After hours of trekking, Banner and Betty finally arrived at Greyburn College in New York.
At that moment, a thin man in a blue coat walked out of the college gates.
Seeing him, Betty and Banner quickly approached.
"Dr. Sterns, I'm Elizabeth Ross!" Betty called out, pulling him back as he tried to leave.
Dr. Sterns froze for a second, clearly startled, but then his eyes lit up with surprise. "Dr. Ross!"
"Someone wants to see you!" Betty said quickly.
Just then, Banner stepped forward. "Mr. Blue."
"Mr. Green?" Sterns' expression shifted into excitement.
"Yes," Banner nodded.
"I was only expecting more of your blood samples, but you came here in person. This is wonderful. Quick, come to my lab, let's get started right away!"
Compared to Banner, Sterns seemed far more eager about the experiment, almost too eager, as if he had another motive hidden beneath his excitement.
Banner felt a flicker of suspicion. Still, this man was his only hope for a cure. Whatever risks lay ahead, he had no choice but to take them.
Inside the lab, Sterns couldn't stop rambling with excitement about Banner's body, praising and marveling at the data.
Banner's expression darkened. This was their first meeting in person, and the impression he had built up of "Mr. Blue" quickly sank to nothing. He had little trust left. But he needed help, so he endured it silently.
A moment later, Sterns explained the risks of the procedure.
"Curing you isn't simple. Even if everything goes smoothly, we'll need to induce your transformation first, then inject the antidote at exactly the right dosage. Whether that brings a permanent cure or only a temporary one, I can't say. And if the dosage is even slightly too high, the toxicity could kill you."
"That means he might die?" Betty asked anxiously.
"Yes, that is certain," Sterns nodded.
"Or if the dosage is too little, it won't suppress me," Banner added grimly. "Then you'll all be in danger."
Sterns brushed off his concern with manic confidence. "I've always been curious, but never reckless. I've never failed before. I'm too excited not to try! So, are we doing this?"
Sterns' overenthusiasm only made Banner and Betty more uneasy, but there was no more time to hesitate. The experiment had to begin.
With Sterns and Betty's help, Banner stripped off his shirt and lay strapped to the table.
"I'll have to filter your blood, replace it with the formula, and then return it to your system. If it works, the gamma radiation poisoning will be neutralized. But this only works while you're transformed. So…" Sterns picked up an electric prod. The meaning was clear.
"Then make sure these restraints are tight," Banner warned coldly. "If you fail to inject in time, your head will be the first thing I crush."
"...Noted," Sterns muttered.
"He's right," Betty said firmly. "Strap him down tighter, or you'll regret it."
"Alright, alright!" Sterns fussed over the restraints, pulling them as tight as he could.
Then he pressed the prod against Banner.
The jolt of electricity tore through Banner's body. His muscles convulsed, his veins bulged, and he screamed in agony. His eyes flashed green. His blood turned from red to glowing emerald. His body swelled at an unnatural speed, and in mere seconds, the Hulk burst forth.
Sterns was frozen in shock.
The Hulk strained against the restraints, roaring to break free.
Betty climbed onto him, grabbing his face. "Bruce, look at me! Look into my eyes!" she cried.
She kept his attention locked on her and shouted at Sterns. "Doctor, inject him now!"
"O-Oh!" Sterns jolted back to life and rushed to inject the antidote.
Purple serum flowed into Hulk's veins. His rage softened. The monster stilled, as if lulled by hypnosis. His massive frame shrank down until Banner lay gasping, drenched in sweat, but human once more.
"My god. It worked. It actually worked! Hahaha!" Sterns laughed in disbelief, giddy beyond measure.
"Am I… cured?" Banner stared at his body in awe, trembling with cautious joy.
"For now, yes. Unless… want to try again?" Sterns grinned, almost daring him.
Banner hesitated, then nodded. "Do it. Try again."
Just as Sterns prepared another jolt, the sound of armored vehicles rumbled outside. Boots pounded against the ground.
"Go, go, go! Target inside the lab! Capture alive!" soldiers shouted.
Banner's face paled. "Damn it, they're here again. We need to leave now!"
"This way, I have a hidden exit!" Sterns urged, leading them into a secret chamber.
