Marvel: The Enlightened One#73+74: The Death of the Hulk and the Survival of Banner, The Director and Commander of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Very long chapter!

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

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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The sun began to set.

Culver Lake was quiet. A gentle breeze rippled across the water and swept over the shore, waking the unconscious Natasha from her slumber on the grass.

Natasha’s eyes fluttered open, and she stared absently at the orange sun hanging low in the sky.

The next second, Her pupils focused, and she leaped to her feet, instantly dropping into her classic combat stance.

But the shore was empty. There was no one around, save for the yellow Corolla with its caved-in roof, and Bruce Banner, who was lying motionless in front of the ruined cabin, his condition unknown.

Wait.

Bruce??

Natasha snapped back to reality. She ran to Bruce’s side—he was soaking wet, wearing only a pair of remarkably durable shorts, lying on the fractured ground. She checked his vitals and found a faint pulse. Without hesitation, she pulled a syringe from her pocket and plunged it directly into his chest.

The effect was instantaneous. The moment Natasha pulled the needle out, Bruce’s eyes shot open.

The next second—

“Ah!”

Bruce Banner shot upright, terror written all over his face as he gasped for air.

Watching him come back to life, Natasha let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

After a few moments, Bruce’s breathing steadied, and the look of terror on his face began to subside.

Natasha helped him to the shore and sat him down against the trunk of a large tree that had been snapped in two. Once he was settled, she finally asked her question.

“What happened?”

“...”

Bruce didn’t answer. His brow was furrowed in concentration, as if he were trying to piece together a fragmented memory.

Natasha didn’t press him. While she waited, she subconsciously reached up and touched the back of her head, her own memory returning.

She could still see the eyes of the girl who had knocked her out. After all, It wasn’t every day you saw a perfectly screwed up expression.

Who was she?

Natasha wondered.

Just then, Bruce looked down at his own arms. He squeezed his biceps, a look of dawning realization on his face. He looked up at Natasha, his voice low and heavy. "The Hulk is dead."

Natasha snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes widening as she stared at Bruce, as if she hadn’t heard him correctly, or couldn’t bring herself to believe it.

After all, This was the Hulk they were talking about.

“The Hulk is dead—” Bruce Banner repeated, the fragmented memories replaying in his mind. “—he dragged the Hulk to the bottom of the lake. The Hulk couldn’t get away from him, he was completely overpowered. It was like he didn’t even need to breathe... he just killed the Hulk down there. But... he didn’t kill me.”

His tone was strange, his feelings toward the Hulk's killer were impossible to pin down.

Was it hatred?

Not really...

No one on earth hated the Hulk more than he did. Though they had reached a sort of truce after the Battle of New York, allowing him to control his transformations, it didn’t mean he had ever truly accepted the Hulk.

If given the choice, he would still have chosen a life without the Hulk.

The Hulk had destroyed everything he'd ever had. It had cost him the woman he loved, forced him into hiding in the most desolate corners of the world.

And now, his greatest wish had been granted. Someone had finally killed the monster for him.

From that perspective, how could he feel hatred? He should be grateful.

And yet...

Gratitude? Bruce Banner frowned. That wasn’t quite right either. He couldn’t put a name to what he was feeling.

But one thing was certain—

...

“The Hulk is dead.”

“The kid named Hawk killed him.”

“I’m sure of it.”

Bruce took a deep breath, clenching his fists under Natasha’s watchful gaze. He no longer felt that familiar surge of power that always preceded a transformation.

He felt... a sense of loss. As if a part of him was missing.

Natasha listened to his confirmation, falling into a thoughtful silence.

Just then, the sharp ring of a phone cut through the quiet.

Natasha blinked, then realized it was hers. She quickly followed the sound and found it lying in the grass.

It was her phone. Natasha picked it from the ground, saw the caller ID, took a steadying breath, and answered.

“Director.”

“Natasha.”

...

At the S.H.I.E.L.D.

Triskelion headquarters, Nick Fury—instantly recognizable in his black trench coat and eyepatch—stood in the command center, his hands on his hips. He spoke the moment he heard her voice.

