9679/Red Menace

Red Menace
Date of Scene:	17 January 2022
Location:	Vista Verde, New Mexico
Synopsis:	Bruce and Jen investigate the death of Betty Ross and the mysterious Samuel Sterns, as well as what really happened at the Vista Verde base. They're interrupted, however, by Colonel Fortean of the Hulkbusters, who shows up to deliver a warrant for Jennifer Walter's arrest, supposedly for attacking the Vista Verde base!
Cast of Characters:	Betty Ross, Jennifer Walters, Bruce Banner

---

Betty Ross has posed:
    IT's been a fairly uneventful few days since the funeral showing and the attack by the gamma hounds. Following the fight, the police and military showed up, but after some questions about what happened you were both allowed to leave, though you were asked to not leave town for a few days until they could finish reviewing the site. Luckily there was a videographer on hand who caught part of what was going on which collaborates your stories. Unfortunately, you didn't get to ask what the hell was up with Ross turning into a Red Hulk, as he vanished in the aftermath. Jen could sneak the gamma hound out with some difficulty. It's definitely a stray in behavior, but could possibly be rehabilitated...just you'd be training a gamma-empowered dog.

    The dog itself seems to have been deliberately transformed using focused gamma treatments from the samples acquired. Bruce has seen similar work done before by those trying to replicate the accident that created the Hulk, but this is very refined by comparison. Brilliant, even. The collar appear to regulate the hound's aggression through pulsed gamma emissions, which by itself is new and fascinating. Cruel, mind. But fascinationg.

    Sterns isn't impossible to get a lot on, though what you find out doesn't seem to match up with him helping out with some sort of research program. Apparently some of the scientists remember him as a warehouse worker basically for the base, but there was some sort of accident with a gamma battery exploding that he was transporting. One is fairly sure there was some sort of gamma mutation resulting, but they then disappeared into Ross's project afterwards. It's mostly the second tier scientists who are willing to talk though, and they don't know the really high security stuff that might have been going on.

    So, having reconvened in Bruce's hotel room, you have been able to compare notes. You still have no idea why there was no body in Betty's coffin, or how exactly Sterns killed her. Or why.

Jennifer Walters has posed:
"How much do you want to bet she's still alive?" Jennifer says, after pouring over the results that they've found. "It wouldn't be the first time that somebody got kidnapped and and their death was faked to throw people off." She takes off her glasses and drums her fingers on the table, "The real question is why?"

"Also, this Sterns fellow. He doesn't seem to be the sort to be involved with a project like this." She shakes her head, "The numbers aren't adding up."

Bruce Banner has posed:
"I don't like it, Jen," Bruce is terse. "But I think you're right. If Sterns is behind this the work is phenomenal. This kind of genius someone wouldn't just...hide. I mean, sure, some people might lay low, but it's all too convenient. There's an accident, then Ross recruits Sterns into the program." Bruce breathes deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He tugs at his watch slightly, making it all too clear he's trying to not get too flustered, too upset, because his alter ego is far less useful for this type of work.

"She's not dead," Bruce says, "I can almost guarantee it. Whoever Sterns has become, I think he has her, and I think he made sure Ross got the axe." Bruce breathes in again. "I think we're dealing with a very dangerous player here, Jen."

Betty Ross has posed:
    There's a knock on the door from out in the hall. A polite knock. Which, when the door is opened by whomever gets to it first, will reveal Dr. Ghesciu from the funeral, the older Romanian biochemist. "Ah, good, you're both here." She digs into her side bag, then pulls out a couple folders. "After you asked me about Betty, I was...suspicious that I was not told everything. I was able to get this much from the base medical section, on Betty and that other man, Sterns, that you asked about." She frowns. "I'm sorry I couldn't get more. Things are still on high alert and most of the labs are currently locked up and under guard."

Jennifer Walters has posed:
Jen looks over to her cousin. "Who could that be? I wasn't expecting anybody, were you?" She gets up to answer the door and finds one of the scientists from the funeral. "Hello, there," she says cautiously, but when Dr. Ghesciu introduces herself and the reason for her visit, Jen nods and takes a step back. "Come on in. Anything you've brought will be helpful in figuring this out."

Bruce Banner has posed:
Bruce starts to rise for the door, then nods to Jen. All things considered, she's the better person for the job here. He's instead standing a bit further back to see who it is.

