The Hulk had escaped.
But that wasn't the end of it.
In truth, this was only the beginning.
Before this, there had been whispers about the Hulk, but very few truly knew about him. Most information had been kept under wraps.
This time, however, the battle in New York had blown everything wide open.
Countless people were only now realizing that such a terrifying creature existed in their world.
Because of the Hulk's appearance, the names Iron Man and the Fantastic Four became far more prominent. People only remembered them when they needed heroes, after all.
What no one realized was that the Fantastic Four had been shattered by this battle.
Inside the Fantastic Four's headquarters, Susan had packed up all her belongings. Johnny, being her brother, had done the same.
Reed Richards stared at Susan with frustration. He knew that once Susan left, he would never get another chance.
"Susan, please, hear me out," Reed said.
Susan shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Reed. I have to go."
She didn't want to hear any excuses. At this point, nothing he said could change what he had done. She had seen it with her own eyes.
Johnny looked slightly regretful.
"Looks like the Fantastic Four's time together has come to an end. Damn it."
He tore the various sponsorship logos off his clothes. For money, he had signed plenty of contracts. Some had been fulfilled, but the rest would likely require him to pay penalties. It was a terrible situation for him.
Ben Grimm opened his mouth.
"Susan, I think last night was just a misunderstanding. I hope you'll give Reed a chance. He can prove himself."
But Susan had already made up her mind.
"Johnny, let's go."
She turned and left.
Watching them disappear from view, Reed slammed his hand onto the table.
"Fuck!" he shouted.
"If it weren't for Nolan Locke, none of this would have happened!"
Ben's expression softened with helplessness.
"Reed, the truth is, last night, it was Mr. Locke who helped us."
Reed shot him a glare, silencing him instantly. Ben only sighed quietly in his heart. Reed had really changed.
After a moment, Reed spoke again.
"My experiment is almost complete. If everything goes well, you'll be restored immediately."
"Really?" Ben's eyes lit up with excitement. These past weeks had been miserable. His girlfriend had left him, and the world looked at him with strange, judgmental eyes. He had been angry, yes, but he knew Johnny's judgment wasn't unique. His rivalry with Johnny had been fueled by his own insecurity. Now, he could finally leave all of that behind.
Reed nodded.
"Of course." He glanced at the empty laboratory and said, "One day, I will succeed."
Reed didn't care about fame or wealth; his only concern was his own persistence. The judgment of ordinary people meant nothing to him. Even if he saved the world, what did it matter what others thought?
Nothing.
That pride in his heart… saving the world was merely a basic exercise.
Ben nodded firmly, letting go of his previous resentment. He had always known Reed could do it.
Nolan knew exactly what kind of man Reed Richards was. When arrogance reached a certain level, it became a world-ending problem. Tony Stark was the same way. Tony's pride had given rise to Maya Hansen, the Extremis virus, and even a loss of control over his own company.
But unlike Tony Stark, who was still growing, Reed Richards had never truly grown. He believed he could solve any problem and was even willing to create new ones to test himself. Without Reed, Nolan thought the world would have at least a third fewer crises. Take Victor von Doom, for example.
Soon, Susan moved into Nolan's villa. Johnny tried to come along but Nolan refused. He wasn't about to shelter a grown man.
Looking at Nolan, Susan said, "I know Reed went too far, but I hope this conflict doesn't continue."
In her eyes, the tension would naturally dissolve over time. She had moved in with Nolan and no longer had any involvement with Reed. Extending the conflict would serve no purpose.
Nolan smiled faintly.
"Of course. As long as he doesn't bother me, I won't bother him."
But inwardly, Nolan was already forming a plan. For the world's peace, it was better if Reed Richards remained lying on the ground.
That said, Nolan wasn't lying to Susan. Right now, his priority was making money. As for Reed Richards… that was not something he could deal with anytime soon.
The NS5 intelligent robot was ready for launch. But before that, there were other matters to handle.
A few days later, Nolan invited representatives from the military to his company. When he saw the army delegates, a smirk appeared on his face.
"General Ross, long time no see."
The man in question was the same General Ross who had been chasing the Hulk. His purpose in coming was, of course, Nolan's exosuit.
"Mr. Locke," Ross said with a stiff smile. "I heard Locke Technologies has some impressive products. Is this the suit you wore?"
Nolan replied directly, "Sorry, that suit is not for sale at the moment."
