Perhaps there's some truth to the saying "what you long for will eventually come." Peter Parker and Venom unexpectedly saw Bruce Banner on the street, which excited both of them. It wasn't just Venom wanting to get even with the Hulk; Peter Parker also had the desire to fight again.
At this moment, Bruce Banner's appearance here had a lot to do with Robert. Previously, due to the appearance of the Skrulls and the inability to contact Captain Marvel, Carol, Robert had rushed into S.H.I.E.L.D. and confronted Nick Fury, putting tremendous pressure on him.
Nick Fury had already been wary of the Avengers, and Robert's intrusion only amplified his stress. S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't have the strength to resist Robert, let alone other members of the Avengers.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had no way to fully understand the Space Stone. They had managed to create some energy weapons based on leftover Hydra materials and had a few super soldiers, even some imitation mechs. But using these against the Avengers or in extraordinary situations left S.H.I.E.L.D. lacking confidence.
So, when Bruce Banner lost the ability to transform into the Hulk, Nick Fury was understandably anxious. After all, Hulk had been S.H.I.E.L.D.'s strongest asset.
To reawaken the Hulk within Bruce Banner, Nick Fury ordered his team to try various methods, but none were effective. He then issued a new directive, instructing researchers to create gamma warriors using Hulk's blood.
However, after Hulk stopped manifesting, the blood extracted from Bruce Banner turned into ordinary blood, causing the research on gamma warriors to stagnate, with no progress to date.
This issue had troubled Nick Fury for a while. After meeting with Robert, Nick Fury decided to let Bruce Banner out to see if a change of environment and mindset could bring Hulk back.
Of course, Bruce Banner might seem to be out for a stroll alone, but there was no way S.H.I.E.L.D. would let such a valuable asset roam freely. A group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, including some super soldiers, followed him, with their commander Coulson in charge.
Coulson was Nick Fury's most trusted subordinate. Although Brock Rumlow seemed loyal, he didn't fit Nick Fury's style as well as Coulson did. Coulson treated this mission as a vacation, a chance to relax.
Bruce Banner, on the other hand, was far from at ease. His time at S.H.I.E.L.D. had been anything but pleasant.
When he first joined S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury had been respectful and friendly, seemingly eager to help with his Hulk problem. Even though Bruce Banner knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. only wanted to use Hulk's power, they at least maintained a façade of cooperation.
But after Hulk stopped appearing, things changed completely. While Bruce was happy about not transforming into Hulk anymore, he still agreed to the blood tests to ensure he had indeed returned to normal.
At first, the researchers acted normally. But being a top biologist, Bruce Banner quickly realized that they weren't just monitoring his health—they were trying to resurrect the Hulk. When he confronted them, their attitude changed drastically, and they urged him to cooperate, warning that things wouldn't end well otherwise.
Banner was frustrated. No one wants to be treated like a lab rat, but without Hulk, Bruce had no leverage against S.H.I.E.L.D., let alone the power to resist them.
Bruce tried reaching out to Nick Fury and Black Widow, who had seemed friendly when bringing him into S.H.I.E.L.D. However, Black Widow was supposedly on a mission and unreachable, and as for Nick Fury, he was the one who had issued these orders, so seeing Bruce was out of the question.
If Nick Fury avoided him, there was still a way out. If Bruce did transform back into Hulk, Nick Fury could claim it was all a misunderstanding, blaming rogue agents and even offering them up to appease Banner, smoothing things over.
Under these circumstances, Bruce Banner's life was miserable. He had lost weight and looked pale, weak even. Despite being outside, his expression showed no signs of relaxation.
"What should I do?" Bruce pondered as he wandered aimlessly. "Even though I'm alone, I know Coulson and those S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are lurking nearby…"
"Escaping under their noses is impossible. Even if Hulk came out, there'd be no guarantee of success, and it would surely cause a lot of chaos and destruction…"
"I know why they let me out—they're trying to see if a change in environment will bring out the Hulk. If that happens, I'll be recaptured. But if nothing changes, how long before they lose patience and take me back anyway?"
