Chapter 43

"I'm guessing you didn't like Vanko's reactor?" I asked Tony.

Three days had passed since our time travel. Because of the chrono-storms caused by Rama-Tut's actions, we arrived two weeks after our departure.

And a lot of interesting things had happened during that time.

"That's just the tip of the iceberg compared to what happened with the mutants," Tony replied.

"Well, if you put it that way, yeah," I nodded. "How did the world react?"

"What can they do?" Stark raised an eyebrow. "Criticizing Magneto would be a red flag not only for him, who is extremely dangerous, but also for the global community."

In Stark's words, one could trace an interesting nuance, which would be lost without all the information at hand.

"They approached you, didn't they?" I asked Stark.

"Yeah," Tony nodded. "The government is pushing hard on the Sentinel program."

"Not surprising," I said. "Especially with so many 'reasons' to create those watchdogs. Knowing you, I'm not surprised you declined?"

Stark smirked and said, "Of course. Working with these politicians is like shooting yourself in the foot. Especially considering their ever-growing appetites."

"Was that your only reason for refusing?" I asked, thinking of his decision to stop dealing in weapons.

"One of the reasons," Stark admitted. "But the main reason is known to everyone."

I looked into Stark's eyes.

"What did you find out about Fury?"

The only reason Stark asked me to come alone. According to him, we would make faster progress without the others.

The billionaire smirked and said, "Our one-eyed friend is very protective of his secrets, so I didn't find much."

I raised an eyebrow. Stark not able to dig something up on Fury?

"Alright, alright, I managed to pull a significant amount of data," Stark said. "But I think the main database wasn't there."

"Fragmented information?" I asked.

"No. What I got from his database wasn't fragmented," Tony shook his head. "It's easier to show you."

He pressed a button, and a hologram appeared before us, showing files with interesting information, at least for civilians.

"Jarvis, highlight the patterns I asked you to track," Stark ordered.

Highlighted zones began appearing among the multitude of files.

"See?"

"Yes," I nodded, understanding what Stark meant.

I thought I knew the reason for the secrecy, but I missed it… Wait. I got it.

"Any thoughts?" Stark asked me.

"No."

But in reality, I had a theory. The secrecy was likely needed to extract the symbol of America from the ice without any issues.

"Richards, I haven't known you for long, but even I can tell you figured something out," Stark said without his usual smirk.

Tony can be perceptive sometimes.

"I have a theory, but it's just a theory," I replied.

"I called you here to share your thoughts."

"You're aware of their base?" I asked Stark.

"Not detecting the energy signature of that behemoth would be quite a challenge," Stark rolled his eyes.

"Doesn't it bother you where it's been these past few days?"

Stark frowned and pulled up the files.

"Damn."

"It seems Fury found the remains of the symbol of America."

"That sounds quite plausible," Stark said, finishing his coffee.

—= Some Time Later =—

"Dr. Richards, code Green," Kronos's voice sounded in my earpiece.

Code Green meant Bruce Banner wanted to contact me, requiring my immediate attention.

I was deeply engrossed in studying the genes of En Sabah Nur. Extracting and hiding samples due to Apocalypse's peculiarities was incredibly challenging, but I had succeeded despite the obstacles.

The work was progressing swiftly, though the X-Gene of the Immortal Mutant differed greatly from any samples I had previously studied. Nonetheless, certain patterns in its structure were emerging.

Despite my engrossment, I had to pause my research. Banner wouldn't contact me without a good reason.

"Connect me to him," I ordered.

A moment later, a hologram of Bruce Banner appeared, projected from the other side of the world.

"Reed, I've got a serious problem," Banner began.

The gravity of his words was unmistakable.

"Ross found me," he continued. I immediately checked his current location and saw he was in South America… a place Ross could easily reach.

"That is serious. How did he find you?" I asked.

Bruce hesitated, clearly nervous. Even through the hologram, his anxiety was palpable.

"I can see you're nervous, Bruce," my voice was as dry as the Sahara.

Banner smiled awkwardly, resembling a schoolboy who forgot his homework.

"I talked to a scientist," he admitted.

It wasn't hard to piece things together.

"Don't tell me you discussed your green problem?" I asked, not hiding my exasperation.

"Was I that predictable?" Bruce's voice was filled with self-disappointment.

"Unfortunately, Bruce, it seems so," I replied, understanding the depth of the issue. "What prompted you to do that?"

Bruce understood the subtext. Why contact another scientist when he had my information?

"You know how crucial different perspectives are in scientific work… And for two weeks, I couldn't reach you."

It was a weak excuse. Bruce knew it, and so did I.

But there was no time to delve into the matter.

"Did you send him blood samples?" I asked Banner.

Bruce nodded.

"Damn."

—= Emil Blonsky =—

Emil had always sought ways to become stronger. His thirst for power drove him to accept the mission of hunting the Hulk.

The immense power in that monster was too tempting to ignore.

"Sterns, when can I expect results?" Blonsky nearly growled.

Samuel Sterns nervously swallowed the lump in his throat. Emil could be terrifying when the situation demanded it, and this was one of those times.

