Chapter 4: He's Always Angry
It was a hot afternoon in the Nevada desert. A light breeze blew by as a teenager named Rick Jones tilted his hat down to keep the sun from getting in his eyes.
"Heck of a place to lay low, Bruce," he commented.
He adjusted the backpack over his shoulder, feeling like it weighed a ton. With all the stuff inside, he almost felt like it did. He looked up, seeing a nearby General Store just up the road. He smiled, gripping the backpack strap, he trudged on, keeping the store in his sights.
…
Once there, he threw open the door, letting the cool air wash over him as he let out a sigh of relief.
"Honey, close the door!" the woman behind the counter told him, "You're letting out all the cold air."
"Sorry about that," Rick replied, shutting the door. "Just passing through and I was hoping to get a few things."
"Sure thing, kid," she took note of his backpack. "Looks like you've got everything you own in that thing."
"Pretty much. I'm… kinda trying to find someone.
"Your girlfriend run out on you?"
"No, it's not that. Just a friend who's in trouble. You haven't seen anyone… out of the ordinary pass through here recently, have you?"
"Safe to say you're the only one I've seen this afternoon."
Just then, a low rumbling started shaking the two of them.
"What in the world is that?" the woman questioned.
"Oh no…" Rick let out.
He quickly ran outside, seeing several military helicopters fly overhead. He looked back to see a good number of tanks rolling on the ground, adding to his growing sense of dread.
"Oh boy…"
…
Inside one of the tanks, a skinny man with a mustache and an officer's uniform stood inside one of the tanks, surveying the area through a large monitor screen.
"Banner's trail leads to this desert," he recalled. "Are you sure you haven't found anything?"
"Nothing yet, Major Talbot."
"Well, keep looking! Ross will have all our heads if we can't find him! Scan the area. Calibrate for high levels of Gamma Radiation."
The soldiers inside obliged, pressing several buttons on their consoles to modify the scanners. Once the scanners were calibrated, they started sweeping the area. After a few moments, one of the screens started lighting up.
"Sir!" one of the soldiers called out. "We found something."
Talbot walked over, looking at the screen.
"There's something generating high amounts of energy twenty miles in that direction. And it's fluctuating."
"It's not the monster… he must be working on something. Follow that power source and be ready to shut it down!"
"Yes sir!"
…
The tanks began moving out, prompting Rick to run towards them and leap onto the back of one of the rear one, pulling himself up so he could hitch a ride.
"Hang on Bruce… I'm coming…"
…
Miles away in a nearby cave, a man was working on what looked like a high tech chair connected to a massive generator. Once he was done with the necessary adjustments, he wiped the sweat from his brow and turned towards a work table. He walked over and picked up a recorder and pressed the record button.
"Dr. Bruce Banner's personal log, final entry. At least, that's the hope. After months of work in relative seclusion, I've finally completed my Gamma Energy Siphon. Once activated, it should drain the gamma radiation from my body. Finally curing me of being… the other guy. Should the worst come to pass, I only ask that the person who finds this recording gets in contact with Professor Elizabeth Ross at Grayburn College. Tell her… she meant everything to me.
With that, Bruce turned off the recorder and went to the computer terminal, pressing a few keys before setting himself up in the chair.
"Voice authorization, Banner. Commence Gamma draining sequence."
The machines then started activating as Bruce leaned back, allowing wrist and ankle restraints to lock into place. He then closed his eyes, hoping that his nightmare would soon be over.
…
Outside, the tanks rolled up near the cave, Talbot getting out and surveying the area. As he looked around, he noted a nearby power line, and a cable running down it that seemed out of place.
"So that's your secret, Banner," he noted. "Tapping into the local power plant for your little experiment," he turned towards his men. "Take it out."
One of the tanks turned towards the tower, letting out a single shot. It collided with the base of the tower, causing it to topple over and the cables connected to it to snap.
…
Inside the cave, the Siphon started to overload, much to Banner's horror.
"No… no, no, no!"
He tried pulling himself free, but the restraints were on too tight, leaving him trapped. His heart started racing as his breathing became more and more erratic. His eyes snapped shut as he struggled to free himself. His eyes opened, turning an alarming shade of green just as the machine exploded.
