Chapter 1: Hulk and Abomination (Revised)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
(To readers: The first fifty chapters might not be great, as I was constantly adjusting my writing style (I repent). If you truly dislike the first fifty chapters, you can roughly skim the plot and start from Chapter 60, in Gotham City (●●))
Tony didn't have grand dreams. While others meticulously planned their grand life ambitions, Tony simply wanted to be a truck driver and one day own his own truck. After graduating from college, he joined a transportation company, working hard for two years. He finally saved up a sum of money, took out a loan, and bought his own small truck, which Tony named Optimus Prime.
This was met with laughter from his colleagues.
"Oh, Tony's gone mad! He's calling his new truck Optimus Prime!"
"A small truck named Optimus Prime? So when you buy a big truck in a few years, are you going to call it Unicron?"
"From today onwards, my ride will be called Megatron."
People laughed, discussing and offering their own opinions on Tony's actions.
Tony was unconvinced and explained to his colleagues that although it was his first car, he would drive it for a long time. Even if he bought a new car in the future, he would still name it Optimus Prime. It was a sentiment that others wouldn't understand, only he did.
His colleagues were unimpressed. Many asked him what kind of sentiment it was – a childhood Transformers sentiment? Tony never answered. When pressed, he would simply nod and then shake his head. As a result, his colleagues would still occasionally tease him, using it as a topic of conversation when bored.
At first, Tony would try his best to explain and argue, but he was always asked about his "sentiment." After a while, he simply stopped explaining, knowing that his colleagues weren't malicious, just simply chatting and laughing. Tony didn't retort; he just smiled and listened. Gradually, his colleagues stopped bringing it up, tirelessly searching for new topics.
Another day began, and Tony, as usual, devoted some time to maintenance and cleaning, without fail. He stubbornly believed that an excellent driver should regard their vehicle as a battle-forged comrade, rather than a mere tool.
Opening the door, starting the engine, Tony set off with a truckload of fresh fruit. To keep the fruit fresh, and given the urgency of the delivery, Tony drove faster than usual. By the time he sensed something was wrong, it was too late. A speeding luxury car raced wildly from the side, slamming head-on into Optimus Prime's driver's door, utterly demolishing it.
In Tony's fading peripheral vision, he saw the other driver's flushed face and hazy, drunken eyes, before it vanished.
*This is a young man, definitely drunk. I won't have to pay for his luxury car,* Tony thought.
His consciousness gradually blurred. Everything before Tony's eyes blurred, and his ears buzzed. He could no longer hear the screams and shouts of passersby.
The evening news reported, "At 3:07 PM today, a car accident occurred on Sunlight Boulevard, resulting in one fatality. The perpetrator has been criminally detained by the Police. Citizens of this city are urged to exercise caution and adhere to traffic safety," the presenter announced.
...
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar environment, with unfamiliar faces and unfamiliar relatives. Tony stared, surprised by all the novelty.
This was a new world, with the legendary exploits of Captain America and bustling metropolises like Gotham City and Metropolis. After the initial shock, Tony quickly calmed down. The most prominent aspect of his personality was his adaptability; overthinking was useless.
In this life, his family also worked in transportation. They lived frugally, and money was always tight, but they managed to save a considerable amount. In the super city of New York, as long as one was willing to work hard and endure hardship, there were many opportunities to earn money. They had even taken out a loan to buy a house in New York City; it wasn't large, but it was enough to shelter them, small yet cozy.
Months passed in a flash, and Tony grew up in this new city and family. Though not wealthy, it was warm enough, leaving him content and making him cherish it even more.
"I need to find a way to earn more money and leave this place," Tony mused. Although New York City was teeming with Superheroes and was a military stronghold, it was also where supercriminals flocked and took root. He might be unlucky enough to encounter one someday, and then he'd be in huge trouble.
Not to mention those star-shattering monsters, even against supercriminals with mere mortal combat power, Tony would be utterly defenseless.
"Gotham City, New York City... I need to run as far away from these two places as possible... Metropolis is a good option, I just wonder when Superman will appear."
Clark, who hadn't yet taken up the mantle of Superman, was just a civilian farmer. One must remember that Clark had personally witnessed his adoptive father die right before his eyes. To prevent his abilities from being exposed, his adoptive father had refused Clark's rescue with a gesture, calmly embracing death in the storm.
Tony reckoned that if he could move to Metropolis ahead of time and somehow get to know Clark before he donned his suit, it would undoubtedly be a reliable decision. After all, in the comics, Metropolis citizens had the highest sense of security.
For many days, Tony plotted his future, a future belonging solely to a powerless civilian. He was trying to find an opportunity to talk to his parents about selling their New York City house, abandoning their work network in New York City, and starting anew in Metropolis.
But this was destined to be very difficult.
