Hey everyone sorry for the long wait but here it is the next chapter of Vampire's Odyssey!
FYI have rewritten some of the old chapters alongside publishing this one.
Disclaimer: I own neither Strike the Blood nor Marvel along with any of their respective characters!
A Few Months Later
Pakistan
The border between India and Pakistan was a dangerous place for the civilians who crossed it every day in hopes of a better future.
As one of the most dangerous border crossings on the plant its notoriety was known far and wide. Visible from space the 150,000 floodlights installed by the Indian Government made it a permeant fixture upon the Earth's surface.
Bruce cared for none of that as he walked down the dusty track towards the border, the green trees rising into the air around him. The sun was high in the sky and had turned the dirt track into nothing but hot cracked earth so hard it resembled stone.
His feet hurt, he had been forced to walk the last thirty miles to the border after abandoning the truck he had been hitching a ride in when the driver had discovered him hiding in the trailer. He had run; not only to evade the authorities but also because he couldn't risk transforming, so he had to finish the trip to the border by foot.
His feet ached, the soles of his boots had worn through on the long journey to the border leaving the bottom of his feet painfully exposed. Shielding his face from the sun he decided to take a break on a nearby fallen tree that was protected from the sun by an abandoned building.
Sighing as he sat down he pulled his old raggedy rucksack off his back and tugged at the zipper trying to open it. The zipper was stiff and it took Bruce a few tugs before he was able to pull it loose and open the bag.
Reaching in he pulled out a water bottle and opened it before putting it to his lips, he grimaced slightly as the lukewarm water poured down his throat. It wasn't the most appealing but it was all he had, sighing he leant against the wall behind him and thought of happier times.
It had been amazing to see Betty again, despite all that had gone wrong in their brief reunion he had enjoyed their reunion. Yet, he knew they could not be together.
He could never settle down, the U.S Army hadn't stopped hunting him and he still had to constantly reign in his temper less he snap and transform into the Hulk. It was no environment to start a serious relationship and the idea of having Betty with him when he was on the run was one he didn't even bother contemplating.
The Duel of Harlem as it had been coined by the media was a mess of blurred memories for him. When he transformed into the Hulk it felt like he was taking a back seat in his own body, he had no real control and was forced to become a spectator to the Other Guy.
That night had taken both him and the Hulk by surprise, it was the first time they had met a foe who had been able to meet the Hulk on even footing when it came to pure physical strength. The array of military vehicles and weaponry Ross had used to try to capture him had never posed a significant threat but the Abomination had been something else.
Strong and utterly unrelenting it had been a creature uncaring of the damage it created in its dogged pursuit of violence and destruction, it had almost succeeded in killing Betty had it not been for the timely intervention of a third player.
Now that was a subject that interested Bruce far more than even the transformed Emil Blonsky. A man taking on a creature that equalled the Hulk was something that had kept his thoughts occupied as he crossed the globe heading for Asia.
He had come up with many different theories on who the man was and how he had been able to do those almost fantastical things when fighting the Abomination yet every single hypothesis he came up with was discarded due to a lack of any meaningful information.
It was frustrating, the man had shown powers the likes of which Bruce had never seen before yet he had no way to explain them. The ability to phase through attacks alone broke the laws of physics in ways he didn't even want to describe!
He was stopped from further musing by the sound of stone crunching under foot. He looked up, brown met blue as their eyes locked and unknown to either man fate once more changed.
Bruce watched with quiet trepidation as a man walked down the road towards him. With a glance Bruce took in his clothing; he was dressed in a pair of tough looking trousers, strong hiking boots, a shirt that showed off his well-muscled frame and a well worn but expensive looking backpack on his back along with a large silver metal case that he held with one hand. All things that suggested he was an experienced hiker and not a local.
His skin colour and facial features only heightened that impression, he was much lighter of skin than the more traditional browner skin of the Pakistani people and his hair was an almost ashen colour, a shade he did not even think was actually natural.
Strangest though was the Hulk's reaction for deep within his psyche the green behemoth seemed to respond to the man's very presence though why that was he knew not.
The man came to stop in front of him and seemed to examine him for a moment before asking in English. "Do you know how far it is to the border?"
Bruce blinked before gazing down the track in the direction of India. "It shouldn't be more than a few miles, there is a small village about a mile down the road and the border is a little beyond that." He replied in English, his wariness of the man in front of him only rising further as the man addressed him in English and not a local dialect.
The man nodded before quirking an eyebrow. "Are you heading in the same direction as well?"
Bruce mulled on how to answer the man's question for a moment before deciding to go with honesty. "Yes I am."
The man smiled and asked. "Do you want to walk together then, good company is the best thing on a walk don't you think?"
Bruce paused as he looked at the man, he had no idea if he was here for him or not though chances were he was. The only thing at the end of the path was a small village and beyond that one of the illegal border crossings.
There was nothing else of real interest out here bar him and so by simple deduction the man had to be here for him. Bruce mulled over the offer before deciding to accept with a small nod of his head as he began to pack his bag away.
Once he was done he stood up and held out his hand. "The name's Bruce, Bruce Banner."
Her eyed the man warily for any recognition of his name. However he saw no change in the man's stance or eyes in response so Bruce could only conclude that their meeting was likely just coincidence. That or he was a supremely good actor.
"Kojou Akatsuk. A pleasure to meet you Bruce." The man replied with a nod of his head as he shook Bruce's hand. His grip was firm but steady and had surprisingly little sweat on it considering the heat.
Bruce's eyebrow rose at the man's name, it was Asian in origin but the man in front of him didn't exactly look Asian , in fact with his eye and hair colour Bruce would have thought he was from a western country.
"That's an interesting name." Bruce blurted out and his new acquaintance rolled his eyebrow at Bruce's look and the gamma scientist flushed slightly realising that it probably wasn't the first time someone had thought that about him.
"Sorry." he muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed.
The ashen haired man chuckled as he shook his head. "You are not the first to think that thought and I doubt you will be the last."
Bruce smiled slightly before asking. "What brought you out here then?"
