Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Hulk and Banner
Nick Fury looked around at the pale faces of those in the room, a spark of resolve in his eyes. He couldn't let these people meddle in superhero affairs. If they interfered, they'd only drive all superheroes to the other side. They didn't understand, but Fury knew: Thor's strength was far beyond what he'd shown today. If things went south, the only way to stop him would be to call Carol with the emergency communicator. But even then, Fury wasn't sure if Carol would side with S.H.I.E.L.D.
…
Thor dragged the unconscious Abomination across the ground, heading toward a somewhat bewildered Hulk. Hulk had arrived during Thor's fight with Abomination, but he hadn't stepped in.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Thor Odinson," Thor greeted, extending his hand.
Hulk, though childlike in mentality, knew enough to return the handshake. His massive hand engulfed Thor's as he said, "Hulk."
There was no trace of aggression; perhaps the sight of Thor's fierce strength had humbled him. Many believed Hulk was fearless, but even he felt intimidated by someone who exuded a raw, powerful presence.
"I think I understand your situation," Thor began. "On one hand, you and Banner are the same person, but you have different thoughts. Still, you're connected and need to accept each other. You should try talking to Banner. After all, Banner's a bit of a weakling, and strong Hulk keeps bullying him. Naturally, he's going to hide from you."
Hulk had lost interest during most of Thor's words, but the last line made him smile in satisfaction. Stomping a foot, he bellowed, "Banner, weak! Hulk, strong!"
With that, Hulk's body began to shrink, gradually transforming into Bruce Banner, now standing in just his shorts.
Who am I? Where am I? Banner thought, confused. Usually, Hulk would only change back after exhausting himself, but this time he'd willingly returned control. Banner looked around and saw Thor.
"I convinced Hulk to let you come back," Thor said.
"You're kidding! No one can reason with the Hulk!" Banner replied, incredulous.
Thor chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. "If Abomination can talk, why can't Hulk? You and Hulk are tied together, and treating him as a virus or a monster will only make things worse between you two."
Banner protested, "But Hulk's so violent! He's caused so much damage, hurt so many people!"
"Maybe, but he's never hurt you," Thor replied. "This time, compared to Abomination, who caused chaos everywhere, Hulk at least tries not to destroy everything around him—even if he struggles to control his strength."
Thor glanced at Banner, noticing his doubtful expression. He continued, "Hulk is like a blade. Instead of running from it, learn to wield it. Even if you can't fully control him, find a way to guide his power."
"Sure, but I could also choose not to use a blade. Violence doesn't solve most problems," Banner replied, shaking his head. He was a gentle soul, always trying to resolve things with intellect rather than violence. It was fate's twist of irony that turned him into Hulk, a being of brute strength and fury. Banner wanted to rely on his mind to solve issues, yet he was forced to resort to force time and again. Life, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor.
It was like working hard all summer on an assignment, only to learn at the start of school that there were answer sheets, and none of the effort counted…
"Sometimes, there's no choice," Thor replied, "just like now. In the end, you had to use your strength."
Thor didn't argue further. He knew that in the future, Banner would find himself relying on Hulk's power repeatedly—and eventually, he would understand.
In any case, Thor hoped they wouldn't end up merging as Professor Hulk. While it gave Banner control, it also subdued the raw, angry power that made Hulk so strong. Besides, Banner's combat skills were unimpressive, and even with the Anti-Hulk armor he wouldn't be much use.
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