Chapter 48: The 'Hellhound' Guarding the Laboratory

Mary, who seemed to have no actual combat capabilities, wouldn't stand a chance against Thanos, let alone a Chitauri soldier.

But... if aliens were to arrive in a spaceship, she could take control of their vessel and unleash a barrage of ship-to-ship cannons, targeting the aliens, of course.

In situations where there was no defense, these peculiar abilities were even more destructive than some direct combat capabilities.

The demand for combat agents was still the highest, but they were not easy to find.

Individuals like Nightmare and Mary, who were previously ordinary people and had hidden their mutant identities without being discovered, mostly joined Overwatch for reasons such as "good treatment" or "interesting work."

Plague was a rare case, and the girl who could passively turn invisible was because her ability could harm others. She wanted to join Overwatch, a group full of mutants, to gain a sense of belonging. Such individuals made up a significant portion of the organization.

Lastly, there were individuals like Bison and Lynx, highly skilled warriors with exceptional combat abilities, who were extremely rare.

Lynx was a former soldier who had concealed herself well in the military. Bison was a mercenary who had made a name for himself. Not only did they not require extensive training, but they could also train and mentor new recruits. They were currently the most needed talents in Overwatch.

Unfortunately, individuals with such talents were few and far between.

With the first group of Overwatch trainees entering their positions, their ranks could be expanded. Combined with the original plan to recruit elite soldiers into Overwatch, they could quickly train a large number of capable agents.

It wasn't Warren's proposal that prompted this decision, as they had already planned for it. After all, the super soldier suits had long been prepared.

Being a connecting hub, a bridge of communication, it would be absurd to only recruit mutants. Otherwise, there would be rumors circulating that humans wanted to enslave mutants, and even individuals like Garrettstein in the management might be accused of such.

That task would be left to them. Tony Stark becoming an Overwatch advisor was also left to someone else to handle. What Warren had to do in the next few days was something else very important.

But before that, they had to settle a major trouble.

Akers Island, the birthplace of the cure, the location of the Vossen Laboratory, the core facility of the Red Queen, the gene mapping technology, and various black technology drugs related to it, as well as the storage site for T-virus samples.

This was the Devil King's treasury.

Since it was the Devil King's treasury, how could they not have a hellhound guarding the place?

...

"Dr. Banner, welcome to your new home."

Bruce Banner descended from the helicopter and surveyed the surroundings. Well, it was good. It seemed like a desolate place where there was no one around. Even if he turned into a monster, he wouldn't cause any damage.

"Are you going to leave me here alone and airdrop supplies to me by helicopter every week?"

"It would be a waste for you to live alone in such a big place. Follow me, I'll take you to meet the controller of this island."

From the helipad to the entrance nearby, a virtual image projection appeared as soon as they entered.

It was a little girl in a red dress. "Welcome to Akers Island, Dr. Bruce Banner. I am the assistant of Mr. Red Queen."

"If you have any needs in the future, just let her know. She can do things that surpass your imagination."

Banner nodded. "It looks good. At least there's someone to keep me company."

"If you want company, why not come to the laboratory?" Dr. Isnerstein appeared.

"The laboratory?" Banner was puzzled.

"Do you still allow me to enter the laboratory?"

"To compensate for the damages you caused, the medical expenses of the injured, I have spent a large sum of money. Therefore, you will probably have to work for me for two hundred years." Warren, the heartless boss, said.

Banner exclaimed, "Seems like my salary is quite low. But what will be my job? You won't ask me to plant trees on the island, right?"

"Your main job is to assist Dr. Isnerstein in his research tasks, but I will also give you some freedom. You can research how to solve the problem on yourself."

"Really?"

Banner became excited. "Can I use the resources here to solve my own problem?"

"Of course, but first, your funding is limited. Second, you must report the progress of your project at any time. Third... if anyone tries to get their hands on the contents here, I allow you to turn into a monster and smash them to pieces."

Banner asked in surprise, "What do you mean by the third condition?"