He hoped that be questioning the man as they walked and through that divine his intentions. The man cocked his head to the side and it seemed to Bruce as of the man was giving it some deep thought. "Running, I suppose."
Hearing the familiar answer Bruce couldn't help but ask. "From what?" Then realising how intrusive he was being he waved his hands up un panic. "That is if you are okay sharing with me!"
Kojou gave him an amused smile before sighing. "I am not quite sure if I'm honest, I did this once before... hiding that is, back then it was because I wanted a peaceful life; for me, for my sister and for my friends but now..."
He shook his head as he sighed. "I think its because I am so used to the solitude. I have lived like this for so long and I no longer know how to live differently."
Bruce wasn't sure if Kojou was speaking to him or not though he doubted it. The man seemed to be monologing to himself more than anything though his words did invoke a feeling of empathy in him, solitude was something that he was intimately familiar with after the years he had spent on the run from the Army and he knew better than most that isolation had a strange effect on a man.
Powers like his meant that even in a crowded city he never felt more alone.
No one could relate to him in any meaningful way, his problems were simply so different to anyone else's that it was almost impossible for even those closest to him to truly understand what he was going through. Some had tried, Betty chief amongst them but whilst she could do the impossible and accept the Hulk she could still not fully walk a mile in his shoes.
She could never understand what it felt like to have someone else inside her mind.
When the Hulk took over it felt like acid was poured into his brain, the green behemoth was a monster of unbridled rage bidding its time in the back of his mind waiting to take over and rampage to its hearts content.
As he travelled across the globe fleeing the military he searched for a cure but it was seemingly all in vein, nothing he theorised seemed feasible yet he could not give up. To give up was to admit that the Hulk was a part of him, that the rage filled monster manifested because of him.
He never wanted to hurt anyone, the Hulk would do just that.
Bruce glanced at the man next to him, his eyes were clouded with a mixture of sadness and loss, his stare a thousand miles away. There was something strangely timeless about the man and Bruce had the sudden odd feeling that he was looking at a painting not a person.
He seemed to radiate such sadness in that moment that Bruce felt distinctly unsettled, there was something about the man that made him seem far older than he looked. No it was more than that, it was as if the world passed him by and he was merely an outsider, perhaps that was why Bruce saw him as a painting.
Something still in a world constantly moving.
In the end he couldn't decide on his emotions on the matter and so decided to put it to the side to ponder later when he had time.
His mind moved to something far more personal, he mused silently on what had caused the man walking with him to radiate such a level of loneliness that it seemed to eclipse his own but he could think of no definitive answer that felt... right.
Kojou seemed to realise what he was doing as he turned and gave him an apologetic smile whilst he scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to drag the conversation down."
Bruce smiled at the man's awkward manner, it reminded him somewhat of himself and that put him at ease, at least enough that he was willing to open up at least a little bit. "It's okay, I know how it feels to be alone, I've spent most of the last few years wandering about looking for a reason to keep going. I had to leave everything behind when I left and I haven't really known what to do with myself since, I'm a doctor by trade and I have helped people around the world everywhere I go but I... I don't know if that's my calling."
Kojou nodded. "I get the feeling, trust me I get the feeling."
The ashen haired man turned to him and asked. "So where have you been on your wanders?"
Bruce wandered if it was just idle curiosity or not and in the end he shrugged, he was growing to like the man. There was a strange honesty to him that Bruce had rarely seen in anyone in all his travels.
Perhaps that was why he was okay with telling the man the story of his travels, he made sure to keep clear of mentioning anything related to the Hulk but their conversation was one that both men enjoyed as they made their way to the village on the border.
After what seemed like hours it appeared on the horizon like a mirage in the desert and as they got closer they could begin to make out more details of it. The village was built in a very basic style with mud walls and straw roofs.
"Be careful Kojou people like this rarely deal with strangers so be careful in how you treat them, I need to use their well to fill up my water containers so I don't want to be run out of town." Bruce warned him and Kojou nodded though he frowned as he saw the people of the village flee as they approached, running indoors and hiding.
Bruce looked as confused as Kojou did as they watched the panicking villagers. "That's not normal." He murmured in confusion.
"No, its not." Kojou frowned as they entered the village. They were fearful something, of what he knew not but it was clear that they were terrified.
"They're afraid." Bruce said as he looked around the empty village.
"Yes but of what. That is the question." Kojou said as he glanced about looking for any clues that would give him an answer.
Bruce frowned wandering if this was a trap for him, glancing nervously at his walking partner he wondered if he had been led into an ambush. Yet almost immediately he discarded the notion, the man seemed just as confused by the fearful people as he did.
"Come on, over here that is where the well is." Kojou said as he pointed at a small stone well near the middle of the village.
Bruce looked over at him and nodded. Together the two began to make their way over to the well and Bruce noticed that even as they began to pull the bucket out his ashen haired companion was distracted, his eyes darting about looking for anything unusual.
Bruce had the bucket halfway up when Kojou suddenly moved, his head cocking to the side as if he was listening to something. "There's someone coming."
Bruce turned to look at him noting the frown on the man's face, "whose coming?"
"I don't know, that's the problem." Kojou replied and then Bruce heard it, the rumbling sound of car engines. Not just one but multiple cars, engines running fast and hard.
"Run." Kojou said as he backed away from the well.
"Run!" He shouted at Bruce before grabbing his hand and pulling him towards a building nearly yanking Bruce's arm off. The man was surprisingly strong for his seemingly lithe frame.
They reached a nearby hut and ducked for cover behind some ferns, Kojou dropping the case in his hand along with his bag whilst Bruce did the same with his own backpack.
They reached cover just in time as half a dozen old land rovers rolled into the village along the very dirt track they'd been walking down. Bruce watched them from his hidden spot and his heart sank as he saw the grubby worn military fatigues and Kalashnikov assault rifles in their hands.
They were clearly not a professional military outfit, they weren't discipline enough or well armed enough for that to be the case thus they could only be one thing; Mercenaries and that filled Bruce's heart with dread because it mean they weren't here for him, they were here for the villagers.
