Colombian Gamma Chronicles-Chapter 3: Part 1
Written by Legfan71
Co-written and edited by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous
Chapter 3: A Very Impressive Woman
“Don’t I know you from somewhere?” asked Dulce, studying Dr. Banner’s face as a smile played over her full lips.
Bruce smiled demurely back at her.
“You’re an American, right?” Dulce continued. “Perhaps a movie star? From Hollywood?”
That drew a loud belly laugh from the man. “Oh, I’m no movie star,” he said, smiling broadly. “Though you look pretty enough to be.”
It was Dulce’s turn to laugh, a light blush coloring her mocha cheeks pink. “Flatterer,” she grumbled. “But that’s a pleasant surprise. The last American I had a conversation with was… irritating.” Her smile broadened as her thoughts drifted to the American DEA agent. Yes, he had been irritating. But he had also been attractive. Extremely attractive.
“You seem fond of him for such an irritating man,” said Banner, clearly picking up on her body language.
Eyes twinkling, Dulce replied. “Perhaps I’ll have to revise my earlier assessment, Dr. Banner. Maybe you are a bit irritating, after all.”
“Maybe we should switch to Spanish. There might be a bit of a language barrier here. It seems like by ‘irritating’ you mean ‘charming’,” he shot back with a grin.
“Oh, I’m quite aware of the word’s meaning, Dr. Banner. Just as I’m familiar with the words ‘why are you really here to see me?’” Dulce allowed her smile to falter, leveling him with a meaningful look. As she awaited his reaction, she sucked in a breath, leaning forward to give him a good view of her succulent cleavage. Men were always more pliable when treated to a few strategic displays of her flawless curves. “Are you with the CIA?”
Bruce paused for a moment before replying, quickly revising his initial impression of this beautiful young woman. It was obvious he was dealing with a woman that knew how to manipulate men into getting whatever she wanted, whether it was through subtle, or not-so-subtle means. However, he was quite certain that Dulce had never met anyone like him before either.
“Did I say I was with the CIA?” he replied, taking care not to let his gaze drop from her eyes. “Does it even matter if I am?”
The corners of Dulce’s full lips drew upward in a subtle smile as she shrugged. The movement caused a shift in her enticing cleavage. It took every ounce of self-control that Bruce could muster not to look.
“Not to me. I don’t care if you’re with the CIA, the FBI, or any other American agency. Especially considering I’ve done nothing wrong. But I do wish to know why you are here, gringo. You’re beginning to bore me, and I don’t like to be bored,” Dulce responded flippantly, pretending to lose interest in the conversation, but really, she was beginning to have fun. She maintained her posture, determined to entice the American to divert his eyes to one of her many physical assets, even if for just a fraction of a second.
His eyes stayed locked on hers, however. He knew what she was trying to do, and he was determined not to allow it to work. He was enjoying this game of psychological sparring, and he was going to gain the upper hand. Both were taking measure of the other, each throwing out light verbal jabs to get a feel for the worthy opponent sitting across from them.
Doubling down on her attempts to distract him, Dulce flipped a lock of dark hair around a slim finger, letting its ends tickle the exposed slope of her upper breast. She could see Bruce struggling to force his eyes away from the movement, her smile turning predatory. “What’s the matter, Bruce? Cat got your tongue?”
“Not at all,” said the scientist. “After all, when a little kittie starts to misbehave, she needs to be scolded.”
Dulce’s eyes widened in a feigned expression of shock. “She does?! Exactly what kind of discipline did you have in mind for this mischievous little kittie?” Her eyes sparkled, betraying her amusement as she lobbed the question back at him.
Bruce kept his eyes locked on those of his sultry adversary, surprised—and impressed—by the skill with which she adapted to his verbal prodding. “I can think of a few things that might do the trick.”
“Oh?” Dulce said with a coquettish tilt of her head. The act sent a calculated ripple through her impressive cleavage. “Do tell.”
Bruce leaned forward, clasped hands sliding toward her along the table. “Well, ultimately it depends on just how badly our little feline has behaved—and how cooperative she is after she’s caught.”
“What makes you think the kittie has been bad?” she said, her smile turning into a pout. She ceased twirling her hair, letting her finger drift along the outer edge of her breast as she brought her hand back down to the table. “Why would she need to cooperate with an authoritative man like yourself?”
“Let’s just call it a hunch.” Bruce winked, smirking as he leaned back into his seat, his eyes never wavering from hers.
