Greetings, fellow observers.
Once again, I am Soj, Watcher-In-Training. I must apologize for my period of absence. The Elder has been rather demanding of me as of late.
I MERELY NEEDED YOUR HELP IN USING THIS COM-PU-TOR DEVICE, NOTHING MORE.
Elder, you continually attempted to use an actual mouse as a computer mouse.
IT IS WHAT THE SALES REPRESENTATIVE AT THE STORE RECOMMENDED!
That was a pet store.
I ASKED FOR A MOUSE, HE PROVIDED ME WITH A MOUSE.
...Anywho, I have likewise been made privy to the upcoming arrival of Jennifer Walters, also known as the She-Hulk ,making her way to Earth-199999, what you observers know as the MCU. This is a very exciting development, and as what one may call a 'fan', I do look forward to this.
But without further ado, let us return to our story.
THE COM-PU-TOR NOW DESIRES SUSTENANCE. APPRENTICE! FETCH ME SOME OF THIS 'RAM'. AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT IT HAS MAGNIFICENT HORNS!
Yes, Elder... Of course.
The first thought that came to the Hulk was how much the man reminded him of The Sentry.
"I must say, you're quite the incredible hero. Those feats of strength I observed would rival if not surpass that of any high ranking pro. Are you perhaps new?"
"Hm. Hulk not new, and Hulk not a pro. Hulk just smash sludge monster cause boys were in trouble. "
That gave the symbol of peace pause for but a moment, before he continued.
"Not a pro? You don't mean to imply that you're a vigilante, are you?"
Thinking quickly, Izuku jumped in.
"Ah, um, no! Y-you see, Mr. All Might, sir, um... My uh... UNCLE! Yes, my uncle here is part of a... an exchange program! Right, an exchange program for heroes wanting to provide additional aid for agencies lacking in terms of registered heroes! Like he said, he isn't new, but he isn't a 'pro' in the sense that he's not a pro hero native to the country. Yes, that's what he means!"
The Number 1 Hero relaxed at that, though still felt compelled to press further.
"I see. Well if that's the case I do believe the authorities here will need to just see his hero license. Standard procedure, just a matter of obtaining the proper documentation for their report of this incident."
"Oh! O-of course, sir! We'll be happy to, it's just that-that um..."
GUUUR-GLEEEEeeeeEEEE...
The sudden noise caused the two to turn and sweatdrop at the sight of the Hulk, gently rubbing a hand on his stomach.
"Hmm... Hulk hungry..."
"R-Right! We'd be happy to, but we're in a bit of a hurry, my Mom had a special dinner planned for when my uncle got here and we're already very shortontimeandwereallygottagosobye!"
Izuku then pulled at one of the Hulk's massive hands, the Hulk resisted for a moment, somewhat annoyed, before relenting and allowing the boy to guide him along to the street corner away from All Might. He observed Izuku frantically whisper something into the Hulk's ear and then hoisting himself onto the jade giant's back before with a single heave of his powerful leg muscles, Hulk leapt up into the air towards the city's rooftops.
"Um... so I guess we'll need to acquire their statement at a later time?"
The symbol of peace turned to see the tall, thin figure of Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi approaching from behind him, an inquisitive look in his eye, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck punctuating the awkwardness of the situation.
"Not necessarily, friend. I'll be but a few minutes."
"Right down over there!" said Izuku, an outstretched finger pointed towards a modest apartment complex. The Hulk touched down, and after a short walk up, the two entered the Midoriya residence.
"Just relax on the couch for a moment. I'll try and see if there's anything in the fridge."
As Izuku entered the kitchen, the Hulk looked about the living room. On the wall as well as the coffee table were various photographs, showing a much younger Izuku and a petite green haired woman, presumably his mother. Beside one of the photos was a remote for the television. Exercising as much caution as possible so as to not break the device, the Hulk pressed the power button.
On came the news.
"For those of you just now joining us, the current report is on that of the swift delivery of justice provided by one who appears to be a new up and coming hero."
One by one images of bystanders flashed across the screen, each giving their own account of the one who had arrived at the scene.
"Huge and muscly, with green skin and shaggy hair. Guy was sort of scary but super cool looking too." said a young man in an All Might hoodie.
"Such a nice looking young man, if a bit rough around the edges. Just like my grandson! So brave!" said a little old lady.
"And then he came at that villain like a bulldozer! Tackled him then got him in a piledriver like a pro wrestler!" exclaimed a middle-aged security guard.