They jumped out of their vehicles and began shouting and barking orders in local dialects rushing towards the different huts. Then Bruce heard it, screaming. It was only seconds later when the locals dressed in dirty worn looking clothes were dragged out of their homes and thrown to the ground outside their houses.
The adults faces were fearful, the children's were just as terrified as the men shouted and pointed guns at them.
Bruce jumped as he heard the sound of a gunshot echo through the village. Turning in the direction of the sound he saw a particularly grizzled looking man wielding a smoking pistol begin to bark orders at both the soldiers and the villagers. All the soldiers leapt to his command, most of the soldiers began to round up the villagers whilst a few fanned out and began to search the village from stragglers.
Bruce closed his eyes as he felt his heartrate rise, it had been getting worse since the moment the men had arrived but as the Mercenaries spread out and began to search it got dangerously close to too high.
200 beats a minute.
If his heart rate went above that number then he would transform into the hulking green behemoth. He looked down and saw that his arms were going green, he was already beginning to transform.
"No, no, no." he muttered as he stared in horror at the sight.
Bruce tugged down the sleeve of his shirt as one of the soldiers began to walk closer towards their hiding spot.
"Shit!" Kojou cursed quietly as he watched the soldier walk towards them.
Bruce's eyes darted between the man who would very likely find them and the commander of the troop of mercs who had begun to point his pistol at the fearful looking villagers. Bruce's breath was caught in his throat as the man raised his pistol towards a child.
""No!" He growled, loosing his cool causing his body to gain bulk and begin to turn green.
He turned to look at Kojou who had been staring at the man intently as well, even with his slowly decaying mind that was being consumed by the Hulk, Bruce was able to get a read on Kojou's body language and he could tell the man was all but ready to jump into action as well.
Though what he could do Bruce didn't know, the man hadn't seemed to possess a firearm of any kind, at least not one Bruce had been able to see. He may have had one in his bag but if he did he showed no sign of drawing it.
The entire train of thought had run through his mind in less than a second before he discarded it in favour of a much more pressing matter.
"You need to run Kojou, n-nOW!" Bruce said as his voice deepened taking on a more guttural sound as the Hulk took over.
Kojou turned to look at him and Bruce saw clear recognition and surprise in his eyes yet strangely enough no fear.
"Its you." He heard the man mutter but Bruce was no longer paying attention to him as his transformation began to take hold.
The man who had been approaching them spotted Bruce as his body began to expand. The man was so shocked and horrified by the sight that he forgot to even raise his rifle as it sat limply in his arms, by the time his training kicked in and he raised it to fire it was too late.
With a deafening roar the Hulk announced its presence, shaking the village to its foundations.
Kojou stepped back as his walking companion for the last few hours transformed from the rather unassuming man he'd been getting to know into the great green beast he had fought in New York.
Whilst he had told Bruce that meeting him was a coincidence, that wasn't quite the end of it. The Ancient One in her usual frustratingly vague manner had informed him that something interesting would be happening on this da and to make of that what he willed.
Kojou had brushed it off for a time, choosing to forget her cryptic words as he travelled eastwards but the closer he got to the Indian-Pakistani border the more interested he became.
Curiosity was a natural apart of human nature and something he still retained despite loosing his humanity.
He wasn't disappointed. Kojou watched as Bruce's shirt ripped and fell from his chest in pieces as he ballooned in size, his shoes suffered a similar fate and his trousers were barley holding together as he stepped forward now a massive nine foot emerald behemoth.
Then the Hulk roared, the sound loud enough to cause the ground to shake, Kojou winced at just how loud it was, sometimes having enhanced hearing was not fun. The sound seemed to effect everyone else though, the soldier in front of them actually dropped his gun and the rest of the mercenaries ducked for cover whilst the villagers screamed in terror.
The Hulk was on the move the moment it finished roaring, grabbing the soldier in front of him he picked him off the ground and threw him into the air. Kojou watched as the man flew into one of the nearby buildings, crashing through the roof with a bang.
Then Hulk leapt into battle as the village erupted in gunfire and screams.
Kojou watched as the commander of the group ignored the fleeing villagers who had taken advantage of the chaos to escape and began to shout orders at his men. They reorganised under his command, some of the men sprinting for their vehicles whilst others concentrated their fire on the Hulk.
The bullets were useless but they did distract the green bemouth long enough for some of the men to get to the jeeps and jump on the mounted .
Turning the weapons on the Hulk the mercenaries opened fire with the much more powerful guns.
The bullets peppered the Hulk's skin and unlike the smaller AK rounds the larger rounds created visible ripples in the Hulk's skin and the concentrated fire of four of them seemed to take him by surprise causing him to shield his face.
Kojou scanned the battlefield before he decided to make a move in the hopes of freeing up the Hulk.
He had grown to like Bruce, the man was in many ways similar to him or at least how he had been at the very beginning after becoming the Fourth Progenitor. When he had been reluctant about his new place in the world and still desired anonymity.
Kojou exploded from his hiding spot running across the clearing towards the nearest Land Rover. Crossing the distance in an instant he leapt onto the vehicle and grabbed the man off the gun and threw him onto the ground with such strength that his head cracked when he hit the ground.
The man was dead the moment he hit the floor though Kojou payed little attention to that fact as he grabbed the mounted gun and turned it on one of the other Land Rovers. Lining up his sights on the gunner he pulled the trigger causing the entire vehicle to shake beneath his feet from the recoil as gunfire shredded the vehicle and man with a single strafe of bullets.
"Your free now, go wild!" Kojou shouted, the Hulk's response was to roar in adulation before jumping at another jeep in fury now that two of the had been taken offline.
Glancing at some of the nearby soldiers who had spotted him and were turning their rifles on him he dived out of the vehicle and jumped at the nearest mercenary. The man almost had his rifle up when Kojou forcefully ripped it from his hands before effortlessly killing him with a strike to the throat.
Raising the rifle he began to fire at the surrounding mercenary's, his shots deadly accurate as each bullet found its mark in a kill spot ending his targets instantly with every shot.
