After Smith Dole left, Tony sat in his seaside villa, holding the four-star Dragon Ball in his hand, lost in thought.
If reviving his parents wasn't possible, what else could he wish for?
Then, a spark lit up in his eyes as he remembered something—he still hadn't found a replacement for the palladium element. Maybe Shenron could provide an answer.
It had already been almost a year since the creation of the Mark I, and despite trying every known element, Tony still couldn't find a substitute. He was running out of options and didn't know how much longer he could hold out.
Perhaps meeting Smith and learning about the Dragon Balls was fate's way of giving him a second chance.
After all, a Dragon Ball from a true friend—if anyone was going to make a wish, Tony figured it should be someone trustworthy like him. No wild or reckless desires. He resolved then and there to go all-in for the next Dragon Ball hunt.
…
Elsewhere.
Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived at the battlefield where Smith had fought Hulk, bringing Hawkeye Barton and a team of agents.
Surveying the ruined terrain, Coulson stood beside the massive crater left behind by the Kamehameha, peering down into its depths.
"Incredible power," he muttered. "It's hard to believe this kind of destruction came from a single human."
Hawkeye scanned the area, smirking.
"He's not human—he's a god, remember? You can't judge gods by human standards."
"God, huh. The name may be off, but the title fits."
"And the guy he fought—he wasn't killed, right? Just ran off?"
Coulson nodded. "That's what our intel says."
He sighed. "I'm already dreading the report I have to file for this mess. These superpowered types are getting more and more insane."
"I miss the days when we were dealing with threats under 8 battle power."
"Let's just hope the public believes this was caused by a lab explosion."
Barton shrugged. Paperwork wasn't his job—that was Coulson's headache to deal with.
…
Meanwhile.
At Betty's home, she stormed out the moment she saw her father ransacking the place. Once she realized it was her boyfriend who had tipped off Ross, she didn't say another word—just bolted.
Ross didn't even look up as she left. Instead, he turned to Betty's current boyfriend and said,
"You did well. Next time you get intel, inform me immediately."
"That man is extremely dangerous."
The psychiatrist frowned. "General, as a psychologist, I know when someone's lying."
Ross gave him a dismissive glance and turned away.
The psychiatrist called after him.
"No wonder Betty never mentions you in her personal life. I always wondered why—now I know."
Ross muttered before stepping into the military vehicle,
"Where does she keep finding these clowns?"
He had no time for nonsense—he needed to catch Bruce Banner while he was still wounded.
Betty, meanwhile, wasn't aimlessly driving. She was headed in the direction Bruce had thrown the Dragon Ball.
The night before, Bruce had told her he'd found a way to solve the issue with his "green cells," and he'd shown her the Dragon Ball briefly.
Even though she didn't know why Bruce had discarded it after transforming, she could tell it was extremely important to him. He hadn't told her what it did, but she knew it mattered.
While driving through the storm, Betty used her tablet to calculate how far Bruce could've thrown the Dragon Ball with his strength.
Lightning streaked the sky, thunder rumbled—the rain didn't let up.
She drove for hours toward the direction Bruce had thrown the Dragon Ball.
"If my calculations are correct, it should be somewhere around here…"
Looking at the trees and the rocky cliffs ahead, Betty felt overwhelmed. How was she supposed to find such a small object in such a vast area?
They hadn't even made it to a lab with scanning equipment—there was no Dragon Radar or anything like it.
BOOM!
A clap of thunder boomed across the sky, followed by a flash of lightning.
ROAR!
A deep growl echoed—and Betty's eyes lit up.
"Bruce!"
In the middle of a rocky cliff, nestled inside a cave, was Hulk.
Apparently, her voice had caught his attention. Seeing Betty standing alone, Hulk leapt straight toward her.
BOOM!
The impact of his landing nearly knocked her down, umbrella and flashlight flying.
But Hulk reached out with a finger, gently supporting her so she wouldn't fall.
Betty looked up at the green giant, her flashlight illuminating his uninjured body, and smiled with relief.
"You're okay. Thank God."
Her smile calmed Hulk, whose anger had been stoked by the storm. Now, he stood quietly beside her as they searched for the Dragon Ball.
Though Hulk didn't know what she was looking for, he stayed close, protecting her.
Any steep cliffs were easily scaled with his help. Any trees blocking the way were lifted and moved aside.
By sunrise, Betty finally found the Dragon Ball.
Realizing she was searching for something he had thrown away made Hulk scowl. He turned away from her and forcibly reverted back into Bruce Banner.
Betty stood silently as Bruce returned to his human form. Then she held out the Dragon Ball.
"You threw this away after transforming. I found it for you."
"It was just a coincidence, you happened to be nearby…"
Bruce took the Dragon Ball from her hand, falling silent.
Betty looked confused.
"What's wrong? You're not happy to have it back?"
"I thought you said this thing was the key to fixing your transformation problem."
The reason Bruce didn't respond was because, when Hulk was in control, Bruce could still feel everything. Their minds were interconnected.
When Bruce was in charge, Hulk shared his memories. When Hulk was in charge, Bruce could see what Hulk experienced.
Because of that mutual awareness—Bruce now knew that he was in big trouble.
…
(End of Chapter)
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