Stern's lab was pretty sophisticated considering that it was an at home lab, most of the equipment was clearly on loan from the university. Bruce scanned the room seeing equipment he hadn't seen in a long time, working with equipment that would have been pretty outdated in the 90's was tough and seeing some things that at least looked like they belonged in this decade was a nice change.
Sterns waved them through the lab to where his main work area and where he would test his serum on Bruce's blood sample. "If you would like to take a seat here, and we can get that blood sample from you" Sterns said as Bruce sat and rolled up his shirt sleeve. Rick looked around the lab pretending like he was understanding what he was actually looking at, while Betty was sitting next to Bruce knowing that more likely than not this was his last chance to get rid of this thing. Sterns took the sample and went to work, Bruce stood up and started to walk around the lab. He peered outside and saw people walking around enjoying a normal day not knowing what danger could possibly be waiting right around the corner.
Bruce walked over and watched as Sterns mixed his blood with the cure serum, before Sterns could look through the microscope to look for a reaction Bruce pushed him away and looked for himself. Bruce was waiting with such anticipation that he nearly forgot to breathe as the blood and the serum mixed together.
Natasha breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a road block being put up behind them, they had managed to get inside the perimeter and now had to get to Banner before Ross could get to him. Clint was excited that he could take his bow into the building with him instead of leaving it inside the car while Natasha had her trusty pistols on her hip. She parked the car and the duo quickly exited and headed inside the building where Banner was holding up. They would need to move into position to at least warn Banner or worst case scenario help him escape.
Ross had all the men in position and watched as Tibbits and Masterson got out of the main vehicle without Blonsky, "Where is he?" he asked. Tibbits shrugged his shoulders, Ross sighed if Blonsky messed this up Ross would have his head.
Ross hadn't realized that Blonsky had not ridden in the vehicles with the other men, he ran to the building and had beat the General to the building. He was at the bottom of the stairs that led up to this doctor's lab, he loaded his rifle and checked his equipment as he moved up floor by floor.
Bruce watched as the seconds ticked by until a reaction started to happen and it was not what Bruce wanted to see. He closed his eyes, stood up and walked to look out the window. "What is it?" asked Betty.
Sterns looked into the microscope "Damn" he said before looking up himself. Everyone but Bruce looked to him for answers. "The serum doesn't work as a cure or even a suppressor for his transformation, it actually heightens it. Think of it like a steroid for his greener friend instead of a removal" explained Sterns.
"What does this mean then?" Betty asked wanting a straight answer.
"It means that I have no idea how to continue working on a cure from here, it means that Bruce's condition is incurable" explained Sterns before looking back and putting the data into a log of his.
Bruce's mind flashed for a brief second to the world before the Hulk and then in the next moment he let it go, he was stuck with it now and he would have to live with it till his final breath. He was about to thank all of them for trying to help when he started to panic. "We have to leave right now" he said turning and making his way to the door.
"What's wrong?" asked Sterns getting up hoping to pump Bruce for more information about his work.
"Have you ever seen a New York street this dead in the middle of the day?" asked Bruce grabbing Betty by the arm and moving her towards the door. Sterns looked out and could see that the street is barren with nobody out and about. "Its standard Hulk procedure try and get the civilians to safety and then you move in" explained Bruce having seen the move several times while being on the run. Just as he was about to reach the door he heard a crash and automatic weapons fire from outside the door.
Everything happened fast, like it always did for Clint and Natasha. Blonsky had come up the stairs just as they were reaching the lab where Banner was, Clint decided not to wait and hoped to put an arrow into Blonsky's knee and take him out of the game but it was pretty clear that Blonsky received the upgrades because he expertly dodged and managed to start firing forcing Clint and Natasha to dive into rooms to avoid the fire.
Blonsky stopped to reload and Natasha returned fire until she heard loud crashing coming towards her. He came bursting through the wall and tackled her, she lifted her gun to shoot him and he pushed her hand into the air causing the shot to miss before he twisted at the gun and it fell to the floor. She delivered a swift strike to his chin creating some space between herself and Blonsky, while Clint fired off an arrow that whizzed between them forcing Blonsky back further. She dropped to the floor and kicked at Blonsky's feet hoping to knock him off balance but he shrugged off her attack and grabbed and threw her towards Clint.
Catching Natasha forced Clint to drop his bow and Blonsky charged forcing Clint to go hand to hand with the supped up special ops soldier. Clint thought he had fought a powerful guy when he tangled with a human Thor a while back but Blonsky was fast and strong in a way that Clint had never really seen before. Moving with youthful speed but with a skill level of a grizzled veteran. Natasha managed to get back to her feet and began trying to help and the three warriors moved with such ease but Natasha and Clint soon found themselves ill prepared to deal with Blonsky at this point, whatever serum he was giving worked to perfection. The two were soon on the ground beaten as Blonsky reloaded his rifle hoping that the commotion hadn't given Banner time to elude him.
