The little girl's face flushed bright red with excitement as she hopped around, cheering.
The young detective let out a long breath, relief washing over him. He'd been worried about his savior's safety this whole time, and now the weight in his chest finally dropped.
The other survivors Harry had saved were also swept up in joy, hugging and high-fiving each other.
Inside the armed helicopter, General Ross stared down at the battlefield, his face breaking into the same excited expression.
But that excitement didn't last long. Very quickly, his gaze snapped to Harry as if pulled by a magnet, locking onto him completely.
The military had poured countless manpower and resources into this, deployed all kinds of advanced weapons, and still couldn't do a thing about Abomination, that terrifying monster.
Yet this man had subdued Abomination with effortless ease. Ross couldn't help wondering: what exactly did he just do?
That bizarre scene was still vivid in his mind—those complex, mysterious patterns appearing out of thin air, a magical array forming slowly like something that should only exist in a fantasy movie.
Ross's eyes widened, questions exploding in his head. Was that person really a legendary wizard?
He started thinking fast.
This incident had completely spun out of control. Emil Blonsky had turned into a horrifying monster.
The thing rampaged straight through everything, leaving ruin in its wake, putting countless civilians' lives and property in grave danger.
Ross's face went pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He knew it—after something this severe, he couldn't possibly escape responsibility. If accountability came down, a court-martial was unavoidable.
And then, being dismissed would be the mild outcome. He might even end up behind bars.
His hands clenched unconsciously, knuckles whitening.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning, and his eyes lit up.
If he could win over this mysterious wizard and get him to work for the military, then maybe he could redeem himself and avoid punishment!
Once the idea appeared, it took root instantly. Ross couldn't suppress his excitement anymore. He barked at the pilot, "Go, go, go! Find the nearest place to land! I want to have a good talk with our hero! Move it!"
As for attacking the mysterious wizard and forcing him into the military—Ross wasn't completely devoid of that thought. But the moment it surfaced, he crushed it.
When the military fought Abomination earlier, they got beaten into helplessness. This wizard had beaten Abomination easily, meaning he was far stronger than Abomination. What chance did they have?
Besides Ross, other forces lurking in the shadows were also watching—one of them being Harry's old acquaintance: S.H.I.E.L.D.
Deep inside the Triskelion, in a room packed with advanced equipment, Nick Fury stared hard at the projection in front of him.
On-screen was the shocking scene of Harry defeating Abomination.
After a moment of silence, Fury turned slightly toward Phil Coulson beside him, voice low and firm. "Coulson. What do you think?"
Coulson went momentarily blank. What did he think? He was just a regular employee.
But he also knew that if he actually said that out loud, his iron rice bowl was gone.
He lowered his head slightly, rubbing his chin as he thought. A few seconds later, his face shifted into a serious, professional expression, and he answered in a steady, orderly tone:
"There's no doubt. Even though that mysterious wizard concealed his appearance, I'm confident he's Mr. Potter.
From the battle just now, Mr. Potter's strength far exceeds our previous estimates. And his capabilities are extremely well-rounded—there are almost no obvious weaknesses. Based on that, I think we need to accelerate the pace of our cooperation with Mr. Potter."
Nick Fury nodded, clearly satisfied. "That's right. It's time to speed things up."
What they didn't know was that in another room within the Triskelion—another hidden room—an entirely different conversation was unfolding in secret.
The previous director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Alexander Pierce, was also watching the battle in Harlem.
"Truly a powerful asset. The Winter Soldier is no match for Potter." Standing beside Pierce, the bald agent Sitwell looked full of admiration. He licked his lips slightly, greedily. "Director Pierce—if we can pull Potter into HYDRA, then Project Insight will be foolproof!"
Pierce's lips curved into a smile that was unreadable, as if everything had gone exactly as he'd expected, completely under control.
But inside, he was panicking like crazy. How is this guy this strong?
Pierce secretly felt lucky. Thankfully, he'd always been cautious. Back when he still didn't fully understand Potter's background, he hadn't rashly sent people to kidnap Potter's family to force him into submission.
Otherwise, HYDRA would've gained an enemy so terrifying it was hard to even imagine.
Now, Pierce couldn't help thinking: was it possible, like Sitwell said, to recruit Potter into HYDRA?
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed… actually possible.
As far as Pierce knew, Potter's goal was to protect Earth from invasions by other dimensions—also the core principle of the mysterious wizard organization Kamar-Taj.
They had no interest in internal power struggles on Earth. In fact, according to some intelligence, to protect the entire planet from destruction, they might even be willing to sacrifice innocent civilians.
If that was true, then there wasn't a major conflict of interest between HYDRA and Kamar-Taj.
As long as HYDRA promised full support for Kamar-Taj, it might not be impossible to win them over!
The thought made Pierce's heart stir, but there was still a crucial question to consider.
Just how far could Kamar-Taj's sorcerers go in the name of protecting Earth?
Judging from Potter's performance today… he didn't look like someone who could ignore civilians dying…
No. This plan needed to be drafted carefully and reconsidered from the ground up. He couldn't afford carelessness!