It is commonly believed that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill, with his enhanced senses it had taken far less for Kojou to master the use of guns of all forms and make. It had been one of the skills he focused on considering it would be one of the few methods of defence he could use in this world and not stand out as different.
He dropped five men in quick succession before he heard the click of an empty magazine and he ducked for cover. Cursing he threw the weapon away as a group of angry gun carrying men charged at him, their eyes filled with vengeance for their fallen comrades.
Raising his arm Kojou prepared to summon one of his Familiars through his body and fling a deadly magical attack when the Hulk suddenly appeared in front of him and punched the ground. The sheer force of the strike produced a shockwave that sent the men flying through the air.
The Hulk then turned to face a jeep that was barrelling towards it, the gunner in the back firing wildly and unprofessionally. With supernatural dexterity the Hulk grabbed the barrel of the mounted machine gun, bending it with ease before using it to flip the vehicle causing the two men in it to fall out and hit the ground painfully.
It was something Kojou noticed during the skirmish, the Hulk never tried to kill. Whilst it didn't seem particularly adverse to killing it wasn't exactly going out of it's way to commit senseless slaughter.
Kojou blinked when he saw a rocket propelled grenade whiz pass aimed straight for the Hulk, the massive creature wasn't even fazed as it quite literally plucked the ordinance out of the air. Holding it in in his hands the Hulk looked confused about what to do with it before it glanced at a nearby group of children who hadn't fled and instead where watching the battle with horrified awe.
If anything decided for him what side the Hulk was on it was the creature's choice in that single moment. The green behemoth jumped into the air, clearing the village in an instant just in time as the grenade in the warhead exploded in a fiery ball.
The Hulk landed completely unharmed by the blast before turning to face the last of the mercenaries who were backing away fearfully. Though he didn't have the chance to take them out as Kojou jumped them, taking out the first soldier with a jab to the neck before grabbing his pistol off his hip and shooting the other two in the head.
All of the men were either dead or unconscious as Kojou turned to look at the Hulk, the large green eyes of the gamma born creature were eying him with a mixture of distrust as it looked between him and the gun in his hand.
Deliberately Kojou threw the gun away as he raised his hands. "Banner."
When the creature growled at the name he changed his tone. "Okay then, Hulk."
As the Hulk calmed slightly at its name he continued. "You remember me from Harlem?" For a moment Kojou's eyes turned a crimson colour causing the Hulk's eyes to widen a fraction before it grunted in acknowledgment.
"Thank you for helping me but I am going to need Bruce back, is that alright?" Kojou asked politely though firmly, the green behemoth blinked at the tone. It had never had anyone speak to him in such a manner, usually people just shouted at him or screamed.
The massive creature seemed to debate on its options for a moment before nodding in acknowledgment though it did glance at the children for a moment before jumping into the air, clearing the village in a single bound.
Kojou groaned, thankful that the Hulk seemed to realise it was a bad idea to change back in front of civilians but annoyed that he would now have to run to catch up with it.
Picking up his case and backpack along with Bruce's he set off at a good pace, using his enhanced senses to track the large beast. The moment he cleared the village he discarded any attempt to appear human as he broke into a run that had him moving faster than even the fastest Olympic sprinters.
Moving swiftly and sure of foot he moved through the forest towards his goal.
Arriving in a small clearing he found the Hulk slowly shrinking turning back into Bruce. The process looked almost as painful as his transformation into the Hulk as bones cracked and muscle shrank.
He gained back his more pale skin colour but seemingly at the expense of his clothes, taking pity on the man Kojou opened his rucksack and found a spare set of clothes stuffed inside.
Taking them out he approached the now human Bruce and said. "I believe you'll be needing these."
Bruce was panting heavily from the after effects of shifting into the Hulk, it exhausted him with each transformation. He jumped slightly as something hit him, glancing down he saw the pile of clothes he had packed in his backpack.
"I believe you'll be needing these." A voice he recognised called out behind him. He glanced backwards, behind him stood his ashen haired new companion, the man had his bags along with his own ragged looking backpack and was staring at him compassionately.
As he gazed at Kojou the memories of his time as the Hulk filtered through his mind and his eyes widened as a truth came to the fore.
"You!" He exclaimed as he pointed at Kojou in shock.
Kojou just gave him a pointed look as he said. "Get those clothes on first, then we'll talk."
Bruce was indecisive for a moment as he looked between the clothes and his newly revealed gifted companion. He didn't know if he could trust the man considering what he omitted. Turning his back on an enemy was not a good idea.
"Did you approach me because you knew what I was?" He asked sharply and he heard Kojou sigh.
"No, I had no idea nor do I have any interest in using you. Get dressed Banner then well talk." Kojou replied firmly before stepping back as if to reinforce his words and give him some privacy.
Bruce nodded, a great part of him was nervous about being around the man but he pushed through it.
His curiosity was far greater than his feeling of danger and something told him that he wouldn't be jumped whilst changing. Instincts that had been honed by years of running from the U.S Army and their affiliates were compelling him that Kojou was not an enemy, he was not going to harm him so he threw on the rather raggedy clothes he had bought from a small roadside stall fifty miles down the road.
Once he was dressed he turned to look at Kojou who was leaning against a tree looking in the direction of the village.
"You where the guy in New York, in Harlem! That was you, you were him weren't you?" Bruce demanded/asked as he stumbled towards the ashen haired man. His thoughts were lost amidst questions and hypothesis along with numerous others musings on his new acquaintance and newly apparent once temporary ally.
Kojou turned to look at him, giving him a searching gaze before he nodded slowly. "Yes, I am and you are the Hulk."
Bruce nodded. "Yes I have the Other Guy inside me, he's been with me for a number of years." The gamma expert took a deep breath before he continued to speak. "No matter what else, I- I just want to say thank you for saving that helicopter back in New York. My ex-girlfriend was on it and if you hadn't intervened then it would have crashed and she could have easily been injured if not outright killed."
Kojou smiled, seemingly happy with just being thanked. Bruce understood it, he had never been thanked for being the Hulk even when he had stopped the Abomination.
Bruce then turned grim. "I must ask though, our meeting, did you plan it or was it merely coincidental?"
