Seeing the ruthlessness flash in Leo's eyes, Banner's pupils constricted in fear, his heart pounding wildly.
He felt the Hulk inside him stirring restlessly — it wasn't just him; even the Hulk instinctively sensed danger.
He had been walking on the edge of life and death, always hovering on the brink of losing control. One wrong step, and he'd plunge into an endless abyss.
And the one holding his fate in his hands was the man before him — the man who always seemed calm and composed, yet whose true nature Banner could never quite grasp.
Was Leo a slacker? A carefree flirt? A cunning strategist? Or a ruthless mastermind?
Banner couldn't tell anymore. After knowing him for so long, he realized Leo had too many faces.
He didn't know which one was real — or if all of them were. Perhaps there were even more sides Leo hadn't yet shown.
At that moment, Leo stood up and left, glancing back at Banner with a faint, meaningful smile.
Banner sat frozen, watching him go without saying a word.
He knew he had lost — completely and utterly.
Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, a heated meeting was underway.
The large conference room was packed with agents of Level Five and above. Nick Fury, sitting at the head of the table, wore a dark and gloomy expression — his face as black as thunder.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Fury wordlessly activated the projector.
Swish, swish, swish!
All the agents turned their eyes toward the screen. Everyone had heard about the chaotic battle that had erupted earlier that day.
Some had even seen the leaked online clips, though those versions were heavily edited.
But this—this was the raw, unfiltered footage. And it was far more terrifying.
The battle between Hulk and Abomination wasn't the main attraction; they'd all seen that kind of destruction before.
The real turning point came when Leo and No. 18 appeared on-screen. The tone of the entire video shifted instantly.
Leo's exaggerated gestures, sarcastic shouting, and his "hate iron for not becoming steel" expression drew muffled laughter around the room.
This guy really enjoyed chaos — stirring the pot while pretending to give advice. He was simply too audacious.
He completely ignored both Hulk and Abomination, treating them like mere background noise.
But as time passed, those who hadn't watched the clips online began to realize something was very wrong.
That man wasn't ordinary. Not at all.
He was too calm — almost detached — like someone watching two monkeys perform in a circus.
When Hulk was drawn out toward the outskirts, the entire conference room erupted.
"God! This guy's a Mutant!"
"Teleportation? No wonder he wasn't afraid — he can disappear anytime he wants!"
"Yeah, that's called confidence born from power! The man's untouchable!"
"Among Mutants, only Red Devil can teleport… is he another one like that?"
"Wait—didn't that woman also teleport?"
"Yes! She vanished the same way! What the hell are they?"
The chatter grew louder as the footage continued.
Then came the scene where General Ross ordered the Ex-Wife missile to be fired at Hulk.
Everyone went silent, their jaws dropping.
"That's insane! One wrong hit and the damage would be in the hundreds of millions!"
And then — the moment No. 18 caught the missile with one hand and hurled it at the helicopter —
"Holy shit! That's the Ex-Wife! She just threw it like a damn dart?!"
"Insane strength! She's off the charts!"
"She can fly too? Teleport and fly? Is she another Magneto-level monster?"
Boom!
The explosion snapped everyone back to reality.
This wasn't some CGI movie — it was real.
Seconds later, Abomination was shown being tossed around like a ragdoll by No. 18, unable to resist at all.
"Oh my God… what kind of attack is that?"
"Laser beams? Energy blasts? Some unknown superpower?"
"Can our tanks even survive one hit from her?"
"And her defense — look at that! Armor-piercing rounds and micro-missiles can't even scratch her!"
By now, fear had replaced curiosity. Sweat trickled down the agents' temples.
If Mutants like these turned against humanity… who could stop them?
Their hands unconsciously clenched into fists as they exchanged glances filled with silent dread.
By the time the video reached the final scene — where Hulk was defeated — no one was surprised anymore.
They were numb. Hulk losing seemed completely natural after everything they'd seen.
The video ended abruptly.
The conference room fell into a suffocating silence. The only sound was shallow breathing — you could've heard a pin drop.
Nick Fury scanned the faces before him and felt satisfied.
S.H.I.E.L.D. has gotten too arrogant lately, he thought. They needed this wake-up call.
He leaned forward and said coldly, "What do you think would happen if you were the ones facing them?"
No one dared to speak.
What would happen?
They'd be annihilated. No contest.
"Huh?" Fury raised an eyebrow. "Where's all that confidence now? You people think just because you work for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, you're untouchable?"
The agents stayed silent, heads lowered.
He was right — they weren't invincible. Far from it.
But deep inside, Fury wasn't as calm as he looked. His gut twisted with unease.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is too weak, he thought grimly.
He needed a plan. Something big. Something bold.
Because one thing was clear —
S.H.I.E.L.D. must rise again.