Hulk's "Passing Through"

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 was holding a capacitor with tweezers when the noise startled him, making them clatter onto the circuit board. "What's wrong with this damned TV now?"

Lin Mo had just returned from delivering Gretchen's blood pressure medicine, a thin sheen of sweat still on his forehead. He casually picked up the remote and pressed a few buttons. Red emergency-news captions suddenly appeared on the screen, followed by a pale-faced host in a suit. Behind him were towering flames and collapsing buildings.

"Breaking news! An unidentified green giant has appeared in Midtown Manhattan and is engaged in a fierce battle with the military! I repeat, the green giant—"

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

Lin Mo stared intently at the screen. In the footage, a huge green figure was sprinting down the streets. Military tanks were tossed aside like toys, helicopter searchlights swept across his bulging back, and every step made the ground shake violently, even causing the TV signal to tremble.

"Hulk..." Peter's voice trembled almost imperceptibly. He had just returned from school and had not even put down his backpack before crowding in front of the TV. His glasses had slipped down his nose, but he did not bother adjusting them. "An energy-based lifeform created by biological mutation. In theory, his muscle fibers can multiply indefinitely..."

"Speak English!" Ted crouched on the floor with his hands over his head like a startled ostrich. "Is he strong or not? Is he going to fight his way to Queens?"

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

Lin Mo's fingers unconsciously rubbed his wristband. The synchronization rate of Physical Enhancement had risen to 60%. Dynamic Vision could track the flight path of a fly flapping its wings a hundred meters away, and Phasing Ability could even let him pass through three brick walls with ease. But as he watched Hulk flatten a tank turret with one punch, a chill crept 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 abilities were probably no better than paper.

"Close the shop! Hurry, close the shop!" Ted suddenly jumped up and pulled down on the rolling shutter's cord. Metal shrieked against the 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 tigers in Las Vegas jump through fire hoops," Carlos said irritably, though he still got up to move a toolbox against the door. "Lin, move that S.H.I.E.L.D. server to the corner. Don't let a stray shot wreck it."

Lin Mo nodded and bent down to pick up the server. The thing weighed nearly two hundred pounds and used to require two people to carry, 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, its screen showing his call with Aunt May. "She said Grandma Martha is at her place, and they're moving the pickle jars into the basement."

The conflict on the television continued to escalate. 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 carried a sob. "The military has requested reinforcements. Iron Man, Tony Stark, is on his way to the scene..."

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

"What are you betting for?" Lin Mo set down the server and walked to the window, lifting a narrow gap in the curtain 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 clutching cardboard boxes as they ran for the basement, muttering, "It's the end of the world."

Suddenly, the ground shook violently, as if a heavy truck had rolled past. The repair shop's lightbulbs swayed, the television signal cut out completely, and the screen went black. Peter's phone fell to the ground with a slap, its signal bars disappearing.

"What happened?" Ted crawled under the table in fright. "Did he... did he come here?"

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

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

Carlos had already opened the trapdoor leading downstairs. 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 remained steady as he wrapped a coil of wire around his waist. "If the power goes out, we'll use this to hook up the emergency lights."

The damp smell of mildew hit them as they entered the basement. Ted hugged a spare tire like a shield, while Peter opened his laptop. The screen displayed real-time news pulled from the internet. The latest item, posted three minutes ago, read: [Hulk has broken through the military line and is moving toward Brooklyn.]

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

"Stop talking nonsense." Lin Mo pulled a flashlight from the toolbox and clicked it on, sending a beam through the darkness. "Brooklyn is still some distance away. Iron Man should be able to stop him." Even so, his fingers unconsciously rested on his wristband, with Phasing Ability ready at any moment.

Peter suddenly pointed at the computer screen. "Look! Someone captured an energy analysis of Hulk. His gamma radiation is ten thousand times the normal level!" The boy's eyes held both fear and barely restrained curiosity. "This kind of radiation can cause irreversible mutations in living cells..."

"Get to the point!" Ted snatched the flashlight, its beam swinging around 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. "Lin Mo, can your Phasing Ability block radiation?"

Lin Mo froze. He had never tested that. When he touched that energy-infused stone in New Mexico last time, the wristband had only warned him about a rejection reaction. It had not mentioned radiation. "I don't know. Let's hope we don't need to find out."

Suddenly, a loud bang bang sounded from the basement entrance, accompanied by Grandma Martha's booming voice. "Carlos! Open up! I brought down all of Aunt May's pickles!"

Ted nearly threw the tire in fright. Lin Mo quickly climbed up and opened the trapdoor. Grandma Martha was carrying an enormous glass jar, with Aunt May behind her, holding a screaming Snowball in her arms. "Get down here! It's shaking up there like an earthquake!" Martha set the jar down with a clear clink of glass. "My husband used to be in the military. He said when something like this happens, you go 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 patted Peter's head. "You weren't too scared, were you? Don't be afraid. Lin is here."

Lin Mo's heart sank. Even Aunt May, usually the calmest person, was panicking. That showed just how serious the situation was. Leaning against the damp wall, he suddenly felt his wristband grow warm. Its screen flashed: [High-intensity gamma radiation detected. Distance: 4.7 kilometers. Recommendation: Remain concealed and avoid direct contact.]

4.7 kilometers... and rapidly closing.

