Chapter 80 - Enigmatic Mural

(By the way, where's Peter?) Prime suddenly asked, catching Sara's attention.

"You're only asking that now, when we're practically home?" Sara commented, raising an eyebrow.

(Not my fault. We had a guy trying to kill us a few minutes ago. Or did you forget?) Prime retorted in his defense.

Listening to her companion and best friend's words, Sara let out a brief sigh as she rolled her eyes. She then picked up her phone and did something before turning to Prime.

"Look..." Sara said, focusing her gaze on the phone screen. "Peter sent me this picture a few minutes ago, probably after helping people on the bridge. Gwen seems to have forgiven him, though she's still a bit wary about why he disappeared suddenly" Sara explained.

Following Sara's words, Prime looked at the phone and saw a picture of Peter and Gwen together. Although Gwen seemed a bit nervous in the photo, Prime thought they made a good couple. It was visible in Gwen's look at Peter that she probably also felt something favorable towards him.

Which, from Prime's point of view, was pretty weird. As far as he knew, they barely spoke to each other before Sara joined the group. Prime couldn't think of a reason for Gwen to show interest in Peter, unless she already liked him before Sara joined the group. Anyway, Prime decided to put that aside to not bother the couple.

After entering the building, the group headed to the top floor where they lived. As the elevator doors opened, Sara hurriedly moved towards the entrance door. After entering the passcode, Sara simply entered, out of breath from running. As she caught her breath, she surveyed the surroundings.

"Sara!!"

Hearing the voice, Sara turned to see Annie and Ema. Noticing that both seemed fine, Sara let out a relieved sigh. Prime, who shared her concerns, also felt relieved to see that neither of them had been hurt amidst all the chaos he had caused.

"I'm glad you two seem to be okay..." Sara commented, her eyes searching for signs of injuries on the girls. "By the way, where did the dragon go?" she continued, scanning the room for any hint of the mysterious dragon that had appeared during the chaos on the bridge.

Hearing Sara's words, Annie and Ema glanced at each other for a few seconds. Then Ema's words echoed in the room, catching the attention of Prime and Sara.

"After leaving us here, he was swallowed by a shadow that emerged from the ground and disappeared. We think Dad called him back" Ema said.

Hearing Ema's words only made Prime feel even more confused than before. What exactly was that dragon and where the hell had it come from? In fact, at this point, Prime was questioning the nature of the living abyss he controlled. Was it connected to something bigger? Or maybe it wasn't connected to anything, which only led Prime to think that maybe he had created it at that moment.

"By the way, where's Dad? Did something happen to him?" Ema asked, her voice laden with anxiety, catching the attention of Prime and Sara.

"Don't worry, he's fine, just resting inside me" Sara replied calmly.

Hearing Sara's answers, Ema seemed visibly calmer. Although she didn't doubt her father's abilities, the red monster seemed incredibly powerful. Even unintentionally, Ema couldn't help but think he might have hurt her father.

"Anyway, what did he want? Why did he attack Dad? And how did he know he would be on that bridge at that exact moment?" Annie asked, with a doubtful expression on her face.

"Honestly, we have no idea. For starters, we don't know who exactly he was. I don't remember ever seeing him, but seeing how much he looked like the Hulk, he was probably someone involved in the incident... maybe Dr. Sterns?" Sara questioned as she pondered the matter.

(I don't think he's the culprit. To be honest, he vaguely reminds me of someone, but I honestly can't be sure... Maybe we should consult someone who knows about this. Anyway, something tells me this won't be the last time we see him) Prime mentally said to Sara, who just nodded.

Annie and Ema, on the other hand, looked at Sara with expressions of doubt. Both had no idea what was going on, but to them, it seemed much more serious than it appeared.

***

As Prime and Sara talked beside him, Bruce Banner found himself in an unknown location. Ever since he met Prime and Sara, Bruce had been quite fascinated by the life form that Prime represented: a symbiotic being capable of granting powers to a host and even healing them from diseases considered incurable.

While Bruce initially studied Prime in hopes of finding a cure for himself, as his research progressed, he realized that things were not as simple as they seemed. It was a seemingly simple question that led Bruce to his current state.

The persistent question in Bruce's mind: What was Prime? This questioning occupied his thoughts for endless months. Perhaps it was his scientific instinct manifesting itself or perhaps something more, but Bruce couldn't shake the question from his mind. Determined to find answers, he embarked on a tireless quest, researching and traveling to various places, while dodging the government in search of the truth about Prime.

His quest led him to a secluded island under the governance of a local tribe. Despite being peaceful, they guarded their secrets cautiously, even treating visitors well. Bruce served as the tribe's doctor for months, earning their trust. Until finally, the awaited day arrived.

As Bruce arrived at the site, he was met with a huge crater in the ground, dubbed by the locals as "The Hole." However, to Bruce's eyes, it was evident that it was a crater formed by a meteorite impact. Putting aside this curiosity for the moment, Bruce followed the locals as they entered a kind of cave situated in the crater. Though intrigued by the origin of the crater, he chose to focus on the immediate situation and follow the group.

In the deepest part of the cave, Bruce came across an imposing mural. He watched in silence as the inhabitants knelt, men and women bowing before the ancestral art, their voices whispering what Hulk interpreted as prayers. Bruce cautiously observed the mural, finding a visual puzzle before him.

In a vivid representation, he saw a planet shrouded in darkness, with a being imprisoned in its core. In the next frame, the breaking of the prison was depicted, the being emerging into freedom. Then, it seemed to wander until finding a place it could call home.

Upon reaching this home, the being transformed all others into its likeness. The next frame showed the being seated on something akin to a throne, while various other beings revered it. Among them, colossal figures also bowed in its direction, paying homage to the dominant being.

After this, other winged beings began to fly in all directions, leaving behind only traces of destruction. In the last mural, Bruce was intrigued. The being was depicted as a human-like figure, akin to a girl, but at its center, there was a dark core.

Bruce was perplexed by the scene before him. While he had his theories, he couldn't say for sure if what he was seeing matched what he thought. It was at this moment that a noise echoed in the cave.

As he reached for his cellphone, Bruce unlocked it and saw that the call was coming from an unknown number. However, there was only one unknown person who had his number.