"If only someone could step in now and subdue both of them," Coulson looked at the continuously expanding destruction, lamenting to Nick Fury over the comms.
Nick Fury was mentally exhausted. Why couldn't he recruit a single super-powered person? Every time, he had to rely on these agents who just stood on the sidelines, watching like ticketless spectators.
As if in answer to his prayer.
Two distinct breaking-the-sound-barrier noises sounded from the sky, but no one paid attention at the moment.
Because, just then, in front of a badly damaged skyscraper that had been affected by the battle, a blonde woman in a white miniskirt was huddled behind a broken pillar, shivering. She had obviously been unable to escape and was trapped there.
"ROAR!"
Abomination casually grabbed the wreckage of a smashed car and hurled it viciously at the Hulk! The Hulk punched the car away, but the burning wreckage flew like a cannonball, heading directly for the blonde woman!
"Look out!"
"Dodge!"
Countless people screamed in alarm.
In that fraction of a second, two crimson energy beams suddenly shot down from the sky, instantly hitting the car wreckage!
BOOM!
The wreckage was detonated in mid-air, turning into a massive fireball! But the danger wasn't over yet!
Due to another fierce clash between the Hulk and Abomination, a multi-ton concrete slab broke off from the damaged skyscraper nearby. The slab, whistling through the air, hurtled down towards the blonde woman, who hadn't even had time to celebrate her near-miss!
"Damn it!" Coulson's heart leaped into his throat.
Everyone watched helplessly, unable to do anything.
Just as the giant slab was about to crush the poor woman, a gold-and-red figure descended from the sky!
He didn't slow down at all, landing directly in front of the woman, and then, he stretched out his hands, firmly catching the falling slab!
BAM!!!
An earth-shattering crash, accompanied by an outward blast of air! The ground beneath the gold-and-red figure cracked open, but he held the slab steady!
Everyone was stunned. This was utterly inhuman—though he was in Armor!
Then, a voice everyone was familiar with emerged from the gold-and-red Armor.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your Iron Man has arrived. It seems I missed a very lively demolition party."
It was Tony Stark!
"Hey, beautiful," Tony slowly tossed the slab aside, then turned. He opened his faceplate to the terrified blonde woman behind him, revealing his face that practically screamed, I'm handsome, come love me.
"Don't be scared. You're safe with me."
The woman was too stunned to react. But Tony didn't care. After speaking, he closed his faceplate and looked at the two behemoths still fighting nearby, scoffing.
"Seriously, you two, can you pay attention to the city's appearance? You're turning this place into a garbage dump. How is anyone supposed to be a superhero?"
Then, he looked up at the empty sky and shouted, "Henry! You bastard! What are you dawdling for up there?! Are you constipated?! Get down here! Give these two big guys a real show!"
Everyone was dumbfounded. Henry? Which Henry? Henry Stark? The Playboy?
The next second, an equally dismissive voice answered from the sky!
"I'm coming, I'm coming! Stop rushing me! Do you think everyone needs an iron shell just to fly? I'm enjoying the art of flying; a mortal like you, whose soul is shackled by technology, wouldn't understand!"
Before the voice faded, a black figure descended from the sky!
He didn't choose a cool landing pose like Tony. He didn't even land!
He accelerated in mid-air, turning into a black bolt of lightning, flying straight towards the two monsters still locked in combat!
At that moment, Abomination had just forced the Hulk back with a punch and was leaping high into the air, preparing to deliver a decisive blow to the Hulk's head!
Just as he reached his apex and was about to descend, Henry arrived!
Like a black comet flying against the current, he delivered a powerful, upward-swinging uppercut, slamming directly into Abomination's jaw!
BANG!!!
Abomination's massive body was hit by an irresistible force! He shot backward like a baseball hit by a home run, drawing an exaggerated arc in the air before crashing with a boom into a heavy semi-trailer truck, completely wrecking the entire trailer!
The battlefield instantly fell silent.
