Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
*****
Phineas did not speak, instead raising a middle finger to substitute his answer.
Although he didn't know what Tony could produce, seeing his confident reply, it was surely going to be an excellent product.
On the other side, Skye and Pepper looked like two people who regretted not meeting sooner. Although one was a workplace elite and the other a computer-savvy homebody, their personalities surprisingly complemented each other.
Thus, when Phineas prepared to take Skye away, the two were quite reluctant to part.
Three days later, Phineas received the gear Tony had manufactured: a pair of silver steel wristguards. If they were slightly thinner, they might resemble bangles, and they even featured decorative patterns. It had to be said that Tony's inventions truly accounted for every conceivable detail.
As soon as the items were in hand, Phineas immediately took Skye to prepare for a test.
"Do you see the mountain ahead?"
On an uninhabited mountain peak in the Himalayas, Phineas pointed to a summit across the way and spoke to Skye.
"Mhm, what's wrong?"
Although she knew Phineas intended to bring her to test her abilities, she still didn't know the specific testing method.
"Use your ability on that mountain."
"What?"
Skye froze for a moment. After these three days of training, she could nearly play a tune by vibrating the water in a cup, but she hadn't expected the next step to immediately jump to shaking a mountain.
"Believe in yourself."
Phineas gave Skye an encouraging look. In truth, Skye's growth rate had far exceeded his expectations; it likely wouldn't be long before she could serve as a genuine asset.
Hearing Phineas's words, Skye took a deep breath, simultaneously activating the wristguards on her arms, which she had named 'Silverlight'.
The silver wristguards slowly unfolded, wrapping around Skye's arm starting from the forearm, looking exactly like a pair of silver gloves. They were incredibly beautiful.
Skye stretched out her palm, aimed at the mountain peak before her, closed her eyes, and wholeheartedly used her ability to sense its inherent vibrational frequency. Suddenly, she opened her eyes.
She felt it!
At the same time, Phineas watched the mountain peak before them begin to tremble like an earthquake. The mountainside collapsed, trees shattered—a scene of pure disaster.
"What truly powerful abilities!"
Phineas could not help but sigh in admiration. If it weren't for 'Explosion Magic,' purely based on destructive capability alone, he truly might not be able to match Skye.
However, after achieving such a massive result, Skye also felt a wave of weakness. Fortunately, Phineas was quick to react and supported her, asking anxiously, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine, just a little exhausted."
Skye excitedly shook her head, looked at the collapsing mountain peak before her, and asked Phineas with a hint of doubt, "Phineas, are you saying I really did this?"
"It certainly wasn't me."
Phineas looked at the disbelieving Skye, rubbed her head, and said, "Alright, of course it was you. You've seen this spectacle for yourself, so you must be careful when using your abilities."
"Mhm!"
Skye nodded firmly. She understood the terrifying casualties that could result if she used this power in a city.
In the following days, Skye took her training even more seriously, and with the protection offered by Tony's gear, Phineas gradually let go of his worry.
Following this period of calm, coupled with SHIELD's deliberate control, the public fervor surrounding him finally subsided somewhat, but he remained the most popular topic of discussion.
In the classroom, Phineas was listening to an old professor lecture at the podium when suddenly, Billy next to him nudged him with his hand.
"Quick, look at this."
Billy whispered, secretly sliding the phone over from under the desk. Something seemed to be playing on the screen.
Phineas took the phone curiously. After glancing at the footage, his pupils instantly contracted. On the screen, a bulky man completely green was roaring loudly.
"The Hulk!"
Phineas instantly recognized his identity. He had been so focused on helping Skye train her abilities these past few days that he had nearly forgotten about this matter.
"It seems a monster has appeared at the university just a few blocks away from us," Billy explained from the side. "I wonder if the Divine Punishment Knight will show up to help."
Looking at the phone, Phineas's brow furrowed. He was considering whether or not he should get involved.
If he could arrive in time now, perhaps he could intercept the super soldier whom General Ross had injected with the serum, and consequently prevent the birth of the Abomination.
"Who took this video?"
Phineas quietly asked Billy. Perhaps the incident shown in the video was already over.
"A member of the club. He went over there to visit a friend, discovered this, and filmed it secretly, risking his life," Billy explained.
"Is this happening right now?"
Phineas quickly confirmed again.
"Mhm, look, there's a new one."
Billy took the phone back and clicked on another video. It showed many military vehicles and soldiers driving away Billy's friend.
Seeing this, Phineas made up his mind. Coincidentally, the class ended right then, and he immediately told Billy, "I'm feeling a bit unwell. Help me ask for leave for the next class."
"You're unwell again?"
Billy paused, looked at Phineas suspiciously, and asked, "You're not planning to go to the site, are you?"
"Why would I go to the site?!"
Phineas calmly looked at Billy and continued to bluff, "Besides, didn't you see your friend being driven away by the army? Even if I went, how would I get past them?"
"Then where are you going?"
But Billy clearly still didn't buy Phineas's excuse about feeling unwell.
"Billy, what does one plus one equal?"
"Two, why?"
"You know too much!"
Phineas patted Billy on the shoulder, then quietly left the classroom, leaving him utterly confused.
Arriving at the school restroom, Phineas quickly equipped 'Ghost Possession,' then opened a portal and arrived at the university featured in Billy's video.
However, the moment Phineas stepped out of the portal, he was greeted not by cheers, but by gleaming gold bullets. Fortunately, the defense provided by 'Ghost Possession' was high enough that no damage was sustained.
Phineas also clearly saw the situation on the ground: the once beautiful campus had been utterly ruined and broken, traces of battle remained everywhere, and several wrecked military vehicles lay surrounding the area.
The Hulk, roaring loudly while shielding his face with his arms, stood in the center of the field. A group of soldiers surrounded him, firing their weapons. Phineas had materialized right next to the Hulk, which was why he had been hit by stray bullets.
Phineas's arrival also caught the attention of the military.
"General, it's the 'Silver Knight'!"
The soldiers reported to Ross, asking him how they should proceed.
"Quick, arrest him too! Dead or alive!"
Seeing Phineas, Ross gave the order without hesitation, completely ignoring the potential consequences of such an action. If he possessed even a shred of self-awareness, he wouldn't have persistently tried to capture the Hulk in the first place.
Although the soldiers hesitated, constrained by their orders, they still opened fire on Phineas, which came as a surprise to him.
When Phineas used Sky Dancing Technique to rise into the air and saw that a portion of the soldiers were still shooting at him, he seemed to grasp the situation, and the expression beneath his faceplate turned grim.
If Nick Fury's tendency to court disaster was motivated by the protection of the world, then General Ross's actions were purely self-serving.
Now this recklessness had even been directed at him. He was neither Banner nor the Hulk. At this moment, Phineas decided to disregard the Abomination for the time being; he needed to teach Ross who not to provoke.
Regarding my view: The Hulk is the Hulk, and Banner is Banner. The Banner in Avengers 4 should have eliminated the Hulk.
(End of Chapter)