The Hulk is a free man, true believers! With a presidential pardon, Bruce Banner is to be freed from under General Ross's heel… until he goes mad and rogue all at once! If that's not enough on the Avengers' plate, they've also got a Red Hulk to deal with… who just so happens to want to join the team! What's a crew of heroes to do? This tale has got to be the most riveting in Avengers history, if we do say so ourselves. As of this moment, Hulk is the-

Chapter 49: Deadliest Man Alive

It was proving to be a quiet afternoon for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Around Avengers Mansion, many of the heroes were basking in the quiet, while others remained vigilant for threats yet to come.

Down in the sublevel hangars, Cybernaut and Vision were making some adjustments to the programming for the Quinjet's autopilot. The synthezoid believed his flight pattern algorithms could be of use in ensuring a smooth and seamless control scheme. As such, the two Avengers were working in tandem, Cybernaut using his technopathic mutation to transfer Vision's data to the Quinjet. "About eighty-eight percent complete, Viz. You sure your aerial gyroscopic diagnostics are up to date?"

"Affirmative." The android replied. "I make regular improvements to my flight data in-field in order to keep the telemetry data up to date."

"That should make transferring your velocity calculations a little easier." Connor mused. "I'll have to make an adjustment when it comes to weight. The Quinjet doesn't exactly weigh the same as you do."

"Understood."

Within five minutes, Connor had finished transferring the data and the Quinjet promptly booted up. "Alright, all that's left is a test run to calibrate everything. I'll leave that for Tony and the others next time this thing needs to be taken out." The mutant determined. A sudden thought occurred to him now that they had finished their task. "Say, Vision, while I've got you here I need your help checking something out." Reaching into the pocket of his costume, he withdrew the tiny dart that he had intercepted during his and Janet's apprehension of the Living Bombs terrorist group.

"What is that?" Vision innocently questioned.

"That's what I wanna know." Connor responded. "Someone tried to stick me with this but I don't know who. I was hoping maybe you could give it a once over to see if the design could point me in the right direction." He turned the dart over to Vision and the android held it up before his face between two fingers.

"Accessing external databases." A few seconds passed as Vision narrowed his gaze and looked over every inch of the dart in his hand. "Scans indicate its structure contains seventy-nine percent human technology and twenty-one percent Kree-based technology." He announced after a moment. That took Connor by surprise.

"Kree?" He repeated incredulously.

"The dart contains a storage payload of exactly thirty-four milligrams of a chemical substance. Analyzing…" Vision continued, holding the dart right up to his optic as his internal scanners swept over every component in multiple ranges. "Analysis indicates a ninety-nine percent match with the antidote for the Dust of Death toxin. Not enough to be a perfect cure, but enough to stave off the effects of the toxin." He revealed after a moment.

Connor was beyond shocked. Everything Vision said was incredulous. "But… B-But Tony just synthesized the first ever antidote during that outbreak!" He exclaimed, hands in his hair as he started pacing in the cockpit. "How could someone have an antidote available before we even manufactured it?" He questioned aloud.

"Unknown." Vision said simply. "A recommendation would be to pursue the Kree technology aspect of this projectile. Seeing as that is a very limited resource with only a select few able to access the materials left behind by the Kree invasion forces."

"Yeah. Good point." Connor agreed as he accepted the dart back. Luckily for him, he knew a Kree he could talk to. Maybe it was time for him to give Dayna a call…

Up above, the main door chime sounded. Captain America answered, having been in the adjacent library and was surprised to find-

"Miss Walters." He greeted. The seven-foot tall She-Hulk was beaming, grinning from cheek to emerald-green cheek.

"Cap. Mind if I step in?" She asked. Steve stood to the side and let her in.

"We weren't expecting you. What's the occasion?" He inquired. In response, Jennifer turned and whipped out a folder from under her arm, full of paperwork.

"I needed to talk to you. Or Tony. Or whoever's in charge. I got it! I finally got it!" She eagerly revealed.

"Got what?" Cap wondered. Jennifer whipped out a very formal sheet of paper from within the folder. Although he could not quite read it, the supersoldier could certainly make out the Presidential Seal as well as a letterhead marking it as coming from the Oval Office.

"This! I've been working on this for months. But I finally got a signed, sealed and notarized Presidential pardon for my cousin Bruce." She described. "With this, the Hulk can't be hunted by the army anymore and there isn't a thing that overbloated General Ross can do about it! Today's the day Bruce Banner goes free!"

Steve and Jennifer took the information to Tony straightaway and the armored Avenger was prompt to act on it.

With data retrieved by Jennifer, the trio tracked down a Hulkbuster base in the middle of the American Midwest, completely isolated from society and surrounded by nothing but wilderness for hundreds of miles. With all the proper paperwork in Jennifer's hands, they cleared access immediately as well as every security hurdle presented them… much to the fury of Thunderbolt Ross.

"Are you people out of your minds?! This new Hulkbuster base is the most secure facility ever built by human hands. It exists to keep the world safe, and I'm not gonna let you people deter me from that mission!" He raved, determined to keep the three from entering his Hulk-proof vault.

"Your mission was a success, General Ross. But the President has agreed that the man you're holding here is no longer considered a threat to anyone." Captain America retorted as Jennifer withdrew the Presidential Pardon from her folder and held it out for Ross to see. He ripped it from her hand and read it over for himself. Instead of putting a damper on his outburst, it seemed to only fuel it further.

"What? He's a monster!" He furiously exclaimed. "How did you con the President into believing otherwise?" He demanded.

"We used things called 'facts'. You should try them sometime." Iron Man retorted.

"It's over, General. Bruce Banner is a free man." Captain America insisted.

"I don't believe it! How do I know this isn't forged or a fake, huh?" Ross questioned, waving the document back at them. Jennifer sighed irritably.

"Look, General-"

"Oh no you don't! Like I'm gonna take anything from another Hulk! I don't care if you're a woman, nothing good could come of it!" Ross rudely interrupted. "This base is under my command. You'll do as I say, like it or not. I've served my country for years and I'm due the respect I've earned."

That put Jennifer over the edge and, with a frown, she crossed the distant between them in two wide strides before grabbing Ross by the lapel and hoisting him eye-to-eye as she let She-Hulk shine. "Listen here, you Patton-wannabe! Respect is earned, not given. So right now, your dime-a-dozen glory rags mean jack-squat to me! I don't care who you are or what you've done, I have a signed document from the President ordering you and your kind to let my cousin go! If you get in my way and prevent me from carrying out this Presidential Order, I can hold you liable as an obstruction of justice and then you'd have every court in the nation breathing down your neck for telling the President he can't do what he's agreed to do." She snarled, giving him a good shake to emphasize her point. "So, do I make myself clear? Or do I have to squeeze the information into that cast-iron skull of yours?"

"Easy, Miss Walters. I think you've made your point." Captain America said.

