Chapter 72:
Some military base, deep into the night.
General Ross's office was thick with smoke. The ashtray overflowed with burned-out cigarette butts.
He leaned back in the leather chair, a freshly lit cigar clamped between his fingers.
Beneath his gray-white eyebrows, hawk-like eyes stared at the file on the desk.
Hulk Capture Plan
In the haze of smoke, his thoughts drifted back several years.
It was a sunny afternoon. Betty Ross smiled as she pushed open the door to his study, carrying two cups of red tea.
"Dad, stop frowning all the time."
She set the cup in front of him, her eyes carrying gentle reproach.
"I want to see a happy you."
General Ross put down the military report, his hard features softening into a rare smile.
"Dad is happy every day."
Back then, their father-daughter relationship was intimate and unbreakable.
Betty was his only soft spot, the only warmth in his cold military life.
Until…
A man—Bruce Banner—entered their lives.
That polite scientist, with his gentle smile and vast knowledge, effortlessly stole Betty's heart.
Ross didn't object at first. He even admired Banner's talent.
Such a son-in-law—he was quite satisfied. Though different from his own hard-edged style, as long as his daughter was happy, that was enough.
But all that beauty shattered completely after the lab accident.
Gamma radiation.
Mutation.
Hulk.
And his daughter… actually stood on the side of that monster!
"Dad, Bruce isn't a monster! He's a victim!"
Betty's tears and accusations became Ross's nightly nightmares.
To capture the Hulk, his forces suffered heavy losses.
To study the monster, his career was repeatedly frustrated.
And what angered him most—
Betty chose Banner over him, her own father.
Thinking of this, General Ross viciously stubbed out his cigar, a flash of malice in his eyes.
But soon his expression eased again.
Because things had finally taken a turn.
Not long ago, Betty suddenly came home.
She walked in arm-in-arm with a young man, smiling brightly as she introduced him.
"Dad, this is John, my boyfriend."
In that moment, Ross almost laughed out loud.
Banner had finally been dumped!
His daughter had finally come to her senses!
Soon their father-daughter relationship warmed rapidly. Betty even started coming home for dinner frequently, as if returning to the good old days.
Now, the only regret left was—
He still hadn't caught Banner. He still hadn't made that monster who ruined his family pay the price!
General Ross stood abruptly and walked to the window, overlooking the night view of the military base.
"Banner!" he muttered under his breath, fist unconsciously clenching.
"I will definitely capture you and make you wish you were dead."
...
Meanwhile, high in the sky.
The Quinjet silently cut through the clouds. In the cockpit, Natasha watched the military base coordinates on the radar getting closer, a smile curling her lips.
"General Ross."
She murmured to herself, "Your gift is arriving soon."
Inside the Quinjet, Deadpool was acting like a human loudspeaker next to Banner's ear.
"Banner, let me tell you—in Earth-1610, General Ross turned himself into Red Hulk! Got his ass handed to him by Hulk on the ground! And in Earth-90210, Ross actually teamed up with Hulk to open a gym—specializing in teaching people how to smash things to vent anger!"
They listened to Deadpool's parallel-universe trivia.
Captain America and Hawkeye looked disgusted, but their ears were perked up.
"Wait," Steve suddenly interrupted.
"You just said there's a Captain Carter in a parallel universe?"
Deadpool's white eye-pieces instantly curved into a sleazy arc.
"Whoa! Cap can't let go of his old flame? Want me to tell you how hot Captain Carter looks in her uniform in Earth-3490?"
Steve grabbed Deadpool by the collar: "One more word and I throw you out."
"OK! OK!"
Deadpool raised his hands in surrender. "That universe's Carter got the super-serum, lived to her nineties still beating Hydra. Speaking of which…"
He suddenly lowered his voice: "Since the boss can make super-serum, maybe he can research an anti-aging serum too?"
Steve's eyes clearly brightened for a moment. He thought of the old woman he had secretly visited recently.
Peggy Carter, his… love, though they never really progressed.
Banner curiously cut in: "Super-serum?"
"That's the stuff that turned Cap from a bean sprout into a beefcake!"
Deadpool flailed his arms excitedly. "Now the boss's improved version is even stronger—Natasha could punch through a tank with one fist!"
"Gentlemen!"
Natasha suddenly raised her voice: "Destination reached!"
The cabin instantly went quiet.
Deadpool darted to the window.
"Whoa whoa whoa! General Ross's military base! Dr. Banner, your ex-girlfriend's dad is having tea down there right now!"
Everyone gathered at the hatch. Banner's breathing clearly quickened.
"Ready?" Captain America asked gravely.
Banner suddenly looked up: "Steve, can I ask you one last question?"
Everyone paused.
"The news always portrays you as the embodiment of justice," Banner stared straight into the Captain's eyes.
"Why are you participating in something like this now? Like letting Hulk rampage here?"
The cabin was so quiet they could hear the engine hum.
Even Deadpool's mouth shut.
Captain America thought for a moment, then gave a soft laugh.
"Probably because Clint told me—if the boss hadn't cleaned up S.H.I.E.L.D., when I woke up, my superior would have been a half-automated cotton machine."
"Half-automated what?" Banner looked completely confused.
Natasha and Hawkeye both facepalmed simultaneously.
"I'll explain later."
The Captain patted Banner's shoulder: "Remember—don't hold back."
Deadpool suddenly jumped up: "So are you jumping yourself or do we help? Friendly tip—I can give you a princess carry!"
Banner took a deep breath and turned to face the open hatch.
The wind whipped his clothes. Below, the military base's searchlights looked tiny as fireflies.
"This time, I face it myself."
With that, he leaned back and fell into the air.
High in the sky.
Banner felt the suffocating sensation of freefall, the ground rushing up in his vision.
In one moment, he seemed to see General Ross standing by the office window inside the base.
Betty, Ross—this all ends now.
His skin began to turn green.
Inside the jet.
Everyone watched the rapidly shrinking figure.
Natasha suddenly asked: "What now?"
Deadpool pulled a deck of cards from somewhere: "Fight the Landlord? Loser goes down to play with Hulk?"
Captain America crossed his arms: "We just watch."
With an earth-shaking roar, the military base roof exploded. A green giant silhouette rose amid the flames.
They all understood—General Ross's nightmare had officially begun!
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