Justice by Ganging Up-The Arbiters Make Their Debut!

New York, Harlem—Night

The fiery glow of explosions tore through the night sky. Concrete walls collapsed beneath tremendous impacts. Crowds screamed and scattered through the streets, car alarms blaring one after another as the entire neighborhood descended into chaos.

"Roar! Hulk—!!!"

The Hulk charged out of the smoke, the muscles in his thick arms bulging as his skin turned an even deeper green with rage. He leaped forward and swung a fist at the equally massive monster across from him—the Abomination.

The Abomination met him with a savage grin. Their enormous fists collided, and the shockwave instantly shattered every pane of glass within ten meters.

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

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

"Hulk—strongest!!!"

The Abomination stumbled back from the blow, but quickly steadied himself and kicked a fire hydrant flying from the roadside. A high-pressure jet 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. The Abomination's destructive power far exceeds projections."

Fury's single eye flashed coldly. "Where are our soldiers?"

Hill's fingers flew across the control panel. The holographic display showed the battle in real time—every clash between the Hulk and the Abomination triggered shockwaves like miniature earthquakes, tossing aside the military's armored vehicles and special forces like paper.

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

Fury's eye remained fixed on 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 order. Above Harlem, a gold-and-red meteor tore through the clouds, accompanied by thunderous rock music—AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" instantly rang across the entire battlefield! (I seriously love this song~ Especially the electric guitar solo at the beginning, combined with the first "THUNDER" lyric—it's perfect for a hero's entrance~ Just think of me as being embarrassingly edgy, everyone~)

"THUNDER—!!"

The instant the vocalist roared out the first word, Iron Man's Mark-Eclipse armor suddenly unfolded six wings of light in midair. The angelic wings, formed from nanites, burst with blinding white radiance. Plasma energy flowed through every feather, turning everything within five hundred meters bright as day.

"Sir, global livestreams have been activated through major social media platforms. Current viewers have surpassed twenty million." JARVIS's voice was drowned out by the guitar solo.

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

The Abomination had just pinned the Hulk into the concrete when he looked up and had his eyes scorched by the intense light. He instinctively raised an arm to shield himself, only to see the glowing armor diving to within ten meters of the ground—

"Eat this laser cannon!!"

The six wings of light folded forward at once, converging into an energy cannon three meters in diameter. The moment "Thunderstruck" reached the peak of its chorus, a beam as brilliant as a miniature sun erupted!

"NA-NA-NA-NA THUNDER—!!"

As the musical climax exploded, Hulk sprang up and punched the Abomination, who had just climbed to his feet! The collision between the two giants unleashed a violent gale, while Iron Man hovered in the air, his repulsors continuously pouring out suppressive fire.

"Sir," JARVIS said in Tony's ear, "Mr. Chen has arrived on 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 sounded above Tony's head. Then he stepped on Tony's helmet for leverage and launched himself upward.

The next second—

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

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

Bang!

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

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

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

"Hulk—SMASH!!!"

Hulk landed an uppercut that sent the Abomination soaring into the air!

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

Chen Tian's lips curled upward as he tossed Kitetsu to 2B. His eyes transformed into the Heavenly Eye. He pointed his right hand skyward in a sword-finger gesture at the Abomination, his index and middle fingers forming a small spinning red sphere at their tips. "Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."

As the guitar solo reached its highest point, the Abomination was blasted three hundred meters into the air by attacks from all three sides. The light angel armor's main cannon finished charging for a second time, its six wings spreading to their limit—

"Good night, ugly."

A dazzling fireball exploded in the night sky just as the guitar solo in "Thunderstruck" hit its peak!

As the smoke cleared, the Abomination's charred body slammed heavily into the ground, temporarily unable 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 teamwork chemistry test?"

Chen Tian sheathed his sword and glanced at the Abomination 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 all the additional damage you caused, Stark."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Tony waved him off impatiently, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait! Perfect timing—"

Before he finished speaking, brilliant fireworks burst across the sky, their gold-and-red flames outlining the word "Arbiters." Tony immediately struck an exaggerated pose, his armor gleaming beneath the explosions.

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

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

Natasha chuckled. "Heh heh."

Barton silently shut off his communicator.

The Hulk scratched his head, completely baffled.

"Now that's more like it!" Tony gave an emotional thumbs-up, then stared blankly at the empty surroundings. "...Hey? Where did everyone go?"

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

Tony pursed his lips at their lack of cooperation. "Wait! There's one more thing we haven't done!"

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

"Arbiters' first concert!"

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

A red banner hung over the entrance to Tony's Malibu Villa, its golden thread spelling out several words: "Arbitrators' Night."

Inside the villa, AC/DC blared through the hall, adding a touch of rock 'n' roll to the post-battle party.

Bruce Banner—no longer the Hulk, but a scientist in a loose T-shirt—sat on an extra-long custom couch, holding a glass of Tony's special "Banner Exclusive": lemon water with mint leaves and a tiny paper umbrella tucked into the rim.

