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Bruce Banner was rampaging through the U.S. military forces, his every step wreaking havoc.
To Roger, the scene before him was a near-perfect reenactment of the Incredible Hulk movie—the military's response and the Hulk's reaction were eerily similar.
It was almost as if he were watching a live-action movie.
But if this were just a movie, it would've been fine. Unfortunately, this wasn't fiction—it was real life.
The U.S. military had tried every means to stop the Hulk, but the more they provoked him, the angrier he got. The angrier he got, the stronger he became—a perfect vicious cycle.
Roger stood where he was, not bothering to help. But the military wasn't smart enough to leave him alone; instead, they turned their guns on him.
Roger sighed and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Hands up! Take off the mask!"
Someone shouted at Roger.
Roger didn't feel angry. Instead, he found it amusing and said, "Are you really going to say that to someone who can arm-wrestle that big guy over there? Fine…"
Seeing that the military was on the verge of being completely overrun, Roger took a deep breath. His body suddenly disappeared from where he was standing.
....
In the next instant, everyone surrounding him was launched into the air, as though gravity had abandoned them.
Of course, Roger had held back. He didn't exert any real force; otherwise, they wouldn't have just been thrown into the air—they'd have been turned into pulp.
Having dealt with the soldiers surrounding him, Roger flew straight toward the Hulk.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed as Roger and the Hulk collided, sending both of them flying.
Facing an enraged Hulk, Roger grabbed his arm and flew higher into the sky. The Hulk struggled, kicking and punching at Roger as they ascended.
"Calm down! Calm down, big guy!"
The Hulk's strength was immense, but Roger could still manage to restrain him. However, he didn't use too much force, fearing he might seriously injure the green giant.
The Hulk roared in defiance, "Hulk is not a toy!"
Bang!
With that, the Hulk slammed his head against Roger's, leaving both of them momentarily dazed.
Seizing the opportunity, Roger hurled the Hulk downward. The giant fell freely, plummeting toward the ground.
Thankfully, Roger had already flown far from the city. Otherwise, this freefall would've demolished countless buildings and likely killed innocent bystanders.
As Roger stabilized himself mid-air, he watched the Hulk fall and couldn't help but furrow his brow.
From the Hulk's earlier words, it was clear—he knew they were comic book characters.
But contrary to Roger's optimistic hopes, this was the worst-case scenario. The Hulk and Banner couldn't accept the reality of being fictional characters, which drove them into a frenzy, drawing the military's wrath.
With a sigh, Roger followed the Hulk down.
By the time the Hulk landed, creating a massive crater in the ground, his rage seemed to have subsided. His green skin began to fade, and his massive form shrank until he reverted to Bruce Banner.
"This is a disaster…"
A groggy Banner climbed out of the crater. Looking up at Roger descending from the sky, he asked, "You said you're Roger?"
"Yeah, I'm Roger. This is my true form, Dr. Banner. Let's skip the introductions—you've figured it out, haven't you?"
Banner didn't respond. He simply sat by the crater's edge, sighing deeply.
He had learned everything about this world and his connection to it. But it was precisely because he understood so much that he couldn't accept it.
Roger had assumed that someone as intelligent and well-educated as Banner would handle the truth better. But clearly, the more someone knows, the more likely they are to get stuck in their own thoughts.
In contrast, someone like Thor—who charges headfirst into problems without overthinking—might actually handle this sort of revelation much better.
"If you've calmed down, we should head to my base. You caused quite a scene here, and it's no longer safe to stay."
"Base?"
Banner looked up in surprise.
Roger shrugged. "Just a place where I gather people like you. It's private and currently has only one other person besides you—Peter."
"Peter? Peter Parker?"
"Yeah, you've heard about him?"
Standing up and dusting himself off, Banner said, "I saw a video online of him fighting some Parademons, so I know of him. But is he the same Peter I know?"
"He is. So far, everyone who's shown up here has some connection to me, in one way or another."
"I see…"
Banner didn't press further. He extended his hand to Roger and said, "Alright, I'll go with you. I don't exactly have anywhere else to be."
Roger shook Banner's hand and then flew him to the base.
To avoid satellite tracking, Roger took a roundabout route. But for Banner, it made little difference—they reached the base after a brief flight.
....
The base now had one more member. The happiest about this was Spider-Man. Previously, he had been the only one of his kind there, with Roger barely counting as a half-companion.
To Spider-Man, "companion" referred to someone also from a movie or comic book world.
While Roger knew him, Spider-Man understood after an explanation that Roger was originally from the real world and had only ended up in these fictional worlds due to certain events.
So, Banner's arrival was a welcome change for Spider-Man.
"Peter!"
Banner greeted Spider-Man warmly, embracing him.
"It's been a while!"
"It has. Last I heard, you were preparing for college?"
"Yeah, exams are coming up."
Spider-Man replied.
Since the zombie incident, Banner and Spider-Man hadn't been in touch. Back then, Banner had been busy traveling the globe with Natasha and hadn't kept in contact with the Avengers.
Though the circumstances of their reunion were unusual, both were glad to see a familiar face.
Seeing them chat happily, Roger said to Spider-Man, "Peter, I'll leave Dr. Banner in your care. Luna and I are heading out to grab some supplies. While we're gone, explain the situation to him."
"Got it, Mr. Roger."
Spider-Man agreed readily.
As Spider-Man gave Banner a tour of the makeshift base, Roger and Luna left.
Their real reason for leaving wasn't just to buy supplies but to give Peter and Banner some alone time to talk.
.....
"More people are joining us," Luna remarked as they walked away.
Roger glanced back at the warehouse-like base and said, "There'll be more. Until we figure out how to send them back, characters from movies and comics will keep showing up here."
"Let's hope they're all heroes for now," Luna added.
Roger nodded in agreement. Heroes were easier to deal with than villains. If villains started arriving, who knew what chaos they'd unleash?
Characters like the Joker or the Riddler might not have superhuman strength, but their ability to sow chaos was unmatched.
As they wandered through the supermarket, picking up supplies, Luna suddenly asked, "Have you noticed any new abilities lately?"
"Besides faster regeneration? No."
Luna nodded thoughtfully. "It seems like your abilities grow not just with popularity but also over time."
"Are you saying my powers will manifest gradually over time?"
"Something like that. But it's just a guess… Anyway, about that coffee—do you want sugar or not?"
"Sugar, please. But what if your guess is wrong?"
"Then we'll figure it out as we go."
After paying for their items, Roger and Luna prepared to leave.
....
But as they exited the store, two police officers blocked their path.
One of them was familiar—Officer Chris Parker, someone Roger had met before.
"Mr. Roger, nice to see you again," Officer Chris greeted with a polite smile, extending his hand.
Roger shook his hand and asked, "Officer, long time no see. Are you here to shop as well?"
"No, we're here for you, Mr. Roger."
"For me?"
"Yes. Could you and Ms. Luna spare some time for a chat?"
Roger exchanged a glance with Luna. Despite Officer Chris's friendly demeanor, they both sensed the tension.
This invitation… was anything but friendly.
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