"The answer isn't Loki!"
Dr. Banner was very surprised, and so were the others present.
However, no one dwelled on it too much, as their analyses were based on multiple assumptions and guesses, only indicating that one option was more likely.
It couldn't be taken as a 100% certain answer.
Even if it was wrong, it was quite normal.
"Answerer Bruce Banner will be punished by having one year of his lifespan erased, effective immediately!"
Immediately after, the system's voice sounded again.
Dr. Banner immediately felt as if he had lost something very important from his body.
But he carefully checked his body and found nothing wrong with it.
"What just happened?" Dr. Banner asked, somewhat bewildered.
"Banner, just as the answering system said, you've been stripped of one year of your lifespan." Thor patted Dr. Banner's shoulder and chuckled, "Don't worry about it, it's not a heavy punishment."
"One year of my life is gone?" Dr. Banner asked, greatly astonished.
But this was something he could never verify. Dr. Banner felt again but still couldn't detect any abnormality.
So he didn't pay it any more mind.
"If the answer isn't Loki, then it must be Hank Pym?" Hawkeye Barton spoke up from the side.
He then turned his head and glanced at everyone, asking, "What happens if we answer incorrectly? Do we keep answering, or does someone else take over? How do you usually answer?"
"Barton, there's a reward for answering correctly, so for fairness, each of us only gets one chance to answer," Tony Stark said to Hawkeye Barton.
Hawkeye Barton immediately understood.
The answering was done in turns.
The same applied to Dr. Banner.
"So, who's going to answer next?" Dr. Banner asked, glancing at everyone present.
Everyone started to think, but looking at the reward for this question, the Sobering Bracelet, it seemed that besides Dr. Banner, no one else really needed it.
Therefore, no one immediately volunteered to answer.
"I'll answer!"
Seeing the slight "lull," Captain America stepped forward and took on this "mess."
It must be said that Captain America's personal qualities often stood up to scrutiny.
"I choose C, Hank Pym!"
Captain America said to the big screen.
"Correct answer!"
The system immediately gave feedback.
"Congratulations to answerer Steve Rogers for receiving one Sobering Bracelet!"
As soon as the system's voice finished, a very ancient-looking green bracelet, emitting a faint, deep glow, appeared in Captain America's hand.
Of course, some relevant information about the bracelet also automatically entered Captain America's mind.
"This bracelet..." Dr. Banner's face showed surprise.
Captain America was standing right next to him, and he didn't remember seeing him take out that bracelet at any point.
Could this thing really be a system reward?
"So, this is the answering system's reward? This is... the Sobering Bracelet?" Hawkeye Barton was also a little surprised.
"Captain, what does this thing do? It's not just a bracelet that keeps people sober, is it?" Thor asked, staring at the impressive-looking bracelet.
"Otherwise, why would it be called the Sobering Bracelet?" Captain America shrugged and put the bracelet on his wrist.
Then, he casually explained to everyone, "Under my mental control, this bracelet can emit a specific light at a specific target, allowing the target to quickly regain sobriety, Natasha."
At this point, Captain America glanced at Black Widow, "Your Sharingan genjutsu, the bracelet can also break."
"What about Loki's mind control?" Tony Stark immediately couldn't help but ask from the side.
When Loki invaded New York, he used his scepter to control many people, and this scene had left a very deep impression on everyone.
"It can do that too!" Captain America nodded again.
"A very good reward!" Black Widow nodded in approval.
"What about Hulk?" Dr. Banner also leaned his head over and asked, "Can it make Hulk calm down?"
"Banner, this bracelet can even break a god's magic, so making Hulk calm down is naturally within its capabilities," Captain America said with a smile to Dr. Banner.
"Really? That's great!" Dr. Banner couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
"At least when we bring Dr. Banner back next time, we won't have to go through so much trouble as before," Hawkeye quipped.
"Answering complete. Now playing the answer analysis!"
By the time everyone had more or less figured out the function of the Sobering Bracelet, the answer analysis began.
Everyone stopped talking nonsense and turned their gaze to the big screen.
They all wanted to know why Hank Pym would kill the Hulk in the future, and how he would kill him.
The first scene that appeared on the screen was a place similar to an office.
Two women were communicating in that office, one of them with fiery red hair and an exceptionally hot figure.
It was none other than Black Widow.
As for the other, apart from Thor and Captain America, everyone else was not unfamiliar with her; it was Dr. Banner's former girlfriend, General Ross's daughter, Betty Ross.
"Betty?"
Dr. Banner was completely bewildered. Wasn't this supposed to be an analysis of option C, Hulk being killed by Ant-Man?
Was Betty involved in this?
"The syringe is fine!"
"There are no traces of any lethal pathogens inside either!" Betty Ross was looking at some samples through a microscope and said to Black Widow.
"Then what killed him?" Black Widow asked in a deep voice.
"Whatever it was, it wasn't biological! Your antidote never even left the syringe! It looks to me like a micro-missile was fired from the needle tip."
Betty Ross explained to Black Widow.
"You mean... nanotechnology?" Black Widow asked, looking at Betty Ross.
"I'm a biologist, not a ballistics expert!" Betty Ross said.
Through this brief conversation, everyone present vaguely understood that Black Widow had most likely sought out Betty Ross to research and analyze the syringe.
Hawkeye and Black Widow at the scene couldn't help but exchange glances.
S.H.I.E.L.D. itself had an analysis department, so why would Black Widow seek out Betty Ross for analysis?
As far as they knew, Betty Ross was not an extremely skilled authority in the field of biology.