"It means that there are many dangerous items here that absolutely cannot be leaked to the outside or taken away by criminals. You are the hellhound guarding this treasure trove."

Banner: "..."

Can I swear?

"Warren, Dr. Banner's battlefield is in the laboratory, don't treat him as a warrior."

Seeing Banner's bewildered expression, Dr. Isnerstein came over to clear things up.

"Banner, come with me. I'll show you around and introduce you to the environment here. You will definitely love it; everything you need is here."

Banner was taken away by Dr. Isnerstein to tour the Vossen Laboratory. He discovered that it was a paradise for biological research, complete with an artificial intelligence system to assist in data analysis and processing.

...

"I'm starting to like it here."

If it was here, there might be a chance to solve his problem.

When he transformed from a monster back into a human, Warren appeared, showing him the video of his monster form. Banner himself had also done some research, but he was unsure about the cause of the problem and how to solve it.

However, it was different at the Vossen Laboratory. The equipment here was complete, and there was Dr. Isnerstein, a top figure in the field. It gave him hope.

"Until your condition stabilizes, you cannot leave Akers Island."

"What about phone calls and emails?"

Those are allowed, but you cannot reveal any information about your whereabouts here. Red Queen will monitor your communications."

"But..."

"Don't talk to me about privacy, Doctor. What we're protecting here is far more terrifying than you transforming into a monster. I hope you understand." Warren said sternly.

Banner felt somewhat unwilling. He thought, what else could be scarier here than me turning into a monster?

After all, as a monster, he could easily dismantle tanks with his bare hands.

But when under someone else's roof, one had to abide by their rules. Upon careful consideration, the environment here was actually quite good.

"When can I leave? I can't really work for you for two hundred years, can I?"

"That was just a joke. As long as you can solve your problem, you can leave at any time."

However, that was clearly impossible.

In Avengers: Endgame, even with the resources available, it took Bruce Banner five years and he still couldn't resolve the Hulk. In the end, he accepted his fate and merged with the Hulk.

That was during the time period after Thanos snapped his fingers, where technology was much more advanced.

During that time, they still couldn't find a solution.

So Banner would have to stay on the island for many years.

"When my girlfriend be allowed to visit me here? I can't really expect her to work at Vossen Laboratory, right?"

"It's impossible unless she applies for a position at the Vossen Laboratory, but our closed environment is not very suitable for girls."

"Alright."

He thought about it. Even if Betty was willing to come here for him, it wouldn't be feasible. The place was too isolated.

...

The next day, on the first day of his work at the Vossen Laboratory, Bruce Banner looked at Dr. Isnerstein with surprise.

"I never expected that you have already successfully developed the Super Soldier Serum. My goodness, this is truly..."

He was so excited that his words became incoherent.

Dr. Isnerstein looked at Banner's astonished expression with satisfaction and calmly said, "But it still has a small flaw. Improving it is our task, and I hope you will like it."

"I like it, I really like it!"

A few days later...

Banner looked at the data on the screen and found it strange.

"Dr. Isnerstein, this T-virus sample is incredibly powerful. I thought my cell sample was dominant enough, but after being infected with the T-virus, my cells underwent even more bizarre changes."

"Show me."

Dr. Isnerstein's brows furrowed as he looked at it, and he sighed, "It seems we've created something extraordinary again."

"Again?"

"Yes, once again. This thing would be a disaster if it were to spread. The T-virus can cause rapid mutations in infected organisms, and your sample possesses even greater physical size and strength. When the two are combined, it results in infected individuals becoming massive. Just imagine, a virus that can create mindless, giant creatures with immense size and strength, and it's highly contagious."

"That does sound like a disaster... Wait, have you conducted animal experiments with the T-virus?"

"Yes, we used mice, canines, and birds. You'll understand after you see them."

Dr. Isnerstein took Banner into the classified area of the laboratory, where each compartment was separated by bulletproof glass.

"These are the infected subjects of the T-virus. I call them 'zombies.'"

Banner's eyes gradually widened, "Now I understand why Warren said the things here are scarier than me turning into a monster."