What You Wanted: the Hulk

"Hey, what's with the big guy? What's he freaking out about?"

Watching Bruce Banner twitch uncontrollably, one of the soldiers on guard below asked curiously.

"Who knows? He's been muttering to himself nonstop. It's like there's someone standing in front of him, even though there's nobody there."

Another soldier chimed in. As far as he was concerned, the Hulk had definitely gone crazy, and General Ross's plans were surely doomed. He might even get dismissed.

As for ordinary soldiers like them, who knew where they'd be reassigned afterward?

Of course, he hoped even more that the Hulk wouldn't come back.

Every time they fought that big green guy, they were nothing but cannon fodder. They might not even get compensation if they died.

They weren't stupid. If they could fire a few shots at the big green guy, that was enough to say they'd done their duty to General Ross.

"Guys, should we tell General Ross about this? The Hulk doesn't look right."

The first soldier couldn't help saying. Seeing the Hulk like this frightened him.

If the Hulk transformed again, they'd be done for. Even if they were prepared, there was no telling whether they could handle the big guy.

"Forget it. I don't want to get chewed out for reporting something this trivial. Besides, he's busy explaining himself to his superiors. He doesn't have time to listen to our pointless reports."

While the soldiers debated, both confused and frightened by Bruce Banner's abnormal state, something changed.

A low, drawn-out roar rang out.

To the soldiers' horror, Bruce Banner's body began to undergo a dramatic transformation.

His body suddenly swelled, just as it had during his previous transformation.

But unlike before, his skin was no longer simply green. It was covered in shifting, dark red patterns that crawled over his body like living things. Every pulse released a terrifying wave of energy.

He was no longer a big green guy. Now he was a big red guy.

Perhaps they could call him the Red Hulk?

His muscles ballooned to an unprecedented size. Each one looked like steel forged in magma, brimming with explosive power. He seemed even more powerfully built than before.

"No! He's transforming!" cried a trembling soldier, his voice filled with barely restrained terror.

The soldiers around him backed away, their weapons shaking in their hands.

They were all veterans who had taken part in the operations against the Hulk. If the Hulk completely lost control, this military base would be reduced to ruins.

Everyone here would be lucky to leave behind an intact corpse. Only Yahweh's protection could save them.

The ropes that could restrain Banner couldn't hold Khorne's Champion Warrior. Banner easily broke free.

But as soon as he landed, a huge cage dropped from above and covered him.

"Don't worry, guys! The general had this cage specially made to contain that beast. He—he can't get out!"

The instant he finished speaking, his voice was drowned out by the deafening shriek of tearing metal.

Banner grabbed the bars and yanked at them, as if he could crush even steel with ease.

The cage twisted and buckled under his furious struggle. Metal fragments flew everywhere, tracing bright arcs through the air like fireworks.

"Guys, we should—"

The soldier was about to fight back, but before he could finish, he looked around. The spots where his brothers had been standing were now completely empty.

"Maybe I should leave, too."

The soldier said dazedly, but unfortunately, it was already too late.

Banner tore the cage apart, then brought one huge hand down over the soldier's head.

"Banner, maybe there's been a misunderstanding between us?"

Those were the last words he would ever say.

"I told you, the Hulk is still here! My research hasn't failed!"

General Ross roared furiously and slammed down the phone.

His idiot superior had questioned him over nothing but rumors.

Super Soldiers weren't easy to create, and they weren't cheap.

He had already captured Bruce Banner. Surely, they'd have results from their research soon.

As long as Bruce Banner transformed into the Hulk again, everything would be fine!

"General! General, we've got a problem!"

A soldier rushed into General Ross's office in a panic.

"What is it? Why are you running around like that?" General Ross frowned and glared at the soldier, though an inexplicable sense of foreboding stirred inside him.

"General, the Hulk... No, the Red Hulk! Bruce Banner... He escaped from the cage and is rampaging through the base!" the soldier reported between gasps, his voice unmistakably frightened.

"What?! The Red Hulk?" General Ross's expression changed drastically. He jumped to his feet, sending the papers in his hands scattering across the floor.

Then came a surge of elation. Who cared whether he was the Hulk or the Red Hulk? As long as he could turn into a giant, that was enough. But the cage hadn't held him?

"Yes, General! His skin turned dark red, and he's even stronger than before. He tore the cage apart with ease!" the soldier hurriedly explained, terror filling his eyes.

General Ross's heart sank as he came down from his initial excitement.

He realized the situation was far worse than he'd imagined. If the Red Hulk's strength really was that terrifying, the entire base—and perhaps the whole project—could be facing destruction.

As the soldier gave his report in fits and starts, General Ross understood one thing.

Every precaution he'd taken against the Hulk going berserk had failed. He hadn't even considered that the big guy could change color.

"General, we have to get out of here!" An aide rushed in and grabbed General Ross, trying to pull him away. But General Ross seemed rooted to the spot, his eyes filled with frustration and despair.

"No, I can't leave. My research, my Super Soldier program... I can't let it all be destroyed!"

He muttered to himself, but the aide forcibly dragged him out of the office.

As soon as he stepped outside, he shuddered. The unease in his heart suddenly erupted.

A pair of blood-red eyes were staring at him.

For the first time—first time ever—Ross and Banner stood only ten meters apart.

Those mere ten meters couldn't protect Ross. His fate was now in the hands of the green—no, Red Hulk he had once seen as his hope.

Banner was walking toward Ross, one step at a time. He brought his huge hand down over Ross's head.