"Dr. Ghesciu. Ihrin. Please. Come in." Bruce steps forward, reaching out for the folders.

"Thank you," Bruce says, "but you need to lay low. Whoever this is might be--" Bruce's watch beeps, and he steps back, clenching his wrist with the opposite hand. "It's good you came here. Jen, this is Dr. Ghesciu. We talked at the funeral about Betty and Sterns."

Betty Ross has posed:
    Dr. Ghesciu hesitates, glancing around behind her, then nods and steps inside. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Walters. I know a bit of your exploits, but only through the news and such." The older woman nods slightly. "And I am more than happy to help, Betty deserved better than whatever is going on concerning her passing." She does get a more solemn look, offering the two folders. One reads S. Sterns, the other B. Ross.

Jennifer Walters has posed:
Jen gives Dr. Ghesciu a warm smile, "A pleasure to meet you, despite the circumstances." She takes the file marked for Sterns, and lets her cousin read the other one. It might be a mistake since he has more emotional connection to Betty, but it's because of that she wants him to read it first.

"If it gets bad, Doctor, I have friends in SHIELD that I can call on to keep you and your family protected until we can get to the bottom of this." She turns and sits at the table, slipping on her glasses to read the document.

Bruce Banner has posed:
Bruce hesitates for a moment as he reaches for the file, but his fingers clasp around it anyway. "I truly appreciate it, Ihrin," Bruce says, a bit awkwardly. It doesn't seem like something he says often.

"Yes, I think that'd be good, Jen, though I want to know a bit more about how deep this goes. -- call me paranoid, but I have some...negative experiences when it comes to secret projects."

He opens the folder.

Betty Ross has posed:
    Samuel Sterns, warehouse specialist. A civilian contractor technically, non-military, but the project was apparently a mix of civilian and military personnel. His picture is fairly normal, a slightly balding middle guy, perhaps mid-thirties. His job history is fairly sparse, a few screwups, no real recommendations by former employers, other than 'he shows up and he does his jobs'. The later stuff, on the other hand, is interesting. There's an accident report on a faulty gamma storage battery being moved between labs by Sterns that apparently developed a microfracture in its exterior, enough that the cell ruptured, partially exploding and falling on Sterns to pin him, exposing him to extended gamma radiation. The doctor's report afterwards reports severe gamma poisoning that lessened over time, with noticeable green coloration commonly found on gamma mutants. It also mentions extraordinary cranial expansion, well beyond the limits of a normal human skull, and massive growth of brain tissue accompanying it, along with corresponding cognitive skills, loss of hair on the head, and a general thinning of body rather than the normal highly developed muscular found with most gamma mutants. A note says that Sterns has been remanded to the custody of Gen. Ross pending future testing.

    For Betty, it's a bit more simple, and stark....she was exposed to a gamma radiation leak caused by an unknown failure in (redacted) testing equipment. Initial prognosis was bleak; severe radiation poisoning. Treatment was ongoing, but it was looking bad. Then...sudden organ failure caused by a second gamma irradiation, this time when it was found blood used for a routing transfusion had been heavily contaminated, possibly from a gamma mutant sample. The result was systemic organ failure and coma, followed by death in under an hour. She was pronounced dead shortly thereafter and removed to a shielded base morgue to prevent her corpse from causing issues. She did not demonstrate the same genetic quirk that allowed the gamma radiation to change other subjects such as the Hulk, She-Hulk, or Abomination. There's a handwritten note on the last page: I CHECKED the secure locker, it's not there Barry! How the hell did you lose Ross's daughter!!

Jennifer Walters has posed:
"Interesting," Jen says as she reads over Stern's dossier. "He was gamma irradiated and it seems to have affected his mind much in the same way as it affected your strength." She looks up from her reading, "That explains why he was working on the project. If his intellect was boosted to the same levels as our might, then he'd be an invaluable asset to have."

"Makes me wonder about Ross, though," she muses. "If they were experimenting on him, why is he red and not green?"

Bruce Banner has posed:
Bruce reads fast. He always read fast, even as a child. He still remembers finishing A Brief History of Time as a boy because his mother bought for him, and Brian...Brian yelling that he didn't actually read it. Throwing things.

He reads it again. And again. His hand trembles slightly and he bites his lip before passing it back toward Ihrin.