"Yeah, notice how she's on our side, Ross." Iron Man added, addressing the General. "But she's also not an Avenger, so we can't be held accountable for what she might do to you. Although I've heard she can dribble a man like a basketball…" Letting the threat linger as She-Hulk dropped Ross back to the ground, the begrudging General used his clearance codes to open a massive vault-like door to permit the trio entry to a second chamber. This one was heavily guarded by a cadre of armored soldiers, armor designed to save their lives from a blow the Hulk.

"This is insane! The Hulk is a threat to every man and woman alive!" Ross continued to rant as the three heroes led their way inside.

"The Hulk was lied to and manipulated into turning himself in by an alien terrorist posing as me." Captain America stated. "Not only is he innocent, as far as I'm concerned, he's a hero." He left no room for discussion, but Ross still begged to differ.

"You have no idea what you're doing!"

"We know exactly what we're doing, Ross. It's called the right thing. You may never have done it, but we have." She-Hulk growled. "So move you and your ultramilitarism out of our way and give me the keys to my cousin's cell." Not willing to run the risk of earning She-Hulk's wrath, especially when he had experience with how she could fly off the handle, Ross relented but not before issuing a warning.

"Release him and I promise you, the results will be disastrous." The heroes ignored him.

Iron Man turned to the men guarding a cube-shaped steel cell. "Shut down the gamma dampeners and get him out of there." He ordered and the soldiers complied. The power in the room thrummed as generators wound down and the dampening fields shut off. Iron Man and Captain America stepped forward as the cell door slid open. There inside, dressed in a blue jumpsuit and looking incredibly haggard and exhausted, was the frail form of Bruce Banner sitting and facing a wall.

"Bruce?" Steve queried. The man in question looked up with dull eyes and face seemingly devoid of emotion.

"Hey, Cap. My surrender worked out great, didn't it?" Banner sarcastically greeted.

"Banner, we're here to get you out." Steve told him, stepping into the cell. Banner frowned, his expression somewhere between doubtful and curious.

Then, his eye began to twitch, and Bruce clutched his head with gritted teeth.

Tony knew the signs of a Hulk-out immediately. Why, he didn't know, but he was bound and determined to keep Hulk their friend and prove Ross wrong. "Bruce, stay calm." He urged. His cautions came too little too late as Banner's eyes turned radioactive green. "We lost him!" Tony cried. As he spoke, Bruce began to transform; his body bulging as massive muscles expounded out from thin limbs, his entire form growing bigger than his allies… bigger than any human in the room. In short order, the roaring behemoth that was the green-skinned Hulk had filled the cell and a vicious backhand sent Captain America flying.

"Bring it back online! All of it!" Ross snapped to his men.

"Something's not right here…" Tony realized as Hulk doubled over, clutching his head as if wracked by an invisible hurt. "Hulk, take it easy! We're not trying to hurt you!" He implored his fellow Avenger. But his efforts to reason with Hulk was met with guttural snarling and roaring. The emerald giant had lost all reason. "Bruce-HRK!" Iron Man was interrupted as Hulk tore off a piece of his cell wall and used it to slam Iron Man against the opposite wall.

Lunging out of his cell, Hulk would've crushed Ross underfoot had Captain America not dove in to throw him out of the way. Hulk stumbled off, clutching his head and growling as he struggled against some unseen threat. "Bruce? Bruce!" Jennifer called out to him. But Hulk was too far gone, and crashed through one fo the adjacent walls, throwing himself outside. He took off with a mighty bound, gradually disappearing as Captain America stood bewildered and puzzled in the wreckage left behind.

"Congratulations, Captain…" Ross said surly, "you just freed the deadliest man alive!"

Later…

Returning to the Mansion, Tony put out the call. "Folks, the Hulk is off the grid. He's loose, he's dangerous, and as far as I can tell, he's completely out of his mind." He announced. "We need everyone in the assembly room ASAP."

All of the Avengers sprinted to convene. Miss Marvel, Vision, Thor, Black Panther, Hawkeye, Wasp and Cybernaut all sat around the meeting table as Captain America and an armorless Tony Stark chaired the meeting. Available data was displayed before them, wrought from Tony's armor's scanners during his brief encounter with the imprisoned Hulk. "Finding the Hulk is priority number one. Even at his worst, we've never seen him like this. I don't know if the isolation of imprisonment drove him nuts or what. Whatever the reason, it's our responsibility to bring him in." He told the team.

"I know how this looks, but I still give the Hulk the benefit of the doubt." Captain America added. "Ross and the Hulkbusters want nothing less than his total destruction. But he's still one of us."

"Indeed, the Hulk has been a valuable ally." Thor concurred. "Not one I look forward to facing in battle once again." He confessed.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, Thor." Tony answered. "For now I've got worldwide sat-scans trying to track him. As soon as we have a lock on his position, we're heading out." He finished and Tony and Cap took their leave of the meeting room. Cybernaut was the first to stand.

"Right. Hulk-troubles. Guess I better do something about that." He mused, making for the lab.

"And what exactly do you plan on doing about Hulk? No offence, but you're not exactly strong or durable." Hawkeye wondered.

"Remember that 'Red Hulk' fiasco? Well, I've been working on something so anything similar doesn't almost kill me again." Connor answered over his shoulder.

Meanwhile, Tony led Cap into his personal armoury, where multiple cases stored his various Iron Man armors. "Understand, we have to be prepared in case things go south." He cautioned, pausing before the biggest case of the bunch.

"If we have to, we'll take him down. But only as a last resort." Cap agreed, sounding reluctant. He wished things had never come to this.

"Sir, I have intercepted a Hulkbuster transmission." JARVIS suddenly announced. "They've found the Hulk in the Niagara Falls area. General Ross and his team are en route." Cap and Tony shared quick looks.

"Let's go. Maybe we can beat them there." Steve urged.

And just like that, the Avengers sprang into action.

Elsewhere…

A fuming Hulk tromped wildly through the forested wilderness. Free from Ross and the Hulkbusters, he just wanted to be left alone. But the phantom forms of Bruce Banner would not leave him be. "They came to help us." Bruce insisted from within a puddle.

"They lied to us!" Hulk roared, slamming his foot down and sending water everywhere. The gamma giant kept stumbling onward, batting trees aside like they were twigs. Bruce Banner stepped before him from behind a tree.

"Something's wrong. The transformation, i-it was forced. It wasn't triggered by either one of us." He insisted.

"We trusted them!" Hulk thundered, slamming his foot into the ground so hard the shockwave caused Bruce to dissipate. Hulk stood still for a moment, waiting to see if Bruce would appear again.

"I know you did and I'm asking you to trust us again." A familiar voice called out to him. Hulk turned and found Captain America perched on a distant fallen log. "Let us help you." Hulk frowned, stomping over with an accusatory finger pointed right at the star on Steve's chest.

"I don't need any help from you." He growled irritably. The supersoldier persisted, determined to keep trying.

