Chapter 70
High above, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet sliced through the clouds.
Inside the cabin, Steve Rogers sat ramrod straight, flipping through the latest files on Dr. Banner.
Clint Barton leaned against the bulkhead, eyes closed in rest.
Natasha calmly tuned her comms equipment.
And Deadpool…
He was hanging upside-down from his seat, head swaying back and forth, white eye-pieces on his mask stretched wide, mouth running nonstop.
"Cap! Is your shield made of vibranium? Can it block Hulk's punches? If not, won't that perky butt of yours be in trouble? Oh! I heard you and Iron Man have a thing—is it true? Did you two do it on the rooftop of Avengers Tower…?"
"Deadpool."
Captain America took a deep breath, veins faintly bulging on his forehead. "Shut up."
Deadpool immediately mimed zipping his mouth—but stayed quiet for less than three seconds before turning to Natasha with a sleazy grin:
"Natasha! Heard you grew up in the Red Room. Any traumatic experiences? Like being set up with old men and then…"
Smack!
Without turning her head, Natasha delivered a precise backhand slap to Deadpool's neck.
Crack!
A crisp sound of breaking bone rang out.
Deadpool's head snapped back 180 degrees over his shoulder in a grotesque twist.
"Urgh!"
The last weird gurgle escaped his throat before he thudded to the floor, motionless.
Captain America and Hawkeye both twitched at the same time.
"You killed him?" Steve asked hesitantly.
Natasha calmly withdrew her hand and shrugged: "Much quieter this way. Besides, he'll heal himself."
Clint silently gave a thumbs-up: "Efficient."
A few seconds later—
Crack!
Deadpool's neck suddenly snapped back into place. He bolted upright, rubbing his throat and shouting excitedly:
"Whoa! That felt amazing! Natasha, do it again!"
Natasha coldly glanced at him, finger resting on her stun baton.
Deadpool immediately covered his neck and retreated two steps: "OK! OK! I'm quiet!"
Clint sighed and looked out the window at the rapidly approaching ground.
"Hope Banner is in a talking mood this time. Otherwise, with our strength, we can't really go toe-to-toe with him."
Captain America nodded gravely: "From the footage, one punch from him levels a building. We have to handle this carefully."
Deadpool suddenly poked his head out from between the seats: "What are you afraid of? We've got the boss's serum! Worst case, I rush in, hug Hulk's thigh, and call him Daddy!"
Natasha expressionlessly pressed the hatch release: "How about you jump out and try right now?"
Deadpool glanced at the ground getting closer and closer, gave two dry laughs.
"Uh! Let's just stick to the plan."
The Quinjet slowly descended toward Banner's hiding spot: a small village.
Mission officially begins!
The Quinjet's engines gradually powered down. The ramp slowly opened.
Natasha, Hawkeye, Captain America, and Deadpool stood at the hatch. Coulson's voice came through their earpieces:
"Remember—priority is negotiation. Avoid conflict. If Banner loses control, withdraw immediately."
"Copy." Natasha replied curtly.
"Understood." Steve nodded.
"Got it. We're professionals!" Clint grinned.
"Coulson! Got any coffee over there? I'm kinda sleepy!" Deadpool yelled into his comm.
Clint rolled his eyes and shoved Deadpool forward. Deadpool stumbled down the ramp, arms flailing dramatically: "Whoa! Hawkeye pushed me! This is workplace bullying! I'm reporting to the boss!"
But the next second, the scene in front of him captured his attention!
A simple wooden cabin stood alone at the edge of the forest, surrounded by lush green trees. In the distance, the sound of a stream could be heard.
"Whoa!"
Deadpool—rarely quiet—said: "This place is perfect for hiding. Didn't expect Banner to live somewhere like this."
Captain America scanned the surroundings and spoke softly: "He should be inside. Let's go."
The four approached the cabin. The atmosphere felt strangely tense.
For once, Deadpool wasn't trash-talking—just looking around curiously, seemingly interested in the environment.
He'd seen the Hulk plenty of times, but a reclusive Banner was new to him.
Soon they reached the door.
Natasha took a deep breath and knocked lightly.
"Bruce Banner, we know you're in there. But we're not here to capture you."
Silence inside.
A few seconds later, a tired male voice responded:
"Who are you? Government? Some organization? I'm not interested in joining anything."
Bruce Banner sounded weary. Ever since becoming the Hulk, he hadn't had a single peaceful day.
Every day was either running from pursuit or Hulk rampaging out of control.
But he was just an ordinary person. He was happy to have this power—but not in this extreme way.
Hulk's behavior tormented him.
Outside, the group exchanged glances, eyes flashing with surprise—Banner was actually talking normally!
Natasha continued: "We're from S.H.I.E.L.D., under the World Security Council, but we operate independently. We specialize in handling supernatural events on Earth—and the Hulk situation falls under our jurisdiction."
She paused, voice gentle: "Can we come in and talk?"
Silence again.
But soon they heard footsteps.
The wooden door slowly cracked open. A pair of wary eyes peered through the gap at them.
"Just four people?" Banner's voice carried a hint of suspicion.
But when he saw Captain America's face, he visibly froze.
"That's Captain America? I'm not seeing things, right?"
Steve gave a small smile and removed his helmet: "You're not. I'm Steve Rogers."
Banner frowned: "Captain America died, didn't he? Don't lie to me."
Steve smiled helplessly: "That's… a long story. Can we come in and talk?"
Banner hesitated for a few seconds, then sighed and slowly opened the door.
Only now could they see clearly inside the cabin!
Simple but tidy. A wooden table, a few chairs, a pile of canned goods and instant food in the corner.
Banner wore a wrinkled shirt, hair messy, prominent dark circles under his eyes—clearly life had been hard lately.
He watched them warily—especially Deadpool.
After all, a guy in a red bodysuit with dual katanas didn't exactly scream "legitimate agent."
Deadpool noticed his gaze and grinned.
"Hey! Dr. Banner! I'm your super fan! Especially when you turn green!"
Banner: "…"
Natasha facepalmed. Steve gave a light cough. Clint directly covered Deadpool's mouth.
"Sorry," Natasha sighed.
"He's a temporary teammate. You get used to him."
Banner was silent for a moment, then finally stepped aside.
"Come in… but don't expect me to agree to anything."
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