Reborn as Superman's Son, Ch 54

Chapter 54: Eden vs Hulk and Abomination

After Eden purged S.H.I.E.L.D., overall efficiency skyrocketed.

A week later—

“Your Majesty, you wanted to see me?”

In S.H.I.E.L.D.’s headquarters office, Brock Rumlow—Crossbones—entered the meeting room as instructed. He bowed respectfully to Eden before speaking.

For reference, “Your Majesty” was Eden’s codename within both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. The more fanatical Hydra members had wanted to call him “My God,” but Eden thought that sounded too ridiculous, so he settled on “King.”

As Sitwell had joked, Eden’s codename couldn’t possibly sound less impressive than his old classmate Strucker’s.

“Besides Fury’s public ‘Avengers Initiative,’ we’ll be building our own covert task force,” Eden said. “A black ops team to deal with nonhuman threats. You remember our goal, right?”

“To conquer the entire universe!” Rumlow replied instantly.

That was right. Hydra’s goal had officially escalated to universal conquest.

Please—Superman was on their side now. Why bother with world domination? That was last century’s dream, from the fossils who used to run the place.

“Exactly,” Eden said. “So we’ll need a new division. Let’s call it… the Thunderbolts.”

He tossed Rumlow a file. “You’ll be in charge of forming the team. Think you can handle it?”

“I’ll see it done, Your Majesty.”

After scanning through the plan, Rumlow already had a list of candidates in mind. He stood straighter, brimming with pride.

Eden waved him off. “Go.”

“Yes, sir.”

Rumlow left the office with the proposal in hand, grinning from ear to ear. Being summoned by the King himself was a rare honor.

Once Eden had settled S.H.I.E.L.D.’s affairs, he returned to school.

“Eden! I’ve got someone new for you to meet!”

Peter Parker had apparently been waiting for him. At this point, Peter was used to Eden’s irregular attendance—after all, the guy’s grades were perfect, and everyone figured he worked part-time or something.

“You? A new friend?” Eden asked, dropping into his seat with a curious look.

“Wow, that hurts,” Peter said, clutching his chest dramatically.

“I mean, come on, Peter—you know every friend I have here is someone you introduced me to. I’m just impressed you have so many friends.”

Eden smiled faintly.

Peter laughed, shaking his head. “No, Eden, I should be the one apologizing.” His expression softened. “If you hadn’t punched Flash Thompson on your first day, maybe people wouldn’t have kept their distance.”

“Let’s not bring that up,” Peter said quickly. “Anyway, this is Nico Minoru—she’s one of my closest friends. You took her seat the first week of class, so she was kind of mad at you. But she’s changed her mind. She thinks you’re a good guy.”

Peter stepped aside as a girl with straight black hair and sharp eyes came forward.

“Hi, Eden.”

She raised a fist toward him. “I’m Nico Minoru. I misjudged you before—sorry about that.”

“It’s fine.” Eden smiled and bumped her fist lightly.

But as his gaze drifted to the pendant hanging around her neck, something flickered in his eyes.

“Oh, this?” Nico touched it self-consciously. “It was my parents’. Just a keepsake.” She tucked it back beneath her shirt.

“It’s beautiful,” Eden said simply.

“Thanks.” She smiled.

“To celebrate our little team getting bigger,” Peter said cheerfully, “why don’t we head to my place tonight? Aunt May’s making cherry pie.”

Right then, Ned appeared—conveniently within earshot. “Cherry pie at Parker’s? I’m in!” His eyes, however, were fixed entirely on Eden.

“What?” Eden raised a brow. Ned was practically vibrating.

“Eden, please,” Ned begged. “My Death Star’s so close to finished. I just need a little help.”

Eden sighed. He should’ve known building the Millennium Falcon for Ned would haunt him forever.

“Fine.”

Ned beamed.

Meanwhile, Peter frowned. “Wait, why my place again?”

He’d started to notice a pattern—every hangout somehow ended up happening at his house, as if fate itself demanded it. Still, he didn’t complain. That night turned out to be another good one.

Later, at home, Eden gave the leftover cherry pie to his fat orange cat.

The next morning, as he was about to head to class, his communicator buzzed.

“Eden, we’ve located Dr. Banner. But the military’s still breathing down our necks.”

It was a message from Sitwell.

“Where?” Eden replied.

“Harlem, New York.”

Harlem? He frowned. Of all places—how had General Ross managed to hide someone like Bruce Banner there?

“Damn it. How’d you even find him?”

“Uh… we saw him on TV.” Sitwell’s voice was sheepish.

Eden blinked. “What?”

He turned on the television.

*ROAR!!*

On-screen, the Hulk—massive, green, furious—was trading blows with a bone-spiked monster: the Abomination. Each punch triggered shockwaves that shattered buildings and tore up the streets.

“Ross is an idiot,” Eden muttered. “He’s letting those two fight freely in New York City?”

He stood watching for a few seconds, jaw tight. Then a sonic boom cracked the air as he vanished from his apartment.

—Harlem—

*ROAR!*

The Hulk lunged at Abomination, smashing him through ten city blocks with a single punch.

“Hey!”

Spider-Man swung onto the scene. “You guys mind not leveling the neighborhood?”

He fired a web line, cocooning Hulk’s feet and pinning him to the ground.

“Phew,” Peter muttered in relief—right before Hulk stomped once, snapping the webs like threads.

“Aw, crap.”

He panicked, shooting another line toward a streetlight and trying to swing away.

“HULK!!”

No chance. Hulk leapt, grabbed the streetlight Peter was attached to, and ripped it out of the concrete like a twig.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Peter barely had time to react before Hulk started spinning the pole like a baseball bat. The young hero flailed helplessly, dangling from the end of it.

“Listen, big guy! I’m not your enemy! I was just trying to help!” Peter shouted, dizzy and nauseous. “You believe me, right?”

Yeah, no. Hulk clearly didn’t.

Peter’s vision blurred as the world spun faster. He was seconds from throwing up when everything abruptly stopped.

He looked up—and froze.

A man in a battlesuit and a crimson cape hovered above him, casually catching Hulk’s incoming punch with one hand.

“Uh…” Peter stared.

*BOOM!*

The next moment, a sonic blast echoed through the streets as Hulk was punched straight out of the sky.

Eden didn’t even pause. He turned, flew toward the street where Abomination had landed, grabbed the creature by the throat, and hurled him high into the clouds.

"Both of you—cool off."

"This isn’t the place for your little brawl."

The black-clad young man tossed Hulk and Abomination into the sky as if they were toys. Then his body blurred into a streak of lightning as he shot upward after them.

"Oh my God," Spider-Man whispered from the ground, staring wide-eyed. "He’s like… an actual Superman."

*Click! Click! Click!*

All around, reporters and civilians who’d just realized the danger was over raised their phones, snapping photo after photo of the white-caped figure spiraling through the clouds.

In the chaos, none of them even noticed Spider-Man standing right there among them.