"Hulk, we've fought together. Side by side." Cap said. "I want to help you, but you need to-" With a pained roar, Hulk clutched his head, doubling over as though struggling with an unseen affliction. His eyes shot wide open, livid with an untamed fury as his rage bubbled over. Grasping a tree, he tore it up from its roots and threw it at Cap like a javelin. The supersoldier tucked and rolled under the projectile, springing back to his feet as Hulk uprooted two more trees and started swinging them like clubs. Captain America sprang from foothold to foothold, moving in such an agile fashion there was no way Hulk could keep up. The gamma behemoth soon deviated, wailing on the ground in a furious fervor as though beating a hidden enemy. His actions were strange and Cap began to consider the possibility Hulk had in fact been driven insane. He made the call as Hulk uttered a deafening roar that could be heard for miles.

"I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this." He muttered, whipping his ID card from his belt. "Avengers, take him. Just remember he's not the enemy." Steve commanded.

A thunderous boom from above drew his gaze skyward as Thor charged out of the clouds and hurtled towards Hulk. He raised Mjolnir and struck with a shout, the ensuing shockwave from the collision was strong enough to flatten the trees around them and forced Cap to take shelter behind his shield. As the dust settled, he looked up to see Thor and Hulk brawling in a crater, resounding hammerblows echoing across the land.

"Yield friend Hulk!" He commanded as a backhanded swing from Mjolnir clubbed Hulk across the face. "I do not wish to hurt you!" Hulk's response was a roar, as he grabbed Thor by the head and threw him towards distant mountains.

A sudden energy blast struck him in the back, causing Hulk to stumble. He turned as an enormous shape descended out of the sun, hardening into a metallic form. "As you can see, I came dressed for the party." Iron Man announced, clad in his powerful Hulkbuster Armor. Hulk bellowed and threw himself into the air, tackling Iron Man to the ground where he started slamming him in the dirt over and over again.

"Avengers, now!" Captain America cried. On his cue, Vision, Miss Marvel, Hawkeye, Wasp, Black Panther and Cybernaut sprang from the trees to intervene. Carol and the synthezoid blasted Hulk with photon and solar beams respectively to keep him off Iron Man. Hawkeye loosed an arrow that detonated at Hulk's feet, releasing a cloud of tear gas that forced Hulk to stumble away as Black Panther threw out Vibranium daggers that kept him staggered. Cybernaut unloaded twin plasma blasts into Hulk's back, trying to deter him, as Wasp riddled his neck with biostings. Thor returned to the fight, channeling bolts of lightning through Mjolnir that struck Hulk in the chest.

"Wait! Are we hurting him?" Wasp questioned as Hawkeye fitted another arrow while Miss Marvel and Vision joined Thor in their barrage.

"Are you kidding!" The archer retorted. "I'm more worried about him hurting us!"

The Avengers continued their struggle as Iron Man righted himself and approached Captain America. "Cap, I've got Ross on the line." He announced, holding up an upturned hand. Microcircuits near the repulsor emitter channeled energy to form a holographic render of General Ross.

"Stand down, Captain. We're taking him in." He stated with a growl.

"We're not done yet, General. Hold your position. This is an Avengers matter." Steve stated with authority in his voice. It did not go over well.

"Are you questioning my orders?!" A livid Ross bellowed. "I order you to-" The hologram abruptly winked out.

"Oops. Bad connection." Iron Man remarked with a soft shrug and Cap smirked knowingly.

"Try to slow him down." He stated, turning back to the fight as Iron Man rocketed into the air.

Hulk found his footing, weathering the blows from his comrades as he waited for a chance to strike back. Reaching out, he grabbed Vision's foot and threw him into Miss Marvel, taking them both out of the air. The gamma giant turned and threw his hands together, a mighty thunderclap knocking Hawkeye and Black Panther off their feet. Whipping around, Hulk threw out a haymaker that caught Thor right in the face, throwing him into a cluster of nearby trees that splintered to chips under his weight.

"Oh great! Now what?" Connor wondered in dismay.

"Hang on! My ex taught me this move." Janet interjected, buzzing in towards the raging Hulk. Reversing the flow of Pym Particles in her bloodstream, a blue glow came over her eyes as she began to grow… and grow… and grow.

Towering over Hulk as Giant Woman, her yellow-gloved hand came crashing down into Hulk and pinned him to the ground under her single hand. "Sorry, big guy!" She grunted. "But you gotta calm down!" Hulk roared, thrashing about under the five-finger grip on his body that kept him trapped. Then, for a fleeting second, a look came over his eyes, as if Hulk suddenly comprehended his situation and planned to react accordingly. Reaching out with mighty green hands, he grabbed Giant woman by the wrist and, in a display of awe-inspiring strength that rendered onlookers speechless, he threw Janet over him and sent her slamming into the forest behind.

As Hulk stood up, only Captain America and Cybernaut were on hand to face him.

"You!" Hulk bellowed, levelling a finger at Captain America.

Steve eased his shield to the ground. "I'm not going to fight you, Hulk." He said softly. Connor stepped forward, between them.

"We don't want to do this, big guy. Give us a chance. Give me a chance!" He begged. "You know me, right?" Hulk seemed to pause and contemplate him for a moment. Then, with a snarl, he clutched the back of his head, like he had manny times already. Cybernaut frowned, something tickling the periphery of his mutation. His power couldn't quite figure it out… but he knew it was familiar.

With a roar, Hulk raised both fists over his head and brought them slamming down. Cybernaut responded, pneumatic gauntlets flaring to life as steam hissed from ventilation across his form. He was dressed in a wiry exoskeleton; an array of pistons, struts and servomotors clinging to his four limbs.

The science behind his new invention was simple, combining available aerospace technology with the same mechanics used in his pneumatic gauntlets. Utilizing mechanical appendages, he could boost his ability of his limbs twice over, increasing his strength and grip through industrial aid. Where his physical body lacked durability and innate superhuman power, this exoskeleton could make up for it… as scrawny as it looked.

But the science proved infallible as he caught Hulk's hands and held him at bay. The penumatics and motors directed the full weight to the ground, distributing the power of the blow away from Connor's body so he could take it without having all of his bones broken. He pushed back as servos whined, lifting Hulk's massive mitts a fraction of an inch as the gamma giant huffed and growled. 'I can't believe this is working!' He thought to himself.

Captain America was equally impressed that Cybernaut was holding his own. But the advantage proved temporary and good enough to simply withstand the strength of the Hulk. In a single, fluid move, Hulk threw his arms out and grabbed Cybernaut by the waist, tossing him aside like a discarded pop can. He advanced on Captain America, snarling and raging as he made to beat him down-

And then, without warning, a crimson streak plowed into Hulk and drove him to the ground.

