Chapter 4: Extracting the Hulk's Genes
When Ethan hit the ground, he landed solidly on his feet, his grip on the Hulk and Betty unbroken.
With a flex of his back muscles, he forced the large, armor-piercing rounds out of his body. The moment the bullets were expelled, the wounds sealed over, the skin knitting back together until, within seconds, he was completely healed.
He glanced back at the helicopters, his voice a low, threatening rumble that carried across the distance. "General Ross, your actions have successfully earned my attention. Don't worry, I'll be back for you."
And with that, he was gone.
He ran with his full strength, crashing through the forest like a force of nature, snapping trees like twigs as he disappeared into the wilderness.
"General, Hunt is using Miss Ross as a shield," his aide, Catherine, reported. "Our men can't use heavy weapons. What are your orders?"
General Ross slammed his radio down in fury. "That girl is more trouble than she's worth! She's never shown me an ounce of affection, and she goes out of her way to ruin everything I do. Dammit!"
"General?" Catherine prompted.
Ross sighed, the anger draining out of him, replaced by weary resignation. "Stand down. Let's head back." Then, a thought occurred to him. "What's Blonsky's status? Is he dead?"
"No, sir, but he is critically injured," Catherine replied.
"As long as he's not dead," Ross said with a hint of relief. He wasn't entirely satisfied with the Abomination's capabilities. The creature couldn't revert to a human form, and if Ross started mass-producing monsters like him, he would face opposition from the entire world.
After leaving the park, Ethan found his way into the city's sewer system.
In the world of Marvel, surveillance was everywhere. There was no place to hide. The sewers were the only sanctuary, a place where he could momentarily escape the all-seeing eyes of the grid.
Once underground, Ethan finally stopped running.
He set the Hulk and Betty down. The Hulk, still dazed from being nearly choked to death, collapsed in a heap the moment he was released. Betty was in better shape. Shaken but free, she stumbled for a moment before regaining her balance.
She immediately rushed to the Hulk's side, her voice choked with sobs. "Bruce! Wake up, Bruce!"
"You'd better convince him to willingly give me his genes," Ethan threatened, his voice echoing in the damp tunnel. "Otherwise, I will kill you both."
"I'll convince him! I will! Just don't kill us!" Betty pleaded, her tear-streaked face a picture of desperation.
Seeing her pitiful state, Ethan felt a brief pang of sympathy. But the thought of this being his only chance to become human again quickly extinguished it.
What does bullying one woman matter? he thought. To become truly strong, I'd walk through hell and back.
The Hulk's regenerative abilities were incredible. After only a few moments, he began to stir.
Seeing him awake, Betty immediately started pleading. "Bruce, just let him extract the genes. He said it won't hurt you. Please, don't fight him anymore, or he'll kill us!"
"Hulk... will never... yield," the Hulk rasped. He was a separate personality from Banner, a being of pure, undiluted rage. In his heart, there was no fear, only fury.
"Not even for me?" Betty asked, her voice filled with heartbreak.
The Hulk looked at her, and for a fleeting moment, a flicker of tenderness softened his wild eyes.
"Hulk, I'm giving you two choices," Ethan said coldly, stepping forward. "One, you willingly let me extract your genes. Two, I kill Betty right now."
The Hulk had recovered some of his strength, but he didn't lash out. Perhaps he knew, deep down, that he couldn't win. He looked at his terrified girlfriend, and finally, his proud head lowered in defeat. "Hulk... chooses... to let you... extract genes," he said, his voice weak.
"A wise choice," Ethan praised, a genuine smile on his face.
He walked over, placed his hand on the Hulk's massive shoulder, and thought, System, extract the Hulk's genes and fuse them with me.
[Ding! Hulk gene extraction failed.]
Failed?
A surge of pure rage shot through Ethan. He swung his fist, slamming it into the Hulk's head with such force that it drove his skull into the concrete floor.
Splat!
A spray of green blood erupted from the Hulk's mouth.
"What are you doing?! You promised!" Betty shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"Your boyfriend wasn't being sincere," Ethan snarled. "He didn't truly consent."
"That's impossible! He didn't resist you at all!" Betty argued, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Ask him yourself if you don't believe me," Ethan shot back.
"Bruce, is that true?" Betty asked, turning to him.
The Hulk spat a wad of green blood onto the floor and glared at Ethan with pure hatred. "If Hulk is not dead, Hulk has not lost."
Looking at the impossibly stubborn creature, Ethan felt a wave of relief that he'd had the foresight to bring Betty. Without her, he would have been completely stumped.
He didn't need to say another word. Betty took the initiative. "Bruce, please," she begged, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Do it for me. Please? Let him extract the genes, and then we can go away. We can find a place where no one knows us and just live."
Gazing into Betty's loving, pleading eyes, the Hulk's iron will finally broke. He looked at Ethan again. "Do it," he rumbled. "No tricks this time."
Ethan placed his hand on the Hulk once more. System, extract the Hulk's genes.
[Ding! Hulk gene extraction successful.]
Joy flooded Ethan's senses. Finally. I can be human again.
"You can go," Ethan said, stepping back. The Hulk and Betty were of no use to him anymore.
Hearing this, the Hulk didn't hesitate. He scooped Betty into his arms and fled into the darkness of the tunnels.
Once they were gone, Ethan gave his final command. "System, fuse the Hulk's genes with my body."
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully fusing with the Hulk's genes.]
The only immediate change was that his coppery skin darkened to a deeper, richer bronze. Otherwise, he felt the same.
Ethan took a deep breath, consciously calming himself, willing his rampaging emotions to subside.
Slowly, a change began.
As his mind grew tranquil, his massive body began to shrink, contracting until he had returned to his normal, human form.
He was human again. Ethan felt a rush of relief, but it was tinged with dissatisfaction. Just like the Hulk, when he reverted to his human form, he was just an ordinary man. He even felt a wave of weakness wash over him.
He practiced transforming a few more times, forcing his anger to spike and then recede, just to be sure he had control.
"Being a normal human is too weak," he muttered to himself. "I'll need to extract more genes. Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor... they're all prime candidates."
Ethan climbed out of the sewer and back into the bustling city. Before he could even think about finding a place to stay, he ran into a stunningly beautiful woman.
A woman he recognized instantly.
Natasha Romanoff. The Black Widow. A master spy for S.H.I.E.L.D. and one of the most iconic women in the Marvel Universe.
She walked toward him with an elegant, confident stride, stopping directly in front of him. She extended a perfectly manicured hand and flashed a captivating smile. "My name is Natasha," she said, her voice smooth as silk. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ethan Hunt."
She was here on a mission from Director Fury himself. The objective: invite Ethan to join S.H.I.E.L.D., and in the process, find out everything she could about him. S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited anyone with power. Those with good character became official agents. Those with questionable morals became... assets.
Ethan took her hand, returning her smile. "What can I do for you?"
He wasn't surprised that she had found him. S.H.I.E.L.D. was one of the most powerful organizations in the world. Tracking him down would have been child's play for them.
"I saw a handsome man and thought I'd offer to buy him a drink," Natasha purred, her eyes sparkling with hidden meaning.