"I don't trust it. There's too many things that don't add up here. Betty was...cautious. Safe. Someone is up to something. I just hope that--"

Bruce trails off.

Betty Ross has posed:
    Ihrin takes the folder back, looking sympathetic. "I know it's hard to accept....but...it's likely to be true." She sighs. "She was careful, but accidents also happen." She purses her lips, then adds, slowly. "I don't know if it's important, but...that day, shortly after the time of death listed, the base was locked down for hours. We weren't told why, only that we should remain at our assigned labs until cleared to leave. And that soldiers were moving between the labs, searching them. They may be connected?"

Jennifer Walters has posed:
"Possibly," Jen says, folding the folder shut and handing it back to Ihrin. "It sounds like one of their projects got loose during the accident." She drums her fingers on the table in thought, "Maybe that's what happened to her? One of the experiments got to her?"

She nods in agreement with Bruce. "There's still too much that doesn't quite add up. Thank you for bringing this to us, though, it raises more questions than it answers."

Bruce Banner has posed:
Bruce paces. His brow furrows, his face twisted in consternation as he walks, almost stomps around the hotel room. "I don't know, Ihrin. Betty was intelligent. Very intelligent. Accidents happen, but she knows all too well about how dangerous gamma is. I think that maybe there was--" Bruce strokes his chin.

"Ihrin, do you know anything about Ross's...ordeal? Was that in the midst of what happened to Betty?"

For a moment, Bruce looks into the mirror. His eyes widen, and then he quickly looks away.

"Can I see the folder on Sterns, Ihrin?"

Betty Ross has posed:
    Ihrin nods and hands it over for Bruce to read. "His ordeal? Ah, yes. After Betty's death. I don't know much. He was relieved of command of the base about a week afterwards. I don't know the details of why, but there were rumors...court-martials, or some sort of trial over his responsibility for something with the project? This was after we were all sent home, so it's mostly gossip and secondhand." she admits apologetically. She raises a brow. "I especially do not know when he develop the ability to...ah, change, as he did at the funeral. *That* was certainly not something I'd known he could do before."

Jennifer Walters has posed:
Jen watches Bruce, concerned. So far he's handling himself well, but she's ready to jump in and try to calm him down if things get too much for him. "Sabotage?" she asks, attempting to fill in his sentence. "It doesn't matter how intelligent and cautious you are if somebody /makes/ an accident happen."

She turns back to Ihrin and nods. "I'm sure that came as a surprise to a whole /lot/ of people. I would everything that it's tied to his court marshal."

Bruce Banner has posed:
Bruce reads through the report. This one provokes a different response: curiosity, analytical thinking. "That's--that's what I'm thinking, Jen," Bruce says. "It adds up. Why else would someone be so interested in keeping everyone away? The lockdown?"

Bruce flips through the pages again. "Cerebral mutations...a significant boost in intelligence...just what else were hiding from Ross, Sterns...?"

Betty Ross has posed:
    "And what was Ross using him for, exactly? This is another question I ponder. The project was supposedly to find new techniques for treating radiation sickness, but given Ross's transformation...there may have been more to it. That may have been why Betty and the general had such a falling out of late, if she had learned her research was being put to other purposes?" She shrugs. "This is just speculation, however."

Jennifer Walters has posed:
Jen shakes her head at Bruce. "I can't even imagine. Knowing Ross he was attempting to make some kind of Anti-Hulk weapon." She lets out a little snort. "The guy's got a one track mind."

"Maybe Sterns is the saboteur?" she ventures. "It would explain why Ross was so cross with him."

Bruce Banner has posed:
"Radiation treatment?" Bruce sounds extremely skeptical, almost spitting out the words. "I doubt Ross would just settle for something so simple. Not at this point. Sterns had to have another project going. Maybe Betty found out about it and..." Bruce buries his face in his hand.

"I suspect the Red Hulk is the Anti-Hulk weapon. Maybe Sterns was stringing along the general until what happened with Betty was too far."

Betty Ross has posed:
"That may be. I wish I could help you more, but that is all I really know." Ihrin says apologetically. "If you do think of more questions you would like answered that I might be able to help with, then-"

    Audibly, there's the rumble heavy vehicles pulling up outside, enough that Ihrin glances back uncertain at the noise.

