Avengers Tower.
Dr. Bruce Banner and Tony Stark were working urgently, doing everything they could to reverse the effects of the gamma radiation that had mutated several Avengers.
"Alright… that should do it." Banner exhaled a long breath of relief. The mutated Avengers had all returned to their normal forms, though they remained unconscious, lying peacefully amid the wreckage.
Stark ran a full scan over each of them, checking their vitals, ensuring no trace of "Hulkification" remained. Only when every reading came back clean did he finally let out his own sigh of relief.
Then, Stark turned toward Banner.
The two men—old comrades, old friends—stood in an awkward silence. Neither knew how to start this conversation. And in the shadow of the Hulk's rampage through Avengers Tower, that silence carried an even sharper edge of unease.
The reality was grim. The Hulk had already been expelled from the Avengers. Bruce Banner himself was now one of America's most wanted fugitives. Moments ago, Hulk had torn through the Tower, and though Stark's Genesis Armor had contained most of the collateral damage, the echoes of thunderous impacts and the battered state of the building had sent a clear signal to the outside world: something catastrophic had happened.
For anyone still living around Avengers Tower, this was no surprise. Only die-hard believers in the Avengers—or fools with nerves of steel—still stayed nearby. Once, people had flocked to the neighborhood just to live in the shadow of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Now, more and more were preparing to move away. Who could blame them? If today it was the Hulk tearing down walls, tomorrow it could be some alien invasion crashing through the skies again.
And here, in the heart of that tension, sat two men. If the Avengers were Earth's police, then Bruce Banner was now the fugitive. And fate had placed him face-to-face with one of his closest allies.
"I… I'm sorry," Banner said at last, his voice heavy with shame. "I should've known better. The Hulk is dangerous—too dangerous. Once someone else took control of him, things were bound to spiral out of hand. I was clinging to this foolish hope, believing I could keep him under control. But I was wrong. Maybe everyone else was right all along. Maybe… sending me away really is the best option."
Stark's brow furrowed. "Wait. What did you just say?"
"You don't know?" Banner gave a bitter smile. "General Ross told me. The government already made its decision. They plan to send the Hulk… to space. Which means me. If not for today's mess, I'd probably already be out there—drifting in orbit, counting stars."
The revelation stunned Stark. He'd known, deep down, that the world would never tolerate an uncontrollable monster like the Hulk roaming free. Still, to hear it confirmed—so decisively—hit him harder than expected.
For a moment, he said nothing. Then, quietly: "I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to apologize for, Tony." Banner waved it off. "This is my fault. I refused to see the truth. I wanted so badly to believe the Hulk could be used to help humanity, that I could control him… But I was wrong. Wrong in the worst possible way. All of this? It's on me. And I have to take responsibility."
He forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, maybe it won't be so bad. The Hulk doesn't really belong to Earth anyway. Maybe sending him into space is the better choice. Who knows? Maybe he'll even meet a dozen… potential soulmates out there."
But as he said it, his smile faltered. His eyes dimmed. He was trying to sound casual, but deep inside, the weight was crushing. He might soon leave his home—Earth, the world that had shaped him, raised him—forever. Alone, cast into the endless void of the cosmos.
If it happened, he would be remembered in history as the first man ever exiled from Earth.
You could almost picture the entry: Bruce Banner, codename Hulk—the monster who brought untold suffering to Earth. Banished to space by the united effort of humankind.
Banner let out a hollow laugh. "Hah… doesn't that sound almost… noble?"
Stark was silent for a long moment. Then he said, firmly: "You need to leave. Now."
Banner blinked. "What?"
"I said you need to go. Quickly." Stark's eyes locked with his.
Even though the Avengers now officially stood against Banner, Stark couldn't bring himself to hand over a friend. Not like this. Not after everything.
"We tried. We really did. But we couldn't stop the Hulk. Couldn't contain him. So we'll say you escaped. That's it." Stark gestured toward the exit. "Now go, Banner. Go."
Banner's face tightened with emotion as he looked at Tony. Finally, he nodded. "Thanks, Tony. If there's ever something out there—something the Hulk can actually do to help—you just call. I'll come. I promise."
Stark gave a small nod. "And watch your back. General Ross won't stop coming after you. And the Leader… I don't think he's done either."
Banner lingered at the doorway, his throat tight, voice catching. "…Thanks, Tony."
With that, he turned and walked away, his figure vanishing into the ruins of Avengers Tower.
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