I have a new fanfic, Lords & Towers, read it if you're interested.
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Inside the facility, Bruce meticulously examined everything: research data, prototypes, every room, every test subject.
When he was done, he frowned with a seriousness that didn't go unnoticed.
Clint, noticing it, asked,
"What's wrong?"
Bruce replied in a grave voice,
"This... this is on another level."
Seeing his companion's confused expression, he continued,
"The research here... it's not the work of those seven scientists. Sure, they were geniuses... but average ones. This is something even I'd struggle to replicate."
It might have sounded arrogant, but it was the truth. Many of the so-called "geniuses" known to the public couldn't compare to true titans of knowledge like Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, or Hank Pym. Those capable of changing the world often preferred to focus on their experiments rather than seek fame.
This wasn't done by amateurs. It was the work of a brilliant, dangerous mind.
Clint understood instantly and reported the situation to S.H.I.E.L.D. He had just finished the transmission when something struck from the outside. There was no need to investigate: the door slammed shut violently, trapping them inside.
Moments later, a greenish gas began seeping through the walls and ceilings. Both of them passed out.
Some time later, the doors opened and a squad of armed soldiers entered with steady steps. They took the two prisoners and loaded them onto a truck headed toward the town.
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When they woke up, Bruce and Clint were restrained. But not equally. While Clint was tied to a chair, weaponless, Bruce was submerged in a cylinder filled with green liquid, tubes connected to his body.
The capsule was linked to a massive machine bristling with conduits.
Clint, upon waking, quickly scanned his surroundings. Bruce, meanwhile, pounded on the glass, but it was useless. He tried to transform into Hulk... but something wasn't working. He couldn't get angry.
Then, a figure emerged from the shadows.
"Don't bother, Dr. Banner. I made sure your inner monster can't come out."
They both stared, shocked. His head was grotesquely elongated upward, covered by a red helmet.
"Surprised?" he said with a crooked smile. "I suppose you don't recognize me anymore."
Bruce examined him closely. After a few seconds, his eyes widened with realization.
The other man smiled with satisfaction.
"Impressed by how I look?" he said, tapping the helmet lightly. "Do you know what this is?"
With a metallic hiss, the helmet began to open slowly at the sides, revealing a disproportionately large brain.
"This... is my skull. After I was infected with your blood, my brain started growing out of control. My cranium couldn't keep up. The only way to survive was to remove the upper part and replace it with this."
Bruce suddenly remembered the events. While searching for a cure, he had contacted Samuel Sterns, a biotechnology expert, online. He had sent him samples of his blood, only to later discover Sterns had been using them for unauthorized experiments.
Though Sterns had temporarily managed to suppress Hulk, the effect didn't last. Later, he was forced to inject Emil Blonsky, who turned into the Abomination.
S.H.I.E.L.D. told him Sterns had suffered an accident while assisting Blonsky. But after acting erratically, he disappeared.
"What do you want, Sterns?" Bruce asked coldly.
"It's simple. I'm superior. I should be above the rest."
He slowly approached the capsule.
"I came up with a plan. To create an army of Hulks under my command. But no matter how much I tried, I couldn't replicate it. It seems Hulk's existence was a one-in-a-billion accident."
He stopped in front of Banner, staring him down.
"Luckily, there's you. If I can't make more... I'll copy you. This machine will use your DNA to turn everyone in this town into loyal versions of you."
"You're insane," Bruce said.
Sterns only laughed.
"Don't worry. You and your friend will serve a higher purpose. You should feel honored."
After he left, Bruce looked at Clint.
"What are the chances we escape?"
"About three percent," Clint replied.
"And you alone?"
"Eighty-seven percent."
Bruce fell silent, thinking. Finally, he spoke firmly,
"Go to my house. In the living room drawer, third one down. There's a file. You need to get it to S.H.I.E.L.D."
There was no time for more. The capsule changed color, Bruce lost consciousness, and the tubes began extracting his blood.
With surgical precision, Clint retrieved a small knife hidden in his arm and cut through the restraints. Within seconds, he was free. He rushed to the capsule and tried to open it. Nothing. He attempted to disconnect the tubes, but they were welded shut.
Then the alarm blared. Five soldiers burst in to capture him. But Clint was already gone.
"Split up! Find him!" the leader ordered.
Five minutes later, they returned empty-handed.
"How the hell do you lose one man?!"
"Sir... we believe he's already gone," one said, trembling.
The leader clicked his tongue in frustration and led them to their superior. They all kneeled. Even the squad leader bowed.
"Useless..." growled the hooded figure, just as irritated.
After a moment's thought, he assumed the fugitive would come back for his weapons. He ordered the confiscated bow to be placed under double guard.
In the armory, a squad stood watch.
One of the soldiers moved quietly toward the bow. The leader stopped him.
"What are you doing?"
"I just... got curious."
"Take off your helmet and mask."
"But sir..."
"I said take them off!"
Reluctantly, the soldier complied. The leader shouted,
"You're not one of us! Who the hell are you?!"
The others tackled him quickly. He was subdued with ease. But as they looked around… the real leader and the bow were gone.
Meanwhile, Clint, now armed again, moved like a shadow through the hallways. He reached the exit, avoided most patrols, and knocked out a few along the way.
Outside, he made his way to a public phone. He dialed a private number.
"This is Barton. We've got a problem."
After explaining the situation, he disappeared into the nearby forest. He waited, motionless among the trees, until reinforcements arrived.
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+20 chapters in advance on Patreon.
p-atreon.com/IAMME26
(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)