Word count = 3,714 words.
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The night sky over Harlem roared with chaos. Beneath the whirring blades of a military helicopter, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross stared through the reinforced glass panels, jaw clenched, brows furrowed, and heart pounding in disbelief.
It shouldn't be happening.
Below, fire danced across the streets as cars exploded, storefronts caved in, and terrified civilians ran screaming in every direction. And towering in the heart of it all, framed by smoke and madness, was a nightmare born of ambition and defiance.
The Abomination.
Sergeant Emil Blonsky—had become something else entirely. A hideous mutation with bone protrusions jutting from his back, veiny muscle wrapped in sinew and wrath. He moved with the glee of destruction, roaring like a proud lion as he lifted a taxi cab above his head and hurled it into a row of parked vehicles.
Ross's eyes refused to blink. His hands gripped the edge of his seat until his knuckles turned white. Next to him sat Bruce Banner, bound in reinforced cuffs, a bloodied face and a bruised ego.
But he wasn't the monster now.
"How...?" Ross muttered under his breath.
Betty Ross, his daughter, leaned over his shoulder. "Dad? What's happening? Bruce is right here. That... thing isn't him."
Ross thought hard and suddenly he realized he overlooked something, or someone.
Ross's lips parted. "Damn Blonsky! He disobeyed orders. He must've taken more serum. He—he's become something else."
Below, the Abomination tore a light pole from its foundation and swung it like a club, knocking over a Humvee and sending three soldiers flying.
"We have to stop this," Betty urged.
"I'm aware," Ross snapped. The pressure in his chest grew tighter with every second.
Bruce stirred beside him. "You have to let me go."
Ross didn't look at him.
"Let me go," Banner said again, louder. "You know I'm the only one who can stop him."
Ross still stared down at the destruction. His mind replayed the chain of mistakes that led here—his orders, his approval of the serum, his blind pursuit of a weapon. And now the weapon was out of control.
"Sir," one of his officers radioed in, "civilians are down. We've got multiple fatalities. The situation is escalating fast."
Bruce leaned forward. "General! This is on you! Let me help! I can end it. I need to jump, now!"
Ross hesitated.
Betty turned to her father, "Please."
Finally, Ross let out a long, pained breath. With a signal to his men, the restraints came off.
Bruce didn't wait. He threw open the rear door and jumped without hesitation.
Ross stood at the opening, watching the man tumble from the sky. "God help us," he whispered.
He turned, shoulders sinking under the weight of guilt. Around him, his men barked coordinates, updates, and commands, but he didn't hear them.
Instead, he reached into the inner pocket of his coat.
A small, black card.
Minimalist.
Only two words embossed in gold: The Handyman with a phone number at the bottom.
Ross looked at it for a long second. Series of hesitation and consequences ran through his head.
He hated that man. He never believed in him and what he do despite the successful results of his operations. What could a single man do that the military cannot.
Yet, right at this moment, he was his only option. After all, that guy always got the job done.
He fished out a cellphone from his pocket and dialed the number with haste.
The line rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
"Handyman, speaking."
"It's me, Ross."
"Well well... is that a grumpy general on my private line? I thought you didn't like me, Ross."
Ross gritted his teeth, "Handyman, we have a situation. Harlem, now."
"Oh, I know. I saw the news. Looks like someone's throwing a tantrum. Quite a mess you've got there. Let me guess—one of your boys go lt addicted on steroids?"
Ross exhaled through his nose. "I need this cleaned up. Fast."
There was a pause on the other end.
Then Glenn's voice returned, colder this time. "And here I thought you were too proud to call me. What changed?"
Ross's tone dipped. "People are dying! My people and innocents."
In the background, Glenn seemed to sigh dramatically. "That was surprising! I really thought your conscience left you long time ago. Fine! You know my price."
Ross closed his eyes. "Anything! Just fix this."
Betty, standing nearby, tilted her head. "Who is that?"
Ross didn't look at her as he muttered. "A ghost, problem solver and a man I thought I'd never call."
On the other end of the line, Glenn's voice returned, as sharp and smooth as ever. "I'll be there shortly. Don't worry, Thunderbolt. Daddy's home."