"He was awesome!" "Yeah!" shouted two young children.
As the Hulk looked on at the screen he was taken aback by the response the people had towards him. Having grown so used to people fearing him, treating him with disdain, it was rather odd to be the subject of praise.
"I hope you don't mind leftovers." said Izuku, as he entered the living room with two reheated plates of last night's dinner.
The Hulk took one, the large dinner plate being like a tiny saucer in his giant hand, and began to hungrily tear into the food, letting out a contented grunt.
"Heh, yeah my Mom's the greatest cook ever."
KNOCK-KNOCK
Izuku set the second plate in his hand down on the coffee table before going to answer the door. He is greeted by the sight of an aged, tall, gaunt man with sunken blue eyes dressed in a grey suit and tie as well as a young detective in a trenchcoat and fedora hat.
"Izuku Midoriya?" asked the younger man.
"Uh.. yes?"
"I'm Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi. This is Mr. Toshinori Yagi, head of PR for Might Tower. We're here to follow-up with you and your uncle regarding the incident that transpired earlier today, could we come in please?"
Izuku froze in place, his mind racing to find a solution to the situation, all the while his habit of incoherent muttering coming into effect.
"Oh, um yes. That is-um... Y'seeI'dbehappytoletyoucomeinbutthethingis... um..."
"Izuku? Is everything alright?"
The boy turned from the threshold of the door to see Bruce Banner, still garbed in nothing more than his ragged purple trousers. Relieved, he began to speak in reply.
"Uh, no! Not at all, Uncle! It's just that the um, the Detective here along with a man from All Might's agency just had a few questions about your run in with that villain earlier..."
"Yes." said Mr. Yagi "If you'll allow us to come in we'd just like to discuss a few things regarding the matter and likewise fill out some paperwork, just a formality."
"Like I was saying before, um, we'd be happy to it's just that-"
"Of course, come right in."
Izuku stopped dead. His eyes met Banner's. He merely gave a small nod in return to assure him that the situation was well in hand. Conceding, Izuku stepped aside and showed the two gentlemen in.
"Hey. Before you go... You got a minute?"
"Yeah, sure."
Two boys, about the same age as Izuku, sat alone in a cafe. The night was fast approaching as the sun began to fall along the horizon.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm telling you, there's something super off about that girl. It's not enough that her freaky quirk makes her look and act like some kind of yandere vampire, but lately you have to have noticed that some of the teachers and even some of the students at school haven't been around for awhile. It's almost exactly like that time in elementary school where she impersonated that one girl who was bullying her."
"Right. I remember the police and even some heroes got involved when her own parents filed a missing persons report about her. Plus, Yamashiro from Class B says even the girl's parents were super sketchy. Said he felt sort of sorry for her, but I don't see it. That chick is twisted. Period."
"And that's why it has to be her. All the people who have gone missing are students and faculty that she's known to have interacted with on a regular basis. And for as long as all of these people have been vanishing, she's been making herself more and more scarce. She hardly ever shows up to school anymore, nobody's seen her for a week now."
"What do you think's gonna happen now?"
"I dunno. But I have a real bad feeling in my gut..."
"Well, Dr. Banner. Everything appears to be in order. I do look forward to any future meetings we may have during your time here, this conversation has been quite enjoyable."
"Likewise. It's really an honor to be acting as a bridge between two different hero communities."
The two men shook hands before Yagi exited the apartment, Tsukauchi in his stead.
As the door clicked shut, and the sound of the two mens' shuffling steps became imperceptible, the duo of weary scientist and youngster merely stood in silence staring at one another.
"...So you're what, 14? 15?"
"Um... Yeah. H-how did you have all that information on hand? If you're from another earth, then you couldn't possibly exist here, and if you did that other you could be completely different.
...IS there another you running around?"
The older man sat back on the sofa, hands folded in his lap.
"Not sure. But I mentioned how I wasn't really the most popular guy back home, right?" Izuku nodded. "For most of the time since I first became the Hulk I've been pursued by the military for the purpose of either destroying me or harnessing the Hulk's power. I've gotten very good at two things. One is staying hidden. The other is creating identities."
"So then those documents you presented. Forgeries? But how did you manage to make them so fast?"
