Chapter Text
“Doctor Banner...” general Ross called approaching Bruce Banner, with two soldiers walking right behind him. “Are we on schedule?”
Bruce adjusted his glass and inhaled, which sounded like a sniff. “I believe so general…The calculations are all reviewed. The gamma bomb is about as ready as one could expect.”
“I hope so doctor.” Ross looked around. “Your team already failed in using gamma rays to recreate the super-soldier serum. If you had failed now…”
Bruce gulped. “Well sir…I hope everything turns out ok.”
Betty came around the corner. “Dad, can you stop giving Bruce an hard time?”
“Betty…” Ross looked at her flustered. “I’ve asked you to treat me as General Ross when here.”
“And I’ve told I don’t care.” She answered. “In here, out of ere you’re my father.” She checks her tablet. “Besides Bruce is right. I’ve personally checked the calculations. The bomb is ready.”
Ross huffed and went to the observation room.
“Thanks.” Bruce told Betty.
“No problem, Bruce.” Betty gives him a sift smile. “I know my father can seem difficult sometimes but he has the best interest in this going well.”
“I’m sure he does.” Bruce told her, smiling. “Is our dinner reservation still up for tonight?”
“Of course it is.” Betty told him, smiling. “Just promise me you’ll wear an actual suit and not a lab coat.” She laughed.
Bruce laughed with her. “You bet.” He looked at his wristwatch. “We should go to the command room, countdown’s about to begin.”
They moved to the command room. It was a small space, filled with consoles where scientists imputed different data. A huge blinking screen was showing the coordinates of where the bomb would detonate and there were cameras pointing at every angle of the blast site. General Ross was sitting on a small couch looking at the screens. “How much longer will this take?”
“Just more ten minutes general.” Bruce announced.
“Bruce…” A scientist in a console called. “We have unknown movement at the blast sight.”
Bruce quickly turned his head to the monitor and a teen in a breakdown motorcycle had just stopped there. He was trying to fix the bike. Bruce looked horrified at the footage. “We have to stop the test. NOW.”
“No you won’t.” Ross said. “I want this bomb tested. I don’t care what happens.”
Bruce looked angry at him. “You’re a cold son of a bitch.” Bruce said angry. “I’m going there.”
Bruce ran out of the room and got into a jeep. He got to the blast sight and told the kid.
“Kid…Get out of here now.” He screamed.
“I’m sorry…” He looked at him. “But who are you?”
“There’s a military weapon about to be tested here.” Bruce grabbed him by the collar. “We have to run.”
“Yeah, right.” He said. “I don’t believe those conspiracy theories.”
Bruce heard the blast going off and shoved the teen down a small trench that had formed in the desert sand. Although it was enough to shield him, Bruce couldn’t make it and got caught in the blast radius. He felt something in his body. Anger, against Ross, against the military, against everything. His body began to change. He could feel his muscles growing, becoming greener and his mind wasn’t his no more.
The teen surfaced from the trench and what he saw amazed him. It was a green, giant monster.
Betty was looking at the monitors. “That’s…Bruce.” She whispered to herself.
Ross was at the communications. “I want every unit we have immediately to move on that thing’s position. The bomb may have failed but I’ll be damned if I let that monster escape.” He starts walking out of the room.
“Dad.” Betty grabs his arm. “That monster is Bruce.”
Ross sweats her out. “Good. Two birds one stone.” He gives orders to his men. “Prepare to close this facility. Our job is done.”
Betty cries but she looks at the monitor, at the giant monster appearing on every camera.
Meanwhile the teen approaches. “Hey science dude. You’ve rescued me.” He gulped, with a hand forward, saying he was a friend. “I’m Rick Jones by the way. What’s your name?”
“Hulk.” He answered.
“Cool name.” Rick nodded. “So what are we going to do?”
Hulk prepared to answer but is shot in the back by a military weapon.
“Stand down you monstrous thing.” A soldier screamed.
“Hey stop.” Rick tried to place himself in front of the Hulk but he was pushed aside by the Hulk himself. “Hey what the hell man?”
The Hulk looked at all the vehicles and soldiers with guns pointed at him. “Run.” He told Rick. The Hulk clapped his hands shut creating a sonic blast, sending the vehicles flying through the air.
“What is that thing?” A officer asked.
“A monster.” Ross answered as he arrived on sight.
Hulk jumped up and escaped.
“I want teams ready to find him. I’ll have him.” Ross ordered, closing his fist hard.
Betty arrived on a jeep, looked at all the turned vehicles and looked at Rick. Her father didn’t noticed her. “Hey, you. Get in. We have a man to save.” She told Rick.
Rick entered the jeep clearly realizing this was the weirdest day in all his life.
“So…What is that thing?” he asked as Betty accelerated out of there.
“That thing is a man called Bruce Banner that just saved your life.” Betty told him. “And right now my father and his military buddies want to capture him so we’ve got to help him.”
Rick looked at the floor embarrassed. “Yeah, we do.”
“Why were you even here?” Betty asked.
“I’m running away from the orphanage. I got money for the bike, but the stupid thing broke down.” He answered.
“Well…That’s awful.” She responded.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “But right now that dude is our priority. So hit the gas lady.”
Betty smiled. “With pleasure.” They drove faster to a cliff where Betty knew that’s where Bruce liked to go meditating.
At that cliff, Hulk looked at the sun and at the desertic landscape. He fell Bruce’s mind coming to him. He shook his head, but then a voice broke him. “Bruce…” Betty called from the bottom of the cliff.
Hulk jumped down there. “You should leave.” He told Betty and Rick.
“I’m not leaving without Bruce Banner.” She told him.
The Hulk looked at her and something shifted. He became calmer, more guarded, less angry. Suddenly, he started to shrink and Bruce Banner appeared in front of them.
“Bruce.” Betty kissed him with tears in her eyes. “You’re here.”
“Yeah…I am.” Bruce answered. “What happened?”
“You saved me, thanks about that by the way, then you transformed into a giant green monster called…” Rick began to explain.
“The Hulk.” Bruce interrupted him. “Yeah I know.”
“How do you…?” Betty asked confused.
“He was my friend…My imaginary friend, when other kids bullied me at school, I would like to think the Hulk had my back And by your description he sounds just like that.” Bruce explained.
Betty still had watery eyes. “My father wants to capture you. He says you’re a monster. That the Hulk is a monster.”
“He’s not wrong.” Bruce answered crying. “I am a monster. You should go away Betty. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I won’t go away Bruce. And you’re no monster.” She told him.
“Yeah, with your abilities you could be a hero. You know like the Fantastic Four that yesterday stopped a giant monster in New York.” Rick told him.
“The Hulk…as a hero?” Bruce asked intrigued. “Maybe…”
“We’ll help you.” Betty placed an arm around his waist. “And also we’ll make sure my father never founds you.”
Bruce looked at her and nodded. This was the birth of a new hero. He could feel the Hulk talking inside his head, now there was just the matter of controlling himself to make sure the Hulk would really protect people.