Ross had ordered his men into position when Blonsky opened fire "Banner surrender right now, this doesn't need to get violent" Ross yelled into a mega phone hoping to defuse this situation before it got worse. His men were moving into position covering up escape routes from the building but Ross knew that if Banner transformed an escape would be a definite issue.
Betty made a move for the door when she heard her father in the mega phone, the crashing and banging in the hall had died down and they needed to move if they were going to get out of this with Bruce not being in the custody of her father.
Bruce turned and saw Betty making a run for and Rick following close behind him, as Betty approached the door when it flew open and knocked her to the floor and a soldier that looked familiar to Bruce for some reason. Bruce watched as Betty hit the floor and the soldier looked at him with disdain.
Banner hadn't changed yet, Blonsky didn't want Banner he wanted the monster, that beast that he saw in Panama, the thing that he went through hell to get ready for. His mind flashed to the files he had read over and over again, anything that could get his heart rate up and anger was the most effective way. Blonsky scanned the room, the doctor pry didn't matter, the young man behind Banner wasn't in the file but he hadn't showed up before now so he was probably not the most effective target. Blonsky's gaze turned the woman on the ground and immediately recognized her as Betty Ross, the General's daughter and Banner's sweet heart. Blonsky smiled and pulled out his pistol aiming it at the woman and waited.
He had been doing so well since Panama, he had kept himself calm and collected, the breathing techniques had helped, but now here he stood feeling the sharp pain and the burning, he looked at his hands as they grew and turned green. He heard a few screams one from Sterns and another from Rick, he thought he heard Betty yell "No" but he couldn't be sure.
Blonsky holstered his pistol and pulled up his shotgun from his back holster and kept his assault rifle at the ready as Bruce ripped through his clothes and his body turned that shade of green that Blonsky remembered from Panama. He loaded up as the transformation finished and raised his weapons.
Rick ran to Betty and helped her up, the soldier was ignoring them now with his focus on the Hulk "We have to go now" he said as he pulled her through the door. She was protesting but he knew what happened when Bruce got green and he needed to get Betty out of harm's way.
Sterns was in awe of Bruce turning into the Hulk, he could see the fruits of his research working right in front of him. All the samples he had been preparing would certainly go to good use as well as what was left of Bruce's blood. This is what his research could achieve and it could give him everything he ever wanted.
The Hulk now stood in front of Blonsky and he wasted little time walking towards and firing several shotgun rounds catching the Hulk in his midsection. Hulk looked at Blonsky and fired off a punch that Blonsky dodged and fired a few more rounds into the Hulk's massive forearm. The shotgun was empty now and Blonsky used the gun as a melee weapon delivering several strikes to the Hulk's chin. Hulk had pulled his arms back and attempted to get Blonsky in a bear hug but the newly minted super soldier was too quick leaping into the air, dropping his shotgun and landing on Hulk's shoulders. He pulled his pistol out and unloaded a clip into Hulk's head which barely phased the beast, Hulk tried to grab Blonsky but missed when Blonsky flipped off of Hulk's shoulder and landed on his back. Blonsky pulled out his knife and sank it into the Hulk's collar bone hoping that he could hit something important.
The Hulk was a little shell shocked to say the least, he had never fought a man who could last more than a second much less actually hurt him. He shook himself forcing Blonsky off of him and sending him flying through a wall, he poked the hole that Blonsky's knife left and saw blood which was a new thing for Hulk to see. He looked for the man seeing him getting himself off the ground and pulling out another gun.
Blonsky took aim and unloaded with his assault rifle as the Hulk charged him, Blonsky dodged a few strikes and attempted to leap above Hulk again, but Hulk proved to be a fast learner catching Blonsky's leg and driving Blonsky into the floor and throwing him through another wall.
Blonsky coughed up some blood and knew that his left arm was broken and his right knee was at the least dislocated, he stood as the Hulk approached him closely. Blonsky looked up as Hulk came within feet of him. "Is that all you got?" he said as Hulk raised his fist to finish Blonsky off. Just before he could strike a loud cannon went off and the Hulk was sent flying almost crushing Natasha and Clint.
A large metal claw dug into the Hulk's skin and an electrical charge was sent coursing through his body and he shouted in pain. Natasha helped Clint up and the two of them cleared out just before Ross came up the stairs with Betty and Rick who were being held by Tibbits and Masterson. Hulk ripped the metal claw off and turned to face Ross and prepared to charge him, but Betty stepped in front forcing the Hulk to stop. "Please stop Bruce, you don't want to do this. I know you don't want to do this, just please calm down" she begged.
Hulk's breathing slowed, his eyes moved from Betty to Rick to her father and his men, all of his senses slowed, his heart returned to normal and he slowly began to shrink to his normal size. His skin returned to normal and Bruce was soon standing in front of them as a normal man, Betty fell to her knees and helped him up, where her father was waiting with handcuffs.