While Nathaniel and Owen were trying to make Hulk look more friendly to the soldiers—"not exactly easy"—the entire base buzzed with rumors.
The argunt between Ross and General Nathaniel had spread like wildfire, especially after Ross had been kicked off the base. Not only that, people were whispering about Ross's attempt to attack Owen Colt—the sa man who was now at the center of even more rumors… that he had actually been involved in a successful version of the super soldier serum.
And as if that weren't enough, that sa man had brought back the green giant himself: Hulk. Word was that the plan was to train him, turn him into a secret weapon directly under the command of the military—and more specifically, under Nathaniel's command.
Ross, blinded by wounded pride, had tried to take them both down in hopes of stealing the credit. But Nathaniel, not caring if he might be punished for it, had struck him to defend his n.
That act only made him more popular among the soldiers. From the lower ranks to the middle ones, many began to look down on Ross. Even so of his own subordinates were starting to doubt him.
Of course, Ross heard everything. He was planning to file a formal complaint against Nathaniel to try and salvage so dignity. But just as he was about to do so, his phone rang.
"Are you an idiot?" ca a furious voice on the other end of the line. "Why the hell did you run back to that base? You were thrown out for a reason!"
"Sir, we were pursuing the target designated as Hulk," Ross replied quickly, on the defensive.
"Shut up! You think nobody knows Nathaniel let you keep that thing, Abomination, while it was Owen Colt who actually helped capture him? And still, you keep lusting after what's not yours."
The man paused for a second, then continued, even angrier.
"Now Hulk will be trained by Nathaniel, not dissected like you wanted. Your idea of cutting him open to replicate him is insane. We all know one mistake with your thod could create an army of uncontrollable monsters. You were only allowed to try because your sponsors pulled strings. But they're no longer around to cover for you."
Ross clenched his teeth in silence.
"Nathaniel, without even trying, already has two S-class assets under his command. Owen Colt has been officially recognized as a super soldier, and now Hulk is part of his unit too. You have nothing, Ross. Nothing. He accomplished in days what you couldn't do in years. And to make it worse, he now has a direct deal with the President. He's untouchable."
The call ended with one final blow of authority:
"Don't cause any more disasters, Ross… or all your labs and resources will be transferred to a more competent general."
Ross let out a roar of rage and smashed his phone against the wall, shattering it into pieces. Then he stord out of the office, heading straight to the lab where Abomination was still being studied.
…
Elsewhere on the base…
"Tell your plan, old man," said Owen, sitting across from Nathaniel. Banner, now back in human form, was in a corner cleaning his face with wet wipes. At Owen's words, he looked up with interest.
"Do you rember how, as a kid, you always said you were preparing for sothing big? That always stuck with . And when you wanted to quit… sothing lit up in ," Nathaniel said as he turned his laptop around to show them the screen. Banner ca closer.
On it were videos of people with extraordinary abilities. An African-Arican man seed immune to damage: a shotgun blast to the head at point-blank range didn't stop him. Another, dressed in red, moved across New York rooftops like a demon. A young man with a glowing fist fought what appeared to be a squad of ninjas. And a woman in black was demolishing walls and easily defeating Clint Barton—all while being controlled by a creepy-looking man in a purple suit.
"Those four tead up to stop a cri boss who runs the underworld in Hell's Kitchen. They call him Kingpin," Nathaniel explained.
Owen frowned. That wasn't supposed to happen yet. Those nas… Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist. The Defenders. They shouldn't even exist in this world. Not if there was a connection.
"And what do we have to do with that? Isn't S.H.I.E.L.D. supposed to handle those things?" Owen asked.
Nathaniel gave a bitter chuckle.
"Do you really want to trust national security to a man whose philosophy is 'the end justifies the ans'? That guy doesn't hesitate to manipulate, withhold information, or sacrifice soldiers if it fits his strategy. To him, everything is a damn chessboard. And yes… I t him in the past."
He was talking about Nick Fury.
"Besides, S.H.I.E.L.D. answers to the World Security Council. Do you know what they'd do if they saw a threat that's too big? They wouldn't hesitate to drop a nuke in the middle of Manhattan if it ant neutralizing the danger."
"So stop dancing around it and tell the plan, old man," said Owen, growing more serious.
"The plan is simple: you and Dr. Banner will form a special unit under direct military command. You'll have full operational freedom. But your mission will be clear: protect civilians from anomalies like those."
Nathaniel paused and looked at them both.
"If you want, you can recruit more. But honestly, with just the two of you it's already more than enough: a super soldier with no growth limit… and a genius who turns into an unstoppable monster."
"Sounds like you're trying to copy the very man you despise," said Owen with a crooked smile.
"Don't be stupid," Nathaniel replied seriously, with the voice of a man who'd seen countless battles and losses. "I protect my n. My policy is simple: all civilians must survive—just like you. And if they can't… then save the ones you can. We're soldiers, not heroes."
Owen let out a soft laugh and shook his head.
"Tsk, of course you're dragging us deep into this, huh?"
"Obviously," Nathaniel nodded. "You're my number one disciple. And about Banner… Hulk is a powerful tool for destruction, sure—but he can also be a shield. He just needs to learn how to be one."
Banner, who had just returned to his human form, sighed and accepted his fate.
"Looks like I don't have much of a choice."
Nathaniel and Owen then showed him the recordings: Hulk trying to throw a rock, then calmly eating while the soldiers slowly approached. It was a scene that showed that with patience, control was possible.
"Don't worry," said Nathaniel with a soft smile. "The missions you'll be assigned will always be for helping. You'll never be involved in political or resource conflicts. Though you should be prepared to be labeled as heroes… and beco part of the propaganda."
Owen frowned, serious.
"Are you sure about this, old man? If they send the Green Man out, they could conquer any country."
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, his voice firm.
"The president himself signed the contract. If they ever try to use you two for anything other than protecting civilians—whether they're from this country or another—you'll be granted the freedom to walk away."
That left Owen and Banner wide-eyed. They both knew the country and its internal sches well enough to understand that kind of freedom was no small detail.
"Don't be surprised," Nathaniel continued wisely. "You two have the power to join any nation you want, and no one could stop you. It's better to bind you here, tempt you to stay, than let so other country offer you a better deal."
It made sense. From the perspective of the governnt, Owen and Banner were weapons of mass destruction. Owen still had room to grow, but his blood was already worth more than gold. And with the connections Nathaniel had, he was well-protected—no one would dare attack him without risking half the army.
As for Banner, Ross had been allowed to attack him only because he had sponsors desperate to get their hands on Hulk. But now, with Nathaniel and the army backing him—especially since they now had Abomination—Ross's sponsors had lost interest.
And most importantly: now everyone's eyes were on Tony Stark and his Iron Man suit.
But they were in for a big disappointnt… because Tony Stark had also struck a deal with Nathaniel.
"Now get out. You both stink. Let Banner stay with you for a while until Hulk starts getting along with the soldiers," Nathaniel said, dismissing them.
So Banner and Owen left.
"Told you. The old man's always planning sothing," Owen said with a grin.
…
To be precise, Nathaniel is devising a plan to form the Avengers—but this ti with a solid structure from the start. He's a man who has witnessed too many deaths and fought tirelessly to protect his country. Yet, like any human being, he has limits. Now, in Owen, he sees a spark of hope—the potential of a true hero. His admiration for Captain Arica is no coincidence—he believes in the symbol he represents. Nathaniel won't be more than the catalyst, the initial protector in the creation of the Avengers. After that, he'll let the young ones forge their own path. He only needs to give them the push that will take them forward. Like any father, he wants to see his child thrive—with pride.
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