Saliva was also a bodily fluid, so Professor Connors was entirely correct in his statement.
Furthermore, the moment Batman caught sight of Dr. Banner's crimson-flushed, deeply embarrassed expression, he knew Connors had hit the nail on the head.
However, neither Batman nor Professor Connors harbored any intention of blaming Dr. Banner.
No matter how honest or simple-minded a person was, after being forced to part ways with the woman he deeply loved for several years and then reuniting with her, it was difficult to resist longing for the other half.
Besides, Betty Ross hadn't caused any major issues after transforming into a She-Red Hulk; at worst, she had merely destroyed a single piece of experimental equipment in the laboratory worth millions of dollars.
Betty remained rational, and because she was Dr. Banner's girlfriend, she was naturally accepted and trusted by Batman, becoming a member of South Brother Island.
Given all these factors, how could Batman possibly blame Dr. Banner?
"Is this phenomenon normal?" Batman asked, watching Betty grab food and stuff it frantically into her mouth with zero regard for her image.
"Normal. The first few times I transformed into the Incredible Hulk, I also experienced insatiable hunger," Dr. Banner said, reaching out to wipe his face to help his somewhat embarrassed self regain composure. "After a while, this condition gradually disappears."
"Your digestive systems must become terrifyingly abnormal. Betty has already consumed a full twenty kilograms of food, yet she doesn't look bloated in the slightest," Professor Connors marveled.
"Tonight, I need to guide her back to her original form first. Starting tomorrow... Batman, may I borrow Bat Island?" Dr. Banner asked with a hint of embarrassment.
Batman nodded. The equipment on his Bat Island was even more complete than South Brother Island's, and it was built specifically for use by the Justice League's partners.
It wasn't as though those complex instruments were prepared for someone like Venom Robin, who had practically abandoned his brain—that kid didn't even recognize a majority of the equipment.
"I need to conduct a comprehensive check on Betty, both physically and psychologically, just like I once did to myself," Dr. Banner said.
"I'm just curious why she didn't turn into a She-Hulk, but instead became a She-Red Hulk. Is there something in General Ross's genes that altered all this?" Professor Connors asked with some curiosity. "Banner, get me a cell sample of Betty tomorrow so Professor Warren and I can study it."
Dr. Banner nodded. Before his words had even faded, Betty Ross in the laboratory had already finished her food and was currently standing right in front of Dr. Otto's artificial sun.
She extended a hand, looking eager and tempted, as if the artificial sun held an immense attraction for her.
"Wait!" Dr. Banner let out an instinctive roar as the bones inside his body popped with loud cracks. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into the Incredible Hulk and lunged forward.
At the same time, Professor Connors's eyes turned into golden vertical slits, and he took a stride forward to charge out as well, already transforming into a three-meter-tall Lizard mid-stride.
Batman vanished in a flash, turning into a blurred black shadow as he intercepted Betty.
Even Professor Morbius took flight into the air.
Aside from Warren the Jackal and Miles Warren—who still had no idea what was happening—the hearts of everyone else skipped a beat at Betty's actions.
"Roar!" Hulk roared, sweeping a hand outward from behind the She-Red Hulk.
The Incredible Hulk certainly wouldn't bother reasoning with anyone, even if that person was his own girlfriend.
His grab was fierce and lightning-fast. Amid the howling wind of his palm sweep, before even touching the She-Red Hulk, it had already whipped up her long black hair.
Professor Lizard behind them twitched his eyelids, secretly doubting whether the Incredible Hulk had held back at all, or if he was aiming to take his girlfriend's life.
However!
The exact moment Hulk's five-fingered, wide-spread hand was about to grab the She-Red Hulk's shoulder, the She-Red Hulk suddenly dropped her body low, dodging the strike.
Even while dodging, the She-Red Hulk clenched her hand into a fist, meeting Hulk's palm head-on with a punch that carried an equally massive rush of wind!
Fist and palm collided, sending violent shockwaves rippling outward in all directions with the two of them at the center. Dr. Michael Morbius, who was still airborne, was blown away instantly.
Even dozens of meters away, tools such as test tubes and beakers on Warren the Jackal's experimental bench were blown away, dropping to the ground to shatter into tiny pieces.
Even though Warren the Jackal lunged forward frantically to salvage them, it was already of no use.
Miles Warren possessed the poorest physical constitution of anyone present, being merely an ordinary human being. He was knocked off-balance by the shockwave, his body leaning sideways as he started to tumble over.
Batman rushed to Professor Miles Warren's side the very first instant to steady him, while Professor Lizard hurried over to the side of the Incredible Hulk and the She-Red Hulk, extending both claws with the intention of breaking up the fight.
Yet Professor Lizard had underestimated the deterrent effect brought by his own terrifying, savage image covered in bone spurs.
During the Battle of Manhattan, Professor Lizard hadn't shown his face from start to finish, so very few outsiders knew of him—and Betty Ross was no exception.
Seeing such a ferocious monster stretching its claws toward her, the She-Red Hulk almost instinctively pulled back the fist she was locking in a contest of strength with the Hulk, shifting her stride to squeeze herself right into Professor Lizard's embrace.
Her body slammed against him heavily, immediately throwing Professor Lizard—who wasn't exerting much force—off-balance and sending him rocking unsteadily toward the direction of the artificial sun.
No matter how strong Professor Lizard's limb-regeneration capabilities were, and even if the artificial sun didn't look scorching hot, making actual contact with it would still burn Professor Lizard down to ashes.
When Dr. Otto returned to South Brother Island carrying two cases under the cover of night and pushed open the laboratory door, this chaotic scene was precisely what greeted his eyes.
Wretched. The last time things were this chaotic was when Loki ran over to South Brother Island and the Hulk smashed the laboratory to pieces.
Dr. Otto felt like grinding his back molars to dust. He released the cases in his hands, letting them drop straight to the floor as he abruptly thrust both hands forward!
Rip!
The jacket his wife had just bought him instantly tore apart, and four mechanical tentacles shot out from behind him at lightning speed.
The targets of the four mechanical tentacles were Morbius, who was losing his balance in mid-air; Professor Lizard, who was toppling toward the artificial sun; and the aggressive, about-to-brawl Red and Green Hulk couple.
As for Batman, Dr. Otto wasn't worried about him at all.
Clack!
The sound of mechanical latching rang out one after the other. The mechanical tentacles forged from Adamantium were exceptionally sturdy, forcefully prying those four chaotic individuals apart from one another.
"What are you all doing?!" Dr. Otto roared at the four of them.
The four individuals who had been forcibly separated by his mechanical tentacles stared at each other in dismay. Only then did Batman calmly brush down the clothing wrinkles on Professor Miles Warren, turning around to face the group.
With Batman's speed, reaction time, and web-shooters, he could easily have handled things better than Dr. Otto, but Batman had heard the doctor's voice while he was still across the East River.
Therefore, despite the chaos of the scene, Batman hadn't panicked in the slightest, merely steadying Professor Warren.
"Uh, Doctor, you came right on time," Professor Lizard said awkwardly.
"Indeed right on time. A moment earlier or a moment later, and I would have missed such a chaotic spectacle," Dr. Otto spread both hands, casting his gaze toward the She-Red Hulk.
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