Marvel: The Enlightened One#69+70: The Demon King in Shackles, At Last, Bruce Banner

The fight between Hawk and Hulk officially starts now, and it will end today.

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In the blink of an eye, the yellow Corolla was gone, disappearing down the road.

Just as it vanished, a fiery red sports car, its engine a low growl, pulled up and stopped smoothly in front of Anna. Her expression, which had softened in Gwen’s presence, now reverted to a mask of cold, efficient professionalism.

A burly subordinate in a black suit emerged from the driver's side.

"Take this to the base," Anna commanded, her voice clipped and precise.

"Understood."

She removed the sunglasses clipped to her blouse, slid them on, and handed over the reinforced briefcase containing the 400ml of Hawk's blood. Without another word, she slipped into the passenger seat of the sports car.

The engine roared to life, and the car peeled away, vanishing as quickly as it had arrived.

The subordinate, his face an impassive mask, turned and walked back toward the docks, the valuable briefcase held firmly in his hand.

A few minutes later, Anna, now clear of the port, made a call. It connected instantly.

"Anna."

"Sir. The transaction is complete. However, there was a minor complication."

"Explain."

"Gwen Stacy was present."

"Hm?" The voice on the other end was surprised, but only for a moment. "It seems his attachment to her is genuine."

"Yes, sir," Anna confirmed.

Just then, a third voice, arrogant and dismissive, cut in on the line. "Sir, if that's the case, why don't we just use the girl—"

"SILENCE."

"NO."

The superior's sharp command and Anna's firm rejection came at the exact same instant. The third man was clearly taken aback. After a curt "Get out" from the superior, the sound of retreating footsteps echoed over the line.

Once he was gone, the superior's voice returned, calm and calculating. "Anna, your reasoning."

"Sir, Hawk bringing her here means one of two things: either he's a fool, or he's supremely confident. I do not believe he is a fool... After our initial call, he must have guessed we were from..."

She trailed off, choosing her words carefully. Even on a secure line, some names were best left unspoken.

The superior chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "Indeed. Issue a directive: no one is to take any action against Gwen Stacy. Our relationship with Hawk is, for the moment, beneficial."

"And besides," He continued, his voice taking on a thoughtful, almost philosophical tone, "When a Demon King puts on his own shackles, the last thing you want to do is touch them. Do that, and you're not fighting a man anymore—you're unleashing the very monster he was trying to chain."

"Let him believe he has a weakness to protect. It keeps him manageable."

"Understood, sir."

"Maintain the current relationship, Anna. Our cooperation is proving to be very... fruitful."

"Yes, sir."

With her report concluded, Anna ended the call. Her focus returned to the road, the sports car a red blur as it sped toward the distant lights of Manhattan.

...

Heading in the opposite direction, Gwen’s yellow Corolla ate up the miles, carrying them toward Culver University.

She glanced at Hawk, who had leaned his head back against the passenger seat the moment they’d gotten in. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and measured.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice soft.

"Conserving my energy," he replied without opening his eyes. "Getting into the right state of mind. The Hulk isn't an easy kill."

It wasn't just the Hulk's incredible regenerative abilities; it was the fundamental, terrifying core of his power.

The angrier he gets, the stronger he gets.

Theoretically, the Hulk was immortal. When Iron Man snapped his fingers, he died. When the Hulk did it—he just lost the use of one arm.

And "lost" wasn't even the right word. It was just injured, something that would heal with time.

Fortunately, this was the cinematic universe, not the comics. Here, the Hulk could be beaten.

Thanos had almost done it. If the Hulk hadn't been saved by the Bifrost, the Mad Titan would have finished the job. That single defeat had been so absolute, so devastating, that the Hulk had refused to emerge again, no matter how much Banner pleaded.

So, the "the angrier he gets, the stronger he gets" theory had its limits.

As Hawk reviewed his mental file on the target, Gwen was doing the same, recalling the articles and videos she had researched over the past few days.

"So, the plan..." she began.

"He has to die."

Hawk opened his eyes and turned to look at her, a small, confident smile on his face. "He's hard to kill, not impossible."

The strategy was simple, if brutally direct.

An overwhelming, lightning-fast assault from the very beginning. End the fight before it could truly start. Never give the Hulk a chance to get angry.

Gwen said nothing, but he could see the worry in her eyes.

Hawk saw it, and his smile softened. "You know, I did consider another plan."

"What?"

"Kidnap Betty Ross. Force Banner to surrender."

"...Hawk!" Gwen stared at him, horrified.

He just chuckled. "I rejected it, of course."

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Why?"

"Because those who start a cycle of evil will find it visited upon their own,"

Hawk's expression grew serious. "My fight is with the Hulk and the Abomination, no one else. They are the ones responsible for my sister's death. If I were to vent my anger on innocent people, how would I be any different from them?"

This was his line in the sand. His vengeance had a target, and he would not allow it to become a blind, all-consuming fire.

"Of course..." he added, a genuine warmth in his eyes as he looked at her, "—you asked me to be a good man, remember? I have no need for cheap tricks or dirty tactics. He will know why I have come for him. And he will know why he is about to die."

Gwen looked at him, at the absolute, unshakeable confidence in his expression, and her own fears began to subside. She smiled back.

"I believe in you, Hawk."

Hawk's smile softened. "Thanks. After I kill the Hulk, we can finally go on that trip with Mary Jane and—"

"HAWK!" Gwen cut him off, her voice sharp.

"What?"

"Don't jinx it! You said so yourself!"

"...Right. My bad."

