The sun had finished its day's work and was walking home, painting the sky with warm colors tinged by a hint of melancholy.
Banner awoke slowly from his slumber, blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings around him.
"Bruce! Thank heavens you're awake!"
"Betty… what happened to me…?"
"You don't remember?" Betty helped Banner sit up and handed him a glass of water.
"Hmm… only fragments…" Banner rubbed his aching head, trying to recall what had happened before he blacked out.
"You're awake?"
"It's you!"
The moment Banner saw Mu, his instincts kicked in. He stumbled backward, falling to the floor, and kept retreating until his back hit the wall.
"Bruce! What's wrong?" Betty was startled by his sudden reaction and hurried to help him, but Banner swatted her hand away, curling up in the corner, trembling.
"Bruce…"
"It seems even when you two switch, the connection isn't completely severed," Mu said calmly, setting a simple meal on the table before stepping back toward the door.
It wasn't Banner who feared Mu—it was the Hulk inside him. That primal fear was what drove his body to react.
"You… you're the one who defeated the Hulk?" Banner asked after regaining some composure.
"Yes."
"…You're incredible. You actually beat him." Banner knew better than anyone the destructive power of the Hulk. He had never believed anyone could truly defeat it. Every time the creature appeared, devastation followed—until it grew tired, and Banner could seize control again.
But now, someone had not only beaten the Hulk but instilled fear in it. That gave Banner a fragile spark of hope.
"You—"
Grrrrrrr~
Before he could continue, Banner's stomach growled loudly. He flushed in embarrassment and lowered his head.
"Eat something first," Mu said with a small smile, glancing at the food—prepared specifically for Banner.
"Th… thank you."
Awkward as it was, Banner couldn't deny his hunger. He sat back down on the couch and devoured the meal ravenously.
Soon the plate was clean. Wiping his mouth hastily, Banner looked at Mu.
"Can you destroy the monster inside me?" he asked eagerly.
"If you keep calling him that, you'll hurt his feelings, Banner."
"What? You're saying it's not a monster?" Banner frowned. Strength beyond measure, skin like armor, a creature that knew only destruction—what else could it be?
"He's just afraid, Banner. You can't expect a newborn child to behave like an adult. And since the moment he came into existence, all he's known is pain."
"A child? You're calling that thing a child? Hah, that's the funniest joke I've ever heard." Banner scoffed. If the Hulk was a child, then who in this world could be considered an adult?
"So you judge by appearance alone?" Mu countered.
"If it even counts as human."
"Oh? Then tell me—how old do you think I am?"
"You? Around twenty?"
"Seventy-two."
"No way! That's impossible!" Betty suddenly stood up, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Betty, what's wrong? Seventy-two what?" Banner looked at her, confused.
"Professor Mu… how… Your first published paper was forty years ago! It listed your age as thirty-two! How could you possibly…"
Betty's voice trembled as she spoke. She wasn't in Mu's exact field, but she had always admired him. If not for her father's orders, she might have studied medicine instead of gamma radiation. She had read all his papers—especially the one titled 'The Potential of Gamma Rays in Treating Coma Patients'.
She remembered the photo from his first publication—forty years ago. And the man before her now… hadn't aged a day.
"Betty, what are you saying?" Banner's pupils constricted. He understood her implication but didn't dare believe it.
"He's one of the last century's most brilliant medical scientists—Professor Mu…" Betty whispered, hand trembling as she pointed at him.
"You're sure it's not a namesake? Or maybe a descendant?"
"I… I wish it were that simple… but…"
Mu smiled faintly under their stunned gazes. "I'm afraid not. There's only ever been one of me."
"You… but how's that possible…"
"Before your experiment failed, did you think the Hulk was possible?"
That silenced them both. If someone had told them before that day that a green monster born from gamma rays would roam the Earth, they'd have laughed too.
"So don't judge by appearances. What truly defines someone is their Cosmo—their inner universe—their soul." Mu spoke like a patient elder imparting wisdom.