…
Outside, there was a massive explosion, causing Rick to panic before rushing forward.
"Bruce!" he cried
Before he could get very far, Talbott grabbed hold of Rick's arm, pulling him aside.
"You... you're that kid that's always following Banner."
"What do you want? A medal?! Let me go!"
"Not a chance, kid," Talbott pressed, twisting his arm behind his back and slamming him against the side of a tank. "It was your stupid recklessness that created this mess in the first place. Once we're done here, you and I are gonna-"
Just then, there was a rumbling coming from the cave. The two turned as something shot out from the cave entrance. After a few seconds, it crashed down in front of them. As the dust cleared, the two went wide eyed at the sight of a large muscular creature with green skin and torn pants. It let out a growl of fury as it eyed Talbott, who released Rick in response.
"Bruce…" Rick let out.
"It's him…" Talbott realized. "The Hulk…"
After staying silent for a moment, the Hulk let out a massive roar, seemingly shaking the ground as a result.
"Open fire!" Talbott ordered.
The tanks instantly opened fire on the Hulk, with a few actually hitting him. The impact sent him crashing into a wall, scorched but otherwise, unhurt. He picked himself up, letting out growl before running right towards them
He then jumped through the air and landed right in front of one. He picked up the tank and smashed it against the ground repeatedly. He then tore off the top of the tank and turned the bottom side over, pouring out the soldiers inside. They instantly made a run for it as Hulk tossed the bottom aside, using the top half to bash another one of the tanks repeatedly on the side, severely denting it. He dropped the top of the first tank and grabbed the barrel of the second and spun it around repeatedly before throwing it through the air. He then turned towards Talbott, anger pouring out of his face.
"Leave… Hulk… ALONE!"
Just then, a rocket flew out and hit Hulk in the back. He turned around to see several helicopters aiming their weapons at them, causing Hulk to roar once more.
"Hulk smash!" he yelled, leaping up towards them. He grabbed hold of one copter, his added weight slowly bringing the copter down towards the ground. As he landed, he tilted the copter so the blades could break off on the ground. He tossed the copter aside and took off as the other copters opened fire on him. Another missile fired at Hulk, who quickly leapt up and caught it out of the air. He tossed it aside, colliding with the side of a large rock formation, cracking it severely. As he landed, he grabbed a nearby rock and chucked it at the rutter of the copter, sending it tumbling towards the ground. While all this was going on, Rick and Talbott watched on, the former holding out hope that the big guy would come out on top.
"Come on, big guy…" he let out under his breath.
…
Not far away, a young couple in a jeep was driving across the desert, suddenly noticing the action happening nearby.
"What the heck is that?" the man asked.
"I don't know," the woman replied.
As the action continued, Hulk batted a pair of missiles away, one of them heading right towards the couple. Panicking, the two quickly dove out of the jeep as it connected, causing it to explode. The second missile flew towards the rock formation, cracking it even further. The cracking was so great that it caused the top of the formation to start to fall. Rick looked over and tried to run over, only for Talbott to grab him by the arm.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Those people are gonna be killed, you dumbass!" Rick responded. "Now let go!"
Rick tore his arm free as he made his way towards the couple.
…
Hulk meanwhile managed to dispatch the last of the military forces and was about to make his get away. He took one last look at the downed military vehicles, suddenly noticing Rick running towards the couple in danger. He looked back towards his means of escape, genuinely questioning his next move.
…
Rick meanwhile managed to make his way over to the couple, trying to help them clear out.
"Come one!" he insisted. "We gotta move!"
Just as they started moving however, the rock came crashing down towards them. The couple covered their faces in response as Rick braced himself for the oncoming collision. To his surprise, nothing seemed to happen. Rick cracked an eye open to see, much to his surprise, the Hulk standing before him and holding up the massive rock. He let out a massive roar as he tried to keep it up, prompting Rick to step back in surprise. The couple opened their own eyes as Hulk tossed the rock aside, letting it hit the ground with a crash before turning to them.
