Thomas stood atop the edge of the building, the wind whipping through his long, lion-like mane. His sharp eyes zeroed in on the two villains below, scrambling to escape his relentless pursuit.
He couldn't help but smirk as he prepared to leap, the thrill of the chase coursing through his veins. In a single, fluid motion, he jumped off the roof, plummeting towards the ground with the grace of a predator.
Beneath him, the city streets were alive with chaos. The massive green monster barreled down the road, his powerful legs crushing the asphalt with each stride. Clinging to the creature's back was another villain, frantically firing shots at Thomas. But from his elevated vantage point and with the constant movement, almost none of the bullets found their mark. Thomas felt the wind rush past his face, his heart pounding in exhilaration.
As he descended, he directed their movements with the precision of a shepherd guiding his flock. His mind raced, strategizing their path towards a more deserted part of town. He aimed to corner them in the park, where collateral damage would be minimized, and innocent lives spared.
The absurdity of this world never ceased to amaze him. He had lived here for thirty-five years, yet every day brought something new, something strange. The community's tolerance for the bizarre was astounding. Heroes and villains clashed on the streets, their battles a common spectacle. And here he was, a towering figure in a Hawaiian shirt, diving into the fray with a grin plastered on his face.
He remembered his first days in this world vividly. Panic and confusion had gripped him as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. The realization that he was in a fictional place—a world that shouldn't exist—was a hard pill to swallow. He had stumbled upon a statue of Captain America, the first and most famous hero, and the truth hit him like a freight train. He was in the Marvel universe. Not that he knew much about the place. Best he remember is the Avengers movie in 2012. But the fact is, it's not what he expected when he died.
The initial shock had given way to a grudging acceptance. The absurdity of it all became a part of his daily reality. He learned but still adapting to this world, to harness his newfound powers, and to carve out a place for himself. It was a world of heroes and villains, a stage where he played his part with pleasure. Under the name Goliath.
"First things first, then thoughts," he reminded himself, pushing aside the flood of memories and focusing on the task at hand. He was nearing the park, and his internal sonar confirmed that it was deserted. Strange, but fortuitous. The villains were heading straight into his trap.
But let him have a little fun.
"HAHAHA, GUYS, WHY ARE YOU RUNNING? WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?!- Goliath shouted with a toothy grin. Laughing he kept up his pace, just chasing after those two idiots. And you know how funny it looks, that a ten-meter monster is running from a man who is three times smaller than him.
Except the monster wasn't laughing at all. Fear and despair were his companions, and it was felt around him. Looks like Joe had succumbed to fear, too. " Get away from us, you crazy ass motherfucker! " - he held out his gun and with a look of horror on his face fired several shots.
Several rockets flew out of the gun, which quickly gained momentum and flew to the four-meter runner in a shirt and sunglasses.
" HAHAHA, COME ON, SHOOT YOUR BULLETS, COME ON!" - filled with adrenaline and taking great pleasure in the desperation of his enemies, Goliath shouted.
With a mad grin on his face, Goliath tensed his powerful legs and soared into the air towards the flying missile. Lowering his goggles for a second revealed the gleam in his eyes sparkling with determination, and he boldly reached forward to grab it. The moment the rocket was at arm's length, Goliath clutched at it powerfully and smiled even wider. Grabbing the first missile with his right hand, the other two were in his left hand. Making a sharp turn like a cannonball thrower, he released the two projectiles high into the air so as not to cause unnecessary damage.
While the two missiles flew into the high air, Goliath played with the first missile....
The overall force of the collision with his arms was amazing, but Goliath didn't let the missile explode in his hand. He controlled it with ease, spinning and manipulating it like a toy object. Then, with an insane laugh, he forcefully threw the missile back towards the criminals.
"What the fuck?! "
Joe was stunned. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Goliath nonchalantly pounce on the flying missile. His hands were trembling and his expression seemed to be frozen in amazement.
He hadn't expected Goliath to be able to deflect that so easily. There was only one thought in his mind, "Unbelievable..."
The frightening explosion of the missile and their attempt to destroy Goliath was in vain. Having only managed to think of the hero's madness, Joe had to watch the rocket flying at them with genuine horror on his face
The missile whizzed through the air, leaving a trail of fire behind it. It headed straight for its sender , who, dazed and terrified, panicked trying to get his partner to move faster from his own weapon. As the missile crashed into the ground beside them with a squeaking sound, Goliath continued to laugh and jump madly.
BOOM!
" Phew..." - Joe exhaled in relief, glad the missile didn't hit them but was sent into the asphalt. But after watching Goliath's strength, he came to the conclusion that the missile was specifically aimed at the road. The hero either didn't want to hurt them, or wanted to taunt them more. At this possibility, Joe became angry, "That bastard! What does he think of himself, this is too much. That's it!"
