"Someone's calling for Hulk…"
The green giant raised his head, eyes narrowing toward the distant skyline of Sokovia. He could feel it — the presence of his old nemesis, that familiar pulse of rage that resonated with his own. Before anyone could stop him, Hulk let out a thunderous roar and began charging toward the city, each colossal step shaking the earth like an earthquake. When he reached full speed, he leapt high into the air and crashed down toward the city center like a meteor falling from the sky.
"Hulk, wait—!" Captain America shouted, but by then the massive green figure was already soaring through the air, a blur of fury and muscle.
Fury, watching from the helicarrier, didn't even bother to protest. Instead, he gave a terse nod and said, "Let him go. If Abomination tears through Sokovia and reaches the fortress, he could destroy the zombie virus data. We've held back the bombardment for nothing if that happens."
While they debated, the city below erupted with an earth-shattering roar. The two gamma-born monsters — beings of pure strength and rage — had found each other once again in the heart of Sokovia.
One, a mountain of green muscle whose very presence radiated raw power.
The other, a gray-skinned monstrosity with jagged bone spines jutting from his back, eyes burning with bloodlust.
The instant their gazes met, the air itself seemed to freeze — heavy with the killing intent of two beasts who lived only to destroy each other.
"I'm back, Hulk!" Abomination bellowed.
"HULK SMASH YOU!"
Their reunion needed no more words. Both roared as they charged, the ground crumbling beneath their feet. When they collided, the impact was like a nuclear blast.
BOOM!
The shockwave alone sent cars flying and shattered the windows of every building within several blocks. The force ruptured underground gas lines, igniting a series of explosions that turned the city streets into a sea of fire.
Engulfed in flames, the two monsters grappled and struck with primal savagery. Each punch could level a building; each kick sent shockwaves that reduced concrete towers to dust.
From the mountainside, even S.H.I.E.L.D. forces could feel the tremors rippling through the earth. The sheer violence of the clash — pure, unrestrained physical might — rivaled the devastation of modern heavy artillery.
At this rate, Sokovia would soon be nothing but ruins.
Captain America's expression hardened as he saw the city still filled with civilians trapped in the chaos. He couldn't just stand by.
"C-Squad, get down there now! Evacuate as many civilians as you can — move them as far away from Hulk and Abomination as possible!"
Black Widow grabbed his shoulder, shaking her head. "Steve, it's too late. We can't save them all."
"Even if it's just one person," he said firmly, "it's still worth it. War should never claim innocent lives — especially not a war we started."
His words burned with conviction, but deep down he knew this was a risky decision. Dividing his forces at such a crucial moment could jeopardize the mission — and it would mean abandoning the man who had done the most to get them this far.
"Marcus," Steve said over the comms, guilt heavy in his voice, "I hope you can forgive me. You fought hard to bring us here, but I have to send some of our men to help those people."
"Do what you have to, Captain," Marcus replied calmly. There was no anger in his tone, only a distant understanding. In truth, his progress hadn't been nearly as difficult as Steve imagined. His combination of stealth and power allowed him to advance effortlessly — not once had he encountered a real threat.
And as for helping civilians? That was none of his concern.
"Thank you, Marcus. You're a true hero."
Marcus let out a quiet, humorless laugh, shaking his head. A hero? From the moment the Virus was forced into his veins, that word had lost all meaning. Everything he'd done since — every life he'd taken, every plan he'd set in motion — had been for one purpose alone: his own survival and ambition.
If Captain America ever learned that the chaos consuming Sokovia — even the reappearance of Abomination — had all been set into motion by the "hero" he so admired, what would he think then?
'What a shame,' Marcus thought. 'It's still not time to tell him.'
"Keep moving forward," Marcus said through the comms. "Hydra's not going to surrender that easily."
He cut the connection and looked up. The Hydra fortress loomed ahead, a dark spire piercing the clouds. Within those walls, Baron Strucker was no doubt scrambling for a miracle of his own.
How this standoff would end — between heroes, villains, and monsters alike — was anyone's guess.
---
Inside Hydra's command center, Baron Strucker sat hunched over his desk, hands clutching his head in frustration. His once-perfect plan had fallen apart completely. He had expected the Avengers to be his main problem — and he had prepared for that. But no one had warned him about the black-haired demon.
This mysterious figure had turned his army inside out. Strucker's strategies, his defenses, his chain of command — all dismantled by a single unseen enemy.
He destroyed the bunkers.
He tricked the artillery into firing on their own.
He infiltrated command and issued false orders, plunging the army into chaos.
He triggered an avalanche that buried thousands alive.
Every move was precise, ruthless, and executed without mercy. By the time Hydra realized what was happening, it was already too late.
Now, Strucker's once-proud army was in ruins, and he still knew nothing about his enemy — not his powers, not his motives, not even his face.
On the computer screen before him, Marcus's file was marked Level 1 Threat — Maximum Priority. A long column of speculative notes filled the section on "Abilities," but under "Countermeasures," there was nothing but a blank space.
How do you defend against a ghost?
"Damn it!" Strucker roared, snatching the laptop from the desk and hurling it to the floor. The screen shattered into pieces. In all his years leading Hydra, he had never encountered a "hero" so calculating, so merciless, so completely untouchable.
Was he even human?
"Baron," one of the aides said nervously, "the enemy forces are advancing on the fortress. We need new orders."
Strucker took a deep breath, forcing down his fury. His eyes turned to the massive tactical display on the wall, jaw tightening.
"Prepare my personal guard," he ordered coldly. "And summon the twins — the mutants. It's time for them to earn their keep."
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T/N:
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