2 Chapter 2, The Calling

*BOOM*

I was launched against my will, flying straight through a brick wall. 

That alone was a testament to both my durability, and the strength of my opponent.

The beast inside of Banner had awoken, and I was in for a battle if anything. 

But that did not faze me, if anything, it had empowered me.

A smile grew on my face as I pushed myself out of the rubble. 

I too was supernatural now, just like my foe.

I watched as Hulk leaped at me, utilizing his utmost strength to throw a punch at me. 

But I dodged.

I jumped to the side, gripping a dumpster as Hulk's momentum carried him downwards. Utilizing gravity to my advantage, I tightened my grasp on the hunk of metal and swung it at the big green beast.

The impact reverberated through my body, and I could feel the force travel down even into the ground.

My smile grew wide as I watched the Hulk flip. His momentum still carried him forward, but my swing completely disrupted his movement, sending him neck first into the ground beside me.

Unsurprisingly, the big piece of green meat was relatively unharmed, only more angered.

"STUPID MAN!"

He yelled, forced himself to his feet and turning to face me. 

Standing right before me was the big green man I recognized from the comics I read in my child hood.

The gamma radiating demon that could rend worlds. The beast that got stronger as his anger increased. 

The thing my dad compared me to in attempt to get me riled up before I went out onto the field and played my sports.

"Get mad and no one can stop you." I whispered with a smile still present on my face.

Looks like he was right.

I let the beast jump towards me once more, side stepping and grabbing his neck in the process.

I wrapped my inner arm around the thick tree of a neck, tightly holding him in my grasp and lifting upwards.

I was planning on proceeding forward, but a thought crossed my mind.

'He doesn't need to breathe.' In that same moment, I let go and jumped backwards, harrowingly missing an elbow that surely would have made me spew blood, even with this gamma enhanced super demon physique I now possessed.

Just witnessing the strength of that elbow that ripped through space, riling up the wind, made me remember.

I'm the Hulk. I'm most powerful.

I smiled, cracking my knuckles, and jumping forward.

"You cannot withstand this." I said, the deep and menacing voice scaring even me, who it belonged to.

But, with those words, I threw a punch at full force. Not holding back one bit. The entirety of my will was behind the strike, and I knew I would be needing it.

For my goal was to knock the Hulk himself unconscious.

*BOOM*

And thankfully, it seemed I had succeeded.

I held my posture, one fist outstretched, a smile on my face, and green blood on my hand.

I gazed over my shoulder, watching as the beast toppled over, missing half of his head.

I knew for a fact that wouldn't kill him. The Hulk's healing factor was no joke, and I was positive he could heal from even a particle of flesh.

"Sleep tight you two." I said, waving my hand and falling deep into the alleyway.

"Time to figure out what world I'm in..." I whispered to myself, digging into the ground, and leaping away.

...

Unfortunately, I had left just a few moments too early. 

Maybe If I had taken the time to examine my surroundings a little more in depth with the newfound intelligence I had copied from Banner, I may have noticed the man lurking in the dark.

"Superman, come in." A man in black emerged from the darkness, dropping from one of the above apartment windows. 

He landed soundlessly next to the regenerating husk, his cape covering most his body as his eyes peered through his black mask.

"I think we may have an additional threat on our hands now."

...

...

...

I flipped my collar, walking through the street in a surprisingly spiffy outfit I had supplied myself with from the dumpster. Having transformed may or may not have shredded all of clothes I previously wore...

After leaving behind an unconscious Hulk, I hopped around during the night, gathering information on where I was, I swiftly escaped.

After all, I had awoken in Gotham City...

That threw me for a massive loop. I had just dealt with Hulk, the one and only Bruce Banner, and you're telling me that Gotham City exists?

You're telling me I was potentially strolling around Batman's territory as a big green giant?

That thought alone frightened even me, a person who now had an IQ of over 160. The idea of being targeted by the entire justice league was something I did not want to think about as of now.

With my current power, sure, none of them would be able to overpower, I would be able to even tussle with superman for a long while until I eventually won. 

But taking on a team of who knows how many, superpowered individuals with strange powers? That would not be much fun...

Then again, I may not even have to battle with them, but knowing Batman, he would surely try to capture me and bring me in for questioning.

It was unlikely he would see eye to eye with me since to him I'm just another threat.

But that was a matter of another time, as of right now, I was working on perfecting the DNA within me.

The Hulk was a powerful entity, and I could feel my own variant battling for control within me.

But, it was not too taxing of a process to assimilate the stupid ape. I did not truly understand how I did it, or how I was doing it to be exact, but it seemed to be a part of my innate ability.

The power to understand things and fix them, replicate them even.

At least that's what I have showcased so far, I may be capable of even more.

Once I understand things, it becomes almost my imperative to fix them, or take them for myself. That's what I have noticed.

When I heard the broken watch in the alley, it felt like it was almost my mission to fix the item.

When Banner came tumbling in, I felt a hunger to understand, fix, and take his power for my own.

It felt as if...

He was not fit to have it.

It would be better off with me.

That was to say the least.

After that, while I was escaping, dozens of things called out to me.

There was a countless number of things that needed fixing, ranging from the broken street lamps, to the men scurrying around in the darkness, unknowing of the cancer brewing in their bodies.

It was a task, to ignore all of the imperfections that needed fixing... But I had succeeded.

None were worthy of my attention, and I had to focus on conquering the literal demon inside of me.

Thankfully, I faced success in that too.

Right before I entered Manhattan of all places.

I had shifted back into my, well, me form, and dug through some dumpsters before I found clothes. I would rather not be charged with public indecency my second day into a new world.

That was when it ticked again, but this time drastically more violent. I was walking down the street, trying to come to terms with where I was, and what my next move would be.

But I was interrupted.

I could feel something in my vicinity.

Something that I should have, not anyone else.

The feeling wasn't as powerful as when I saw Banner, but it was still weighing on my mind.

I could not tell what the source was, I did not have even a inkling of a thought on why my senses were screaming at me.

That was until it touched me.

I felt a bump, a cheery childlike voice erupting from my side.

"Sorry mister!" The boy said, my eyes and arms honing in on the kid.

With a quick movement, I found both my hands on the child's shoulders, and it truly punched me in the face at that moment.

I could practically see the abnormality, taste the grandeur, and smell the potential.

My eyes widened as I examined the strange genetic formation that was presented before me. This child had an extra gene, another gateway that I did not have, but this one did.

"Hey little man! You need to watch where you're going in public places!" I said with a smile, my face having changed from the previous eerie glare that has most definitely frightened the child.

"S-Sorry mister, I was just playing!" The kid said, though I didn't pay much attention.

I was too busy cracking the code presented before me.

"Yeah yeah pal, whatever you say... Where are your parents?" I asked, half out of it.

I was right there.

"They're overrrr-" The kid trailed off, a sluggish but euphoric look appearing on his face.

In that same moment, a subtle glow left my hands, a glow no one but me would even be able to see.

It was instant, but this time I had done something different.

"Yeah, get on! Get back to them kid!" I smiled, giving the child a little push in the direction of his parents that had now made themselves visible.

"O-Oh, sorry mister!" The kid exclaimed, having reawakened and came to his senses.

With those words, I smiled and got off my knee, standing tall. I readjusted my dirty green button up, and patted my darker green pants.

Not many seemed to care that I was only wearing socks and not shoes, but that was not of my concern.

I turned the opposite direction of the family, starting to walk.

"Nearly useless, but with tempering, I can make something out of it..." I chuckled, flicking my finger and watching as a stray coin flew into my grasp.

"Sorry kid, hope you won't be missing this little ability..."