Dulce’s frown turned genuine. This man’s ability to stay focused and not be distracted by my usual methods is impressive. And frustrating! Dulce thought to herself, dutifully maintaining direct eye contact as well. Her eyes alone had always been extremely effective means of seduction, albeit of seemingly lesser men, in similar types of situations. Agent Johnson being the latest example of that. She would need to truly work for it if she were to land the knockout blow.
Bruce smiled at her. It was the arrogant, knowing smile of a person who thought they had the upper-hand. As enjoyable as this playful banter was, he couldn’t remember the last time he had been so stimulated by just a conversation. It was time to stop throwing light jabs. It was time to land the uppercut. Besides, he had no safe place to look if he didn’t want to be entranced by her beauty. Even her eyes were formidable weapons in that regard. Dark, almond shaped, and lined by staggeringly long lashes, he had never seen such mesmerizing, sultry eyes, and he had been fortunate to be around many beautiful women in his life. He found himself gradually sinking into their hypnotic depths as rays of sunlight reflected within her inky irises, almost appearing as if there were thousands of tiny candles lit inside.
It had only been a few minutes, but he quickly concluded that this was the most captivating and alluring woman that he had ever encountered. Which made her extremely dangerous. He decided to return to a more direct approach. Based on their brief interaction, he quickly deduced that this might be the only way he could accomplish the reasons for his visit. First, to get her to admit that she had taken control of the cartel. More importantly, however, he felt he needed to provoke her into transforming. This would provide concrete evidence that she had somehow managed to steal the Abomination’s powers, as Agent Johnson claimed. Besides, Bruce needed to see for himself just how formidable an opponent she might be with these powers since the Abomination had proven to be stronger than him in their previous encounters.
“I do work for the American government,” Bruce paused for a second, measuring his next words carefully, “but it’s an organization that not many people have ever heard of.” He hoped his next words would elicit a strong reaction. ”...even inside of the United States, so I’m sure no one knows of it down here. Especially in Colombia.”
Dulce knew that he was trying to push her buttons, but she brushed aside his pitiful attempt to rile her as easily as she brushed aside the rocket and machine guns that Pablo Escobar and his cronies had fired at her. If this was his best shot, she couldn’t wait until she fired hers. She decided to see if he had any more bullets left in his holster, or if he was just shooting blanks.
“What I would really like to know is how a woman as young as yourself managed to acquire such an impressive property,” he asked in a slightly accusatory tone.
Dulce flashed him a broad smile this time. “You’re making me feel so special. An American from some top-secret government agency that no one even knows about has come all the way down to this third-world country to pay me a visit.”
“I inherited this from a beloved uncle. He had no heirs, but he treated me like his own daughter. He was like a father to me,” she replied. The lie came effortlessly to her lips, her dark eyes dancing with mischief as she gauged how he would respond. She was truly beginning to enjoy this little game.
If Bruce didn’t already know the truth, the easy confidence in her reply would have had him absolutely convinced. Her eyes didn’t so much as waver as she delivered the casual prevarication, capping it with another of her breathtaking smiles.
“Huh. That’s a pretty generous uncle,” Bruce replied, not allowing even a trace of suspicion to enter his voice.
She reached out and gently placed her fingertips on his forearm. Her dainty hand looked tiny on his sinewed limb as she began to lightly rub it, slowly moving her thumb back and forth in a subtle-yet-sensual massage. Goosebumps washed over his skin at her touch, and her grin widened as she continued her ministrations. She cocked her head to one side, her dark mane shifting with the movement as she purposefully caused the pleasant aroma of her perfumed tresses to permeate the air between them.
Bruce slowly inhaled through his nostrils, as quietly as he possibly could, trying not to let her see that she was beginning to get to him.
But from the twinkle in her gorgeous eyes, he could tell that she saw right through him.
“I know that I am a very attractive woman. Every man that I’ve ever met has told me that.” Her tone was matter-of-fact, without a trace of arrogance. “But if you’ve come all this way to slither your way into my bed, you’re going to leave here very disappointed. I’m quite selective about who I choose. And this air of mystery you’re attempting to create seems forced, Dr. Banner.”
Bruce’s pulse began to race, his heartbeat began pumping blood at a faster pace than he was comfortable with. He needed to maintain control of himself. He had to, but he was feeling flush. The combination of this damn humid air, heavy with moisture, and his own body’s temperature rising rapidly as if he were simmering in a pot of water on a hot stove, was making it impossible for him to stay in control. Beads of sweat were beginning to form at the top of his forehead as well as his lower back, causing his shirt to stick to him like a second skin.
