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*****
"That playboy!?"
Before Banner's transformation, Stark Industries had been the world's leading arms dealer, so he was obviously far from ignorant when it came to Tony Stark.
"Exactly," Finy nodded.
In truth, the best way to handle this would have been to let Nick Fury find a safe house. Fury had the most resources and the strongest motivation to protect Banner. Unfortunately, Finy didn't trust the man one bit, and he knew Banner would be inherently wary of any S.H.I.E.L.D. involvement.
Ultimately, Finy decided that seeking Tony's help was the better path.
"I'd like you to stay with him for a while," Finy said.
This plan served two purposes: it stabilized Banner's situation, and it kept Finy's "super experience farm" within reach. If a major threat ever arose in the future, he could simply unleash the Hulk to handle the heavy lifting.
"Fine. But I have to go somewhere else first."
Banner agreed, but he had his own conditions. He wasn't about to put all his eggs in Finy's basket—especially since his experiments with "Mr. Blue" had already shown promise. He wanted to find Mr. Blue, finish the final experiment, and only then decide whether to follow Finy's lead.
"You're planning to find that 'Mr. Blue,' aren't you?"
Finy saw right through Banner's intent and let out a mocking snort. "Do you honestly think the concoction he cooked up can solve your Hulk problem?"
"At most, it'll just make Hulk a bit weaker for a moment. Besides, have you ever considered the consequences of sending your blood serum samples to a fanatical, borderline-insane biologist?"
Faced with Finy's seemingly "omniscient" knowledge, Banner felt a surge of dread, but he couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by that?"
"He's duplicated your blood samples. He's kept more than enough backups. If you let him study you further, he might just find a way to mass-produce creatures like you—except they'll be real monsters."
"No... Mr. Blue wouldn't do that!" Banner shouted, his voice thick with emotion. He had suffered so much because of his mutation; the mere thought of causing others to endure the same fate filled him with instant fury.
Watching the green veins pulse beneath Banner's skin, Finy didn't flinch. He continued calmly, "Whether you believe me or not is your business. But I can take you to see him right now."
Finy wanted to take this opportunity to deal with those blood samples. If the blood was destroyed, he wanted to see if the Abomination would ever even make an appearance.
Hearing this, Banner hurried to suppress his anger. Right now, his priority wasn't just curing himself; it was ensuring that no one else ever became like him.
Realizing that he would likely be in frequent contact with Banner from now on, Finy finally deactivated Incursio in front of him, revealing his true identity.
The sudden transformation startled Banner. When he saw Finy's actual face, his eyes widened in shock. "Is... is this what you really look like?"
"What about that armor?"
"Don't worry about the details," Finy said, shooting Banner a dry look. He extended a hand. "Finy Halsey. You can just call me Finy."
"Bruce Banner."
Banner reached out and shook Finy's hand, then immediately crossed his arms over his chest again. It was hard to tell if he was trying to hide his embarrassment or just his chest hair.
"So, how are we supposed to get out of here?"
Banner looked around at the desolate, overgrown wilderness and shivered. "Also... could I possibly borrow some money? I really need to buy some clothes."
Finy rolled his eyes and, right before Banner's stunned eyes, traced a circular motion in the air to open a sparking portal. "Let's go."
"Wait, what is that?" Banner stared at the shimmering ring, beginning to wonder if he was hallucinating.
"A portal." Finy didn't feel like explaining the mechanics to a scientist; once they got curious, the explanations became a never-ending nightmare. He stepped through the gateway and urged, "Hurry up and get over here."
Banner approached the portal with extreme caution. Seeing that Finy was perfectly fine on the other side, he finally tip-toed through, trembling as he crossed the threshold.
"This is... incredible!"
Once he was through, he looked at his surroundings and was instantly struck with wonder. He realized they were already back within the city limits of New York.
Finy pulled several hundred dollars from his wallet and handed them to Banner. "Go buy some clothes first. I'll wait for you here."
Though Finy was slightly concerned that Banner might simply vanish, he knew he couldn't keep the man prisoner forever. If Banner truly wanted to run, Finy wouldn't be able to stop him indefinitely.
"Thank you."
Looking at the cash, Banner felt a wave of gratitude. His thoughts drifted back to his ex-girlfriend, and he realized he still hadn't asked what had happened back at the scene.
But the immediate priority was clothes. Banner took the money and found a nearby clothing store. Ignoring the wary looks from the staff, he held the cash in plain sight and awkwardly shuffled into the shop.
When he re-emerged, Banner looked like he had a proper disguise: a grey short-sleeved shirt, loose-fitting pants, and a baseball cap pulled low enough to shade half his face.
"How's the quality of those pants?"
Finy had high standards for Banner's choice of trousers. Any pants that could survive an 'Explosion Magic' blast without being shredded clearly had high defensive stats.
"Uh, they're okay."
Banner subconsciously tugged at the waistband, stretching the loose fabric before letting it snap back.
"Want to grab something to eat first?"
Finy noticed Banner's eyes repeatedly darting toward a nearby restaurant. He found it strange—Hulk had just devoured over a hundred fried chicken nuggets. Did Banner feel none of that after changing back?
"Is that... okay?" Banner asked sheepishly.
Without the Incursio armor, Finy looked like a bright, handsome young man. Although the sense of overwhelming pressure had vanished, Banner still felt a bit out of place.
"Let's go. A few more minutes won't hurt," Finy said, heading toward the restaurant. While he wasn't exactly Banner's biggest fan, he didn't dislike the man either.
Years of life on the run had made it second nature for Banner to choose the most secluded, inconspicuous corner of the restaurant. As they ate, he finally couldn't resist asking about the recent events.
"That mon—Hulk. What exactly did he do back there?"
Banner had almost called him a monster again, but remembering Finy's attitude, he forced himself to use the name.
"If I tell you, you have to promise not to freak out," Finy said, looking at Banner with hesitation, unsure if the truth would be too much.
"Don't worry. I've had strict training. I can handle it." Banner took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Well... you might have slapped General Ross to death."
Clatter!
Banner bolted upright so violently that the table lurched, knocking a glass to the floor and drawing the stares of everyone in the restaurant.
Finy saw a thick green vein bulge on Banner's neck. His chest was heaving, and his fists were clenched tight as if he were desperately trying to suppress an internal explosion.
"Calm down!"
Finy immediately regretted saying anything. They were in the middle of a crowded city; if Hulk made an appearance here, it would be a catastrophe.
Fortunately, Banner's training held. After several ragged breaths, he managed to settle his emotions and slumped back into his seat, his eyes filled with profound agony.
(End of Chapter)