Through the muddy, turbulent filter of the Hulk's memories, Bruce Banner understood his predicament with a chilling, crystal clarity.
The Hulk knew. He remembered Banner's plan. He didn't accept the Dragon Balls. He didn't want to be wished out of existence.
Which meant Banner had no hope of winning this tournament.
He couldn't compete as himself, not against superhuman opponents. But if he did transform, the Hulk would throw away or destroy any Dragon Ball he possessed. It was a perfect, impossible situation.
And through the Hulk's memories, Banner had experienced Smith Doyle's overwhelming power firsthand. The memory of that fist, the blinding energy, the sheer indifferent force, made Bruce's stomach clench. The man who'd given him the tournament ticket had beaten the Hulk decisively. If the strongest fighter Banner could become wasn't enough, what chance did he have?
Could he really hope the other contestants were ordinary people with average physical capabilities?
"I'm in some trouble," Banner said quietly, his voice almost lost in the steady hiss of the rain. "Things might get complicated."
Betty looked at him standing there, shirtless and shivering, wearing only the shredded, damp remnants of his pants. She pulled off her own windbreaker and draped it over his shoulders. The nylon was warm from her body.
"No matter what trouble you're in, I believe you can handle it," she said, her voice firm. "After all, you're Bruce Banner. A genius with seven doctorates."
She squeezed his cold hand. "Let's get out of here. We need to find you proper clothes."
Her simple, unshakeable faith steadied him. Banner nodded, pulling the jacket tighter.
Betty drove them to a nearby motel, the kind with a flickering neon sign. She sent Banner to shower while she went back out, promising to find clothes.
In the bathroom, Banner lay in the tub while water sprayed down from the cheap showerhead. Each droplet felt sharp, like a tiny bullet hitting his skin. He closed his eyes, and Smith Doyle's fist appeared in his mind's eye. It filled his entire vision, impossibly large and fast, right before the memory of the impact.
Banner sank deeper into the water, letting it cover his ears. He recognized this. It was a physical reaction to the Hulk's traumatic memories. Similar to PTSD in combat veterans.
He forced himself to think strategically. What were his options? Was there a solution that worked for both him and the Hulk? Some way to convince the Other Guy to cooperate? If the tournament didn't work out, he'd have to fall back on science. He had to study the data on the USB drive, contact Mr. Blue, and see if they could find a cure through traditional means.
Twenty minutes later, Betty returned, the sound of the motel room door opening pulling him from his thoughts. She set several plastic shopping bags on the bed and called out.
Banner emerged from the bathroom, a thin motel towel wrapped around his waist, brushing his teeth.
"Are you okay?"
Banner removed the toothbrush. "Yeah. Much better."
"You were right. No problem can defeat me."
Betty smiled with relief. "Good."
Banner reached into the towel and, with a grimace, produced the small, still-damp USB drive.
Betty's eyes widened. "You ate it?"
"The situation was urgent. I had to hide it somewhere they wouldn't find it." He grimaced again. "I actually wanted to swallow the Dragon Ball, but I physically couldn't manage it."
"If you hadn't found it," he said, looking at the orange sphere on the nightstand, "I don't know what I would have done."
He touched his waistband. "Fortunately, I sewed the tournament coin into the lining. At least I didn't lose that."
Betty shook her head, a small laugh escaping her. "Thank god Hulk threw the Dragon Ball away instead of swallowing it. I can't imagine how we'd retrieve it otherwise."
She gestured to the bags. "Not a huge selection at the local store, but you can pick something."
She tossed him a small, flat box. "Start with this."
Banner caught it and opened the package. A heart rate monitor watch. He immediately strapped it on, a familiar comfort.
"I actually think a scouter would be cooler for you," Betty said. "But those things are ridiculously expensive."
Banner nodded. "Three million dollars each. I heard they sold over thirty thousand units though."
He looked up. "By the way, do you know what my combat power was after transforming?"
Betty thought for a moment. "I don't know the exact number, but I heard it exceeded one hundred fifty points."
"Also, the scouters max out at one fifty. Anything higher and they explode."
"The person who beat you was Smith Doyle, chairman of Universal Capsule Company. He'll probably release a second-generation detector soon."
She threw him a massive pair of purple elastic pants. "Tony mentioned that Smith's combat power also exceeds one hundred fifty."
Banner caught the pants and held them up. They were enormous, easily large enough for two of him. He gave Betty a blank look.
She grinned. "What? Those are already the loosest ones I could find."
Banner smiled despite himself. "I'll make them work."
Betty's phone rang, the sudden, shrill sound making them both jump. She frowned at the unfamiliar number, about to decline the call.
"Answer it," Banner said, his voice quiet. "Someone probably wants to reach me through you."
Betty accepted the call. "Hello?"
"Good afternoon. I'm Fox from the Fraternity of Assassins." The voice was female, smooth, and impeccably professional. "I'm responsible for coordinating Mr. Bruce Banner's participation in the Dragon Ball tournament. Could you please have him answer?"
Betty looked at Banner, her eyes wide. "It's for you. Something about the Dragon Ball competition."
Banner took the phone. "This is Bruce Banner."
Fox's voice came through clearly. "Mr. Banner, I'm Fox, the tournament organizer."
"I'm calling to inform you that the Dragon Ball competition officially begins tomorrow."
"Our staff will arrive shortly via helicopter to collect you. Please bring both your Dragon Ball and your tournament coin. We'll transport you to the competition venue."
Banner processed that. "You know my location?"
"Do I need to tell you where I am?"
Fox's tone suggested a smile. "Mr. Banner, we know your exact location. Please wait patiently. Our team will arrive within the hour."
The call ended.
Banner stared at the phone for a moment, then looked at Betty. "They're sending a helicopter. The tournament starts tomorrow."
Across the country, similar calls went out.
Tony Stark received his notification from Cross while testing a new repulsor configuration. He grinned and told JARVIS to prepare the tournament-ready armor.
Selene answered her phone in the Siberian facility where she'd just completed her final, painful enhancement.
Xu Shang Chi picked up his call while training in his hotel room. He looked at the Seven-Star Dragon Ball on the dresser and sighed. His sister was also competing. This tournament just got complicated.
Xu Xialing received her notification with satisfaction.
All across the country, Dragon Ball holders prepared themselves.
The tournament was about to begin.
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