~A sunny day~
Sean arrived at the Riverside Restaurant, sitting in the outdoor dining area with a serene view of the Hudson River's east bank. A cool breeze brushed against his face, bringing an incredibly comfortable feeling...
After waiting about ten minutes, Betty, dressed in a floral sundress, arrived fashionably late.
The first words out of her mouth as she took her seat were a sincere apology. The well-bred daughter of a general had always been punctual, but this time, she had sat in front of her vanity, agonizing over her thoughts, hesitating for a long while before finally mustering the courage to come.
Betty understood her father's intentions. That iron-willed, domineering general wanted to personally select a suitable husband for her.
In the past, General Ross had looked down on Banner, believing he lacked masculinity and his mind too focused in science and experiments.
Before Sean appeared, there had been another suitor named Leonard Samson, a psychologist and Betty's colleague at Culver University. Though accomplished in academia, he too had failed to win the general's approval.
But during the last family dinner, her father's admiration for Sean had been unmistakable. The usually critical and demanding general rarely expressed his approval so openly, which made Betty curious... what remarkable qualities did this young man possess?
From their brief interactions, Betty found him humorous, warm, and free of any bad habits or vices. Professionally, he was ambitious. By all outward appearances, he was indeed an impeccable choice for a spouse.
After much hesitation, she decided to follow her father's wishes and engage in a tentative, friendly connection with Sean...
As General Ross had advised, she couldn't linger in the past forever. Since that catastrophic lab accident, Banner had vanished without a trace, as if he had evaporated from the world.
Time had dulled the pain of the past, and Betty was determined to step out of the shadows.
"I ordered you a Black Forest cake, one of the signature desserts here. I think you'll like it." Sean didn't mind Betty's tardiness.
Girls were entitled to certain privileges, and being late to a date was one of them.
Chef Evans, who had discreetly brought over a bottle of red wine, gave the young man a subtle thumbs-up, his eyes conveying a silent understanding between men. This was the second time he had served Sean, though the girl accompanying him last time was clearly not the same one...
Sean blinked and softly explained to Betty, "This dessert is called 'Cereal & Milk'. It looks like an artwork. Gently tap it with your spoon, and milk will flow out, soaking the chocolate shell and the Black Forest cake beneath. There's a touch of sea salt mixed in to enhance the richness and layers of flavor. At the bottom, crispy rice adds a satisfying crunch."
Following his instructions, Betty took a small bite of the milk-soaked cake. The crisp sweetness of the chocolate and the softness of the cake filled her mouth... It was indeed an exquisite dessert.
"You seem quite knowledgeable about food?" she asked curiously, glancing at Sean.
It wasn't just the cuisine... the restaurant's décor, being bathed in warm orange lighting with countless tiny bulbs strung across the ceiling, exuded a modern yet creatively whimsical charm that perfectly suited her taste.
"Not really. I only know how to cook Chinese food," Sean admitted with a shake of his head.
Soon, he effortlessly took control of the conversation.
The reserved and conservative general's daughter was a typical intellectual. Aside from her research in genetic biology, her leisure time was mostly spent reading, with a particular fondness for Jane Austen and Agatha Christie.
Having gathered this intel from the general beforehand, Sean naturally steered the discussion in that direction. The atmosphere between them quickly became relaxed and pleasant... far from the awkwardness Betty had feared...
...
Meanwhile, not far away, Banner watched the scene unfold from beneath his baseball cap...
The fugitive genius had sneaked back into Culver University's labs in Virginia, hoping to retrieve the experimental data, only to find all relevant files deleted.
Left with no choice, he had agreed to meet the mysterious Mr. Blue in New York. But before that, he wanted to see the woman he still longed for.
Watching Betty laugh and chat animatedly with the young man filled Banner with a pang of loss. Yet he harbored no resentment.
If not for his overconfidence and reckless decision to proceed with human trials, that fateful accident which resulted in flooding his body with gamma radiation and birthing the monstrous Hulk would never have happened...
Banner had once been nothing more than a brilliant scientist. His extraordinary intellect was his only distinguishing trait. He was a well-educated young man with a bright future...
However, he had lost everything in an instant... his peaceful life, his beloved, and his promising career... He was reduced to a fugitive on the military's most-wanted list, living in constant fear.
The strain on his psyche was immense. Without methods to control his emotions, he might have long since merged with the Hulk, becoming nothing but the rage-filled green beast.
The weary genius had grown tired of this life on the run, which was why he was willing to take the enormous risk of meeting Mr. Blue.
Taking a deep breath, Banner (his face unshaven and worn) stepped away with a heavy heart. He had tried everything to rid himself of the Hulk, even attempting suicide.
But even the right to die had been taken from him... when he fired the gun, the green monster inside him spat the bullet back out.
After one last glance at Betty's smiling face, Banner slipped away, heading to a payphone to call Mr. Blue.
Right now, solving the Hulk problem was all that mattered. He had tried yoga, meditation, therapy... anything to keep his heart rate under 200 bpm . Anger was the trigger. Once it boiled over, the monster would roar forth, destroying everything...
...
On the other end of the line, Mr. Blue was ecstatic at Banner's agreement to meet...
Running a hand through his messy hair, his eyes darted to his latest test subject. After repeated modifications, he had finally succeeded in making animals withstand the serum's drastic changes.
A white rat, now as large as a wolfhound, gnashed its razor-sharp teeth inside a steel cage and relentlessly rammed against the bars, its claws leaving deep scratches.
"I can get more!" Samuel's mind raced with visions of fortune.
If he could refine this serum into a marketable drug, it would spark a frenzy. With the wealth he'd amass, he could establish his own laboratory and achieve fame, glory, and accolades... just like that young prodigy, Sean Cyphers.
Being the cover of Time magazine. The academic world's brightest star. A meeting with the President. The next Nobel Prize winner… Samuel Sterns lost himself in delusions of grandeur...
...
Of course, the couple at the Riverside Restaurant remained oblivious to all this...
But as Banner walked away, Sean suddenly felt a strange sensation... as if two swirling silhouettes had flickered in his mind's eye: a frail man and a green giant overlapping.
When he turned to look, there was nothing. The vision shattered like an illusion.
"What's wrong?" Betty asked, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear.
Sean smiled and shook his head, though a suspicion lingered in his heart.
'It seems the Abomination will soon meet the formidable opponent he has always longed to fight...'