"Need my help?" Banner offered unexpectedly.
Noah was slightly surprised. Usually, Banner avoided transforming into the Hulk unless absolutely necessary. During the Avengers' era, as enemies grew stronger, he transformed more frequently and gradually came to accept this side of himself. But now, he was offering to transform voluntarily, which was unexpected. Had something happened while Banner was in the forest that changed his perspective? Perhaps he'd had some sort of epiphany during his solitary reflections?
Indeed, Banner's thoughts had shifted during his time in the forest camp. Noah, assuming he might be bored, had given him a phone with global network access and protection against eavesdropping. Upon receiving the device, Banner immediately called his girlfriend, Betty. After escaping the military base, he feared being monitored and hadn't contacted her, but now, thanks to Noah's phone, he could do so safely. He spent most of his time at the camp talking to his girlfriend.
During these conversations, he shared the events following his escape from the base, discussed the mutated creatures caused by gamma radiation, and described his collaboration with the Storm Swordsman in combating these beings. This surprised Betty, as she remembered Noah giving Banner his business card, but back then, her boyfriend hoped to find a way to get rid of the Hulk without his help. Now, they were allies.
Banner also told her how Noah had once interrupted his transformation using "Mikael's Blessing." However, he didn't mention the magical bell, only saying that Noah had a way to stop his transformation. He then shared his unusual experience of retaining his consciousness while in a semi-transformed state.
Previously, when transforming into the Hulk, Banner felt as if his mind was being suppressed, and after reverting to human form, he only remembered fragmented moments. But after Noah's intervention, his mind remained intact despite the incomplete transformation, giving him a new understanding of his power.
Betty had always believed that the Hulk and Banner were one and the same, as the Hulk retained Banner's memories. She discussed this with him, but he refused to entertain the idea, dreaming of getting rid of the Hulk as soon as possible. However, now, influenced by her words and Noah's magic, a new thought took root: perhaps he shouldn't view the Hulk as a disease?
Now, he decided to try something new—to willingly transform into the Hulk for the first time. Previously, he had only done so as a last resort, to protect himself.
Meanwhile, two laser beams flashed in the sky above the forest, and a blue figure soared into the air. The sounds of tearing flesh reached Noah's ears.
"If you don't mind, I don't mind either," Noah replied, seeing that Banner was ready for battle. He opened the mission panel to check for new B-rank missions.
As expected, three new missions appeared on the panel: two C-rank and one B-rank.
[C-rank Mission: Hunt for Beast XX]
[C-rank Mission: Hunt for Beast XXX]
[B-rank Mission: Incoming wave of mutated creatures. Summoner, repel this attack.]
[Successfully Accepted]
Noah immediately selected the B-rank mission, ignoring the strangely specific C-rank missions.
"Repel? No, I choose annihilation!"
"Dr. Banner, get ready! They're here!" He sensed a large group of mutated creatures entering the forest and moving towards their position.
Smaller creatures swiftly advanced, utilizing the forest terrain, leaping between trees. Larger, more powerful mutants simply plowed through the trees, relentlessly moving towards their target.
"Okay," Banner gulped nervously. He could already hear the approaching noise, but this was his first experience with a voluntary transformation, and he was unsure how to proceed.
The noise grew closer—the first wave of mutated creatures was approaching. Several green silhouettes flickered among the trees, advancing in swift bounds. At first glance, these creatures resembled wild cats, but their appearance was horrifying.
After their mutation, their bodies had grown to two or three meters in length, their fur vanished, revealing green skin. The muscles beneath their skin bulged, distorting their figures, and their limbs became unnaturally long. Razor-sharp claws effortlessly sliced through tree branches as if they were mere twigs.
But a deadly hunter lurked in the dense foliage, waiting for its prey to come within reach.
One of the mutated cats leaped onto the trunk of a tall, old tree. Its sharp claws easily sank into the hard wood as if it were soft tofu. Securing its hind legs, the cat prepared to make its next jump to a tree several meters away.
But just as it launched itself into the air, a black silhouette wreathed in a crimson glow burst from the foliage with lightning speed and, like an arrow, knocked the mutant to the ground.
A metallic clang resounded as claws clashed against something hard, followed by the sound of tearing flesh. The mutated cat was disoriented and frantically tried to defend itself with its sharp claws, but its attacks were futile. Its strikes were met with the clang of metal, but its opponent's claws were far more effective.
Glowing red claws descended with merciless force, easily slicing through the mutant's tough hide. Green blood splattered in all directions.
Screaming in pain, the cat struggled to break free, but its opponent was relentless. Again and again, the red claws tore through its flesh, leaving crimson trails in the air.
In the span of a single second, the sharp claws rose and fell so many times that the mutated cat's upper body was reduced to a pile of green mincemeat, its lower half still twitching convulsively.
The other mutated cats, witnessing the death of their companion, froze, clinging to the trees. They hadn't even had time to properly see the dark silhouette that attacked them before their comrade was turned into mincemeat. But now, finally, they could see their opponent.
A black body, claws, and tail radiating a blood-red light—it was Warwick, but in a new form. He had shed his white fur for black, perfectly suited for night battles.
Shaking his paw slightly, Warwick flicked off the green blood, then raised his wolfish head and, looking at the cats snarling at him from the trees, let out a raspy, menacing laugh:
"I smell blood… and it sings to me!"
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