Hawk saw the dead serious look on her face and wisely chose to concede. He raised a finger to his lips and made a zipping motion.

Gwen’s expression relaxed back into a smile. She turned her attention back to the road.

...

2:00 PM.

High above a private airfield twenty miles north of Culver University, a sleek, private jet descended from the clouds. The landing gear lowered as the aircraft, its fuselage emblazoned with the iconic STARK INDUSTRIES logo, began its final approach.

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The roar of the jet engines softened to a whine as the private plane touched down, its tires kissing the asphalt of the secluded airfield.

The moment it rolled to a stop, the cabin door swung open.

Leaning against the sleek lines of a sky-blue sports car was Natasha Romanoff. She was dressed in a black tactical suit that hugged her every curve, a practical yet undeniably striking choice.

A genuine smile broke across her face as she pushed away from the car, walking to meet the man who now stood at the top of the stairs, a simple duffel bag in his hand.

“Bruce.”

“Natasha.”

Dr. Bruce Banner descended the steps, and their embrace was brief but warm—the easy familiarity of soldiers who had bled together.

The Avengers, forged in the crucible of the New York invasion, were no longer just a team, they were friends.

“So, Tony’s really missing?” Bruce asked as they got into the car, his voice low.

“And Pepper...”

Natasha confirmed, her eyes fixed on the road as she expertly guided the sports car off the airfield. “The latest intel says she’s been taken, too.”

Bruce drew in a sharp breath. “The Mandarin?”

“All the evidence points to him—” she said with a slight shake of her head. “But there’s a debate within the agency about whether this is the real Mandarin of legend.”

Bruce’s brow furrowed. He settled into the plush passenger seat. “What about the others? Steve?”

“He’s in London.”

“Thor? I thought he was going to find Jane.”

“Hasn’t returned yet.”

“And Clint?”

“Tied up on a mission in Europe. Can’t be reached.”

“...”

So, I’m the only one on call, then.

A weary smile touched Bruce’s lips. He looked at Natasha, a hint of apology in his eyes. “But I made a promise to Betty. You know this was my last chance to fix things.”

After the Battle of New York, after he had willingly transformed, he had found something new: a fragile, tentative balance point between himself and the Hulk. As long as he maintained it, he could control the change.

Of course, he still couldn’t control the Hulk himself. The Other Guy was just too savage.

But it was enough...

Enough to earn him a presidential pardon for his past rampages.

Enough, with the backing of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the world’s gratitude, to finally reach out to Betty without fearing that her monstrous father would hunt him down for dissection.

This Christmas vacation was supposed to be their chance to heal.

Natasha’s expression softened. “We found traces of an unknown energy signature at one of the attack sites. You’re the world’s foremost expert in that field. And this won’t take long, Bruce. We think we’ve already found Tony’s location.”

Bruce’s eyes lit up. “Where?”

“Rose Hill, Tennessee.”

“Tenness—” Bruce paused, confused. “Then why aren’t we flying there now?”

A knowing smile played on Natasha’s lips. She gestured to the duffel bag at his feet. “I figured you might have brought gifts. I thought you'd want to drop them off at your and Betty's cabin first. If they got lost or broken on the flight over, you'd be in a pretty bad mood."

The reason was surprisingly thoughtful.

Bruce considered it, then nodded. “That’s a very good point. So, we’re stopping by the cabin in Culver first, then heading to Tennessee?”

Natasha nodded. “That’s the plan. How’s that for service?”

“Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Thank you, Natasha.”

“Don’t mention it.”

...

The drive from the airfield to the lakeside cabin Bruce and Betty had rented was only thirty miles. With Natasha behind the wheel of a high-performance sports car, it took them almost no time.

The engine died, and the two car doors opened in quick succession.

Natasha stepped out, removing her sunglasses as she took in the idyllic scene. The cabin was nestled between a dense forest and the calm, clear waters of the lake, which shimmered under the afternoon sun.

“This place is beautiful,” she said, genuinely impressed. “Did you find it yourself, or was it Betty?”

“Betty did.” Bruce pulled his duffel bag from the car, a shy smile on his face.

...

Natasha watched as he entered a code and disappeared inside. She was about to get back in the car to wait, ready to head for Tennessee the moment he returned.

But just as she turned, a flicker of movement at the edge of the woods caught her eye.

A young man was walking toward them, his steps calm and deliberate.

He was clearly heading for them...

It was Hawk.

He had promised to bring Gwen here, but not to the meeting itself. He had left her in a safe, concealed spot with a clear line of sight, and had approached alone.

Hawk had expected Bruce Banner to be by himself.

He hadn’t planned on the Black Widow being here too.

Hawk continued his approach, his eyes locked with Natasha’s, his mind already recalibrating.

Natasha’s relaxed posture vanished, replaced by a tense, coiled readiness. Her brow furrowed. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Bruce Banner."

“...”

Natasha’s eyes narrowed, her body shifting into a combat stance. “Who are you, and how do you know he’s here?”

As she spoke, her right hand moved, resting casually but purposefully on the sidearm holstered at her hip.

Hawk glanced at her defensive posture but paid it no mind.

Because at that moment, the cabin door opened, and Bruce Banner stepped back outside.

Bruce saw Natasha, poised and ready to strike, and the calm, smiling young man standing before her. He froze, confused.

Hawk's smile widened as he looked at the man who had just emerged.

“Bruce Banner?”

“I am,” Bruce said, his eyes darting between Hawk and Natasha. “And you are...?”

“Hawk.”

“Anya’s brother.”

“...”