Ross's smile vanished immediately. Nolan continued.
"The suit is called Mjolnir. Its performance is exceptional, but there's a catch."
"What catch?" asked Air Force Brigadier General Haig. The battle video from that night had already circulated through the military, and all the generals were curious about Nolan's suit.
"Due to technical limitations, Mjolnir is a hybrid powered by both human strength and mechanical support. In other words, the stronger the pilot, the more power the suit can unleash. My fight with the Hulk pushed its performance to the absolute limit. On Earth, I believe I'm the only one capable of doing this."
The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on Nolan. His physique was athletic, but compared to battle-hardened soldiers, he was far from impressive. Yet here he was, claiming he was the only one who could maximize the suit's power.
General Ross, already irritated by the refusal, sneered, "If raw strength alone could operate that suit to its fullest, there'd be plenty of men in my army who could do it."
Nolan glanced at a nearby metal cabinet and punched it without hesitation. The thick steel split instantly.
Everyone stared in disbelief. Once they confirmed the cabinet's strength, Nolan said calmly, "To harness even part of Mjolnir's power, this is the minimum strength required."
The room fell silent again, some faces in awe, others in disbelief.
"Is this even human? Maybe only the Captain could manage this…" Only Ross's eyes gleamed. Indeed, only a super-soldier could. He even had a partially restored super-soldier serum ready. High risk and imperfect results aside, if it could deliver the kind of power Nolan displayed, he would throw lives at it.
Noticing Ross's gaze, Nolan added, "Also, Mjolnir is extremely expensive. If you want one, it'll cost three billion."
"You're insane!" a Navy Rear Admiral exclaimed. Three billion dollars? That was almost the cost of an aircraft carrier. Even Mjolnir's power couldn't rival that.
The generals collectively realized Nolan's tone wasn't negotiating. He shrugged helplessly. If someone truly paid three billion, he would happily sell it. After all, it was just a prototype. Locke Technologies' total valuation was still below three billion.
Seeing no one respond, Nolan continued.
"In fact, I invited you here to introduce a new product from Locke Technologies the NS5 intelligent robot. It will be available in military and civilian versions and will become a battlefield favorite."
The NS5's production costs were low, even for the military version. For Nolan, this was the perfect foot in the door with the military. As he showcased its performance and confirmed orders, a smile appeared on his face. Partnering with the military was only the first step.
Meanwhile, Reed Richards finally completed his experiment. Ben Grimm, seeing the finished device, was filled with anticipation.
"Once you enter, you'll be restored to your original self when you come out," Reed said. Then he added, "Though, honestly, you're not bad as you are."
"I don't want to stay like this!" Ben stepped in without hesitation.
The device powered on, drawing massive currents, but the experiment failed.
Ben's disappointment was clear. Reed frowned.
"The theory is sound. How could it fail? Is it an energy problem?"
At Doom Industries, Victor von Doom observed everything. Behind him was a device identical to Reed's. Though he couldn't build it himself, replication was easy. Hearing about the energy issue, Doom smiled. Few places in New York had sufficient power to run the device, but his company did.
Looking at his hands, Doom made a decision. He wouldn't experiment personally Ben Grimm would be the subject. After Ben agreed, Doom addressed the energy flaw.
"I have enough energy to run the device. If you agree, you'll be restored to your original self."
Ben hesitated, but finally nodded.
"All right, I agree!"
He couldn't resist the chance to become human again.
Once Ben consented, Doom hung up.
"Thanks to you, the Fantastic Four are split. Otherwise, dealing with Reed Richards wouldn't be easy."
He glanced back at Nolan Locke, who was sitting calmly on the sofa.
Nolan didn't argue, only said, "Are you sure about this? Reed Richards isn't easy to handle. Once you start, there's no turning back."
Nolan had watched Doom transform from a non-lethal businessman into a calculated killer responsible for multiple deaths. While Nolan had advised him against killing, a genius like Doom had his own judgment.
Doom's lips curled into a cold smile.
"I will kill Reed Richards and become the Victor I once was. If not for him, I wouldn't be like this!"
Watching Doom roar, Nolan shrugged. Things were beyond repair. Perfect. With Doom taking the lead, his presence wouldn't feel out of place.
If no one interfered, taking care of Reed Richards shouldn't be difficult.
Nolan? He was just an invisible outsider. Whatever the outcome, it had nothing to do with him.