Chapter Fifty-Two: Hulk Is Fiercely Attacking His Allies! [New Book Requesting Collection and Recommendations]

The scene on Broadway remained a chaotic battlefield, the fighting far from over. Zazaira brandished her weapons, locked in close combat with the shield-bearing captain. She feigned an all-out effort, her six arms wielding weapons in a wild flurry, yet each blow landed deliberately on the shield. Rogers, agile as a gymnast, maneuvered his shield with uncanny speed, parrying each strike. What should have been an overwhelming assault was forced into a stalemate by his skill.

No matter the angle or force of Zazaira’s attacks, he always managed to block them, raising his shield from every conceivable position. This display rekindled hope among many onlookers. Of course, it was only possible because she was holding back. Or rather, she was crafting an illusion for all those monitoring the scene, especially Nick Fury. Otherwise, Zazaira would have taken to the air, never giving Captain America a chance to close the distance—a life-draining spell from a hundred meters away would have ended it.

Zazaira fully understood Lord Roald’s intention: to keep this human alive for future use. Deception, temptation, sowing discord, fanning the flames from the shadows—all served the Scourge’s purpose. The greater the chaos, the more favorable to the Legion of Calamity. She knew both the Lich King and Grand Lich Kel’Thuzad were hidden behind the veil, observing the scene.

“As expected, I alone remain truly loyal,” Zazaira thought, a pleased smile crossing her lips. Those two brutes thought hiding meant they wouldn’t be noticed? The great Lich King knows all.

Naturally, Roald would never join the fray himself; his armor was far too distinctive. He needed to remain in the shadows, eager to see the conflict escalate—perhaps new clues or players would be drawn out, or Erica would return from Base 13 with valuable finds.

Kel’Thuzad, for his part, cared little for the outcome. He had no intention to intervene just yet; he preferred to watch the spectacle and glean intelligence. He hoped the other side would send even more so-called superheroes. Their deployment, response times, organizational structure, and whether more powerful heroes might appear—if they revealed their full strength, he could simply cast a Death and Decay spell and watch the aftermath.

From there, the world would belong to the Lich King alone, a paradise for the undead. Allies? Even in death, they could serve the Scourge—the distinction between life and death meant little. As long as the Lich King remained untouched, Kel’Thuzad’s boundaries were always flexible.

After a silent cry, a multitude of Crypt Lords began dismantling armored vehicles on the battlefield. Undaunted by artillery fire, they charged into military lines or burrowed underground for surprise attacks. Explosions thundered, flames leapt skyward. Amid the wreckage, debris rained down from the sky with spectacular chaos.

Inside S.H.I.E.L.D.’s monitoring room—or any command post with a view of the battle—the faces of those watching grew grim. None more so than Nick Fury.

“HYDRA’s been in hiding all along, haven’t they? What if they’ve already mass-produced some monstrous bioweapon, only pretending to be weak? Maybe the HYDRA agents Captain America took down were just pawns, and the real power remained concealed—could it be that what we’re seeing now is the true HYDRA?”

“It must be tracked down and eradicated.”

Standing beside Fury, Alexander Pierce was visibly moved. “So, our organization has such deep reserves after all. Hail HYDRA. I must help cover this up at the right moment.”

He and Fury exchanged glances, each with a knowing look, though with different intentions.

“We must get to the bottom of this.” Both spoke at once.

Pierce continued, “Yes, Nick. If your suspicions are correct, HYDRA agents may have already infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and grown stronger. This demands our utmost attention. I’ll speak with the Security Council to secure funding and form a special task force to counter HYDRA. What do you think?”

One had to admit, Pierce’s response and composure were impressive, and well concealed.

“Of course. I’ve always trusted the Director,” Fury replied, though suspicion flickered in his mind. Pierce, who had always skirted the edges of authority and showed little interest in internal affairs, now proposing an emergency unit? What was his aim? Even with only a hint, Fury’s mind conjured up a host of possible consequences, and he resolved to investigate further.

A thunderous roar ripped through his thoughts as Pierce departed—Fury’s attention snapped to the satellite feed. A green figure appeared in the sky, then crashed earthward.

A series of heavy impacts shook the ground as Hulk landed, pounding the earth and then hurling wrecked military vehicles in indiscriminate fury. Those watching the satellite images recognized the green giant instantly—Hulk’s presence and destructive power were unmistakable.

More striking was that he had turned on his own side.

Hulk leaped from building to building, crushing or tossing aside one armored vehicle after another. The rage he had bottled for so long finally found release, and Hulk felt a profound satisfaction.

Kel’Thuzad, ever watchful, nodded in approval—a pleased smile on his face. This green creature would make an excellent abomination. The furious blood coursing through its veins could inspire new concoctions.

“What’s going on? Isn’t Hulk supposed to be in your base? When did your military installations become so easily breached?” Fury masked his satisfaction at the military’s misfortune, but wasted no time pinning the blame.

The high-ranking officers from the military within S.H.I.E.L.D. were at a loss—why was Hulk here? They could only seek answers from headquarters or directly contact Ross, who was overseeing the serum research.

A minute later, the connection was established.

“General, we’ve spotted Hulk on-site, but he’s attacking indiscriminately. We need to know the current status at Base 13.”

“Isn’t Mr. Grommash there?”

“Mr. Grommash is at the incident location. To be honest, we’re not sure whose side he’s on.”

“Colonel, mind your language. You’re hereby stripped of your rank and position. Also, remember your place—Mr. Grommash will always belong to the military. He is ours, always. As for Hulk? Hulk has never appeared at Base 13.”

“Yes, General…”

The colonel, phone in hand, was left speechless as the line abruptly disconnected. The moment he dialed Ross, his military career had ended. He paid the price for his naivety and lack of political awareness—revealing not only secrets in front of agents but, more importantly, crossing a political line.

No matter what mistakes Grommash had made, his value was inestimable in light of mature super-soldier technology and the so-called “Project 19” gene technology.

Hulk… By now, no one remembered Hulk.

A glint of admiration for Ross’s political acuity shone in Fury’s eyes, but he couldn’t help a moment’s silence for the ill-fated colonel. How had Ross, after only a few days in office, suddenly become so politically astute? Fury suspected there was more to this than met the eye.

Surveying the devastated battlefield and the rampaging Hulk, Fury’s gaze drifted to Zazaira, who hovered above the chaos, watching it unfold. After a moment’s thought, he picked up his communicator.

“Jane, tell Thor—we’ve found the ones after the Cosmic Cube…”