Steve lowered his reflexively raised arm, watching through the dust as Hulk was beat silly by a cackling Red Hulk. Heavy-handed blows battered Hulk until a rising double-axehandle to his chin put the gamma giant flat on his back and seemingly out cold. Green lay still, Red approaching Captain America at a lumbering gait. Steve recovered his shield, expecting a fight.

"No need for that. I came to help." Red Hulk rumbled.

"You?" Steve questioned in disbelief.

"Hear me out, Captain." Red said, hands raised in passivity. "I don't know if you're in the market for new Avengers, but I'd like to sign up. If you'll have me." He revealed, much to Captain America's bewilderment...

Days later…

"…You've all heard of the green Hulk. Well, if one wasn't enough, a new Hulk has arrived. A Red Hulk. And while any Hulk is enough to make the world more than a little nervous, this Hulk has spent the week demonstrating his honest desire to serve humanity as one of its heroes."

As the newscaster spoke, images of Red Hulk helping save people from a burning high rise played across the screen, the scarlet giant reuinting families one individual at a time. "What's your story Red Hulk?" A reporter from the observing bystanders asked.

"I'm far from perfect. I've made mistakes, I've been brainwashed and forced to do things I'm not proud of. But I'm not a monster. Now, I just want to help." Red Hulk responded.

The footage cut to a press conference with General Thunderbolt Ross, the foremost military expert on Hulk situations and leader of the US Army's Hulkbuster unit. "I don't care what he wants to prove or what he does for the sake of the cameras. A Hulk is a Hulk is a Hulk! Green, red, or blue, doesn't matter! We've already got one in custody and, when this one screws up, we'll lock him in with Banner and throw away the key!" He bellowed.

Observing the news from the privacy of her office, Jennifer Walters hated every second of it. Not only were her appeals to the courts behind denied but Maria Hill was also getting in her way, actually approving of Ross and the Hulkbusters' efforts to take down her cousin. And now this? A red-skinned charlatan trying to smear her cousin's work as an Avenger? It made her so angry she wanted to punch something. So she did. Her fist passed lean through the television and the wall behind it, shattered plastic dropping to the ground as sparks erupted from fixtures to frame…

Watching the same broadcast from the assembly room, the foursome of Iron Man, Captain America, Wasp and Cybernaut observed the news broadcast with mixed reactions. "It's a very strange day when I find myself actually agreeing with Thunderbolt Ross." Captain America muttered.

"You can't deny that our new friend has been living up to his word." Iron Man noted.

"That's putting it mildly. It seems like every time we turn around, he's on the news for some new heroics." Wasp added as she perched on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"I have my reservations about such things." Cybernaut mused. "Who's to say he didn't stage things in the first place?" He suggested.

"That's… actually a good point." Wasp concurred after a brief moment of thought.

Steve turned towards the armored Avenger. "You're really buying into this, Tony?" He questioned.

"We've all been made to look bad at some point, Cap." Iron Man replied. "Besides, he willingly submitted himself to a full body scan, which did show evidence of possible mind control in his past. Perfectly explains why he was a member of Skull's Code Red team." Cybernaut quirked a brow.

"Oh yeah? Who's to say he's not part of the plot to make Bruce look bad?" He retorted.

"This is a mistake." Cap added.

"Think about what this team deals with on a daily basis. Having a Hulk on the roster, especially one that won't take your head off if someone puts too much cream in his coffee, that's firepower we can use." Iron Man continued. Connor frowned.

"Oh, come on! That's not fair, Tony." The technopath said. "It happened one time and the damage was negligible."

"And what about Bruce? Do we just leave him locked up?" Cap inquired.

"You saw him, Cap." Tony said simply. Wasp huffed, hands on her hips.

"You of all people, Tony Stark, you should know better. We don't give up on friends." She told him directly, a minuscule finger leveled at his helmet. Tony audibly sighed, shoulders visibly slumping, as he looked to Cybernaut.

"Let me guess, you're with them."

Connor crossed his arms. "Brainwashing or no, he tried to kill me last time we fought. I'm not about to forget that." He stated firmly.

"Yeah! No way I'm making nice with the guy who tried to crush Connor like a tin can!" Janet added emphatically. Tony's response came in a wearied tone, as if he knew he was at a disadvantage was getting tired of arguing his case alone.

"Fine. Let's just put it to a vote. Majority rules." He proffered. "I see where you three stand. Let's see where the others stand."

"Fine." Cap grunted as he took his leave, followed closely by Cybernaut and Wasp. Once they were in the sublevel halls and well out of earshot, Connor decided to broach a subject he'd been keeping close to his chest.

"Cap… I didn't want to bring this up in front of Tony, but when we were in close quarters with Hulk, I could sense… something." He said quietly. Steve paused in the hall, taking in what he had to say.

"What do you mean, Connor?"

"There's some form of technology around Hulk that I'm unfamiliar with. I was trying to figure out if it was similar to anything we know or have worked with before but I just can't put my finger on it." The technopath clarified. "Now we know the big guy, he doesn't carry any kit or gear like us except for maybe an ID card."

"Which he currently doesn't have." Steve mused as the realizations continued to dawn on him.

"Yeah. I'm positive of it." Connor affirmed.

"Your abilities have never steered us wrong before. I trust you, especially now." Cap said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "This is proof there is something fishy going on."

"That's one way to put it." Janet concurred.

"Whatever it is, I bet ten whole dollars it explains why it seems like Hulk has gone insane." Connor said.

"If I were a betting girl I'd take you up on that." Wasp remarked. "That could swing this whole vote!" She said excitedly. But Cap shook his head.

"No, we shouldn't bring it up. Not now. Tony's already set in his ways. We'll have to see where the others stand." He replied. "Keep this to yourself, Connor. Whatever you do, don't let go of it. It may come in handy if the three of us are going to do something about it."

Iron Man chaired the meeting held that evening and tabled the matter of Red Hulk being given Avengers membership. The vote would be definitive: the majority rule would decided if Red joined or was denied. Black Panther was the only member unable to attend, having been called back to Wakanda on royal business.

The remaining eight Avengers participated in the vote… the outcome being a decided 5-3.

The next day, Iron Man held a press conference with Hawkeye, Miss Marvel and Thor in attendance. As well as the Red Hulk. "While it might not have been unanimous, a decision has been made and it's time to make it official." Iron Man announced to a throng of journalists, camera crews, and curious civilians. "With his recent acts of heroism, the Red Hulk has more than made up for his past transgressions. With the presentation of this Avengers ID card, we proudly announce the Red Hulk will be joining our ranks, effective immediately." He stated, holding up a freshly-minted ID card. To the tune of applause and cheers, he turned it over to the bright-eyed crimson behemoth. "Don't leave home without it, pal." Tony added. Cameras caught the exchange with bright strobing flashes of white light.

"Thank you, Iron Man. And to the rest of the Avengers who supported me on this proud occasion." Red Hulk responded with a bright grin.

"C'mon guys! Say it once for the cameras!" A reporter shouted. Others picked up the plea and the heroes on stage recognized what they wanted. Together they thrust their fists into the air and shouted as one,

"AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!"