"You ok?" he asked.
After a beat of silence, the two screamed, quickly making a run for it. Rick, however, did not.
"You… you saved them."
"Yeah. So?"
"...why?"
Before Hulk could answer, another missile shot out and hit Hulk in the back, releasing a special gas that was making it hard for him to breathe. He began coughing and choking on the gas before keeling over.
"Hulk!" Rick shouted, coughing as some of the gas hit him as well.
Hulk eventually collapsed to the ground, his form beginning to shrink down as he reverted back to Banner. Rick struggled to reach out for him, but in the end, he collapsed as well. Talbott walked over to both of them with a smug grin on his face.
"Contact Leonard Samson at the Cube and tell him to get a cell ready," he ordered. "And get in contact with General Ross."
…
In his office, Ross was puffing on a cigar, looking at a map of Hulk sightings
"Where are you…"
Just then, his phone started ringing, prompting him to answer it.
"Ross."
"General, it's Talbott. We got him."
Ross instantly sat up.
"Where is he now?"
"We're transporting him to the Cube now."
"Hold him. I'm on my way."
…
Slowly, Rick began to regain consciousness. He shook his head to clear out the cobwebs and saw that he was sitting in a cell.
"Oh no…" he let out before running towards the cell door. "Hey! Hey, let me out! I want my phone call!"
No response came, much to Rick's irritation. Then, he got an idea.
"Hey! I said give me my phone call! I deser-" he cut himself off, acting as if he was getting choked up. "I deser-..." he made the noise again. "I-" and this time, he dropped to the ground in a limp pile.
He remained in that position, not daring to move. He could be patient and wait this out. After all, this needed to be convincing. Then, very slowly, began to jerk, shaking like he was having a seizure. He'd seen Bruce have similar convulsions, and this would definitely bring some guards his way. After a minute or two, a guard passed by and looked inside, seeing Rick's unconscious form.
"Aw hell," the guard let out, opening the door.
…
Inside his cell, Bruce was restrained by his hands and feet by large metal locks. He sat in silence, lamenting his situation. Suddenly, the cell door opened up, prompting him to look up and see Talbott entering the cell.
"Comfortable?" he asked.
"Not particularly. I was curing myself. If you had just stayed out of it, it would've been over."
"Oh come now, Bruce. Why would you want to get rid of such a perfect weapon?"
"You and Ross never got it, did you. The Hulk can't be controlled! The only way for the world to be safe is for me to get rid of it once and for all."
"So you say. You're more than welcome to explain that to Ross when he gets here. And trust me, he's eager to see you again.
That last bit of information surprised Bruce. He and Ross had always had their issues, most prominently, Ross wanting to seize control of the raging monster that dwelled within Bruce. So to hear that he was coming for him… to say Bruce was nervous would be an understatement. Talbott exited the cell, leaving Bruce to try and figure out a solution to this situation.
…
Meanwhile, the guard from before carried Rick to the infirmary, where he laid Rick out on a table.
"Wait here," he told him. "Doctor should be here soon."
The guard then turned and left, leaving Rick alone. Once the door to the infirmary closed, Rick pushed himself back onto his feet, holding a security card he pocketed from the guard.
"I think I'll go see the doc myself."
He then went to the door, slowly opening it to make sure the guard was gone before making his way out to find Bruce.
…
Back in his cell, Bruce was still dreading what was to come when Ross arrived. Just then, the cell door opened again, prompting Bruce to look up and see a scrawny man with a clipboard enter the room.
"Samson," Bruce recognized.
"It's good to see you again, Bruce," he greeted. "Don't worry, I know about Ross, and I won't let him use you. I know we can find a way to cure the Hulk."
"Not like this. Not here. Not while Ross has a say in things. He will never give me up."
"I know you're scared, but I swear I won't let that happen. This is a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. I just have to make a few calls, and-"
"S.H.I.E.L.D.? They're just as bad! They want to weaponize the Hulk as much as Ross does."
"If that were true, they wouldn't have allowed us to make the head way we have on Creel or Sterns. We're doing good work here."