"Damn it! Where's Hulk when I need him? How can I, alone, fight against a behemoth like S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
As Bruce Banner was lost in thought, he suddenly noticed a figure in front of him. Without even looking up, he instinctively tried to step aside.
"Something's wrong!" Meanwhile, Coulson, who had been monitoring Bruce, suddenly realized that the figure was none other than Peter Parker. Alarmed, he immediately shouted to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, "Move in!"
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
At Coulson's command, several agents quickly surrounded Bruce Banner and Peter Parker. Peter, however, didn't seem interested in stopping them and simply watched calmly.
"Y-you're Spider-Man?!" Realizing the situation, Bruce Banner looked up and immediately recognized Peter Parker, not from any memory of fighting Hulk but because Spider-Man was a household name.
"Mr. Spider-Man, what brings you here?" Bruce Banner's words had barely left his mouth when Coulson stepped out from the circle of agents, smiling as he approached Peter and asked softly.
"What I do, I don't need to report to you," Peter Parker replied dismissively before turning to Bruce Banner. "I'm here for him…"
"Sorry, we don't have the authority to interfere with Avengers operations. However, this Mr. Banner is with S.H.I.E.L.D., so we can't just stand by," Coulson replied with a smile, still calm. "Mr. Spider-Man, you have a good reputation. Surely, you wouldn't want to tarnish it by clashing with an official organization, which could affect how New Yorkers view you…"
Peter Parker already had little love for S.H.I.E.L.D. He had let Black Widow off the hook because she had stopped Hulk from attacking him. But he was well aware that S.H.I.E.L.D. had conspired with other agencies to target the Avengers.
Moreover, Peter knew that the idea of the Avengers was initially proposed by Nick Fury. However, he never managed to establish it before Tony Stark, Steve, and Robert stepped in. So there was always tension between the two sides.
"Ha…" Peter let out a sarcastic laugh, about to retort, when Bruce Banner suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Peter's arm.
Peter's spider-sense didn't trigger because Bruce had no malice or strength in his grip; in fact, he seemed desperate.
"Spider-Man! I didn't join S.H.I.E.L.D. voluntarily! They forced me, keeping me captive and drawing my blood for experiments. I can't stand this anymore. Please, take me away!" Bruce Banner pleaded, his desperation clear in his voice, causing Coulson's expression to change drastically. The surrounding agents also raised their weapons, aiming at Peter and Bruce.
Recognizing Peter, Bruce knew this might be his only chance to escape S.H.I.E.L.D. After all, few entities in the world didn't fear S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Avengers were one of them.
So, Bruce Banner decisively placed all his hopes on Peter Parker. After all, the Avengers had a much better reputation than S.H.I.E.L.D.
"What the heck?!" Peter Parker was stunned by Bruce Banner's plea and even more so when he saw the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents aiming their weapons at him.
Peter had come to challenge Bruce Banner, not help him. How had things escalated to this point?
"Mr. Banner, please be careful with your words. Defaming a government agency carries legal consequences. And by leaking S.H.I.E.L.D. information, you've already violated our agreement. I hope you'll realize your mistake before it's too late. American law isn't just for show!" Coulson, still maintaining his composure, warned Bruce Banner seriously.
"You know the truth, you smiling tiger!" Bruce Banner retorted, glaring at Coulson. "If Hulk could still come out, would you dare talk to me like this? And do you think I gave myself all these needle marks?"
Bruce rolled up his sleeve, revealing his pale arm covered in frightening needle scars, making even Peter Parker uncomfortable.
If, before Bruce questioned the researchers, they had been somewhat gentle, after his questioning and failure to contact Black Widow or Nick Fury, they showed no mercy. Under pressure from above, they had continued drawing blood from Bruce, desperate to produce results.
"Well, well! People say spy organizations are dirty, and now I see it firsthand!" Peter Parker, witnessing Bruce Banner's condition, was furious.
Though he had come to confront Hulk, Hulk wasn't around, and seeing S.H.I.E.L.D. treat Bruce as a lab rat, Peter couldn't just stand by and do nothing!
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