Chapter 14. Locking Eyes

In the past, if someone told Emil that he was beaten by a Coke can...

He would have dismissed it as a joke or simply a cheesy scenario from some third-rate comedy film.

However, when this scene appeared in front of his eyes, Emil realized that this wasn't a comedy but more like a horror movie coming to life.

"First team, progress report!"

Because of Hulk's indiscriminate attacks, the helicopters couldn't get close enough, and General Ross had to ask about the situation over the radio.

"... Sir ... we are under attack ... the other party isn't an ordinary person ..."

From the other end of the radio, Emil's intermittent response came in.

He was the only survivor of the assault team and had just dodged an attack from a can of Coke.

"What the hell is going on?" General Ross frowned. The members of the assault team were all excellent soldiers whom he had promoted and were experienced in combat, yet there were such heavy casualties in such a short period of 10 minutes, "Soldier, tell me what kind of attack, now!"

As a powerful member of the US military today, General Ross naturally had access to a lot of inside information, even some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s inside information.

"..."

"... It's Coke cans. We were attacked by Coke cans ..."

On the other end of the radio, after a short silence, Emil answered with some difficulty.

"Cans?!"

On the helicopter, a look of dismay was written all over General Ross's old face. The soldiers beside him couldn't help but look at each other in disbelief.

General Ross envisioned many encounters that soldiers could experience in an attack, including the appearance of a supernatural attack. But the only thing he didn't expect to attack the soldiers under his command was that it would be Coke cans. 'Come on, we're on a proper military operation, not a Coke commercial. Be serious!'

"Tell me, soldier, what exactly is a Coke can attack that turned into some sort of ..." There was a moment of silence before General Ross suppressed the feeling of dissonance that burst through his mind and opened his mouth to ask. Not far away, a giant covered in green was wreaking havoc. It seemed that it wasn't incomprehensible that the assault team was attacked by Coke cans.

"The target was observed to have superhuman strength and was able to ..."

"Fuck, I've been discovered ..."

Bang --

"..."

"Soldier, answer, soldier, answer at once!" With a brief loud noise, the other end of the radio suddenly went silent.

On the helicopter, General Ross kept shouting through the intercom, but he didn't get a response.

　　...

Huff ... huff...

Emil collapsed amidst the rubble, gasping for breath. His armor was shattered beyond recognition, and a dented can of cola was embedded in his chest. The black liquid was dripping down his chest.

In a trance, Emil only heard a roar from the Hulk. Felt a violent shock from behind him and then lost all consciousness.

"Are you kidding me?!"

Ryan had no time to breathe a sigh of relief when he successfully wiped out all the members of the assault team by using Coke cans.

He saw Hulk, who was venting not far away. He roared and turned his head. It was such a coincidence. Unfortunately, he caught sight of Ryan.

After locking eyes, Ryan immediately became Hulk's next target.

Without a second thought, he turned toward him.

A wail escaped Ryan's lips. However, it was clear that Hulk, in his angry state, had little sense of reason and therefore had no possibility of communicating.

Looking at the green figure moving closer and closer, Ryan moved his feet, then picked up a can of Coke and kicked it in the Hulk's direction.

Bang --

However, the Coke attack, which had the power of Ryan's Mighty Steel Leg and was capable of sending the assault team flying, struck Hulk's body but made no impact at all. Instead, it bounced off to the side.

'How can you fight this?!!'

Seeing that his attack couldn't even break the Hulk's defense, Ryan immediately gave up his intentions of fighting the Hulk. Sure enough, a monster of Hulk's level wasn't something Ryan could cope with at this stage. Quickly giving up the plan to meet Hulk head-on, Ryan turned around without hesitation and ran towards the more densely packed high-rise buildings behind him.

The high-rise terrain didn't stop the Hulk, but at least it slowed him down a little.

"General, the giant is moving again!"

On the helicopter, before General Ross could understand the situation of his assault team, the soldiers on the side suddenly started to report.

"Where is he going?" Putting down the unanswered intercom in his hand, General Ross then asked.

"He's moving towards the area the assault team went in earlier!"

In other words, Hulk was running in the direction of the man from before.

General Ross reacted quickly and immediately ordered the remaining soldiers, "All soldiers, stop the green giant from moving and don't let him move any further!"

Although it wasn't clear what that man's purpose for being here was yet, General Ross didn't want the two sides to make contact, whether it was for selfish reasons or the thought of maintaining confidentiality.

At General Ross's command, the helicopter, which had been hovering high above the Hulk, began to descend slowly, and a steady stream of bullets was fired.

The attack from the helicopter's guns clearly helped Ryan to escape.

Although the bullets of the helicopter couldn't do any harm to Hulk, they were a good way to stop his progress. The barrage of bullets also successfully attracted the Hulk's attention from Ryan. He looked back angrily at the helicopter hovering overhead.

With a roar of rage, he bent down and grabbed a piece of the car door next to his hand and flung it towards the helicopter.

"Climb, climb, climb!!"

Faced with the Hulk's attack, the helicopter's pilot dodged it by rising in the same manner as before.

The pilot looked at the door that grazed the bottom of the helicopter. Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he immediately felt a strong shake in the body of the helicopter, followed by the sight of Hulk's huge green palm appearing in front of the body of the helicopter.

"It's him! He's on the heli! He's on the heli!"

'Son of a bitch!'

Witnessing Hulk's jump that brought down a helicopter hovering in mid-air, Ryan not only observed three seconds of silence for the unlucky pilot, but also quickened his footwork. Joking aside, the situation was such that even the military helicopter's guns couldn't hold off Hulk for a single second. His earlier idea of fishing in troubled waters had obviously gone down the drain.