Chapter 18: Mutation
Empire State University
Six words appeared on Lance Ryder's phone screen.
He read the message without any expression, then quietly put the phone away.
Without saying anything, he delivered the dinner he had prepared to Betty Ross. After setting it down, he turned back to his own work as if nothing had happened.
Betty removed her glasses and glanced at Lance's back.
Then she lowered her head again and began typing quickly on her laptop.
On the screen was a video game interface.
But she wasn't playing.
She was using the in-game chat system to communicate with someone.
Since arriving here, Lance had behaved with perfect restraint.
Other than preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Betty Ross, he mostly kept busy with his own research.
Sometimes they went an entire day without exchanging a single sentence.
Strangely enough, Betty found the atmosphere comfortable.
No one interfered with her work.
Yet someone quietly handled everything around her.
For a brief moment, she even wondered whether having someone like Lance around might not be so bad.
After all, marriage was still considered a serious commitment—even in the United States.
Before marriage, people might do whatever they wanted.
But after marriage, public opinion could be harsh toward anyone who crossed certain lines.
There were also legal and financial complications.
Some contracts even included morality clauses, which could become disastrous if violated.
Because of that, it wasn't unusual for couples to live together for many years—even raising children—without ever officially marrying.
Still, the thought passed through Betty's mind only briefly.
She quickly returned her attention to the matter at hand.
The person she was communicating with through the game chat room was Dr. Bruce Banner.
Using a game as cover helped avoid detection by her father.
If General Ross discovered she was in contact with Banner, he would follow the trail immediately.
In fact, the reason Betty and Lance had barely spoken these past few days was partly because of Ross.
If Lance hadn't warned her, she might never have realized that her father could have installed surveillance devices in her home.
Betty had always assumed her communications might be monitored.
But she never imagined Ross would go so far as to install hidden cameras inside her house.
Especially since he hadn't stayed there very long during his last visit.
At first, she thought there simply hadn't been enough time.
But thinking back carefully—
Ross had kept her occupied with conversation almost the entire time.
Meanwhile, his soldiers had moved freely through the house.
There had been plenty of opportunity.
And because the matter involved Bruce Banner, Ross would absolutely take that risk.
Lance had realized the same thing.
That was why he deliberately minimized contact with Betty.
Now she used indirect methods—like game chat—to communicate with Banner.
At the moment, Banner was hiding at Empire State University.
From Lance's perspective, there was no need to search for Banner actively.
Sooner or later, Banner would expose himself.
This was New York, not some remote slum in Brazil.
Any unusual activity would quickly attract attention from multiple agencies.
For example—
Lance already knew Banner's location.
Large, unexplained spikes in electricity consumption were easy to track.
If a facility suddenly used massive amounts of power without clear justification, it immediately became suspicious.
Investigators would visit each location one by one.
Anyone unable to provide a reasonable explanation—or lacking powerful connections—would quickly find the military knocking on their door.
With Banner's background in advanced scientific research, the number of possible suspects in New York was already extremely small.
Lance simply identified the most likely candidate first.
If his guess was correct, General Ross would already be closing in.
Perhaps a little slower than Lance.
But not by much.
At that very moment, inside a laboratory at Empire State University, Bruce Banner had just finished communicating with Betty.
Standing across from him was Dr. Samuel Sterns.
Sterns was a respected expert in the field—one of the reasons Banner had sought him out.
Their acquaintance had begun through a dark-web chat room.
Researchers conducting controversial experiments often gathered in secret online forums to discuss theory and funding.
Participants used temporary aliases that changed constantly.
Banner had spoken with Sterns many times under the codename "Mr. Green."
Sterns had used the alias "Mr. Blue."
But this was the first time they had ever met face to face.
And it proved just how extreme Sterns's methods truly were.
Sterns proposed using a highly toxic compound.
The idea was simple in theory.
When Banner transformed into the Hulk, Sterns would inject the compound into his body.
The drug would suppress or neutralize the abnormal changes occurring in Banner's cellular structure.
If successful, it might allow Banner to control—or even eliminate—the Hulk.
But the risks were enormous.
The dosage had to be exact.
Too little would do nothing.
Too much might kill Banner outright.
Timing was another problem.
Injecting the drug too early might make it ineffective.
Too late, and the fully enraged Hulk might become impossible to restrain.
Ironically, the poorest scientists in society were often those who followed strict rules and ethical guidelines.
Researchers willing to push boundaries—even dangerously—often received significant financial backing.
Companies wanted results.
And results sometimes required extreme methods.
Dr. Sterns was a perfect example.
He had secured a fully independent laboratory in one of the most expensive research environments in New York.
The facility was completely isolated.
Every piece of equipment inside represented the cutting edge of modern science.
And in the center of the room—
A reinforced medical platform had been prepared to restrain the Hulk.