"It may seem that way, but when the time comes, they'll want what they can't have. They see the Cube as an armory, and I know you see it as a chance at recovery, but all the Cube really is is a gamma bomb waiting to go off."
…
Meanwhile, Rick continued sneaking his way through the facility, trying to find any sign of Bruce.
"Man, this place is huge," Rick commented. "Bruce could be anywhere…"
"Feeling lost, my young friend?" a new voice asked, surprising Rick.
Rick looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.
"Uh… hello?"
"In here."
Rick turned to one of the cells, slowly walking over to it. The cell door was mostly covered in metal with a single barred window near the top. Rick looked inside, seeing a man in an orange jumpsuit sitting alone, his face covered by shadows.
"Who are you?" Rick asked.
"A humble prisoner, like yourself. I'm assuming you're trying to remedy that."
"I'm just… trying to help a friend."
"Perhaps I can be of assistance."
Rick raised an eyebrow in response.
"What kind of assistance?"
"I happen to know a bit of the layout of this facility. A few failed escape attempts here and there. I know where the control room is from here."
"Why are you so eager to help me?"
"I'd just like to see someone escape from this place. And it sounds like your friend doesn't belong here."
Rick sighed in response. "No, he doesn't. How do I get there."
"Head down the hallway you were walking, hang a right, turn left on the fifth door, and it should be on your right." Rick was about to leave. "Oh, and one more thing."
"What?"
"There's a special code to unlock cell doors. Just find the one your friend is in and type in the code, TA6264."
"TA6264, got it," Rick replied before heading off. "Thanks!"
"Believe me," the man replied, leaning into the light to reveal he had green skin, a goatee, and an enlarged head. "It was my pleasure."
…
Meanwhile, the Cube front entrance opened up, allowing Ross to walk inside, being greeted by Talbott.
"Welcome to the Cube, Sir," Talbott greeted.
"I trust you have him secure," Ross replied, continuing to move while Talbott followed.
"Quite. We've taken every precaution, sir. And Samson has already obtained a blood sample for us to work with."
"Perfect. I have worked for a long time to get to this moment, and I'm not gonna let it slip through my fingers again."
"Agreed," Talbott paused for a moment. "Does… she know?"
This time, it was Ross' turn to pause, stopping for a moment.
"You know how she'd react if she did. This stays with us for now."
Talbot hesitated for a moment, before nodding. The two then went off, intent on finishing their business with the Hulk.
…
Meanwhile, Rick made his way into the control room, quickly heading towards the main computer.
"Ok…" he let out, looking at the screen.
He started typing, trying to find the cell Bruce was in. After a bit of searching, he finally found a cell labeled "BANNER, BRUCE,".
"Bingo. Alright, now what was that code that guy gave me… right."
He punched in the code and pressed enter, about to relax before an alarm sounded.
"What the-"
"Alert! System override activated! Opening all cell doors!"
"What?! No, no, no, no!"
…
Throughout the prison, cell doors were opening up, allowing the various Gamma based prisoners to escape. A once contained ball of energy busted out of its containment bubble, taking physical form as the energy menace, Zzzax. A muscular man in a purple mask and a green coat stepped out, smirking as he ran down the hallway, running into three other colorfully dressed individuals. One in a red and white uniform with his hair exposed, one in a green and yellow jumpsuit holding a wrecking ball, and a fourth in an orange jumpsuit with a metal helmet.
"I don't know what's going on here, boys," he commented. "But I know we're gonna make the most of it!"
"Couldn't agree more boss," the one in red and white commented, tossing the purple masked one a crowbar. "The Wrecking Crew is back in business!"
In another cell, a man in a white sleeveless shirt that was being suspended in the air suddenly dropped to the ground. The second his hand touched the ground, his skin began to harden, taking on the properties of the metal ground he was standing on. A sick smile graced his face as he stood up, clenching his now metal fist in anticipation.
Finally, cell holding the figure that helped Rick earlier opened up, prompting the man to smile as a result
…
Elsewhere in the prison, Ross and Talbott perked up at the sound of a massive alert ringing out and the cell doors opening up.
"Talbott, what the hell is going on here!" Ross demanded.