The crowd whooped and cheered, more camera flashes capturing the pose for posterity; the moment a new Avenger was certified. "So… where's Captain America?" Another reporter questioned.

"And Cybernaut?" A second queried.

"And Wasp?" A third asked. Tony had an answer ready.

"Someone's gotta keep an eye on things. Not all of us can stand around grandstanding." He lied, earning a few chuckles from the crowd.

Truth be told, said heroes were down in the assembly room reviewing the newsfeed, as well as any available data pertaining to Red Hulk. Janet and Steve stood. Connor sat, manning a keyboard and console. The heroine in the group watched the newsfeed with a deep frown and crossed arms.

"Ugh! I can't believe them! Carol's gonna get an earful from me the next time we go out for coffee… if there even will be a next time!" She muttered disdainfully.

"Simmer down, babe. If we can figure this out, your next outing will feature a whole lot of 'I told you so'." Connor gently promised.

Steve was all business, analyzing everything with a critical eye in his effort to understand and see beyond the simple guise of Hulk-heroics. "JARVIS, we need to know about the Red Hulk. We want to know who he is." He said aloud.

"All that exists are the statistics that were gathered during the initial screening process." The AI replied, replacing the newsfeed with all available data from the Mansion's database on the crimson creature. Cap stroked his chin, pondering the information presented him.

"Nothing new here apart from what Tony discovered in the body scan." Wasp noted.

"Intelligence quotients. Strength levels. Radiation power." Captain America murmured. "What I saw in the field, his strategic-minded approach to combat suggests military training."

"Entirely possible, sir." JARVIS agreed.

Cybernaut leaned back in his chair, pondering some numbers as his disassembled ID card sat plugged into the console. "Jan, remember when Red Hulk seemed like he was melting everything around him?" He asked. The look in his girlfriend's eyes brightened.

"Oh yeah! When we first fought him back at the docks!"

"I pulled some data off our collective ID cards. It looks like some sort of concentrated microwave radiation combined with intense gamma energy." Connor revealed, a flick of his hand revealing a swath of new data.

"Bruce could never do anything like that." Janet said.

"Has to be an additive, something in his bloodstream interacting with gamma energy." Connor suggested.

"Any ideas what that could be, Cybernaut?" Captain America asked. The technopath answered with a shrug.

"Dunno. I'm an engineer, chemistry like that is a bit beyond me." He said. "But it does suggest that this Red Hulk was created with extras to beat out our Hulk, like some sort of… new model."

Steve leaned forward, drumming his fingers against the table. His eyes darted back and forth between everything. "Military training. Scientific upgrades. There's something we're not seeing here and I don't know what…" He stayed silent, pondering things as Cybernaut and Wasp did too. "If he was so intent on showing himself as a hero, he could've approached us at any time. But he waited for a specific moment. A moment when the Hulk was on an uncontrollable rampage." He said at length.

"Almost like he knew it was going to happen…" Wasp trailed off.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but you are no longer alone." JARVIS suddenly announced. The three Avengers turned to the doorway, where a single figure loomed large from edge to edge.

"Missed you all at the induction ceremony." Red Hulk remarked. The trio stayed silent, Steve remaining stoic and vigilant. "Look, I know that maniac was a friend of yours, but you were nuts to have that monster around in the first place." Red Hulk crudely remarked as he strode closer to the trio. Connor rose, cautious and on edge. Janet clenched her fists, looking downright hostile.

"Just worry about yourself." Captain America retorted. "We'll be keeping a close eye on you."

"Hmm. Maybe this is something you want to take up with me… personally." Red Hulk replied, bending over to get in his face. Connor's hands twitched, prepared to fling his irons at a moment's notice. Janet's fists subtly glowed with bioelectric energy, the heroine prepared for a fight.

"There you are! Geez!" Hawkeye suddenly called out, standing in the entryway. "Try not to wander off when I'm giving you the nickel tour." He told Red Hulk. The behemoth straightened up, smiling amicably over his shoulder.

"Sorry, Hawkeye, I got curious. Let's go." He apologized, taking his leave. Waiting until he was gone, the three relaxed, Connor and Janet slumping back into seats.

"Whew. Thought things were gonna get ugly for a minute there." Janet breathed.

"That would've been a ruckus. And not one to remember favourably." Connor chimed in.

"Clearly Red Hulk is up to something." Steve surmised. "And we don't have enough data to pin anything on him. If we can't figure out Red Hulk, we'll just have to go after our Hulk and prove him innocent." He determined.

"But he's currently locked up in Hydrobase. How're you supposed to get past maximum security? I mean… maybe I could…" Wasp mused.

"Wasp's right." Cybernaut agreed. "It's risky but it's what we've gotta do. Whatever you're planning, Cap, whatever you want to do, count us in. Not only do I think you'll need us, but we want to get to the bottom of this too." He promised. Captain America smiled.

"Thank you. Both of you. But Wasp is right; this would be easier if we had someone on the inside." He replied. After a moment's thought, Wasp's expression suddenly brightened.

"Hey… maybe we do!"

Elsewhere…

Jennifer Walters was in a mood.

With her efforts to free her cousin upended and no chance of getting another Presidential Order that could set him free (not to mention Red Hulk out and about discrediting his name to the extent he replaced her cousin on the Avengers) the SHIELD lawyer was sprawled out on her bed, mad at life and circumstances. Bruce was locked up again, this time in SHIELD's very own Hydrobase, and her chances of getting him out again were slim to none. Her life's work, completely down the drain.

Her personal phone rang and she was half-tempted to throw it against the wall. But then she checked the caller ID and answered it. "Hey Jan." She answered half-heartedly.

"Jenny! Hey!" The heroine cheerily replied. "Listen, you got time to talk?"

"Jan… look, I'm just not up for girl talk-" Jennifer tried to explain.

"No no no, not that!" Janet hurriedly retorted. "We need your help to save Bruce!"

At that, Jennifer bolted upright, her mood scrubbed as she paid rapt attention to what Janet had to say. "I'm listening…"

Later that day…

Fully operational, Hydrobase was SHIELD's newest super-max prison for supervillains after the failure of Prison 42 in the Negative Zone. Every criminal defeated and captured by the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and other notable heroes was detained here, which made it a high-priority location that was frequented by superhero visitors to check on or interrogate those incarcerated.

As one of the designated personnel with on-site clearance, Jennifer Walters could come and go as she pleased. Of course, that only applied to 99% of Hydrobase, with some areas restricted to only the highest of SHIELD clearance codes. She could, however, get in to all the nooks and crannies necessary to help fulfill the plan currently in motion.

With several folders full of paperwork under one arm, she made her way to the maintenance level, the one that just so happened to run between Hydrobase command and Bruce Banner's holding cell. Several SHIELD agents, men to be specific, were already down there. And they couldn't help but stop and stare at the green-skinned muscular woman with long legs on display. "Oops!" Her files slipped from her hand and clattered across the ground. "Oh, shoot! I need those!" She groaned in complaint.

