In the vast expanse of outer space, a dormant satellite suddenly sprang to life. Its panels parted, releasing a sleek, angular object into the void. Blue flames erupted from its energy vents, propelling it forward with relentless acceleration as it hurtled toward Earth.
Below, Hulk roared, his massive frame trembling with rage. Hong Fei hovered mid-air, his Eyes of Death activated, locked onto the beast with unwavering focus, poised to evade at a moment's notice.
Though Hulk's fury was palpable, it didn't mean he lacked cunning. Unlike the mild-mannered Bruce Banner, Hulk was a seasoned strategist. He knew how to weaponize his appearance—his perpetually enraged, irrational demeanor—to deceive his opponents. Once they underestimated him, he would unleash his devastating ultimate move.
As the nano armor encased Hong Fei's head once more, he began formulating an escape plan.
......
Meanwhile, in New York, Loki had tracked down Dr. Erik Selvig with ease. Upon learning the scientist's research was complete, Loki swiftly commandeered the necessary equipment and ascended to the roof of Stark Tower.
"Sir," Dr. Selvig began, his voice steady despite the tension, "I need to tap into the energy of Stark Tower to activate the Tesseract."
Loki nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Then proceed quickly. While we're undisturbed now, it's best not to linger."
"Understood," Dr. Selvig replied, diving into his work.
Loki stood nearby, scepter in hand, keeping watch. In no time, the connections were made, the equipment whirred to life, and a brilliant light began to emanate from the Tesseract. Loki's smile widened as he spread his arms and gazed skyward, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
......
Back at the battlefield, the sky above Hong Fei rumbled ominously. A black speck pierced through the clouds, descending rapidly. As it drew closer, its gold and red exterior became visible. Just hundreds of meters from the ground, the metal shell disintegrated, shedding its outer layers. The core armor surged toward Hong Fei, while the remaining components hovered mid-air after a violent deceleration.
Hong Fei ascended to meet the armor, and with a series of metallic clangs, he began equipping it in swift, practiced motions.
Not far away, Tony Stark stood on the damaged Helicarrier, his jaw dropping in shock.
"What the hell is that?!" he exclaimed. "Why does it look so much like my orbital armor deployment system?!"
Steve Rogers rubbed his ear, half his face scrunched in mild annoyance. "Stark, it seems he's always had armor. And there are people around him who can develop it."
"No, you don't get it!" Tony shot back, his eyes fixed on the massive armor rapidly assembling around Hong Fei. "Look at that! It's identical to my deployment and equipping process!"
Natasha Romanoff lowered her binoculars and turned to Tony. "Did you build something like this?"
Tony hesitated, then shook his head. "You might not believe me, but no, I haven't. Yet, the moment I saw it, I knew it had to be my design. Only I could have conceived something like that. That Russian guy? No way."
Natasha shrugged and resumed her observation through the binoculars. Steve raised an eyebrow, adding, "Stark, that's not exactly scientific. You can't claim something's yours just because you like it."
"Now you're lecturing me on science?" Tony retorted. "Fine, let me put it this way. When I used the anti-Hong Fei armor last time, he saw it. He borrowed my idea. You were there—you remember, don't you?"
Steve nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I do. You did something similar with your armor."
"Exactly!" Tony exclaimed. "He copied my deployment and summoning method. That armor's equipping process is a carbon copy of mine. Now do you see?"
"Stark!" Steve frowned, studying the words etched into the metal. After a moment's hesitation, he added, "But you didn't build this one."
Tony looked like he might pass out.
High above them, Hong Fei completed the Hulkbuster armor's assembly sequence mid-air. This wasn't just another Iron Man suit—its sheer bulk made that obvious. Every inch of the armor, from its reinforced helmet to its massive boots, had been engineered to match—then exceed—Hulk's proportions. The result was a war machine even bigger than the green goliath himself.
The moment the armor locked into place, Hong Fei surged forward. His arms still throbbed from earlier, but the Hulkbuster's hydraulics compensated effortlessly. Hulk answered with a ground-shaking roar, launching himself skyward to meet the charge.
Their collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air. Hong Fei drove Hulk earthward, carving a trench through the grassland as they landed. Without pause, the armor's piston-like fist hammered toward Hulk's face—only to be caught mid-swing. Hulk's fingers tightened, tendons standing out like cables beneath green skin. His snarl twisted into something feral as he lashed out with a kick that sent the armor skidding hundreds of meters.
