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Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Serum's Practical Effects! Easily Obtaining Hulk's Blood!

Virginia. Culver University.

Barely perceptible strands of transparent webbing clung to the spire of the academic tower, almost vanishing into the sunlight's refraction.

Gwen Stacy held tightly onto Jack Kadere, her slender arms wrapped around his waist, as they swung their way to the university's central tower. Her heart raced, but her smile was as bright as the sunlit campus below.

"Jack, why did we come all the way here?" Gwen asked, placing her hand over her brow to shield her eyes from the glare as she looked over the grounds. To her, this was a whole new world compared to Midtown High.

It was her first time in Virginia, and being here with Jack made it feel like an intimate trip for two.

Jack answered casually, "Nothing in particular. I wanted to check on the effects of the serum—and let you see something new, too."

"See something new?" Gwen tilted her head. She thought his words sounded like he was taking her on a date, but his reasoning was far less romantic.

"Hmph~" She pouted, puffing her cheeks. "No candlelight, no view, and you call this a 'date'? Stingy!"

[Uh oh… clearly, we're not on the same page here…]

Still, when Gwen was the one sulking—Jack couldn't help but spoil her. He smiled and coaxed her gently: "Then next time, I'll take you to Monaco. There's a big racing event there—you'll love it."

"Car racing?" Gwen wrinkled her nose. "No way."

She puffed her cheeks again. Clearly uninterested.

[Sigh, Gwen can be tricky to please sometimes…]

But Jack had his ways. Without saying another word, he subtly manipulated the airflow. A strong yet controlled breeze swept across Culver University's flowerbeds, carrying petals of every color into the air.

"Petals?" Gwen blinked in surprise. A swirl of white drifted into her hands, and she giggled, "Jack, it's so romantic here after all!"

Jack gave a sly half-smile. "Even I'm surprised at how nice it turned out." He leaned in closer, seizing the moment—

Golden strands of Gwen's hair fluttered in the wind as she removed her mask and closed her eyes, offering her lips to him.

....

Down below, students were beginning to notice the windstorm of petals.

"What's with the weather today?" one muttered.

"The flowers are completely blown bare!" another exclaimed.

Yet many of the students, especially couples, didn't see the chaos—only romance.

"You boys never think of stuff like this," a girl said dreamily, watching the petals fall like confetti.

"Of course, my sweetie~" her date grinned, trying to lean in for a kiss.

"Hey! Who said I was your girlfriend?" she shoved him away.

But for others, the sight was encouragement enough. One by one, couples across the campus were kissing beneath the drifting petals, swept up in the moment.

From a bird's-eye view, it was as though Jack and Gwen were leading the entire campus in a symphony of love from their perch atop the tower.

....

Even Bruce Banner and Betty Ross, lingering nearby, were affected by the mood. Betty leaned toward Bruce, wanting just one tender kiss before he left.

But Bruce hesitated, pulling back. His heart was pounding, and he knew that if it went any faster—the Other Guy might appear.

....

Jack eventually released Gwen with a mischievous grin. "Just a kiss isn't enough for me, Gwen."

"Eh?" Gwen's innocent eyes blinked in surprise, though her body already understood. She rose onto the tips of her shoes—ballet-like enhancements built into her upgraded indigo suit—and pressed herself closer against him.

Jack thought smugly: Same suit, same color scheme… still the irresistible charm of a uniform.

[But… hold on. That looks like General Ross arriving…]

Sure enough, military vehicles were assembling outside the university. General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross had prepared an ambush for Bruce Banner, determined to contain the Hulk once and for all.

Jack's lips curled into a playful grin. With his Object Manipulation ability, he didn't even need to lift a finger. A whisper of power surged outward.

Vrrrrooom—!

Bruce, stepping out of the university, froze as armed military vehicles closed in on him. His instincts screamed—Run!

"Damn it, the sniper team still needs three minutes to get into position," one soldier cursed over the comms.

General Ross barked, "Who gave the order to move early?!"

"Sir—the vehicles! They're… they're out of control!"

....

Thump, thump… Thump, thump…

Bruce Banner ran desperately through the corridor, his heart pounding like a war drum, but before he could find an exit, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross's soldiers surrounded him on both ends.

"He's been contained!" one soldier barked.

Ross's sharp voice rang out like a whip: "Fire two tear gas grenades inside. Now!"

Clang—! Clang—!

Two tear gas grenades clattered across the floor, spewing white mist. Bruce staggered back, coughing violently, but then his pupils dilated, the green flickering within them growing more intense.

Jack Kadere, leaning lazily on the upper-level balcony, smirked and nudged Gwen Stacy's shoulder. "Oh… it's starting. Gwen, look down there."

"Hm?" Gwen puffed her cheeks in mild annoyance but obediently turned her head.

A second later, her eyes widened. "Pfft—! What is that?!"

