In the wreckage-strewn laboratory of Dr. Sterns in the Brooklyn neighborhood, which had been ravaged by the Abomination, Dan Kuroto, Izu, and Azu appeared out of nowhere.
Dan quickly scanned the area and located the secret room where Dr. Sterns stored his replicated and cultivated Hulk gamma cell blood. He found the switch, opened the secret room, and revealed many gamma cell samples inside.
These samples had indeed not been discovered by the military yet.
With the help of Dr. Sterns, Bruce had successfully and temporarily suppressed the activity of the gamma cells in his body, changing back from the Hulk to a normal person.
At this time, General Ross, who had been tracking him, rushed in with his men and captured Bruce Banner, who was temporarily in his normal state.
Upon seeing that Bruce seemed to have successfully suppressed his mutation, Ross worried that Bruce Banner might genuinely be able to eliminate the mutation completely.
If the Hulk's gamma cell mutation disappeared entirely, his long-awaited super-soldier project, which had just seen the light, would be stillborn.
This was something General Ross could not tolerate.
Therefore, after capturing Bruce Banner, he immediately rushed to take him back to his base for a full examination, having no mind to thoroughly search this laboratory.
He just casually left a few men behind to guard the lab.
Blonsky, who had threatened Dr. Sterns into injecting him with a sample of the Hulk's blood cells, transformed into the Abomination, and his personality became incredibly violent.
He smashed up Dr. Sterns' lab, casually dealt with the soldiers left behind, and then went off to find the Hulk for a duel.
Afterward, the Abomination rampaged through the streets, and everyone's attention was drawn to the monster, naturally leaving the laboratory unnoticed.
At this moment, the only living creature left in the lab was Dr. Sterns, whose head had been injured, causing him to absorb a sample of the Hulk's blood.
"Who are you?! What do you want? All these samples are mine!" Dr. Sterns woke up, saw the door to his secret room containing the gamma cell blood samples had been opened.
Immediately, supporting his enlarged head—a result of absorbing the gamma cell blood—he stood up and questioned them angrily.
Dan looked at Sterns with amusement, speaking playfully: "Of course, we are here to collect gamma cell samples. What else would we be doing?
I didn't expect you to see us. How do you think we should deal with you?"
As he spoke, he looked Sterns up and down, like a butcher contemplating where to start cutting.
Dr. Sterns' eyes darted around. He quickly assessed the situation and concluded that it was very dangerous and he was probably not a match for the three mysterious people in armor before him.
Although he felt better than ever after absorbing the gamma blood cell sample, with an incredibly clear mind, his physical strength did not seem to have improved much.
It seemed the enhancement he gained was in intellect and brainpower, unlike the Hulk and the Abomination, whose physical abilities and strength were boosted.
If he had to face opponents wearing full-body exoskeleton armor like the ones before him, he estimated he wouldn't fare much better than a normal person.
Having quickly and simply weighed the current situation in his mind, Dr. Sterns immediately spoke with sincerity: "If you want to utilize the power of gamma cells, I can help. All the gamma cell blood samples in this secret room were created by me.
I have a very deep understanding of gamma-mutated blood cells and can definitely be of great assistance to you.
That big guy outside was created by me."
His tone was solemn, trying his best to prove his value.
"Hahaha," Dan laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Doctor, you truly are a sensible talent. I just happen to have a place where you can fully display your talents.
You can conduct any experiment completely without restriction; all the ideas in your mind can be realized.
I wonder if you are willing."
Dr. Sterns' eyes flickered. After his head absorbed the gamma cell blood sample, his mind felt countless times clearer. All kinds of thoughts surged into his head every moment.
However, in his current abnormal appearance, he was afraid he would be captured and studied by the military, just like Bruce, if he went outside.
The identities of the people before him were unknown. If he refused rashly, they might immediately turn hostile and attack him. Moreover, if there really was a place where he could freely exercise his talents without restraint, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
"If I can truly showcase my talents without any restrictions, I am naturally willing," Dr. Sterns nodded repeatedly.
"Good. Since your head is so big, your code name will be 'The Leader' from now on."
"Ark, I will send a batch of special blood samples over, along with a person. Find a time to send him to the Shocker organization's base and hand him over to Zola. Consider it a talent supply from the Foundation to Shocker," Dan nodded slightly and informed Ark.
Then, with a wave of his hand, a spatial wall swept over, and Dr. Sterns, along with all the gamma cell blood samples, vanished from the laboratory, appearing in a secret base directly controlled by Ark.
The gamma cell blood samples, originating from the Hulk, were considered relatively valuable material and would be collected for future use.
"Master, the items and the person have been received. Are there any other instructions?" Ark immediately responded to Dan after receiving Dr. Sterns and the gamma cell blood samples.
"Oh, right. Have this 'Leader' try to see if he can trigger a reaction with the Gaia Memory Gene.
This Gene Memory is very suitable for genetic and biochemical research. If he can be compatible with this Memory, it should be very helpful to Shocker's research," Dan's mind moved, and he issued the command.
At this time, another beast-like roar suddenly came from the commotion outside, opposing the Abomination's roar, followed by the dull thudding sounds of massive creatures fighting.
The corner of Dan's mouth curled up slightly. Bruce had chosen to let the Hulk appear to stop the Abomination. It wouldn't be long before the Abomination was dealt with by the Hulk.
When the Hulk first appeared, he was in a weakened state due to Dr. Sterns' previous experiment, so he was at a disadvantage in the fight with the Abomination.
However, after being severely beaten by the Abomination, his anger surged, and his strength immediately increased dramatically, allowing him to suppress the Abomination.
Finally, because his girlfriend, Betty, was endangered by the Abomination's attack, he went into a direct rage, his anger exploding, and he snapped the Abomination's neck.
After the fight ended, the Hulk chose to leave immediately; otherwise, his father-in-law, General Ross, would probably try to capture him again, and it might also bring danger to Betty.
The military forces, after a fierce battle, were unable to stop the Hulk. General Ross could only recover the Abomination's body, hoping to research something useful to achieve a breakthrough in his super-soldier project.
Otherwise, this operation would be difficult to conclude, and his own fate would be miserable.
However, the Abomination's corpse was also a treasure, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents rushed to the scene immediately after the battle ended.
S.H.I.E.L.D. argued that the corpse of an anomalous creature like the Abomination should be handled by specialized departments.
They claimed that the military's improper handling led to the monster appearing on the busy streets of New York, causing massive casualties, losses, and destruction, proving that the military was incapable of handling such matters.
General Ross was naturally furious and flatly refused, almost giving the order to open fire.
Now that the matter is over, you jump out to claim the spoils, but where were you when the Abomination needed to be dealt with?
The Abomination's rampage on the busy streets of New York caused tremendous negative impact, and his own troops suffered many casualties.
He would have to shoulder all the responsibility for this. If he couldn't secure the only valuable asset, the Abomination's corpse, no one in the high ranks of the government or military would be willing to protect him.
His political and military career would be completely ruined, and he might even face a court-martial.
Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't expect General Ross to easily give up the Abomination's corpse; they just wanted to make a statement: I am here in person, so you have to give me something.
Finally, after much haggling and communication and negotiation among the higher-ups, they decided to dismember the corpse and each take a portion for research.
"Let's go. Let's follow that big guy," Dan, who had been watching the two factions fiercely arguing over the Abomination's corpse from the side, said with a light laugh.
The three figures leaped up, moving at a speed that human eyes could not catch, like streaks of light and shadow. They left the New York city center and pursued the Hulk.