In the light-screen video, Bruce Banner was being treated as a living laboratory specimen.
At the same time, David Banner's home was raided and sealed off by the military. However, David himself managed to escape. He fled to Bruce Banner's laboratory, where he took a tremendous risk—injecting himself with his son's DNA and deliberately subjecting himself to gamma radiation.
It was an extremely dangerous gamble. One mistake could have cost him his life.
But he succeeded.
He gained superpowers.
David Banner staggered and collapsed against a table, only to discover in shock that his hand had fused seamlessly into the blue tabletop itself…
At that moment, the video paused again, and a new question appeared:
[Which of the following best describes the superpower David Banner obtained?]
[A: Absorption
B: Camouflage
C: Assimilation
D: Fusion]
Outside the screen, the players frowned almost in unison. Compared to the previous questions, this one was genuinely difficult.
From the brief footage alone, it was hard to determine the true nature of David Banner's ability.
Tony Stark looked toward Erik Lehnsherr. "Erik, you've encountered more powered individuals than most. What do you think David's ability is?"
"It looks like camouflage or assimilation…" Erik shrugged. "But I'm not sure. All I can say is that it's a very unusual power."
Mutant abilities came in all shapes and forms—but the problem was, David Banner wasn't even a mutant.
Natasha Romanoff pondered quietly. "It does resemble assimilation… or perhaps fusion."
Homelander turned to Bruce Banner and asked bluntly, "What do you think your father awakened?"
Bruce Banner met his gaze coldly and didn't bother responding.
He was in no mood for conversation. After everything he had seen Homelander do, Bruce had already labeled him a villain—and had no intention of giving him a civil answer.
Soon, the countdown began. Faced with this question, the players hesitated, exchanging glances. With so much uncertainty, no one wanted to rush for the buzzer.
Only in the final second did they finally act.
This time, the right to answer fell to Bruce Banner.
He frowned, studying the four options carefully, then chose A.
Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff selected D.
Erik Lehnsherr chose C.
Homelander chose B.
Moments later, the countdown ended and the correct answer was announced:
[Congratulations to player Bruce Banner for answering correctly! +4 points.]
[Player Tony Stark, player Natasha Romanoff, player Erik Lehnsherr, and player Homelander answered incorrectly. −1 point each.]
Tony Stark shook his head. "Well… only losing one point isn't too bad."
Natasha smiled lightly. "Looks like you're pretty lucky this time, Bruce."
Bruce Banner forced a small smile. "I just picked one at random."
Homelander sneered at Tony Stark. "So now only one person here is still in negative points—and that same guy claims to be a seasoned veteran player? Hah. That's hilarious."
Tony Stark returned the look with a thin, humorless smile. "Homelander, I'd advise you not to celebrate too early—though I do admire your thick skin."
"If all my dirty laundry were exposed and broadcast across the multiverse, I wouldn't even be able to laugh—let alone brag."
Homelander's expression darkened, and he finally shut his mouth.
Meanwhile, the light screen resumed playing the video.
After successfully obtaining his powers, the disturbance David Banner caused quickly attracted security personnel.
Facing a lone guard, an elated David couldn't help showing off:
"The power of my son's DNA—combined with the regenerative capabilities of nanomicroorganisms—allows me to absorb and integrate into anything…"
As he spoke, his hand merged into a nearby electronic device, while his foot fused with the steel floor beneath him.
With a sudden lift of his leg, the steel plate tripped the guard. David then raised the heavy instrument and smashed it down, knocking the guard unconscious.
Outside the screen, Tony Stark protested indignantly. "Hey—doesn't that look like fusion? Why were Natasha and I marked wrong?"
"No, Tony," Erik Lehnsherr shook his head. "Fusion and absorption aren't the same thing."
"When two things combine into a new whole, that's fusion. What he's doing is altering himself to take on other forms—at its core, it's absorption. You're a scientist; you should understand the distinction."
Tony shrugged. "I was just complaining. The quiz game makes the rules anyway—the final interpretation always belongs to it."
In the future footage, after escaping the laboratory, David Banner went straight to Betty Ross's home.
There, he revealed the truth of his past:
"…I once had happiness. I loved a woman deeply, and she desperately wanted to have a child with me."
"But the moment she became pregnant, I knew—that wasn't truly our child. It was something else. Maybe a monster."
"I should have ended his life back then. But I was curious—and that curiosity was the beginning of my downfall."
"As I watched that small life grow, I imagined how much suffering awaited him in the future. My curiosity gave way to compassion. I wanted to cure him—but they, and your father, stopped me at every turn…"
According to David Banner's confession, he had once planned to kill his own son—and then himself.
Because he knew both of them would become monsters.
However, Bruce's biological mother—David's wife—fought desperately to stop him. The couple struggled violently, and in the chaos, David accidentally killed her.
At this point, Bruce Banner outside the screen finally broke.
A furious roar tore from his throat. "You bastard! I remember now—I remember everything… My mother was killed by him while trying to protect me—right in front of my eyes!"
At the time, Bruce Banner had been only a small child. Witnessing such a horrific tragedy was far beyond what his mind could endure. As a defense mechanism, his psyche had buried the memory completely.
Now, under the stimulation of the quiz game, those painful memories resurfaced at last.
Erik Lehnsherr shook his head slowly. "As expected… all of our childhoods are filled with misery. Bruce, perhaps your very birth was a mistake."
Homelander stood with his hands on his hips and sneered indifferently. "He was a mistake. His father experimented on himself and ended up creating him. Father and son—both nothing more than pitiful lab rats."
...
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