"Cosmo? What's that supposed to—never mind. Professor Mu, do you have a way to destroy it?"
"Yes."
"Then—"
"But I won't."
"Why?" Banner demanded. Wasn't that creature a menace? Keeping it alive would only bring more pain to innocents. Did Mu intend to exploit the Hulk's power, like General Ross?
Suspicion filled his eyes as he edged subtly toward the window.
"The Sanctuary does not interfere with the affairs of the outside world," Mu explained. "As a Gold Saint, I follow that rule. Taking you in was already an exception. Besides… as a Saint, I don't believe the child inside you deserves to die."
Banner and Betty had no words. They didn't fully understand, but they knew he meant what he said. And even if they disagreed, what could they do? Against someone like Mu, they had no power to argue.
"You can stay here a few days," Mu said, pointing toward a guest room. "After that, you should go. I've got work to do."
He left them standing there, bewildered.
"Bruce, what do we do now?" Betty asked softly.
"First, we figure out where we are. Then… we find Mr. Blue."
…
A few days later, Banner and Betty said their goodbyes to Mu. Though his home was safe, they couldn't hide there forever. The Hulk problem had to be solved, or Banner would never live a normal life. As long as his emotions flared and his heart rate spiked, the Hulk would emerge. He didn't fear for others—or even for Mu—but for Betty.
"You've decided?" Mu asked.
"Yes."
"Good. I understand."
"…Thank you."
"You're welcome."
The two bowed and turned to leave, but Mu called out to them.
"When you're done, come back."
"What?" they both froze.
"You can't just leave your stuff here forever, can you?" Mu lifted a bag filled with Betty's belongings—credit cards, her phone, social security card, and even a few personal items.
Betty's face turned crimson as she lowered her head. Banner looked equally awkward; to ensure she wasn't being tracked, he'd made her change all her clothes.
"Got it," Banner muttered, and the two left hastily, too embarrassed to linger.
Mu chuckled, shaking his head. He set the bag aside and sipped his coffee.
"Ah, youth… Before I knew it, I'm already in my seventies…" He paused mid-sentence as a realization hit him—Melin's last order. His face went pale.
…
After Banner woke, the pair began discussing their next steps. They were shocked to find themselves still in New York—and not far from Mr. Blue's lab at Culver University. After resting for several days, they decided to go meet him.
But unbeknownst to them, every move they made was already being watched. They dared not return to Mu's home—but anywhere else, they were exposed.
They finally met Mr. Blue—Dr. Samuel Sterns—and together created a serum designed to "kill" the Hulk inside Banner. But during their discussion afterward, they discovered that Sterns had been mass-producing samples of Banner's blood.
As they argued, General Ross's men stormed in, capturing both Banner and Betty.
"If you destroy the Hulk, you'll rot in a cell for the rest of your life," Ross warned coldly.
The Hulk was his obsession. The entire gamma experiment had been an attempt to create a super-soldier. The Hulk's power consumed his mind with greed. If the Hulk died, so would all his ambitions.
Ross didn't know it yet—but his plans were about to backfire. He was about to unleash something far worse.
…
Bang!
Blonsky, who had refused to retreat with Ross, knocked out the chattering female officer and forced Dr. Sterns to inject him with Banner's blood.
He knew where the Sanctuary was, but it felt too unreachable—so he chose the Hulk's path instead. He believed that with Hulk's strength, even the Saints might one day acknowledge him—and grant him power beyond mortal limits.
Sterns was afraid, but as a curious scientist, he couldn't resist the chance to experiment.
So they agreed.
After the injection, Blonsky's body twisted and swelled. His massive, grotesque form rose, looming over Sterns.
"I… I really think you should lie back down, Major Blonsky…"
"Blonsky?" The creature tilted his monstrous head. "Oh, right. That was my name. But…" His mouth curled into a jagged grin. "I think I prefer… Abomination."
With a cruel smile, he raised his foot—and brought it crashing down on Sterns without hesitation.