Dr. Banner handed Izuku a smartphone. The device wasn't particularly heavy, but the casing was made of a metal that Izuku couldn't quite identify. It was light, but it felt deceptively tough. Gazing at the screen Izuku saw the interface for a custom application. On it was a veritable goldmine of tools that may be put to use in manufacturing forged identification. Beyond aspects of a simple photo editing software, there were likewise means of infiltrating and injecting forged documentation into remote databases such that nothing would appear amiss, only another number in the machine.
"I'm by no means an expert hacker, but I've picked up enough to make sure I can blend in. Helps that I've got one of those faces."
"You've had to do this a lot, then?"
"Yeah. When you're like I am you don't have any permanent thing. You always have to wander from place to place, anything close to a life that you can make for yourself could disappear just like that."
"Gosh..."
...
"Still. Things may be better for you here."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Well... It's like you, er- Hulk said. Even though you know that people may misunderstand you, fear you, you still feel some drive to help them, to save them if they're being hurt and don't deserve it. That... that's what a hero would do and... that's what I think you and Hulk can be."
Banner stared at the young man, his brow furrowed, lips parted just slightly to expose teeth, not clenched in frustration, but merely closed. A look of concentration and intent.
"I really think you could make a home for yourself here. You could become an incredible hero."
Slowly, the doctor began to feel the pin pricks as the boy's genuine belief in him moved him. He shuts his eyes firmly and turns to his side, fists tight, body straight and rigid.
"Kid... Izuku. Thank you."
*CLICK*
"IZUKU!"
The boy turned to see his mother Inko Midoriya, a river of tears pouring out from each eye, run at him with arms outstretched before pulling him into a bone crushing hug.
"OHHHHHHH, MY BABY! I'm so glad you're safe!"
"M-mom! Can't- hrk- breathe!"
Loosening the vice-like grip of her arms, the teary eyed mother looked at her son before replying.
"Oh, I know, sweetie! I'm sorry! I just wanna squeeze you tight and never let go!"
"So I guess you must've seen the news? I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner, it's been such a crazy day."
Finally letting go, Inko realized the presence of a third person in the apartment. Banner gave the woman a sheepish wave.
"Oh, Mom. This is Dr. Banner. I know he looks different now, but he's that big green hero that saved me and Kacchan today."
Inko walked up to the man. For a moment the two stood silent, staring at one another. Inko steeled herself before speaking up.
"I cannot thank you enough for saving my son and his friend."
"It was nothing, Ma'am. It's just been a thing with me for a long time, since I was very young. Can't stand to see kids hurt."
"And that's not something you need to talk about like it's a bad thing. You saved my son and another who may as well be my son, too. Thank you."
"So. Would you like to stay for dinner?"
She kept herself hidden as best she could.
Outside her shelter of cardboard, plastic, sheet metal and rubber she could hear it.
The low, bellowing howls of that thing... that nightmarish, inhuman thing that was shaped like a man but was all wrong, nothing but jagged teeth and claws, eyes like blazing coals and patchwork fur, pale white as the unforgiving winter.
The starving scavenger scrambled down the back street, claws rending at brick and metal, enraged growls echo out as the girl keeps thinking to herself, 'don't even breathe, breathe and it will find you, breathe and you're dead' as only a thin layer of aluminum paneling separated her from hell and damnation, from...
"WWWWEEEEEENNNnnn-DIIIiii-GOOOOoooooooo..."
"So what do you make of him?"
"I'm not sure, Tsukauchi.
The Symbol of Peace and his close confidant walked side by side as the evening sun cast stark shadows behind them.
"I don't believe he has any ill intent in him, myself. My quirk told me as much, with each question we presented him with he answered truthfully. All of his records checked out too. He seems clean to me."
"Be that as it may, I still don't know if I can fully trust him. The kind of power he exerted during his fight with that sludge villain, that kind of power I've only seen in one other individual."
The detective gave his friend a knowing look.
"But you defeated him. The possibility of him having any ties to him are-"
"Are just as plausible as him having nothing to do with him. All For One... the sort of power he possessed was enough to nearly bring the world to its knees, to tear it asunder, to break it. And this Dr. Bruce Banner and his quirk enhanced form, this... Hulk."
"Until I'm certain he's not involved with my old foe I'll need to keep a close eye on both him and the boy..."
As will I, All Might. But what of this girl? What is the truth of her nature? Will she fall into the clutches of this vicious beast? And is she truly linked to the many disappearances her classmates believe her to be?
All questions that shall be answered when we meet again.