Betty Ross finally found Banner outside Culver University as rain poured from the night sky.
Without hesitation, she ran toward him.
They embraced tightly in the rain, neither willing to let go.
She brought him back to her apartment.
Once inside, she handed him a small USB drive.
"I knew you'd need this one day," Betty said softly.
Banner stared at it in disbelief.
She had secretly copied his original gamma research data before deleting it from the university system.
The only data capable of reversing his condition.
Banner's hands trembled.
Hope returned for the first time in years.
That night they lay awake, unable to sleep.
Betty knew Banner had seen her with Leonard Samson.
Banner did not blame her.
Years had passed. She had tried to move on.
Banner stared at the ceiling, his thoughts singular:
Find Mr. Blue.
Fix this.
Become human again.
Ross Mobilizes
By morning, General Thaddeus Ross received confirmation:
Banner had been sighted at Culver University.
He immediately mobilized military units.
But this time, he had something new.
Blonsky's Enhancement
Emil Blonsky had volunteered for an experimental enhancement.
Using a diluted version of the Super Soldier Serum derived from Captain America's program, Ross authorized the procedure.
The injection was administered:
intramuscularly
• directly into the spinal column
The pain was extreme.
Blonsky endured it.
The result:
enhanced reflexes
• increased bone density
• accelerated healing
• superior agility
But the serum was incomplete.
His spine protruded unnaturally.
His psychological state shifted.
Aggression increased.
His obsession intensified.
He didn't just want to capture the Hulk.
He wanted to defeat him.
Karl Observes
Meanwhile, Karl continued enjoying a peaceful routine at the manor.
Insen reported:
The gene stabilization experiments were nearing success.
But safety verification would take time.
Karl also continued spending time with Raven.
When news confirmed Banner's presence in New York, Karl deployed shadow ninjas across the city.
Their only mission:
Track the Hulk.
Karl's true interest was Samuel Sterns — "Mr. Blue."
Banner himself remained too unstable.
If the Hulk emerged inside a laboratory…
the casualties would be catastrophic.
After confirming military mobilization, Karl vanished from the manor and appeared atop a tall building overlooking Culver University.
From his vantage point, he observed Banner entering the campus library.
Banner Surrounded
Inside the library, Banner sensed something wrong.
Then he saw soldiers surrounding the building.
No escape.
He quickly swallowed the USB drive containing his data.
Moments later—
tear gas canisters shattered the windows.
Gas flooded the room.
Banner collapsed to his knees, coughing violently.
His pulse spiked.
His breathing accelerated.
His eyes turned green.
Hulk Emerges
ROOOOAAARRR!!!
The Hulk burst through the library glass in an explosion of debris.
Students fled in terror.
Ross immediately issued orders.
"Engage!"
Machine guns opened fire.
Armored vehicles advanced.
Tanks deployed.
The Hulk charged forward and smashed an armored transport flat with a single blow.
He seized a tank's cannon barrel, twisted it free, and used it like a club to crush the vehicle's chassis.
Explosions erupted across the quad.
Karl watched from the rooftop, impressed.
"No wonder he's the Hulk…"
Betty Intervenes
Amid the chaos, Betty spotted her father's command vehicle.
She ran directly into the battlefield.
"Dad! Please stop! Let him go!"
Ross stepped out of the vehicle, his expression hardened.
"He belongs to the military. That's not negotiable."
"If you hurt him, I will never forgive you!"
Ross hesitated.
Then signaled soldiers.
They pulled Betty away as she struggled.
Ross turned back to the battlefield.
He lifted his radio.
"Blonsky. You're up."
Blonsky vs Hulk
"Copy that."
Blonsky advanced alone.
He fired explosive rounds from a grenade launcher, forcing the Hulk backward.
After exhausting his grenades, he discarded the weapon and charged with a rifle.
Karl couldn't help but laugh softly.
"This man is insane."
Blonsky's enhanced agility allowed him to dodge several swings.
He used speed and tactics, targeting joints and blind angles.
Minimal damage.
Maximum provocation.
Ross's voice came through the radio:
"Lead him into position."
Sonic Weapons Deployed
Two Humvees equipped with experimental sonic cannons rolled into position.
Operators activated targeting systems.
Blonsky sprinted toward the vehicles.
The Hulk followed.
When Hulk entered the strike zone—
BWOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM
High-frequency sonic waves blasted outward.
The invisible pressure distorted the air.
The Hulk staggered.
Purple bruising appeared beneath his skin as resonance disrupted muscle tissue and equilibrium.
Even Blonsky stumbled from the shockwave.
Karl folded his arms.
Ross had underestimated the Hulk.
Pain only fueled his rage.
Hulk Breaks the Assault
With a roar, Hulk ripped up wreckage from destroyed armored vehicles and hurled them.
The sonic weapon units exploded in a chain of fire.
Ross's jaw tightened.
The sonic attack had failed.
Blonsky's Fatal Provocation
Blonsky approached the Hulk slowly.
He drew a pistol.
And fired.
Karl stared in disbelief.
"Do you have any idea what you're provoking?"
The Hulk turned.
In one blur of motion—
WHAM!
He kicked Blonsky with devastating force.
Blonsky's body slammed into a tree with a sickening impact.
His limbs bent unnaturally.
He collapsed, barely alive.
From his rooftop perch, Karl watched silently.
The battle was far from over.
And the Hulk was only getting angrier.
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL for more chapters.