"Don't worry, Agent Walters!" One of the men hurriedly promised, stooping down to help clean up. The other two were on their knees just as quickly.

"We'll get this cleaned up for you." Another added as they made to gather her papers back together. From above, She-Hulk smiled. As much as she wasn't a fan of using people for her own ends, she had to admit her newfound beauty in the eyes of the men of SHIELD was coming in rather handy. Any man with eyes was readily and willing to do what it took in order to earn some favour in the eyes of the admittedly exotic beauty that was She-Hulk.

In fact, these three were so ready and willing, they completely missed Jennifer passing off an access card to Captain America, dressed in a frogman's suit for his stealthy purposes, as he slipped past and made a beeline for the end of the maintenance level…

Elsewhere in Hydrobase, a blonde female agent sat behind the command console for the cellblock of the facility. It was a generally a boring position that was simply in place to secure the arrival and departure of visitors, as well as process new prisoners. Today, however, the agent was in for a surprise.

"Excuse me?" A voice inquired. The blonde looked up, eyes widening as she recognized the two people in front of her. "Hi. How're you? Wasp. Cybernaut. Avengers. Pretty sure we're well-known around here." Connor introduced casually as he leaned against the console.

"Oh! O-Of course!" The blonde agent stammered in reply, not sure if she should stand or sit or salute or show some sort of respect to two world-famous heroes. "Sorry, of course I know who you are. You're responsible for putting half of these criminals away." She rambled in a bubbly voice.

"Maybe half. Maybe all. Eh, who's counting?" Wasp shrugged nonchalantly.

Composing herself, the SHIELD agent set to work. "How can I help you, Avengers?"

"Just popping in for a routine check. I was curious about how my old coworkers are faring." Cybernaut explained.

"Names, please?"

"Roland Reeves, Haley Harding, Derrick Sullivan, and Shauna Bell." The technopath rattled off. "Don't bother looking for Markus Moran. I know he's still at large." The blonde keyed in the names one after another, confirming their current status within Hydrobase.

"Those four are still in containment, Mister Cybernaut. We've been regularly performing biometric scans to try and understand their abilities. None of them have ever breached SHIELD containment before." Came the response. Connor nodded in acceptance.

"Good to know. Thanks for that, Agent…"

"Longfellow. Kristine Longfellow." The blonde quickly proffered with a smile, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"Thank you, Agent Longfellow." Connor said, bidding her farewell. Together, hero and heroine turned to leave and made their way out beyond the massive security doors that separated the cellblock from the rest of the base.

"Well, that went smoothly. Although I don't like the way that agent was looking at you all doe-eyed." Wasp remarked.

"You're cute when you're jealous." Cybernaut responded, kissing the top of her head. "Think nothing of it. I was too busy focusing on something else to return any gestures." He mused with a grin, snapping his fingers as he finished. All of a sudden, distant alarms began to sound as an apparent fault was detected somewhere in the cellblock.

"That should distract them." Wasp decided with a smile, shrinking down and taking flight.

"Hopefully long enough for us to get to Banner's cell." Cybernaut added as they both took off in the opposite direction.

"I apologize for the short notice, Avengers," Red Hulk was saying as he led the team into the assembly room, "but something has come up that demands our immediate attention." He stopped before the holotable and let Hawkeye, Thor and Iron Man preview the security footage that was being broadcast to the Mansion on an emergency frequency.

Displayed on it was an interior view of Bruce Banner's cell. Entering said cell were three well-known Avengers.

"I'm afraid one of our teammates has gone off the reservation." Red Hulk mused, almost smugly, as Captain America led Cybernaut and Wasp inside. "That, my friends, is an illegal act in progress."

"Cap?" Hawkeye gasped in disbelief.

"Is that Banner's cell?" Iron Man said, shocked by the brazenness of their actions.

"Nay… why would friend Wasp and friend Cybernaut be party to such a thing?" Thor wondered in dismay. "They plan to unleash the beast?" Red Hulk had only one thing to say in response,

"Avengers… assemble."

"Banner? Banner. Wake up. Come on." Cap urged, nudging the unconscious jumpsuit-clad scientist strapped to a bench.

"That gas must be tough stuff." Cybernaut commented as he tried to ease Bruce up, popping the restraints around his joints with a wave of his magnetic hands. Captain America eased Bruce up, only to stop as his hand brushed against something on his neck. He stopped, parting Bruce's hair, and inhaled sharply.

"Connor, look!" The technopath did and spotted a tiny device seated right on the edge of Bruce's hairline. It was painfully obvious and, in his senses, it was very familiar. "What did they do to him?" Cap wondered aloud as he ran his hand over the foreign object.

"Same signature as before... I knew it! I knew I could sense something!" Connor realized.

"This has to be why he was clutching his head so much in the fight." Steve said aloud. "This was implanted in him."

"Can I help?" Wasp wondered as she hovered close by.

"Yes, please," Cybernaut quickly said, "investigate this implant if you can." In response, Wasp shrunk down even smaller and dove down, disappearing into the implant through one of the microscopic holes dotted across the surface.

Janet found herself in a world of supersized technology, where circuit boards and microchips towered over her like skyscrapers. "Okay, I'm no scientist but there's some sort of…" she trailed off as Cap and Cybernaut listened intently over comms. "Eww. It looks like there's a device connected to his brain."

Connor grew serious. "We have to be very careful then. One wrong move and there goes his nerve endings. It could fry his brain, killing him!" He cautioned.

"Right. But who planted it? And why?" Captain America questioned. As he finished speaking, the door behind them opened and She-Hulk stole into the cell.

"How's he doing?" She asked.

"We found an implant." Cap stated quickly. "Not sure who or what it's doing there, but-" He was cut off as Bruce awoke with a gasp, only to cry out in pain and clutch the back of his head.

"Wasp! Get out of there, now!" Connor cried as Bruce continued to react violently. The heroine made her exit not a moment too soon, as Bruce transformed into Hulk in an almost instantaneous fashion. He grabbed Cap and slammed him up against the nearest wall, a single meaty hand covering the near-entirety of his body.

"Connor, I could feel it in there. Some sort of high frequency signal!" Janet described. Her boyfriend snapped his fingers in realization.

"Of course! It's a remote link to his nerves so they can trigger pain impulses and cause his Hulk-outs on command! Whoever did this has been trying to frame him the whole time!"

"Less… talking, more… action!" Cap gasped.

"Right!" Connor scrambled for a plan. "Jen, hold his arm still so he doesn't crush Cap! Wasp, use your biostings to try and sever the physical link while I shut it down from outside, aim for where the metal meets his skin and try not to zap any circuits!" The trio moved like lightening, Jennifer wrapping two arms around her cousins outstretched hand to try and pry him loose as Wasp unleashed a concentrated beam of biostings around the circumference of the implant. Cybernaut laid a finger on the device, his powers reacting to the technology in a matter of milliseconds.

