Harlem was in ruins. Sirens wailed, storefronts collapsed, and the street was a warzone. But the chaos wasn't the only thing drawing stares—Li Feng's magic had. Light bent, shadows twisted, and a dozen witnesses saw it happen.
Uncle Ben, propped against a half-toppled streetlamp, caught the whispers and pointing fingers. He'd lived his whole life in a world of science, and now he saw the problem clear as day: Li Feng's secret was out. Whatever strange power his nephew wielded was no longer private.
He turned toward Li Feng, regret written all over his lined face. "I'm sorry. You saved me, and now I've exposed you. If there's anything I can do to make this right—just say it."
Li Feng only shrugged, calm even with rubble falling around them. "You're overthinking it, Uncle Ben. Magic isn't exactly a secret to everyone. And I can take care of myself."
Before he could say more, Agent Coulson jogged up, suit jacket flapping, holding a phone like it was burning his hand. "Director wants you."
Li Feng hadn't even lifted it before Fury's voice thundered through the speaker.
"Austin, what the hell are you doing? I said withdraw! Do you get that you were probably photographed throwing spells around in broad daylight? You want tomorrow's headline to be 'Earth Has Wizards'?!"
Li Feng winced, holding the phone away from his ear, then shot Uncle Ben a look. "See? Another guy who knows. World-class spy, even. You don't need to worry."
Uncle Ben let out a long breath, shoulders easing. "Good. I thought saving me was going to bring you nothing but trouble."
Fury's rant finally slowed into a growl. "You take those two monsters down, I'll clean up your mess." Then—click. The line went dead.
Li Feng tossed the phone back to Coulson. "Your one-eyed boss is insane. I don't care if people know I'm a wizard, but why am I doing this for free?"
Coulson's reply was cut short by the roar of combat. Hulk and Abomination crashed down the block, concrete exploding under their fists. Coulson's voice spiked. "Austin, are you helping or not?"
Uncle Ben put a hand on Li Feng's arm. His tone was steady, but his eyes were pleading. "If you can, help them. Ambulances can't even reach the injured. But disguise yourself. Otherwise, the aftermath's going to get ugly."
Li Feng sighed, then opened a portal, reaching into a parked car to pull out a skull mask and a scythe that looked built for nightmares. "I never said I wasn't helping. But Uncle Ben—get that arm set at the hospital. I'll patch it up later."
He slid on the mask, slung the scythe across his shoulders, and strolled forward like the street was his stage.
Abomination, fresh off kicking Hulk through a storefront, turned at the sound of Li Feng's drawl.
"Hey. Heard you're supposed to be tough. Grandpa's bored—entertain me."
The brute sneered, spit hitting the cracked pavement. "A mask and a toy scythe? You think you're Death himself?" He lowered his shoulder and charged. "Then I'll send you to meet him!"
Abomination slammed into… nothing. An invisible wall snapped him back like a ragdoll.
Li Feng rubbed his cheek, mock sympathy dripping from every word. "I know ugly lives long, but you're overdoing it. Planning to live forever on face value alone? And seriously—Hulk at least wears pants. You're flashing the city like it's Mardi Gras."
That jab hit. Abomination growled, shook himself off, and charged again. Li Feng flicked his fingers, pelting him with fireballs, testing how much punishment the beast could shrug off.
When the smoke cleared, Li Feng tilted his head at the sight. "Huh. Thick hide, but… you're a eunuch monster?"
Abomination saw red. He charged again, ignoring the pain. He'd paid everything to become this, and now this masked clown mocked him like he was half a man.
Hulk staggered from the wrecked storefront, dazed but furious. With a roar, he barreled back into the fray.
Li Feng scowled. "Hey, green-skin! That's my lab rat." He snapped open a small portal behind Hulk's head and slapped it.
Bruce Banner's spirit tumbled free of his hulking body.
He stared at himself in shock, raising translucent hands. "Am I… dead?"
"You're not dead," Li Feng said flatly. "I did that."
Abomination kicked Hulk's limp body aside, confused but not concerned. Li Feng's eyes lit with interest. He released a precise spell—streams of water coiling, locking Abomination in place.
Only his head was free. Li Feng leaned in. "So. If you don't reproduce the usual way… what then? Hermaphrodite? Lay eggs from the mouth? Tuck them in bed until they hatch?"
Banner, floating nearby, let out a startled laugh. "What is he, a hen? You gonna sit on him too? How big a blanket would that take?"
Abomination strained against the spell, every motion slowed to a crawl. To him, moving an inch felt like pushing through centuries.
"Who are you?" he spat, voice trembling. "I'm military. You can't do this to me."
Li Feng tapped his own nose. "Me? Just a passerby. You're impressively ugly, so I wanted a closer look."
With that, he twisted the spell. Abomination's thoughts accelerated even as his body stayed locked. Seconds of Li Feng's words stretched into years of isolation for him. Centuries in his own mind. By the time Li Feng released the field, the fear had set deep. It wasn't something brute strength could shake.
And Li Feng watched, curious, as Abomination's bravado cracked.
The war hadn't ended; it was only changing shape.
