Chapter 44: Chapter 44
"I don't think I can let you kill my colleague," I said as Emil Blonsky's gamma-mutated fist was about to crush Bruce Banner.
The electromagnetic shield, bolstered by my telekinetic abilities, absorbed the Abomination's powerful blow. The impact sent shockwaves that bent nearby trees under their force.
A sinister grin spread across Emil's face. I didn't need to be a telepath to sense his insatiable thirst for battle.
"Ben," I said shortly.
"With pleasure," Ben replied, a smile forming on his lips.
The Abomination's eyes gleamed with anticipation. Overcome with eagerness, he charged at us.
"Not so fast, buddy!" Ben yelled, moving to intercept him.
In motion, Ben's body transformed into solid rock. A green, scaly fist met a rocky one.
BAM!
This time, the shockwave from their collision was contained by Sue. The force field created by my girlfriend was strong enough to hold back the consequences of these two giants clashing.
"Johnny, it's time," I commanded.
"Aye aye, captain," Johnny Storm responded.
In that instant, he flew around the battlefield and reached Bruce and Betty. His primary task was not only to protect them but also to set up a point for teleportation.
Ben and the Abomination were locked in a fierce battle. However, thanks to Susan, the fallout from their fight was contained.
"Dr. Richards…" Elizabeth Ross began.
But before she could say more, Bruce Banner added his thanks:
"Reed, thank you for saving us."
There was more to his words. I could clearly see the green tint in his eyes receding.
Every moment was filled with action and tension, as if the whole world had shrunk to this single point in time. Ben and Emil fought a deadly duel, each blow sounding like thunder tearing through the silence. Susan's energy pulsed around us, holding back the destructive forces that wanted to break free.
"I couldn't just leave you," I said, watching him slowly revert to his usual self. "Especially not to Ross's mercy."
A strained smile appeared on Bruce's face. He understood that I was pointing out his mistakes.
"Ahem," Betty coughed.
I turned my gaze to her. The displeasure in her eyes was hard to miss.
"I take it," I began, looking at her, "your dissatisfaction isn't about my comments on the General?"
"No," Betty shook her head. "It's about your gaze, Dr. Richards."
This comment piqued my interest.
"I think I understand what Bruce sees in you," I said with a smile. "But I still believe Bruce's impatience caused this problem, and now we need to fix it."
Betty Ross was about to voice her strong "But," but I didn't give her the chance.
"We can address that after we deal with the immediate issues at hand. While we're talking, your father's men, led by him, are closing in on us, and they haven't reached us yet only because of my actions," I said.
She could only nod in agreement.
"Johnny, you know where to go," I said, looking at my friend.
"Yeah, yeah, the paradise island of stability for our friend with the green problem," Johnny replied.
I looked at Betty and Bruce, who were staring at us with confused expressions.
"You'll understand along the way. For now, just trust me."
Bruce took only a minute to decide.
"I trust you."
With that, Johnny activated the teleportation device, and Bruce and Betty vanished.
BAM
Ben and Emil were still battling, but now it was time to end this fight.
"Sue," I called.
She instantly dropped the force field.
In that moment, the Abomination's body was pierced by hundreds of laser beams, which barely managed to penetrate his scaly hide.
"RAARGH!" Emil roared in pain.
"Now you're mine," I said, my voice resonating in his mind.
Thanks to the distraction caused by Ben's attacks and the excruciating pain from my lasers, I had plenty of time to use telepathy.
Deep within the Abomination's mind, I sensed something truly horrifying. From my research, I knew exactly what this was.
For a brief moment, a Green Door flashed before my eyes. I pushed those thoughts away.
Motivated by that very horror, I acted quickly and decisively.
I erased entire sections of information that could lead anyone to us. Since Ross's people transmitted data to databases across the US, there was no way to completely remove the information about Emil Blonsky's transformation into a monster and his actions against Ross.
I didn't have a prison capable of holding this monster, which meant he had to be handed over to the US military. Killing him was pointless since the Green Door would bring him back, making him even more dangerous.
CRACK
As I finished tampering with the Abomination's mind, he collapsed unconscious, right before taking a final blow from Ben. I distinctly heard the crunch of a breaking jaw.