——————
When Harry's palm met Abomination's chest, he immediately felt a heavy resistance. It was strong—yet still something he could push through.
And so, the monster whose body was so overwhelmingly durable it was nearly immortal toppled with a thunderous crash, slamming into the ground and kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
At the same time, a hazy, illusory figure flew out of Abomination's body—no longer the savage, grotesque shape of the monster, but the appearance of Blonsky back when he was still an ordinary human.
Blonsky only felt a violent flicker of light in front of his eyes. His head went "buzz," and before he could react, his entire being drifted uncontrollably into midair.
Instinctively, he tried to steady himself—only to realize his body had become incredibly intangible. Aside from flailing his limbs, he couldn't move even an inch.
Shock and fear surged through him. He stared downward in disbelief, and what he saw was the very body he'd paid any price to obtain.
But now, the body that should've belonged to him had been taken away by that utterly hateful bastard!
He twisted wildly in the air, trying to approach his "perfect" body and force his way back in—but no matter how he struggled, he remained pinned in place, unable to move.
Fear began to seep in deeper. Was he about to die just after gaining this power?
After Abomination fell, Hulk—who had been kicked away—immediately charged back, raising fists the size of boulders and pounding Abomination with brutal punches and kicks.
In only a short time, Abomination's skin was torn open by Hulk's heavy blows. Blood marks spread like spiderwebs, and even his chest began to cave in.
If Hulk kept beating Abomination for half an hour, with Hulk's terrifying strength, he might actually kill this nearly immortal monster by sheer force.
But Harry stopped him in time. Abomination was also an important piece of muscle Harry planned to use later—he couldn't let Hulk smash him up!
Harry shouted, "Hulk, stop!"
For a friend he'd just met, Hulk took it seriously. The big kid was starved for affection—like Harry when he was younger. The moment he felt even a trace of kindness, he'd grab it with everything he had and refuse to let go.
Still, Hulk looked confused. He didn't understand why Harry was stopping him.
Harry walked up beside Hulk, lifted a hand, and gave Hulk's thick arm a light pat as he explained, "Hulk, listen to me. I have a way to control him—make him behave and follow Hulk around later, as Hulk's little brother."
"Little brother?" Hulk blinked, blank-faced. His not-so-bright brain clearly couldn't process the term.
Harry coaxed him like a child. "Yeah, little brother. If Abomination becomes your little brother, then whatever Hulk tells him to do, he has to do. And he can be Hulk's punching bag too—he's really tough, right?"
Hulk's eyes lit up, dark green gaze filled with anticipation. He rumbled, heavy but almost excited, "Hulk listen to Harry. Hulk like little brother!"
After calming Hulk down, Harry looked up at Blonsky in the air. For a vicious criminal like him, Harry wasn't anywhere near as gentle as he'd been with Hulk.
Harry's expression turned icy, his voice carrying a chill as he said coldly, "Sign a contract with me. Become Kamar-Taj's enforcer, and I'll spare your life—I won't erase your soul. Otherwise, I can still control your body with just the shell."
Blonsky was clearly smart. He knew he couldn't resist. His expression changed several times before he finally sighed. "What contract? Fine. I'll sign."
Harry nodded with satisfaction. "Smart choice."
But when Harry produced an illusory sheet of parchment and made him sign, Blonsky's face still turned ugly as he read the contents.
What kind of devil's contract is this?!
Life, soul, flesh—everything belonged to the wizard named Harry Potter. And he had to obey orders twenty-four hours a day, all year round, no days off.
Damn it—are you some demon from hell?
Even so, when Blonsky saw Harry lift his wand and its tip spark with an ominous green light, he signed obediently anyway.
Staying alive was better than dying!
The instant Blonsky's fingertip touched the contract and he agreed, ancient runes—symbols of binding and submission—flared with eerie light and quickly enveloped him.
In a flash, a surging tide of vitality burst out from Abomination's body like a collapsed dam, pouring toward Harry.
Feeling the enormous life force inside him, Harry's mouth curved slightly into a satisfied smile.
Another great deal.
With the battle over, Harry opened a portal and sent Abomination and Hulk to Kamar-Taj. The Sorcerer Supreme would definitely understand what he meant.
Now, Harry raised his head and surveyed the surroundings. What met his eyes was devastation everywhere—the once-bustling street had been reduced to shattered ruins.
Damage on this scale had to mean losses beyond measure.
But Harry wasn't too worried. The Mending Charm—this spell that sounded simple—touched on time itself, and it could solve the problem perfectly.
Harry took a deep breath, lifted his wand high, and the magic inside him surged awake, racing along the wand and spilling outward. "Reparo!"
As the magic spread, collapsed and broken buildings were gently lifted and pieced together by invisible hands.
Cracked walls sealed seamlessly. Twisted steel beams slowly straightened. Bricks and tiles returned to their places. Dust settled.
In this moment, the power of the Mending Charm shone like a brilliant light, illuminating the devastated ruins.
Wizarding-world magic, inherently of an extraordinarily high tier, once again revealed its edge within the wider multiverse!
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