Dulce suppressed a smile, as she saw him shifting about and noticing the glossy sheen of perspiration forming on his brow. She was beginning to get to him. Not that she was surprised—she always knew which button to push. It came easy for her. She was a natural at manipulation, and it was just as exciting to achieve dominance with her intellect as it was her beauty. Or her strength. She also instinctively knew right when a person was on the verge of breaking, no matter how well they tried to hide it, and she knew she had Bruce Banner at that exact point. He was putty in her hands, ready for her to deliver the coup de grace.
.
“I’m sure someone as important as you can find a woman in the United States that will be impressed by all of your silliness. Maybe she will be turned on by your typical American smugness...” With languid grace, she withdrew her hand from his arm, a knowing smirk curling her perfect lips. “...or perhaps not.”
Bruce tilted his head to escape her eyes, biting his lower lip, trying to prevent himself from transforming. He was in control of his transformations now! I won’t let this cunning woman manipulate me, he thought to himself. But deep down, he knew that he was beginning to lose this battle, and he felt hopeless that he could change the outcome. This woman was manipulating him like no one had ever done before. He slid his hands inward, dropping them into his lap. He extended his fingers outward, then balled them into fists. They began to twitch, the pulsing, green-tinged veins within becoming more pronounced with each passing second.
Dulce’s heart raced. She was enjoying this as much as she had enjoyed using her new-found physical superiority to dispatch the competing cartels that had underestimated her. She truly enjoyed being underestimated, only to turn the tables on whoever was foolish enough to do so. As her eyes sparkled with mischief, she decided that it was time for the kill-shot.
“Maybe this American girl will be able to overlook your average looks and unimpressive physique. And if she’s feeling sorry for you, maybe, just maybe, she will fuck you…” Dulce raised an eyebrow in triumph, knowing victory was at hand, her smug smirk broadened. “...out of pity.”
The words struck Bruce with almost physical force. His hands began to shake violently, uncontrollably, as Dulce’s final insult ripped through him. For a moment, he was 10 years old again, being bullied on the playground. However, unlike the 10-year-old version of himself, he didn’t have to take their shit anymore. He was more than capable of bullying them back.
Bruce took pride that he was now able to control his transformations. The media had begun to refer to him as ‘The Smart Hulk’, but he had no desire to resist this oncoming rage-fueled one. In fact, for once, he welcomed it. He wanted to see the look of fear on this arrogant girl’s face as he turned into the enormous muscular behemoth that could lay waste to this entire pissant country if he wanted to. There wasn’t a damn thing anybody could do to stop him, least of all her.
“Aaaaaarrrrrggghhhhh,” he roared as the transformation began, his voice gaining a deepness and resonance that wasn’t there just moments before. Its pitch grew deeper with each passing second. His body jerked violently as gamma-irradiated blood surged through his body, his muscles erupting forth like lava exploding out of a long dormant volcano. There were times where his transformations took up to a minute, but this time, his anger and embarrassment reduced it to a fraction of that. He really wanted to put this girl in her place. Layer upon layer of viridian flesh exploded out of nowhere, adding hundreds of pounds of muscle to his once thin, powerless physique in mere seconds.
Throughout the transformation his clothing remained intact. It was made of unstable molecules, thanks to an invention of his close friend Reed Richards. However, this was one of those times where he wouldn’t have minded bursting out of his clothes. He felt like letting the inner beast inside of him break through the mental prison he had carefully constructed for it. But he still needed to maintain his own intellect. Thankfully, he knew that even as angry as he was, his rage paled in comparison to an unhinged, completely out-of-control Hulk.
Dulce stepped back, watching the man’s explosive transformation with a look of amusement written on her stunning features. This was the exact outcome she had wanted—for him to lose control of himself—while she remained unfazed in her natural state. Seeing his transformation, admittedly impressive, provided her with a great perspective of how she appeared to others when she went through her own transformation. Even knowing that she herself could change in a moment’s notice, and match him muscle for muscle, power for power, however, she couldn’t help but feel slightly intimidated due to the enormous size discrepancy currently between them.
But she was determined to gain the upper hand in this meeting, without ever having to transform herself.
.
“My, my, Bruce, or should I call you ‘Hulk’? I knew I recognized you from somewhere. How silly of me to think a man with such average looks was a Hollywood star.” The mocha-skinned beauty teased him yet again.
Bruce glowered at the tiny woman in front of him, completely nonplussed by his transformation. He had expected a vastly different reaction. Fear, perhaps? Surprise? Maybe even arousal. Anything other than complete indifference. It was disconcerting to say the least, but he still had a few more cards to play in order to turn this one-sided verbal contest in his favor.
