Time advanced to the second position update.
Selene had rejoined the battlefield. Her damaged, ash-stained combat suit had been replaced with fresh gear, and her image flickered back to life on her dedicated screen.
Betty gasped in the viewing stands, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my god, she's back. And she's completely healed."
Everyone's attention shifted to Selene's feed. The vampire elder moved through the dark forest, her steps silent and sure, without any sign of her previous, gruesome injury. The fist-sized, cauterized hole through her torso was gone.
Murmurs of amazement rippled through the spectators. The vampire's recovery ability was a massive, terrifying survival advantage.
A high-pitched chime sounded simultaneously from all the contestant watches. The second position update had arrived.
Everyone checked their holographic tactical maps. Two red dots were now nearly overlapping, with a third close by. Three contestants had converged in one area of the island.
Tony discovered his position was furthest from everyone else. Even Selene, who had just been dropped back into the field, was closer to the action than he was.
Xu Xialing and Xu Shang Chi saw the new dot and immediately sprinted toward it. That contestant was Bruce Banner.
Banner, in turn, saw the two dots approaching his position. He stopped running, took a deep breath, and ran toward them. There was no point in avoiding the inevitable. He needed tickets anyway. If he defeated both, he'd advance directly to the finals.
The Xu siblings burst through a curtain of vines and spotted Banner running toward them. All three stopped, leaving a safe distance of twenty yards between them.
Xialing studied the scholarly-looking man in the ill-fitting clothes. He didn't look like much. Still, she didn't let her guard down. "Can you surrender your tickets peacefully?"
Banner looked between them, noting their identical stances. "You two are working together?"
In the viewing stands, observers who didn't know Banner's capabilities worried for him.
"If that man doesn't have special abilities, he's in trouble."
"One against two is a severe disadvantage."
Betty, who knew exactly what the Hulk could do, worried for the siblings instead. If Bruce transformed, she genuinely feared he'd kill them with a single punch.
Xialing slowly unwrapped her rope dart, the leather cord whispering as it coiled around her hands. Shang Chi settled into a Wing Chun ready stance, his lead hand extended in the asking position.
Banner looked at their combat postures. "You two should leave your tickets."
His voice was calm, almost pleading. "I believe you don't want to see me angry."
The siblings ignored his warning and began to close the distance slowly, fanning out.
Everyone in the stands leaned in, wondering what "angry Bruce Banner" meant. Smith's introduction had emphasized his terrifying nature when provoked.
Banner looked inward. "Hulk, I need you now."
He started breathing rapidly, short, sharp gasps, deliberately spiking his heart rate. Transformation required exceeding two hundred beats per minute. He couldn't trigger it at will yet.
Xialing reached attack range. Her rope dart flew toward Banner with a sharp whistling sound.
Banner saw no sign of the Hulk emerging. He rolled awkwardly, his academic reflexes barely saving him. The weighted dart buried itself in the dirt inches from his head.
Under the audience's confused gazes, Banner scrambled to his feet and slapped himself hard across the face. The sound was shockingly loud in the quiet jungle.
"Come out, Hulk!"
For a brief, agonizing second, Banner's face contorted, and his skin flashed a sick, blotchy green.
Betty leaned forward, her hands clasped.
The Hulk roared inside Banner's mind.
Then retreated completely.
The Hulk knew about the Dragon Balls now. He knew Banner's plan to wish him out of existence. As long as Banner wasn't in mortal danger, the Hulk had zero intention of helping.
Both Xu siblings recoiled at the momentary, monstrous transformation. Shang Chi's eyes widened. "What was that?"
When Banner's attempt to summon the Hulk failed, he turned and ran without hesitation.
Banner realized the truth. The Hulk had independent consciousness now. He needed to negotiate, to convince the Other Guy before the enemies caught him.
The siblings didn't hesitate. They pursued immediately.
Banner fled through the dense undergrowth, trying to bargain internally. "Hulk, I need your help to defeat these enemies."
"You always want to come out, right? This time you can fight as much as you want."
"Nobody will stop you. I just need the tickets."
The Hulk remained unmoved, a stubborn, silent wall in his mind.
Banner played his trump card, his voice a desperate, rasping whisper. "Hulk, the Dragon Balls aren't just for me. You can make a wish too."
"Don't you want that chance?"
Shang Chi, the faster of the two, caught up with a flying tackle. He slammed into Banner's back, driving him to the ground.
Banner hit the hard-packed earth with a grunt, but immediately rolled, scrambling back to his feet and continuing his desperate flight.
Despite having only eight points of combat power, Banner demonstrated the survival skills he'd honed evading the military for years. He ran and made promises to the Hulk but refused to fight the siblings directly.
Banner knew perfectly well that in his normal state, despite some boxing training and decent fitness, he couldn't defeat two trained martial artists. His only winning move was convincing the Hulk.
Xialing realized pursuit wasn't working. She caught Shang Chi's eye and gestured sharply to the left. He should herd Banner, while she circled ahead to cut him off.
Shang Chi nodded his understanding. He angled his pursuit, scooping up and throwing stones at Banner periodically to control his escape route.
Banner continued his internal negotiation while dodging the projectiles. "Hulk, please. We can share the wish. I'll wish for something that helps both of us."
The Hulk's response was clear and cold in Banner's mind. An absolute, unyielding refusal.
The monster had learned not to trust Banner's promises.