The corridor's reinforced glass suddenly shattered as a massive green figure burst through, roaring loud enough to shake the walls.

"ROOOOAAARRR!!!"

The Hulk had arrived.

Jack chuckled, watching the chaos unfold. "Quite the sight, isn't it?"

Gwen blinked in shock, then frowned. "So that's what you were hinting at. But… what kind of monster is that? Is it really strong? Do you want me to take care of it?"

She sounded confident, as if this "monster" couldn't be much worse than Connors's transformation into the Lizard.

Jack raised his hand to stop her. "Not so fast. Look carefully. Whose soldiers are those?"

Gwen squinted through the smoke. "That's General Ross, isn't it?"

Her sharp mind quickly pieced things together. "Wait… so Ross had someone inject that serum just to deal with this thing?"

"This isn't a thing, Gwen," Jack corrected calmly. "That's Dr. Bruce Banner himself."

Gwen's lips parted in surprise. "Another doctor?"

She recalled seeing Banner's name cited in academic journals, but this was far from what she imagined. Her brain swirled with one thought: Why are all these scientists turning into monsters? First Dr. Connors, now this… experiments are way too dangerous. And why do they always end up green?

Jack's tone turned serious. "Alright, Gwen. Document this. Record everything. S.H.I.E.L.D. will pay well for this kind of intel, and Nick Fury's always interested in Banner's case."

"Got it." Gwen brushed back her blonde hair, and her Ghost-Spider suit's mask slid back into place.

She gave a crisp command: "Ghost, activate camera analysis function."

[Activated]

The lenses in her mask glowed faintly as streams of data began scrolling across the HUD.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield below, Emil Blonsky—Ross's enhanced soldier—charged fearlessly at the newly transformed Hulk. His reflexes and resilience were far beyond ordinary humans, allowing him to trade blows with Hulk for a few moments.

Jack leaned on the railing, nodding slightly. "Not bad. My handiwork is holding up better than expected."

Considering that even tank shells usually bounced off Hulk like toy pellets, the fact that Blonsky could hold his own was remarkable. But Jack also knew Blonsky's pride wouldn't stop here.

The fight escalated. A military helicopter fired on Hulk, enraging him. Hulk retaliated, and when the chopper was shot down, it spiraled toward the ground—straight at Betty Ross.

"Betty!"

In the blaze of fire and smoke, Hulk shielded her with his own massive body, roaring defiantly.

The battle soon concluded. Jack, unimpressed by the melodrama, turned away. "I've seen enough."

With Gwen following, he left the scene as thunder rumbled overhead. Rain began to fall in heavy sheets, washing away the dust and blood of the battlefield.

Time passed. Back in New York—

"Jack," Gwen said, still thinking back to the sight of Hulk, "that big guy… where do you think he'll go next?"

Jack typed calmly on his laptop. "New York. Harlem, specifically."

Gwen, halfway through taking off her suit, froze. "What?! Why here?!"

Jack simply turned the laptop toward her.

The screen displayed classified fragments:

[Subject: Mr. Blue – Dr. Samuel Stern – Grayburn College]

"Notify Jessica and the others," Jack said. "If they spot a green giant on the streets, they don't need to get involved. Someone else will handle it."

"Oh…" Gwen nodded, still confused, but she didn't argue.

Jack smirked at her puzzled look, closed the laptop, and walked toward her.

"Eh? Jack—! Wait a minute!" Gwen squealed, scrambling backward as he approached.

Days later—Harlem, New York. Night.

"ROAR!!" "HOWL!!"

Hulk and Abomination clashed with bone-shaking force. Their fists collided like thunderclaps, sending shockwaves down entire city blocks. Cars flipped, buildings crumbled, and civilians screamed as the two titans hurled each other across the streets.

From a distant rooftop, Jack Kadere—masked as Black Spider—watched the chaos unfold. His posture was relaxed, hands in his pockets, as if observing a mere street brawl.

He tilted his head, muttered, "Good entertainment," then allowed his form to ripple and fade into invisibility.

When he reappeared, he was inside Dr. Samuel Stern's laboratory—"Mr. Blue's" lair.

Around him, rows of glass cabinets gleamed under fluorescent light, each filled with blood samples drawn from Bruce Banner. Dozens—enough to change the world.

Jack snapped his fingers. Crack!

The cabinets shattered, and the bags of blood floated toward him, circling like crimson satellites.

"Whether I need them or not," he mused, "it's free power. And free power is always worth taking."

Meanwhile, Stern himself lay groaning on the floor, his head bleeding after Blonsky's earlier outburst. Above him, one of the smashed jars dripped Banner's irradiated blood onto his open wound.

His skull throbbed, veins bulging as his cranium began to expand—fate pushing him toward becoming The Leader.

But fate had other plans.

