Chapter Seven: The Hulk Battles Abomination

Arthur flung Abomination aside with a single motion, shaking out his hand as he remarked, “Abomination isn’t nearly as strong as I imagined…”

The hurled monster scrambled to its feet, glaring furiously at Arthur’s silhouette. “I’m going to tear you apart!”

Abomination charged at Arthur with frightening speed. Arthur, undaunted, rushed headlong to meet him. The distance between them shrank rapidly, both accelerating until—boom!—their fists collided in midair.

The clash of their blows unleashed a tremendous shockwave, the blast overturning the cars scattered around them.

When the dust finally settled, a lone, unassuming figure stood in the middle of the street, while the hulking monster lay sprawled a short distance away, its massive right arm grotesquely twisted.

From the airplane above, the general stared, dumbstruck at the sight below. “What on earth is happening? Who is he? How can anyone possess such strength?”

The surrounding soldiers looked at Arthur as if he were a monster himself. Just then, a thunderous roar echoed from the distance: “Raaaah…” A towering green figure was racing toward them.

“So, you’ve finally arrived, Dr. Banner,” Arthur murmured softly as he watched the green form approach.

“Raaaah… Banner!” Abomination staggered to his feet once more. The familiar sight of the green giant filled him with overwhelming rage. With a savage twist, he snapped his broken arm back into place, then thundered at the Hulk, gathering speed with every step.

Transformed into the Hulk, Banner charged straight at Abomination. The two colossal figures barreled toward each other, colliding with a thunderous crash.

Abomination was sent flying by a single punch from the Hulk. Everyone watched the scene unfold; it felt eerily familiar, as if they’d witnessed it before.

The two giants wrestled furiously, cars being flung about like toys. The soldiers, jolted from their stupor, resumed firing at Abomination.

Arthur spared the battling titans a quick glance, then sprinted toward the rear of the scene. His keen hearing had caught faint cries for help from beneath the collapsed buildings.

He stopped beside a massive boulder, grasped it with both hands, and heaved it aside. Beneath it, he found a man covered in blood, whom he carefully lifted and set gently on the ground. One after another, Arthur rescued four more people from the rubble.

“Call an ambulance, now!” he ordered a nearby soldier, who immediately grabbed his radio.

While Hulk and Abomination continued their brutal struggle, Arthur moved swiftly, searching for more injured victims. He lifted an overturned car and pulled a little boy to safety. No further cries for help could be heard—everyone who could be saved had been saved. Arthur finally allowed himself a long, relieved breath.

The little boy looked up at his rescuer and asked, “Big brother, what’s your name?”

Arthur hesitated for a moment before replying, “You can call me Aquaman.”

The Hulk and Abomination continued their desperate brawl, exchanging blow after blow. Although the Hulk held the upper hand, Abomination’s regenerative abilities were formidable; it would be difficult to finish him off completely.

Just then, a figure dashed toward Abomination. Arthur struck Abomination squarely in the face, sending him flying. Without pause, he followed up with a flurry of punches, leaving the monster unable to retaliate. At that moment, the Hulk found a heavy chain and hurled it at Abomination, looping it around the creature’s neck.

Arthur seized the other end of the chain, and together he and the Hulk pulled with all their might. With a sickening crack, the chain snapped Abomination’s neck, sending his head rolling to the ground.

At last, Abomination was dead. The Hulk glanced at Arthur, then—with a series of thunderous leaps—bounded to the rooftop and disappeared into the distance. Arthur watched the green giant’s retreating form, then quietly slipped away himself.

Through this battle, Arthur realized that his current strength was still insufficient—he would need to continue training.

A while later, soldiers arrived at the devastated battleground. They stared in silence at Abomination’s headless corpse, the general rendered speechless.

…

The next day, the television in the Atlantis Restaurant broadcast last night’s news: “A colossal yellow monster appeared in central Manhattan and engaged in a fierce battle with our military forces! The creature was ultimately slain by the army!”

“Eyewitnesses report that a gigantic green monster fought the yellow behemoth, and it seems that a human was involved as well!”

“Thirty-two people were killed in the incident, with 208 seriously injured and 87 sustaining minor injuries. Forty-one survivors say they were rescued by a hero calling himself Aquaman.”

“Further investigation is ongoing. This is your correspondent reporting live!”

“The monster’s dead? That’s great news, boss!” Jack said to Arthur. Arthur ignored him, intent on his bowl of noodles.

During the battle, Arthur had confirmed his current level of power. Though he had only tested a fraction of his abilities, he was reassured that he could protect himself. He felt content.

Days passed, and Manhattan gradually returned to normal. People went about their lives as if nothing had ever happened.

The Atlantis Restaurant by the sea remained bustling as ever, crowded with patrons even late into the night.

Arthur had even hired a lawyer and, after some expense, obtained a U.S. identity card—he was now officially an American citizen.

“Boss, there’s a gentleman here to see you…” Isa said, gesturing toward two men outside.

Arthur glanced at them. “So, they’ve finally come… Isa, bring three cups of black tea. I’ll be meeting with guests.” He gave Isa her instructions and went out to greet the visitors.

“Hello, I’m the owner here. How can I help you?” Arthur extended his hand to the bald man in the leather jacket.

“Hello, Mr. Arthur. We’d like to discuss a matter with you,” the man responded, shaking Arthur’s hand.

“Certainly. Please, this way.” Arthur led them to a secluded table on the beach near the entrance.

Once they were seated, Isa brought over three cups of tea. “Gentlemen, please enjoy.”

“Thank you.” “Thank you.”

Arthur was not surprised by his visitors; he knew them well. They were none other than Nick Fury, the famed director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Agent Phil Coulson.

Arthur had anticipated that his actions would draw S.H.I.E.L.D.’s attention—he just hadn’t expected them to come so quickly.

“Let me introduce myself. My name is Yon Arthur. May I ask what brings you here?” Arthur inquired.

“We work for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. Here’s my identification.” Nick Fury produced a badge bearing the familiar insignia and showed it to Arthur.

“What was the name of your organization again?” Arthur asked.

“…We’re from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division,” Nick Fury repeated with resignation.

“Your agency’s name is a mouthful. You should consider changing it.”

“We’ll take that under advisement. We’re here today to ask if you were the Aquaman who appeared during the Manhattan incident,” Fury said, locking eyes with Arthur.

“That’s a poor joke,” Arthur denied calmly.

“No need to deny it. Take a look at these photos.” Fury accepted a tablet from Coulson and placed it in front of Arthur, displaying a series of images.

They showed Arthur battling Abomination, including the moment when he and the Hulk strangled Abomination with the chain. Though the images were blurry, it was still clear that the man was Arthur.

Well, what will you say now? Fury thought as he watched Arthur closely.

…