Nolan's strike carried terrifying force.
The Hulk, who had not taken the blow seriously at first, had the savage expression on his face twisted instantly into pain before he was smashed and hurled away.
Yes.
Smashed.
The Hulk's defense was far more frightening than anyone had imagined.
Nolan had already been cautious enough, but he still could not hide his surprise when his blade failed to break the Hulk's skin.
He had never intended to kill the Hulk.
Even if he had no real connection to this world's Bruce Banner.
In another world, Banner was his friend.
By Nolan's estimation, that strike should have been enough to knock the Hulk flat, unable to rise.
With the Hulk's regenerative ability, such an injury would never be fatal.
As for holding back?
He had no reason to overestimate himself.
If he did not go all out, getting caught by the Hulk would be disastrous.
After all, he was still just a human.
The curve at Nolan's lips did not fade.
Even though the Hulk's durability exceeded his expectations, the Hulk was clearly dazed, his body still reeling from the blow.
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, Nolan lifted his blade again and charged forward.
If he could not kill the Hulk, then he would knock him unconscious.
Full power.
Still full power.
Nolan's entire body spun with the blade.
Every ounce of strength he had poured into the weapon.
Boom!
Another thunderous impact.
The Hulk, who had just lifted his head, was smashed into the ground once more.
A deep crater formed beneath him.
Ben Grimm, who had finally caught his breath, burst out laughing when he saw it.
Moments ago, the Hulk had given him that exact treatment.
Now the tables had turned.
If there was anything more satisfying than that, it was knowing that this blow had been delivered personally.
Sadly, Ben did not have that kind of precision.
Still, Nolan Locke doing it for him felt just as good.
After that strike, Nolan did not hesitate.
He raised the blade again.
Bang!
The second strike landed.
Then the third.
The fourth.
The Hulk's roars grew weaker with each blow.
Nolan was certain that a few more strikes would end it.
His thoughts had already drifted to what came next.
Bruce Banner was a valuable ally.
Brilliant mind. Immense power. Most importantly, no fixed political stance.
And judging by the situation, Banner's life was probably still miserable.
Nolan found himself tempted to recruit him again.
As for beating the Hulk senseless, Banner would likely be relieved rather than angry.
Banner was a good man.
He was always afraid the Hulk might lose control and cause irreparable harm.
Having a boss who could restrain the Hulk would only be a blessing.
Just as Nolan was thinking this, Reed Richards suddenly spoke.
"That's enough, Nolan Locke. If you keep going, you'll kill him."
"If you intend to kill him, you should at least understand his condition first."
Nolan glanced at him, ignored the warning, and brought the blade down again.
Reed Richards snapped.
Anger and urgency surged through him at once.
Without hesitation, he stretched out his arm.
The rubbery limb shot forward and wrapped around Nolan's arm.
Because of Reed's interference, Nolan's prepared strike missed its target and slammed into the ground instead.
The blade sank deep into the concrete, debris exploding outward.
"Reed Richards, what are you trying to do?"
Nolan narrowed his eyes.
"The Hulk hasn't lost his ability to fight. Whatever you want to say can wait until I deal with him."
The Hulk?
Reed instantly processed the name.
He did not truly know the Hulk, but he knew Bruce Banner.
That alone gave him enough reason to intervene.
Reed glanced at the Hulk, whose head was buried in the crater, and his lips twitched.
The fury in his eyes nearly turned solid.
Hasn't lost the ability to fight?
"You bastard. Are you trying to kill Bruce?"
"He's already in this state, and you still dare say he hasn't lost the ability to resist?"
They were not close, but Reed had no trouble adding a little drama to justify himself.
With this, he could stand on moral high ground.
As he spoke, Reed lunged toward Nolan again.
He also looked to the others.
"Everyone, help restrain Nolan Locke. The Hulk has no reason, but Dr. Banner is innocent."
The others hesitated.
Even Susan felt that his words made some sense.
She did not believe Nolan had lost control, but perhaps stopping him now was the right call.
While they hesitated, Reed had already closed in on Nolan, fearlessly attempting to bind him.
What he failed to notice was that the Hulk in the crater had opened his eyes.
His body was regaining strength.
Moments ago, the Hulk truly had been stunned.
But just as Nolan had said, he had not lost consciousness.
With his regenerative ability, clarity returned quickly.
The Hulk was furious.
He had nearly been beaten unconscious.
That rage pushed his body through another subtle evolution.
The change was slight, so slight that no one noticed.
"Roar!"
The Hulk stood up and let out an earth-shaking bellow toward Nolan.
Reed Richards' pupils contracted sharply.
The Hulk recovered that fast?
And was he… bigger?
With a mind rivaling a supercomputer, Reed recognized it instantly.
Without hesitation, he retreated and repositioned himself behind Nolan.
If the Hulk attacked, Nolan Locke would be the first to face it.
Nolan was calm.
He could hear the Hulk's heart, pounding violently with raw power.
That was why he had never stopped attacking.
This was the heartbeat of rage, not the steady rhythm of unconsciousness.
The two locked eyes.
Nolan gripped his heavy blade and assumed an attacking stance.
His gaze was cold, indifferent, as if the Hulk meant nothing to him.
Then something changed.
A flicker of panic crossed the Hulk's eyes.
The next second, the Hulk roared again, pounding his chest like a raging ape.
Dull booms echoed as dust erupted around him.