His reply was immediate, as if he had no need to think about it. "Coincidental. Meeting you whilst a pleasure was not my intention, I am trekking through here on the way to Nepal."
Bruce eyed him for a moment but his eyes were shining with such sincerity that he could only nod in acceptance. Whether it was actually true or not he didn't know but he wasn't in any position to argue all things considered.
"Come we should get going if we want to get across the border in good time. We can talk as we go." Kojou said with a note of finality that Bruce found himself agreeing with, it was a sound idea considering he was sure that he hadn't killed all of the mercenary's though a small part of him acknowledged that it was unlikely that the villagers would be merciful enough to just let them go or call the authorities. They would probably deal with the mercenaries in a more permanent manner.
Bruce walked over to his bag, eyeing Kojou with a wary glance before picking it up and throwing it onto his back.
Together they set off once more only this time there was a certain distance between them that hadn't existed before even with Bruce's feelings of distrust.
A tension born of truth's revealed and tales that needed to be told.
They walked for what seemed like hours in a strange hypnotic silence with only the natural life of the surrounding forest to fill the air, Bruce didn't even realise that they had crossed the border into India.
The silence wasn't a comfortable thing instead it was a stifling one filled with tension that seemed to thicken the air and it was only the fact that he was uncomfortable breaking it that stopped Bruce from beginning his interrogation.
"So how did you become big and, well green?" Kojou asked suddenly breaking the silence that had fallen between the two as they walked.
Bruce was about to shrug off the man's question and demand answers of his own but he stopped. Perhaps if he opened up about himself then Kojou would reciprocate, he lost nothing if he did so after all.
Licking his lips he began to speak "Well it all began..."
He told Kojou of his tale, of joining the Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project under the command of General Thaddeus Ross of the U.S Army, of falling in love with the man's daughter Betty and then working as a part of the project. It had been going well and he had been happy, for a time until they had setbacks after setback.
They were getting desperate and in the end he had chosen to experiment on himself and that had led to his damnation. He had been forced to run after that, fleeing from the U.S Army to escape Ross who wanted to turn him into a weapon.
Kojou listened to the tale quietly and Bruce jumped slightly when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, turning to look at the ashen haired man he saw only compassion in his eyes. "I understand what you are going through Bruce, I went through something similar long ago though I was not forced to go on the run."
Bruce looked at him in surprise, searching his eyes for any sign he was lying. Finding nothing Bruce found himself confused, hesitantly he asked. "What do you mean, were you transformed by force?" There was a note of disgust in his tone, after all the Hulk had been an accident and not forced on him, injecting himself with the serum had been his own choice and therefore the consequences of it were his alone.
Kojou frowned, seemingly unsure of how to answer before he seemed to reluctantly relent. "Whilst what happened to me was not necessarily a choice it was not done out of any malice, in fact quite the opposite. She only wanted to help me and save my sister from death, the consequences of not doing what she did do not bear thinking about."
Bruce nodded though he looked confused, he still didn't know what Kojou's power were or their origin. Though the fact that he was given them by someone, a woman was an interesting fact that he took note of.
From his recollections of their first encounter in Harlem the ashen haired man had some form of kinetic based power which had allowed him to throw the Hulk and the Abomination to the ground along with some kind of bizarre ability to turn himself into mist. Bruce had no idea where to even begin theorising on how he was able to do such a thing.
He had even showcased some form of telepathic or mental ability that allowed him to nearly knock the Abomination out!
Along with those Kojou had shown remarkable physical abilities earlier when dealing with the Mercenaries, he seemed trained and Bruce almost thought him superhuman.
"You have a sister?" Bruce asked deciding to play it safe before he asked the man directly. He may not be an interrogator but he did have a passing interest in psychology and from what he could remember from his studies he needed to make sure that his target or rather patient was comfortable talking to him in order to get as much information as possible.
Kojou smiled warmly, nostalgia in his eyes. "Yes, Nagisa Akatsuki."
Bruce nodded before he continued to probe Kojou. "Akatsuki? That means Dawn in Japanese right? So you're from Japan?"
The man next to him laughed and said, "Close but not quite." He didn't expand on his sentence despite Bruce's quizzical look.
Hearing the man's cryptic response and the unheard refusal to expand on his answer Bruce found himself momentarily at a loss, wondering if the man's home bore a connection to the origin of his powers. It would explain his unwillingness to expand on his answer though Bruce felt slightly annoyed and a little hurt that his companion was unwilling to open up and tell his story as he and done.
Deciding to pluck up some courage and metaphorically grab the bull by the horns Bruce took a deep breath before asking. "Are you human?"
Now that got his attention. Kojou actually stopped in his tracks, his head snapping round to look at him and for the first time Bruce saw real surprise on his face. Bruce wasn't sure whether it was because of the oddity of the question or because of how close to the truth it was.
His question was answered soon enough though when Kojou's seemed to shift slightly, his posture changing, becoming infinitely more graceful and yet somehow inhuman.
A sad smile crossed his face as he replied. "Not anymore."
Two words.
One sentence, it rocked Bruce's entire world as he gave his companion a shocked look. He knew better than most that the world was changing, himself and Tony Stark were proof of that but he hadn't expected to meet someone who admitted to being another species.
Kojou smiled at Bruce's gawking expression and he laughed. "I have been around since the second world war Bruce, immortality isn't exactly a common human trait after all." He chided gently and as Bruce's eyes met Kojou's he saw the truth hidden deep within them. There was something timeless about those cerulean orbs that threatened to drown him if he wasn't careful.
It didn't stop Bruce from choking on his breath as he exclaimed. "Immortal?!"
"Yes, I am unharmed by the ravages of time. I have been ever since my powers were given to me by her over a hundred years ago." Kojou replied.
Bruce once more googled at that, the man next to him looked in his early twenties and would look younger if he didn't have the stubble on his face.
"Are you some kind of alien then?" Bruce asked hesitantly, wondering how crazy his life had gotten that he actually needed to ask that question.
The man seemed to consider the question for a moment before shaking his head. "Technically no I was born on Earth."
