The Hulk didn't have time to react to the psionic attack, which hit him with unexpected force, bringing the green giant to his knees. With each heavy breath, his massive muscles deflated like a balloon losing air, until only Bruce Banner remained, weakly sitting on the ground in a puddle of his torn clothes, trying to gather his scattered thoughts and emotions, which raged in his mind like a storm.
As the Hulk disappeared, leaving only Bruce Banner, the tension among the team eased slightly.
"Never thought someone could go from a mountain of muscle to so scrawny in such a short time," Johnny said, not hiding his surprise and a touch of humor in his voice.
"Wh-Who are you?" Bruce stammered, his voice trembling with weakness and confusion.
"Long time no see, Dr. Banner," I said, stepping forward to introduce myself and reassure him that he wasn't alone.
Recognition flashed in Bruce's eyes when he heard my voice. We had met at a scientific conference on energy issues, where his ideas and research had genuinely impressed me.
"Dr. Richards?" Bruce said in an astonished tone, his gaze becoming more focused as the confusion slowly gave way to understanding.
I nodded in response and asked a question I thought was crucial for understanding his current state: "Yes. Do you remember how you got here?"
Bruce rubbed his hand over his face, trying to recall the sequence of events that led him to this moment. His eyes darted around, attempting to focus on the faces surrounding him, which seemed both familiar and strange. Silence hung for a few minutes until his pupils dilated, and he said:
"I... I... I should have died in that explosion..."
He began to remember the events that turned him into the Hulk.
As Bruce Banner started to piece together the memories of the catastrophic incident that had forever changed his life, the air around us filled with tension.
"It was an experiment," Bruce continued, his voice trembling with emotion. "A gamma bomb... A civilian..."
"Yes," I nodded. "There was an explosion that was far more powerful than you expected."
"How did I survive?" Bruce whispered.
I looked at him and said, "That's what interests me as well. At the moment of the explosion, your body was bombarded with an enormous amount of gamma radiation, which altered your body... and seems to have created a new personality."
"Hulk..." Bruce whispered. "I... I remember what I did as the Hulk. It was like being in a dream... like being pushed to the back seat while the Hulk took the wheel. My God... What have I done?"
This was undoubtedly fascinating. However, we needed to address another issue.
"I think you understand what will happen to you next?" I asked him.
Bruce Banner swallowed hard. "Yes... Prison..."
"Bruce, may I call you Bruce?" I tried to establish a more friendly rapport.
Bruce Banner began to panic at the thought of his prospects.
"Y-yes..."
I pressed a few buttons on my portable computer, calling up a holographic monitor that began displaying the Hulk's actions.
"Look at this data," I said, pointing to the video footage. "Every confrontation was initiated by the military."
At that moment, the screen showed a series of videos depicting the Hulk's battles with the military.
"And here is what happened when the Hulk was in areas with civilians."
"W-Why are you showing me this?" Bruce asked.
"Yeah, Stretch, why?" Ben asked, having also reverted to his human form.
"To show Bruce a pattern," I said, hoping he would see what I saw.
Susan, who was also watching the footage, seemed to have already noticed the pattern, judging by her eyes.
"He didn't harm civilians..." Banner whispered.
Indeed, in the footage we reviewed, the Hulk somehow managed not to harm civilians. Every fight he engaged in resulted in destruction, but no civilian deaths.
"Exactly," I nodded.
"W-Why are you telling me this?" Bruce asked me.
"To show you that you're not the monster you think you are," I said, looking Bruce in the eye. "But what the government might create based on you... that's unlikely to be as 'kind-hearted' as the Hulk."
In Bruce's eyes, I could see the realization of what General Ross might do to him.
My team was also aware of what I meant. Because I didn't limit my access to military information, extracting classified information wasn't too difficult.
Everyone could see Ross's interest in the Hulk, or more specifically, his obsession with creating an army of similar beings. An army of Hulks that could become an unstoppable force on the battlefield, potentially causing an apocalypse.
"W-What do you plan to do?" Bruce's voice trembled with anxiety and fear of the unknown.
I smiled, trying to hide my interest and the potential plans swirling in my head.
"That's a good question," I replied, my eyes gleaming with ideas and possibilities opening up before me.
—= S.H.I.E.L.D. Prison =—
"Who would have thought that a man like him could turn into a green monster?" one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents said thoughtfully as they carefully escorted Bruce Banner through the corridors of a specially designed prison, built to contain the Hulk's power.
As they passed by reinforced walls and security barriers, tension hung in the air, each step echoing through the long corridors. The lighting was dim, creating an atmosphere of mystery and danger lurking in every corner.
"I'm telling you, it's both a miracle of science and its curse," another agent continued, his eyes reflecting a mix of respect and fear towards the power the Hulk represented. "The fact that we managed to capture him speaks volumes about our resources and the risks we're willing to take to protect the world from such threats."
Around them, the sounds of high-tech equipment buzzed, and the air was thick with anticipation of what would come next. In this place, where Bruce Banner was brought for containment, every element was designed with the possibility of his sudden transformation into the Hulk in mind, from special energy fields to reinforced cells capable of withstanding his incredible strength.
ZZZT
For just a moment, the entire building was plunged into darkness. However, that moment was enough for the device Reed Richards had left for Bruce Banner to activate. Bruce Banner's body disappeared from the prison.
