Marvel: The Enlightened One-Chapter 73: [] - The Death of the Hulk and the Survival of Banner (Bonus)

Chapter 73: [73] - The Death of the Hulk and the Survival of Banner (Bonus)

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The surface of Culver Lake was once again calm and still. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

It was the same below the surface.

The murky water washed over Hawk’s body.

His gaze was fixed on the massive green form lying motionless in the silt of the lakebed, his expression unreadable.

The Hulk.

Yes.

He was dead.

The cause of death was simple, exactly as Hawk had planned. He had been trapped underwater and drowned.

But "simple" was a relative term.

Hawk glanced inward at the state of his Cosmo.

It was in chaos. Even the star chart of the Phoenix, which illuminated his inner universe, was now dim and lifeless.

It couldn’t be helped.

The Hulk was incredibly strong. A normal person drowning will fight with unimaginable strength, to say nothing of a creature who gets stronger the angrier he gets.

The Hulk’s final, desperate struggle had almost been enough to force Hawk into his own Phoenix state—to be reborn from the ashes.

But—

He had won!!

Hawk thought to himself, his eyes still on the Hulk’s corpse resting silently on the lakebed.

Just then. Wisps of green light began to rise from the Hulk’s massive body. In a flash, they shot forward, merging with Hawk.

VMMMM.

Hawk felt his Cosmo begin to spin on its own, drawing the green light into his inner universe.

As the light flowed into him, his shattered Cosmo was revitalized, bursting with a new, vibrant life.

"Is this..."

"Gamma energy??"

Hawk’s brow furrowed as he looked down at the Hulk.

As the last of its power was absorbed by his Cosmo, the massive body began to shrink. The green glow of its skin faded until, with the final wisp of energy gone, the colossal form of the Hulk vanished completely. In its place lay the still, lifeless body of Bruce Banner.

Hawk stared at the man who had appeared, his eyes glinting.

...

On the shore of Culver Lake.

Gwen was still staring at the calm surface of the water, her eyes wide, her breath held.

Just then.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The lake’s surface exploded.

Gwen’s pupils contracted.

The next second, She saw Hawk burst from the water, and a wave of pure relief washed over her. The tension in her face melted away, replaced by a radiant smile.

Gwen ran toward him as he landed on the shore, still carrying the body of Bruce Banner.

"HAWK!!!"

Thump.

The t-shirt he’d been wearing was long since shredded, and his pants were in tatters. Hawk tossed Bruce Banner’s body aside and turned to Gwen, who was running toward him, her tear-streaked face now beaming. A faint smile touched his own lips.

Suddenly, Hawk collapsed.

"Holy shit!"

"Hawk!"

Gwen froze for a split second, then sprinted forward, catching him just before he hit the ground. Her voice trembled. "What’s wrong?"

Hawk’s head rested on her shoulder.

"I’m fine."

"Liar."

Gwen was on the verge of tears, looking at his deathly pale face.

Hawk shook his head.

"It’s nothing. Just... exhausted."

"...Really?"

"Yeah."

Hawk nodded.

His battle with the Hulk, burning his Cosmo to its limits, had left him utterly drained.

He’d been fine in the lake, still running on adrenaline, but the moment he’d hit the shore, the fight was over. An endless wave of weakness and exhaustion washed over him.

But his Cosmo, now infused with gamma energy, was already beginning to recover.

The dim Phoenix star chart was slowly brightening, and its powerful healing ability was already working to dispel the feeling of weakness. It wasn’t fast enough to restore him to his peak in the blink of an eye—

—In the span of a single breath, color began to return to his pale face.

Seeing the life return to his cheeks, Gwen finally believed him. She let out a sigh of relief, then seemed to remember something. Still supporting him, she looked over at the man lying on the ground.

Probably because of the Hulk transformation, Banner was wearing a pair of ridiculously oversized shorts, sparing him the embarrassment of his usual post-Hulk nudity.

Gwen looked at the half-naked man, clad only in his giant shorts, then glanced back at Hawk, who was still leaning on her shoulder.

"He’s not dead?"

"No."

"Then the Hulk..."

"The Hulk is dead."

Hawk’s voice was firm. He looked at the unmoving body of Bruce Banner on the ground. "But he’s not."

