520

[Holy Light]

"Do you have any spare pants?" Forseti asked.

Banner shrugged. "I packed a lot of shorts in my backpack, but I lose it almost every time I transform, so no."

Forseti nodded. "Then I'll take you to a nearby city."

Banner hesitated. "I want to go back and look for it. Maybe I can find my backpack, and there are some other things in it."

Forseti agreed. "Let's go."

He lifted Banner into the sky and returned to the chaotic street. Police cars were blocked, and officers and onlookers created a ruckus.

Forseti handed Banner a coat. While Banner searched for his backpack discreetly, Forseti scanned the surroundings.

Banner eventually located his backpack and exclaimed, "I found it!"

"Good fortune."

Banner pulled out a pair of shorts from the bag. "These were custom-made to withstand my transformations. They may loosen, but they won't tear completely."

"Just a moment," Forseti said, taking the shorts and infusing them with holy light.

Holy Light Infusion!

The process required minimal mana, and Forseti completed the enchantment swiftly, causing the shorts to shimmer faintly.

"This—" Banner blinked in surprise.

Forseti explained, "Consider it a blessing from the Sun God. Now these are blessed shorts. If you doubt it, try them on."

"Thank you," Banner said gratefully, changing into the enchanted shorts.

More police arrived, prompting the two to depart together.

"What's your next move, Banner?" Forseti inquired.

Banner pondered briefly before replying, "As you said, I will continue to try to control this power. Hopefully, one day I can truly master it."

Forseti nodded thoughtfully. Suddenly, the idea of recruiting Banner into the Silver Hand crossed his mind.

Paladin Hulk... that could be quite interesting.

Just as he entertained this thought, Heimdall's urgent voice interrupted, "Forseti, I've detected something unexpected. You should investigate immediately."

These days Heimdall places a lot of time on earth observation.

"What's happening? Is it Thor?" Forseti asked.

"No, it's unrelated to Thor. It's a powerful energy surge... It's unsettling. Be prepared; I can teleport you at any moment," Heimdall warned.

Heimdall, feeling anxious? Forseti was taken aback. "Banner, I must attend to this matter," he informed Banner.

Banner nodded understandingly. "Okay."

"Boom—"

Before he finished speaking, a rainbow beam descended from the sky, whisking Forseti away with Banner in an instant.

Banner stared at the sky in bewilderment.

The scene shifted abruptly. As the Rainbow Bridge's radiance faded, Forseti found himself near a dam on the brink of collapse.

The mighty waters threatened to burst through, but someone was holding them back.

"This is a dam in Canada. Someone is preventing it from bursting," Heimdall explained.

Forseti sensed the powerful energy emanating from below.

It was this force that prevented the dam from collapsing completely, maintaining a precarious stability.

Phoenix Force.

Forseti recalled the events from the movies. Jean Grey had harnessed the Phoenix Force to save her comrades from a collapsing dam, eventually succumbing to its darker aspects and becoming a destructive force.

He was puzzled. He had altered the timeline for mutants, ensuring that Jean Grey and Professor X remained allies. Why was this happening now?

Regardless, the entity preventing the dam's collapse was the Phoenix Force.

As one of the most formidable cosmic forces, the Phoenix Force demanded caution.

Observing for a moment, Forseti summoned the warhammer, descended into the torrent, and found Jean Grey struggling against the relentless currents.

Jean Grey, despite her elegance, was barely holding on against the onslaught.

Seeing her bloodied face and the surging power of the Phoenix Force within her, Forseti knew he had to act swiftly.

He approached her and conjured a barrier of holy light to shield her from the relentless waters.

"Who are you?" She eyed him warily.

Forseti said nothing, reinforcing the barrier and then commanding, "Let's go!"

With a firm grip, he lifted Jean Grey out of danger and onto solid ground.

They stood in an open space by the shore. Forseti tended to Jean Grey's injuries with a healing touch of holy light, easing her pain.

"Thank you for saving me," Jean Grey expressed her gratitude.

Forseti continued to channel healing light.

Suddenly, a surge of unease washed over him. It felt as though he was being watched—a premonition of impending danger.

Almost immediately, a fiery phoenix manifestation emerged from Jean Grey and launched an attack at Forseti.

The Phoenix Force!

Ever vigilant, Forseti swiftly summoned the holy shield technique, enveloping himself in a protective barrier of holy runes.

Though caught off guard, he managed to intercept most of the Phoenix Force's energy, preventing it from overwhelming him.