"But you come from another planet?" Bruce pressed, the way the man had skirted the subject once more confused him. He was coming out with more questions than answers the longer this conversation went on.
Kojou just shook his head. "No."
Infuriatingly he once more seemed disinclined to say anything else on the matter and so Bruce took a deep breath and chose a different path of enquiry. "What is the name of your species then? If you aren't from another world then are there more like you here?"
Kojou laughed softly. "No I don't think so. As for what I am, well..." He seemed to trail off before he locked eyes with Bruce, something seemed to change in the air and Bruce felt the Hulk inside him shift even in its dormant state in response.
The gamma professor blinked as he saw the deep cerulean blue of the ashen haired man's eyes shift, transforming into a cold hungry red that threatened to consume him. Whilst it was surprising it was not enough to truly shock him for it was a physical transformation he was intimately familiar with. After all his brown eyes flashed green whenever the Hulk was close to surfacing.
His smile though, that was something else entirely.
It was a gentle thing that would have looked warm and caring but that was an illusion broken by the razor sharp fangs that hung from his top row of teeth where his incisors should be.
They gleamed in the Indian sun so very much like his silver-blue hair only seemingly infinitely more dangerous.
There was something dangerous in that simple action, something predatory and Bruce had the uncomfortable feeling he was standing in front of an apex predator.
"Seriously, a Vampire?!" He gawked.
The idea seemed impossible, they were creatures of myth and legend, the brainchild of Bram Stoker and middle eastern folklore! They weren't supposed to be real, wait if he was real did that mean that all the other mythical creatures existed as well!
Kojou, seemingly ignoring the mild crisis Bruce was undergoing just laughed before nodding his head. "No matter how impossible it seems yes, that is exactly what I am."
Bruce shook his head in wonder, the world truly was changing if he was being forced to acknowledge that fantasy creatures actually existed. He wondered for a moment how the apparent Vampire's teeth hid inside the man's incisors when they weren't extended because he was sure that he hadn't seen them earlier.
In fact he was sure the man had ordinary looking incisors instead, how they appeared was a question he couldn't even begin to fathom, it made no biological sense!
Unless... it was magic?
It took nearly everything Bruce had not to scoff at the notion. He was a man of science above all, he lived and breathed physics, chemistry and other disciplines, even the Hulk despite its seemingly fantastical appearance and ability was born out of science not mysticism.
It was possible that his vampirism was a form of biological mutation rather than an apparent arcane species he never knew existed, it would certainly be a comfort to his scientific outlook.
Realising he was grasping at straws he shook his head and paused for a moment, when he thought about it Vampires weren't supposed to exist either so who was to say that magic didn't exist. It would explain how the man was able to turn into mist during the Duel of Harlem along with the hypnosis he used on the Abomination.
Vampires were famous for having such abilities after all, though where the power to throw the Hulk and Abomination from a helicopter at the same time came from he had no idea.
"Are you alright Bruce?" Kojou asked and Bruce snapped free from his mussing looked over at his companion who was gazing at him with concern.
Bruce wondered how long he had been musing over this new found revelation before he decided it was something he could return to later.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine." He gave his companion a hesitant smile before he shook his head. "It is just strange, I am a man of science so to learn that a fairy tale is real is a little mind boggling for me."
Kojou nodded. "It is understandable."
Bruce cocked his head, glancing at the sun above them before asking. "Will you be okay, it's just I know Vampire's are supposedly susceptible to sunlight but you seem fine."
A warm look entered the ashen haired Vampire's eyes at his concern filled words and he shook his head. "No, the sun does not overly bother me. It feels ever so slightly uncomfortable but other than that." He shrugged before giving the man next to him a sardonic grin. "Don't worry I'm not going to turn to ash or sparkle."
"Are there more Vampires like you?"
Kojou didn't answer for a moment before cocking his head. "As far as I am aware, no."
Bruce nodded slowly unsure of what else there was to say without coming across as outright interrogating the man on his man past. It was clear he was extremely reluctant to reveal anything despite the fact that Bruce had told his own story, he was slightly annoyed by that fact but he decided to let it go.
Then a thought struck him and he couldn't stop himself from blurting out. "You really know what it means, don't you, to be a monster?"
Bruce regretted the words the moment they left his mouth and even more so when the red eyes of his new acquaintance flashed, like an inner light had ignited within them. Bruce felt suffocated under that glare before Kojou seemed to physically slump and the anger drained from his eyes.
"Yes, I understand better than most, just as you probably do. My power is a weapon and I am an untameable monster" He replied, his voice possessing a note of melancholy as he started talking though it became surprisingly firm as he finished speaking. It made a kind of twisted sense he supposed, Vampire's lived off of blood and it must be a constant fight for Kojou to supress the 'monster' inside of him that wanted to gorge itself on the life force of humanity
Bruce was snapped back to attention as Kojou he continued speaking. "That is fine though, being a monster I mean. Monsters are powerful, monsters are dangerous and monsters make their enemies tremble with their every step. Monsters can protect everything they care about, you have something you want to protect, don't you Bruce?"
The man who contained the Hulk blinked in confusion before nodding slowly , choosing to react to his question first before contemplating the rest. "I do, yes."
"Then you will need to protect them, power draws challenge and if your enemies can't get to you then they will go for them. The Hulk was an accident but now he is a part of you, you must accept that fact or it will not end well, for either of you and that is not a state you want to be in, trust me." He said firmly before sighing.
"You know Bruce you and I, we are alike in many ways you know. Circumstance gave us both powers and in the end you will have to accept him as a part of yourself just as I did mine." Kojou said, steel like resolve in his tone.
Bruce felt a familiar rage rise within as Kojou spoke, what did the man know about his struggles?! What right did he have to judge him and the hell the Hulk had put him through?!
He had been forced to go on the run, to flee everything he once new and loved all whilst living with the constant awareness that if he got just a little bit too excited or angry then he could release the Hulk and cause immense property damage and loss of life.
It was like having a ticking time bomb inside of him that could go off with the slightest provocation. He was constantly on edge because of it, yet being in such a state would only lead to the Hulk erupting from within and rampaging unopposed.
