In full view of everyone, Hulk let out a guttural roar and charged forward, his massive fists clenched, his entire body surging with rage and power.
Everyone watching instinctively tensed.
Anyone who had ever witnessed the Hulk in action knew how devastating his punch could be. He could crush a bus with a casual blow, punch the ground with such force that the pavement shattered like glass. His power wasn't just destructive—it was overwhelming.
And now, that same fury was barreling toward Henry.
To everyone's surprise—and horror—Henry didn't flinch.
He didn't even raise his arms or conjure a protective spell. Instead, he stood there, completely still, placing both hands calmly behind his back as if this were a casual stroll in the park.
"What is he doing?!" Natasha Romanoff shouted from the rooftop, a rare note of panic in her voice.
Nick Fury's brow furrowed. "Why the hell is he just standing there? Does he think Hulk's punch will miss?!"
Earlier, when Hulk hurled a car at him, Henry hadn't moved either—and miraculously, the vehicle had veered off at the last moment and missed entirely. But at least there was distance between them then.
Now, Hulk was only meters away. There was no room for error. No way to dodge. No plausible reason to just... stand still.
Fury gritted his teeth, suddenly uncertain. "Can he really handle Hulk?"
"I don't know," Natasha admitted, her eyes glued to the scene. "He seems confident… but this is insane."
Fury narrowed his eyes. "Is he calm—or paralyzed with fear?"
The theory wasn't far-fetched. Henry might simply be frozen in place, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure Hulk radiated.
Watching the situation unfold in silence, Stark—still recovering behind a half-collapsed car—glanced between Hulk and Henry. He wasn't sure what was happening either, but unlike Fury, he didn't move.
"I think… I think he's got it," Stark whispered to himself. "Right?"
But the distance between Hulk and Henry was shrinking by the second.
The ground trembled beneath Hulk's feet as he charged.
People held their breath.
Any second now, they expected to see a massive collision—Henry thrown through the air, crushed by a blow no man could survive.
And then—
BOOM.
A thunderous crash echoed through the entire block.
The pavement exploded, chunks of concrete flying everywhere.
But not because Hulk had hit Henry.
No.
Hulk—mighty, unstoppable Hulk—vanished mid-charge.
Everyone blinked.
Where there had been a towering green rage machine moments before, there was now a massive hole in the street. A crater. Dust and debris clouded the air, and for a moment, it was hard to see what had happened.
"What… what the hell?" Fury's voice cracked.
"Where did he go?" Natasha asked, lowering her binoculars in disbelief.
Stark, eyes wide, slowly turned toward Henry. "No way… That didn't just happen. Did it?"
Even Henry blinked.
"What… just happened?" he muttered to himself.
He had been fully prepared. Hands behind his back, sure—but mentally, he was already invoking the spell. Just a few more seconds, and he would've struck Hulk with a soul-displacement technique he'd been eager to try.
Instead, the ground gave out from under Hulk.
One moment, the rage-fueled beast had been mid-charge—and the next, he was gone, swallowed by the earth as if the city itself had taken mercy on Henry.
It wasn't just incredible.
It was… bizarre.
Henry slowly stepped forward and peered down into the hole.
There, at the bottom of the crater, lay Hulk. Groaning. Dazed. But alive.
He hadn't even reached Henry.
"What the…" Henry sighed and turned to face Stark. "Did that just happen?"
Stark's mouth was agape. "Did you… use magic?"
Henry looked almost sheepish. "Believe it or not—I didn't have time."
Stark blinked. "Wait. You're saying you didn't do this?"
"I was about to," Henry admitted. "But the ground collapsed before I could lift a finger."
"You're kidding." Stark's voice dropped. "You're telling me that entire crater just appeared—randomly?"
Henry shrugged. "Seems like it."
Stark still looked skeptical. "So… what? You're saying you're so lucky, the ground just… gave up under Hulk?"
Henry offered a sheepish grin. "Would you believe me if I said yes?"
Stark gaped. "I— No! Who the hell is that lucky?!"
Henry scratched his head. "Me, I guess."
"Man, you are absurd," Stark said, shaking his head. "You've got to be kidding me. There's no way that happened on its own."
Henry raised a finger. "Actually, think about it. Hulk's been pounding the ground nonstop for ten minutes. This whole street's half-destroyed. Maybe the infrastructure was just too weak. A few unlucky cracks… and boom."
"Unlucky?" Stark asked. "You mean lucky."
"Exactly," Henry said with a grin.
Stark paced in a small circle. "So, what you're saying is… all this just happened because of a lucky break in the road?"
"Pretty much."
At that moment, Nick Fury and Natasha approached, both looking somewhere between stunned and suspicious.
Fury walked straight up to Stark and glared. "Are you sure this guy's a real mage?"
Stark raised both hands. "Hey, don't look at me! I'm still trying to figure that out!"
"That was dangerous," Fury growled. "If that street hadn't given out, Hulk would've flattened him. That's not strategy—that's recklessness!"
Henry raised a brow. "You're welcome, by the way."
Fury exhaled slowly. "Alright. I'll admit. That was lucky."
"No kidding," Stark muttered.
"Do you mean to say," Natasha interrupted, "that you just happened to be standing on the one spot that didn't collapse while a rampaging Hulk fell into a sinkhole right in front of you… and none of it was your doing?"
Henry smiled. "Correct."
Stark threw his arms up. "This guy is the living embodiment of dumb luck!"
Henry just nodded like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Fury crossed his arms. "So we're supposed to believe all of this happened by chance?"
Henry met his gaze, calm as ever. "Sometimes, things go your way."
Natasha leaned toward Stark and whispered, "This guy is weirdly terrifying."
"You have no idea," Stark whispered back.
Fury rubbed his temples. "Well, I suppose I should be grateful. As unorthodox as that was, it worked. Hulk is down, no casualties, and the city's still standing."
"That's because I'm here," Henry said casually.
Stark looked at the giant crater, then back at Henry, and shook his head. "You know, I was really looking forward to watching you do some flashy magic. Instead, I get this. You standing still while the universe folds in your favor."
Henry clapped him on the shoulder. "Magic is about patience."
Fury turned toward the crater. Medics and containment teams had already started rappelling down, preparing to help Banner out now that he'd reverted back to his human form.
"I still don't get it," he muttered.
"You don't have to," Henry said, walking past him. "Just appreciate it."
As Henry strode toward the edge of the cordoned-off street, Natasha turned to Fury.
"Do you think he actually planned all this?"
Fury exhaled. "I think this guy could walk blindfolded into a landmine field and come out with a bouquet."
Stark chuckled. "And that, my friends, is why he's terrifying."
Henry paused at the edge of the street and turned slightly, a smirk on his face.
"Don't overthink it. Just call it… divine timing."
And with that, he stepped through a golden portal—and vanished.
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