His gaze wandered over the news footage on the virtual display, his expression somewhere between embarrassment and helplessness.

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

"And a CEO you dragged here by force." Pepper Potts came down the stairs holding a glass of champagne, a helpless smile on her lips. She wore an elegant black dress, standing in sharp contrast to the smoke-scented crowd around her.

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

Without turning around, Chen Tian tossed a can of beer from the fridge, which Tony caught one-handed. "Thanks, but I'd rather drink something else."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What do you mean, android? She should have emotions of her own," Chen Tian said proudly. "She just needs proper guidance." At his words, 2B's lips curved slightly into a warm smile.

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

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

JARVIS immediately switched the virtual display to live coverage from major news outlets around the world. A CNN anchor reported excitedly, "Tonight, the new hero team known as the 'Arbiters,' led by Tony Stark, successfully stopped the rampage of the bioengineered monster known as the 'Abomination' in Harlem..."

The BBC footage shifted to the stunning scene of Iron Man's six-winged light armor descending from the sky. "The debut of this mysterious team was a textbook-level superhero operation..."

FOX News zoomed in on the moment Chen Tian unleashed his blade energy. "This Asian member demonstrated the formidable power of cold weapons."

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

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

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

"Of course!" Tony suddenly pulled up a hologram displaying a gold-stamped "ARBITERS" logo. "I've even designed the merchandise. Doctor Banner, your Hulk figure 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. Too ugly," Chen Tian, Natasha, and Barton said in unison.

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

Tony clutched his chest emotionally. "See? Only scientists understand scientific design suggestions! JARVIS, write that down!"

The virtual screen suddenly switched to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s emergency communications interface. Fury's single eye appeared for the seventeenth time before Tony finally hung up on him.

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

The moment everyone clinked glasses, brilliant fireworks suddenly rose outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, exploding into a gigantic "ARBITERS" in the night sky. Chen Tian sighed. "Again..."

"It's called brand promotion!" Tony declared, opening another bottle of champagne. "JARVIS, post that group photo to every social media platform. Remember to add #ArbitersDebut!"

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

Standing beside Chen Tian, 2B 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 beginning."

Within this strange, hastily assembled "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 shrouded in cold blue light.

Fury stood at the center of a circular holographic projection, surrounded by live images of World Security Council members. Their faces looked especially solemn 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 assemble an unauthorized superhero team?"

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

Fury's single eye swept over every screen, his jaw tightening. "You're focusing on the wrong thing. The Abomination lost control first. If the Arbiters hadn't intervened, Harlem would be ruins by now."

"That isn't the point!" A 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 origins—what gives them the right to act as they please?"

Fury tapped his fingertips against the console and pulled up post-battle data from Harlem. "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 let out a cold laugh. "The Act? You want to turn the Avengers into your private army."

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

Fury was silent for a moment before suddenly pulling up encrypted footage. In it, the 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 sharp as a blade. "And the Arbiters were the only ones who stopped it."

The council members fell into brief silence. At last, Pierce slowly spoke. "Even so, they must accept 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 consider them a potential threat and take necessary action."

Fury's eye narrowed slightly. "A threat? 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 argument. "Give them two choices—sign the agreement and accept oversight, or... be classified as high-risk targets."

Fury shut down the projection, and the command center fell into darkness again. Agent Hill emerged from the shadows and asked softly, "Sir, should we notify Stark?"

Fury stared out at the night, where the Malibu Villa glimmered warmly in the distance.

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

Hill's communicator suddenly rang. She looked down at it, her expression turning subtle. "Sir... Stark just posted a group photo of the Arbiters on Twitter. The caption says, 'The coolest superheroes in the world, no contest.' It already has over five million likes."

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

Tony Stark held up a glass of champagne and nodded approvingly at the team photo in the holographic display. "Perfect! The composition, the lighting, the—"

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

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

"He says," JARVIS paused, "it concerns the World Security Council forcibly disbanding the Arbiters."

The living room fell silent.

Barton lowered 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 fell silent for two seconds, then suddenly broke into a grin. "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 pressed a hand to her forehead. "Tony, this isn't the time for jokes..."

2B gently tugged at Chen Tian's sleeve, her silver hair glowing faintly beneath the moonlight. "Master, will we be in trouble?"

Chen Tian narrowed his eyes, unconsciously rubbing his chin. His gaze passed through the floor-to-ceiling windows toward the city lights in the distance, as though he could see through the night to the plotting underway 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 did not answer directly. He merely reached out and rubbed her hair. "Even if those snakes really can't sit still, it's fine. Tony the narcissist is standing out front to take the pressure." A sly curve touched his lips. "Doesn't he enjoy being the center of attention?"

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

Fury's communications request flashed wildly across the screen, but Tony ignored it and turned up the AC/DC even louder.

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