Vol 2 ch 38

{My apologies to any readers but sometimes the story will follow other characters. In the previous chapters, it followed the perspective of Dr Doom and his founding of Lateveria. I find this necessary to flesh out the characters more. It also becomes necessary the more I diverge from the movies and the comics. And it makes for an interesting story. And as always, if you don't like this. You are welcome to not read this anytime that you want.

A fair warning. I have decided to diverge from the cinematic universe by a lot. Mixing and matching stuff. So there is that. I also enjoyed the concept of a few Norse Gods and Giants from God of War Ragnarok so the next arc that will take place in Asgard will have a few of those personalities.

Otherwise, enjoy.}

At this time, Bruce saw a green cat outside for a moment.

He blinked his eyes, and it disappeared.

Thinking that was a trick of the light, he smiled as their food arrived. Still, an uneasy feeling in his heart persisted.

After eating the food and some tomfoolery with Loki and Ace,they all began walking home. During the journey home. Bruce kept seeing different green animals just outside his field of vision. Sometimes, he saw a green bird. Other times, he saw a green cat.

Bruce began to get worried. Was this an animal mutated due to his own blood? Such a thought began to persist inside his head. He remembered the experiments that he had been shown. The ones that had been done with his blood while trying to cure himself. Can this be a result of such an experiment?

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a green dog go into an alleyway. He paused and told Loki.

"You guys leave. There is something that I need to check out." Bruce said as he moved towards the alleyway.

Loki nodded to him and then picked up Ace to leave.

He turned towards the alleyway and saw another group of people enter the same alleyway.

Bruce moved up to the Alley to better understand what was happening.

He saw a group of people trapping the dog in a net. Soon, electricity passed through the net, and the animal fainted.

The animal turned into a green boy. One of the men placed the boy into a cage. The cage was covered up by a piece of cloth. Soon, a van stopped in front of the alleyway. The cage was dragged into it.

Bruce was getting angry. At any moment, he wanted to transform, but he controlled himself. Now was not the time. He placated Hulk by telling him soon, but not when their identities can be compromised.

He threw the tracker onto the Van. Planning to follow it later on. For now, he turned around and moved towards the meeting point with Loki. He intended to handle this on his own, but later.

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"So, where is it." Loki came behind Bruce and asked.

"In Metropolis," Bruce answered.

Loki waved his hands around. "You know that Metropolis is Superman's stomping ground, right."

"I know," Bruce answered.

"So, why don't we inform the guy." Loki reminded him.

"Because this is a personal matter. I just discovered that someone was experimenting with a child using my blood. I am infuriated." Bruce said. A little green just out of the corner of his eyes. "And Superman is not infallible. We both know that."

"Yeah, but." Loki tried to interject.

"Besides, we are dealing with a circus. One that also traffics people. I am not taking any chances with that." Bruce ignored the interruptions as he was looking through the circus website.

"So, what do you need?" Loki asked.

"Not gonna charge me," Bruce said. His eyes were on the owner of the circus.

"Consider this a friends and family discount," Loki answered.

"Transportation in and out. I will go as myself, so remove the transformation placed on me." Bruce said.

Loki nodded and made the Kai sign. With a puff of smoke, Bruce was back to his normal appearance.

"I guess that today I am on Babysitting duty." Loki shrugged a mug in his hand now.

"Please, you can take it for one night. I am the one here every night while you go raise hell." Bruce answered. Changing his clothes to the variety which don't explode when he transforms.

"Hey, I am the one earning some moolah." Loki rubs his forefinger and middle finger with his thumb. Showing the universally accepted sign of Cash.

"If I see some cash, I will grab it," Bruce answered.

"Not Cash, gold. Or something that can be sold. The sleazy operation you are going to. There are many chances that the money may be counterfeit." Loki said.

"Yeah, Yeah. Got it. Now, get me in." Bruce said.

"Your Taxi service is here." Loki also gave him a seal. "And break this when you need me to get you out."

Bruce nodded and broke another seal that was on him. He reverted to his own natural look. His hair became black.

Both Bruce and Loki were swallowed by a Kamui Dimension.

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Bruce found himself in front of a circus. It still amazed him that such a thing could happen in Metropolis. The city of the future. One protected by Superman.

And so he found a large group of people. Seeing the ticket booth in front of him. He approached it.

A crowd was gathered around the ticket booth, specifically around one person. Bruce Banner got closer to hear what was being said.

"Mr Wayne, what brings you to Metropolis. I certainly hope that you are not hopping of becoming an elite of Metropolis."

{This is the Author's note. From this point forward, I would refer to Bruce Banner as Bruce B, and Bruce Wayne as Bruce W, because both characters have the same name. Also, I don't want to write their entire names the entire time.}

"Certainly not Miss Lane. Your city certainly has its charms. However, my heart belongs to Gotham." Bruce smiled at Lois Lane.

"It has been a few years since your return. Your arrival heralded the beginning of green and welfare projects. What are your future plans for Wayne Industries."

"Miss Lane, I can only promise you that some exciting things are coming. But please allow your colleague to ask some questions." Bruce W had pointed to another man.

"Mr Wayne. What brings you to this particular area?" The other guy asked.

There was a slight pause before the man suddenly remembered something. "Please forgive me. I am Clark Kent. A pleasure." Clark Kent had extended one of his hands in the form of a handshake.

Bruce W ignored the handshake and replied. "No reason. I was just in the area and heard about a circus that delivers the experience of a lifetime." Bruce W shrugged. "So, I decided to visit."