Could it be that something had happened?
Hawkeye and Black Widow, they vaguely sensed something unusual.
"I think we're done talking!"
Betty Ross then dismissed Black Widow.
Black Widow didn't say much, picked up her sunglasses, and prepared to leave, but she keenly noticed a man's hat on Betty Ross's desk.
"Are you working a side job, Dr. Ross?" Black Widow asked pointedly.
"What are you talking about? No, I don't know, it might be something my student left behind!" Betty Ross explained.
But none of the people present were ordinary. They could tell at a glance that Betty Ross was definitely lying.
She was hiding something.
Just then, Black Widow's phone rang. After she answered, Nick Fury's voice came through, "I have bad news and worse news. Are you in a safe location?"
"Not at the moment."
"Barton is dead!"
Black Widow's expression changed.
"I'm dead? I was killed in the future?" Hawkeye Barton was very surprised, but then immediately shook his head and grumbled, "I knew it, this job would kill me one day."
"Barton, since we know the future in advance, we won't let that happen!" Black Widow immediately said to Barton.
"That's right, Barton, it's not too late!" Captain America also said to Hawkeye in a deep voice.
"No need to comfort me, I'm not a child," Hawkeye said calmly, "I understood and accepted these risks the first day I joined S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Who do I need to kill!"
On the screen, after a moment of silence, Black Widow finally asked, her voice filled with murderous intent.
"It seems his death is linked to Stark's demise," Nick Fury's voice continued.
"Excuse me, I just want to confirm, was I the only one who heard 'Stark's demise' just now?" Tony Stark couldn't help but speak up.
From the looks of it, not only Hawkeye Barton died, but he did too?
But he had already experienced a similar issue during the first question; in the future, he was supposed to have perished with Thanos while killing him!
This contradicted the current footage!
Could it be that this time, like Nick Fury's death, it was also a fake death?
Not only Tony Stark, but Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and others also felt their minds were a little muddled.
"What's the connection?" Black Widow asked.
"The Avengers Initiative!" Nick Fury replied in a deep voice, "It seems our killer is hunting these candidates."
"If someone wants to break S.H.I.E.L.D.'s kneecaps, they've found a good entry point. Who else is on the list?" Black Widow asked.
Seeing this, everyone became even more confused. Black Widow didn't even know the Avengers roster?
And she hadn't joined the Avengers yet?
But Black Widow and Hawkeye, as well as Tony Stark and Captain America, were all already members of the Avengers!
This question was set aside, but another, even bigger question, caused everyone greater shock.
Someone was hunting the Avengers?
Who had such great ability?
Could it be... the first Ant-Man, Hank Pym?
"That's the problem. There's also Bruce Banner and you!" Nick Fury said to Black Widow again.
"If this hadn't happened, I would have been honored, and Clint would have been too."
"You need to hide, but first, find Banner!"
"Coincidentally, Boss, I think I've already found him!" After Black Widow said this, she started walking towards a door in the office, intending to open it.
"I'm sorry, I can't let you in!" Betty Ross, however, blocked her way, stopping Black Widow's action.
"Move, don't make me!"
Black Widow, having just heard the bad news, was in a bad mood and had no patience to say more to Betty Ross, so she whispered to her.
The door opened directly, and a head poked out. It was Dr. Banner. "No need for violence, Agent Romanoff!"
"We have to go now!"
After Dr. Banner came out, Black Widow, without question, took him out of the office.
At this point, the camera switched to the skybridge connecting the building, where Black Widow was dragging Dr. Banner away.
"I'm telling you, it's safer for everyone if I work alone," Dr. Banner said, shaking off Black Widow's hand, "I'm practically immortal."
"Then you're lucky," Black Widow said, looking outside the skybridge.
Rumble!
Outside, numerous helicopters were flying in, and many special vehicles were rapidly approaching on the ground, instantly surrounding Dr. Banner.
Rows of gun barrels extended from the vehicle roofs, all pointing at Dr. Banner.
Even more soldiers rushed out of the vehicles, also holding guns and pointing them at Dr. Banner.
"Soldiers, attention! I want all commando units to prepare to fire, follow my orders!" Finally, a person got out of a car and commanded everyone.
It was Dr. Banner's dear father-in-law, General Ross.
"Please, General Ross!" Dr. Banner at the scene was exasperated.
He had just managed to escape General Ross's control, but in the future, would he still fall back into General Ross's hands?
"I am Natasha Romanoff, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent!" Black Widow said to the soldiers below, who were standing by in full battle array, "Bruce Banner is currently under my guardianship, all of you back off!"
Bang!
But Black Widow was only halfway through her sentence when someone fired a shot.
A bullet pierced the glass on the skybridge, knocking Dr. Banner down.
"Who fired that shot!" General Ross immediately shouted furiously at the surrounding soldiers.
"Not us, sir, we didn't shoot!"
But the surrounding soldiers replied thus.
This shot immediately had the scent of a conspiracy.
"Bruce, we'll be alright. I'll get you out of here, I swear on my life!" Black Widow comforted Dr. Banner inside the skybridge.
However, the result was undoubtedly that Dr. Banner, under such a crisis, automatically transformed into the Hulk.
Roar!
The Hulk roared and jumped down from the skybridge, mercilessly trampling the soldiers from the military.
Like a wolf trampling sheep.
But suddenly.
The Hulk, who was fully unleashing his rage, for some unknown reason, suddenly began to swell up.
Like a balloon being inflated.
He just kept getting bigger and bigger, until finally... Boom!
The Hulk exploded directly.
....
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