath ragged as she turned to see Rogers approaching. She gasped, "Captain, if we don't close that portal, we'll be fighting blind no matter how hard we hit. No matter how fierce our weapons, we won't win." ]
[ Rogers replied calmly, "Maybe the problem isn't the weapons. If you're going up there, someone's gotta give you a lift." ]
[ Black Widow discarded her gun and said with determination, "I've already chosen someone. He's strong enough to get me there." ]
[ Rogers stepped back, tilting his shield diagonally. "You sure about this path?" ]
[ Black Widow's gaze flickered upward toward the sky. "Absolutely. This will be… exhilarating." ]
[ As a Chitauri on a flying craft swooped overhead, Black Widow sprinted, stepped onto Rogers' shield, and launched herself skyward. With precision, she grabbed the tail of the aircraft mid-leap, flipped herself up, and landed atop it. Kicking the alien rider off, she wrestled the controls, forcing the craft into a sharp turn. ]
Gasps rippled through the live barrage chat as viewers watched the daring move unfold.
"Wow! She is a beast!"
"That's one fearless woman, absolutely stunning, too!"
"'Girl'? Look at her waistline, her legs… calling her just a 'girl' feels like a crime."
"Wait, wasn't she supposed to be a spy? How is her combat strength this absurd?"
"She's not just strong, she's bold beyond reason!"
"Borrowing an alien's aircraft mid-battle to get where she wants… that's another level of crazy bravery."
[ As more Chitauri closed in to chase her, Tony swooped in, energy cannons blazing, blasting them out of the sky. He weaved through the streets at low altitude, knocking away clusters of Chitauri with sheer impact. ]
[ Reaching Rogers' position, he unleashed a focused twin-beam barrage, bouncing it off Rogers' shield to vaporize advancing enemies. With a swift roll and vertical boost, Tony took out Chitauri clinging to skyscraper walls, clearing the area. ]
[ Meanwhile, atop the massive biomechanical battleship, an enraged Dr. Banner ripped into swarming Chitauri with feral strength. Seizing a shard the size of a door, the Hulk drove it deep into the creature's armored hide. ]
[ Thor followed up, smashing the embedded fragment with his hammer, sending shockwaves that crippled the battleship. ]
[ Boom! Boom! Boom! The towering beast crashed to the ground, shaking the battlefield. ]
[ The Hulk and Thor leapt down, both panting heavily. Without warning, Hulk suddenly swung, his massive fist smashing straight into Thor with a thunderous crack. ]
"Pfft!"
"What the-?!"
"He just sent Thor flying with one punch!"
"Hahaha! Where did that come from?!"
"Thor's like, 'Bro, you wanna throw hands now?'"
"This is hilarious!"
"Why's Hulk so salty toward Thor?"
"Did Thor block his path or something?"
"Poor Thor's just catching strays!"
"That grin on Hulk's face is pure nightmare fuel."
"I swear, Thor was dazed by that punch!"
"I nearly choked on my smoke, didn't even get a warning!"
"Hulk really doesn't discriminate. He'll deck anyone!"
"That was way too abrupt! No buildup at all!"
"I'm convinced Hulk was just trying to 'celebrate' with a fist bump, but Thor didn't catch it."
"That theory's insane… but I love it!"
"The scariest part? The sudden silence after the hit…"
The chat exploded with laughter as viewers replayed the scene of Hulk sucker-punching Thor mid-battle. Meanwhile, Tanner's backstage reward count surged rapidly as fans showered him with virtual gifts.
[ On the streets below, reinforcements finally arrived. Armored vehicles rolled in, bristling with cutting-edge weaponry. Rogers dispatched another Chitauri when a voice buzzed in his earpiece: "Captain, civilians are trapped inside the bank on 42nd Street. It's crawling with hostiles." ]
[ "I'm on it," Rogers responded without hesitation. ]
[ The feed shifted to the bank interior, where terrified clerks were huddled together, surrounded by spear-wielding Chitauri. ]
[ Rogers burst through a window, hurling a grenade at one alien. The others noticed him instantly, charging forward. Rogers moved with fluid precision, shield flashing as he cut them down, one after another. ]
[ Suddenly, a Chitauri hurled the live grenade back at him. Rogers braced, crouching behind his shield. ]
[ Boom! The explosion's shockwave blasted him through the window, slamming him onto the roof of a nearby car. ]
"Man, why does Rogers feel weaker than the others?"
"Isn't he supposed to be just a notch above regular humans?"
"So no superpowers, huh? That's… underwhelming."
"I dunno, feels like a stretch."
"Don't underestimate him! His instincts are razor-sharp."
"Have you seen that shield? It's legendary!"
Inside the training ground, Ren finally steadied his breath. The image of Rogers' shield work played over and over in his mind. His brow furrowed.
Louis whispered, "Brother, catching that shield every time, think that's just luck?"
Ren shook his head firmly, "No way. Luck doesn't hit the mark every single time. There's a technique behind it, I'm sure."
But with little information to work with, even Ren couldn't explain it clearly to the elders of the Supreme Court. All he knew was that Rogers' technique hinted at something profound.
At the Human Potential Development Organization, Ashton waved dismissively at the analyst who'd just questioned Rogers' strength.
"Captain Rogers seems unimpressive now," Ashton said calmly, "but there's no way that level of effort was spent creating something so… ordinary."
The employee had suggested that even if they could replicate Rogers' enhancements, the boost to the Terra Federation would be minimal.
Ashton disagreed openly, "No. Rogers wasn't made through painstaking science just to be this weak. We're missing something vital."
He scanned the room, "Whether or not he's on par with the Hulk doesn't matter. He's already beyond the abilities of the average Terra citizen. That alone warrants deeper study. This should remain one of our top priorities."
Ashton's stern tone surprised the entire room. He rarely showed irritation, yet here he was, his voice sharp with conviction.
"Let's not discuss this further for now," he added, and everyone nodded in understanding.
Far to the southwest of the Terra Federation, in a dilapidated rented apartment, a middle-aged man with a thick beard lay sprawled on a creaky bed, eyes glued to the live stream replaying past-life memories.
"Rogers must have a hidden technique…" he muttered, a spark lighting up in his weary eyes.
Once, he'd been known for capturing martial arts memories. He'd never mastered those skills himself, but the clarity of what he'd seen remained etched in his mind.
He remembered vividly: a lone fighter, practically defenseless, wielding nothing but a simple stick, yet standing against a sea of blades, cutting down enemies with flawless precision. Every motion, every sliding trajectory of that stick was burned into his memory.
"But Rogers isn't as powerful as that man," he thought bitterly, the weight of disappointment pressing on him. His face twisted with a wry smile, "Shame my own days keep getting worse…"
With a sigh, he shifted his focus back to the broadcast, the glow of the screen dancing across his tired features.