Without it, the experiment would have ended long ago.
But now—
Everything was ready.
Bruce Banner lay strapped tightly to the platform.
At his own request, every restraint had been secured as tightly as possible.
When everything was prepared, Banner nodded toward Sterns.
The experiment began.
The first step was blood extraction.
Large quantities of Banner's blood were drawn immediately.
The goal was simple.
Heavy blood loss would weaken Banner during his transformation.
Even if the effect lasted only a short time, it might be enough to inject the antidote.
Then came the second step.
An electric shock device struck Banner's temples.
The reaction was immediate.
Banner's eyes turned green.
A roar burst from his throat.
His body began to transform.
Perhaps because of the massive blood loss, the transformation proceeded more slowly than usual.
The process looked even more painful.
More violent.
More terrifying.
Then—
With a deafening crack, the restraints snapped.
Under Sterns's excited gaze, the Hulk emerged.
Within seconds, half the restraining straps had already broken.
The entire laboratory shook as the Hulk struggled violently.
But Sterns reacted quickly.
He slammed the injection trigger.
The antidote entered the Hulk's bloodstream.
The effect was immediate.
The Hulk's furious struggles weakened rapidly.
Sterns's fears about the drug's toxicity proved exaggerated.
Yes, the compound was dangerous.
But killing the Hulk was far more difficult than expected.
More importantly—
The computer beside the table had recorded every piece of experimental data.
At that exact moment, General Ross, who had been monitoring the situation from outside, issued a single command.
"Move in."
With that order, U.S. soldiers led by Emil Blonsky stormed the laboratory.
No checkpoint could stop them.
Ross had chosen his timing perfectly.
This might have been the weakest moment the Hulk had ever experienced.
Using specialized equipment borrowed from S.H.I.E.L.D., the soldiers had been able to monitor everything through the reinforced concrete walls.
The weakened Bruce Banner was quickly restrained and escorted out of the laboratory.
Ross focused entirely on Banner.
He didn't notice something important.
Blonsky never came out.
Neither did Dr. Sterns.
Not long afterward, a three-meter-tall yellow-green monster appeared on the streets of New York.
Unlike the Hulk, this creature had sharp bone-like spikes protruding from its joints.
Its head was triangular, almost reptilian.
And it was far more unstable.
More violent.
More uncontrollable.
At the same time, a group of researchers wearing white protective suits entered Sterns's laboratory.
All the soldiers guarding the facility were gone.
Either killed.
Or chasing the newly unleashed monster into the streets.
The researchers moved quickly.
They collected every remaining sample of Bruce Banner's blood.
They also removed the unconscious Dr. Samuel Sterns.
No one noticed the small wound on his forehead.
Or the faint trace of green in the blood.
Lance's phone vibrated again.
A new message appeared.
"Target deployed."
He read it once.
Then deleted it.
Lance stood up and changed his clothes.
After that, he walked into the living room and gently woke Betty Ross.
She looked confused.
"Do you want to go outside?" Lance asked calmly.
"There's trouble in Manhattan."
"Reports say a monster is rampaging through the streets."
Betty instantly woke up.
She knew what Bruce Banner had planned tonight.
Although Banner had hidden the details about the toxic drug, Betty was a biological scientist herself.
She understood the risks.
If anything went wrong—
Her thoughts stopped.
She quickly turned on the television.
CNN was already broadcasting live footage.
The reporters kept their distance, filming from behind police barricades.
But the creature was clearly visible.
It was green.
Covered with jagged bone spikes.
Its head resembled that of a monstrous reptile.
The creature smashed everything in its path.
Cars exploded.
Buildings were torn apart.
The flames reflected off its twisted body.
The New York Police Department was firing continuously.
But their bullets couldn't even scratch the monster's skin.
With a single swipe of its arm, several civilians were thrown through the air.
The destruction continued.
Then the camera zoomed in.
Betty saw the creature's face clearly.
Her eyes widened.
"That's not Bruce."
She was certain.
"That has nothing to do with him," Lance replied thoughtfully.
"Unless…"
He paused.
"Your father."
Betty understood immediately.
If a monster had appeared in Manhattan, it must be connected to Banner's experiment.
From the very beginning, General Ross had been involved.
This new creature might be another test subject.
"Damn it," Betty muttered.
"What did he do this time?"
Before she could finish, her phone rang.
She answered.
Ross's voice came through immediately.
"Betty."
"I need Lance Ryder's help."
Ross had already tried contacting Tony Stark.
But Stark was currently in Los Angeles.
He couldn't arrive in time.
Lance was already prepared.
He grabbed his coat.
Betty followed him to the door.
The moment they stepped outside—
A military helicopter descended from the sky.
General Ross stepped out.
Beside him stood Bruce Banner, pale and exhausted.
The situation had just escalated.
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