It was a catch twenty two he couldn't escape from.
"What could you know of what I have gone through?!" Bruce snarled, his skin starting to turn green in response to his rage.
"My power was uncontrollable at the beginning, It constantly wanted to escape, to lash out and turn the world to dust as it was meant to and I very nearly hurt someone I would come to hold very dearly. Even now, when I manifest my power I have to tightly control it less it run rampant." Kojou replied, unfazed by Bruce's fury or the green glow in his eyes.
"Now control yourself or we will end up fighting here and now and that would be good for neither you or me." He continued, his tone turning commanding.
Bruce closed his eyes, taking deep steady breaths he used the meditation techniques he had learnt over the course of his exile from the U.S. The green tinge of his skin receded back into a more natural but as Bruce opened his eyes, he stared at Kojou with a firm and still angry look. "You have no right to judge me, I will find a cure and I will rid myself of the Hulk."
His words were form but deep within he knew they were hollow, he was no closer to finding a cure now than he had been years ago when he first went on the run.
Bruce wanted with every fibre of his being to turn and walk away but there was something powerful in Kojou's eyes that had his legs pinned in place irrespective of his desires. It was something ancient and wise yet lost and so so very pained.
Bruce sighed, the anger draining from him. There was no point in holding onto it, the man didn't hate him and in the end Bruce didn't hate him either. Kojou Akatsuki was a man who knew his burdens better than perhaps anyone else in the world, that was if his story was true and that meant he had a right to voice his own opinion on the matter.
Even if Bruce vehemently disagreed with it.
Shaking his head the gamma professor just grunted and followed as Kojou began to walk through the forest once more.
A new silence filled the air, though this time there was no awkwardness between them only a sense of companionship brought on through circumstance. Despite their differences in opinion their experiences were shared and they could relate to one another.
The two men arrived at a dirt track that seemed to split into two different directions and Kojou motioned one of them saying. "I am heading towards Nepal, if you want to join me you can?"
Bruce thought about it for a moment before shaking his head in the negative, he had his own path he needed to take and as interesting as talking to his new acquaintance was, he didn't want to drag him into his own problems. The idea of General Thaddeus Ross and the U.S Army getting hold of him was not something he even wanted to contemplate so the further away from him he was the better, after all he was sure the Army and other security agencies were monitoring him and Kojou would quickly appear on their radar if he spent any sort of extended time with him.
A fate he was sure the Vampire wanted to avoid.
"Where are you going then?" Kojou asked.
Bruce turned to look at the ashen haired man as he sunk into his own thoughts, he wasn't actually sure. He had been wandering through Europe since he had fled Harlem and the United States, he knew he couldn't stay there. Western Europe was too heavily monitored and he had no desire to be anywhere near former Russian controlled territory, that was just asking for trouble. The Russians would pursue him far more doggedly than even Ross could and what they would do with the Hulk did not bare thinking about.
He had been wandering aimlessly with only a vague goal in mind, to escape the U.S and get as far away as possible. Perhaps, perhaps he had run far enough and he should settle down in India for a time, vanish amongst the millions of people there and slip into a state of relative anonymity.
"Maybe settle down for a time before I am forced to move on." Bruce said with a small self depreciating shrug.
Kojou nodded, not commentating on the man's self decrying words as he reached out with his hand. "Then it has been a pleasure Mr Banner, I am sure fate will bring us together again once more."
Bruce blinked, shaking the man's hand almost unconsciously. "I mean no offence when I say I sincerely hope not.
The look he received was melancholic. "Sometimes Mr Banner the world just doesn't work that way."
With that cryptic statement delivered the man turned and began to walk away, small clouds of dust kicking up with each footstep.
Bruce watched the Vampire go, the ashen haired man disappearing along the dusty track and into the distant foliage.
Both men were unaware that that single event would change the future's path for years to come.
The Ancient One stepped languidly to the side as a large serrated tentacle lashed out from above her, it hit the ground cratering the dirt on the spot she had been standing on moments before.
The strange purple sky above shone down on her as she pulled a weapon from within her robes, it was a short length of wood covered in ornate scripture and ancient runes that had been mostly lost to time. With a flick of her wrist the simple piece of wood transformed, extending into a six foot Bo staff the runes along its length glowing brightly as it crackled with eldritch astral energy.
Twisting on the spot she wasted no time as she lashed out viciously at the tentacle causing the creature to let out an unholy screech of pain as her staff slammed into the large appendage.
The flesh beneath the staff sizzled and burned from the crackling energy and she stepped back as the massive creature yanked its appendage back in pain.
She was forced to take to the sky as half a dozen other limbs lashed out towards her. Dodging with practiced ease and grace she moved out of their range before taking the chance to survey the the battlefield raging around her.
The Astral Dimension in Wakanda was a unique place that never failed to amaze her with its beauty no matter how many times she laid eyes on it. The Vibranium meteorite that had fallen upon the African plane millions of years ago had enriched the soil, land and plants changing them forever.
That warping had extended to humanity when at the dawn of Man the Goddess Bast leant her power to create the Heart Shaped Herb to quell the tribes fighting over the rare alien metal.
Bashenga had become the first Black Panther, her first Champion after ingesting the herb and united the tribes to form the nation of Wakanda.
As time passed and the title of Black Panther was passed from father to son over the ages, the souls of those who pledged themselves to Wakanda and the Goddess collected in the Astral Plane in a sealed off region created by Bast known simply as the Ancestral Plane inhabited solely by former deceased Black Panthers.
Now that beautiful savannah landscape lit by a violet heavens was under threat.
An Abilisk, a multidimensional energy eater that fed off of any kind of power they could find, even spiritual energy and souls was laying siege to the realm. It had managed to sneak past the Great Seals through the Astral Dimension and attacked the Ancestral Plane planning to gorge itself on the souls of the former Black Panthers.
Unfortunately for the creature she had detected its presence using the Orb of Agamotto and detached her Astral Form from her body before rushing to meet it in combat.