But inside, Banner froze in fury. Dozens upon dozens of glass vials filled with green liquid lined the shelves.
He recognized them instantly. His blood. Replicated.
"Why did you clone so many samples? What is your true purpose?" Banner roared.
Sterns' eyes glittered with mania. "Do you see it? The beauty of this power? I couldn't resist. I studied it, and the deeper I went, the more obsessed I became. The energy in your blood is limitless. Once I publish my results, I'll be the most celebrated scientist in history. Fame and fortune will be mine. All thanks to you, Banner. I'll even put your name in the credits of my achievements. Hahaha!"
"You broke your promise! This blood is a danger to the world, it must all be destroyed!" Banner shouted, and with a violent shove, toppled an entire shelf of vials.
Glass shattered across the floor.
"No, no! They're mine! You ungrateful wretch!" Sterns shrieked, lunging to stop him, but Banner hurled him aside like a doll.
One by one, he smashed every vial. The green liquid spilled and hissed on the floor.
Sterns, eyes bloodshot, cursed him bitterly. "You've ruined everything! My work, my future, all gone because of you. I curse you, Banner, curse you to die miserably!"
Banner ignored his hatred. He knew exactly what these samples could unleash. If an army of Hulks was created, the world would collapse. He couldn't let that happen.
As the last shelf fell, a black mist swirled into the chamber.
A raspy voice echoed.
"You're right. My son truly is ungrateful. I know that better than anyone."
From the mist stepped a cloaked man. He pulled down his hood, revealing an aged, shadowed face.
Banner's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible. You… you're dead!"
The man sneered.
It was his father. David Banner.
"Is this how you greet your own father?" David said coldly.
"You're no father of mine! You murdered your own wife. The one who deserves to die is you!" Banner's rage spiked. His heart rate monitor screamed past 200. His skin flickered green. His eyes glowed. But this time… nothing. No transformation.
Am I cured? Banner thought, overwhelmed by sudden joy.
Then David's hand clamped around his throat. His body dissolved into black smoke, dragging Banner into the shadows with him.
"Bruce!" Betty screamed, but he was gone.
The doors burst open. Soldiers stormed in with Ross at the lead. Inside, they found only Betty and Sterns, collapsed in despair.
"Damn it, he slipped away again. Seal this place. No one enters!" Ross barked.
"Father, please, you have to save Bruce. David took him!" Betty cried.
Ross froze. "David? David Banner? That monster should be dead."
"He's alive, stronger than ever. We must save Bruce!" Betty pleaded.
Ross nodded grimly. "We'll find him. But you must step back from this. Go home and rest. This matter isn't yours to handle."
"No! Bruce is cured. He can't transform anymore. He's defenseless!" Betty said, panicked.
Blonsky, listening nearby, suddenly clenched his fists in rage.
"Cured? That monster is gone? Then who do I fight?"
Ross' expression hardened. "If he were truly cured, David wouldn't have taken him. This is far from over. We must find David."
Ross hurried Betty out.
Blonsky lingered. His eyes fell on Sterns.
"You cured him?"
"I wish I hadn't. He destroyed my work. Everything I built. I hate him!" Sterns spat.
"Then you know how powerful that blood is. I want it. Can you make me stronger than him?" Blonsky growled.
Sterns' face twisted with madness. "Yes. I've crafted a serum from his blood. Never tested on humans. You want to try?"
"Yes. I want to surpass that monster!" Blonsky's eyes burned with obsession.
Meanwhile, in a hidden cave deep in the forest, David still held Banner by the throat.
A portal of swirling magic opened. A sorcerer stepped through.
"Kaecilius, unleash your dark magic. The time has come."
The cloaked sorcerer smirked, his voice low and cruel.
"Excellent. The fusion of dark power, hellfire, and human rage. The result will be unimaginable."
David's eyes gleamed with black energy. "Yes. With this, we will shatter the world. We will crush that so-called Church of Life. Once their god is gone, my master, Mephisto, will descend upon Earth!"
He raised a hand, weaving a dark sigil. Black energy surged into Banner's body, forcing its way into his veins.
At the same time, David released a torrent of his own darkness into his son.
Just then, another portal opened, and a cold voice echoed from within.
"So it was you hellspawn meddling behind the scenes all along."
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1548 Words