Dr. Bruce Banner

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Kai walked forward, locking eyes with Hulk.

Tony saw Kai's calm expression and couldn't help but chuckle nervously. "Hey, Kai... you're not seriously thinking of just standing there, are you? That's not exactly a winning strategy."

Kai turned his head slightly and replied, "Relax, Tony. I know what I'm doing."

Unfortunately, turning his back on Hulk proved to be a mistake. Seeing Kai's relaxed posture made Hulk even angrier. With a thunderous roar, Hulk threw a powerful punch straight at Kai.

Instead of dodging, Kai braced himself, assuming a defensive stance.

Tony watched in horror as Kai took the full force of Hulk's punch, sending him flying about thirty meters before he hit the ground.

Hulk snorted in Kai's direction, clearly satisfied. Then his eyes locked onto Tony.

"Oh, no..." Tony muttered as Hulk began advancing toward him.

Just as Tony was about to take off, Kai's voice rang out.

"Hey, Hulk! Your fight's with me!"

Both Hulk and Tony turned in surprise. To Tony's amazement, Kai was already standing back up, brushing dust off his clothes.

"Seriously?!" Tony gawked. "You just got punched halfway across the block!"

Hulk's face twisted in confusion, quickly replaced by rage. He charged at Kai again, landing another heavy punch. This time, Kai only tumbled back about ten meters before stopping on his feet.

Tony, now watching closely, began to understand. Kai wasn't just taking the hits — he was adapting. Each blow seemed to be making him stronger, his body absorbing the residual spatial energy he'd been working to refine.

Hulk roared and kept swinging, but Kai absorbed the punishment better each time. Before long, the gap between their strength narrowed. Soon enough, Kai was trading blows evenly with Hulk.

Then Kai's punches started pushing Hulk back. Blow by blow, Kai overpowered the inhibitor-weakened Hulk.

"Hey, Kai!" Tony shouted. "I think you've had enough fun! Maybe finish him off before he wrecks another building!"

Realizing Tony was right, Kai focused. He gathered the energy coursing through his body, channeling it into his fist. With a powerful punch, he sent Hulk crashing into the ground, leaving a massive crater.

Kai and Tony walked to the edge of the pit, staring down at the dazed green giant.

"Wow," Tony muttered. "In the morning you were just a magician. Now you're... what? Superhuman?"

Kai smirked and flipped Tony off. Then he pulled out his wand and cast a mind-soothing spell. Hulk's furious breathing slowed, and his massive form began to shrink. Moments later, Bruce Banner lay at the bottom of the pit, looking exhausted and worn out.

Tony scratched his head. "Wait a second... I *know* that guy."

Kai climbed down into the crater and knelt beside him. "Dr. Banner, are you alright?"

Banner blinked blearily at him. "Tony Stark...? What's going on? Where... where am I?"

Tony joined them. "Oh yeah! You're that scientist guy! Banner! What the hell happened to you?"

Banner rubbed his temples. "That's... a long story. But first, why are *you* here?"

Kai helped Banner out of the pit. As they emerged, General Ross's helicopter began descending. Seeing Ross approaching, Kai turned to Tony.

"Tony, I need a favor. Go stall Ross for a minute. I want to talk to Banner privately."

Tony squinted at him. "What are you planning?"

"I want to offer Banner a safe place to stay — somewhere I can keep him calm and help him control his condition."

Tony sighed. "Fine, but you owe me a drink."

As Tony went to intercept Ross, Kai sat Banner down on a nearby step and quickly explained everything that had happened during his Hulk rampage.

"Oh no..." Banner muttered, horrified as he surveyed the destruction. "This is all my fault..."

Kai placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up. What matters is what you do next."

Banner gave a bitter laugh. "Next? Where can I even go? I tried hiding in Brazil, and Ross still found me."

"If you want," Kai offered, "you can stay with me for a while. I've figured out a way to calm the Hulk, and with the strength I've gained, I can stop him if things go bad. You won't have to keep running."

Before Banner could respond, Ross's angry voice thundered across the street.

"Tony Stark, you have no right to interfere! Banner belongs to the military — I won't let you take him!"

Banner glanced at Kai with a defeated look. "See? This is how it always goes. Ross won't let me go."

Kai's expression hardened. "Don't worry. I'll deal with Ross."

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