Joe decided to go abang, he didn't want to be humiliated any longer, it was time to attack. He shouted, " Jumbo, we're here, stop!"- but halfway through, Jumbo stopped running, apparently having already realized Joe, or something else, Joe couldn't understand. The masked villain lowered his gaze to meet his friend's eyes, wanting to ask him a question. However, in those beady eyes he saw anger, rabid would be more accurate to say.
In his eyes, fiery and full of rage, was readiness to strike a final, decisive blow. A snarl erupted from the toothy maw, muffled only by the short distance between Joe and Goliath. The sound permeated the air and made Joe wince, causing Goliath to raise an eyebrow in surprise.
Jumbo sunk his paws harder into the sidewalk, tearing chunks of concrete out of there with unthinkable force, as if he wanted to show his unwavering determination in the broken path.
attack/defense/survive/run.
The survival instinct in animals is a fundamental aspect of their behavior, especially when they find themselves in a situation where they feel attacked or driven.
When an animal feels threatened or helpless, its survival instinct drives it to fight for its life. Even the most peaceful creature can turn into something completely different when it feels its life is threatened. Thus, if an animal has been cornered or feels that it no longer has anywhere to retreat to, it can go into active defense or attack.
" Heh..."
Goliath saw the scene before him with the enormous beast's exasperation, so he removed his expensive glasses from his face with a quiet laugh and hung them on his shirt pocket. The distance from Goliath to Jumbo was twenty steps.
The huge hero found the silence around them surprising. There was nothing left of the old chase, of the cat-and-mouse game in which he himself appeared as the hunter. And even in all the running around, to make it more surprising, there was no property damage.
The green giant only occasionally clung to exposed buildings that didn't cost much to rebuild. Goliath was more than confident he could pay for all of this. He wasn't worried about his budget, he had enough sources of income.
No civilians have been injured or, thank God, killed. Even in his way of doing things, Goliath was extremely observant. Human injuries on his watch were an insult to him. If he could keep safe and failed to complete this unspoken task, he would not forgive himself. Yes, it's impossible to keep everyone safe, but that doesn't mean that attempts to do so are futile.
From the beginning of the chase, Goliath had been tracking the green giant's movements, watching where he stepped, where he put his hand. He was only playing around, trying to keep his speed on par with them, giving them false hopes of a possible escape. The reality is harsh and the truth is that, if he had wanted to, Goliath would have secured the victory in the first ten seconds.
It's not that the blond hero is cocky and narcissistic, it's just that the man knows his capabilities. While there was hope that the villain could withstand his blow, he also wanted to start his day having fun, no matter how selfish it seemed. Well, sorry, he likes it that way and it's the pattern he's working from. First, get the bad guy morally out of his system, if he's in the mood, and then a good punch to get him to a hospital.
20 steps.
A few civilians appeared on the street, though they kept their distance. The kids were eager to watch the hero at work firsthand, and their mothers and fathers became a shield for them to watch safely. Students pulled out their phones.
15 steps.
Joe angrily reloaded his weapon, throwing a glance at the bags of money. Already regretting all of this. He should have gone to the casino after all, then he wouldn't be in so much trouble. The casino would leave him bankrupt, because as they say: "Only billionaires become millionaires from casinos."
10 steps.
Police sirens were heard in the distance, a squad called in to neutralize them. They would have shown up sooner if not for the ever-moving criminals.
Thomas halted his stride towards the villains as his phone rang, its sharp tone slicing through the tense air. He blinked at the screen, the world around him falling silent. The massive green monster froze in mid-charge, and even the other villain ceased their frantic scrambling.
"Excuse me," he said, his voice cutting through the stillness. He pulled out his phone, glancing at the contact name displayed: Pepper Potts. What did Tony's girlfriend want with him now?
Ignoring the stunned audience and the ten-meter-tall monster staring at him in palpable fear, he answered the call. "In the middle of something, I'm listening."
He kept his eyes on the green behemoth while listening intently to the voice of Ginger, as he affectionately called her. He had a good relationship with his future sister-in-law—future because Tony and Pepper were good together.
"Hm?!" he said, his brow furrowing as the gravity of her words sank in. "What do you mean he didn't come back?!" His jaw clenched, and his mouth set into a hard line. This was bad news, very bad news.
He listened further, his face growing increasingly grim. Each word from Pepper painted a bleaker picture. "I'll be there soon," he said calmly, then disconnected the call.
His hands clenched into fists, the weight of the situation bearing down on him. The street remained eerily quiet, no one daring to move. The authorities were on their way, and undoubtedly S.H.I.E.L.D. would arrive to take control.
Ok, then.
Thomas felt the phone vibrate in his pocket just as he vanished from his spot. In the blink of an eye:
*BOOM*
The green giant lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious, while his comrade lay similarly defeated nearby.
Seizing the moment, Thomas turned to address the awestruck crowd. "Be safe," he commanded, his deep voice resonating through the silent street.
With a powerful jump, he launched himself into the air. He had a best friend to save, and time was of the essence.