Chapter 31: Bruce Banner

**

Bruce Banner moved cautiously as he returned to New York. He couldn't stay in any hotel that required identification, and he didn't have much money left. One place came to mind: the pizza shop he and his girlfriend used to frequent. He knew the owner well.

Carrying a travel bag, he took a taxi to the location and prepared to enter through the back door. However, a car pulled up beside him, and the driver's side window rolled down. A young Asian man smiled at him from behind the wheel.

"Good evening, Dr. Bruce Banner," the man said.

Bruce panicked and instinctively turned to flee, but Link's next words made him stop in his tracks. "The military already knows you're back."

Bruce turned to face him, wary. "Who are you?"

"Get in the car. This isn't the place to talk. Don't worry, I'm not here to provoke you—that would be far too dangerous. I know that many things don't work on you, so I just want to have a conversation."

After hesitating, Bruce realized he didn't have many options. Unleashing the Hulk was the last thing he wanted to do. Reluctantly, he got into the car's passenger seat. Link started the engine, and they drove away, deliberately bypassing the pizza shop where Bruce's girlfriend was, ensuring the two would not meet.

Link explained as they drove, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Link, an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division." Link recited the full name, as he had learned from Phil Coulson and others.

Bruce was puzzled. "What kind of organization is that?"

"'Homeland' doesn't refer to just the United States; it refers to Earth. We're Earth's first line of defense," Link clarified. "It's a global agency managed by the World Security Council, funded by countries worldwide. It's a joint initiative."

"That's impossible," Bruce said, shaking his head in disbelief. "If such an organization existed, why are there still wars?"

"You don't know the full picture. We're not here to prevent wars on Earth; we're here to defend against extraterrestrial threats. Given your... unique nature, I'm telling you this: aliens do exist," Link replied.

Bruce was stunned by the revelation but found it difficult to believe. Seeing his skepticism, Link didn't push further. Instead, he parked the car in a quiet, open area, got out, and retrieved some food and drinks from the trunk.

"I'm guessing you haven't eaten yet. Let's talk while we eat," Link said, pulling out two large pizzas and two cups of soda.

"You want me to try the food first?" Link asked, seeing Bruce's hesitation.

"No need." Bruce took one of the pizzas, placed it on the car's hood, and started eating.

As they ate, Link said, "We've pieced together some of the details. The military announced that your accident was just a lab mishap, but the destruction at the scene wasn't caused by an explosion."

"They've been hunting you ever since, so we suspect that the experiment... worked. But maybe not in the way anyone expected, right?"

"You're right," Bruce admitted. "I've become a monster, a creature with immense destructive power. And I can't control it. Now, what do *you* want?"

"As far as I know, we're not running any Super Soldier Serum experiments. The truth is, the kind of threats we're dealing with can't be solved by one Captain America—or even a hundred of them." Link smiled. "We've already cataloged and researched plenty of alien artifacts."

Bruce looked at Link in disbelief. "Are you sure you should be telling me all of this?"

"I know it sounds far-fetched," Link said with a laugh. "That's how I felt at first, too. I used to be a cop. I made a lot of money in Las Vegas, and then I had to make a choice. Someone came to recruit me. I was curious, so I joined. That's when I learned the truth."

Link took a bite of his pizza before continuing, "Earth is like a supermarket. So many aliens have visited. Some of them might even be hiding here right now. Can you believe that?"

Bruce swallowed a bite of pizza and said, "It's hard to believe."

"Yeah, I get it. But here's the thing: coming back to New York was a mistake, and giving your blood to someone else was an even bigger mistake."

Bruce froze. "You know about that?"

"Of course. The internet isn't as secure as you might think," Link said, knowing full well that SHIELD didn't have this information—but he did.

Bruce stared at Link in shock.

"And your 'Mr. Blue'? He's been cloning your blood and running all kinds of experiments."

"That's impossible! He promised me…" Bruce was stunned, unable to comprehend it.

"A mad scientist? Come on, you're a scientist yourself. How can you be sure he wouldn't do that? He could win a Nobel Prize for this. Why wouldn't he?" Link said with a smirk.

Bruce was silent for a moment before saying, "I have to make him destroy the blood samples."

"Don't worry. Someone will take care of that," Link assured him. "Now, let's talk about *your* situation."

"My situation?" Bruce asked, confused.

"Based on what you've told me, I have a theory. That... thing inside you—what do you call it?"

"Hulk. He calls himself Hulk," Bruce replied.

"Right. Hulk. I may not understand the specifics of your field, but I do know one thing: the experiment didn't create him. The Hulk didn't just appear in your body out of nowhere. His existence comes from you."

"From me? How is that possible?" Bruce was incredulous.

"Of course it's possible. I studied psychology in college. You've heard of dissociative identity disorder, right? We've done a thorough investigation into your past, Bruce."

"Your childhood wasn't a happy one. You've always been a passive person. But did you ever imagine, as a kid, being strong enough to protect yourself?"

"Dissociative identity disorder is connected to personal experiences. And yours? Classic case."

"But you're smart. You focused on your studies, got seven PhDs, and became a genius."

Check out my ko-fi for more advanced chapters at ko-fi.com/rookie99

________________________________________

I hope you're enjoying the story so far! If you're liking it, please consider leaving a review and dropping a Power Stone. Your feedback and support mean a lot to me and help keep the story going.

(End of Chapter)