Until one day, when the family of three loaded up their goods once more, preparing for a delivery run, Tony specifically came along to help.
"What are you doing here, you rascal? Your old man is still strong!"
Tony laughed heartily, "I think you're not as good as me anymore, I've been constantly exercising!" As he spoke, he struck a bodybuilder's pose, eliciting his father's playful scolding and his mother's gentle chuckle.
But tragedy suddenly struck, without warning.
It was a sudden disaster, with the cries of countless people and the roars of monsters shattering all peace.
A sudden, enormous figure appeared nearby, overturning the small truck that Tony and his family relied on, as if it were a toy casually kicked out of the way.
Everything grew dim, the colorful world instantly turned blood-red.
His head hurt...
Vaguely, countless shrill screams and cries reached him, along with what sounded like gunfire.
Tony vaguely felt someone violently slapping his face, shouting something into his ear. Tony forced his eyes open, this minute movement seeming to drain all his strength.
"...Wake up, hey! If you lie here, you're dead... Kid, if you don't want to die, get up now!"
Tony's eyes widened. He looked at the stranger in front of him with a blank expression, then glanced around at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings.
"I'm not dead...?" Tony murmured softly.
"If you don't run for your life now, you'll really die! Those two monsters won't spare you just because you're injured! Get up, run!" the man roared, desperately shaking Tony's head.
"Run!" Someone else ran past them, shouting, but after only a few steps, they were struck by a massive stone, their body shattered, collapsing dead on the spot.
Tony's face turned ashen, his mind buzzed incessantly. He couldn't imagine how horrifying this scene was for city dwellers living in peaceful environments. After all, many people felt nauseous just watching a bloody movie, let alone witnessing a whole person being brutally crushed right before their eyes.
The intermittent roars, like those of monsters, grated on Tony's nerves, warning him that this was an extremely dangerous area. People ran frantically everywhere. Fragments of various buildings, signboards, and more were scattered across the ground. Many vehicles were smashed together, and some were overturned, clearly beyond salvage for a long time, presenting a scene of utter apocalypse.
The man managed to grab Tony and drag him out.
"What exactly is happening?" Tony asked. He wanted to turn his head to see how his parents were, but he couldn't. He was injured too, his face covered in blood.
A deep dread filled his heart, a feeling that something important had left him forever.
"Two monsters are fighting," the man said. "Monsters that appeared from who knows where. Many people are dead."
Tony felt like he was going crazy, and everyone else was too.
With a deafening crash, an enormous figure slammed down in front of them, cracking the earth and kicking up a huge cloud of dust, mixed with countless small shards of rock that flew in all directions, striking Tony, causing immense pain.
The night was dim, vision slightly obscured. He could only vaguely make out an enormous figure, about three to five meters tall. Then came a roar; the monster howled towards the sky.
Tony's eyes widened. He distinctly heard the monster, not far away, roaring "Hulk!"
It was Hulk!
Tony's eyes gradually reddened, bloodshot.
"Damn it!"
The man beside him was also terrified, his body trembling, filled with apprehension.
"Run, don't worry about me!" Tony said quickly. "My family is still in the truck; I have to save them!" He was trembling, utterly terrified, afraid of losing everything, afraid of that terrible thought becoming a reality.
The man's face was ashen. Without a word, he stubbornly pulled Tony, trying to rescue him. He ignored Tony, struggled to turn while carrying Tony on his back, moving step by step. This was a middle-aged uncle, blood streaking his face. Despite his fear, he walked with unwavering determination, refusing to let go.
He had already checked the other two people in the truck; they were beyond saving.
The once-bustling city was now a scene of utter ruin, skyscrapers in tatters, vehicles scattered everywhere. Many people huddled trembling under cars, praying for divine protection.
In the distance, shadowy figures moved; military personnel and civilians were mixed together, afraid to approach. Armed helicopters also hovered cautiously in the distance, unwilling to get too close.
The surviving streetlights flickered repeatedly, as if trying to cast a last beacon of light amidst the chaos. This indeed offered the survivors a small, insignificant comfort. Tony and the man moved with difficulty yet determination, guided by this faint glow.
The Hulk roared while pounding his own head, seemingly trying to clear his mind, too preoccupied to notice the insignificant specks in front of him, giving Tony and the man time to flee.
But time was ultimately not enough. Tony was too severely injured, and the middle-aged uncle was too exhausted.
Another similarly enormous figure leaped from the intersection to a spot not far from them, confronting Hulk, roaring, "Hulk! I'm stronger than you now!"
Tony felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, a bone-chilling cold rushed from his feet to the top of his head.
Abomination! Another monster!
The middle-aged uncle beside him became strangely calm and said to Tony, "These are two villains, monsters! They've destroyed everything, they're definitely going to hell."
(end of chapter)