Chapter 71 - Capture

Facing the charging Blonsky, Dr. Banner's initial instinct was to flee, but he mustered courage, yelled, and confronted Blonsky head-on.

In the next moment, the two colossal bodies collided, creating a ring-shaped shockwave that shattered all the surrounding glass. Dr. Banner was sent flying and crashed heavily onto the ground.

Blonsky gained the upper hand and launched a powerful leap towards Dr. Banner, who swiftly rolled away to evade the attack.

Then, Blonsky kicked Dr. Banner while he was on the ground, causing a building to collapse.

Dr. Banner vs. Blonsky - a crushing battle.

Both General Ross and Nick Fury were astonished. They wondered why this Hulk was so weak; a counterfeit product?

The reason for Dr. Banner's defeat wasn't just his inferiority to Hulk; it was also due to his lack of combat experience and knowledge of fighting skills. Blonsky, on the other hand, was the king of soldiers.

Unlike Hulk, who possessed innate fighting instincts that grew stronger with each battle, Dr. Banner lacked such abilities.

"Why are you so feeble? What's wrong with you?" Blonsky, having effortlessly defeated Dr. Banner, wasn't pleased but filled with rage as he yelled at him.

"I just need a little time to find my footing," Dr. Banner reassured himself as he emerged from the ruins. He still had his advantages, mainly his durability.

"Looking for your footing? I'll help you find it. If you can't, you'll perish by my hands," Blonsky taunted as he charged forward, unleashing a violent assault on Dr. Banner. Although Dr. Banner fought back with all his might, it seemed futile, yet he managed to hold Blonsky back.

While chaos erupted outside, Natasha led her team into Dr. Sterns's laboratory. Upon entering, they discovered two individuals transferring Hulk's blood into a container.

"Stop! This blood belongs to S.H.I.E.L.D.," Natasha demanded, aiming her gun at them. The two individuals, one in black attire and the other with a cold demeanor and a metal arm, turned their heads to face her.

"It's you," Natasha's expression changed as she recognized the man with the metal arm - Bucky, the Winter Soldier. She fired her gun at him, recalling their past encounter, but he deftly blocked the bullet with his metal arm and retaliated by throwing a bottle of Hulk's blood at Natasha's team, who quickly dodged it. Bucky then drew a light submachine gun from his waist and started shooting at them.

"Don't let them take Hulk's blood," Natasha urged, knowing that with so much blood, unimaginable abominations could be created.

The agents opened fire on Bucky in response to her words, but he fearlessly took cover behind a cabinet and returned fire at the agents.

"Too bad for you"

The man in black grinned menacingly, shedding his outer garments to reveal a set of simple exoskeleton armor and an Arc Reactor, catching everyone's attention.

Immediately, he pushed the cabinet forcefully, sending it hurtling towards Natasha, who swiftly rolled away to evade it.

Natasha was taken aback, realizing the man possessed Stark's Arc Reactor and military-grade exoskeleton armor. Who was this guy?

Military forces worldwide were researching exoskeleton armor to enhance soldiers' combat capabilities, but the limited battery life hindered practicality. However, the introduction of the Arc Reactor had changed everything, making the man in black akin to a copycat version of Iron Man.

"Ready to suffer? Only through suffering can there be order," the man in black declared as he charged at Natasha. She fired her gun at him, but the steel shell on his body deflected the bullets. He retaliated by kicking her in the chest, sending her flying into the wall.

"Why do I always encounter such formidable opponents? I'm just a regular person with good looks and a good figure, okay?" Natasha cursed, struggling to rise. She then grabbed a bottle of Hulk's blood and hurled it at the man in black. He evaded swiftly since his exoskeleton armor wasn't fully covered, leaving some vulnerable spots.

Natasha continued throwing bottles at the man in black, aiming to both stall him and destroy the Hulk's blood.

Bucky attempted to reach Natasha but found himself blocked by determined agents. A cold glint appeared in Bucky's eyes, and he used his metal arm as a shield to fend off bullets. He plowed through the agents, taking them down one by one.

"Hydra is here?" Upon witnessing the chaos in the laboratory, Andrew quickly reached out to Howard and inquired, "Howard, the person who killed you has shown up. Do you want to confront him and settle the score?"

"Sergeant Barnes? Where is he?" Howard exclaimed, seeking revenge from Bucky and also hoping to uncover the mastermind behind the scenes. The events from the past were shrouded in mystery, and he suspected a major problem within S.H.I.E.L.D.

"In the laboratory, go find him," Andrew directed.

"Alright," Howard nodded, leaving Trask in charge of his squad to deal with the fourth abomination, and he rushed towards the laboratory alone.

Upon arriving, Howard witnessed the agents being slaughtered by Bucky, and Natasha was in danger. He shouted, "Soldier, get out of here!"

Confused, all three of them wondered what was happening.

Howard and the man in black engaged in their confrontation while Bucky fought in the lab. Natasha managed to save herself and found solace in a corner, reflecting on the world filled with monsters.

Suddenly, a massive explosion shook Manhattan, originating from Queens. Both allies and adversaries were taken aback, wondering what had occurred there. Let's rewind a bit to the scene at the Hammer Industries warehouse.

Cyclops activated his glasses, firing a crimson laser at an unmanned suit, creating a high-temperature hole in its head on impact. The remaining unmanned suits retaliated by shooting at Cyclops, but Colossus transformed into his steel form to shield him, causing the bullets to bounce harmlessly off.

Simultaneously, Storm flew in the sky, using strong winds as a shield while controlling lightning to blast the unmanned suits.

Jean wasn't falling behind either. Her telekinetic abilities allowed her to defend against miniature missiles controlled by the unmanned suits. Strangely, during this time, her telepathic powers seemed to have grown significantly. Tasks that were once difficult for her now seemed effortless.

While the X-Men handled the unmanned suits, Psylocke and the mercenary Wade confronted Iron Monger, Spider-Man faced off against War Machine, and Iron Man took on Whiplash.

Iron Monger had formidable firepower, but he faced opponents like Wade and Psylocke. One of them couldn't be killed, no matter how hard he was fought, while the other effortlessly sliced through steel. Their combined efforts made it challenging for Iron Monger to defeat them quickly.