Hulk's "Passing By"

The old television in the repair shop suddenly emitted a piercing burst of static, and the soap opera on the screen twisted into a mass of colorful gibberish. Carlos had been holding a capacitor with tweezers and jumped at the noise, dropping them onto the circuit board with a clatter. "What's wrong with this piece of junk now?"

Lin Mo had just returned from delivering blood pressure medicine to Grandma Gretchen, a thin layer of sweat still on his forehead. He casually picked up the remote and pressed a few buttons. The screen suddenly flashed red with an emergency news alert, and a pale-faced host in a suit appeared before a backdrop of towering flames and collapsed buildings.

"Emergency broadcast! An unidentified green giant has appeared in Midtown Manhattan and is engaged in a fierce battle with the military! Again, the green giant..."

Crack! The bag of chips in Ted's hand crumpled, scattering orange crumbs across the floor. He lunged for the window and yanked shut the dust-covered blinds. The metal slats rattled loudly. "It's that Green Giant! The one from the newspapers! The monster that can knock down buildings with one punch!"

Lin Mo stared fixedly at the screen. In the footage, a gigantic green figure was sprinting down the street. Military tanks were flung away like toys before him, and helicopter searchlights swept over his bulging back muscles. Every step made the ground shake violently, even causing the television signal to tremble.

"Hulk..." Peter's voice shook almost imperceptibly. He had just returned from school and had not even put down his backpack before crowding in front of the television. His glasses had slid down to the tip of his nose, but he did not bother pushing them back up. "An energy entity created by biological mutation. In theory, it can endlessly multiply muscle fibers..."

"Speak normally!" Ted crouched on the floor with his hands over his head like a startled ostrich. "Is he really strong? Is he going to fight his way into Queens?"

"In theory, he shouldn't leave the center of the conflict, but..." Peter adjusted his glasses, his voice dropping. "His energy readings are too unstable. He could lose control."

Lin Mo unconsciously rubbed his wristband. The synchronization rate for Physical Enhancement had already risen to 60%. Dynamic Vision could track the path of a fly's wings beating a hundred meters away, and his Phasing Ability could even let him pass easily through three layers of brick walls. But as he watched Hulk flatten a tank turret with one punch, a chill ran down his back. That was not ordinary destructive power. It was terrifying strength capable of tearing through reinforced concrete with ease. Against a monster on that level, his little abilities were probably no different from paper.

"Close the shop! Hurry and close the shop!" Ted suddenly leaped up and grabbed the pull cord for the rolling shutter, dragging it down with all his strength. The metal door screeched against its tracks. "Nail all the windows shut! My cousin said this monster is afraid of noise. The quieter we are, the better!"

"Your cousin also said the tigers in Las Vegas jump through flaming hoops," Carlos said irritably, though he still got up to move the toolbox against the door. "Lin, move that S.H.I.E.L.D. server to the corner. Don't let a stray bullet wreck it."

Lin Mo nodded and bent down to lift the server. The thing weighed nearly two hundred pounds and had once required two people to carry it, but now he could lift it easily with one hand. The cool sensation against his fingertips calmed him slightly. "Peter, call Aunt May and tell her not to go outside."

"I already did." Peter held up his phone, the call screen showing Aunt May's name. "She said Grandma Martha is at her place and is moving jars of pickles into the basement."

The conflict on television continued escalating. Hulk grabbed a bus and used it as a weapon, sweeping it across an entire street. Shards from glass curtain walls rained down like a storm. The host's voice was close to tears. "The military has requested reinforcements. Iron Man Tony Stark is heading to the scene..."

"Iron Man?" Ted poked his head out through a gap in the shutter, his eyes lighting up. "Can he beat that Green Giant? I bet a hundred bucks Iron Man wins!"

"Bet on what?" Lin Mo set down the server and walked to the window, lifting open a narrow gap to look outside. The streets of Queens had already descended into chaos. Cars were jammed into long lines, sirens wailed from every direction, and several neighbors in pajamas were carrying cardboard boxes toward their basements while muttering, "It's the end of the world."

Suddenly, the ground shook violently, as if a heavy truck had rolled past. The light bulbs in the repair shop swayed, the television signal cut out completely, and the screen went black. Peter's phone dropped from his hand with a slap, its signal bars disappearing.

"What's happening?" Ted crawled under the table in terror. "Did he... did he come here?"

Lin Mo instantly activated Dynamic Vision, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints. He could clearly "see" the source of the tremor. It was not Hulk, but the shockwave from a distant explosion, probably in the direction of Brooklyn, about five kilometers away. Yet the force was already enough to make the old apartment building groan, and the cracks in the walls widened further.

"It's a shockwave." Lin Mo let go of the curtain. "It's still far from here, but we should stay in the basement."

Carlos had already opened the basement hatch. The rusty iron ladder gleamed coldly in the dim light. "Bring the toolbox. There are flashlights and compressed biscuits inside." Though the old man's voice was tight, his hands were steady as he wrapped a coil of wire around his waist. "If the power goes out, we'll use this to connect the emergency lights."

