Chapter 60
An Unexpected Reunion
After hanging up the phone, Riley's gaze toward Peter immediately became complicated and strange.
Because, no matter how much Riley planned, he never expected that his opponent would actually hand over the opportunity to infiltrate their territory.
What I never expected was that the current lizardman crisis, which is unclear, was actually caused by my good brother during my time in Mexico!
So much so that after Riley figured out what had happened, he looked at Peter, who had sensed something was wrong after hearing Norman Osborn's words and had already hidden behind Jade and Banner, and felt a mix of emotions, not knowing what to say to him.
You might think he was a troublemaker, but Norman Osborn, being such a shrewd man, recognized Peter's talent and extended an olive branch to him, thus making such a fatal mistake.
You might think Peter is clever, but if he had discussed it beforehand and hadn't so easily handed over the decay rate algorithm formula that his uncle Richard Parker had hidden at the cost of his life, the Lizardmen wouldn't even have had a chance to be born!
After a brief silence...
Given the urgency of the situation, Riley, who managed to suppress his urge to complain, waved his hand with a long face, signaling everyone to prepare to proceed with the plan.
Peter, who accepted Norman Osborn's invitation by name, travels alone to Osborn's secret laboratory to try to uncover the secrets hidden behind it.
Meanwhile, since Peter was on his first solo mission since becoming "Spider-Man," and it was an extremely dangerous and challenging mission involving infiltrating enemy headquarters, Riley, who had been repeatedly reminding Peter to stay, was forced by the situation to suppress the urge to go with Peter.
She then sought help from the Ancient One, who used a simple illusion to temporarily alter Banner's appearance. She then asked the Ancient One to look after Jade while she took Banner to find Mr. Blue, intending to destroy the blood samples Banner had sent to Mr. Blue during his years of hiding in Brazil.
And so, with a common goal in mind, the three of them began to split up and head to their respective battlefields.
The Ancient One stood in the hall of the New York Sanctum, silently watching the three leave through the only entrance.
Then, while performing hand seals, he concealed the New York Sanctuary once more, ensuring that nothing that happened in the secular world could disturb its tranquility.
Turning his head, out of curiosity about Xiaoyu's amazing talent, he asked Xiaoyu, who was standing beside him, in a gentle voice.
"Alright, young lady, your father was once my close friend, the archmage's apprentice. So I'd like to know, what are your thoughts on magic... young lady? Young lady?"
But when the Ancient One turned around, Jade, who should have been standing beside her, arms crossed and fuming that Riley had treated her like a child and hadn't taken her along, had already vanished without a trace.
Ironically, the Ancient One, as the Sorcerer Supreme, never sensed a fourth living being entering or leaving the barrier she had set up, apart from Riley and the other two.
This reminds me of the phrase "taking the stairs" that Xiaoyu confidently mentioned when she first entered the New York Sanctuary.
Even someone as powerful as the Sorcerer Supreme couldn't help but frown and mutter to himself, questioning his own existence.
"Is it 'climbing the stairs' again? What kind of magic is this that even I can't defend against... Could it be a secret technique created by the Archmage? But I clearly remember that the Archmage didn't know this trick when he was alive?"
"Looks like I'll have to go to the library and do some serious research to confirm this..."
……
A moment later, Riley received both good news and bad news.
The good news is, just as Riley guessed.
Throughout his actions, he has always maintained anonymity. Especially after Uncle Jackie's reminder, he even changed his voice. No one would have guessed that Spider-Man, who can move freely between buildings, is actually just two high school students.
Banner, who had already learned how to minimize his presence while hiding, was now even more indistinguishable from an ordinary passerby thanks to the Ancient One's illusion.
So, under the cover of night, Riley and Banner, who were getting bolder, even took the crowded subway to Mr. Lan’s apartment building in order to save time.
The bad news is...
Just as Riley and Banner came up the stairs from the subway station, preparing to meet Mr. Blue, Banner suddenly grabbed Riley's hand as if he'd been electrocuted. Under Riley's puzzled gaze, he hurriedly hid in a nearby alley.
Then, under the silent question in Riley's eyes, he helplessly pointed, which made Riley immediately show an expression of sudden realization.
Because, at the foot of that building, Banner saw the figure he had been longing for all these five years of hiding.
Betty Ross.
General Ross's beloved daughter.
She was also Banner's beloved girlfriend before he became the Hulk, and they were already discussing marriage.
Clearly, news of Hulk's presence in New York City not only attracted General Ross and his troops, but also rekindled Betty's hope, who had been waiting anxiously for Banner's return for years.
So, after Betty received a text message from an anonymous well-meaning person claiming that Banner was very likely to be in the vicinity of this location.
Betty then secretly went to New York overnight without telling her father.
Therefore, before Riley and Banner arrived, Betty, standing nervously and expectantly at the entrance of Mr. Blue's building, had been waiting here for a whole day, hoping to reunite with her lover as soon as possible.
She was even prepared to abandon everything, elope with Banner, and live in anonymity from then on.
But precisely because of this, Banner, who also understood Betty's personality and could see through her thoughts at a glance, immediately backed down and dared not take the initiative to meet Betty.
He knew that even with the help of the Ancient One, his appearance had been completely transformed.
But based on Betty's understanding of him, she would definitely recognize him at a glance if they were close enough.
But Banner doesn't want to see Betty again.
At the very least, it shouldn't be under these circumstances that a good girl like Betty has to live in fear and endure the embarrassment and suffering of constantly hiding and running away...
Otherwise, five years ago, when Betty begged Banner to take her along, she wouldn't have chosen to embark on her escape journey alone...
But, seeing that five years had passed, her former lover still couldn't forget her and anxiously awaited her return...
If Banner says he wasn't moved, he's definitely lying.
Therefore, at this moment, Banner, who was cautiously peeking out from the corner and watching Betty, couldn't help but secretly swear to Betty in his heart...
Once he gradually gains control of the Hulk's power, clears his name of all wrongs, and transforms from a monster hated by everyone into a hero revered by all...
Banner will definitely appear upright and honorable in front of the girl he loves.
Give her the marriage proposal that should have been completed five years ago!