He leaned forward until his unnaturally green face hovered mere inches from hers and grabbed her by the shoulders, careful not to squeeze them too hard and injure her. Despite his simmering rage, he had no desire to physically harm the woman, no matter how much she got under his skin. But he did want to intimidate her. Maybe make her squirm just a bit. He was unaccustomed to losing very many debates or discussions and engaging her as his green alter ego should give him the edge he was missing earlier.
“Oh, so now you’re going to play rough with me, is that it?” Dulce responded, gazing directly into his eyes with an almost bored expression. She showed absolutely no signs of being intimidated whatsoever. A sly smirk danced across her beautiful face, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “How did you know that this is the way I like it?”
He released the tiny young woman and stood up, a hiss of exasperation escaping his clenched teeth. Even as the Hulk, he couldn’t gain any kind of advantage over the petite beauty. He was beginning to feel intimidated by this woman. Him! An eight-foot tall wall of superhuman muscle! Never in his life had he felt so far in over his head in any interaction. The combination of her sultry looks, cunning, confidence, and obvious intelligence was more than he could overcome at the moment.
With a sigh of defeat, Bruce turned away from her, attempting to hide his embarrassment.
“You’re impossible. Do you know that?”
Dulce smiled at him. “I’ve been called many things in my life, but never that,” she replied. She reached out to touch his flexing tricep, causing Bruce to jerk his arm away. He knew that even a gentle touch from this infuriating girl would be too much for him to handle.
“What’s wrong? Are you frightened of little Dulcita?” she said, her smooth voice light even as it mocked him. “A little, pretty girl can scare the Incredible Hulk so much that he doesn’t even want me to touch him?”
Bruce felt his smoldering anger flare once again. He whipped his huge head around to fire his best glare at her. “Let’s cut the shit. I know who you are. I know what you are. And I know what you’ve done.”
“Is that right?” said Dulce, her small hands finding her cocked hips as anger flashed under her bold lashes. “You think you know me?” she spat. ”I’ve been around a lot of very powerful men. Dangerous men. All of them thought they knew me. All of them thought they could intimidate me. Frighten me. And you know what?” The curvy young woman began circling him like a predator, the expression on her sculpted features as dark as it was hard. “I’m the one that always comes out on top.”
She looked up at him and sent a withering glare in his direction that was so shockingly intense that Bruce took an involuntary step backward, swallowing hard as he did so. He gaped at her, dumbfounded at the situation, not sure what to say. He was a professor of physics, a superhuman giant of incomprehensible strength, and he was overmatched by this diminutive beauty before him. No matter what he could say, he knew that she would have a better reply.
Suddenly, however, the silent stare down was interrupted. Dulce’s assistant Camila rounded the corner, only to come to an instant halt. Her eyes widened, then her lips parted, letting out a yelp of surprise at the green monster that stood before her.
“Oh, Camila,” said Dulce, her dark eyes softening as she turned them toward her shocked assistant. “Don’t be frightened. This is my new friend, Bruce Banner.” Dulce couldn’t help but offer a sly smile. “Or, as you might otherwise know him, the Hulk.”
Bruce looked over at the new arrival, nodding his head in acknowledgement at Dulce’s assistant, still saying nothing.
Camila’s wide-eyed gaze shifted several times between Bruce and Dulce before she cleared her throat. “I-I’m sorry to interrupt, but you have a meeting that you need to attend, and you’re running behind,” Camila said sheepishly.
Dulce’s smile turned reassuring. “That’s okay.” She turned her attention to Bruce. “This conversation is over.” Her voice was matter of fact. “He was just leaving. Isn’t that right Bruce?”
Bruce regarded her angrily, but he had already resigned himself to failure. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to accomplish what he came there to do. “Y-yes that’s right. I’m leaving, but we will continue this conversation at a later date.” He tried, but failed, to sound more confident than he actually was.
Dulce’s full lips parted in a beatific smile of victory that revealed twin rows of perfect, white teeth. The look she wore could have made any man putty in her slender fingers. The young stunner’s exotic looks, and seductive manner always worked to give her an unfair advantage with members of the opposite sex. “Yes. We will, and I’m looking forward to it, as I’m sure you are as well.”
Bruce contemplated replying to her but thought better of it. Quickly, he turned away from her, his previously unshakable confidence impossibly shattered.
“Oh, and Bruce…” she called out to him as he skulked from her abode. “...give Agent Johnson my regards.”
