Justice by Numbers-The Arbitrators Make Their Entrance!

New York, Harlem, at night

Explosions tore through the night sky, and concrete walls collapsed under the impact of tremendous force. Crowds on the streets screamed and scattered in panic, car alarms blaring one after another as the entire neighborhood descended into chaos.

"Roar! Hulk—!!!"

The Hulk charged out of the smoke and dust, the muscles in his thick arms knotted, his skin turning an even deeper green with rage. He leaped up and threw a punch at the equally massive monster across from him—Abomination.

Abomination met the attack with a savage grin. Their giant fists collided, and the shockwave instantly shattered every window within a ten-meter radius.

"Banner, you're too weak!" Abomination roared, bone spikes thrusting out from his elbows as he slashed viciously at Hulk's chest.

Hulk staggered back several steps, but his anger only made him more ferocious. He grabbed an abandoned taxi and hurled it at Abomination like a baseball.

"Hulk—strongest!!!"

Abomination was knocked back by the blow, but quickly steadied himself and kicked a fire hydrant off the roadside. A high-pressure column of water shot into the sky, mixing with rubble and dust to make the battlefield even more chaotic.

"Sir, the situation is worse than expected." Agent Hill stared at the screen, her brow furrowed. "General Ross's Super Soldier Program has gone out of control. Abomination's destructive power far exceeds projections."

Fury's one eye gleamed coldly. "Where's our big guy?"

Hill's fingers flew across the control panel. The holographic display showed the battle in real time—every collision between Hulk and Abomination created shockwaves like miniature earthquakes, sending the armored vehicles and special forces deployed by the military flying like scraps of paper.

"Sir, General Ross's troops have already collapsed," Hill said at a rapid pace. "Conventional firepower is completely ineffective against those two monsters. Our snipers can't even penetrate Abomination's skin."

Fury stared intently at the screen, his knuckles tapping the desk faster and faster. "Damn it," he growled. "What the hell did those lab lunatics create?!"

Hill took a deep breath. "We need higher-level support."

Fury slammed the communications button. "Contact Stark! Tell him—"

Boom!!!

A deafening explosion interrupted Fury's command. Above Harlem, a gold-and-red meteor tore through the clouds, accompanied by thunderous rock music—AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" instantly blared across the entire battlefield!

"THUNDER—!!"

The instant the lead singer screamed the first word, Iron Man's Mark-Eclipse armor suddenly unfolded six wings of light in midair. The angelic wings, formed from nanoparticles, erupted with blinding white radiance. Plasma energy flowed through every feather, turning the entire five-hundred-meter area as bright as day.

"Sir, the global livestream has been activated through major social media platforms. Viewership has surpassed twenty million." JARVIS's voice was drowned out by the guitar solo.

Tony laughed. "Perfect! Let the whole world see what a real hero entrance looks like!"

Abomination had just slammed Hulk into the concrete and looked up, only to have his eyes burned by the intense light. He instinctively raised an arm to shield himself, but the glowing armor had already dived to ten meters above the ground—

"Eat laser cannon!!"

The six light wings folded forward at once, condensing into an energy cannon three meters wide. As "Thunderstruck" reached the height of its chorus, a beam of light comparable to a miniature sun erupted!

"NA-NA-NA-NA THUNDER—!!"

As the musical climax exploded, Hulk suddenly leaped up and punched Abomination, who had just climbed back to his feet! The collision between the two giants kicked up a violent gale, while Iron Man hovered in midair, his repulsors continuously laying down suppressive fire.

"Sir," JARVIS said in Tony's ear, "Mr. Chen has arrived at the battlefield."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Where's that kid?"

"You show-off, we said we'd make our entrance together!" Chen Tian's voice rang out above Tony's head, and then he stepped on Tony's helmet for leverage and sprang upward.

The next second—

Chen Tian drew Kitetsu. Dark-red energy coiled around the blade as a slash of sword energy struck Abomination's back, leaving a wound so deep that bone showed!

"Roar—!!" Abomination howled in pain and turned around, only to crash headlong into an explosive arrow fired by Barton!

Bang!

Flames engulfed Abomination's upper body. Using the explosion as cover, Natasha nimbly flipped onto Abomination's shoulder and shoved an electric shock device directly into his ear!

