Infinite Evolution in the Marvel universe

A massive cloud of dust rose as Thor watched a giant figure stand up in the haze, grabbing the Cursed Warrior and flinging him like a rag doll. The warrior's body hurtled through the surrounding boulders, crashing through them like cannonballs.

The hall shook violently, sending more dust into the air, making it hard to see.

As the dust settled, the unmistakable broad, green back of Banner came into view.

"Thor, you okay?" Banner asked, glancing back at him with concern.

"Yeah, though you sure took your time getting here," Thor replied, flashing a relieved smile despite his bruised and bloodied face.

"Sorry about that," Banner said, a little sheepishly. "We thought you could handle it on your own, so we spent some time taking down Malekith. But when Tony noticed you hadn't shown up, he figured you'd run into some trouble and sent me to check on you."

"Malekith's dead?" Thor's eyes widened, struggling to believe it. "And Jane—is she safe?"

"Yeah, we had to get the Aether out of her, which took some time," Banner explained. "But she's fine now. I'll fill you in later; right now, let's take care of this Cursed Warrior."

"Watch out," Thor warned. "He's got an insanely tough body."

Banner grinned, showing a row of white teeth. "Just sit back and watch."

Banner then charged straight at the slowly rising Cursed Warrior, delivering a massive punch.

The Cursed Warrior met his punch with one of his own, the two fists clashing in a shockwave that sent fragments of stone flying in all directions, forming a crater beneath them.

Thor's eyes widened as he watched Banner's raw power. He hadn't realized just how strong Banner had become.

"I've been waiting for an opponent like you for a long time," Banner said with a glint of excitement in his eye.

He swung his left hand like a sledgehammer. The Cursed Warrior blocked, but even as he did, he felt the monstrous strength behind Banner's blow, his eyes narrowing in alarm.

The impact sent tremors through the Cursed Warrior's bones, making it hard to keep his footing. Before he could be thrown back, Banner stomped on his foot, crushing it into the ground.

Hulk was already a terrifying force when fighting on instinct alone, using only fists. But with Banner in full control, he could bring his legs into the battle, doubling the devastation. The stomp caused the palace to tremble, and the Cursed Warrior's foot shattered under the crushing force.

Even Tony, with all his technology and tricks, needed his best to take on Banner now. To most, Hulk was nothing short of a living nightmare.

The Cursed Warrior, his left foot now shattered, let out a groan of pain, realizing he faced an opponent as durable as himself. With no option but to kill or be killed, he roared in defiance, launching another attack.

"I'll kill you!" he snarled.

The Cursed Warrior's punch connected with Banner's face, barely making him turn his head. Banner spat out two teeth, grinning.

Enraged, Banner clapped his hands on the Cursed Warrior's head. Hands often work better than fists, especially against the more vulnerable parts like the head.

The Cursed Warrior's head snapped back from the shockwave, his vision blurring. Banner seized the dazed warrior's leg and, using him like a giant club, began slamming him into the ground, leaving deep craters with each strike.

The scene was horrific, like a giant monster gone berserk, smashing everything around him. The Cursed Warrior's massive form was battered repeatedly until he was finally silent, his broken body embedded deep in the ground.

But the brutal attack also took its toll on the palace, which began to collapse.

"Don't just stand there—move!" Thor shouted, noticing Banner's dazed expression after realizing the destruction he'd caused.

Banner snapped out of it, grabbed the Cursed Warrior's lifeless body, and sprinted outside. As he and Thor exited, they turned to see Asgard's ancient palace—standing for centuries—collapse.

"Sorry, I think I messed up," Banner murmured, looking at the ruins with a guilty expression. His strength was too overwhelming, and the collateral damage couldn't be helped.

Thor gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You did us a favor by killing that Cursed Warrior. Tony was right—dealing with Malekith and his invasion brought some casualties and damage. But the main thing is stopping his plan."

"And thanks to you, we've won this battle."

Thor's expression softened. He felt a pang of loss seeing the palace in ruins; it had stood since the day he was born—over 1,500 years ago. But he knew Asgard could always rebuild as long as its people survived.

With Malekith dead and the Cursed Warrior defeated, the dark elves' invasion would end in total failure.

Banner felt the weight of his guilt lift a little at Thor's words. He'd wanted to help, but Hulk's strength made it hard to fight without collateral damage.

"Come on," Thor said. "Let's head back to find Tony and check in on the situation. We'll handle the repairs."

Banner nodded and followed Thor back to their quarters, where they found Tony examining a beautiful, red gem that looked like polished ruby.

"Tony, where's the Aether?" Banner asked, glancing around.

Tony raised the gem between his thumb and forefinger. "You're looking at it."

"The Aether? Isn't it supposed to be an unstable, formless energy?" Banner asked, examining the gem closely.

"I don't fully understand it either," Tony replied. "But once Malekith died, the Aether in his body condensed into this stone. And now, its energy seems perfectly stable."

He tossed the gem to Banner, who caught it and peered inside, marveling at the orderly flow of energy within.

"It hasn't dispersed at all…"