"Tsk tsk, so fragile," Henry hovered in mid-air, looking at the smoke-emitting heap of scrap metal, complaining disdainfully.
"I thought he could take a few more hits. It seems the military's product quality needs improvement."
Then, he turned to the Hulk nearby, who looked somewhat lost due to Abomination's sudden disappearance.
"And you," he pointed at the Hulk, his tone irritatingly provocative.
"Big Guy, seriously, green doesn't suit you. It makes you look brainless. And those muscles are so uncoordinated—all bulk, no definition. Thumbs down."
"ROAR!!!"
The Hulk clearly couldn't understand his complex aesthetic theory. He only knew that this insect in black Armor was provoking him! He roared and charged towards Henry like an out-of-control green tank. A massive, club-like fist, whistling through the air, slammed towards Henry's face!
"See, always resorting to violence. It seems you don't know the meaning of humility." Henry didn't even bother to dodge, only slightly swaying aside just as the fist was about to connect. The Hulk's punch missed Henry's nose by a hair's breadth. Then, Henry raised his right leg from the other side, delivering a swift, decisive roundhouse kick, slamming into the Hulk's waist!
BANG!
The Hulk's massive body instantly lost balance, flying sideways, rolling several times on the ground before finally coming to a stop.
The entire scene fell silent again.
"Alright, the two troublesome big guys are quiet now," Henry brushed off the imaginary dust from his hands, then looked at Tony not far away, complaining.
"I say, Tony, can you be a little professional? After the hero saves the damsel, shouldn't you immediately escort her to safety? Why are you holding her here, watching the show? Are you waiting for reporters to take photos for a front-page article?"
Tony was indeed still holding the blonde woman. Watching Henry effortlessly take down the two monsters, he felt his thunder had been completely stolen by his damned brother again.
"What do you know!" he retorted defiantly, flying up to Henry's side.
"I'm comforting the victim's traumatized soul! A brute like you, who only knows violence, wouldn't understand!"
"Is that so? I think you're just taking advantage of the situation," Henry teased.
He ignored Tony and descended from the air. He chose a classic superhero landing pose: one knee on the ground, one fist planted on the pavement. Henry swore it wasn't intentional... okay, it was.
BOOM!!!
A powerful, visible shockwave erupted outwards from where he landed! The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and General Ross's soldiers, those poor souls who had just managed to get back up, were once again knocked off their feet by the irresistible blast of air, rolling around in chaos.
Henry slowly stood up, looking at the mess and the people sprawled everywhere, then shrugged innocently.
"My apologies," he said with absolutely no sincerity.
"I couldn't control my strength. Can't be helped; I'm too strong."
Then, he resumed his complaints, his gaze precisely fixed on General Ross's helicopter.
"Hey, Ross!" he shouted.
"Did you military guys spend all your anti-Hulk budget on those fancy-looking but useless barricades? Seriously, your stuff couldn't stop my Chihuahua, 'Sweetie-Pie,' in my backyard."
In the helicopter, General Ross looked at the arrogant black figure below, his teeth grinding in fury. He almost gave the order to open fire. But he ultimately held back.
"All units! Do not engage!" he growled into the comms.
"Repeat, do not engage the Stark brothers!" He was utterly helpless. After all, these two bastards were the military's biggest customers. Even if they weren't cooperating now, if he crossed them, he'd be chewed out by those guys at the Pentagon.
Henry ignored the furious but restrained old General. He turned and looked at Coulson, who was leading his men up from the ground nearby.
"Yo, isn't that Agent Coulson?" he walked up with a smile, looking him up and down.
"Haven't seen you in a few days. Your hairline seems to have receded another fraction of a millimeter. Seriously, you should consider a hair transplant. I know a great doctor who can give you an 80% discount."
Facing this barrage of insults, Coulson merely smiled faintly, straightened his slightly disheveled suit, and extended his hand.
"Welcome back, Mr. Henry."
"It's a pleasure to see you again."
×××××××××××××××
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