"As always," Luke muttered, "he's good at running."
He could have stopped Loki. Easily. One move and the god would be back in chains.
But he didn't.
Because stopping Loki now would ruin too many things that needed to happen. The Avengers weren't a team yet — not really. They were powerful individuals pulled into the same room, still arguing, still clashing, still unsure why they should trust one another.
This crisis was the push they needed.
Loki escaping, the Helicarrier falling apart, the Tesseract still out there — all of it would force them to act together instead of apart. To fight side by side. To learn each other's limits, strengths, and flaws.
And most importantly, to realize that Earth couldn't always rely on him every time disaster knocked on the door.
Sooner or later, Luke wouldn't be here.
So it was better that Earth had its own defenders.
People willing to stand up not for glory or orders, but because they genuinely wanted to protect others — Steve's ideals, Natasha's resolve, Tony's brilliance, Banner's restraint, even Thor's sense of duty.
Coulson's communicator sounded.
"This is Agent Romanoff." Natasha's voice came through. "I need backup. Hulk is loose."
Luke didn't hesitate.
"Well," he said simply, already stepping back, "I'll take care of that."
Before Coulson could respond, the air warped slightly — and Luke was gone, vanishing from the corridor as if he'd never been there.
Coulson stared at the empty space for a second, then let out a slow breath. He rubbed the back of his head, half in disbelief.
"Director Fury was right," he muttered to himself. "He really does come and go like the wind."
The Helicarrier shuddered again, alarms still screaming, but Coulson felt a small measure of relief. Whatever chaos was unfolding below decks, at least someone had gone to intercept it.
***
On the lower decks, the corridors had already been torn apart.
Steel walls were bent inward like paper. Pipes burst overhead, spraying steam and sparks as emergency lights flashed red. A squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents rushed in, weapons raised.
Then Hulk hit them.
He came out of the smoke like a freight train, green mass slamming into the front line. The first agent didn't even get a shot off before he was sent flying into the wall with a bone-crushing THUD, armor folding on impact.
"OPEN FIRE!" someone shouted.
Gunfire rattled through the corridor. Rounds sparked uselessly off Hulk's skin. He barely noticed.
With a roar, Hulk grabbed a steel support beam, ripped it free, and swung it in a wide arc. The beam smashed through weapons, bodies, and bulkheads in one brutal sweep, sending agents tumbling across the floor.
One man tried to flank him.
Hulk turned, eyes blazing, and lunged.
Another agent fired a heavy weapon. The blast hit Hulk square in the chest, staggering him half a step back.
He growled.
Then he charged.
He slammed both fists into the floor again, the shockwave tearing through the corridor. Loose panels ripped free, agents were thrown hard against the walls.
Natasha watched the chaos from behind an overturned cart. She lowered her gun slowly, breathing steady but controlled. Fighting Hulk head-on was suicide, and she knew it.
"Well… that didn't end well," she muttered, already backing away before Hulk's attention could shift to her.
A moment later, a familiar presence stepped into the wreckage.
Luke walked in like he was inspecting storm damage, eyes sweeping over the bent steel, shattered lights, and injured agents scattered across the deck. "You really had to make this much of a mess?" he said calmly.
Hulk turned toward him with a thunderous roar, pounding his chest once. The message was clear enough — they attacked first.
Luke sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Still doesn't help."
Natasha exhaled in relief when she saw him. "Finally," she said, straightening. "Someone reliable showed up."
Luke glanced at her. "Don't relax yet." His tone stayed casual, but his eyes were sharp. "Clint's still on the carrier. Loki got to him."
Natasha stiffened. "Barton?"
"He's under mind control," Luke continued. "If you want to snap him out of it, don't hesitate. Hit him hard. Head trauma works surprisingly well in situations like this."
Natasha didn't question it. She nodded once. "Got it."
As Natasha disappeared down the corridor, Luke turned back to the chaos Hulk had made behind him.
"And you guys—move," Luke said sharply, looking at the remaining agents. "Fall back. Carry your people. Now."
The command cut through the panic. Agents scrambled, lifting the injured, dragging them away as fast as they could. No one argued.
When the corridor finally cleared, Luke exhaled slowly and faced Hulk.
"Alright," he said calmly. "Now it's just us."
Hulk straightened to his full height.
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
The roar tore through the deck like a shockwave, rattling lights and bending metal supports. Hulk slammed his fists into his chest—BOOM BOOM—each impact shaking the floor beneath them.
Luke winced slightly. "Be a good boy and go to sleep."
Hulk's response was immediate.
"RAAAAAAGH!"
He charged.
Each step cratered the floor as Hulk swung a massive fist toward Luke's head. Luke twisted aside at the last second—
KRAAASH!
Hulk's punch missed and smashed straight into the wall, steel plates buckling and tearing free as sparks burst outward.
Before Hulk could pull back, Luke was already moving.
Blue mana flared around his leg—tight, controlled, humming with compressed force. Luke shifted his weight in a smooth motion and drove a brutal kick into Hulk's knee.
BOOOM!
The impact cracked the deck outward in a wide ring. Hulk grunted in surprise as his leg buckled, dropping him to one knee with a metallic SCREEECH as the floor gave way beneath his weight.
Blue mana surged across Luke's entire body, wrapping him in a tight, luminous aura that crackled with restrained power.
He pivoted and drove his mana-coated fist straight into Hulk's face.
KRAAAACK!!
The punch landed clean. A visible shockwave rippled through the corridor, debris lifting into the air as Hulk's head snapped sideways. He staggered backward, boots carving deep trenches into the metal deck.
"Grrr—RAAARGH!" Hulk roared again, louder but rougher now, shaking his head as if trying to clear it.
For a brief second, he swayed.
Luke rolled his shoulder, watching him closely. "Good. That means you felt it."
Hulk growled low in his throat—GRRRRR—his footing unsteady, fists clenched but slower now.
Luke stepped forward, blue mana pulsing faintly around him like a heartbeat. "Come on," he said evenly. "Let's get this over with before you hurt someone you didn't mean to."
Hulk sucked in a breath and roared again.
"RAAAAAAAAAH!!"
Hulk lunged, roaring, fists swinging like wrecking balls.
Luke never stayed still.
He slipped past the first punch, ducked the second, and struck back immediately—blue mana flashing as his fist snapped into Hulk's temple. Hulk roared and kept swinging, but Luke was already moving, dodging each wild blow by inches.
Every miss was punished.
A hit to the jaw.
Another to the side of the head.
Then the back of the skull.
THUD—THUD—THUD.
Ten rapid, precise strikes, all to the head.
Hulk's roars started to lose rhythm. His swings slowed, coordination slipping as his vision blurred.
He staggered, one massive hand dropping to the floor to steady himself, breathing heavy and uneven.
Luke stepped back, watching calmly.
Hulk tried to straighten, growled once more—then his eyes rolled slightly, balance finally giving out. The green giant swayed, took one clumsy step forward, and collapsed face-first onto the deck.
*****
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