As they descended into the basement, the damp smell of mold hit them head-on. Ted hugged a spare tire like a shield, while Peter opened his laptop. The screen showed live news gathered from the internet, and the latest post had been published three minutes earlier: [Hulk has broken through the military blockade and is moving toward Brooklyn.]

"He's coming this way!" Ted's voice trembled, his teeth chattering. "I knew it! Monsters all love Queens pizza!"

"Don't talk nonsense." Lin Mo pulled a flashlight from the toolbox and clicked it on, sending a beam of light through the darkness. "Brooklyn is still some distance away. Iron Man should be able to stop him." Though he said that, his fingers unconsciously pressed against his wristband, his Phasing Ability ready at any moment.

Peter suddenly pointed at the laptop screen. "Look at this! Someone got an energy analysis chart of Hulk. His gamma radiation intensity is ten thousand times the normal level!" The boy's eyes held both fear and barely suppressed curiosity. "That kind of radiation can cause irreversible mutations in biological cells..."

"Get to the point!" Ted snatched the flashlight, its beam swaying wildly across the ceiling. "Will it turn people green? I don't want to become a monster!"

"In theory, no. Short-term exposure would only cause burns." Peter pushed up his glasses, then suddenly remembered something. "Brother Lin Mo, can your Phasing Ability block radiation?"

Lin Mo froze. He had never actually tested that. The last time he had come into contact with an energy-infused stone in New Mexico, his wristband had only warned him about a rejection reaction. It had said nothing about radiation. "I don't know. Hopefully, we won't need to find out."

A loud knocking suddenly came from the basement entrance, accompanied by Grandma Martha's booming voice. "Carlos! Open up! I brought all of Aunt May's pickles down here!"

Ted nearly threw the tire in fright. Lin Mo hurried up and opened the hatch. Grandma Martha was carrying an enormous glass jar, with Aunt May following behind her, Snowball screeching in her arms. "Get down here! It's shaking upstairs like an earthquake!" Martha set the jar on the ground, and the glass clinked crisply. "My husband used to be in the army. He always said that in times like this, you head underground!"

Aunt May's face was a little pale, but she still opened the cloth bundle in her hands, revealing bread and canned food. "Eat sparingly. We don't know how long we'll be down here." She rubbed Peter's head. "You're not too scared, are you? Don't be afraid. Lin is here."

Lin Mo's heart sank. Even Aunt May, usually the calmest among them, was panicking. That showed just how serious the situation was. He leaned against the damp wall when his wristband suddenly grew slightly hot. Its screen flashed: [High-intensity gamma radiation fluctuations detected. Distance: 4.7 kilometers. Recommendation: remain concealed and avoid direct contact.]

4.7 kilometers... and rapidly shrinking.

An eerie silence filled the basement. Only Snowball's purring and Ted's nervous swallowing could be heard. Grandma Martha passed around pickles, their cold sour saltiness spreading in their mouths but unable to suppress the growing fear.

Suddenly, a harsh sound of tearing metal came from overhead, as if something heavy had slammed onto the repair shop's roof. Dust sifted down, red light seeped through the gap around the hatch, and a roar sounded in the distance—not an explosion, but the howl of some creature. It was low and savage, painful enough to make their eardrums ring.

"He... he's reached Brooklyn!" Peter's laptop screen lit up with a new video. In it, Hulk stood on the Brooklyn Bridge and smashed through a suspension cable with one punch. The bridge swayed violently like a dying giant snake.

Ted's hands shook violently around the tire. "It's over, it's over. Queens is next..."

"Shut up." Lin Mo suddenly spoke, his voice deeper than usual. "Think of something." He looked at Carlos. "Can your old generator still work? If the power stays out too long, the medicine in the refrigerator will spoil."

Carlos paused, then nodded. "It's in the warehouse. We need to bring it out."

"I'll go." Lin Mo stood and brushed the dust from his clothes. "You all stay here."

"No!" Aunt May grabbed him. "It's too dangerous up there!"

"Don't worry, I have a way." Lin Mo smiled and activated his Phasing Ability, his arm passing easily through the basement's concrete wall. "I can go through walls. Nobody will spot me." He looked at Peter. "Where exactly is the generator in the warehouse?"

Peter immediately gave him the coordinates and even drew a simple map. "Watch out for the shelves. There are gasoline drums stacked on top of them."

Lin Mo took the map and drew a deep breath. He knew it was risky. Hulk's radiation and shockwaves could both be fatal, but Grandma Gretchen's blood pressure medicine was still in the refrigerator, and the Community Center hospital's vaccines needed refrigeration. He could not just hide.

Activating Physical Enhancement, Lin Mo sprang out through the hatch like an agile cat. There really was a huge hole in the repair shop's roof. Sunlight shone through the opening, casting slanted patches of light across the floor. The distant sky had been dyed orange-red by thick smoke, and he could vaguely see Iron Man's golden armor weaving through the clouds like an enraged hornet.

