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*****
"How should I cooperate?"
Banner's expression flickered with a hint of vigilance. Unlike Tony, who trusted Feny implicitly due to being saved by him, Banner still harbored a lingering sense of caution.
"Let the Hulk come out more often. I understand you well enough, but I'm still not quite clear on the Hulk's nature."
"You just want him to come out!?"
Banner was surprised; he hadn't expected the request to be so simple. However, releasing the Hulk was never a safe endeavor. He replied hesitantly, "But he is dangerous!"
"I don't think so," Feny said, looking directly at Banner. "You have to realize you aren't dealing with ordinary people. Iron Man aside, you've seen what I'm capable of."
"What do you mean, 'Iron Man aside'!?" Tony interjected, clearly offended. He turned to support Feny's cause: "Bruce, just bring the big guy out. I want to see exactly how dangerous he really is!"
After spending time together, Banner had grown familiar with Tony's personality and the capabilities of the Iron Man armor. Still, he didn't believe Tony could win against the Hulk—at least not in the Mark VI.
Banner hesitated. He desperately wanted to be rid of the Hulk, and Feny was currently his only lead. The request itself wasn't overtly unreasonable. After a moment of internal struggle, Banner finally agreed.
"Should I bring him out here?"
Hearing this, Feny quickly shook his head. "Wait until later. I'll take you to the Himalayas, and you can let him out there."
"And remember to bring spare clothes!" Feny added as a reminder. Seeing Banner in nothing but tattered underwear every time he transformed was... an eyesore.
Tony looked at Feny with confusion, not quite understanding the wardrobe logistics, while Banner simply nodded silently, still questioning if he was making the right choice.
---
By evening, Tony stayed behind, eager to witness the Hulk's form. The three had eaten enough fried chicken rolls throughout the day that no one felt hungry, so Feny opened a portal and transported them all to the Himalayas.
The transition from the sweltering summer heat to the freezing tundra was jarring, and Banner was the least equipped to handle it.
Feny was wearing Incursio; even without specific frost resistance, the armor kept him warm. Tony, of course, was sealed in his suit—he'd accounted for extreme environments since the Mark II.
Only Banner, possessing the physical constitution of a normal (perhaps slightly frail) human, stood shivering in the biting cold.
"Alright, hurry up and transform!" Feny urged, seeing Banner's discomfort.
"Give me... a second!" Banner hugged his arms, trying to force his anger to the surface. But perhaps it was too cold; he couldn't seem to trigger the change immediately, making the scene quite awkward.
"What's the holdup?" Tony watched expectantly, but seeing Banner gritting his teeth with no result, he grew puzzled. "Stomach cramps?"
Feny rolled his eyes and began to "help" with a few verbal provocations:
"Think about your ex-girlfriend. She's already moved on with another man."
Banner's face took on a slight greenish tint.
"Think about your future girlfriend. She might be beautiful, she might not mind your condition... but she might also be flirtatious with several other men at the same time!"
Banner had been hopeful during the first half of that sentence, but at the final remark, a surge of rage hit his brain. His entire body turned green instantly.
The Hulk had finally arrived.
"ROAR!"
Hulk emerged fueled by Banner's sudden anger, letting out a deafening roar that gave even Tony a start.
"That's the Hulk?" Tony scrutinized the massive, green, pants-wearing figure. He turned to Feny and remarked, "He looks like he's just a bit oversized. Doesn't seem like much."
"I hope you can maintain that opinion in a few minutes," Feny said with a look of pity. He knew Tony had brought the suit specifically to spar with the Hulk, and he had no intention of stopping him—as long as he ensured the Hulk didn't actually kill the billionaire.
Upon appearing, the Hulk scanned his surroundings angrily. When his eyes landed on Feny, he paused, then started walking toward him. Tony warily took a few steps back; despite his bravado, he was still cautious.
"Mage!" Hulk's eyes held a flicker of delight. He seemed genuinely happy to see Feny again.
"Long time no see, Hulk!" Feny greeted him cheerfully.
"Hey, Big Guy. I'm Iron Man!" Tony chimed in. He was used to being the center of attention and didn't appreciate being ignored.
"ROAR!"
Unfortunately, Hulk didn't care for the introduction. He roared directly in Tony's face, seemingly annoyed at the interruption of his talk with Feny.
Hulk was simple, but he was highly sensitive to emotions. Feny had approached him with sincerity during their first meeting, which is why Hulk accepted him. Tony's tone, however, was unfriendly and provocative—Hulk sensed it immediately.
"I don't like this guy," Tony complained to Feny, lowering his hand.
"I don't think he likes you either," Feny replied. He assumed Hulk was just being shy around strangers and stepped forward to soothe him. "It's okay, Hulk. He's Banner's friend."
"Enemy!" Hulk spat out the word, his eyes filling with even more loathing as he glared at Tony.
Feny scratched his head awkwardly and gave up on the explanation. He turned to Tony. "You wanted to know the extent of Hulk's power, right? Want to experience it firsthand?"
"You sure?" Tony's voice was full of skepticism. "He's just a few sizes larger. You sure he wants to go against me?"
Feny ignored the ego-tripping Tony and turned back to Hulk. "Do me a favor and don't kill him, okay?"
At the mention of a fight, Hulk nodded excitedly, his eyes burning with anticipation as he looked at Tony.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Feny said, giving Tony one last piece of advice. "Underestimating the Hulk is a recipe for disaster. He's the kind of guy who would try to punch a god."
In truth, Feny himself had never had a "clean" fight with the Hulk. In their previous encounter, the military had suppressed the Hulk first, and then the Hulk had been worried about Betty, preventing him from going all out.
"That's because he hasn't met Iron Man," Tony said arrogantly. He charged toward Hulk, eschewing aerial fire support—it seemed he wanted to test the Hulk's raw strength first.
Feny watched, dumbfounded. The idea of going toe-to-toe with the Hulk in a contest of strength was something he wouldn't even dream of attempting yet.
As the saying goes: Test it and you'll rest in peace.
The two collided with a single punch, and the "battle" was essentially over.
"Sir, damage levels detected at 38%. Laser systems compromised, palm thrusters offline..."
Listening to Jarvis's report, Tony lay a considerable distance away, his head spinning. The Hulk's strength had far exceeded his wildest estimations.
"Iron Man... so weak!" Hulk remarked, looking back at Feny. To drive the point home, he spat on the ground with an expression of pure disdain.
Fortunately, Tony was too far away to see the gesture, or the blow to his ego might have been too much to bear.
(End of Chapter)