New York City, Times Square.
The crossroads of the world, usually bursting with light and life, had become a scene straight out of hell.
The neon signs had barely flickered on before they were shattered by sudden violence.
A gray-green monster let out a feral roar as it hurled a city bus into a barricade of police cars.
A fireball erupted skyward, and shards of glass rained down on the screaming crowds.
"Dear God, is that a demon on earth?!"
"My child, has anyone seen my child?!"
"Somebody help me!"
Sirens, desperate screams, and the monster's roars blended into one overwhelming symphony of destruction.
It was the Abomination—mutated by gamma radiation.
Strength rivaling the Hulk's, though slightly inferior in stamina, and unlike the Hulk, unable to fuel his power with rage.
Even so, the Abomination was a catastrophe no ordinary human could hope to resist.
The police barricades were toys before the towering brute.
It laughed as it lifted a yellow school bus and swung it like a massive club, smashing it into a hovering gunship.
A deafening explosion lit the monster like a demon born from a furnace.
"Hulk! Get out here!!!"
...
Inside a corner café, a man enjoyed his afternoon meal.
"So noisy." He swallowed the last bite of his burger and wiped his mouth with graceful ease, completely ignoring the monster outside.
Two corpses lay at his feet, their chests smashed clean through, organs and blood splattered across the floor.
They were looters who'd tried to take advantage of the chaos and thought a lone customer would be easy prey.
Their companions were still ransacking a luxury store next door. Even through several thick walls, Alex could clearly see their movements.
A young man in a hoodie was stuffing watches and jewelry into a backpack in a panic.
Another stood outside on lookout, gripping a baseball bat.
"Hurry up, man!"
"Relax. With that monster outside, no one's gonna notice us."
A female employee lay inside the store, head covered in blood, clothes torn. Her condition made it clear what she had suffered.
Disaster was a mirror; it always revealed the ugliest face of human nature.
This was why, in times of chaos, the military always moved before the rescuers. Sometimes maintaining order mattered more than saving lives.
For Alex, cleaning up these thugs would be easier than stepping on an ant.
But he sat there calmly, with no intention of intervening.
'Without suffering, how would anyone recognize the value of a savior?' All he needed to do was deal with the Abomination before Banner arrived.
Besides, he hated being disturbed during a meal.
Bang!
A bullet struck the table, splashing the remaining coffee.
Alex frowned slightly, a trace of displeasure glinting in his blue eyes.
"Shit, someone killed William!" The two looters rushed in, spotting the bodies at Alex's feet.
The warning shot was meant to intimidate him.
"A pity." Alex turned slightly, and his pupils flashed red like something watching from the depths of hell.
Vvvzap!
A beam of energy lanced out, instantly slicing the gunman in half.
His partner froze, the bat clattering to the floor as warmth spread down his pants.
In that moment, he felt this man was far scarier than the monster outside.
Trembling, he pulled out his handgun. His naturally optimistic mind gave birth to a delusion.
'I've got a gun and he has nothing... This is my advantage!'
"Don't move!" he yelled, attempting to regain control.
Alex didn't even acknowledge him.
The young man cursed and emptied the magazine.
"Die!"
The bullets hit Alex's body—yet there was no blood, no wounds. The man sat there as if nothing had happened.
"You... what are you?!" His voice cracked, panic choking him.
Alex gave him a warm, sunny smile, like a friendly boy next door. "Sorry. I'm in a hurry. Otherwise, you could've made a great performance piece."
Saving someone during a crisis and beating down looters would explode across social media.
It would have been perfect for shaping his image.
He had planned to do it—until he sensed Banner several blocks away. If he didn't act now, someone else would steal the spotlight.
He couldn't let that happen.
A red beam pierced the young man's chest, and Alex shot straight upward, vanishing into the sky.
Below, the city still churned with countless crimes.
But he didn't clean them up.
If evil disappeared, heroes would lose their purpose. The Avengers never understood this. That was how the Sokovia Accords were born.
Hydra was still around, so the Council wouldn't dare openly cross the line.
"I'll teach you what a real hero looks like."
...
Times Square.
The military had deployed more than a dozen fighter jets, all loaded with heavy ordnance.
"Stop that thing! Do not let the damage spread!" General Ross shouted into his radio.
He had never expected things to escalate like this. The Abomination was out of control—causing destruction even worse than the Hulk had.
The irony was that it was all his doing.
If this leaked to the public, no one knew what kind of political disaster would erupt.
"We must contain the news. Anyone who knows too much cannot be allowed to walk away." Ross's eyes darkened. His mind was already made up.
But the Abomination was tougher than expected. The jets' weapons barely slowed it down.
Ross stared at the vial in his hand, mind wavering. 'Maybe only a Hulk can fight a Hulk.'
It might be the only option.
Before he could act, a sharp thundercrack ripped the sky apart.
"General, something is approaching fast!"
"A missile?!" Ross was furious.
If so, New York was finished, and no one could take the blame for that. But he soon realized he was wrong.
Like a divine thunderbolt, Alex streaked down at a speed beyond human perception.
A cone of vapor trailed behind him as he dove like a meteor, slamming directly into the Abomination's massive chest.
Boom!
A deafening boom shook the air.