The moment Betty opened her eyes, she saw the terrifying figure of the Hulk.
She was so frightened that her face turned pale, and this in turn startled the Hulk, who stumbled backward and slammed into the stone wall.
Anger welled up in him, and he smashed his fist into the rock wall.
Seeing his reaction, Betty quickly realized what was happening. She rushed to the cave entrance and called out, "Bruce?"
Hearing her voice, the Hulk calmed down a little and tried to approach. But just at that moment, a loud clap of thunder cracked across the sky, startling him again.
The easily provoked Hulk roared in anger and hurled a massive rock at the sky.
Typical Hulk, fearless of heaven or earth. Whoever provokes him will be smashed, even if it is the sky itself.
"It's nothing. Just thunder," Betty said softly, trying to soothe him.
Her words seemed to work. The Hulk stopped growling and actually listened. Guided by her calm presence, he slowly returned to the cave, his burning eyes fixed on her. No one could tell what he was truly thinking.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, General Ross was walking toward Blonsky's ward. "Will he ever walk again?" he asked the doctor at his side.
The doctor hesitated. "All his bones are shattered, but I must admit, his heart is like a machine. It's as strong as a racehorse."
Ross glanced at the unconscious Blonsky with a complicated expression, then turned to leave.
But the moment Ross was gone, Blonsky's hand clenched into a tight fist, as if he wanted to crush everything in his grip.
At the Roland estate, two devoted maids, Belfast and Sirius, were attending carefully to their commander, Roland Phils.
In front of him, Effie, the chief steward, was respectfully delivering her report. She spoke not only of the Roland family's businesses but also about the supernatural events that their church network had uncovered across the world.
The Church of Life had grown so powerful that even S.H.I.E.L.D. could no longer rival its intelligence network.
"Young master, in the first half of this year, the Roland family's wealth increased by about thirty percent compared to last year, reaching a staggering two trillion dollars. This success is largely due to your divine presence. The name of the Roland family now carries unmatched prestige. Businesses tied to us are booming everywhere.
"By contrast, Stark Industries isn't doing so well. Ever since they shut down their weapons division, their financial reports have plummeted. Their new energy ventures are still in the investment stage…"
"That's enough. You handle the family business. I've lost interest in such matters," Phils replied, shaking his head.
"Yes, young master. But the next matter may interest you."
"Oh? Tell me."
"Over the past two weeks, our Holy Light division has detected faint traces of dark energy. It is unstable, appearing and vanishing at times. I sent several priests to investigate. These are the results."
Effie handed over a set of photographs.
The images were gruesome, showing corpses with horrifying expressions. Their eyes were entirely black, with no whites at all. Dark markings spread across their bodies like a plague.
"What caused this?" Phils asked.
"Corrupted by evil energy. They went berserk, then tore themselves apart," Effie said grimly.
"Evil energy?"
"It resembles the aura of Hell's dimension, but it is mixed with something else. We believe someone is conducting vile experiments, using living humans as test subjects."
Her fists clenched in anger. To experiment on the living before even succeeding in research—it was madness, cruelty without conscience. Whoever was behind this deserved judgment.
Phils fell silent for a moment, his gaze sharp as though he understood more than he revealed. At last, he nodded. "You will handle this matter. If you need people, tell me."
For him, this was a small disturbance. When Hell's Gate itself had opened, he had remained calm. A few traces of dark energy were hardly worth his divine attention. His demigod followers were more than enough to resolve it.
"Yes, young master. I won't disappoint you," Effie replied firmly, closing the file.
Then, her expression shifted to something more mischievous. "Young master, today is my turn to serve you. Why don't I help you relax now?"
Before Phils could answer, Belfast and Sirius quickly interjected, "Effie, we are already serving our master. There's no need for you."
Effie chuckled. "You are only easing his body. But true relaxation requires more. Let me show you. I will teach you how to serve our master better."
The two maids frowned. "We are the most professional maids. If we cannot make our master relax fully, then no one can."
"Then watch and see. Do you want to learn?" Effie asked with a sly smile.
"Of course. We want to see what you can do," the two maids said at once, their curiosity piqued.
Without hesitation, Effie gracefully knelt before Phils.
The next morning, Betty rented a small room in a nearby town. She left early to buy clothes and shoes, while Bruce Banner stayed behind, struggling in the bathroom to retrieve the USB drive containing the research data he had swallowed.
Not long after, Betty returned with an armful of clothes, including oversized pants. Hearing Banner groaning in the bathroom, she rushed over.
"Bruce, are you alright?"
He opened the door, holding the USB drive proudly.
"You swallowed it?" Betty asked in shock.
"In an emergency, I had to find a way," Banner said with a sheepish smile.
"You're brilliant," she said warmly.
She laid the clothes out on the bed. "There weren't many styles, but you still have choices. Oh, and this is important." She handed him a heart-rate monitor watch.
"Thank you," Banner said, putting it on at once. His pulse had to stay under two hundred, or else he would become the Hulk.
She then tossed him a large pair of purple shorts.
Banner shook his head. "No need. The one I'm wearing is specially made."
"Alright then. Oh, I also bought scissors. Let me trim your hair. It's far too long."
Banner chuckled. "I haven't had a haircut in ages." He sat obediently while Betty gently cut his hair.
Her heart ached as she worked. Before long, she leaned in and hugged him tightly. Banner, moved by her warmth, lost himself in the moment.
"Let's go find this 'Mr. Blue' you mentioned. You said he could cure you, right?" she whispered.
"Yes, it's time," Banner agreed.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, General Ross hurried into Blonsky's ward and froze in shock. The man who had been near death the night before was now sitting on the edge of the bed, putting on shoes.
"Perfect timing, General," Blonsky said with a faint smile.
Ross examined him in disbelief. After a long silence, he finally said, "I'm glad to see you recovered, soldier."
"Thank you, sir," Blonsky replied coldly.
Ross leaned in. "Tell me, do you think you can fight again?"
Blonsky's eyes hardened. "That monster nearly killed me. I'll never forgive him. I want a third round."
Ross nodded. "Good. Follow me."
In the secret base, Blonsky was strapped onto the operating table again. The first injection had been diluted out of caution. But since Blonsky had shown no negative effects, they were ready for Phase Two.
At the same time, Banner logged into his secure account and sent the research data to Mr. Blue, who had revealed himself as Dr. Sterns from Greyburn College. Banner and Betty then set out for the college.
But their message was quickly flagged by the military's database. On the assistant's computer, a warning flashed: "Subject located."
"General, we found Banner," the assistant reported.
"Excellent. Start the operation immediately. This time, we must capture him," Ross said, his eyes shifting meaningfully toward the laboratory where Blonsky had just finished the second phase of enhancement.
But it wasn't only the military. S.H.I.E.L.D. also picked up the signal.
In a hidden base, Natasha Romanoff entered Nick Fury's office and tossed a tablet onto his desk.
"We found him. What's your plan?"
"Wait and watch. If Effie was right, Banner's gamma radiation can't be cured. No matter who helps him, he'll remain the monster. Ross's plan will fail, and that's when we step in," Fury replied.
"And if she lied? With her power, she must have noticed the tracker we planted on Banner," Natasha countered.
"Then we stay sharp. If anything is off, we move instantly," Fury said.
"Understood. I'll prepare."
Banner had no idea that sending one message had stirred storms in both the military and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Meanwhile, in the cave where Hulk had hidden the night before, dark mist swirled. From within stepped a hooded man, followed by a robed sorcerer emerging from a glowing portal.
"Our plan begins now," the sorcerer rasped.
"Yes, it's time," the hooded man replied, his voice just as rough.
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