Chapter 170: Forced Fruit Isn't Sweet
"If you think this is magic, then consider it magic."
George smiled and pointed at the four cups respectively, casting a Transfiguration Charm. The four cups of mineral water immediately turned into four cups of coffee, then flew to the three people's hands.
"Guests follow hosts' preferences, so coffee it is."
The three smelled the coffee in their hands, confirming it was real coffee, then began examining George closely.
Stage magic has tricks to turn water into drinks, but those rely either on hidden mechanisms in the cups or chemical additives that change water's color to resemble beverages.
But their four cups were ordinary paper cups that couldn't be rigged, and the coffee inside was authentic, not fake chemicals.
So they wanted to see if George had any special hidden devices on him.
After inspection, they found this unlikely.
Because George wasn't wearing many clothes, with nowhere obvious to hide anything.
"First, about our school. The Superhuman Academy, as the name suggests, is a school for superpowers. We enroll students with various superpowers, and also recruit teachers with superpowers."
George took a sip of coffee and continued:
"And Bruce Banner, you perfectly meet our school's criteria for superpowered teachers. That's why I'm here today."
He didn't mention mutants. After the school was formally established, he had completely erased the term "mutant."
Since the government had already downplayed mutants' existence, and ordinary people considered mutants fictional like in comics, why bring it up again and provoke conflicts with normal humans?
So the school's students and teachers would uniformly be called superhumans - humans with superpowers. They're still humans.
"Superpowers?"
The three looked at each other in confusion.
"That Mr. George, leaving aside whether what you're saying is true, even if it is, I'm not some so-called superhuman. I just had a lab accident that caused physical abnormalities."
"What does Mr. Banner consider superpowers?"
George asked unhurriedly.
Banner thought for a moment:
"It should be things like controlling fire, ice, magnetism or telekinesis - like the mutants in comics."
"No, we consider superpowers as abilities surpassing normal humans. It's not limited to controlling fire or ice - great strength or loud voices count too.
And whether acquired or innate, they all count. Your ability to transform into the Hulk is a superpower - one acquired through experiment.
So you perfectly fit our school's teacher recruitment criteria."
George explained the school's definition of superpowers.
But Banner waved his hand:
"Sorry, even if everything you say is true, I have no interest in joining your school as a teacher.
Because today I can eliminate the green genes from my body and return to being a normal person living a normal life."
He believed that as long as he could inject Dr. Sterns' serum and return to normal, General Ross and SHIELD would stop pursuing him.
[Translator: sauron]
Then he could return to Culver University with Betty and start anew.
"That's perfectly fine. Our school never forces any teacher or student to join.
If you're unwilling, then we'll part ways here."
Facing Banner's rejection, George didn't attempt to persuade him. He just smiled, then cast Apparition and disappeared on the spot.
Seeing George suddenly vanish, the three were startled.
Now they were starting to believe the Superhuman Academy might really exist.
After all, as top scientists, they knew current technology absolutely couldn't achieve such teleportation.
**Above the lab building, George remained invisible without leaving.**
Forced fruits aren't sweet. Rather than exhausting words trying to persuade with uncertain success, it's better to wait for Banner to join voluntarily.
Banner still harbored illusions about his situation, thinking that becoming normal again would let him return to normal life.
Once he realizes that even after injection he can still turn into the Hulk, and even without transforming Ross would capture him for research, he'll understand that joining the Superhuman Academy is his only choice.
And this process would be quick. He just needed to wait quietly here and watch the show.
As night gradually fell, Sterns, Banner and Betty finished their discussion and entered the prepared lab to begin experiments to eliminate the green genes.
Floating outside the window, George watched as Banner lay strapped to the experiment table, got injected, turned into the Hulk, was calmed by Betty, then received the second injection that returned him to normal form.
"They're finally here!"
At the same time, he saw large numbers of troops swarming into the school. All students and teachers outside the lab building were urgently evacuated, while rooftops nearby were surrounded by snipers holding tranquilizer guns.
The three inside the building remained unaware of the outside situation, even falling into argument.
It turned out Dr. Sterns had mass-produced Banner's blood samples after receiving them, wanting to use the powerful green genes to create an all-disease-curing miracle drug to win the Nobel Prize and make his name.
After discovering this, Banner strongly disapproved of Sterns' actions.
Because Banner knew best how terrifying the green genes were - what Sterns created wasn't a panacea but a monster serum that would create countless horrific creatures.
Eventually these serums would surely be exploited by General Ross, plunging the whole world into war.
Having spent years fleeing through various countries, he knew his country's nature best - he'd been avoiding letting the military use his genes to create monster armies for war.
Just as the two argued intensely, a long-range tranquilizer dart shot through the window and hit Banner squarely in the back.
Banner's body immediately stiffened and he collapsed straight down.
Then Emil Blonsky kicked open the lab door and charged in. He pushed Betty aside, grabbed Banner by the neck and delivered several hard slaps, trying to provoke the Hulk to fight him.
When the Hulk failed to appear, he angrily roared.
Back at Culver University he'd been brutally beaten by the Hulk. Now after taking an incomplete super-soldier serum that greatly enhanced his strength, he wanted revenge - only for the Hulk to disappear. This frustrated the proud man immensely.
Then soldiers swarmed in, tightly binding Banner and taking him away.
The resentful Blonsky forcibly made Dr. Sterns inject him with replicated Hulk blood genes when no one was looking.
George witnessed all this but didn't intervene.
(End of chapter)