"Come on, Hulk! Keep throwing punches!"
"I haven't had a real match in a long time," Tony said, grinning as he watched the Hulk, momentarily buried under the rubble of the collapsed hillside, remain motionless.
Against the likes of Harvey or Ancient One, he couldn't compete at all. The last time during the Destroyer's invasion, he had fought with everything he had and still failed to breach its defenses; otherwise, he wouldn't have called for Harvey's help.
Excluding the few he couldn't possibly defeat on Earth, there were hardly any capable opponents left to challenge him.
He had considered fighting Thor, but Thor had come to help Earth face the Chitauri invasion, so the timing was all wrong for a spar.
Now, with the formidable Hulk in front of him, Tony finally had the opportunity to unleash some of his pent-up desire for battle and warm up before the real fight began.
"Boom!" Hulk erupted from the rubble, fists clenched, letting out an angry roar as he faced Tony.
"Now we're talking! Let me warm up and show you what true strength looks like. Stop pretending to be a weakling!"
"With other civilizations in the universe aware of Earth's existence, you can't afford to be without strength. I'll make you understand this."
Tony saw Hulk spring back to his feet, barely bent from the earlier attack, and couldn't help but smile.
Hulk charged forward with a heavy punch aimed at Tony.
Tony easily leaped out of the way, springing behind Hulk in an instant. His foot became a blur as he landed a series of whip-like kicks across Hulk's back.
Though Hulk's defense was impressive, the blows felt like being struck by a giant whip, causing pain he couldn't ignore.
Hulk was sent flying back but this time Tony didn't hold back. He dashed forward, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks at Hulk.
"Boom!" The sound of crushed rock echoed as Hulk was knocked around the makeshift battlefield on the island.
With each strike, Hulk could only roar in impotent rage, realizing he couldn't overpower the man before him.
Finally, he retreated and transformed back into Banner.
Seeing Hulk revert, Tony immediately gave JARVIS a command.
Armor components rained down from above, quickly reassembling around Tony.
After transforming back, Banner lay on the ground, overwhelmed with anger, even as he watched the battle unfold from the back of his mind.
In the past, he would have no awareness of what Hulk was doing during a transformation, but he could always see the destruction Hulk caused afterward on the news.
Now, facing Tony Stark, even the mighty Hulk felt completely outmatched.
As he lay there, Banner could feel a dull pain in his back, causing him to frown.
Of course, there were no visible injuries; when he transformed into Hulk, his body healed to its optimal state, so the wounds Tony inflicted had already mended.
Yet the sharp pain of Hulk's earlier injuries lingered in his nerves.
"You won this round, Tony Stark," Banner said, looking up at Tony as he approached.
"Doctor Banner, our encounter was merely a spar; it hardly qualifies as a battle," Tony replied. "I wouldn't kill you, and you're not in any real danger."
"However, we're about to face a war against other civilizations from the universe. If the enemy can kill you, they won't hesitate to do so."
"Most people on Earth, when confronted by the Chitauri army, will only have the option to flee. It's not that they don't want to fight; they simply lack the power to retaliate."
"Therefore, they can only run to save their lives."
"While you may be an ordinary human, you possess the strength of the Hulk, which gives you combat capabilities."
"Do you understand? The power of Hulk gives you more options when facing adversity."
"That's the difference between you and others. Don't make me watch you squander your strength while pretending to be weak."
"Otherwise, I'll hit you along with Hulk."
"I want you to realize how fortunate it is to have power instead of seeing it as a curse and choosing to run away."
Tony Stark gazed at Banner, then extended his hand.
Banner, seeing the hand reach out, grasped it, and Tony pulled him to his feet. He thought about how Tony had essentially knocked him around as well.
"I'll give it some serious thought," Banner replied, realizing that seeing someone able to control the Hulk was eye-opening for him.
"I'm not doing this solely for your benefit; I might even be a bit inconsiderate of your feelings," Tony admitted. "But I have to do it. Earth's situation is dire, and we severely lack strong protectors."
"You possess that kind of power, so I hope you'll fight alongside me in the upcoming war, striving to end it with as few casualties as possible."
Tony patted Banner on the shoulder, emphasizing his point.
He knew his actions weren't entirely noble; they could be seen as bullying Banner.
But he had no other option. Even if he summoned Reno and the others and teamed up with Thor, he was confident they could win the war, but it would take much longer.
And the longer the battle dragged on, the higher the casualties would be, so he needed more allies to help push back the Chitauri.
"How long until the war arrives?" Banner asked, his heart pounding at Tony's earnest words.
"How long does Loki plan to take to summon the Chitauri?"
"Based on the original timeline, it should be within a week," Tony said, calling out into the air.
"If it drags on too long, it'll raise eyebrows on the other side," he added. "Even if I work with you, the timeline won't change. Otherwise, they won't fall into the trap."
Having seen Tony's strength, Loki had become more subdued. Upon hearing the question, he began to explain.