"David Bruce Banner," said the man. "You're supposed to be dead. I never dreamed you survived the explosion at your lab."
"Dr. Brenner?" questioned David.
"You know him?" Piper asked.
"His name is Gregory Brenner," said David. "He was one of my professors in college. And one of the most brilliant physicists on the face of the Earth."
"And you were my most brilliant and promising student," said Brenner. "After the explosion destroyed your lab I got permission to salvage anything I could find in the ruins. There were enough of your notes left that I figured out what you had been up to. It intrigued me so tried to duplicate your experiments. This is the result."
"Dr. Brenner," started David.
"Greg, please," said Brenner, walking over to the group. "You've come a long way since my lectures, David. Further than even I imagined you would have. Now, to find you alive and apparently well. What happened to you? And what is this creature you keep talking about?"
Calmly David explained to Greg what had happened to him in the lab. And the creature he becomes when he gets angry. He also explained the reasons behind his apparent "death" and why he has remained in hiding, so to speak, for the past several years.
"That was foolish, David," said Greg. "Experimenting on yourself. You could have been killed."
"I wish I had been," said David. "This creature - this hulk, as it's been called - is the most dangerous thing I've ever encountered. It's only a miracle that no one has been killed or seriously injured by it so far. Every time I change I'm afraid I'll find out that it's killed someone. I'm not sure I could live with myself if that happened."
"I hate to be a party pooper," said Cole, "but couldn't the reunion wait until another time? Security is bound to be along soon and if they find us here there will be too many questions we just can't answer."
"I've called the head of security," said Greg. "I told him I'm performing a rather sensitive experiment in here and that no one should enter unless I specifically authorize it. When I saw David on the monitor I became very curious. We shouldn't be bothered for several hours."
"So, this is your lab?" David questioned.
"Mine and others," said Greg. "I'm part of a team that's been carrying on your work. I was working late when I saw you on the monitor in my office. I was about to notify security when I recognized you. As I said, I became curious."
"Then you can help," said David. "This equipment is nothing like I was using. I'm not even sure how it operates. You can help me use it to remove this thing inside of me. Help me be normal again."
"I'm not sure I can do that," said Greg. "David, this equipment has never been tested. Theoretically, we know how it works and what it's supposed to do. But you know as well as I do that there's a long way between theory and reality. Frankly, I'm not sure what would happen if we used it. It could make matters worse."
"What could be worse than this creature I become when I get angry?" David asked.
"How about releasing the creature permanently?" Greg asked. "David, this equipment is designed to remove excess radiation from a person. But like I said, it's never been tested. It could have the opposite affect. It could trigger a change in you that would be permanent. The creature could emerge and you could stay that way. Can you imagine the damage a creature like that could do if left unrestrained?"
"I've seen the damage firsthand," said David. "But what I've seen in your equations tells me that this machine will work. You've anticipated every contingency. There's no reason to think it will do anything other than what it was designed to do."
"We've covered every contingency," said Greg, "except for the unknown. There's no way to prepare for that because there's no way to know what it is. David, if you're right and this thing just gets stronger the angrier it gets, thousands could die if it's released. Millions. There would be no way to stop it."
"There might be a way," said Cole.
"How?" Greg asked.
"The Barrens," said Cole.
"The Barrens?" David questioned. "What's that?"
"It's a place where nothing exists," said Leo. "No animals, no insects, no people, nothing. Just thousands of square miles of nothing."
"Leo," said Cole, "if that creature emerges, you could orb it there. It can't hurt you, not permanently. Once there you could orb back and leave it there. It could go on a rampage as much as it wants and no one would be in any danger."
"Orb?" Greg questioned. "What is this orb?"
"I'm afraid, Dr.," said Piper, "that we can't explain much to you. Trust me, it's for your own good."
"She's right, Greg," said David. "You're better off not knowing. But if this Barrens is what they say it is then the creature would be contained. It couldn't hurt anyone."
"But getting it there would be a problem," said Greg. "What if it emerges and escapes before we an get it to this Barrens?"
"I can handle that," said Leo. "All I have to do is be able to touch it. From what I've seen it takes several seconds for the transformation to occur. If it starts I'll orb it out immediately."
"What about," said Piper, glancing at Greg, "you know? What we talked about? About not using that to help David?"
"This is different," said Leo. "It would be protecting the innocent. That's acceptable. And it seems to be the only way to help David."
"Well, Greg?" David asked. "I know you don't understand everything that's going on. I don't understand a lot of it myself. And some of it we may never be able to explain to you. This may be my only chance to rid myself of this curse. I can't do it without your help. I need you to run the machine for me. I know there are risks. I'm willing to accept those risks. Will you help me?"
Greg stood looking at David and the others. David was right. If this machine worked the way it was designed it could rid him of the Hulk forever. But the risks were just at great. If something went wrong there could be a rampaging monster that no one could stop. It was not an easy decision to make.