After all, the Hulk was the Hulk, and Bruce Banner was Bruce Banner. Hawk had been just as surprised when Banner had reappeared after the Hulk died.

Hawk let out a soft chuckle, inhaling the scent of Gwen’s hair. His voice was weak. "The one who killed my sister was the Hulk, not Bruce Banner."

It was the same principle he had started with.

If Bruce Banner had been the one responsible for his sister’s death, he wouldn’t have wasted time with words. He would have turned him into paste with a single punch.

Every injustice has a perpetrator, every debt has a creditor.

The Hulk was dead. His feud with Bruce Banner was over. That was why he had brought him back to the surface.

"So he..."

"He just passed out from choking on water. He’ll probably wake up in a little while."

"...Okay."

"Let’s go home."

Hawk said, looking up at the sky. "If we leave now, we should be able to get you home before your curfew."

Gwen raised an eyebrow, then seemed to remember something and shook her head.

"I don’t think that’s going to happen."

"Why not?"

"Our car got smashed."

"..."

Supported by Gwen, Hawk looked over and saw it. Her yellow Corolla, which had been parked a safe distance away, was now a complete wreck. He also saw Natasha Romanoff, lying on the grass nearby, sleeping as peacefully as a baby.

Gwen followed his gaze and, with an innocent tone, quickly explained.

"I didn’t want to knock her out. But I saw her pull out her phone, and I thought she was calling for backup, so I hit her with a stick."

"Uh..."

Hawk looked at Gwen’s innocent face and her even more innocent tone. He thought for a moment, decided against telling her who Natasha was, and said instead, "Do you have your phone?"

Gwen pulled it from her pocket.

"Yeah."

"1-646..."

With one hand supporting a weakened Hawk, Gwen took out her phone and dialed the number he gave her.

The call connected quickly.

Anna’s voice came through the line.

"This is An—"

"Get a car over here."

"..."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Anna’s voice returned, sharp and efficient. "One moment, Hawk."

...

Three minutes later.

A black Chevy SUV appeared at the end of the small access road, pulling up in front of Hawk and Gwen.

A man in a black suit got out.

"Mr. Hawk—"

"Keys."

Hawk cut him off.

The man paused, then took a set of car keys from his pocket and handed them over.

Hawk took the keys and gave them directly to Gwen. With her supporting him, they slowly made their way to the SUV.

As Gwen helped him open the passenger door, just before he got in, Hawk seemed to remember something. He looked back at the man in the black suit, who now stood with his hands crossed in front of him, his posture perfectly professional. "By the way."

The man in black looked up.

"Sir?"

"Natasha and Bruce can die, but not today."

"...Understood, sir."

The man paused for a second, then nodded, his voice a low rumble.

Hawk said nothing more. With Gwen’s help, he sat down in the passenger seat, leaning back against the headrest.

Gwen closed the door, then walked around to the driver’s side. As she passed the man in the black suit, she paused. "Thanks for the car."

The man in black replied quickly, "You’re welcome. It is our pleasure to be of service."

Gwen blinked at his almost panicked expression, then just smiled, thanked him again, and got into the driver’s seat.

"Hawk, you could have been a little nicer. The man brought us a car."

"Alright."

Hawk, leaning back and feeling the unprecedented soreness that came with his body’s accelerated healing, turned to Gwen with a smirk. "You want me to get out and kiss his feet?"

Gwen just rolled her eyes at him. She started the engine, turned the SUV around, and headed back toward New York City.

"By the way, my car is still back there. When they wake up, are they going to be able to find us?"

"My business with the Hulk is finished. If they want to start something new, I don’t mind."

"That woman in the jumpsuit, I think she’s that..."

"Gwen?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you let me rest for a bit? I’m really tired."

"...Okay."

...

The man in black stood with his hands crossed, watching the SUV drive away. He then pulled out his phone, made a call, and reported that Hawk and Gwen had left, repeating Gwen’s final words of thanks.

The voice on the other end was silent for a moment.

A few seconds later. "Return. Our relationship with him is very good right now. Maintain it."

"Yes, sir. And the car they left behind...?"

"Don’t touch it. Since he gave no instructions, it means he either doesn’t care, or he has other plans. Do not interfere."

"Understood."

"..."

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