It was precisely because of the Avengers' pursuit of Thanos that he became aware of the remaining resistance on Earth.
Determined to crush all opposition, he returned to the planet and slaughtered the rest of the Avengers, including Tony Stark and Ant-Man, who had not joined the previous pursuit.
This event was a devastating blow to Earth.
Even though Thanos did not directly exterminate the entire planet, his two visits alone were enough to instill overwhelming fear among Earth's people.
And he had made no effort to conceal his slaughter of Tony Stark and the others—many had witnessed their deaths firsthand.
If even Iron Man and the Avengers had fallen, then who else could possibly stand against Thanos?
Not even official organizations could restore order.
Their credibility was already low, and their ability to deal with the crisis was even lower.
Why would anyone trust them now?
Bruce Banner, however, had miraculously survived the massacre.
But not because he was stronger—
He had simply never shown himself.
### Bruce Banner's History in This Universe
This universe's Bruce Banner had gone through even more than his counterpart in Robert's world.
After experiencing rejection from humanity, he left Earth and settled on Sakaar, where he became the Grandmaster's champion gladiator.
He remained there until Thor and Loki arrived.
Together, they escaped Sakaar, returned to Asgard, and fought against Hela.
But unlike in Robert's universe, Asgard was completely destroyed, along with Hela.
Banner, Thor, and Loki then sought a new home for the Asgardian refugees.
But before they could reach safety, Thanos attacked their ship.
This universe's Thor was far weaker than Robert's Thor.
Despite all he had experienced, he was still no match for Thanos.
Within moments, Thanos utterly defeated Thor, treating him like a battered corpse—a bargaining chip to force Loki into surrendering the Space Stone.
And then Hulk appeared.
Or rather, the original mindless Hulk, driven purely by instinct.
At first, Hulk seemed evenly matched with Thanos.
His brute force even gave him an early advantage.
But that advantage lasted only seconds.
Once Thanos got serious, he utterly dismantled Hulk with a brutal martial arts beatdown, leaving him dazed and nearly unconscious.
In a last-ditch effort, Heimdall used the Bifrost to send Hulk back to Earth—
A warning of the coming doom.
But Earth still lost the battle.
And when Thanos snapped half of all life away, Bruce Banner could no longer transform into Hulk.
Maybe it was because Hulk feared Thanos.
Or maybe it was because Hulk resented Earth, believing himself to be nothing more than an unwanted monster.
Either way, Bruce Banner was powerless.
That was when he found a solution.
He merged his mind with Hulk's body—creating the Smart Hulk standing before Robert now.
This transformation allowed him to survive Thanos' second invasion, when the Mad Titan wiped out the remaining Avengers.
### The Pain of Loss
When Bruce learned of Steve Rogers' and Tony Stark's deaths, he was devastated.
Though the Avengers had their differences, Bruce had been closest to Tony Stark and Black Widow.
Their deaths hit him hardest.
Desperate to undo the past, Bruce sought any possible solution.
He studied the Quantum Realm.
He explored parallel universes.
But no matter what, he couldn't do it alone.
His expertise in quantum mechanics and multiverse theory was limited.
No matter how much research he did, he simply wasn't enough.
But now—
Robert had given him hope.
The Infinity Gauntlet.
The Infinity Stones.
Perhaps science alone couldn't reverse history.
But magic could.
### "This Universe Is Very Different."
After hearing Bruce's story, Robert's eyes flickered with thought.
"This universe really is very different from mine."
It was more straightforward.
A story focused solely on Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet.
But unlike most stories—
Where the hero triumphs in the end—
This universe's villain had won.
If not for the Celestials and Robert arriving in this universe, Thanos would have gone unchallenged.
Because Robert had sensed no trace of Darkseid here.
Meaning this universe likely had no Darkseid at all.
But it didn't matter.
Robert was here.
And Thanos was dead.
Now, only one question remained—
### "Is Your Banner Still Alive?"
After venting his frustrations, Bruce seemed relieved.
Then, curiosity got the better of him.
He turned to Robert.
"What about me?"
Robert raised an eyebrow.
"You mean you or Hulk?"
"Aren't we the same person?"
Bruce frowned.
"You're talking like we're two separate beings."
"In my universe," Robert smirked, "you are."
Robert explained.
Tony Stark and Reed Richards had cloned a perfect body.
Robert transferred Hulk's soul into it, separating them permanently.
Now, Banner and Hulk were two distinct people.
And Banner could still transform into a controlled version of Hulk when needed.
Oh—
And Banner had a Green Lantern Ring.
"...A Green Lantern Ring?"
Bruce blinked.
"What's that?"
Robert chuckled.
"You guys don't have Green Lanterns in this universe, huh?"
"It's basically a tool that lets you manifest anything you imagine."
Bruce was stunned.
"A tool… that turns imagination into reality?"
"That's… incredible."
### The Snap—Again
Bruce's gaze fell on the Infinity Gauntlet in Robert's hand.
"Have you figured out how you want to use it?" Robert asked.
He was curious about the Snap himself.
Why not let Bruce go first?
Bruce's eyes lit up with excitement.
"I've been waiting for this moment."
He grabbed the Gauntlet and slid it onto his left hand.
BOOM!
Instantly, six-colored energy erupted from the Stones, surging into Bruce's arm.
His clothing was incinerated, and his skin was scorched black.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Bruce screamed in agony.
Fortunately, the laboratory was isolated—
If anyone else were here, they would have panicked.
"You okay?"
Robert watched Bruce's energy fluctuate violently.
"Want me to take it off?"
"No!"
Bruce gritted his teeth, his body trembling.
"I can… handle this!"
Slowly, he stood up straight.
Then—
His left hand moved.
Fingers pulling together—
Until—
SNAP.
A clear, crisp sound.
Bruce collapsed to the ground.
The Infinity Gauntlet slipped off his burned arm.
"Still in one piece, huh?"
Robert retrieved the Gauntlet, now even more scorched than before.
Then—
He placed a hand on Bruce's chest.
A surge of healing energy flowed through him.
WHOOSH.
Bruce's wounds vanished instantly.
"Wha—?"
Bruce stared at his completely healed arm.
"W-What did you just do?"
Robert smirked.
"Just a little trick.
"If I didn't have this ability, I wouldn't have let you do something so dangerous, now would I?"
Bruce exhaled.
Then—
His expression hardened.
"During the Snap…
"I saw a woman.
"A goddess, I think.
"She felt… unimaginably powerful.
"And I think—
"She's the source of the Infinity Stones' power."
Robert's eyes narrowed.
"A goddess?
"And she wanted you to keep snapping?"
A divine being tied to the Infinity Stones?
One beyond a single universe?
"Could she be… even stronger than the Celestials?"
Before Robert could finish processing—
The laboratory alarm blared.
An aged, slightly haggard Tony Stark appeared via hologram.
"Banner?"
Tony's eyes widened.
"Wait—what the hell happened to you?"
"And who the hell is that guy next to you?!"
______
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