Chapter79:
Banner slowly sat up from the Life Cradle, crystalline nutrient fluid sliding down his body.
He looked down at his newborn hands — smooth, firm skin, symmetrical and powerful muscle lines, with no trace of gamma radiation left behind.
Banner's voice trembled slightly: "The feeling of being reborn!"
Hawkeye quickly stepped forward and handed him a white lab coat: "Welcome back, Dr. Banner."
Zhao Helen's eyes sparkled with excitement beside him: "All vital signs are perfect. Cellular activity indicates a physiological age of around 23."
Deadpool struggled out from the hole in the wall: "Whoa! This is way more exciting than plastic surgery! Boss, can you give me a youth version too?"
Hulk suddenly leaned in to observe the chamber, his massive green face almost pressed against the glass: "Little bug… changed."
His tone was rare — carrying curiosity.
Banner looked up and met Hulk's gaze. For the first time, the two former roommates faced each other as completely independent individuals.
The laboratory suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Thank you, old friend," Banner said softly.
Hulk tilted his huge head and thought for a few seconds, then suddenly showed his signature vicious grin: "Hulk doesn't have to hold back when smashing things anymore!"
With that, he moved to punch the nearby equipment.
"Wait!" Yang Jian raised a hand. An invisible force stopped Hulk's fist.
"If you want to smash things, go to the training room."
Steve walked over with a big laugh and punched Banner on the shoulder: "Welcome to the club of people who've been remade by the boss!"
Natasha handed Banner a new pair of glasses: "Test your vision? It's supposed to be perfect 20/20."
Banner put on the glasses and looked around every corner of the laboratory, then suddenly smiled: "Much clearer than the old version."
Banner stood up. The alarms in the laboratory suddenly stopped.
Everyone watched as the energy flowing across Banner's skin gradually faded, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Looks like the experiment was a great success." Zhao Helen checked the data panel, a satisfied smile on her lips.
"Dr. Banner's new body has superior metrics in every category compared to normal humans."
Banner flexed his wrists, feeling the surging vitality in this young body: "I have to say, this is still hard to believe."
Deadpool had somehow already changed into a white lab coat and was pretending to hold a stethoscope: "Let me check you, Doc. Now that you've lost Hulk, will you miss the thrill of being chased by the military?"
"No." Banner pushed up his new glasses. His eyes behind the lenses shone with long-lost ease.
"Actually, this is the first time in so many years I've felt… true freedom!"
Hulk stomped impatiently beside him: "Hulk is free too! No more listening to the little bug nagging!"
He moved to pat Banner on the shoulder, but stopped halfway in a hurry, afraid of hurting this fragile new version.
Steve walked over and, for once, spoke in a normal tone: "Welcome to the new world, Doctor. Although…"
He glanced at the group, "it really is quite crazy."
Banner shook his head, his smile carrying a touch of daze: "The word 'crazy' feels too mild. First discovering Captain America is still alive, then wrecking a military base, witnessing magic, and now…"
He looked down at his new palm: "Even my body has been replaced."
Natasha handed him a set of prepared clothes: "The adjustment period may take some time. But compared to being hunted by the military, this should be much easier."
"Speaking of the military." Banner suddenly remembered something and looked at Yang Jian.
"About General Ross…"
Yang Jian waved his hand lightly: "It's already been handled. The news will report it as a laboratory accident."
He looked at Banner and Hulk: "You two are now both free."
Hulk excitedly pounded his chest: "Hulk wants to go find things to smash!"
He was about to rush out the door.
"Wait!" Banner subconsciously shouted, then realized he no longer had the right to restrain the other party and smiled awkwardly.
"I mean… be careful."
Hulk stopped, rarely showing a thoughtful expression, and finally actually nodded: "Hulk was just kidding!"
This response made everyone raise their eyebrows in surprise.
Deadpool suddenly bounced between the two: "What a touching scene! I'm about to cry!"
He pretended to wipe nonexistent tears: "So now, who wants to go have a drink to celebrate? Hulk can be the bodyguard!"
Laughter erupted in the laboratory.
Banner looked at this group of new friends, then at his former other half, and suddenly felt that this crazy world didn't seem so bad after all.
Yang Jian scanned the group, his gaze finally landing on Banner and Hulk: "From today onward, Dr. Banner and Hulk are officially joining S.H.I.E.L.D."
Deadpool immediately raised his hand: "I object! This will raise the average IQ of the Avengers, but the attractiveness score… ow!"
Natasha's elbow strike made him swallow the rest of the sentence.
"Dr. Banner will be in charge of the Biological Gene Research Department,"
Yang Jian continued. With a flip of his right hand, he took out a vial glowing with faint blue light from the system space.
"As for this."
He casually tossed the serum to Banner, who caught it in a fluster, his glasses tilting to one side.
"Super Soldier Serum." Yang Jian explained.
"After injection, it will give you powerful strength, but your body size will remain unchanged."
Banner stared at the serum in his hand, hardly daring to believe it.
He looked up at the group. Steve nodded encouragingly, Natasha raised an eyebrow in approval, and Hulk even leaned in curiously to sniff it.
"Looks like I don't have a choice?" Banner straightened his glasses, but the corners of his mouth lifted into a long-lost relaxed smile.
"But honestly, this is way cooler than the onboarding gift I expected."
He skillfully flicked off the needle cap and, under everyone's watchful eyes, injected the serum into the vein in his arm.
Almost immediately, his skin took on a faint green tint. His muscle contours began to expand slightly, but his body size remained unchanged, just as Yang Jian had said.
"How does it feel?" Zhao Helen eagerly pulled up the scanner.
Banner clenched his fist, feeling the new power flowing through his body: "Incredible. It's like having Hulk's strength, but my mind is completely clear."
He suddenly thought of something and turned to Hulk: "Mind if I test it?"
Hulk grinned and extended his pot-sized fist: "Come!"
The two fists of vastly different sizes collided in the air. The shockwave shook the laboratory's glass with a buzzing vibration.
Surprisingly, Banner didn't move an inch.
"You held back, Hulk." Hawkeye teased.
Deadpool had already pulled out a small notebook and was frantically recording: "New project — Dr. Banner becomes Portable Hulk! Definitely more popular than Ant-Man!"
Yang Jian watched the scene with satisfaction: "The adjustment period may take a few days. Origin will monitor your body data."
He turned to Hulk: "As for you, Hulk."
Hulk immediately straightened his back like a soldier awaiting orders.
"Starting tomorrow, you'll go on field missions with Steve and the others." Yang Jian paused.
"Remember — you can smash buildings, just don't smash the expensive ones."
Hulk excitedly jumped in place twice, shaking the ceiling: "Hulk loves smashing things the most!"
Banner looked at his own arm, then at the cheering Hulk, and suddenly laughed.
"This world really is crazy, but it's crazy in a fun way."
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