In the first millisecond he read the 'language' of the implant. In the second millisecond he understood and deciphered it. In the third millisecond he began ordering programming blocks, shutting down the implant from within.

Janet finished her work almost at the same time Connor did and together they plucked the implant free from the back of Hulk's neck. The gamma giant lost all strength and fell forward, releasing Captain America as Jennifer stooped beside her cousin. "Hulk? You alright?" Steve questioned.

"It wasn't you." Hulk gasped, the first sane words he'd spoken in a while. "You didn't betray me, did you?" He said, speaking directly to Cap.

"No, I didn't." Steve promised. Hulk nodded vaguely and then looked up, taking in the sight of Jennifer. It took him a moment of scrutiny as his mind and Banner's found coherency again.

"Jenny…?" He trailed off in surprise.

"Hey, cousin." She replied with a smile.

"Why're you green?" Hulk grunted as he tried to stand.

"Long story short, not only is your blood compatible with mine but so's your gamma." She explained, helping him up.

"I'm… Sorry." Hulk apologized.

"Don't be, big guy." Jen replied, patting his beefy arm. "Besides, I kinda like being a She-Hulk." Hulk smirked.

"Cute name." He sniggered.

"Hulk," Cap strode up to him, holding out his hand and the broken tech within, "this implant… who did this to you?"

As if on cue, and before Hulk could respond, a deafening BANG came from the cell door before the door and the wall it was connected to was torn asunder by none other than Red Hulk. Flanking him were Thor, Iron Man, and Hawkeye, ready to intervene. The four tensed. "Captain America, Cybernaut, Wasp, Jennifer Walters, for treason against the United States government, for aiding and abetting a known super-criminal, you are under arrest." Red Hulk proclaimed. "You can either surrender peacefully or you can resist." He informed them, cracking his knuckles. "Please… resist." He insisted with a downright sinister smile.

Hulk wasted no time lunging at his opposite, Red Hulk moving to meet him in a thunderous clash whose blastwaves sent the other heroes stumbling. The Hulks exchanged blows so fierce it sent each other flying across the narrow room of the cell, separating the two sides of Avengers who dared not try to pass.

"I know you had a reason, you three. Make it a good one, please." Iron Man called out over the din.

"We pulled this out of Hulk's skull; an implant wired into his brain, remote-controlled to send him into a rage." Cybernaut answered as Captain America held out the implant, clear enough for Tony to see via his optic scanners. His onboard systems analyzed the technology and quickly broke down the component parts.

"Oh, great. This is based on old Stark cybernetic tech I sold to the military years ago!" He gruffly complained.

"Well, what do you know. Are you pleased, Tony? Really pleased?" Wasp wondered, rubbing salt in the wound.

"I think we know which Patton-wannabe we can really blame!" She-Hulk added.

A powerful haymaker from Red Hulk sent Hulk careening through a distant wall, punching him through layers of reinforced steel and concrete into another room. "Gonna have to do better than that, ugly!" Hulk growled as he stood to his feet.

"Oh, I won't need to." Red Hulk retorted as he pushed his way into the same room. "I'm content to let you destroy yourself." He held up a hand, containing a small remote control and thumbed one of the buttons.

Nothing happened.

Hulk was quick enough to put two and two together as Red Hulk pressed the button over and over, the continued negative response revealing the jig was up. "Huh? No…" Hulk loosed a deafening bellow and plowed into Red, tackling him across the room.

"Let's move, Avengers! We've got a man to help!" Captain America ordered as they all poured into the room. Hulk and Red Hulk continued exchanging blows, super-powered punches colliding and connecting that would've shattered every bone in a normal man's body.

"Don't you get it? You're old news!" Red Hulk thundered. "They don't want a psycho, they want a soldier!"

"We've already got one, thanks!" Captain America shouted as he lept in and smashed Red across the face with his shield. He hit the ground as the other Avengers convened on him, primed and ready to fight. Red Hulk snarled, balling his sizeable hands into fists.

"I'll crush you!" He bellowed.

"No," Hulk growled, grabbing him around the waist, "this is about you and me." With that, he took off in a massive bound, powering the two up through the ceiling and every level of Hydrobase above them.

"They're headed for the surface!" Wasp cried out.

"Which means we gotta move!" Hawkeye urged.

"Wait," Cap paused them in their tracks as he stooped down to investigate their crash site. "He dropped something." Picking up the discarded remote control, Steve had a sudden though and passed it over to Cybernaut along with the implant. "I think I found Hulk's angry button. Connor, can you confirm?" Taking the tech in hand, Cybernaut read them both with his powers, his technopathy deducing the coding and programming of each as he realized,

"They're connected. One in the same. This is the remote trigger for the implant!" He stated. "And guess who was holding it?" His gaze turned skyward towards the hole in the ceiling where the Hulks had departed from as Jennifer took the pair from him. After a single moment of concentration, her frown deepened, her lip curled into a snarl, and her fists clenched around the pieces of tech so tightly she ground them into a fine powder.

"That son of a…"

Hulk carried Red Hulk out of Hydrobase and propelled him through the air towards the nearest New York dock, crossing hundreds of miles in the span of a single bound. Together they crashed into the concrete ground, their landing sending dockworkers flying and shattering the glass on every building close by. Their brawl continued as panicked civilians ran for cover, a fight so spectacular it could be seen from the water as the Avengers pursued them.

"So, this entire time, the Red Hulk was manipulating us, framing the Hulk, and making himself look like a hero?" Wasp questioned aloud.

"Yeah. And we fell for it like suckers." Hawkeye griped as he dangled from Thor's grip.

"Not exactly." Iron Man countered as he carried Captain America back to the mainland.

"Well, I just hope She-Hulk leaves a piece for him for us." Wasp continued. "Because the way she took out of there-!"

"Mayhaps we had best leave this fight to the Hulks." Thor proffered. "The Hulk is due a blood payment from the Red one."

"And Jen's gonna help him get it." Cybernaut mused.

"Uh… what's a blood payment?" Wasp wondered.

"To put it simply, friend Wasp, if someone takes something from you then you get to take something from them." Thor explained. "The Red Hulk has made our Hulk look like a fiend. Now it is our friend's turn to repay him for his deeds."

Hulk was attempting to do exactly that, but Red Hulk was savage. Overly so. While Hulk was doing his utmost to hold himself back and not become a total monster, Red Hulk seemed to be embracing his brutish nature. "Allow me to school you in the art of war! First lesson: there are always casualties!" Red bellowed as he lifted a boat out of the water, one laden with civilians. Hearing their screams of terror and cries for help, Hulk grabbed a crate and threw it at his rival, bowling Red Hulk over and allowing him to catch the boat. He eased it down onto the docks, giving the civilians time to run away as Red Hulk charged back onto the scene. "You waste your time saving civilians when there's a mission to complete! You're too soft!" He sneered.

