Hulk
880 Words
Celestian leaned back slightly, his voice calm but precise. “Every mind constantly churns with countless thoughts. In Chinese medicine, we classify them under the Seven Emotions: joy, anger, worry, contemplation, grief, fear, and shock.”
The second Celestian mentioned anger, Bruce Banner instinctively straightened in his seat, bracing to hear more.
“In Chinese theory, we talk about the Seven Emotions and the Six Desires. The Seven Emotions: joy, anger, worry, contemplation, grief, fear, shock. The Six Desires: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind—basic physiological wants or urges. Together, they cover almost everything a person experiences in life.”
Celestian took a deep breath, his eyes locked on Banner. “I don’t know exactly how that energy inside you manifests, but anger is the key. When it reaches its peak, it’s an incredibly powerful force. And that force inside you? You triggered it.”
He continued, voice low, measured: “What you need to do now is gain full control over it.”
Banner studied him, the weight of those words sinking in. He grabbed the tea cup on the table and drank a long gulp before speaking. “I don’t fully understand what you’re saying, but I can feel… something inside me resonates with what you’re describing.”
Celestian nodded subtly. The stories he was telling weren’t literally what Banner had gone through—but the principles, the parallels—they still held meaning.
“So… what you’re saying is there’s a conscious presence in me controlling this anger, this force inside me. I call it… the Hulk.” Banner didn’t hide it. He leaned forward, exposing the truth plainly. “Mr. Ling… is there a way to destroy it? To get rid of it completely?”
Celestian shook his head slowly. “Destroy it? Impossible. Banner… that consciousness inside you is part of you. To destroy it is to destroy yourself. You and the Hulk? You’re linked, one life, one death. You live—he lives. You die—he dies.”
Hearing that, Banner sagged slightly, as if he’d exhaled his last breath. He lowered his head and sat in silence for a long moment.
“Dr. Banner,” Celestian said, refilling his tea, “according to Eastern philosophy, as long as you live, the Hulk will always exist. Even if you somehow manage to ‘destroy’ him, as long as your body survives, he’ll have a chance to return.”
Banner drained the refilled cup, wordless, motionless.
Celestian watched him, trying to gauge the man’s despair. He didn’t need to pry why Banner wanted the Hulk gone—too many innocents had been hurt, and Banner had no control. Still, Celestian leaned forward, voice steady: “Destroying the Hulk entirely? Not possible. But separating him from your body? That’s not a fantasy.”
“Separate him?” Banner’s eyes snapped up, a glimmer of hope cutting through the darkness. “How?”
Celestian considered, then spoke slowly. “Think of it like conjoined twins, each with their own consciousness but physically linked. In medicine, that’s not a death sentence. To solve your problem… we need to approach it the same way.”
Hope sparked in Banner’s eyes. He rose, urgent. “Mr. Ling… tell me. How do we do it?”
“Calm down, Doctor,” Celestian said, gesturing for him to sit. He measured his words. “Separating the Hulk will be difficult. You first need solid control over him. Expect resistance—he’s strong, powerful. No one knows better than you. You must maintain control, or the process fails.”
Banner let out a bitter smile. “If I can control him fully… then why destroy him at all?” He nodded grimly. “I’ll try. I’ll do my best to keep him in check.”
Celestian’s expression turned solemn. “Meditation, yoga—these could help. And here’s the second point: for me to use this method, my medical skill must reach an advanced level. That could take ten years—or longer. Are you patient enough?”
Banner’s reply was steady, almost unnervingly so. “Time isn’t an issue.” Since the Hulk awakened inside him, Banner had noticed no aging at all—a secret only he knew.
“Good,” Celestian said, snapping his fingers. “Third, we need an object capable of housing the Hulk’s consciousness and power. Rare, hard to find—but don’t worry. I can locate it.”
Celestian’s mind had already zeroed in. The legendary Power Stone—perfect for this purpose.
“Worst case, we could use cloning,” Celestian added, a confident smirk on his face.
Banner’s expression darkened. “Cloning… only as a last resort. We don’t know what kind of monster we might create.”
“I understand,” Celestian nodded. “Cloning is a last resort. Once used, all our control over the Hulk could be lost. It’s not an option unless we absolutely must.”
Clone tech may seem ethically restricted, but insiders knew it was far advanced and widely applied in secret government projects. Creating another Banner was technically feasible.
Hearing this, Banner exhaled, relief washing over him. He’d feared Celestian might act without restraint, and the consequences… well, they could have been catastrophic.
- Writer