The line went dead.
Ross stared out the window as another explosion erupted below.
He didn't know what scared him more—the Abomination... or the man who was now coming to deal with it.
--
The line went dead.
The moment his call ended, Glenn tucked in the transponder inside his inner pocket and turned with a slight smirk. He found Emma Frost standing a few feet away, arms crossed, her platinum hair gleaming in the ambient light of the crystal chandelier. They were inside the property nestled in Tribeca formerly owned by the Hellfire club. But now, it wass gift given to him by Emma. The building stood tall and unassuming, cloaked in historical architecture that disguised its potential.
Emma watched him carefully. "What's that? Business?"
Glenn nodded, "Yeah, specifically from the military. A certain stubborn old general finally swallowed his pride. Called for a clean up service."
Emma arched an eyebrow. "Military always have a mess they can't deal with. "
Glenn gave her a sideways glance. "Yeah, I already did some a few years ago. This one is a big mess though. Something ugly got out of control. Fortunately, it's local—just Harlem."
She walked beside him as they moved through the second floor of the Tribeca mansion, which had remained untouched for months. The layout still echoed the skeleton of a luxury boutique hotel. Glenn surveyed the space with a calculating eye.
"Nice place, this really looks like a hotel." he muttered. "But we're going to need some renovation."
Emma followed his line of sight as he gestured toward the grand entrance. "I want a bar as a front. There, we can officially accept some business discreetly. It should be little old school, set in medieval style theme but still offers whiskeys and modern spirits.
She tilted her head. "A bar?"
He nodded. "Yes, let's call it, "The Tavern". Right next to it should be an auto repair shop. Something low-key but functional. Make it look like it's always been here. Then a third storefront. Doesn't matter what it is. Give it a cover identity—gallery, tailor, anything discreet."
Emma quirked a brow. "That's quite the mix."
Glenn grinned. "That's the point. Diversion."
They stopped before the double doors leading to a private elevator. Glenn looked back at her. "This area should be restricted and automated. This is the elevator that connects straight to the upper levels, right? Make sure it's biometric access only."
Emma watched him for a moment. "Your call! You really are building a fortress."
"I'm building a base," Glenn corrected.
She gave a soft sigh. "I'll have my engineers draw up the plans. We'll begin renovation next week."
"Good," he said. "I trust your judgment. Keep it subtle."
"And you trust me now?"
Glenn looked at her fully. "I never stopped."
A faint warmth touched her expression before she masked it again.
He glanced at his watch. "Speaking of trust, I need you to take me upstairs. The roof."
Emma blinked. "Why the roof?"
"Fastest way out."
They rode the elevator in silence. At the top floor, Emma hesitated at the doorway to the rooftop terrace. Glenn walked forward without pause.
"What exactly are you planning—?" she began.
Before she could finish, Glenn sprinted toward the edge of the roof. With no hesitation, he launched himself over the ledge.
Emma gasped in horror, rushing forward. "GLENN!"
But when she reached the edge, she saw him already bouncing in the air effortlessly, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. His coat flaring behind him like a shadow cast in motion. His movement was inhuman—fast, fluid, precise. He was a ghost threading through the city's skeleton.
She exhaled a long breath. "Show-off."
Below, Glenn pressed a finger to his earpiece. "Skye, I got a commission. No need for checking. It's a military emergency. I'm already en route. Help me think of something we can flesh out of the military."
He disappeared into the night, leaving behind only a whisper on the wind and a woman on a rooftop who couldn't quite decide whether to be impressed or worried.
The Handyman was officially on assignment.
He checked his system quest and it didn't fail him.
Quest Issued
Help defeat or kill the Abomination. Every lives saved +500 points.
Reward: Kaido's Physique (Adolescent)
Status: Pending
--
The crack of thunder wasn't from the sky—it came from the earth.
The street in Harlem trembled, dust and debris flaring into the air like cannon smoke. A crater ruptured in the center of the asphalt, sending a shockwave outward that splintered glass and set off every car alarm in a five-block radius.