"Ha!" Ben exclaimed in triumph.
Having dealt with the Abomination, I turned my attention to another matter.
My focus shifted to Ross and his men, manipulated by my telepathy and electromagnetic field control.
Combining telepathy with electromagnetic field manipulation, I created an illusion not only in the minds of Ross's men but also in their devices.
"Let's go," I said, looking at my friends.
"What about him?" Ben asked.
"The Tartarus Project isn't ready yet," I replied. "So, we'll leave him to Ross. Blonsky won't regain consciousness for at least two days."
Blonsky's body had been injected with gamma mutation blockers, which would degrade just in time for Ross's arrival.
—= General Ross =—
Thaddeus Ross hated the jungle. No, it was more accurate to say he DESPISED the jungle.
If not for the Abomination, as Emil Blonsky was now called, and the Hulk, he wouldn't be here.
With the determination of a bull, the General led his men to the location where a battle had taken place just minutes before. The sounds and the data from their devices indicated that Blonsky had fought the Hulk there.
Soon they arrived at the battleground, which looked like it had hosted a clash of titans.
But they found only one monster. The Hulk was gone. The Abomination lay unconscious.
Anger welled up in Ross, but he contained it.
"Shackle him."
Ross's men quickly obeyed, using advanced restraints from their containers. Soon, Emil Blonsky was bound in chains.
"If we lost one, we'll at least take this one," Ross said.
—\\—
We arrived on the island I had recently purchased. Thanks to the immense success of my inventions, which I was ready to release to the world, raising the necessary funds was relatively easy.
Building all the necessary technical equipment on the island, which belonged to me, was just a matter of time.
At the moment, the island had only one building, providing living space.
"Hmm..." Sue looked thoughtfully at the beach where we had appeared.
"Is something bothering you?" I asked her.
"We need to redesign the beach," Sue said firmly.
I didn't see what Sue saw, so I kept my mouth shut. Meanwhile, Ben reverted to his human form and headed for the nearby lounge chairs where Alicia was waiting for him.
"We'll redesign it," I promised her. "But first, we need to finish some business."
I could sense that Betty and Bruce were inside the building. I also spotted Johnny in the sky, flying toward us.
"I'm not surprised," Sue said, noticing the blond.
As he flew, Johnny created our signature "4" symbol in the sky. The flame lasted quite a while, thanks to Johnny's control over the plasma.
"I was just about to head back!" Johnny exclaimed as he finally landed. "But now that you're here, I can head back to New York with a clear conscience."
I just rolled my eyes, knowing why my friend was so eager to return to the city.
"We'll handle things here," I said with a smile.
After all, what was happening with Johnny was a wonderful development.
"Bruce and Betty are settling into the rooms assigned to them," Johnny said before teleporting to the Fantastic Four building in New York.
I looked at Sue, who couldn't hide her good mood, which was caused by Johnny and Crystal finding each other.
"Maybe we could go to the movies tonight?" I asked her.
She thought for a moment before nodding. The sparkle in her eyes told me it was the right move.
"Good, let's wrap up with Bruce and Betty quickly then," I said. "So we can have more time for ourselves."
—= A few minutes later =—
Bruce and his beloved were found on the floor where my future laboratories would be located.
More precisely, Banner and Ross were engrossed in examining the equipment.
They were so absorbed in their work that they didn't notice Sue and me approaching.
"I've never seen such an advanced microscope with these capabilities," Bruce said, peering through a microscope I had designed.
"I'm flattered," I said, making the two scientists aware of our presence.
"Sorry, I thought..." Bruce began, but I interrupted:
"Don't worry. If Cronos hadn't given you access, you wouldn't be able to use the equipment. It's fine," I said, shrugging.
My words reassured Bruce, while Betty didn't seem worried at all. Apparently, that was a difference in their personalities that brought them together.
"The rest of my equipment will arrive soon," I said.
We needed to move the most dangerous equipment from the Fantastic Four Building, as that area was residential, and I didn't want to take unnecessary risks.
"Is everything to your liking here?" I asked them.
Betty and Bruce exchanged glances. They both understood what I meant. I was offering them a more permanent relocation here.