Preventing any more questions being asked, he added. "Let's not keep the good people of Metropolis waiting. Besides, I have a date with twins after this. I would be pleased if Miss Lane joined us." Bruce W winked at her as he entered. Placing a bundle of Cash and telling the booth operator. "Keep the change."

That had a domino effect as the crowd also began to enter the circus. This was followed by Bruce Banner as well. As he entered, Bruce B and Clark stared at each other. It was just for a moment, but Clark's eyes widened.

"Lois, I am not feeling well. I need to go." Clark told Lois as he rushed off.

And so begins Bruce Banner's hunt for the green shape-shifting boy within the circus.

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(After some time)

Bruce Banner had searched through the attractions but had not yet found anything.

'It seems I would need to go on a rampage soon.' Bruce Banner was thinking to himself. He already plans to formulate in his mind to force his way through a few more restricted areas.

That was until he heard an announcement with a jolly voice. "Ladies and Gentlemen. It is time for the main performance of a lifetime. Please gather up in the in the main Tent for the performance of a lifetime."

Bruce Banner followed the giant, excited crowd that formed. Losing himself within the anonymity. If there was one thing, he specialized in. It was disappearing in crowds. An ability he mastered while he was on the run from the military in the yesteryears.

He was sitting among the audience. A variety of balloons on the stage in front of him.

Smoke fills the stage as a figure appears. He took off his hat and performed a bow before the audience.

"I am Ringmaster, and welcome to my circus of freaks and wonders. Tonight, you will be amazed, and you will be hypnotized." The Ringmaster down on the stage for a moment got a malevolent smile. "But I will not bore you with further details. Let the show begin."

Banner was waiting for any sign of a green animal on the stage. So the show began.

"So, may I ask your name?"

A polite voice asked him from the side.

Bruce turned around and saw Wayne sitting next to him. Seeing him. Bruce began to wonder how widespread his name was. So he replied. "Bruce Banner. A nuclear physicist."

"I see. I believe I am unaware of your name." Bruce Wayne replied.

Bruce Banner had seen a minute raising of an eyebrow. But he still replied. "What can I say, Mr Wayne. Not everyone is as well known as you or Stark." Bruce Banner had decided to play along. It may also help time pass faster.

"Wayne Industries is always looking for more scientists to advance their research. Are you sure that I cannot interest you?" Bruce Wayne asked.

"Everyone is, Mr Wayne. But I do not have good experience working with other people. Besides, I am doing some independent research, which is of much greater interest to me."

"And what would that independent research be Mr. Banner."

"I am not sure as well. But it would unravel the deep mysteries of the why instead of the how,"

Bruce answered. Telling everything but nothing at the same time. "Besides, I do not trust companies and governments anymore."

"And why is that?" Bruce Wayne asked while showing interest.

"Because the first thought that passes through their head is simple. How do I weaponize this? Can I create another Captain America from this?" Bruce Banner sighed. "Honestly, I am here to save a child abused by this system, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce Banner saw a green tiger for the first time on the stage.

"And now for our Finale. An animal which can become any animal it wants to." Ringmaster announced. He threw up a hoop, and the tiger turned into an eagle flying through it.

"To the strongest one of all." The Ringmaster announced as the Eagle turned into a Gorilla and landed on the ground, smashing it.

"To the forgotten and the most feared." Suddenly, it turned into a T-Rex. It turned around and roared at the audience.

The audience stood up and began to applaud. All except Bruce Banner. Even Bruce Wayne was doing a slow clap on Banner's side.

As the applause died down. The Ringmaster bowed before the audience.

"And now we have prepared one more wonder for you. One more mystery for you." Smoke began to rise from the center as a machine rose from the ground. "This was an artifact found in Egypt.

Now, please focus on this artifact." It looked like a miniature pyramid with an eye on top surrounded by a ring of pure gold. A ringing sound began to emanate as Banner found himself getting drowsy. He felt his entire body relaxing. That was the extent of the artifact's effect on him as he felt a roar in his mental domain. He broke out of that Hypnotism.

"Now, please. We would like you to donate all you have towards our cause. We will accept everything that you have."

Banner looked around him and saw that only Wayne looked fine.

"Mr Wayne. I would advise you to stay here. It seems I have a child to save and some faces to smash." Banner said. He got up and began to walk down the stairs. He began to do a slow, sarcastic clap as he walked down. "So not only do you do human experimentation. You also intend to take their wills away from them." All attention was drawn to him. "It seems that you are scum. And there is only one way to deal with you."

"And what are you going to do. I can have the crowd around you tear you to shreds." Ringmaster snickered.

Bruce Banner smashed his glasses as he began to transform. With one step, his entire body turned green as he increased in size. Until the fourth step, he had finally turned into the Hulk.

He roared. Primal fear rose in the hearts of the people. A primal fear of a natural force of destruction. It is a known fact that such strong feelings can break any effect of Hypnotism. An entire human psyche is overwhelmed by a single feeling, primarily negative. Sometimes rage, sometimes fear. But imagine a rage that burns your whole body as it goes into hyperdrive. Overwhelming reason and every other emotion. Now imagine fear overwhelming any other emotion or logic. Causing you to either remain rooted to your place or flee.

That primal fear overwhelmed any other mental suggestion the audience was under.

They all woke up and all attention was focused on the Hulk cracking his knuckles. The crowd remained quiet due to either overwhelming fear and awe. They remained rooted to their spot and looked in awe at the Hulk. For the first time, Hulk had made its appearance in public.