From above, the scene looked like war. Buildings cracked open like rotten fruit. Fires danced in the reflections of broken windows. And at the heart of it all was the beast—the Abomination—Emil Blonsky's grotesque, gamma-warped form towering over the scattered wreckage.
He roared, spitting raw fury, as the Hulk recovered his footing several meters away, having just been hurled through a bus that now lay in burning pieces.
And then the real arrival happened.
BOOM.
Another crater, smaller but deliberate. A clean superhero landing—one knee on the ground, a fist buried into the cracked street, and his coat settling dramatically around his silhouette. Glenn Peterson stood. Composed. Cool. And very, very amused.
"Ughhh—kay, that hurt!" he groaned though it caused him just a little pain. "I'm not gonna do that again until I completed this mission. My knees feels like late 30's now."
From above, General Thaddeus Ross, inside a circling military helicopter, leaned forward against the cockpit glass, a heavy breath escaping his lungs.
"He's here," Ross said under his breath, just loud enough for Betty to hear.
Betty Ross gripped the seat edge. "You mean...?"
Ross nodded grimly. "The Handyman."
On the ground, Glenn stepped forward as the wind carried ash past his shoulders. His eyes locked with the monstrous Abomination, who stared at him with vicious curiosity.
"Well damn," Glenn said, looking the creature up and down. "If ugly were a crime, you'd be serving consecutive life sentences in seven countries."
Abomination blinked.
"Oh, I know you," Blonsky's warped voice rumbled from deep within his transformed body. "You're the myth contained by whispers in the military, even in the underworld. The Handyman."
Glenn grinned. "The one and only..sorry. No autograph signing today. Unfortunately, you did all these so I gotta clean up your mess and that's including you, muscular raisin."
Blonsky stepped forward, the ground breaking underfoot.
"I've wanted to fight you for a long time. Now I get to kill a legend."
"You think that line works better before or after you lose?" Glenn quipped, adjusting the cuffs of his gloves.
Enraged by the mockery, Abomination charged.
Glenn didn't move until the last second, then shifted sideways with supernatural grace, barely a blur to the human eye. The creature missed by feet, but the force of the charge sent him barreling into the side of a four-story building, pulverizing concrete and steel into a cloud of white dust.
"Somebody's skipping leg day," Glenn muttered, cracking his neck.
The fight began.
What followed was not a clean martial arts bout or a choreographed dance of equal fighters—it was chaos.
Blonsky charged again, this time flinging cars like toys to force Glenn into the open. Glenn leaped onto a hood, flipped over an airborne taxi, and landed in a roll beside a toppled lamppost. As the creature lunged, Glenn grabbed the pole like a javelin and jammed it into Abomination's shoulder.
It didn't pierce, but it lodged hard enough to stagger him.
"Ever considered exfoliating?" Glenn quipped. "Looks like your skin's made of expired beef jerky."
Roaring in rage, Abomination yanked the lamppost free and swung it like a bat. Glenn ducked low, darted in, and punched a nerve cluster behind the beast's knee with pinpoint precision. The creature buckled, and Glenn slid backward across the pavement, landing in a crouch.
From the rooftop, a group of SHIELD observers—including Coulson—watched the fight unfold.
"Sir," one agent muttered, "Is he... toying with it?"
Coulson, chewing on a piece of gum, didn't take his eyes off the scene. "Incredible! I don't know his ability but fighting toe to toe with that monster and still have the upper hand. He looks like a super soldier. "
Glenn and Abomination clashed again. This time, Glenn was having a good time ducking under a swing. With a grin on his face, he ran up the beast's forearm, and conjure his armament haki upon his fist, slamming a pressure-point strike behind the ear. Abomination howled, stumbling. The monster tried to hit Glenn while doing so as he swung low, almost clipping Glenn's side. Followed by it were dust and soot staining his white sleeve.
"Okay," he grumbled. "Now I'm pissed. This is a high quality shirt and I just bought this. "
He flexed both hands once again activating his armament haki, a metallic gleam coated his forearms. His gloves burned away, revealing a jet-black sheen crawling up his arms like living ink.