After a few minutes, they said:
"Yes."
Their expressions held a hint of resignation...
"It's not forever," I said, looking at Bruce.
"Reed, I'm a scientist too," Bruce said with barely concealed anger and despair. "You don't have to lie to me about the Hulk."
"I understand your skepticism, but this isn't false hope. Blonsky's case shows that gamma mutants can retain their sanity..."
Bruce raised an eyebrow, his gaze full of doubts about my words and my sanity. It was surprising how much information he conveyed without speaking.
"Yes, I know Blonsky isn't the most sane person, but he didn't lose his identity," I said. In response, Bruce crossed his arms and tilted his head, as if searching for a flaw in my argument.
It was hard to argue with that point. I saw him sigh heavily, accepting the inevitable.
"Do you have a plan?" Bruce asked, his voice tense, eyes searching my face for signs of confidence or doubt.
"More of a rough outline," I admitted honestly, knowing he expected more from me.
In truth, I had a sequence of actions forming in my mind that could help Bruce. However, it all depended on his mental state and the necessity of deeply studying Banner's psyche. For there, beyond the edges of his consciousness, lay the Green Door—a mysterious and dangerous place, and I wasn't about to rush into its exploration without thorough preparation.
"For now, it's better if you stay here," Banner concluded thoughtfully, his voice subdued as if he was already sinking into his own thoughts and fears.
I nodded and added, trying to sound as calm and convincing as possible:
"Here, you'll be safe from General Ross and other persistent people. This place is far enough from Ross's reach that you can finally breathe easy."
Banner was about to say something, his lips parting, but a loud and piercing alarm interrupted our conversation.
"Dr. Richards, there is an attempt to breach the security system of the Fantastic Four Building," Cronos, our AI, announced in a mechanical and cold voice.
With those words, he displayed an image of the event, and the scene was quite intriguing.
"Not a single day without adventures," I whispered, looking at the screen.
At that moment, Ben arrived with his girlfriend, and Sue and Betty stopped discussing potential joint projects.
"As you all understand," I began without turning to my friends, "we need to go back."
Ben sighed heavily and said:
"Walking dinosaurs and lizards... What's next?"
—= Some time ago =—
—= New York =—
Curt Connors made a breakthrough. An incredible breakthrough in medicine. Thanks to his development, he was able to regain what he had lost in the war.
Connors' gaze was fixed on his arm, which worked just as well as the one he had lost...
"Incredible..."
A satisfied smirk appeared on Connors' face.
"Let's see what you all have to say now," Connors whispered, thinking of those who had shut down his project.
In some ways, Connors was grateful to those people because it allowed him to implement this drug into himself so early.
At that moment, a shift occurred in Connors' mind. His skin began to transform into scales, but he felt no fear, as his consciousness began to recede to the background.
"RAARGH!!!" The Lizard roared, announcing his presence to the world.
—= Gregson Gilbert =—
"Why isn't it working?!" the professor shouted in frustration, looking at his creation.
Before Gilbert stood the project of his life, which was supposed to bring him fame and recognition.
He had poured all his genius into this android. It was equipped with such advanced technology that it could perform incredible feats.
KNOCK KNOCK
The professor turned his attention to the source of the sound. He couldn't ignore visitors, as this facility belonged to the government and wasn't widely known.
"Come in," the professor said.
Both the professor's words and the actions of the man who entered the office were mere formalities, as they both knew that the power in this place did not rest in Gilbert's hands.
"Hello, Professor," Mathias said. "From what I overheard, it seems you're having some problems?"
Gilbert nodded. The professor understood that Mathias's words were leading somewhere... to something he was yet unaware of.
"That is indeed unfortunate," Mathias said, his voice carrying a hint of insincerity that Gilbert picked up on. "This project is important to us."
"What are you getting at, Mathias?" Gilbert asked.
"I'm offering to help you complete the project. Using unconventional methods to achieve success."
Gilbert didn't take long to decide and agreed almost instantly, as the opportunity to complete the project of his life didn't come often.
And so, Gregson Gilbert met Diablo the Alchemist, who helped finalize the Dragon Man project.
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