The next afternoon.
Wearing a red delivery uniform and matching cap, Banner disguised himself as a deliveryman and rode a bicycle to the laboratory building at Culver University.
His expression was perfectly calm.
He looked no different from an ordinary pizza delivery guy.
Before long, he reached the security checkpoint and said to the campus police officer on duty, “Hey, man.
I’ve got a pizza delivery for the fifth floor.” Banner had already confirmed yesterday that he needed an access card to enter the building.
That was why he’d come up with the deliveryman disguise.
“Nobody’s on the fifth floor anymore.” The campus officer, who had been lazily flipping through a magazine, glanced up at him.
“If I don’t get paid for the delivery, I’m screwed.” “Just let me go up and take a look.” Banner replied quickly.
The officer didn’t say anything.
He simply stared at Banner with a serious expression.
Banner didn’t panic in the slightest.
Years of living as a fugitive had practically forced him into becoming an expert actor.
“I’ve got an extra pizza.” “It’s on me.” With that, Banner handed one of the pizza boxes over.
The officer stood up, accepted it, and opened the box to take a look.
Then he gave Banner a look that clearly meant he could go upstairs.
“Thanks!” Banner extended his right hand.
“God bless you, brother!” The officer shook his hand.
After passing through security, Banner didn’t head to the fifth floor.
Instead, he carefully made his way to the laboratory where he and Betty had worked together before he went on the run.
The old laboratory had since been converted into an office.
Although the room now looked completely different, memories of working here with Betty involuntarily flashed through Banner’s mind.
Only one teacher remained inside, working overtime.
Banner calmed himself and used the same trick again, bribing the teacher with pizza.
What followed was simple.
He found an empty seat, logged into the university database using Betty’s account, and searched for information related to the Gamma Pulse Project.
Only a few seconds later, a message appeared on the screen.
No relevant records found.
Banner’s expression immediately turned ugly.
He refused to give up and searched for his own name.
The result was exactly the same.
At last, the final thread of hope hanging in his heart snapped.
Suppressing his disappointment, Banner logged into the encrypted remote chat and contacted “Mr.
Blue.” A reply came quickly.
Mr.
Green, did you find the data?
The data is gone.
Banner typed back immediately.
Without the data, I can’t help you.
What are you going to do now?
Mr.
Blue asked.
I have to run again.
After sending the reply, Banner logged out of the encrypted chat.
Dejected, he left Culver University and returned to Stanley’s restaurant, where he began packing the clothes Stanley had prepared for him.
At that moment— His ex-girlfriend Betty arrived at the restaurant with her boyfriend.
…
The next morning.
Upper East Side, New York.
Roy was awakened from sleep by the ringing of his phone.
He picked up the phone from the bedside table.
The moment he saw that the incoming number was completely unfamiliar, his already poor mood worsened.
He answered.
General Ross’s voice immediately came through.
“The target has appeared.” “He’s at Culver University in Virginia.” “How long will it take you to get here?” Roy sat up.
“Within five minutes.” “Good!” Ross hung up without hesitation.
Roy got out of bed, changed into clean clothes, then went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face.
Once he was ready, he locked onto the Flying Raijin formula he’d left on General Ross and activated the Flying Raijin Jutsu.
In an instant— Roy disappeared from his Upper East Side villa and arrived at Culver University.
More precisely— Inside General Ross’s command vehicle.
His sudden appearance startled Ross’s female secretary.
Ross himself, however, looked completely accustomed to it.
“What’s the situation?” Roy asked.
“The target has already been surrounded.” “He fled into the library ahead…” Before Ross could finish, the moving command vehicle suddenly slammed on the brakes.
A voice came from outside.
“I know you’re in there!” “General, please!” Betty had forced the command vehicle to stop and was standing directly in front of it, shouting.
Ross said nothing.
When Betty received no response, she shouted at the top of her lungs, “Dad!” Ross sighed helplessly, opened the door, and stepped out of the vehicle.
Roy didn’t immediately follow.