Li Feng never worked for free. Fury had said it outright—"No reimbursements." Mana wasn't money, but wasting spells without payoff grated on him. So he had a plan. If S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't hand him perks, he'd take them.
And tonight's perk? Abomination's soul and body.
The brute had fought like a mini-boss, yet dropped no loot worth keeping. Fine. If Abomination wouldn't cough up rewards, Li Feng would make him into one. A walking, breathing mummy—an Abomination-brand bodyguard. The thought alone gave him that "ancient pharaoh" swagger. All he needed was a golden scythe to complete the look.
Banner, though? Off-limits. Not because Li Feng couldn't take him, but because he wouldn't. Banner was a resource. The man who, down the road, would help build time machines. A mummy-version Banner? No brain left to pick. Li Feng wanted lessons in time, not deadweight.
Normally, he could've pulled Abomination's soul himself. But Fury had already heard him brag too much. If a mummified Blonsky started marching around at Li Feng's side later, S.H.I.E.L.D. would stick cameras in his bathroom sink. So instead, Li Feng raised his scythe—the one housing a spirit called the "cat maw"—and let it do the work.
The blade plunged into Abomination's chest. Emil Blonsky's soul was ripped free and locked inside the weapon. His blood was refined and consumed, leaving his body nothing but a husk. Li Feng exhaled, refreshed, when a shout cut across the street.
"Wait! Hold your hand!"
Too late.
Li Feng turned to the newcomer—a soldier in full dress uniform. The insignias meant nothing to him, but the man was high-ranking, posture stiff with command. Banner recognized him instantly.
"That's General Ross," Banner blurted, panic in his voice. "U.S. Air Force, big authority. Also… my girlfriend's father."
Ross didn't hear the ghostly warning. He only saw Abomination drained like a corpse in a horror film. Rage twisting his face, he drew his sidearm and leveled it at Li Feng. "You will address me as General Ross. And I said stop."
The surrounding soldiers, nerves shredded from the Hulk-Abomination brawl, raised their rifles. No one wanted to be here, but orders were orders.
Li Feng glanced at them, bored. Then grinned behind his mask at Banner. "Father-in-law with a temper like this? Dinner must be a blast. Want me to take him out of the equation so you and Betty can elope?"
Banner forced a laugh, uneasy. If Li Feng got trigger-happy, Ross might really end up another husk. That was a nightmare scenario he couldn't explain to Betty.
Then Banner froze. His Hulk body had reverted—back to fragile, human Banner. Without his spirit at the wheel, the Hulk form had collapsed. No more protection. If Ross got his way, Banner was a prisoner again.
Li Feng caught the look. "How about we grab a drink instead?" Before Banner could answer, Li Feng shoved his soul back into his body with a firm clap.
The soldiers jumped. One panicked private snapped and pulled the trigger.
The gunshot triggered a chain reaction. The line of troops erupted into gunfire, rifles cracking, an RPG spiraling down the block. Ross dropped to the asphalt, screaming for a ceasefire.
Li Feng didn't flinch. At the first shot, he covered the left side of his skull mask with one hand, listening almost lazily as bullets ricocheted away. When the chaos died down, he lowered his hand, flashing a smile.
"Now you know my shield rebounds bullets."
He tilted his head at Ross, voice casual. "Question, General. If your men panic, fire without orders, and kill themselves with their own bullets… is that suicide? Do their families still get the flag and the benefits package?"
Ross's jaw clenched so hard it could've cracked teeth. "You'll regret this."
"Regret?" Li Feng laughed coldly. He flicked his scythe into the air. The blade spun, streaked toward fallen soldiers, and dragged their souls free before snapping back into his hand. "I do free cleanup, and this is the thanks I get? You'd have me on a lab table already if you could. Don't play innocent."
His tone turned sharp, mocking. "Next time you try to threaten me, General, I'll have this blade fly three thousand miles and take your jewels off clean. Then you and Abomination can match."
He opened a portal, desert sands gleaming beyond, and waved to Banner. "Doctor Banner, time to eat. I've got beers cold."
Banner hesitated, staring toward Betty, tears streaming down her face. If he stayed, Ross would bleed him dry. If he left, he'd lose her. Either way, the cost was brutal.
Li Feng clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't do the tragic farewell thing. I can open a door for you anytime. You'll see her again."
Banner blinked, surprised. "You're not after Hulk?"
"Hulk?" Li Feng rolled his eyes. "If the big guy had your brains, sure. But he's got anger management issues and a toddler's math skills. Not worth my time."
Relief loosened Banner's chest. He hugged Betty one last time, whispered goodbye, and walked back to Li Feng's side.
Ross couldn't stand it. "No. Hulk is government property. Taking Banner is theft of U.S. assets."
Li Feng pointed to the shattered street, scorched storefronts, and cratered asphalt. "General, maybe worry about the disaster in front of you first. My guess? From here on out, your career involves fishing trips and campfire stories."
Banner glanced back once more at Ross, then stepped through the portal with Li Feng. Abomination's husk floated in after them. Li Feng gave Coulson a casual "call me" gesture, then vanished through the closing portal.
Ross and his soldiers were left staring at empty air, fury and disbelief boiling in their silence.