An eerie silence fell over the basement. Only Snowball's purring and Ted's nervous swallowing could be heard. Grandma Martha passed around pickles. Their cold, salty-sour flavor spread through everyone's mouths, but it could not suppress the growing fear.

Suddenly, a piercing sound of tearing metal came from overhead, as if something heavy had crashed onto the repair shop's roof. Dust rained down, red light seeped through the gaps in the trapdoor, and a roar came from the distance—not an explosion, but the howl of some creature, deep and savage enough to make their eardrums ache.

"He... he's reached Brooklyn!" Peter's computer screen lit up with a video notification. In the footage, Hulk stood on the Brooklyn Bridge and smashed through a cable with one punch. The bridge shook violently like a dying giant serpent.

Ted's hands trembled as he held the tire. "It's over. Queens is next..."

"Shut up." Lin Mo suddenly spoke, his voice lower than usual. "Think of something." He looked at Carlos. "Can that old generator of yours still work? If the power stays out too long, the medicine in the fridge 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 off 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 Phasing Ability. His arm passed easily through the basement's concrete wall. "I can pass through walls. No one will notice me." He looked at Peter. "Where exactly is the generator in the warehouse?"

Peter immediately gave him the location and even sketched a simple map. "Watch out for the shelves. There are gasoline barrels 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 Gretchen's blood pressure medicine was still in the refrigerator, and the community hospital's vaccines needed refrigeration. He could not just hide.

Activating Physical Enhancement, Lin Mo sprang through the trapdoor like an agile cat. Sure enough, a huge hole had collapsed in the repair shop's roof. Sunlight shone through the opening, casting crooked patches of light onto the floor. The distant sky had been dyed orange-red by thick smoke, and he could vaguely see Iron Man's golden armor streaking through the clouds like an enraged bumblebee.

He did not dare waste time. Moving quickly along the walls, he used Phasing Ability to slip through the locked warehouse door. The generator sat in the corner under a rain cover, coated in dust. Lin Mo bent down and grabbed its handle with one hand, only to feel an even stronger vibration through the ground. This was not a shockwave. It was Hulk's footsteps. He was only three kilometers away!

"Damn it." Lin Mo gritted his teeth and pushed Physical Enhancement to its limit. The generator felt like a toy in his hand. He turned and ran back, using Dynamic Vision to dodge falling signs and panicked crowds.

As he passed the community park, he saw several children trapped on a wobbling slide. A nearby 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 a gust of wind.

"Thank you, mister!" The smallest child was still holding a half-melted ice cream cone, his eyes shining. "You run even faster than Spider-Man!"

Lin Mo smiled, brought them to a safe basement, then turned and continued running toward the repair shop. The generator 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 turning the edges of the screen red.

The moment he turned onto the street where the repair shop stood, Lin Mo saw a green figure streaking across the sky and crash heavily into a nearby parking lot. The concrete instantly cracked, and cars were flung aside like toys. It was Hulk! He had actually "passed through" Queens!

Lin Mo instinctively activated Phasing Ability, merging into the shadows of a wall. He watched Hulk rise from the rubble with a steel bar embedded in his chest, only to pull it out as if it were nothing and let out a deafening roar. Iron Man's armor followed close behind, blue beams from his repulsors striking Hulk's back and exploding into brilliant sparks.

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

"Don't be stupid!" Lin Mo grabbed him, shoved the generator into his arms, and said, "Take this back to Carlos, now!" He pushed Peter away and ran in the opposite direction. He was going to lead Hulk away from the center of the community.

Physical Enhancement made him faster than a car. The wind howled past his ears, and Dynamic Vision caught Hulk's attention as he started striding after him. Lin Mo's heart rose to his throat. He knew he could not outrun Hulk. He could only use Wall-Crossing Technique to keep him occupied.

Spotting an abandoned apartment building ahead, Lin Mo abruptly turned and activated Phasing Ability, rushing inside and weaving rapidly through the walls. Hulk's massive fist smashed into the building, making the entire structure shake as bricks and stones rained down. From within the walls, Lin Mo could clearly feel that violent force, as if it wanted to tear the whole 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 loach, he darted between the buildings, using Phasing Ability to avoid every attack while luring Hulk toward the open dock area.

Just as he was nearing exhaustion, the roar of engines thundered through the sky. Iron Man's armor blazed with dazzling light as it locked Hulk in a tight hold and propelled him into a massive energy barrier. "Hold on, big guy!" Tony Stark's voice came through the speakers with a teasing edge. "Time to send you home."

The energy barrier erupted in blinding white light, enveloping Hulk before slowly rising into the sky and vanishing into the clouds.

Lin Mo collapsed to the ground, gasping for air as every muscle in his body screamed. The alarm on his wristband finally lifted, and its screen displayed [Gamma radiation intensity has returned to normal]. Yet the synchronization rate had inexplicably increased by 5%, reaching 65%.

"Are you okay?" Peter ran over, still holding the smoke bomb, his face smudged 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 him break out in a cold sweat. But when he saw that the community's rooftops were still intact and heard children laughing in the distance, he felt it had all been worth it.

When he returned to the repair shop, Ted hugged him and cried for ages, saying he thought he would never see him again. Grandma Martha shoved the last pickle into his hand, Aunt May wiped his face with a hot towel, and Carlos silently repaired the generator that had been 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 was over. Ted suddenly remembered something and slapped his thigh. "I won the bet! Iron Man really won!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Their laughter 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 through" was only the beginning. More terrifying threats would come in the future.