He did not dare waste time. Moving quickly along the wall, he used his Phasing Ability to pass through the locked warehouse door with ease. The generator stood in the corner beneath a rain cover, coated in dust. Lin Mo bent down and grabbed its handle with one hand when he suddenly felt a stronger tremor beneath his feet. This was not a shockwave. It was Hulk's footsteps, only three kilometers away!

"Damn it." Lin Mo gritted his teeth and pushed Physical Enhancement to its limit. The generator felt as light as a toy in his hand. He turned and ran back, Dynamic Vision allowing him to avoid falling billboards and panicked crowds.

As he passed the community park, he saw several children trapped on a wobbling slide. Beside it, a large tree had been snapped in half by the shockwave, and its trunk was falling toward the slide. "Hold on tight!" Lin Mo shouted. He phased through the slide's metal frame and carried the children down one by one, moving as fast as the wind.

"Thank you, mister!" The smallest child still held a half-melted ice cream cone, her eyes sparkling. "You run faster than Spider-Man!"

Lin Mo smiled, escorted them to a safe basement, then turned and continued running toward the repair shop. The generator's weight made his arms ache slightly, but he did not dare slow down. The distance on his wristband had dropped to 2.8 kilometers, and the gamma radiation was making the edge of the screen glow red.

The moment he turned onto the street where the repair shop stood, Lin Mo saw a green figure streak across the sky and slam into a nearby parking lot. The concrete instantly cracked, and cars were tossed into the air like toys. It was Hulk! He had actually "passed by" Queens!

Lin Mo instinctively activated his Phasing Ability, merging into the shadows within the wall. He watched Hulk rise from the rubble with a steel bar embedded in his chest. As if it were nothing, Hulk ripped it out and let out an earthshaking roar. Iron Man's armor followed close behind, a blue palm repulsor beam striking Hulk in the back and bursting into dazzling sparks.

"Run!" Lin Mo heard Peter's voice behind him. The boy had somehow followed him out, holding a homemade smoke bomb. "I'll lure them away!"

"Don't be stupid!" Lin Mo grabbed him, shoved the generator into his arms, and said, "Take it back to Carlos. Hurry!" He pushed Peter away and ran in the opposite direction. He had to draw Hulk away from the Community Center.

Physical Enhancement let him run faster than a car. The wind howled past his ears, and Dynamic Vision caught Hulk truly being drawn after him, taking huge strides in pursuit. Lin Mo's heart leaped into his throat. He knew he could not outrun Hulk. He could only use the Wall-Crossing Technique to keep maneuvering.

Seeing an abandoned apartment building ahead, Lin Mo abruptly changed direction, activated his Phasing Ability, and rushed inside, darting swiftly through the walls. Hulk's enormous fist slammed into the building, making the entire structure shake as bricks and stones fell like rain. From inside the wall, Lin Mo could clearly feel that savage power, as if it could tear the entire world apart.

"Over here!" He phased out through a second-floor window, waved at Hulk, then turned and rushed into another building. Like a nimble eel, he darted between buildings, using his Phasing Ability to evade every attack while leading Hulk toward the empty dock area.

Just as he was about to collapse from exhaustion, the roar of engines came from the sky. Iron Man's armor blazed with dazzling light as it tightly embraced Hulk and drove him into a massive Energy Barrier. "Hold on, big guy!" Tony Stark's voice came through the speakers with a hint of teasing. "Time to send you home."

The Energy Barrier flashed with blinding white light, enveloping Hulk before slowly rising into the air and vanishing into the clouds.

Lin Mo collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, every muscle in his body screaming. The alarm on his wristband finally stopped, and the screen displayed [Gamma radiation intensity has returned to normal]. Yet the synchronization rate had somehow increased by 5%, reaching 65%.

"Are you okay?" Peter ran over, still holding the smoke bomb, his face smeared with dust. "Aunt May was worried sick."

Lin Mo shook his head and looked at the smoke gradually dispersing in the distance. Then he suddenly smiled. He had actually dared to take Hulk for a "walk." Thinking about it now made his legs go weak. But seeing that the Community Center's roof was still intact and hearing children's laughter in the distance, he felt it had all been worth it.

When he returned to the repair shop, Ted clung to him and cried for half the day, saying he had thought he would never see him again. Grandma Martha shoved the last pickle into his hand, Aunt May wiped his face with a warm towel, and Carlos silently repaired the generator damaged by the tremors.

The television signal returned, and the news was showing footage of Hulk being taken away. The host excitedly announced that the crisis had been resolved. Ted suddenly remembered something and slapped his thigh. "I won the bet! Iron Man really won!"

Everyone burst into laughter, and their voices echoed through the cramped basement, driving away the fear and unease.

Lin Mo leaned against the wall, chewing on Grandma Martha's pickle as he looked at everything before him. He knew Hulk's "passing by" was only the beginning. Far more terrifying threats awaited in the future.