As they spoke, 2B walked calmly toward Bruce Banner.
Natasha and the others had collapsed because they'd inhaled a trace amount of a powerful neurotoxin.
Although 2B had injected the toxin into Hulk's wound, the wound hadn't healed—allowing some of the toxin to evaporate into the air. Natasha and her team, standing close to Bruce, had breathed it in.
Just one microgram of the substance was enough to paralyze an adult.
So it was perfectly normal that Natasha and the others had collapsed and couldn't get back up.
As for 2B, she was a combat-type android.
Lacking a human nervous system, she was completely unaffected by the poison gas.
Sheathing the Miao sword behind her back, she walked expressionlessly to Bruce Banner's side, grabbed him, and prepared to leave.
But then Nick Fury shouted, "Hey, silver-haired lady! He's already been defeated by you—why do you still want to take him? Can't you just leave him with us? We have a great need for him!"
"Heh," 2B said mockingly. "So by 'great need,' you mean you want to use him to fight my boss?"
"You've misunderstood," Fury replied smoothly, his expression unchanged. "I only meant to use his power to protect the peace of our world."
2B had seen right through him—but Fury gave no sign of it. His composure was flawless; such mental fortitude was truly remarkable.
Yet no matter how calm he appeared, he couldn't escape 2B's perception.
Not that she was surprised. Long ago, her creator had told her that Nick Fury was an extremely ambitious and ungrateful man. If it weren't for his role in the so-called timeline, her boss would have eliminated him long ago.
They wouldn't kill him now—but that didn't mean they couldn't teach him a lesson every time they met.
"Black Egg," 2B said coolly, "you overestimate yourself. World peace isn't your responsibility to protect."
"As for this big green thing," she added, glancing at Hulk, "my boss isn't really interested in him.
But he does find it… amusing to watch you suffer while being powerless to stop it."
"So if you really want this 'big green thing,'" she continued, "then go beg my boss—with sincerity."
"Miss Silver Hair," Fury asked, frowning, "what do you mean by 'sincerity'?
As far as I know, Young Master Loren isn't short on money—or women. What else could S.H.I.E.L.D. possibly offer him?"
Hulk was a weapon Fury had long coveted—a being of immense power he hoped to wield against Loren.
So when he saw 2B about to take Hulk away, his frustration was only natural.
2B smirked faintly.
"It's very simple. For example… a ton of vibranium. Or something else extraordinary. Use your imagination."
2B said calmly, as if a ton of vibranium were nothing special to her.
However, those words struck Nick Fury like a thunderbolt, leaving him utterly stunned.
"What?! A ton of vibranium?! Holy crap—why don't you just rob it?"
"Hmm… aren't I robbing it right now?" 2B shrugged, her expression mocking.
"You're all lunatics! You think I'd just hand over a ton of vibranium? Dream on!"
Fury seethed, wishing he could storm Morgan Manor that very moment and give Loren a sound beating.
But before he could so much as lunge at Loren, 2B's expression darkened.
"Black Egg," she said coldly, "you're being ungrateful again. In that case… you'd better take off."
With that, she flicked her wrist.
Instantly, a button torn from Bruce's pants shot toward Nick Fury like a bullet.
The impact—terrifying in its force—pierced his shoulder and sent him flying several meters. A pained groan escaped his lips before his head lolled to the side, and he lost consciousness.
Surveying the scene—her opponents either dead, wounded, or unconscious—2B allowed herself a faint, satisfied smile.
I had so much fun today… really had my fill. What a great day!
Her gaze drifted to Gwen, standing not far away. She gave her a small wave, tinged with quiet appreciation.
"You did well today. You've improved. When we get back, I'll give the boss a proper report and try to get you a chance to eat a lollipop!"
With that, 2B leapt into the air, cradling the sleeping Bruce Banner, and vanished in the blink of an eye—leaving Gwen utterly bewildered.
"Does she really have to beg for a lollipop? Is her life seriously that miserable? That guy Loren is inhuman—he's actually abusing a young girl!"
Gwen couldn't make sense of anything 2B had said. She'd been wary of her at first, but now she couldn't help feeling a pang of pity.
Little did she know, the "lollipop" 2B referred to wasn't an ordinary candy—it was a cream-filled lollipop, and it was delicious!
And if Gwen had known the deeper meaning behind it… well, who knows what she might have thought.
Meanwhile, back at Morgan Manor, Loren suddenly heard a system notification chime in his mind.
> [Congratulations, Host, for participating in the "Hulk vs. Abomination" event. You have successfully eliminated the Abomination and captured the Hulk.]
> Reward: One Perfect Hulk Serum Formula, +20 System Points
>
> [Host]: Loren Morgan
> [Current World]: Marvel Universe
> [Dimensional Origin]: NieR: Automata
> [Available Tech]: General-purpose combat androids, anti-gravity drones, etc.
> [System Points]: 80
"Looks like 2B wrapped up the mission!" Loren murmured, a look of pure ecstasy spreading across his face. "The perfect Hulk serum—what an incredible reward!"
He'd sent 2B precisely because he'd suspected this event might yield the Hulk serum. After all, it was far more powerful than the Super Soldier Serum—otherwise, General Ross wouldn't have chased Banner across the globe despite already possessing the latter.
But to his delight, the system hadn't just given him a Hulk serum—it had granted him the perfect version.
From his own experience with the perfected Super Soldier Serum, he knew exactly what that meant: this Hulk formula would be unimaginably potent.
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