"Justice by numbers." Chen Tian sheathed Kitetsu and grinned at 2B, who had arrived beside him. "Feels better than fighting alone, right?"

Abomination roared in fury, bone spikes growing wildly from his body, but before he could retaliate—

"Hulk—SMASH!!!"

Hulk uppercut Abomination straight into the sky!

"Home run!" Tony launched twelve tracking missiles at the same time.

The corner of Chen Tian's mouth curled upward. He tossed Kitetsu to 2B, his eyes changing into the Heavenly Eye. He pointed his right hand, formed into a sword gesture, toward Abomination in the sky. A small red sphere spun continuously at the tips of his index and middle fingers. "Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."

As the guitar solo reached its peak, Abomination was blasted three hundred meters into the air by attacks from all sides. The Light Angel armor's main cannon completed its second charge, its six wings spreading to their limit—

"Good night, ugly."

A dazzling fireball blossomed in the night sky just as the guitar solo of "Thunderstruck" reached its climax!

As the smoke cleared, Abomination's charred body crashed heavily into the ground, temporarily losing the ability to move.

"Done."

Tony landed beside Chen Tian. His faceplate popped open with a click, revealing his signature punchable grin. "So... did we pass the team chemistry test?"

Chen Tian sheathed his blade and glanced at Abomination, who was being dragged away by the military in the distance. "Barely passing."

"Don't celebrate too soon," Fury's cold voice came through the communicator. "I'll send you the bill for the extra damage you caused, Stark."

"Yeah, yeah." Tony waved dismissively, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait! Perfect timing—"

Before he could finish, dazzling fireworks suddenly exploded across the sky. Gold-and-red flames outlined the word "Arbiters." Tony immediately struck an exaggerated pose, his armor gleaming beneath the bursts of light.

"Quick! Everyone strike a cooler pose!" Tony urgently shouted over the team channel. "JARVIS is taking pictures! This is prime promotional material!"

Chen Tian expressionlessly grabbed 2B and turned to leave. "Hard pass."

Natasha chuckled. "Heh heh."

Barton silently turned off his communicator.

Hulk scratched his head, completely confused.

"Now that's more like it!" Tony gave an emotional thumbs-up, then froze as he stared at the empty space around him. "...Hey? Where did everyone go?"

In the distance, Chen Tian waved without looking back. "Remember to send the edited photos to the group chat."

Watching everyone refuse to cooperate, Tony pursed his lips. "Wait! There's still one thing we haven't done!"

As he spoke, the armor's speakers were turned to maximum volume.

"Arbiters' first concert!"

The melody of "Thunderstruck" once again rang through Harlem's night sky.

A red banner hung over the entrance to Tony's Malibu Villa, embroidered with golden thread that read: "Night of the Arbitrators."

Inside the villa, AC/DC roared through the hall, adding a touch of rock-and-roll energy to the post-battle party.

Bruce Banner—no longer Hulk, but a scientist in a loose T-shirt—sat on a specially extended couch, holding a glass of Tony's custom "Banner Special"—lemon water with mint leaves, complete with a tiny paper umbrella hooked over the rim.

His gaze drifted over the projected news footage, his expression caught somewhere between embarrassment and helplessness.

"Relax, Doctor." Tony held a glass of whiskey as he leaned lazily against the bar, his custom suit jacket draped casually over his shoulders. "There's no military here, no lab. Just—" He pointed at Chen Tian, who was rummaging through the refrigerator in the kitchen. "A Chinese boy who's never full, and..."

"And a CEO you dragged here by force." Pepper Potts walked down the stairs with a glass of champagne in hand, a helpless smile on her lips. Her elegant black evening dress stood in sharp contrast to the group of people still smelling of smoke and gunpowder.

"Hey, this is a party celebrating the fact that we saved New York!" Tony spread his arms dramatically. "As Stark Industries' CEO, of course you had to attend."

Without looking back, Chen Tian tossed a can of beer from the refrigerator. Tony caught it one-handed. "Thanks, but I'd rather have something else."

"Like that bottle of Thirteen Black you hid behind the television—"

"Don't even think about it!" Tony crossed his hands into an X. "I'm saving that for when Pepper agrees to marry me!"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Then you might have to wait until your next life."

