"What?!" Bruce Banner shot up from the couch like he'd been tasered. "Four years?! You're telling me I've been the Hulk that entire time?!"
He immediately started patting himself down, like he expected to find missing limbs or swapped organs.
"Wait, wait, wait—why do I have a Red Ring on my hand?! I have zero memory of this thing!"
"Dr. Banner, I'm gonna need you to breathe," Dante said, backing up a step.
"Breathe with what, exactly?!" Banner roared, his voice cracking as a faint green shimmer crawled up his veins, and the Red Lantern Ring flickered ominously. "Four YEARS! I've lost four entire years of memory! And Hulk was in control the whole time! Who knows what kind of catastrophe he left in his wake?!"
Dante stayed silent.
Even in human form, the Hulk's rage seeped into Bruce Banner's psyche like ink in water. Best not to trigger it further.
Only after Banner calmed down, slumped back into the sofa, and muttered a half-hearted apology did Dante finally speak up.
"Look. Maybe Hulk's been a thorn in your side. Maybe you've spent your whole life thinking he's your curse. But I'm telling you right now—during these last four years? It was Hulk who protected you."
Back during the takedown of HYDRA, Dante had relied on J'onzz's perfect Sitwell impression to infiltrate and pull loads of intel from within.
That intel included extensive files on HYDRA's Super Winter Soldier program.
As it turned out, HYDRA had been the one to sabotage the cargo ship Banner was traveling on. They'd never realized Banner was the Hulk—they just wanted to capture a genius-level scientist.
They got both. By accident.
At first, HYDRA thought they'd hit the jackpot, landed themselves a world-class researcher. They didn't connect the quiet man with the walking green apocalypse.
After the ship incident, HYDRA recovered the unconscious and nearly drowned Banner, brought him back to their secret base, and started the brainwashing.
Naturally, that memory had already been erased by the Bureau's telepathic cleanup crew—no point in subjecting Banner to a second trauma.
But just as HYDRA's hypnosis was about to take root?
Boom.
HULK SMASH.
It was only then they realized what kind of "gemstone" they'd dug up.
Only problem?
Their programming techniques had zero effect on Hulk.
Didn't work.
Didn't register.
Didn't even land.
"…Protect me?" Banner asked, voice tight. "Protect me from what, exactly?"
Dante didn't feel like explaining it all in detail. He just pulled HYDRA's files from the folder beside him and handed them over.
"All the answers you want? They're in here."
Banner snatched the folder like it contained the last functioning MRI machine on Earth and began reading furiously.
And with each page, his expression grew darker.
He'd always viewed Hulk as a freak mutation. A problem. A ticking bomb fused to his DNA. Something to be cured.
Now, the records showed the opposite.
The Hulk had kept his hands and conscience clean. Shielded him from forced participation in HYDRA's twisted experiments. Refused to obey, no matter how deeply they tried to dig.
Even if Hulk was mentally a three- or four-year-old child, he still instinctively knew to protect Banner. Knew when to fight. Knew what not to touch.
Banner remained a scientist with clean hands... because Hulk made sure of it.
"I think…" Banner muttered, closing the file slowly, "I need to be alone."
"Yeah," Dante nodded. "Thought you might. Your room's the one closest to the training ground."
"…Wait, my room? Isn't this an FBI facility?"
"Exactly. Hulk's now a probationary agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
"…Agent. You're kidding."
"Why would I kid about that?" Dante said, reaching out his hand. "I personally subdued and recruited him."
He smirked. "Name's Dante Alighieri. Leader of the Star Team."
He paused dramatically.
"Dr. Bruce Banner, welcome to the team."
---
Recruiting Hulk had been a nightmare. Low IQ, even lower patience, stubborn as hell.
But recruiting Bruce Banner? That was easy.
Geniuses like him didn't have the energy for social games. Seven doctorates, zero dating life, and zero poker face.
People like Banner, Tony Stark, and Bruce Wayne all had one thing in common: intellect over emotional intelligence.
After sending off the deeply introspective Banner, Dante strolled outside the base building.
Right in time to watch Thor absolutely deck Loki across the training field.
"Man…" Dante said, hands in his pockets. "Peaceful days."
As if on cue, Loki finally got caught and took a thunder-charged knuckle sandwich straight to the soul.
Ouch.
Still, Dante was pretty sure Loki had it coming.
Thor wasn't exactly subtle. He was honest, straightforward, and secretly soft-hearted especially when it came to his adopted brother.
If Thor was throwing punches, Loki definitely earned them.
If Loki had been born with half a conscience, he'd be the God of Wisdom.
"Hey, Agent Dante! Did things go alright with Hulk?"
Dante turned.
It was Barry Allen, fresh from the lab, looking like he'd just crawled out of a mountain of data sheets.
He couldn't fight worth a damn yet, but no one on the Coulson Team could beat him in evidence processing.
Every scan, trace, residual reading—Barry logged it all. Especially with all the 084s they had to deal with.
"Barry Allen," Dante said, waving him over. "How've you been lately?"
He nearly asked, "Have you been struck by lightning yet?"
But nah. That wasn't something you could rush. Speed Force activation needed the full recipe: the right weather, chemicals, and a ridiculously specific accident.
Barry just had to bide his time.
Until then, the lab was probably the safest place for him.
"Pretty good," Barry said, stretching. "Just wish Fitz and Simmons hadn't transferred to Sandbox Base. I've had some bio-radiation stuff I really need help with, and digging through research myself is a pain."
Dante nodded toward the lounge.
"Banner's inside. Seven doctorates. Go nuts."
"Seven doc—wait. Bruce Banner?!"
Barry yeeted himself toward the lounge like a bullet.
"Hey Barry! Have you seen Skye lately? She hasn't been around for two days."
"She hasn't left her room!" Barry called back without stopping. "Probably holed up in there doing hacker stuff!"
That made Dante stop cold.
Two days?
Skye hadn't come out in two full days?
"…Vibrating Woman's about to go live," he muttered.
And right on cue, a massive shockwave erupted from her room.
BOOM.
Dante's eyes bulged.
"HOLY SH*T—DON'T YOU DARE BLOW UP THE BASE! THAT'S ALL PROPERTY DAMAGE!"
(To be continued.)
***
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