"Okay," he grumbled. "No more Mr. Nice Handyman."
The surface of Glenn's skin shimmered and hardened into obsidian. His punches would now carry more than force—they would carry intent and density. A power from a world not this one.
Abomination hurled a crushed van but with the help of his intermediate observation haki, it would be luck if the monster hit him squarely.
"Time to knock some sense into that mutated meathead."
Glenn charged forward once more. He slammed a haki-coated fist into the van mid-air, blasting it into scrap metal with a thunderous boom. He flew toward the beast, weaving through debris like a specter.
But Abomination suddenly clapped producing a shockwave which made Glenn hurl towards a nearby building.
The impact cracked the building's facade. Glenn landed with a groan. And right beside him… was the Hulk.
The green goliath was recovering from getting dizzy caused by collision earlier. As soon as Hulk shook his head, he snarled, eyes burning with rage.
Glenn brushed off his damaged coat, looked at the shredded fabric, and sighed.
"That was my favorite coat. Unexpectedly, I still can't evade large scale attacks. It's a pity I don't have a future sight yet."
He looked at Hulk and smirked. "Hey, big guy! Interested in a tag team?"
The Hulk, surprisingly, grunted with a nod.
Glenn's smile widened. "Awesome! Let's play, Hulk."
With a roar, Hulk launched forward.
Glenn was a blur beside him, streaking through smoke and flame.
Abomination turned just in time to catch both.
Glenn struck first—an uppercut to the jaw with Haki-enhanced power. The impact jolted Abomination's head upward.
Hulk followed with a haymaker to the ribs, sending the monster skidding sideways through a pile of wrecked taxis.
Abomination roared, spinning and slashing. He caught Hulk and threw him into a streetlight. Glenn ran up the creature's back and delivered a spinning heel kick to the side of its face.
They were a tag-team of chaos.
Blow by blow, the battlefield shifted. Glenn was speed and precision; Hulk was brute force and rage.
Glenn darted between Abomination's legs, landed behind him, and drove a haki-fist into the back of the knee. Hulk grabbed the creature's arm and slammed him into the pavement like a ragdoll.
SHIELD agents on the rooftop were stunned.
"His coordination with Hulk is… terrifying," said one.
"How did he make the Hulk listen to him?" Coulson muttered.
The brawl continued, glass raining and Harlem is rumbling.
Glenn climbed an abandoned building with just a few jump. Once at the top, he saw Hulk threw a large piece of broken slab on the ground towards him.
"Seriously!?"
He cursed out loud but he suddenly had an idea.
Bracing himself, he caught the slab with a groan before jumping down, charging straight towards the abomination.
Gamma Crush!!!
BOOM!
The impact sent a small shockwave, crushing anything beneath it as pieces of stones flung everywhere. The abomination was instantly buried under the rubble.
While dust filled his vision, he could swear he saw Hull's shadow jumping in delight from a distance.
But Abomination wouldn't go down easy.
The ground began to shake intensely as Glenn saw a large bony hand punched through the rubble.
Seeing this, Hulk took the opportunity to charge.
Rage ignited, Abomination raised his foot—
—and Hulk slammed into him from the side, sending them both through a support pillar.
Glenn leaned into a nearby police car as he fished out a cigarette from his inner pocket.
The battle had reached its boiling point. Dust swirled through the night sky of Harlem, illuminated by scattered fires and the harsh white beams of searchlights from the circling military helicopter.
Glenn stood amidst the chaos, smoking as he watched the two monsters savagely fight.
The ground quaked again.
Abomination howled in frustration as Hulk rammed into him with full brute force, sending the creature sliding back through a mangled line of cars. The clash was a titanic collision of might. But despite their efforts, it wasn't enough. Not yet.
Above them, General Ross gritted his teeth inside the helicopter. The destruction was spreading beyond containment, and Hulk was already occupied.
'God dammit why isn't he moving?'
"Take the shot," Ross barked. "Hit the monster! Hit it now!"
The side-mounted machine guns lit up, spewing rounds toward the Abomination. The rounds sparked and ricocheted against its thick skin like pebbles against a tank. The creature barely flinched.
