Early in the morning, General Ross arrived at Thor's residence and knocked briskly. Just outside the research center, a manor had been built a few years ago, providing a residence for Maya Hansen and Betty Ross, with Natasha occasionally staying over. Since Thor's return, it had become his new home as well.
Ross entered, casting a complicated look at his daughter, Betty, before cutting straight to the point. "Hulk escaped. He injured a number of soldiers… Blonsky among them."
Thor scoffed. "Blonsky's a muscle-bound fool who turns every simple mission into a catastrophe."
Ignoring the jab, Ross pressed on. "I'm here to talk about the Hulk."
Thor shrugged, relaxing back in his chair. "Our deal was simply to tell you his location, not to guarantee a capture. Where he's gone now, I have no idea. But if I were Banner and despised the Hulk, I'd be looking for prominent biologists to help me remove the Hulk permanently."
Ross's eyes narrowed. "So you think he'll reach out to you?"
"Not likely. Banner knows there was a deal between us, so he's not falling into any traps. But there aren't many genetic engineers capable of that kind of work. It shouldn't be hard to monitor them."
Ross absorbed this, then nodded. He briefly greeted Betty and made to leave, but Thor's voice stopped him at the door. "Don't get your hopes up. Even if you do catch the Hulk, replicating his powers won't be simple. The Hulk could be one of a kind—like Captain America."
Ross paused, but didn't reply, and left in silence.
...
Thor's prediction was accurate. Feeling guilt-ridden over the injuries he'd caused, Banner finally sought out "Mr. Blue," a biologist known for his work in genetic engineering, hoping he might help eliminate the Hulk genes.
In Mr. Blue's lab, Banner underwent treatment. If not for what happened next, he might've succeeded.
Just as he stepped out of the lab, General Ross's men surrounded him, and Ross himself delivered the ultimatum. "If you even think about eliminating the Hulk, you can spend the rest of your life in prison."
Banner offered no resistance; he'd already prepared himself for this moment. He'd spent years fleeing to avoid hurting people, but now, the time had come to face the consequences.
As General Ross led him to the waiting helicopter, he didn't notice that Blonsky had stayed behind, eyeing the equipment in Mr. Blue's lab.
Seeing the Hulk's power firsthand had ignited Blonsky's desire for the same. Alone in the lab, he eyed the equipment and injection serums, eager to take his chance.
...
A short while later, in the helicopter, General Ross turned to a soldier. "Get in touch with Maya Hansen's research center. Ask if they have any way to restore the Hulk."
Just as he finished speaking, a new report came in. "General, sir! We've got a situation—the Hulk is causing a riot in the city streets. We need backup!"
Ross's face paled as he glanced across at Bruce Banner, then barked, "Show me the video feed!"
The screen switched on, and to Ross and Banner's shock, the creature on screen wasn't the Hulk at all. It was a monstrous, yellowish abomination.
"Hahaha! This is power!" The Abomination laughed maniacally, lifting a car and smashing it into the fleeing crowd.
Two soldiers fired rockets at him, but Abomination caught the missiles midair, barely singed by the blast. With a sickening grin, he advanced on them, the soldiers desperately trying to flee as he hurled a car their way.
Ross watched in horror as the screen went black. He'd underestimated the magnitude of his error.
"Send every available unit to the scene," he ordered grimly. Thor was right, he thought bitterly. But it's too late now.
"No," Banner interrupted. "Ordinary soldiers will stand no chance against him—I know that strength. You have to let me go."
Ross turned, his expression dark. "Do you understand what you're saying?"
Banner nodded firmly. "We created this monster. I need to stop him."
After a pause, Ross gave him a long, steady look. "Land us close by."
"No." Banner's face hardened. "Open the rear hatch. I'll jump."
…
"Come on, you weaklings!" Abomination roared, wrecking everything in sight, chaos spreading across the city street. "Is there no one strong enough to give me a challenge?"
In the midst of the chaos, buildings crumbled, cars lay in ruins, and people fled in terror. The street resembled a war zone.
Then, from the sky, a shadow fell over the destruction. A figure crashed heavily onto the street, creating a massive crater upon impact.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then, out of the pit, a massive green fist emerged, pulling up the rest of the towering figure as he rose.
The Hulk had arrived.
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