When Bruce Banner woke up again, he found himself lying on an unfamiliar, pristine white bed.
He noticed that someone had changed his clothes. He was now wearing a set of long-sleeved, long-legged lounge pajamas.
"An unfamiliar place, and my clothes have been changed..."
Several thoughts flashed through Bruce Banner's mind before he abruptly sprang up, crouching low as he cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
Five years of hiding had etched vigilance into his bones. Even without specialized training, his alertness and ability to evade pursuit were enough to make the vast majority of agents and soldiers feel ashamed of themselves.
The room he was in was extremely plain, containing only a bed, a window, a door, a wardrobe, and a bedside table. Yet the warm golden decor around him, almost like sunlight itself, gave Bruce Banner a warmth he had not felt in a long time—one he had perhaps already forgotten.
That gave Bruce Banner a long-lost sense of relaxation, and his entire body instantly felt much more energized. In fact, he felt even better than he had while working in the laboratory five years ago.
But he quickly realized something was wrong and hurriedly shook his head, forcing himself free of the pleasant surroundings.
"No, no. This isn't the time to think about that. Where is this? Why am I here? Where did Betty go?"
Unable to make sense of those questions and unable to see the woman he loved, Bruce Banner panicked. He hurriedly got to his feet, approached an open window, and looked outside.
Beyond the window lay a stretch of flat land covered in grass.
"This is the first floor."
He swiftly judged his location, then quickly leaned out to scan the area. Outside the window, vibrant patches of grass were everywhere, glimmering beneath the warm