Instead, he took the white ANBU-style animal mask out of his system storage and put it on.
He had no interest in letting nearby students record his face on their phones, upload it online, and turn him into an internet celebrity.
“Dad, please.” “Let him go.” Betty hurried over to Ross and pleaded with him.
“You don’t understand how dangerous he is.” Ross replied.
He was about to order the soldiers to take Betty away when one of them suddenly pointed toward the enclosed skybridge connecting the two sections of the library.
“Target spotted!” At the same time, a voice came over the radio.
“Target on the skybridge!” Ross immediately turned toward it and barked into his radio, “Do not enter!” “Repeat, do not enter!” “Trap the target on the skybridge!” Once Banner was boxed in with nowhere to go, Ross gave another order.
“Fire two tear-gas rounds!” The two soldiers beneath the skybridge immediately obeyed.
Two tear-gas canisters were fired into the enclosed passage.
They smashed through the glass with ease and landed inside, releasing thick white smoke that violently irritated the eyes, nose, mouth, and skin, causing tearing, coughing, nausea, vomiting, and burning pain.
Banner immediately removed his jacket and covered his mouth and nose.
Obviously— That wasn’t going to do much.
If tear gas could be resisted that easily, countries around the world wouldn’t use it so extensively.
Seeing Banner trapped, Betty immediately ran toward the library.
“Bring her back!” Ross ordered the soldiers behind him.
Betty hadn’t gotten far when one of them tackled her to the ground.
The instant Banner saw Betty being taken down, he threw away his jacket and pressed both hands against the skybridge glass.
His eyes turned green.
The white tear gas soon filled the entire skybridge.
Within the smoke— A massive silhouette began to emerge.
“ROAR!” A roar like that of a wild beast thundered out.
The next second— Banner, now transformed into the Hulk, lightly leaped from the skybridge onto the lawn below and appeared before everyone.
Blonsky.
Betty.
The other soldiers.
All of them stared in shock at the enormous green giant Banner had become.
The only two people who weren’t surprised were Roy and General Ross.
Hulk spread both arms and released another deafening, beast-like roar.
Ross immediately raised his radio.
“Team A, open fire!” RATATATATATATAT!
Gunfire erupted.
A barrage capable of turning an ordinary person into a bloody sieve couldn’t even penetrate Hulk’s skin.
However, Team A’s attack successfully drew Hulk’s attention.
And enraged the already furious giant even further.
Without hesitation, Hulk charged toward the soldiers firing at him.
“Where are the heavy machine guns?” “Move!” At Ross’s command, two Humvees equipped with heavy machine guns sped toward Hulk.
Their firepower was clearly much stronger.
Even so— The bullets still failed to pierce Hulk’s skin.
With one simple charge, Hulk destroyed the first Humvee.
All it managed to accomplish was slowing him down for a few seconds.
The second Humvee fared no better.
Hulk kicked the front of the vehicle, instantly crippling it.
Then he lifted it overhead and smashed it repeatedly against a nearby metal sculpture.
After only a few blows, the Humvee was reduced to wreckage.
Team A continued firing.
Their bullets remained completely ineffective.
After smashing the second Humvee apart, Hulk picked up its fallen engine and hurled it toward another vehicle in the distance.
He had to admit— Hulk’s aim was excellent.
The engine struck its target dead-on and sent the Humvee sliding sideways for more than ten meters before it crashed into and overturned another vehicle nearby.
In less than half a minute— Hulk had destroyed four Humvees.
Watching all of this, Betty’s face filled with disbelief.
She had never imagined that the gentle, intelligent, humorous Banner she knew could transform into a green giant with monstrous strength and skin impervious to bullets.
General Ross turned and glanced at Roy.
A few seconds later, he raised his radio.
“Blonsky.” “You’re up.” Although Ross had spent fifty million dollars hiring Roy, he had no intention of sending him in immediately.
Roy was his final insurance policy.
If Blonsky could handle Hulk, there was no reason to use Roy.
After all— Roy was outside help.
Blonsky was one of the military’s own.