“What’s your ETA for Tennessee?”

“My ETA...”

Natasha’s voice trailed off. She looked at Bruce—at the strange, conflicting emotions warring on his face: relief, loss, even a flicker of anger—and the words caught in her throat.

“Director... the Hulk has been killed.”

“...”

Nick Fury’s expression froze.

His single eye narrowed.

Standing next to him, Commander Maria Hill, dressed in her S.H.I.E.L.D. tactical uniform, was equally stunned.

“What do you mean, the Hulk is dead? Is Bruce Banner dead?”

“No. Dr. Banner is alive. But the Hulk is dead.”

“...”

The Hulk is dead, but Bruce Banner isn't?

The words hung in the air, a paradox that left the Director and the Commander of S.H.I.E.L.D. utterly baffled.

Nick Fury recovered first, his dark face now etched with a grave seriousness. “Report. In detail.”

Natasha complied, starting from the moment she had picked up Dr. Banner at the airport.

She recounted their arrival at the cabin, how they were just about to leave for Tennessee when Hawk had appeared, seeking revenge for his sister.

She then detailed the fight... how Hawk, who couldn’t have been more than twenty, had gone toe-to-toe with the Hulk, dragged him into the lake, and killed him in the depths.

She left nothing out, including the part where Gwen had knocked her unconscious.

...

In the command center, Nick Fury and Maria Hill listened to her report, utterly speechless.

When Natasha mentioned being taken out by another girl, also under twenty-one, the corner of Maria Hill's mouth twitched.

Nick Fury’s breath hitched.

Unbelievable.

A top S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, the super-spy known as the Black Widow, was taken out by a girl who wasn’t even old enough to drink?

This had to be a joke...

Natasha sensed the stunned silence on the other end. “I apologize, Director. It all happened too fast. I didn’t have time to properly assess the situation.”

Thinking back on it now, she realized how careless she had been.

Why would a random teenage girl just happen to be there, at that exact moment?

But at the time, she had just regained consciousness after the shockwave, her head was still fuzzy, and Gwen had been unarmed. She hadn’t seemed like a threat.

And the result was a story she'd never live down. The thought of this embarrassing mark on her permanent record sent a wave of melancholy through Natasha.

Just then, Maria Hill’s voice came over the line.

“This girl who knocked you out—do you think she was with him? With Hawk?”

“Without a doubt.”

Natasha’s confirmation was instant. Then she frowned, another thought occurring to her.

“However...”

“Go on,” Nick Fury said, his voice low.

Natasha relayed what Bruce had told her—that after the Hulk was dead, Hawk could have just left him at the bottom of the lake to drown, but had chosen to save him instead.

And her, as well.

Natasha then remembered something Hawk had said.

“My score is with the one responsible.”

Natasha clarified, “From the very beginning, Hawk said he was only there for the Hulk. He was there for revenge.”

So... That’s why he didn’t kill Natasha or Bruce Banner?

'He has principles.'

Maria Hill thought to herself.

But Nick Fury clearly saw it differently.

"Heh."

Standing with his hands on his hips, Nick Fury let out a cold laugh. “Natasha, you said he knew your name from the start? And that he knew you were from S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

Natasha was pulled back to the moment.

“Yes.”

“He’s afraid. He doesn’t want to make an enemy of us.”

“...”

Natasha fell silent.

Maria Hill looked at Nick Fury, a slight frown on her face.

She didn’t agree with his assessment.

They all knew how powerful the Hulk was. They had dropped him from thirty thousand feet in a glass cage, and it hadn’t killed him.

But this Hawk had.

Maria was about to voice her objection, but Nick Fury was already speaking again.

“This name, ‘Hawk.’ Is that all you have? Any other details?”

“...One moment.”

Natasha blinked, then scanned her surroundings. Her eyes landed on the wrecked Corolla. “Director, there’s a car here. It looks like it belongs to them.”

Fury's eye lit up.

“GW521!”

"Trace it. Now."

Fury barked the order at a nearby agent.

The agent nodded and began typing furiously at his keyboard.

...