Hulk : The Thunderstrike

John was stunned.

As a veteran officer stationed at Chicago's bustling bus terminal, John was no stranger to wild claims and overconfidence. His precinct, Hedong, often attracted top-tier graduates from the academy due to its strategic location and thriving jurisdiction.

Hedong precinct's reputation for handling heavy workloads and reaping better benefits placed it in the middle-to-upper tier of annual assessments, far outpacing the less remarkable Huxi precinct. So when Sam waltzed in with his newly minted apprentice, Antonia, and three alleged thieves in tow, claiming he was here to "relieve the pressure," John couldn't help but be skeptical.

"Let me get this straight," John began, raising an eyebrow. "You brought your rookie—who's been on the job for all of two days—and three random suspects, and you think you're helping us out? Are you joking, Sam?"

Antonia stood silently, his towering frame and calm demeanor radiating quiet authority.

Sam grinned. "I'm serious, John. Antonia here is no ordinary rookie. Just this morning, he—"

"Hold it right there," John interrupted, waving a hand. "Sam, I've seen my fair share of rookies, and they don't usually come equipped with this kind of...intimidation factor." He gestured at Antonia, who looked like a wrestler squeezed into a police uniform. "Let's be real. No thief would willingly get within 20 feet of this guy. They'd take one look and bolt."

John squinted at Shan, Nolan, and Michael—the three thieves standing awkwardly nearby. "And these guys don't seem dumb enough to stick around. So what's your angle here? Did you catch them and hand the credit to your rookie? Is that what's happening?"

Sam smirked but didn't reply.

"Seriously," John continued, crossing his arms. "You can't expect me to believe—"

Before he could finish, Antonia suddenly moved.

His speed was shocking. One moment, he was standing calmly; the next, he had darted past John like a bullet.

"What the—" John froze, wide-eyed.

Ethan, John's rookie partner, turned pale as he watched Antonia charge forward. "Uh, John? Is he coming for us?"

"I hope not," John muttered. "If he is, I'm calling the police on him!"

---

Antonia didn't stop for explanations. His eyes locked onto his target: a young man near the bus station's exit, his movements shifty and suspicious.

In seconds, Antonia was on him.

"Hey! What are you doing?" the man screamed as Antonia lifted him clean off the ground, his limbs flailing helplessly. "You can't just grab people! This is police brutality! Somebody help!"

The commotion drew the attention of everyone nearby. Commuters paused mid-step, their eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before them.

John's jaw dropped as he watched Antonia carry the man back toward the group like a sack of potatoes.

"Sam!" John snapped, his voice laced with frustration. "This is our jurisdiction! I welcomed you as a courtesy, but if your rookie's going to manhandle civilians like this, we've got a problem!"

Sam stepped forward, holding up a hand to calm John.

"Relax," Sam said. "Let's see what's really going on before we jump to conclusions."

"Relax?" John shot back, furious. "Your guy just assaulted someone in broad daylight! This isn't how we do things in Hedong. I'm not going to stand here and—"

"John," Sam interrupted, his tone calm but firm. "Trust me. Antonia knows what he's doing."

John scoffed. "Oh, please. What could he possibly know after just two days on the job?"

But before Sam could respond, Antonia dropped the suspect unceremoniously at John's feet.

"Two stolen phones and a wallet," Antonia announced, holding up the evidence for all to see. "The phones are locked, but the ID in the wallet belongs to a woman. I'd say this guy has some explaining to do."

The suspect stammered, his face pale. "I-I don't know what you're talking about! Those aren't mine!"

Antonia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then why were they in your backpack?"

The crowd murmured, some pulling out their phones to film the confrontation.

John stared at the items in disbelief, then looked at the suspect, who was visibly sweating.

"You've got to be kidding me," John muttered.

Sam chuckled. "Told you. Antonia's the real deal."

---

Still in shock, John crouched down to inspect the stolen items. The ID in the wallet indeed belonged to a young woman, and the phones were high-end models likely worth a small fortune.

Ethan leaned closer, whispering to John, "Uh, what do we do now?"

"We process him," John grumbled. "What else can we do? The evidence is right here."

Straightening up, John turned to Sam, his expression a mix of frustration and reluctant admiration. "Fine. Your rookie got one. But don't think this means I'm impressed."

Sam laughed. "Don't worry, John. There's plenty more where that came from."

Antonia remained silent, scanning the station for more potential suspects. For him, this wasn't about proving a point—it was about doing his job.

As the suspect was escorted away, John sighed heavily.

"Alright," he said, rubbing his temples. "Maybe your rookie's not as clueless as I thought. But don't push your luck, Sam. This is still my precinct, and I'm not about to let some rookie show us up."

Sam smirked, patting John on the shoulder. "Relax, old friend. Antonia's not here to show you up. He's here to help."

"Yeah, yeah," John grumbled, waving him off. But deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that Antonia was just getting started.

-------------–––--––--------------------------------

Visit our Patreon for more:

patreon.com/Samurai492