The video of Senju Haruto turning a car into a mechanical lifeform went viral across the internet, and for Dr. Bruce Banner, it was nothing short of a shock.
In Banner's eyes, Haruto might just hold the key to solving the problem that had plagued him for so many years.
On the surface, Banner looked like any ordinary man. But inside his body lived another soul.
Whenever he grew excited, enraged, or was pushed into danger, that other being would seize control of his body and unleash unrestrained fury.
The man who should have been his father-in-law, General Ross, desired that power for himself. Because of it, he had hounded Banner with relentless military pursuit.
All these years, Banner had fought to restrain himself, to cling to control over his body.
But there were always cracks. No matter how much he fought it, the risk of losing control never vanished.
Worse still, General Ross never stopped hunting him.
Time and again, Banner was forced to abandon familiar places, leave behind people he knew, and begin life all over again.
No friends. No lover. Not even someone he could confide in.
Every moment of his life had been poured into one thing—seeking a cure for the sickness known as the Hulk.
And yet…
Years of effort had yielded nothing.
At times, the hopelessness was so consuming that Banner had tried to end his life—hoping to take the monster down with him.
But every attempt had failed.
The Hulk simply spat out the bullet Banner had fired into his own brain.
Unscathed.
Electrocution. Jumping from great heights. Drowning.
He tried them all. And every time, the result was the same.
No matter what harm he inflicted, Banner would always open his eyes again, finding himself battered, naked, and alive.
That despair was unbearable.
Until…
He met Senju Haruto.
A man like Haruto, with such extraordinary power, surely—surely—could help him.
Yet Banner knew the risks.
If he returned to New York, General Ross would undoubtedly be waiting.
And even then, Haruto might only possibly have the answer.
There was no guarantee. It was a gamble.
A gamble with his life.
Turning the thought over and over, Banner thought of someone else.
For years, he had kept in touch with a man who called himself Doctor Blue.
Blue had tried to help him in the quest to eliminate the Hulk. Though every effort had ended in failure, each attempt ruled out at least one wrong path.
Banner had even mailed Blue blood serum samples.
Though they had never met in person, Banner trusted him deeply.
So, two hours before his flight, Banner sent Doctor Blue an email.
He set a time and place to finally meet.
In truth, this was what Blue had always wanted.
Studying blood samples can only go so far, Blue had once said. If possible, I want to meet face-to-face.
Up until now, Banner had never accepted.
"Doctor Blue…" Banner whispered through clenched teeth, his heart pounding with silent prayers.
He prayed that at least one of the two—Doctor Blue or Haruto—could help him.
Either to eliminate the curse known as the Hulk.
Or… to kill him along with it.
One way or another, the military could never be allowed to obtain the Hulk's blood.
Never.
With that resolve burning inside him, Dr. Banner returned to America.
What he hadn't expected, however…
Because of Haruto, those in higher circles had come to value the Hulk even more.
So much so that, spurred on by powerful figures, General Ross and Director Nick Fury had joined forces.
Banner's plan had been simple: slip unnoticed into a remote region on the edge of the country, then quietly make his way into New York.
But he hadn't realized—Ross already had his every move under watch.
When his plane touched down, the entire airport had been evacuated of passengers.
Cutting-edge technology and elite soldiers surrounded the area, waiting.
At the center of it all stood General Ross and Nick Fury, personally overseeing the operation.
"There's going to be a brutal fight," Ross muttered, eyes narrowing as the plane began its slow descent. He glanced sideways at Fury, his meaning clear: This is military business. You should leave.
"Which is exactly why I brought extra firepower," Fury shot back, unflinching.
Though S.H.I.E.L.D. was officially an intelligence agency, Fury had been quietly developing weapons behind the scenes.
For this capture, he'd brought some of his "toys."
After all, they were allies now.
And with a beast like the Hulk living inside Banner, Fury had no intention of leaving at a time like this.
Ross wasn't surprised. Before joining S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury had seen plenty of battles firsthand. He knew the cruelty of war.
But compared to the mechanical cataclysm Haruto had unleashed…
Ross shook his head, pushing the thought aside. With a curt hand signal, he set his soldiers into motion.
Inside the plane, Banner stared through the window and instantly understood what awaited him.
Ross had him cornered.
What baffled Banner was how Ross's intelligence network had become so precise. Still, he had no interest in fighting here—not with so many innocent passengers aboard.
"No…" Banner swallowed hard. "That's exactly why he chose here. He thinks I won't fight back because of them."
His mind raced.
Ross must have known his movements all along.
Before the plane had even touched down, Banner unbuckled his seat belt and slipped away to the restroom.
Eight doctoral degrees, deep expertise in physics and engineering—he put it all to use.
Working quickly, he dismantled the toilet, then crawled down into the landing gear compartment.
"Breathe… breathe…" He forced deep gulps of air as the ground came rushing into view.
Then he leapt.
Thud!
Banner hit the ground and rolled with the impact, dispersing some of the force.
Pain still wracked his body, but he wasn't injured—and the monster inside stayed silent.
"I need to move—fast."
With the plane growing smaller behind him, Banner broke into a sprint across the runway.
But Ross's new tech was already tracking his every move.
"You won't escape this time," Ross growled, his voice like iron.
At his command, Colonel Emil Blonsky—battle-hardened and merciless—moved in to lead the hunt.
Meanwhile, at the New York Sanctum…
Senju Haruto was deep in thought, planning his next move, when a familiar voice rang in his mind.
Host must sign in at Broadway tomorrow night!
Completing the sign-in will yield a reward!
"Broadway?" Haruto murmured.