As Dr. Samuel Sterns' head swam, his eyes widened in disbelief when a dark figure suddenly appeared before him. The figure snatched away every vial of Banner's gamma-irradiated blood samples. In a panic, Sterns grabbed at the corner of the man's trench coat, stammering,

"M–my… those are mine…!"

Bang!!

Jack Kadere's casual kick ended the would-be rise of a dangerous new super-villain. Sterns flew across the lab, slamming into a pile of equipment and collapsing in a heap. Jack didn't even look back. His figure blurred and vanished into the shadows, all of Banner's blood samples secured in his possession.

… …..

The next day – New York City

Inside the bustling Spider Society Clubhouse (nicknamed the Ghost Spider Club by fans), the members had the TV tuned to breaking news.

"According to reports… on 121st Street in the outskirts of New York… two unidentified green creatures caused widespread destruction—"

"What's wrong with New York lately?" Peter Parker muttered, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "Now we've got random giant monsters running around like it's an everyday thing."

Ever since his traumatic encounter with Venom, Peter had been lying low at the Club. He busied himself with odd jobs and research alongside Ned. With the faint traces of alien residue still etched into his skin like green-tinted scars, the outside world wasn't safe. Here, though, he was among allies who understood.

Plus, his brilliant mind made him a natural fit to help with the Club's labs and tech divisions.

"Tell me about it," Ned said, stealing popcorn from Peter's bowl. "Half the military couldn't handle guys like these if they tried. Honestly? It's better to leave it to the real heavy hitters… like our goddesses."

"Yeah! Long live Ghost Spider!"

"Oh-ho!" another member chimed in. "I bet Jessica Drew, our fearless boss, could put those monsters down in three punches!"

"Three punches? Ha! One punch is enough!"

"Exactly! Jessica doesn't mess around!"

The members at the bar raised their glasses in rowdy agreement, laughter and cheers echoing through the hall.

"Hey, hey, don't go jinxing it," another fan protested, his voice more cautious. "Those two green beasts looked nasty. What if our heroines actually get hurt out there?"

"Hmm, true. Maybe it's better not to send the President and her crew headfirst into every fight."

The crowd split into playful arguments, the Club more alive than ever. People streamed in and out, debating, drinking, and celebrating the legends their favorite heroes had become.

"You all talk too much."

Mary Jane Watson swirled her wine glass dramatically, rolling her eyes at the debates. "Gwen mentioned a Latin phrase to me the other day… 'Alea iacta est.' You know what that means?"

The others blinked.

"Do we look like we know Chinese?" one guy said, and the room burst into more laughter.

MJ sighed, exasperated, and took a long sip of wine. She was about to comment further when she noticed someone dragging a heavy suitcase past her.

"Barbara?" Mary Jane called out curiously. "What's with the luggage? Don't tell me you're moving out again."

Bobbi Morse had practically made the Club her home, joining the research team and assisting Skye with intel whenever needed.

"No, no, nothing like that," Barbara said with a playful grin. She flashed a sleek ticket in front of MJ. "I'm going to Monaco~"

"What?!" Mary Jane nearly dropped her glass. "You sly little fox! Don't tell me this is some secret rendezvous with the Vice President?"

She knew Jack Kadere had recently made arrangements to attend the Formula One Grand Prix in Monaco, even entering under someone's sponsorship. And most importantly—Jessica and Gwen weren't going with him. The timing was far too suspicious.

Barbara gave a faux-offended huff. "Can't I take a vacation for myself? It's Monaco, Mary Jane. Sun, speed, and maybe a little high-stakes fun. I don't need to explain anything to you~"

Of course, she had her own motives. Barbara had received intel—Jack would be in Monaco alone, making it the perfect opportunity to investigate him up close without the shield of his allies. But to Mary Jane, she played innocent.

"Hmph, hum hum hum~" Barbara hummed a cheerful tune, dragging her suitcase as she strutted confidently toward the exit. Her destination: the international airport and the glittering coast of Monaco.

… …..

Meanwhile, across the city, Jack's phone buzzed with a secure message.

Tony Stark: [Kadere, my private jet is about to leave. You flying solo to Monaco?]

Jack: [I'll handle my own way there. Don't wait. I've got things to wrap up first.]

Tony: [Alright then. Monaco, see you at the track.]

Jack: [Mm.]

Ending the call, Jack turned his attention back to the lab where researchers were analyzing Banner's blood. Vials of glowing green serum pulsed faintly on the counter.

"How's it looking?" Jack asked, his tone even.

The lead researcher hesitated, shaking his head. "Honestly, boss… there won't be any breakthroughs soon. The gamma signatures are too unstable."

"Then seal it away. For now, Banner's blood is more dangerous than useful."

"Yes, sir."

The vials were carefully locked back into cryogenic storage, waiting for the right moment. Jack adjusted his coat and stepped out into the night, already setting his sights on Monaco.

****

I'm using Bobbi's official name, Barbara, as her undercover name. Kinda like Natasha using, Natalie, as her undercover name.

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