Nolan could swear that he was a man who loved peace.
After all, at this stage of his life, nothing mattered more to him than making money.
Unfortunately, trouble had a habit of appearing when least invited.
He was sitting peacefully at home, and disaster still came knocking.
As the noise outside grew louder and louder, Nolan got out of bed and walked toward the window.
In the distance, clouds of dust rolled through the night. Even in the darkness, they were impossible to miss.
That was clearly the source of the disturbance.
And worse still, the dust was moving closer.
"What's going on?"
Susan walked over, wrapped in a blanket.
The glimpse of pale skin beneath the fabric was enough to make Nolan's blood heat up, but at this moment, he could only sigh helplessly.
"Looks like we've got trouble."
He gestured toward the distance.
Susan followed his gaze, her face filling with surprise.
"It looks like… someone's fighting?"
Nolan nodded.
"Probably. But let's not worry about it. It's still far away. It might not reach us."
A pity, really. Such a perfect night.
With a quiet sigh, Nolan put an arm around Susan's shoulders and led her back into the living room.
Sleep was out of the question now.
All they could do was wait.
Meanwhile, Hulk and Abomination were still locked in brutal combat.
Their terrifying strength showed the world, for the first time, what so-called super beings truly meant.
Hulk was furious.
But before his anger reached its peak, he was still being suppressed by Abomination.
The irony was that Abomination actually had the power to overpower Hulk from the start.
Yet he had not gone all out.
He was enjoying the fight, savoring the sensation of overwhelming strength.
By the time he realized Hulk was growing stronger by the second, it was already too late.
"Hulk!"
Abomination roared, rage finally erupting.
He was supposed to be the strongest being on the planet. How could he fail to crush Hulk?
Hulk roared back just as furiously.
But he did not dare face Abomination head-on. For now, he was still weaker.
Without realizing it, the two monsters drew closer and closer to Nolan's villa.
After driving Hulk back once again, Abomination laughed.
"Do you see this? This is my power!"
His gaze did not rest on Hulk, but on the news helicopters circling overhead.
With such strength, he could not wait to show the world what he had become.
Inside the helicopters, the reporters stared with mouths agape.
"My God… how can a monster like this exist?"
A reporter muttered as he watched a house crumble like paper beneath the shockwaves of their battle.
"We need to gain altitude. This is getting dangerous," the pilot warned.
"What? We're already over seventy meters up!"
Seventy meters might not sound like much, but that was nearly the height of a twenty-story building.
Suddenly, Hulk grabbed a car and hurled it at Abomination.
A vehicle weighing several tons looked like a toy in Hulk's hands.
Abomination responded even more decisively, swatting it away with a single blow.
By sheer misfortune, the car flew straight toward one of the news helicopters.
The pilot pulled up sharply, narrowly avoiding it by just a few meters.
Even so, the turbulence from the passing car nearly sent the helicopter spiraling out of control.
"Climb! Climb now!"
The reporter no longer questioned the decision. They had just brushed past death.
Once the shock wore off, he could not help but speak into the microphone.
"God… against monsters like these, what can possibly stop them?"
His words, carried by the live broadcast, spread rapidly across the world.
Yes. How could such terrifying beings be restrained?
That question was the very reason the age of super heroes was beginning.
Only extraordinary power could counter extraordinary power.
Humanity still possessed ultimate weapons, weapons that claimed to treat all life equally.
But those were not tools that could be used lightly.
As long as these beings did not push things too far, such options were unthinkable.
"Maybe all we can do is hope these two monsters destroy each other," the cameraman finally said, "or that Iron Man and the Fantastic Three show up."
But could they really handle this?
Watching the monsters on the screen, doubt crept into everyone's hearts.
That level of power was simply overwhelming.
Abomination had no interest in the thoughts of ordinary people.
As he and Hulk continued fighting, they unknowingly reached the area where Nolan's villa stood.
The wealthy residents had already evacuated at the first sign of danger.
Only Nolan and Susan remained, sitting calmly as if nothing were happening.
At last, Nolan stood up.
The noise was too close now.
Things were clearly not unfolding the way he had expected.
Even if he had not gone looking for trouble, trouble had come to him.
He kissed Susan on the forehead.
"Red Queen, activate the Thor Hammer."
Once the Thor Hammer armor powered up, Nolan activated his ability, attaching himself to the suit and stepping outside.
This was his home.
He was not about to let it be destroyed.
Standing in the courtyard, Nolan looked up.
For the first time, he saw clearly who was approaching.
Inside one of the news helicopters, the reporter suddenly stiffened.
"Oh no. There's someone down there!"
He shouted in alarm.
"Dave, zoom in with the camera. Why is that guy just standing there? He's dead for sure. Poor bastard."
Dave nodded and focused the lens on Nolan.
"That's strange. He looks human, but he's wearing something similar to Iron Man's armor."
The reporter paused, then shook his head.
"Even so, I don't like his chances. Whether it's cosplay or a real suit, it won't matter."
"Even if Iron Man himself were standing there, he couldn't stop those two monsters."
"Only monsters can stop monsters."
He hesitated before finishing that last sentence.