Hulk was already charging again when Hong Fei regained his footing. Inside the cockpit, Hong Fei drew a steadying breath and held it, bracing as the emerald fist hurtled toward him.
Up on the Helicarrier, Steve's grip whitened around his shield.
"Tony," he said, turning sharply, "have your drones drop me in."
"Me too." Natasha stepped forward. "I might be able to talk them down."
Tony's brow furrowed. "Them? You mean both of them?"
"I recruited Banner. I know him."
"Look at him!" Tony jabbed a finger toward the raging Hulk. "He's one bad mood away from turning you into a red smear. And the other guy? He'll bisect you before you finish your first sentence."
Steve was already moving. "No time—just get me down there!"
He vaulted over the railing before Tony could respond.
Natasha shot Tony a look. "Oh no, don't you dare—"
Tony groaned as she followed Steve. "You're all insane!"
He launched after them, two spare armors streaking ahead to intercept the falling agents.
On the ground, Hulk's fist closed the distance. Hong Fei's world narrowed to the Eyes of Death—no sound, just the pulsing weak point superimposed over Hulk's form. Unlike other targets, this vulnerability wasn't localized. It lurked deep within the monster's core: a human silhouette. Bruce Banner, drowning in his own rage.
"Veronica," Hong Fei murmured.
Above them, the orbital defense system flared to life. Heavy plating retracted as energy vents hummed to full power. At thirty centimeters from impact, Hong Fei pivoted backward—
At the same time, a thick armored arm instantly grabbed Hulk's wrist, leveraging his own momentum against him. A second gauntlet clamped onto his elbow. The Hulkbuster's reactors screamed as every system hit maximum output. With a grunt of effort, Hong Fei whipped Hulk overhead in a brutal arc. They passed mid-air—Hulk's snarl twisting toward the armor's glowing chestplate—
Hong Fei released his grip. The armor's energy vents flared, propelling him into a flawless spin. His armored boot connected squarely with Hulk's backside, sending the green behemoth crashing face-first into the dirt. The impact sent Hulk tumbling—until a massive steel plate slammed down from above, blocking his path.
Seven more plates followed in rapid succession, driving deep into the earth to form a cage around Hulk. The metal bars snapped together with a decisive clang, sealing him inside just as Steve, Tony, and Natasha touched down.
Tony landed with a flourish. "Now that's what I call improvisation!"
Steve raised an eyebrow. "Thought you said he stole your ideas."
"Exactly. Genius recognizes genius."
Natasha didn't share their enthusiasm. Her eyes stayed fixed on Hong Fei, who hadn't relaxed his stance.
"Hold the celebration. He's still bracing for—"
The cage shuddered violently. A guttural roar vibrated through the metal bars.
Steve tightened his grip on his shield. "Banner's stronger than we thought."
"That's not Banner," Tony corrected. After a beat, he added, "Maybe we should retreat?"
The ground trembled. The cage lurched downward, vanishing into the earth as if swallowed whole.
Tony winced. "Okay, that's bad. Did the designer forget to reinforce the bottom?"
A thunderous crack split the air. Ten meters away, the earth erupted. Hulk burst from the soil like a missile, roaring in fury.
Hong Fei was already moving. The armor's massive hand clamped around one of Hulk's wrists. In a blur of motion, he pivoted behind the monster, seizing the other arm. With brutal efficiency, he wrenched both limbs backward, locking them against Hulk's spine. His knee drove into the small of the creature's back.
Hulk howled—not from pain, but from the sudden loss of leverage. Hong Fei didn't relent. The armor's servos whined as he forced Hulk's elbows tighter, joints creaking under the strain.
Beneath them, thrusters ignited. A torrent of energy blasted from the armor's boots, propelling them skyward. Dragon Power surged through Hong Fei's veins, adding to the ascent. Three forces combined, and in seconds, they pierced the clouds.
Hulk thrashed wildly. Metal groaned. The armor threatened to buckle under his raw strength.
Higher they climbed. The roar that tore from Hulk's throat carried something new—fear.
The clouds shrank beneath them. The curvature of the earth became visible.
Hong Fei kicked.
Hulk's cry pitched upward as he plummeted, a green speck vanishing into the void. A skill card flickered into existence—
Before Hong Fei could look carefully, behind him, outside the distant sky, a shockwave ripped through the atmosphere. He turned. The cloud sea rippled like disturbed water, fleeing before an unseen force.
The Tesseract had awakened.
And something had gone terribly wrong.