Tony Stark grinned. "Why else? Because I enjoy it."
Bruce Banner instantly felt deflated.
Tony was a man who pursued science purely for fun, and yet he had achieved extraordinary success and possessed wealth Bruce could never dream of. The difference between people really was cruel.
While they were still talking, the video on the light screen continued to play.
In it, Bruce firmly rejected Glenn's so-called "cooperation" proposal and bluntly told him to leave.
Glenn didn't argue further and walked away—but it was obvious he wouldn't give up so easily.
Later, Bruce discussed the situation with Betty. She promised to help him handle it, but before long, another colleague ran into trouble.
In the lab, the gamma ray emitter suddenly malfunctioned. The colleague tried to fix it but failed. Bruce rushed over to assist, and just then, the device went completely out of control—ready to fire at any moment!
The radiation was extremely dangerous, more than enough to kill a human being instantly. There was no time to escape the sealed chamber.
Seeing his terrified colleague frozen in place, Bruce didn't hesitate—he threw himself in front of the machine, shielding the other man with his own body.
Outside the screen, Natasha widened her eyes.
"So that's how you got exposed to gamma radiation? Uh, I mean, the Bruce I know didn't exactly jump in to save anyone. In his case, it was just a lab accident."
"This counts as an accident too," Bruce said, equally surprised—but only slightly.
Tony shrugged. "Seems like no matter which universe you're from, every Hulk ends up getting blasted by gamma rays. It's like every Peter Parker eventually gets bitten by a spider. Guess that's your destiny?"
Erik frowned. "Destiny? I hate that word."
For him, believing in destiny meant accepting the doomed future of mutantkind—something Magneto would never tolerate. He intended to defy fate, not surrender to it.
Tony shot him a knowing look. "Erik, maybe you despise this quiz game, and honestly, I get it. Most of us do. But here's the thing—without this game, none of us would even have a chance to change our fates. It's not a guarantee… but it's a possibility."
The two men exchanged a silent look. At last, Erik nodded slightly in agreement.
Back in the video, Bruce Banner—having thrown himself into the gamma beam—was now being engulfed by a strange, green energy coursing through his veins. His eyes began to glow faintly green.
The scene shifted. Bruce lay in a hospital bed, though he hardly looked like a patient—alert, even energized.
Betty visited him, bringing good news: thanks to his quick action, their colleague was unharmed.
Still, she had been terrified—she had nearly watched her ex-boyfriend die right before her eyes.
Under normal circumstances, no one could survive that level of gamma radiation. Anyone else would have been vaporized.
But Bruce wasn't like everyone else. He wasn't just fine—he felt better than ever. Even his old injuries had mysteriously healed.
The doctors were baffled.
To them, it was as if Bruce hadn't just endured a deadly radiation blast, but had instead taken a dip in some kind of mystical elixir.
Bruce, however, believed his miraculous recovery was linked to his recent research on nanobiological microbes—he assumed they'd somehow repaired his body at the cellular level.
Watching the video, Tony couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly.
"Bruce, no, no, no… look at her—your girlfriend's crying her eyes out for you! Forget all the science talk. You're supposed to hold her, man! Give her a hug, a kiss—come on, this is basic relationship protocol!"
Natasha rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Don't use your playboy logic on him, Tony. Personally, I think Bruce's reaction was fine."
Indeed, this version of Bruce Banner seemed colder, more emotionally detached than the Banner they knew.
Bruce sighed helplessly. "I'm just… not like that. That's probably why Betty left me. I never expected she still cared so much."
Tony smirked. "Then you'd better do something about it! Listen, the Bruce I know is still single, so hey—go make an effort, huh?"
On the screen, Betty left the room. Bruce lay there idly, staring at the ceiling as night fell. Then, the door creaked open.
A suspicious-looking old man slipped in, followed by three dogs.
Bruce, who had dozed off for a bit, opened his eyes and nearly jumped—there was the old man, sitting with his legs crossed, studying him closely.
"You're not Kessler," the old man said bluntly. "Your name is Banner—Bruce Banner."
The revelation hit like a thunderclap.
This ragged, uninvited old man was none other than Bruce Banner's biological father—though what had happened to him all these years was anyone's guess.
Bruce stared in shock, wary and confused. How had this stranger even gotten in?
This wasn't just a hospital—it was a secured research facility. There was no way an ordinary drifter could walk in freely.
The old man explained calmly that he had applied for a janitor's job on the night shift—just so he could get close to Bruce.
Bruce was stunned. After all these years, his father suddenly appeared out of nowhere!
His body tensed instinctively. In his agitation, he yanked the IV from his arm. The old man hurried over, gently reattaching the tube with surprising care and concern.
Then he said something even stranger.
"Bruce, the reason you survived that gamma radiation… is because of the energy inside your body. That power—it came from me. I created it."
Outside the screen, Tony frowned deeply.
"Bruce, no offense—but your dad's giving off major red flags. He didn't come back for some heartfelt reunion. He's after something. And my guess? It's whatever's inside you."
..
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