"Dave, keep the camera on him. If he really is a super hero, let's witness the rise of one who burns bright, even if only for a moment."
That grim prediction resonated with countless viewers.
Still, a small group recognized Nolan.
His previous clash with Hulk had been an accident, and the military had sealed off the area at the time, leaving little footage behind.
Even so, some recordings had quietly circulated.
This was the man who had once stopped the Hulk.
Those who knew began to stir with excitement, sharing the news as fast as they could.
Unfortunately, their voices were drowned out by the sheer scale of the broadcast.
When the two monsters closed to within fifty meters of Nolan, Hulk suddenly froze.
He had noticed Nolan.
The memory of being utterly overwhelmed before was burned deep into his mind.
Abomination did not hesitate.
Not because he had failed to notice Nolan, but because he knew exactly who he was.
"Nolan Locke!"
Abomination's eyes lit up with manic excitement.
The only man who had defeated the Hulk.
He wanted to kill Hulk.
He wanted to kill Nolan Locke even more.
Only then would his strength be proven to the world.
The two monsters thought very differently, but the people in the helicopters were confused.
"Did they just hesitate for a moment?"
"I saw that too. That was strange."
The reporter shook his head.
"Never mind. It doesn't matter. No one controls monsters like these. Until one of them falls, there won't be an ending."
Then everything changed.
Hulk and Abomination made completely different choices.
Fear, unmistakably human, flashed through Hulk's eyes.
Driven by that fear, he turned and fled without hesitation.
Abomination roared, but did not chase him.
Instead, his burning gaze locked onto Nolan as he charged forward.
No one understood why the monsters acted this way, but everyone thought they understood Nolan's fate.
Another smear of flesh would be added to the city.
Then Nolan moved.
Hulk's retreat did not surprise him.
He had planted fear deep inside Hulk long ago.
But Abomination charging at him?
That was simply suicidal.
Nolan drew the blade from his back.
In attachment mode, he unleashed the full performance of the Thor Hammer armor.
The joints screamed under the strain.
This level of overdrive might destroy the armor after a single battle.
As Abomination closed in, Nolan struck.
Boom.
A deafening explosion rang out.
The exhilarated Abomination was suddenly sent flying, smashed into the ground by overwhelming force.
The world watching the live broadcast fell into stunned silence.
"What just happened?"
"Is that something a human can do?"
"Who is he? Someone tell me who this hero is!"
Blade in hand, Nolan walked toward Abomination step by step.
Abomination staggered to his feet, staring at him in disbelief.
"How can you be this strong?"
Nolan's face remained cold. He did not bother to answer.
"This is impossible!"
Abomination roared and charged again.
He refused to believe it.
He was supposed to be the strongest being on Earth.
Nolan smiled faintly.
A pathetic clown.
He had seen this before.
At least Hulk knew when to run. Abomination did not even have that sense.
"You think power alone makes you strong?"
Abomination screamed back, his voice shaking the air.
"I have the greatest power, the greatest combat experience. I'm stronger than Hulk. Nolan Locke, today I'll kill you and prove to the world who the strongest really is!"
Nolan snorted.
"I don't think I've ever met someone as stupid as you."
He raised his blade and brought it down.
Boom.
Abomination was sent flying again.
This time, Nolan did not stop.
He pursued immediately, striking again before Abomination could rise.
At this point, Nolan was using the blade like a hammer.
Last time, Reed Richards had interfered and allowed Hulk to escape.
This time, no one was coming to save Abomination.
After several heavy blows, Abomination could barely move.
Suddenly, Nolan's mechanical body jolted.
The extreme overdrive was taking its toll. Several components of the Thor Hammer were failing.
Abomination's eyes lit up.
He saw an opening.
"Looks like I can't drag this out any longer," Nolan said calmly, almost relaxed.
"You know, for tough monsters like you, I've got a pretty good idea."
"Red Queen."
At his command, a drone flew toward him.
Abomination struggled to rise.
Above them, more than a dozen news helicopters hovered, joined by military aircraft.
The drone suddenly shot toward Abomination.
Sensing danger, Abomination swatted it aside.
But Nolan's expression did not change.
Seven or eight palm-sized microbots detached from the drone and sprinted toward Abomination.
He tried to destroy them, but two slipped through.
One leapt straight into his roaring mouth.
Another tried to force its way into his nostril.
Only then did Nolan speak again.
"I once heard that if you can't break something from the outside, you try the inside instead."
"Tell me… can your stomach handle a TNT explosion?"
Abomination froze.
Then he roared in terror and rage.
"You bastard! I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you!"
Nolan ignored him.
He did not care about the cameras.
This was a monster.
For a human facing lethal danger, even killing another human could be self-defense.
Destroying a monster from the inside was perfectly reasonable.
Countless cameras captured the fear and fury on Abomination's face.
No one understood what Nolan was about to do.
Speculation ran wild.
Then Nolan gave them the answer.
Boom.
With a violent explosion, Abomination's body burst apart.
"Was that… an explosion?"
One reporter murmured in disbelief.
"My God. That method…"
"That's… that's genius."