She was not fighting alone though, dozens of large black panthers were jumping at the massive creature clawing at its skin with vicious abandon. They were the spirits of the dead former Black Panthers and they protected the Ancestral Plane, the domain of Bast with ferocious animistic fury.
She slowly began to descend to the ground, a massive black panther arriving next to her as she landed on the soft earth. Within the blink of an eye the Panther was replaced by a handsome extremely muscled middle aged man dressed in ancient traditional firs wielding a Vibranium spear.
"We must rid ourselves of this creature Sorceress, it is an insult to Bast and the honour of the Black Panther to allow it to remain here any longer!" The man growled, his Wakandan accent thick in his throat as he spoke.
"Calm yourself Bashenga, I have a plan." She sent the first Black Panther a reproachful look.
The man turned to look at her before grunting in understanding. Shouting in his native Xhosa he addressed the other former Black Panthers. "Distract the beast, our esteemed friend shall strike the killing blow with her weapon!"
Dozens of roars answered his order, the Black Panther's following the orders of the revered First as they renewed their assault with greater vigour causing the creature to scream in pain and frustration as it prey continued to evade it.
The First Black Panther didn't stay idle either as he transformed before letting out his own roar, the sound more intimidating and threatening because of his panther form's huge size.
Bashenga jumped into battle the moment he finished announcing his presence joining his fellows in the confusing mess of combat.
The Ancient One capitalised on the distraction and flew into the air watching the Black Panthers attack the Abilisk, flipping the artefact in her hand so she was holding it like a lance she aimed it at the creature's massive jaw.
The staff began to crackle with even more power as she pushed some of her own energy into it.
With a small grunt of exertion she threw it downwards.
The artefact crackled with energy as it flew downwards into the multidimensional monster's mouth like a lance from heaven. As it flew down into its throat the creature screamed as it began to burn from the inside out, it thrashed about for nearly a minute in pain and agony screaming with such fury and despair that it would have stirred the hearts of even the hardest souls.
Despite that the spirits of the Black Panther's and the Ancient One watching dispassionately as it slowly died for they knew the true nature of the creature, it would feed on anything and anyone for sustenance uncaring of the consequences.
The moment it finally died it began to disintegrate, the other-dimensional tissue that made up the creature began to fall apart. The Black Panthers that had gathered to fight roared in triumph at their victory though the Ancient One showed no outwards sign of satisfaction.
"Thank you for your assistance Sorceress." Bashenga said humbly as he addressed Earth's greatest mystical defender.
The Ancient One nodded, accepting the gratitude with humbleness and grace. "You are most welcome Your Majesty."
"I mean no offence My Lady but you should not linger in this place for too long." Bashinga said though there was no severity in his tone. It was simply a reminder that this was a place for the dead, not for the living and it would do her no good to idle here.
Knowing when to take her leave the Ancient One simply bowed to the ancient King before taking to the sky and flying in the direction of her body. The purple sky shone down on her yellow cloak as she passed over the savannah landscape until she found her body lying against an Acacia tree.
Merging her Astral Form with her body she took a deep breath as she acclimatised to her body once more. Standing up she gazed at the beautiful Wakandan landscape, the sun shining brightly down on her illusion covered body as she looked at the Golden City sprawling out into the distance.
It was truly a marvel of technology, shielded by a great illusion that hid the country's true nature from the world. It had always been centuries ahead of the rest of the world thanks to its access to the alien metal Vibranium, the tall skyscrapers were beautiful as they sparkled in the sunlight.
Peering into the Astral Dimension she could see the purple sky of the Ancestral Dimension overlapping and bleeding into the Material world, the Black Panthers within either celebrating their victory or watching over their people.
Smiling she prepared to leave via Slip Ring when she felt the Eye around her neck vibrate, the Time Stone within pulsing. Closing her eyes she focused on its power, sinking into the temporal tides and fluxing futures.
A small wry smile as she found its source, standing in defiance of predetermination and causality. An Anomaly upon reality itself.
His very nature anathema to the Universe, upsetting the flow of what should be with his every breath.
She smiled as she bore witness to the meeting between the Progenitor and the Hulk along with the consequences the meeting would have on the future. True, she had nudged him in the right direction but his every action was his own and went in the face of fate itself.
Her happiness was understandable, long had she worried for the man she called friend. She had her mantle of Sorcerer Supreme and her dozens of disciples to keep her busy in her long life but him, he had nothing.
She had even taken the hope of seeing his old companions and Kingdom from him. Left him in a state of inner turmoil whilst knowing that she was powerless to actually get him back home.
It wasn't truly her fault, when he had arrived, it was like a bomb had gone off in the temporal flow of reality. Meetings that should have taken place never did, events that never were supposed to happen occurred and what was impossible was suddenly in flux.
He fascinated her in a way few things did and so when he begged her to help him find a way home she of course obliged. She searched tirelessly for his Earth, to try to get him home but it evaded her at every turn until, until one day she found it.
His Earth, nay his reality lay beyond even the boundaries of their Multiverse and whilst she had the ability to reach it, it would only spell disaster if she did.
Dormammu .
He hungered for Earth any Earth and she refused to allow him to find his way to another. If she opened a portal to Kojou's Earth then the Cosmic Conqueror would follow them through and drag his Universe into the Dark Dimension.
She couldn't tell that to him though, it would break him. To know that his goal was so close and yet so far, it would be enough to break anyone and she did not wish to burden him with the truth less he do something rash that would dam his world in a desperate desire to get home.
The only way for the two worlds to connect once more safely was for them to be contacted by the other side, by Kojou's home reality. It was the only way to avoid Dormammu's gaze.
The problem was that time was in flux between the two Earth's, there was no relative temporal flow between them, thousands of years could have passed on Kojou's world with only a single second passing on theirs. It could be that Kojou hadn't even been born yet and wouldn't be for hundreds of years.
Yet, when she gazed into the temporal flow she could see a distant meeting, a collision of worlds whose impact reverberated back through time.
What that would mean for her and the world she didn't know but she waited eagerly for that day if only to calm the turmoil that would lie within her friends heart until he returned to his Kingdom.
She just worried for the state of her friendship when she was forced to reveal what she had kept from him.