Ross clenched his fist. "Damn it! It's not enough."
Then Abomination did the unthinkable. Eyes narrowing, it turned and sprinted—not at Hulk, not at Glenn—but toward the tallest nearby building. With terrifying agility for its size, it climbed.
General Ross looked up, horror dawning.
"No... no, no, no—"
The creature reached the rooftop and leapt.
The entire weight of the gamma-enhanced monstrosity came crashing down on the helicopter.
The rotors snapped. The frame twisted. The helicopter spiraled out of control, smoke trailing in its wake. Betty screamed as the vehicle plummeted. Glenn and Hulk both watched.
"Hold on!" Ross shouted, shielding his daughter.
CRASH!
The helicopter slammed into the street, cratering the pavement. Debris flew in every direction. But miraculously, the fuel did not ignite. The wreckage remained intact.
Inside, Ross groaned. He was bleeding and as he opened his eyes, he saw Betty's forehead was cut. Both alive—but barely.
Abomination roared and stomped toward the wreckage.
It raised its clawed hand to strike.
And was stopped mid-motion by a blur of green fury.
Hulk tackled Abomination, smashing him into the ground just before the blow could land. The two monsters rolled across the pavement, destroying a nearby fountain. The chains Hulk had scavenged earlier from a wrecked tow truck now coiled around Abomination's throat.
He yanked them tighter and tighter.
Abomination thrashed wildly, grabbing at Hulk, kicking, flailing. But Hulk only pulled tighter, veins bulging, lips curled back in a grimace of pure rage.
"STOP!"
Betty's voice cut through the storm.
"This isn't you."
Hulk's eyes flicked to her. His grip loosened. Abomination's limbs went limp but barely conscious.
Glenn rolled his eyes as he muttered, "What a stupid woman."
He flicked his unfinished cigarette before finally exhaling. "Well, show's over."
He approached calmly.
Glenn stepped through the wreckage-strewn street. He grabbed the chain on the way as he drag it behind him. He reached down, grabbed Abomination's head by the hair, and began pulling the limp creature away from the helicopter.
Betty watched from the cockpit, dazed. Ross tried to rise, but a sharp pain in his ribs stopped him.
A few dozen yards away, Glenn dropped Abomination's head with a thud. He crouched.
Gazing down at the enemy, he didn't feel any remorse on what he is about to do. After all, he was used to taking lives.
"Time for a clean up."
Glenn lowered his stance, pulling his right hand aligning his waist. He took a deep breath before focusing all of his strength into his right hand clenching his fist tightly. His arm gleamed with a black metallic luster once again but this time, his right arm's muscles bulged abnormally.
A vaccum of air gradually pulled towards his fists reaching to a maximum charge capacity before punching it downward to the abomination's head.
'King's Punch!'
BOOM!
After the dusts settled, the headless body of Abomination can be seen lying on the ground. Glenn's punch was so loud that the explosion echoing like thunder through Harlem.
The Abomination was no more.
Glenn lit a new cigarette from the heat of a nearby flame and walked back toward the wrecked helicopter.
He stopped beside Ross, took a long drag, and exhaled. "Deal's done, General. Expect to pay the price within a few days."
Ross tried to glare, but the pain dulled his expression.
"You son of a—"
Glenn ignored him.
He turned toward Hulk, who was standing quietly nearby, watching.
"You need help outta here?" Glenn asked, voice casual.
Hulk tilted his head.
"hmm!"
The Hulk nodded so without further a do, Glenn released his conqueror's haki.
BOOM.
A wave of invisible pressure burst from Glenn's body. Everyone within a hundred-meter radius collapsed instantly—soldiers, SHIELD agents, even a few stray reporters who had dared get close.
Only Hulk, Betty, and Ross remained conscious willed by Glenn.
Hulk snorted approvingly. Then, without a word, he sprinted into the shadows of Harlem's ruins, vanishing into the night.
Glenn turned to Ross. "You're lucky I'm not billing you for overtime."
And then he walked off, coat flapping, cigarette smoke trailing behind him like a veil of defiance.