And then, all of a sudden, Red Hulk found himself eating concrete as Jennifer plowed him face first into the dock from behind. "Who's the monster now, ugly?" She growled, letting She-Hulk come out to play. She drove her fist into the back of his head, only for Red Hulk to shrug it off and force himself up, throwing her off of him. But the instant he got to his feet, Mjolnir slammed into his gut and sent him tumbling across the dock.

"It would appear your reckoning has arrived, traitor!" Thor boomed as he recalled his hammer and set down with Hawkeye.

"Hold on, Thor," Iron Man called from above as the rest of the heroes arrived, "that's not how he deal with a fellow Avenger who's gone rogue." He made landfall and set Captain America down, flanked by Cybernaut and Wasp. "First thing's first, Red Hulk, I need you to turn in your ID card." He ordered the newfound villain.

"This piece of junk?" The crimson brute retorted, holding up the card. "You people are a joke! In a week, I would've been running things!" He bellowed.

"Sure, you would've." Iron Man sarcastically replied. "JARVIS?"

"Initiating self-replicating containment measures." The AI announced. At once, Red Hulk's card began to melt within his hand, forming into a smile very substance that clung to his skin and stretched out to cover the rest of his body.

"I can be pig-headed but I hope you didn't think I'd just blindly trust that red screwball." Iron Man remarked to Captain America. "That's a little nanite-formed, high-density, containment compound I cooked up." He then informed Red Hulk as the solution hardened around him like fresh concrete or silver plaster. Despite all his efforts and struggles, Red Hulk found himself completely immobilized.

"No! You can't do this!" He raged in vain as the nanites hardened and trapped him.

"A little insurance just in case you weren't exactly the lovable boy scout your PR was selling." Tony added. The nanites slowly sapped the gamma from his system forcing his transformation back into his original form…

And the Avengers were completely shocked when the face of Thunderbolt Ross was revealed to them.

"General Ross!" Cap exclaimed.

"Get out!" Hawkeye muttered, equally aghast.

"Odin's beard!" A stunned Thor muttered.

"General Ross is the Red Hulk?!" A shocked Wasp said aloud. "Geez, there's more twists going on right now than your average soap opera."

"This whole thing was Ross' way of discrediting the Hulk." Iron Man stated. "But how did he-"

"ROSS!" Hulk bellowed, stomping over towards the hated army General. "It was you! Always you!"

"Uh-oh." Hawkeye gulped. Hulk was enraged, pounding the ground and madder than ever, ready to turn Ross into a bloody paste.

"Don't do it, Hulk!" Iron Man threatened, charging his repulsors as Thor charged Mjolnir with lightning.

"Wait." Captain America insisted, quickly intervening. "Hulk, we know you're not a monster. Let him go." He urged, forcing the gamma giant to pause with his arms raised high. The choice was his. The downswing would inevitably kill Ross, ridding him of the one man who'd made his life a living hell. But he'd also become a hunted man again, with not even the Avengers being able to intervene. No one would be able to save him.

Was going back to that old life really worth it?

In the end, he made up his mind, and vented his anger with a heavy sigh as he lowered his arms. "Hulk knows a real monster when he sees one." He said, glaring right at Ross.

"I knew it," the General scoffed, "you're too soft." Then, She-Hulk stepped up and pressed past Hulk.

"Don't worry, cousin. I'm not afraid to besmirch my reputation a little." She remarked, cracking her knuckles. "Stark, how tough are those nanites?"

"Well… tough enough to freeze a Hulk-like person in place." Tony mused.

"So that means tough enough to absorb the strength of a Hulk-like blow with no damage dealt?" She-Hulk wondered with a grin.

"Uh… in theory-" Tony trailed off.

"Good enough for me!" She-Hulk said with a gleam in her eye. Winding up, she delivered a powerful punch to Ross' nanite-encrusted chest that pitched him into a nearby shipping container where he disappeared from view. Wringing out her fist, she smiled to herself. "Been wanting to do that for years." She-Hulk said aloud. Hulk chuckled behind her.

"Nice arm." He complimented.

General Ross was swiftly detained by SHIELD and taken back to Hydrobase where he was promptly incarcerated in a similar cell as Banner had been. Lab tests revealed a stolen sample of Bruce Banner's radioactive blood, coupled with a special inert isotope exposed to cosmic radiation, had proven the necessary means to perpetuate Thaddeus Ross' transformation into the Red Hulk, which then warranted his need to be kept in an isolated high-priority cell. Back at Avengers Mansion, the heroes tuned in to savor their victory courtesy of Cybernaut's control over the cameras. "You can't do this to me! I was serving my country! That beast needs to be contained and I'm the only man who can do it!" The General ranted and raved as he thrashed against the grasp of two agents.

She-Hulk laughed bitterly at the twisted irony she just uncovered. "It's funny. He turned himself into the very thing he swore to destroy. I told them he was obsessed, but did they listen? No, of course not." She mused as she lounged in one of the meeting room chairs.

"All I can say is I'm glad he's in that cell now." Wasp muttered with arms crossed.

"Don't worry, Jan. I've got so much dirt on him they might as well throw the key into the Negative Zone." She-Hulk promised with a wink.

"Hope there's no hard feelings, Hulk. You have to admit, it was a strange situation." Iron Man apologized.

"Whatever. I'm still mad." Hulk grumbled.

"Well, yeah, you're the Hulk." Wasp said.

"You guys sure took your sweet time to help me." The gamma giant complained, glaring at most of the team one after another. "Except for you." He added, looking to Captain America, Wasp and Cybernaut.

"That's what friends are for. I figured I owed you." Cap said warmly.

"You'd be crazy to think I'd side with the guy who tried to squeeze my guts out through my skull." Connor chimed in. They finished speaking and Tony passed over Hulk's old ID card. The jade giant held it up in one hand, looking it over curiously.

"Don't worry. I checked mine, too. Totally goo-free." Hawkeye told him. "Welcome back, big guy." Hulk did not seem to share his sentiment.

"I don't know." He muttered. "I think… I want to be left alone for a while." He decided, starting to walk away from them all. The Avengers watched him go, understanding but disheartened. Jennifer rose from her seat and pursued him.

"You don't want to stick around?" She gently asked.

"I gotta clear my head. Take some time to myself." Hulk answered. "You understand, right Jenny?" Jennifer smiled, giving him a hug.

"Sure do, big guy." Hulk returned it, smiling himself. "You do what you gotta do. We'll vouch in the meanwhile." She promised her cousin.

"Thanks… She-Hulk." Hulk replied, bumping her shoulder with his fist. "But, if you need me, call." He added, looking over his shoulder at the rest of the team. "After all… what are friends for, right?" He asked with a smile to let them know things would eventually be alright.

After all, the Hulk was finally a free man.