"This feeling is really… magical."
Floating in the air and looking down at her body on the bed, Natasha spoke with genuine surprise.
Seeing that Dilis had successfully separated Natasha's soul from her body, Linen gestured for everyone to step out of the clinic.
"Dr. Banner, the rest is up to you."
Bruce Banner nodded.
"I ran a comparison test with the blood we extracted from Natasha. We now have a good estimate of how strong the gamma-ray output needs to be in order to burn out the vampire toxin without destroying her body."
He turned to adjust the machine, focusing completely.
"Thank you."
Hovering in the air, Natasha looked at Linen and spoke sincerely.
"You're welcome," Linen replied with a smile. "We're friends."
He then sat down in a chair, closed his eyes slightly, and rested. Seeing Linen relax eased everyone else's tension—after all, he always knew more than they did. If Linen wasn't worried, then the danger must be under control.
"Ms. Dilis, can we talk?"
Tony approached the half-succubus, forcing himself to stay calm.
"I'm… sorry that my parents killed yours. But I want to know—"
"Don't apologize," Dilis interrupted gently. "If you knew what my life was like, you'd understand—sometimes I'm grateful they killed my parents."
Tony froze.
"…What?"
"Master, I'll speak with Mr. Stark."
Linen nodded, allowing her to go. Steve followed out of curiosity, while Hill stayed behind, watching Natasha's body and keeping guard.
Linen closed his eyes again—not because he was tired, but because he was considering the next video he would create. During the twenty-three days Wanda (from another universe) stayed with him, he hadn't been able to make any.
He currently had twenty Creation Points, and after meeting Bruce Banner earlier, he earned ten more. Enough to produce three videos.
"System, since the viewing room has been upgraded to Level 5, that means people with spoiler systems can appear together inside it, right?"
Yes.
"Any new members?"
New member: Peter Parker.
Note: This is not this universe's Spider-Man, but the second-generation Spider-Man.
"Huh?"
Linen was surprised. He didn't expect the system to select the Andrew Garfield version of Spider-Man.
Maybe because all three Spider-Men had already appeared in this universe, and the first and second generations had been here before?
Either way, if Garfield's Spider-Man was joining, the video Linen had planned earlier would no longer be suitable.
After thinking for a few seconds, a new idea sparked in his mind—one that would shock both the Avengers and the Garfield Spider-Man.
With the decision made, Linen opened his eyes and looked toward the treatment chamber.
Under the gamma-ray irradiation, streams of blood-red light drifted out from Natasha's pores. Her body trembled slightly as the toxins burned away. Linen approached Dr. Banner.
Looking at the thermal-imaging display—Natasha glowing entirely red—Linen asked,
"Dr. Banner, how long until all the vampire toxins are cleared?"
Banner studied the readings.
"Approximately five hours. When the red areas disappear and her body temperature returns to normal, the toxins will be gone."
He hesitated. Opening his mouth, he didn't know how to phrase his question.
"Dr. Banner," Linen said gently, "do you want to ask something?"
Banner hesitated, then nodded.
"Mr. Linen… on the way back from Africa, Captain Rogers told me about you. So I want to know… do souls really exist?"
"Of course," Linen replied. "You've already seen Natasha's soul with your own eyes."
Natasha floated over, her soul shimmering faintly.
"Dr. Banner, were you asking about yourself and Hulk?"
Banner stiffened but finally spoke openly.
"Mr. Linen… your abilities are… unusual. Can you sense my soul? Hulk's soul? Do you have a way to solve the conflict between us?
Like… separating Hulk's soul from mine? Or removing mine instead?"
He stopped mid-sentence, unable to continue.
Linen looked into his hopeful eyes, paused to think, then gently shook his head.
"Dr. Banner, I can sense both of your souls. Hulk's soul feels… like a child. He wants to be close to you—he wants your acceptance."
Banner's eyes widened slightly.
"But no matter what he does, even when he saves your life, you treat Hulk like a curse. That hurts him. Confuses him. And yes… it makes him angry."
Linen's expression softened.
"If possible, Dr. Banner, try talking to Hulk. Calmly. Treat him as an equal. Children are easy to reassure—though this 'child' happens to be holding a weapon equivalent to a nuclear bomb."
Bruce Banner fell silent.
He didn't expect Linen to understand Hulk so clearly.
Deep down, Banner had always suspected Hulk might simply be a furious child.
But he still felt disappointed.
He had hoped Linen—the magician full of miracles—could somehow remove Hulk from him entirely.
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