Jennifer Walters has posed:
Jen scowls at the noise and gets up to move to the windows. Peeling the curtains back she checks outside to find what the noise is. "Crap," she says. "Looks like they brought the whole damn army to deal with us."

Thinking quickly she turns to her cousin. "Bruce, think you can get Ihrin to safety? I can distract them to give you a chance to get out." She looks outside the window again. "Or you can distract them and I'll get her out. There's a lot of firepower down there. Up to you."

Bruce Banner has posed:
"No, Ihrin, you've done plenty. You're taking a big risk with all this already...thank you." Bruce moves closer, handing the folder back to her. "We'll do everything we can to keep you s--"

His pupils dilate as he hears the all-too-familiar rumble of vehicles outside. "Jen, we need to--" The two were apparently on the same wavelength. "Can you delay them? Just...be careful. We don't know what kind of weaponry they're packing, especially if Sterns is half as impressive as Ross seems to think he is."

Bruce leads the way, pulling out what looks to be a removed bicycle mirror from his pocket and holding it to check out the door without poking his head out. "We'll see if we can slip out a back door and cut into a parking lot somewhere. Did you bring your own car? Do you have cash?"

Betty Ross has posed:
Ihrin looks a bit nervous but nots, not arguing. "R-right...yes, I do? Not a lot. I wasn't expecting...um, but yes, my car is out back."

    Outside you can hear barked orders as some of the transports unload to start strengthening the cordon around the hotel, taking cover where they can. Among them, a looming power armor exits one of the heavy transports, the Redeemer armor marching over to tower over the fron line. <<JENNIFER WALTERS AND BRUCE BANNER. EXIT THE HOTEL WITH YOUR HANDS UP.>> comes a booming voice.

    Ihrin blinks. "Oh, that's Colonel Fortean! He was General Ross's right hand...."

Jennifer Walters has posed:
Jen nods at Bruce, and takes a few steps back from the window. "I'll try to lead them away from the hotel. We'll meet up at the Big Belly Burger in town, and I'll contact SHIELD for Ihrin."

She looks at the window and lets out a breath. "And I really liked this suit, too." She rushes forwards and *leaps* out the window, over the heads of the military, and *slams* her fists into the ground to cause a minor quake. She turns towards them and falls into a fighting stance. "I'm sorry," she tells them. "This is as high as my hands will go."

Bruce Banner has posed:
"I don't like the looks of that," Bruce says, eyeballing the power armor. "Ross's right hand? That probably means he's calling the shots now. Fill me in as we go." Bruce says. When he sees the hallway is clear for the moment, he moves to the end of the hall with the stairs. Passing a closet labelled "Housekeeping," Bruce stops. He digs in his pockets, pulling out a small metal box about the size of the credit card. He holds it up, and it makes several beeps before a red light on the top turns green and the lock pops open. "Would Fortean recognize you? Did you interact with him regularly?" Bruce says as he steps into the closet.

Betty Ross has posed:
    "I'm not sure. He was in and out of the project area, but we didn't really interact much, save when he was dropping off orders or picking up reports." Ihrin says. For the moment, the hallway beyond the door is empty, no sign of anyone down to the elevator and door to the stairs.

    <<HMM. GONNA BE THE HARD WAY THEN.>> Fortean swings the Redeemers weapons pods around to bear on She-Hulk. <JENNIFER WALTERS, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR BREAKING AN ENTERING OF A US MILITARY BASE, THEFT OF CLASSIFIED UNITED STATES MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, AND ASSAULT AND BATTERY ON MILITARY PERSONNEL. YOU WILL STAND DOWN IMMEDAITELY OR WE WILL FIRE.>> The various troops and armored vehicles swivel their weapons appropriately as Fortean glares at Jen.

    Then adds, almost grudgingly. <<WE ARE NOT HERE FOR YOU, BANNER. I JUST NEED YOU PRESENT YOURSELF TO THE SECURITY CORDON PEACEABLY TO ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS, THEN YOU WILL BE FREE TO GO.>> The Redeemer takes a step forward, as it flicks off its loudspeaker. <<Doesn't have to be a fight here, Walters. Surrender, go quietly, and you'll get the chance to give your reasons. Turn over the equipment you stole and I'll see that you get off easier.>>

Jennifer Walters has posed:
Jennifer just laughs at Fortean. "You realize that you're talking to a lawyer, right?" She doesn't make a move to engage. The longer she can keep the guy talking the better the chance Bruce and Ihrin can get a way. "I want to see a warrant. Without that you're nothing but a bunch of hot air trying to strongarm an innocent woman into illegal custody. Just because you've got a big gun that doesn't give you the right to do whatever the heck you want with it."

