◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones. or 500 Collections
◇ You can read 50 chapter ahead on P@treon of which 10 Chapters are free. if you're interested: patreon.com/Heroicverse
------------------------------------------------
"Roar—!!!"
Hulk's fury was instantly ignited.
He spun around abruptly, his eyes bloodshot, locking onto the gold-and-red Tin Man.
"Tin Man!! Die!!!"
Hulk roared, kicking off the ground and charging at Tony like an arrow from a bow.
But Tony was clearly prepared.
"Thrusters at full power! Lateral maneuver!"
The auxiliary wings on the back of the mark xliii snapped open, and the thrusters erupted with blinding blue flames.
He made a sharp turn in mid-air.
"Whoosh—!"
Hulk's massive fist swung past the edge of the armor.
In that split second as they passed each other.
Tony didn't pull away.
Instead, he flicked his wrist.
A syringe filled with green liquid popped out from a hidden compartment in the armor's arm.
"Time for your medicine, big baby!"
Tony seized the moment Hulk opened his mouth to roar.
"Snap!"
The syringe was accurately shot into Hulk's mouth.
In the midst of his rage, Hulk felt a foreign object in his mouth and instinctively bit down hard.
"Crack!"
The syringe glass shattered instantly.
The green medicine flowed down his throat and directly into his esophagus.
"Pah! Pah!"
Hulk landed and spat out the glass shards in disgust.
He wiped his mouth, even angrier now.
This Tin Man not only hit him but also fed him glass!
Hulk gave a roar, preparing to launch another attack and flatten that tin can.
However, just as he took a step.
His movements suddenly froze.
It was as if someone had pressed the pause button.
A gurgling sound, like someone drowning, came from Hulk's throat.
His pupils began to contract violently. Under his originally dark green skin, it looked as if countless small snakes were crawling. His veins bulged, glowing with an eerie fluorescent green.
Tony hovered in mid-air, watching this scene. He opened his faceplate and gave Homelander a winner's smile in the distance.
"I remember you saying something, didn't you, Anthony?"
"You said you would protect everyone?"
Tony pointed at the twitching Hulk. "Then let me see if your power can control a Hulk like this."
"Shit..."
Homelander cursed inwardly.
That was T-VEX.
Was this a boomerang hitting himself?
"Ugh-aaaaaahhhhhh—!!!!"
With an earth-shattering roar, Hulk mutated.
"Sizzle—"
White steam began to seep from the surface of his skin.
His height, originally over two meters, began to swell like a balloon, his bones making sharp cracking sounds.
Three meters... four meters... five meters!
No pupils, only the whites of his eyes.
And destruction.
"Boom!!"
One of Hulk's feet finally hit the ground.
Just this one step.
The ground of Park Avenue instantly collapsed into a giant pit twenty meters in diameter. The glass of surrounding buildings shattered, and several cars parked on the roadside were blown into the air by the shockwave.
"My God..."
That suffocating sense of pressure made Jessica instinctively take a step back.
"What kind of monster is this?" The flames in Angela's hands dimmed a bit.
Robbie swallowed hard, his legs starting to tremble.
"This thing... can I back out now if I give up my overtime pay?"
The Avengers members clearly knew what was about to happen. The moment Hulk stopped, they had already tactfully retreated two blocks away.
For the first time, Homelander's expression became somewhat solemn.
It wasn't that he was worried about losing.
He was worried the aftershocks of the battle would destroy this place. This was New York, his first voter base in this World.
Those fans, those fangirls holding signs and screaming, would all be turned into meat paste.
For Homelander, who had always doted on his fans, this was absolutely something he didn't want to see!
He pressed his earpiece and spoke rapidly.
"Ashley!"
"I'm here, sir!" Ashley's crisp voice came through the earpiece.
"Emergency dispatch of all Hummingbird drone swarms! All of them! Now!"
"Target location: Jamaica Bay Park."
"And I need a lot! I want five hundred... no, a thousand!!"
"That Green Fatso's current state is a bit off, the battle might get very intense. I don't want the World to miss a close-up of my heroism just because of some stupid reason like drones being destroyed!"
"Understood, sir! A thousand Hummingbirds are rerouting!" Ashley reported with a hint of excitement. "Also, sir, there is some good news."
"The 'Sky Eye Type-II' high-speed cameras, recently developed by the Vought Technology Department, have all been equipped onto the drone swarms."
"They can capture high-definition dynamic video at up to Mach 5, with superior image stabilization and impact resistance."
"Very good."
A satisfied smile played across Homelander's lips.
He ended the communication.
"Huff... huff..."
Hulk's mutation was nearing its end.
Now, he was nearly six meters tall. With every breath, white steam snorted from his nostrils.
Homelander turned his head and looked at Jessica behind him.
"Listen, the plan has changed."
He pointed at the Avengers who had already run far away.
"I'll handle this big guy. I have to take him out of the city, or tomorrow's New York Times headline will be 'Manhattan Sunk'."
"As for those 'villainous heroes' who have been brainwashed..."
Homelander looked at Jessica with an affirming gaze.
"I'll leave them to you, Jessica."
"Remember, capture them alive. They are being controlled and are victims too. Don't twist Tony's head off; he's my friend."
Jessica rolled her eyes hard, her expression saying, "Are you kidding me?"
"Wow, you really think highly of me, boss."
"That's Iron Man, that's Thor! Plus a marksman who never misses and dozens of killing machines!"
"You want me to capture them alive?"
"Do you think I've lived too long, or do you think my health insurance limit hasn't been used up yet?"
"It'll be good enough if I can drive them away, and you want me to capture them alive? Who do you think I am, Supergirl?"
Although Jessica complained, her body honestly took a defensive stance, blocking the front of the group.
"Have some confidence, Queen Maeve, I'm a good judge of character."
Homelander smiled, then turned to look at Wanda on the other side.
Wanda was staring nervously at the battlefield, red energy flickering uneasily at her fingertips.
"Wanda,"
"I'm here, Anthony." Wanda looked at Homelander, trying her best to manage a smile despite her nervousness.
Homelander's voice softened a bit.
"This is also a test for you."
"You are the Child of Miracle, Wanda. You have great potential. I have a feeling that in the future, you will become my best partner."
"Go help Jessica and protect our companions. I believe in you."
"Yes, Anthony!"
Her eyes lit up instantly, she puffed out her chest, red energy surged in her hands, and her voice was firm as if taking an oath.
"I definitely won't let you down! I will prove that I am qualified to stand by your side!"
Homelander nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Jessica and raised an eyebrow.
"Look at her."
"..."
Jessica was exasperated, her voice turning shrill.
"Did I say I couldn't do it?! I was just stating objective facts! You don't know shit!"