Just as Nolan prepared to strike, the Hulk suddenly turned and leapt away.
In a single bound, he covered over a hundred meters.
In a few more leaps, he vanished from sight.
He was afraid.
That was why Nolan had not been afraid at all.
In truth, Nolan had been more worried that the Hulk would charge at him.
Both he and Reed had noticed the evolution.
Against an even stronger Hulk, Nolan had no certainty.
But he understood the Hulk's nature.
He was not born a monster.
He was like a child, immature and undeveloped, constantly suppressed by Bruce Banner and attacked every time he appeared.
Children feel fear.
So did the Hulk.
In the distance, General Ross slammed his fist against the tank beside him.
"Damn it. He got away again."
Then he glared viciously at Reed Richards.
If not for Reed, the Hulk might already be captured.
Nolan watched the Hulk disappear, then turned his gaze to Reed.
There was not the slightest hint of guilt in Reed's eyes.
"So this is what you meant when you said he was about to die?" Nolan said coldly.
Others might not have noticed, but Nolan had seen it clearly.
Reed's retreat had deliberately exposed him.
Who said superheroes had to be good people?
Nolan had never believed that.
And now, Reed Richards had proven him right again.
Everyone had their own selfish motives.
Perhaps in this era, Reed earned the title of superhero simply because there were so few.
But he did not deserve it.
In Nolan's eyes, he never had.
Reed Richards looked straight at Nolan.
"What did I do wrong?"
"If you kept going, Bruce would have died."
"But just now, you nearly got us killed," Nolan snapped.
"The Hulk's rage was escalating. If he charged again, no one could stop him."
"You nearly killed me."
Nolan's eyes were icy.
Reed's gaze remained calm.
"I would have stopped him."
He said it with righteous conviction.
He truly believed it.
Then Nolan smiled.
In the next instant, Reed's pupils shrank.
A blur like a whirlwind rushed straight toward him.
"Nolan, don't!" Susan cried out.
"Stop!" Ben Grimm charged forward.
Johnny's eyes lit up with excitement.
He liked Nolan Locke's style.
But no matter what they thought, nothing could stop Nolan now.
A full-power strike came down on Reed Richards.
This blow was no weaker than the one that had struck the Hulk.
Reed tried desperately to dodge.
Too late.
Boom!
The blade smashed into his shoulder.
The immense force drove him straight into the ground.
A crater formed beneath him.
Nolan withdrew his blade.
He spat into the pit.
"Figures. Can't kill you."
He shook his head.
Reed Richards' physical defense was absurd.
Killing him would require other methods.
The anger in Nolan's eyes faded quickly.
He had anticipated Reed's actions long ago.
There had never been real danger.
Like Reed, Nolan also possessed extraordinary abilities.
The Hulk could never truly hurt him.
Prepared and safe, how could he lose control?
Everything that had just happened was simply him going with the flow.
He only wanted to see if he could cut Reed Richards in half.
He had not expected much.
If Reed had actually been split in two, the aftermath would have been far worse.
Susan would never forgive him.
Ben would see him as an enemy.
The military might classify him as an extreme threat.
But that spit?
That was deeply satisfying.
Reed Richards solidified from his elastic state.
That spit landed squarely on his face.
The moment he felt that disgusting warmth, Reed nearly lost his mind.
How dare he?
One day, he would kill Nolan Locke.
At that moment, Reed Richards completely snapped.
Nolan did not even look at him.
He walked toward Susan instead, pretending to sulk.
"Hey, I'm your boyfriend."
"You should be worried about me getting smashed to death by the Hulk, not that rubbery bastard who can shrug off any attack."
"But honestly, in that moment, I really wanted to kill him."
"I'm petty. He nearly got me killed."
"It's a shame. His defense is just as impossible as I imagined."
He shrugged as he spoke.
He was telling Susan two things.
Reed Richards had nearly gotten him killed.
And Reed's defense against physical attacks was nearly absolute.
As for the spit?
He almost got me killed. Why can't I spit on him once?
As expected, anger flared across Susan's face.
She had not noticed Reed exposing Nolan earlier.
But she knew that without Reed's interference, Nolan would never have been in danger.
Seeing Susan firmly on his side, Nolan smiled faintly.
People needed comforting.
Relationships of all kinds required it.
Not everything could be solved with blades or machines.
At that moment, Nolan was certain.
The Fantastic Four were already fractured.
Not just Susan.
Even Ben Grimm looked at Reed with displeasure now.
Without Reed, this would have been a simple problem.
Because of Reed, the Hulk escaped, and Nolan had nearly been killed.
Ben felt sympathy for Nolan.
People instinctively sided with the one who had risked more.
Reed Richards had never truly been in danger.
Nolan Locke had put himself on the line.
The problem had been nearly solved, then ruined by Reed.
At that moment, Reed Richards stood alone.
Unfortunately, he had no awareness of it.
He glanced at Ben.
"Ben, let's go."
But Ben did not move immediately.
Instead, he said, "Reed, I'm going to check if Nolan Locke is hurt."
Reed's mind went blank.
Check on Nolan Locke?
He had just been cut down by that bastard.
And Ben was worried about Nolan instead of him?
Reed's face twisted in the night.
That bastard.
Nolan's lips curved slightly.
With his enhanced vision, he caught the fury in Reed's eyes.
Nolan smiled silently.
"One day… I'll kill you."