"I… I don't know, I-"
"Lockdown the facility and get the Hulkbusters online!" Ross instructed before running off. "No one leaves this prison!"
"Yes sir!" Talbott replied before heading off himself.
…
Inside his cell, Bruce dropped to the ground, his restraints releasing him as Samson ran inside.
"Bruce!" he let out as he helped him up. "Thank god you're still ok."
"Samson, what- what's going on?!"
"The entire facility is down. The prisoners are free. We have to get you out of here."
The two quickly made their way out of the cell, looking around to make sure it was safe. They quickly ducked as a piece of debris flew towards them. They picked themselves up to see a large metal creature looming over them.
"Ironclad," Bruce realized.
The two took off down the opposite direction, hearing Ironclad roar as he charged after them. They quickly rounded a corner and ducked into a cell as Ironclad barreled past. Bruce looked out, seeing the chaos being unleashed by the inmates.
"I've got to do something…"
"All we can do is hold out until the Hulkbuster units-" Samson tried to comeback.
"By that time, it will be too late. Look, no one is more opposed to the idea than I… but right now, the Hulk is the only chance we've got."
Bruce quickly started making his way out of the cell, looking around to make sure no one was around. He quickly went out, with Samson following close behind.
"Bruce, wait, I-"
Just then, an energy blast shot out and hit the wall near them, nailing one of the gamma conductors on the wall and causing it to explode. Both Bruce and Samson went flying in opposite directions, causing them to hit the ground. Bruce slowly picked himself up, seeing Samson laying on the ground with green energy rising out of his body.
"Samson…" Bruce let out.
Before he could move towards him, a foot made of pure energy stepped down in front of him, forcing him to look up and see the creature.
"Zzzax," he let out.
Zzzax let out a roar before shooting Bruce full of energy, causing him to cry out in pain. This caused Bruce's heart rate to accelerate and his eye to flash open, revealing it to be green. His body began transforming, enlarging and turning green. Until finally, he took on the form of the Hulk once more. Once fully transformed, he let out a roar of fury, before finally leaping towards the monster.
…
Elsewhere, the green man walked inside the main control room after Rick had already gone, looking at the monitors and grinning at the carnage present.
"Beautiful…" he mused as the man with metal skin. "Can't you see it? The grotesque glory in them. The mural of monstrosity before us. Isn't it wonderful?"
"Yeah, sure," the man replied. "So, how about we get out of here?"
"Leave?" the green man replied, turning towards his fellow prisoner. "My dear Absorbing Man, why would we ever leave?" He gestured back towards the screen. "This is where I am going to change… the world!"
Just then, there was a commotion coming from the monitors, causing the green man to look back and see the Hulk fighting Zzzax.
"Go. Have fun with the Hulk."
Absorbing Man smirked before turning to leave.
…
Meanwhile, Rick ran through the halls of the prison, hoping to find the Hulk and get out of there before things got too out of hand. As he ran down a hallway, something busted through the wall, causing Rick to back away. The dust cleared, revealing Hulk slamming Zzzax into a wall before throwing him to the ground. He then punched him repeatedly in the face before he finally went limp. Rick stayed silent as Hulk picked himself up, turning towards the teen traveler.
"Uh… hey," Rick greeted, nervously waving his hand.
Hulk just remained silent for a moment, looking at Rick in seeming contemplation.
"You…" he finally spoke. "You were outside the cave with the soldiers… you helped those people…"
"Y-yeah… well, I tried to."
"Why were you there?"
"Well, I was looking for you," Rick explained, stepping forward. "Been looking for you for a while."
"Why?"
Rick let out a breath. "Cause… I'm responsible for you."
Hulk cocked an eyebrow.
"Do you remember… being born? A gamma bomb testing site? Ross?... me?"
Hulk paused, trying to think back to the day Rick was talking about. It was all a blur to him, but he remembered a few faces. There was Ross, then there was a beautiful woman, and finally… a scared teenager being held by military police.
"You were there…" Hulk realized.