2B lightly walked over to Chen Tian's side and naturally took the plate of sandwiches from his hands. "Master, would you like me to get you anything else?"

"Thanks, 2B." Chen Tian smiled and rubbed her silver hair. "But I'd rather see what other good stuff Tony has hidden away."

Natasha sat in a single armchair, watching the scene with interest. "If you hadn't said anything, I never would've realized 2B was an android."

"What do you mean, android? She should have her own emotions," Chen Tian said proudly. "She just needs proper guidance." Hearing that, 2B's lips curled upward in a warm smile.

"So, this is the legendary 'post-battle party'?" Natasha asked, swirling the vodka in her hand.

"More accurately, it's a 'celebration that we didn't wreck New York even worse' party." Tony raised his glass and snapped his fingers.

JARVIS immediately switched the holographic projection to live reports from major news stations around the world. A CNN anchor was excitedly reporting, "Tonight, the new hero team 'Arbiters,' led by Tony Stark, successfully stopped the rampage of the bio-engineered monster 'Abomination' in Harlem..."

BBC footage switched to the breathtaking image of Iron Man's six-winged light armor descending from the sky. "This mysterious team's debut was a textbook-level superhero operation..."

FOX News zoomed in on the instant Chen Tian unleashed his sword energy. "This Asian member demonstrated the immense power of cold weapons."

Banner watched footage of himself transforming and awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Honestly, I'm still not used to seeing myself... like that on television."

Tony smugly swirled his drink. "Ha ha, you'll get used to it, Banner. I even had them add a matte finish to your green skin. It looks more refined."

Barton sat silently on a barstool in the corner and took a sip of beer. "So... are we officially a team now?"

"Of course!" Tony suddenly pulled up a holographic projection displaying a gold-embossed "ARBITERS" logo. "I even designed the merchandise. Doctor Banner, your Hulk figurine comes with interchangeable expressions."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Does S.H.I.E.L.D. know you already prepared merchandise?"

"What does it have to do with them?" Tony righteously pulled up more design sketches. "Look, there are matching uniforms too—"

"Hard pass." Chen Tian, Natasha, and Barton spoke in unison.

Banner suddenly raised his hand. "Um... can I make a suggestion? The uniforms should probably use elastic fabric..."

Tony clutched his chest emotionally. "As expected, only scientists understand scientific design advice! JARVIS, write that down!"

The virtual screen suddenly switched to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s emergency communication interface. Fury's one eye appeared as Tony finally answered on the seventeenth call.

"Tonight," Tony said, raising his glass as the holographic projection automatically switched to an album of the team's cool group photos in Harlem, "belongs only to the Arbitrators."

The moment everyone clinked glasses, dazzling fireworks rose outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, exploding into enormous letters spelling "ARBITERS" across the night sky. Chen Tian sighed. "Again..."

"It's called brand promotion!" Tony opened another bottle of champagne with complete confidence. "JARVIS, post that group photo to every social media platform. Don't forget the hashtag #ArbitersDebut!"

Banner looked at the fireworks outside and suddenly chuckled. "Honestly... this feels much better than being hunted by the military."

2B stood beside Chen Tian and naturally linked her arm through his. The intimate gesture made Tony whistle.

Natasha swirled her glass and said meaningfully to Banner, "Welcome to Stark's circus, Doctor. The show is only just beginning."

Within this strange, makeshift "family," the lights of the Malibu Villa felt warmer than ever.

In sharp contrast to the warm party at the Malibu Villa, the command center at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters was bathed in cold blue light.

Fury stood in the center of a circular holographic projection, surrounded by the live images of World Security Council members. Their faces looked especially stern under the dim light.

"Director Fury," Alexander Pierce's voice was the first to break the silence, "we need an explanation. When did Tony Stark form an unauthorized superhero team?"

The representatives from various countries in the projection frowned. One council member with an Asian face added coldly, "And this 'Arbiters' team just caused destruction in downtown New York comparable to an alien invasion."

Fury's one eye swept across every screen, his mouth tightening. "You're focusing on the wrong thing. Abomination went out of control first. If the Arbitrators hadn't intervened, Harlem would be rubble by now."

