Authors Note-
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Abomination roared in frustration. He'd paid a heavy price for his power, yet he was quickly overpowered here. "This can't be! Why are you so strong?"
Ivan watched with a hint of amusement. "There's always a bigger fish, Emil. You might be strong, but compared to true powerhouses, you're a mere frog in a well."
Darkseid and Thanos flashed through his mind – beings far exceeding even these formidable opponents.
Abomination's struggles were futile. Pinned under Ivan's foot, his efforts only dug him deeper into the crater. General Ross, witnessing the scene, felt a profound sense of disillusionment. He'd envisioned using the Hulk as a weapon, a powerful warrior. Now, a genuinely powerful being effortlessly dominated Abomination. Ross questioned his past actions. Perhaps the monstrous warrior he sought wasn't the answer after all. His gaze drifted towards Ivan, a flicker of a new idea igniting within him.
Unconcerned with the bystanders' thoughts, Ivan focused on the task at hand. He retrieved a golden knife to extract a blood sample from Abomination.
Suddenly, a roar erupted from behind. The Hulk, enraged, swung his massive fists at Ivan.
"Seriously?" Ivan thought in exasperation. Here he was, trying to help, and the Hulk decided to attack him.
Ignoring the need for blood, Ivan maintained pressure on Abomination while twisting to meet the Hulk's blow. He absorbed the kinetic energy from the punch before grabbing one of the Hulk's fingers and using his momentum against him. With a powerful throw, he sent the green giant flying through the air, crashing into a building hundreds of meters away. The impact likely left the Hulk incapacitated, just like Abomination.
Without time to check on the Hulk, Ivan returned to obtain the blood sample. But his bad luck seemed to be relentless.
"Ivan! You're up to no good again! I won't let you escape this time!"
A beautiful woman, clad in partial armor, descended from the sky. Her exposed arms and thighs hinted at her seductive nature. The sword in her hand, the round shield on her back, and the lasso at her waist identified her as Wonder Woman.
Ivan felt a surge of frustration. What was going on today? One chaotic situation after another! Had he unknowingly angered some deity?
Reacting instinctively, he swatted Wonder Woman's blade aside, deflecting her attack. He lunged forward, aiming his golden knife at her lower abdomen.
Caught off guard by the sudden maneuver, Wonder Woman used her flying boots to propel herself back, narrowly avoiding the knife. As she flipped in mid-air, she whipped her lasso at Ivan, hoping to entangle him.
Wary of the lasso's mystical properties, Ivan released Abomination and leaped back, dodging the incoming weapon.
Seizing this opportunity, Abomination flipped over and rose from the crater. With a mighty roar, he lunged at Ivan, attempting to crush him with his immense weight.
Ivan instinctively raised his hands, halting Abomination's descent. He spotted the charging Hulk from the corner of his eye. A sly grin spread across Ivan's face. He shoved Abomination towards the Hulk, turning them into a rolling mass of green and grey. The two titans soon separated and resumed their brawl, the Hulk's focus solely on Abomination.
With the giants preoccupied, Ivan turned his attention to Wonder Woman. It was clear her skills had sharpened over the years. After her initial attack failed, she discarded her sword and opted for a ranged approach. Utilizing the magical Lasso of Truth as a whip, she unleashed a series of unpredictable strikes, keeping Ivan on the defensive.
While Ivan wouldn't mind sparring with Wonder Woman, time was of the essence. He vibrated his body at an intense frequency, creating a cloud of dust. Seizing the opportunity, he projected an illusory duplicate while retreating.
Wonder Woman raised her shield, dispersing the dust to reveal the fake Ivan. Without hesitation, she lashed out with the whip. Ivan, anticipating this, grabbed the Lasso and yanked. With a knowing smile, Wonder Woman shook the Lasso, expertly wrapping it around Ivan several times, binding him like a mummy.