"Front and center. It was because of me that you… that Bruce went out onto that testing site. He saved my life… and you were born because of it. Guess I felt like I owed you and that following you was… my way of making sure you were safe."
Hulk remained silent, taking in everything that Rick had said. Before either of them could say another word, the metal of the wall behind Rick began to stretch out on opposite sides of him, forming arms that wrapped around him.
"Hey! What the…!" Rick let out. "Let go!"
Suddenly, the head of the Absorbing Man formed, appearing right next to Rick's head as he looked at Hulk.
"So it's true," he realized. "You've gone soft."
Hulk gritted his teeth as he stared Absorbing Man down, his first clenching.
"So you have a buddy now. What's next? Posing with kiddies? Renting yourself out as a carnival ride? Newsflash big guy. Those people you're trying to save… they think you're more of a monster than me!"
He then tossed Rick towards Hulk, who caught him just as Absorbing Man reformed and turned his hands into hammers, striking him across the face. The Absorbing Man continued striking him across the face. He then used his hammers to strike either side of Hulk's head, disorienting him. This allowed Absorbing Man to uppercut him, knocking the two of them into a wall so hard, it cracked it. Rick slowly picked himself up, seeing the crack and some daylight shining through. He smirked at this, getting an idea.
"Hey big guy," he spoke, getting Hulk's attention. "How about taking our friend out for some fresh air?"
Hulk looked outside, smirking in response. He then turned towards Absorbing Man as he came running towards them. He swung a hammer, only for Hulk to catch it and crush it in his hand. Absorbing Man was shocked by this, before Hulk pulled him in close and head butted him. He then punched him right in the face before spinning him around and throwing him towards the wall, causing him to crash through it. Hulk saw this and leapt after him, allowing Rick to carefully climb down towards the ground.
Hulk meanwhile caught up with Absorbing Man and continued to wail on him. Absorbing Man quickly blocked the attack and struck him in the gut before hitting him across the face. Hulk twirled through the air before crashing on the ground, creating a massive crater as Absorbing Man landed, forming his hand into a mace as he slowly approached. Just as he brought the mace down on him, Hulk caught it and punched him in the chest, knocking him into a large rock formation. He seemed unphased though as he pulled himself out, taking on the rocks properties.
"Stupid monster!" Absorbing Man retorted. "I can absorb anything. Even rock."
Absorbing Man tried to throw a punch, but Hulk just punched the arm, causing it to shatter instantly. Absorbing Man looked down at this in horror.
"Hulk smash rock, Einstein," Hulk remarked, cracking his knuckles.
"Wait. wait! You can't do this!"
"Oh yeah? Watch me."
…
It didn't take long for Rick to catch up with Hulk as he wrapped up his fight with Absorbing Man. By the time Rick reached him, Absorbing Man was reduced to nothing but a head, which bounced on the ground until it landed behind them, glaring at them the whole time.
"Nice work, big guy," Rick commended. "Now, how's about we get out of here before Ross come back?"
"You sure you wanna stay with me?" Hulk questioned.
"Honestly? There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
Hearing this, Hulk smiled before picking up Rick and placing him on his back. He then leapt up into the air. Rick grinned widely, throwing his arms up in the air and cheered loudly.
"This is totally awesome!"
...
Back at the Cube, the Hulkbuster units managed to reign in the prison riot, with nearly every prisoner being accounted for. Only the Wrecking Crew had managed to escape during the crisis. During the clean up, Ross and Talbot were seeing Samson being carted away on a gurney to be treated for injuries.
"What a mess," Ross lamented. "And the Hulk managed to escape."
"I've already got units searching in every direction," Talbot informed. "He won't get far."
"He'd better not. No matter where that monster goes, disaster is sure to follow. I don't care what it takes, I want the Hulk captured and detained once and for all."
As the two walked on, they passed the green man from earlier, who just sat in compilation, as if he had control of the entire situation.
…
Bruce Banner
Voice Actor: Mark Ruffalo
Appearance: MCU
Hulk
Voice Actor: Fred Tatischore
Appearance: Avengers EMH
Rick Jones
Voice Actor: David Kaufman
Appearance: Iron Man Armored Adventures