Bruce Banner has posed:
Bruce is digging through a storage pocket on a laundry cart when he looks up. "Stolen weapons? Military break-in? Jen's been with me...and SHIELD or the Avengers can probably verify her whereabouts before..." Bruce shakes his head, finally putting on a thin strip of white plastic. "Here," he looks at it. "Denise." He pulls out a pillowcase and a facemask from a bag of cleaning supplies. "Can you tie a bonnet? Try to steer clear of anyone who looks like they work here. Push the cart and look busy as your make your way toward the door. Stairwell exits have less traffic. If anyone asks, tell them you were bleaching a tub and needed some fresh air."

Bruce inhales deeply, then exhales. This whole thing doesn't sit right with him. "I may need to speak to this Fortean, and hopefully the Other Guy won't have to."

Betty Ross has posed:
    Ihrin nods, looking a bit overwhelmed. "I can do that, yes. Ah. I can go find one of the police and just have them evacuate me, then?" She'll get the disguise assembled and tie her hair up in a proper bun, before heading off down one of the fire escape exits.

    Fortean's eyes narrow a bit at Walters, then the big armor's hands splay its blocky fingers wide, palms out, before he says. <<Lieutenant, bring the warrant.>> One of the soldiers near the front pauses, then approaches, reaching into a pocket to pull out a sheet of paper that he offers warily to Jen. It does, in fact, seem to be a legitimate warrant for her arrest. A Federal warrant, no less, which is probably because they wanted the Hulkbuster unit to deliver it. <<Satisfied?>> Fortean says. <<Frankly, I'm no in the mood for screwing around Walters. You hurt a lot of my men in your little intrusion. But no one is dead. Yet.>>

    

Bruce Banner has posed:
"You should be good. They don't seem to know you're up to anything yet, but make sure you get rid of those files. The less that can be tracked back to you, the better. Law enforcment is usually pretty good at getting people away from cloudy with a chance of Green. You take care of yourself...and thanks, again. We'll get to the bottom of this. Don't get yourself into any more trouble."

Bruce tilts his head back and stares at the lights of the ceiling. "I have a bad feeling about this." He tells himself before heading toward the front.

In a few moments, Banner emerges from the front, hands over his head. "Colonel Fortean, I presume. You must have your hands full, lately." Bruce inhales. "Let's keep this civil, please?"

Jennifer Walters has posed:
Jen takes the warrant and makes a show of giving it a good long look. Really she's thinking about how she wants to play this. She could fight her way out, true, but that would cause injuries to the soldiers and maybe civilians if it got out of hand, not to mention the property damage that this would incur. However.....

"All right," she says, handing the paper back to the soldiers. "I give...." she stops when Bruce unexpected steps out. It seems like he had the same idea that she had. "I don't know what it is that you think I've done, but I haven't done it. If we can settle this civilly more the better."

Betty Ross has posed:
    <<Smart.>> Fortean says, waving soldiers forward. They do have handcuffs capable of securing superstrong metahumans...or at least, that are difficult to get out of without some serious rage happening. Fortean turns to Banner, frowning at him. <<You surrendered. I don't have a problem unless you two make one for me.>> A few soldiers move over to escort Bruce to one of the armored transports. Shulkie gets to ride in the HEAVILY armored transport, as Fortean follows to re-board his. <<ALRIGHT PEOPLE, PACK IT UP, LET'S HEAD BACK TO BASE.>>

    The troopers are at least respectful if distrustful of their passengers as the convoy heads to the military base in question...and as you approach, you can see through the narrow windows a scene of havoc. The main wall has been smashed down. Vehicles have been tossed around or smashed, with one tank turret used like a hatch to cut a Humvee in half. There's fire support out putting out various fires, and there's a large hole smashed in the main laboratory building. Any wounded at least have been gathered up and taken to medical by this point.

    "Welcome back, Dr. Banner." the lieutenant riding with Bruce says, sardonically.