Exhilaration surged through Wonder Woman. Since their first encounter, she'd harbored a grudge against Ivan. Decades of frustration culminated in this moment of triumph. She approached to capture the immobilized Ivan, but a sudden gust of wind swirled behind her. Instinctively dodging, she was nonetheless too slow. A hand materialized from behind, smacking her neck. Wonder Woman crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
The honest Ivan materialized beside the fallen warrior, a sneer twisting his lips.
"Not only do you improve, Diana," he taunted, using Wonder Woman's secret identity, "but so do I, and at a far more alarming rate. Did you truly believe you could restrain me so easily?"
With a snap of his fingers, the illusory Ivan dissolved into energy, reabsorbed by the honest Ivan. His gaze shifted to the other battlefield.
Despite the ongoing beating, the Hulk seemed to be faring better. Perhaps the antidote's effects were wearing off. Abomination, however, had unknowingly committed a grave error. He'd provoked the Hulk's rage by endangering Betty Ross – her plane being shot down. This enraged the Hulk, and with a mighty roar, he unleashed a devastating blow, forcing Abomination to cough up blood.
Ivan capitalized on this moment. Using an unseen force, he collected the expelled blood in a vial. With his objective secured, there was no need to worry about it. As he prepared to leave, a thought struck him. Wonder Woman, the daughter of Zeus, the King of Olympus, possessed the blood of a god. Perhaps her blood held unique properties worth studying. Ivan's gaze lingered on her unconscious form, a predatory glint in his eyes.
Returning to Skull Island's underground lab, Ivan found the Leader chasing after the holographic Red Queen with a barrage of questions. The Red Queen, clearly exasperated, wished for nothing more than to shut him off.
Howard Stark, unnoticed by Ivan and the Leader earlier, had entered the lab and was now witnessing their peculiar exchange. Despite their initial awkward interaction, the Leader and Stark – both knowledgeable individuals – found common ground in their thirst for knowledge.
Spotting Ivan's arrival, Red Queen rushed to him, eager for relief. "Dr. Ivan, thank goodness! Please eliminate this curious fellow; he's driving me crazy with endless questions!"
"Easy there, Red Queen," Ivan chuckled. "The Leader is just a tad curious, that's all. His hunger for knowledge is quite strong. Just answer his questions to the best of your ability, and if it gets overwhelming, grant him temporary access to the information database."
Ivan first placed the unconscious Wonder Woman on the examination table. He then retrieved the vials containing the Hulk and Abomination's blood samples and handed them to the Leader. "Here's what you requested; feel free to examine them at your leisure."
The Leader took the vials and stepped aside. Stark, however, cast a curious glance at Ivan before turning his attention to Wonder Woman.
"Dr. Ivan," he remarked in a suggestive tone, "where on earth did you find such a beautiful specimen? Is she one of those mythical warrior women? You can't just go around kidnapping people! A little romance never hurt anyone, you know?"
"Enough, Stark," Ivan countered with a glare. "This is Wonder Woman, daughter of Zeus, the king of the Gods. I'm interested in studying the unique properties of godly blood, that's all."
"Wow, Wonder Woman? Zeus's daughter? That's incredible! Aren't you worried about Zeus smiting you?" Stark exclaimed, ever the cynic.
"Focus on your task, Stark," Ivan instructed, then turned to Leader. "By the way, you can also examine a blood sample from Wonder Woman." He retrieved a vial containing blood drawn with a Vibranium needle and handed it to the Leader.
With everything settled, Ivan stared at the unconscious Wonder Woman, unsure how to proceed. Killing her was out of the question, especially considering her future role in protecting Earth. Letting her go wasn't ideal either, as she would likely become his enemy after this ordeal. Imprisoning her wasn't a solution either.
A mischievous grin spread across Ivan's face as a peculiar idea struck him. He muttered to himself, "Don't worry. This isn't a betrayal. Just think of it as me finding you a girlfriend—a beautiful one at that. You're bound to be happy."