Sterns glanced at the blood samples of Bruce Banner, which he had obtained thanks to Banner himself. Then he looked at the calculations on his computer.

"Everything is ready," Sterns whispered, scarcely believing his words.

Blonsky's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Then do what you must."

—\\—

Sterns began following the orders of a man who could kill him without a second thought.

A part of him hoped that if he fulfilled all of Blonsky's commands, he might be spared. This hope drove Sterns to act.

He worked flawlessly, knowing that Blonsky had studied most of his work and would not be easily deceived.

The green liquid, containing the essence that created the Hulk, began to flow through the tubes.

Sterns watched as Blonsky's lips curved into a grin as the liquid started to enter his system, despite its toxic nature and the intense pain it caused. Blonsky was confident of this, having tested it on rats.

Blonsky lost consciousness only when a significant amount of the liquid had entered his body, initiating the final stage. Just before passing out, Sterns thought he saw a primal fear in Blonsky's eyes.

The transformation was swift. The blood in Blonsky's veins turned a poisonous green, and his eyes opened, glowing with a toxic green light.

"Next, the bones..." Sterns thought, recalling his experiments on animals.

Indeed, in the next moment, Blonsky's bones began to grow.

CRACK

Bony protrusions started emerging from Blonsky's spine. His torso and legs elongated, becoming stronger and more robust. This was within the expected parameters, but the transformation didn't stop at merely enhancing his body. Sterns watched in horrified fascination as Blonsky became...

"Abomination..." Sterns whispered, voicing the thought that entered his mind.

Blonsky's ears, which now resembled those of ancient reptilian ancestors, twitched. His hearing had sharpened.

"No," the monster responded, his voice demonic. "I am magnificent."

Blonsky examined his hands with keen interest, now covered in scales, like the rest of his body.

After a few moments, he said:

"You've done your part, Sterns."

At these words, hope began to bloom in Sterns' heart, the hope of escaping South America alive.

"But letting you go is too dangerous," Blonsky declared.

The next thing Sterns felt was a searing pain down to his bones as his body received a dose of Banner's blood.

"...A horrifying green door..." Sterns whispered as his eyes began to close.

—= Reed Richards =—

Traveling to South America turned out to be a much simpler task than an expedition to the Moon or an incursion into the Negative Zone.

"Are we facing the Hulk again?" Johnny asked with genuine curiosity as we entered the building where preparations were in full swing.

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "This time, we have a different mission."

"Oh, right, I remember," the blond said, waving his hand. "We need to stop the military from capturing Dr. Hyde. But do you really think we can manage without that big green guy showing up?"

Johnny had a point. I was almost certain things would go sideways.

"No, we won't avoid a fight," I said. "Especially considering Sterns and Blonsky's actions."

Thanks to Banner, my friends and I knew what had transpired.

"Great," Ben said. "I've been itching to punch something."

Ben's team had recently suffered a crushing defeat, so he wasn't in the best mood.

But I understood that there was a deeper reason. The main reason was that none of us wanted innocent people to suffer, and we didn't want our friend to get into even bigger trouble.

—= Bruce Banner =—

"Betty, you shouldn't have come here," Bruce said, looking at the woman who had an unshakeable hold on his heart.

Elizabeth Ross, daughter of General Thaddeus Ross, met his gaze. In her features, Bruce saw a striking resemblance to her father. Their resolute and unwavering expressions seemed to be inherited traits.

But unlike the general, who saw Bruce as a constant source of problems, Betty's eyes were filled with warmth and concern.

"You don't believe what you're saying," she said softly.

"No," Bruce admitted, "I don't."

Deep down, he was genuinely glad she was there with him.

"But you're putting yourself in great danger," he continued, his voice filled with worry.

This fact made his heart race with fear. Bruce understood that after everything that happened with the Hulk, his life would never return to normal.

"I'm Thaddeus Ross's daughter, Bruce," Betty replied gently. "My life has always been full of risk."

"But not this kind of danger," Bruce insisted.

Betty frowned, understanding that Bruce was referring to the Hulk, and said:

"And this kind too. Bruce, our world has entered a new era. Superpowers and extraordinary individuals are now setting the pace. How many of my father's enemies do you think could come after me with people like that?"

"I won't let that happen!" Bruce exclaimed, and at that moment, a green flash lit up his eyes, but he quickly regained control, and the green faded. "I won't…"

If Betty was frightened by Bruce's outburst, she didn't show it.

"I know," she said. "That's why I'm here."

Bruce Banner smiled sadly. Reed Richards' words flashed in his mind.

"What?" Betty asked, puzzled.

"Just remembered something Reed Richards once told me."

"You know Dr. Richards?"

"The green problem helped with that."

Judging by Betty's expression, she had pieced together an interesting picture in her mind.

"They helped bring the green guy under control," Bruce said. "Reed Richards has been a great help to me."

Seeing the glint in Betty's eyes, he knew she understood that Richards had helped him escape from the US.

Betty was about to say something else, but a powerful explosion stopped her.

They didn't have time to process what had happened, as the next moment something heavy landed near them.

BAM

A cloud of dust rose, but it couldn't conceal the terrifying figure before them.

"Betty! Run!"

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