Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes sprinted across the tarmac, their lungs burning with the effort. Behind them, the sounds of battle raged on, but their teammates' sacrifices had bought them precious time. Their target was clear—the plane that would take them to safety.
But their path was blocked. Black Panther stepped forward, his vibranium suit gleaming in the dim light.
"I didn't kill your father," Bucky said, his voice steady but urgent.
"Then why are you running?" T'Challa retorted coldly, his stance unwavering.
The Panther's speed and precision kept the pair from boarding the plane. Every move they made was countered, and the situation grew more desperate with each passing second. The roar of jet engines grew closer—Tony Stark's arrival was inevitable.
Moments later, the Iron Man armor landed with a deafening thud. Tony's voice, sharp with frustration, rang out. "Steve, stop this madness! Rhodey's already down—seriously injured. We can't afford more losses. Do you really want the Avengers to destroy each other over this?"
Steve hesitated, his gaze dropping to the ground. Tony's words confirmed what he feared: their team had been captured. Clint, Sam, and Scott couldn't hold out forever. And now, with Tony and T'Challa here, escape seemed impossible.
A faint noise in the distance cut through the tension, growing louder by the second.
Vroom.
A car barreled onto the scene, screeching across the tarmac. Before anyone could react, a deafening roar tore through the air.
"Roar!"
The sound shook the very sky, followed by a massive boom. The car couldn't brake in time and exploded, sending fiery debris flying. From within the flames, a hulking green figure emerged, his muscles rippling with unrestrained fury.
"Hulk!" Steve breathed in disbelief.
The behemoth charged forward, and with one swing of his massive arm, sent Black Panther hurtling hundreds of meters away. T'Challa crashed into a nearby hangar, his suit absorbing most of the impact but leaving him temporarily incapacitated.
"Hulk?" Tony echoed in shock. "What the hell are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be in Wakanda?"
The answer didn't matter. What mattered was that the presence of the Hulk just turned the situation into a powder keg.
The green giant ignored Tony, turning instead to Steve and Bucky. "Go!" he grunted, his voice rough and inarticulate but filled with intent.
Steve stared, momentarily stunned. Hulk was here to help him? He quickly snapped out of it, nodding to Bucky. "Come on!" he shouted, sprinting toward the plane.
"Don't let them escape!" Tony yelled, activating his repulsors to take off in pursuit. But before he could get far, Hulk stepped into his path, slamming both fists into the ground and creating a massive shockwave. The force sent Tony tumbling back.
"Damn it, big guy! You're really causing trouble now!" Tony shouted. He couldn't believe how close he'd been to completing the mission, only for the Hulk to appear and derail everything.
"Call Veronica!" Tony barked into his comms.
High above the Earth, a satellite activated, releasing massive chunks of metal. The pieces hurtled toward the ground, assembling mid-air into the imposing figure of the Anti-Hulk armor.
The armor descended like an enormous iron beast, encircling Hulk with an almost ceremonial finality. Tony wasted no time deploying the armor's arsenal, sending the massive suit forward to subdue the raging green giant.
Hulk responded with raw power, his fists colliding with the armor in a symphony of destruction. Metal groaned and tore as Hulk ripped apart one of the armor's limbs, roaring his defiance. The battle of titans had begun.
Meanwhile, back at Trudheim Manor, the tension was of a different kind.
At the gate, an FBI agent introduced himself to Thor. "Your Highness, I'm Agent Edwards with the FBI. We've reopened the investigation into the incident at your estate last Saturday. New evidence has come to light. We'd like you to come with us to discuss it."
Skye, watching from the doorway, practically exploded. "Are you kidding me?" she shouted, glaring at the agent. "That case is closed! Thor was cleared—he's got ironclad evidence! This is just harassment!"
Thor remained calm, placing a hand on Skye's shoulder to steady her. Paige and Sharon, standing nearby, exchanged thoughtful glances. They knew this wasn't about justice—it was about politics.
To everyone's surprise, Thor agreed. "Fine," he said, his voice measured. "But I need to speak with my family first. Can you wait?"
The agent nodded stiffly. "Of course."
Thor turned and sought out Jane Foster. She met him with an exasperated look, arms crossed. "What are you doing? You know those people don't have good intentions, and you're just walking into their hands?"
Thor grinned, his usual air of mystery aggravating her further. "Don't worry, Jane. I'll be fine. By the way, where's Mjolnir? I might need it tonight."
Her eyes narrowed. "Mjolnir? Why? You've got Stormbreaker—what do you need the hammer for?"
"Let's just say Mjolnir's… better suited for what I have in mind."
With a sigh, Jane handed over the hammer, though she couldn't shake her suspicion.
Thor arrived at the New York FBI branch shortly after, escorted into a dimly lit interrogation room. Waiting for him was a man who exuded both power and subservience. The large figure bent slightly at the waist, his demeanor respectful but firm.
"Your Highness," the man greeted, his voice deep and reverent. "As per your orders, everything has been arranged. Do you require anything else?"
Thor smiled knowingly. The man before him was none other than Wilson Fisk—Kingpin of New York and current mayor of the city.
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