—//—
I looked at the point on the globe, which sparkled with a tiny but bright light. This point indicated the place where Bruce Banner's body had been teleported—a secluded corner of the world where he could be safe from both himself and external threats. Data, meteorological conditions, and geographic coordinates floated around the globe, creating the impression of a bustling technological mirage.
"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Johnny Storm asked, his voice reflecting a mix of doubt and concern.
At that moment, we were already in the Fantastic Four's headquarters, where thick walls and modern security systems allowed us to express our honest opinions without fear of being overheard by Nick Fury or anyone else from the outside world.
"Given everything we know, I think it was the best solution," I said, trying to infuse confidence into my words. "We can't allow an army of people who resemble the Hulk but lack his goodwill... And we also couldn't let a man rot in prison who was guilty only of helping a civilian."
"What if he turns into the Hulk among civilians?" Benjamin Grimm asked, his brows furrowing in deep concern.
I pondered this question for a moment, knowing the answer was important not only for Ben but for everyone else as well.
"In that case, Banner has a norepinephrine detector in his body, which will alert him to critical levels, and he can manage himself from there. In an emergency, we have a device on his wrist that can incapacitate the Hulk," I explained, hoping my confidence would reassure them.
"Are you monitoring him?" Sue asked, her brow raised in skepticism and curiosity.
"Not me, but Oracle," I shook my head, smiling at the thought of my latest creation. For this task, I created an AI to ensure Bruce Banner wouldn't do anything reckless, using the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and surveillance technology.
At that moment, my mobile phone rang. The number displayed made me realize that events were unfolding exactly as I had anticipated.
"Good evening, Director Fury," I said, looking at Fury's face, preparing for a conversation that promised to be tense.
—= Some Time Ago =—
Nicholas Joseph Fury felt as if he had been deceived. His usual imperturbable calm was disrupted; his gaze, typically steely and contemplative, now wandered the room, sparkling with anger and irritation.
"Bruce Banner has disappeared..." his voice was quiet, but each word sounded like a sentence. It didn't take a genius to understand what had happened. There were very few people on Earth with the resources, knowledge, and audacity to organize such a liberation.
"Do you think Dr. Richards is responsible?" Maria Hill asked, standing next to Fury. Her voice was calm but carried a note of concern. She knew that every decision Fury made carried the weight of global security.
Fury didn't even glance at her and simply said, "Agent Hill, don't ask questions to which you already know the answers." His tone was restrained, but each word in his sentence sounded like an accusation.
They both stood in the operations control room, surrounded by numerous monitors and screens displaying data from all corners of the world. The light from the screens cast shadows on their faces, making their features even sharper and more tense. The air in the room was charged with anticipation of the next move, and everyone present felt the weight of responsibility on their shoulders.
Fury's one eye was still focused on the video footage showing Banner's capture and transportation to the prison designed for him... and the subsequent disappearance of the dangerous scientist.
"Get me a line to Dr. Richards," he ordered the operator. "It's time to have a serious talk with the Fantastic Four."
At that moment, Fury realized that his task was not just to restore order but to rethink his methods and strategies. In a world with forces like the Hulk, old security approaches no longer worked. And he was ready to accept this new challenge.
—= Present Time =—
As Reed Richards and Nicholas Fury exchanged greetings, the atmosphere in the room grew even more tense. Fury, a man with extensive experience in military and espionage affairs, allowed himself a moment to analyze the situation before continuing the conversation. His lone eye narrowed with undisguised displeasure, peering through the screen at Richards' face, trying to discern his true intentions behind the calm and confident exterior.
"Dr. Richards, I thought you were a reasonable man," Fury repeated, his voice even but each word laden with reproach and disappointment.
There was a moment of silence during which Richards, sitting in his office surrounded by countless scientific instruments, weighed each of his next words. He understood the gravity of the moment and knew that every statement he made could have far-reaching consequences.
"Has something happened?" Richards finally asked, pretending not to know the reasons for Fury's dissatisfaction.
Although Richards tried to play the role of an ignorant man, he couldn't match the daily intrigues and complexities in which Fury participated. Therefore, Nick Fury understood everything perfectly, despite Richards' attempts to mask his true intentions.
"Dr. Richards, let's not play games," Fury said firmly, his patience clearly wearing thin. "You know very well what happened."
Fury sat in his office at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, surrounded by screens and monitors continuously displaying information from all corners of the world. The dim lighting emphasized the seriousness of the moment and added weight to each of his words. He observed Reed through the video link, trying to understand his thought process.
"And what exactly happened?" Reed Richards replied.
Fury sighed, indicating that he realized Richards intended to keep playing the game.
"Bruce Banner has disappeared, and I suppose you're going to claim you have no idea how he vanished?" Fury said.
At this time, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. fixed his gaze on Richards. His single eye tried to capture every detail of the mosaic to construct the necessary picture.
"You'd be surprised, Director Fury, but that's exactly what I was going to say," Richards responded.
As Reed spoke, Fury's mind began sorting through all the known facts about Reed Richards that he possessed. He had a psychological profile of the scientist...
"Understood. In that case, I wanted to inform you that the Hulk is missing," Fury said.
Nicholas Joseph Fury had already figured out what had happened and why Richards had helped Banner escape.