"That isn't the point!" The European council member slammed the table. "The problem is that this team operates completely outside international oversight! Stark, Banner, Romanoff, Barton, and even that Asian man of unknown origin—what gives them the right to act as they please?"

Fury tapped his fingertips against the console and pulled up Harlem's post-battle data. "Because they succeeded, and casualties were kept to a minimum."

"They succeeded this time. What about next time?" Pierce's voice was low and dangerous. "Fury, do you know why we established the Superhuman Registration Act? People like them must be restrained, just like Charles's mutants."

Fury sneered. "The act? You want to turn the Avengers into your private army."

"At least that's better than letting them become Stark's private toys!" another council member shouted. "This so-called 'Arbiters' team isn't even officially registered. What gives them the right to represent global security?"

Fury fell silent for a moment, then suddenly displayed an encrypted recording. In the footage, Abomination was injected with an unknown serum in a military laboratory before going on a rampage.

"Because General Ross's Super Soldier Program was the source of this disaster." Fury's voice was as sharp as a blade. "And the Arbitrators were the only ones who stopped it."

The council members fell into a brief silence. At last, Pierce slowly spoke. "Even so, they must submit to oversight. Fury, either bring them into the S.H.I.E.L.D. system, or—"

"Or what?" Fury raised an eyebrow.

Pierce stared directly at Fury. "Or the World Security Council will regard them as potential threats and take the necessary measures."

Fury's one eye narrowed slightly. "Threats? You just watched them save half of New York."

"Saving people once doesn't mean they'll always be reliable." Pierce's voice allowed no doubt. "Give them two choices—sign the agreement and accept oversight, or... be designated high-risk targets."

Fury shut off the projection, and the command center fell into darkness again. Agent Hill stepped out of the shadows and asked quietly, "Sir, should we notify Stark?"

Fury stared out at the nightscape. In the distance, the Malibu Villa glimmered with warm points of light against the darkness.

"No," he finally said. "Let me first figure out how to explain to that narcissist that his 'Arbiters' have caught the World Security Council's attention."

Hill's communicator suddenly rang. She looked down at it, her expression turning strange. "Sir... Stark just posted the Arbitrators' group photo on Twitter. The caption says, 'The coolest superheroes in the world, bar none.' It's already passed five million likes."

Fury took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. "...Agent Hill, get me the Malibu Villa."

Tony Stark held up his champagne and nodded approvingly at the team photo in the holographic projection. "Perfect! The composition, the lighting, the—"

JARVIS suddenly interrupted. "Sir, Director Fury is calling."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Hang up. No work tonight."

"He said," JARVIS paused, "it concerns the World Security Council's intention to forcibly disband the Arbitrators."

The living room instantly fell silent.

Barton put down his beer. "...What?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes. "I knew this would happen."

Banner nearly spilled his lemon water. "Wait, didn't we just save people?"

Tony was silent for two seconds, then suddenly grinned. "Ha! Looks like we really are famous!"

He snapped his fingers. "JARVIS, prepare a press release—the title will be 'World Security Council Jealous of Us Saving Innocent Civilians'!"

Pepper covered her forehead. "Tony, this isn't the time for jokes..."

2B gently tugged on Chen Tian's sleeve, her silver hair shimmering under the moonlight. "Master, are we going to be in trouble?"

Chen Tian narrowed his eyes, unconsciously rubbing his chin with his fingers. His gaze passed through the floor-to-ceiling windows toward the distant city lights, as though he could see through the night and into the conspiracy unfolding at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

"Trouble?" He chuckled, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "I'm wondering whether tonight's farce has made certain 'snakes' unable to sit still."

2B tilted her head. "You mean... Hydra?"

Chen Tian didn't answer directly. He simply reached out and rubbed her hair. "Even if those snakes really can't sit still, it doesn't matter. We have that narcissist Tony standing out front to take the heat." A sly curve appeared on his lips. "Doesn't he love being the center of attention?"

Tony had already opened a holographic projection and begun designing a new team logo. "Everyone, are you ready for 'Arbiters 2.0'? This time, we'll even print 'Officially Certified Trouble Makers' on the merchandise T-shirts!"

Fury's communication request flashed madly across the screen. Tony ignored it completely and turned up the volume on AC/DC instead.

The night breeze swept past the Malibu Villa. The party remained lively, but the air had gained a trace of tension—