James smirked. "You just want naming rights."
"Damn right I do," Tony said. " And while we're at it, your Nexus Arms could have a dedicated production line and workshop for upgrades. Some experiments in New York are inconvenient to do with all the permits and safeties needed."
James nodded. "That's the idea—And Tony, Hydra tried to provoke Banner last night. Someone wanted him to lose control—and maybe drag me into the mess, too. I don't know who's behind it yet, but I intend to find out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hydra's targeting you?" Tony Stark asked, his tone losing its usual playfulness.
"It might not seem that way," James answered, rubbing his temple. "But I'm pretty sure I'm the target. There's no logic in provoking Bruce for no reason. If they timed their attack just when I arrived, that's a pre-planned attack. Which means the real target should be me. And if they keep doing that, Bruce won't get a moment's peace."
Banner frowned, puzzled. "They want to kill you?"
"Pretty much my guess." James let out a slow breath. "They didn't see me bring my suit here, so they could have planned to use Hulk to take care of me. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal state of affairs isn't exactly… stable. Tony, you need to be careful. Trust no one except Phil."
Tony leaned back in his chair. "What about Nick Fury? You're saying he's off the list, too?"
"He's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Director. You can trust him too, but don't trust him blindly. Fury won't deliberately harm us—but there's another force inside S.H.I.E.L.D., something ancient and buried deep among the people. You remember the hearing? They wanted your armor. Now, they're making another play—to me. Not their first attempt, either."
Tony tilted his head. "Why haven't they tried killing me then?"
"Because you're not a direct threat to their control. You operate outside S.H.I.E.L.D.; I don't. My work has already cost them an entire division. Hydra lost its New York branch because of me. They'd rather remove me quietly than pick a public fight with Iron Man."
Banner nodded slowly, the pieces falling into place. "So if you keep surveillance on me, they'll probably try again?"
"That's exactly what I expect," James said. "Maybe not today, but soon or later. Hydra's roots go back millennia—to alien origins. They worshipped something that fell from the stars, and called it a god. You can imagine what kind of ideology that creates."
Tony lifted an eyebrow. "Then why didn't these zealots just take my tech? Instead, they held that farce of a hearing."
James cracked a faint grin. "Because right now they're in hiding. Provoking you is just asking for a disaster. You're unpredictable, and you don't care how much money S.H.I.E.L.D. burns through. Hydra's patient, not suicidal."
He turned back to Banner. "Which brings us to you. It's time to decide. You can keep running and wait for them to corner you again—or come with us. Join our upcoming research program. You'll have protection, freedom, and purpose instead of paranoia."
Banner hesitated, gaze drifting toward the sea. After a long pause he sighed. "Well… since it doesn't seem to matter where I hide, I might as well stop hiding."
Tony's grin returned. "That's the spirit. Between James's legal teams and my fortune, we're the best kind of backup money can buy. If anyone tries to use force, will give it back tenfold."
James nodded once. "Good. Then will plan your return."
Tony frowned. "You need a plan just to go home?"
"Yes." James's voice hardened. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s network leaks like a sieve. As long as we don't announce anything to anyone. We can go quietly, off the record. Flying openly's a death sentence."
Banner looked uneasy. "So… we're taking a boat?"
James shook his head. "No. A plane. Tony's jet will file a cover route—other countries first, then Brazil. So Tony, if you can get someone to pick us up off the radar, and fly straight to California. Can Bruce stay at your Malibu villa until we build the new facility?"
Tony drummed his fingers thoughtfully. "So we smuggle him home under the nose of two governments using my Jet? Eh, Why not. You sure we can keep him off the record though?"
"Pretty sure. If you can arrive in full armor—make it a grand show. During re-entry, Bruce can drop from their radar. No boarding records or customs trail. By the time anyone asks, you're already back in Malibu."
Tony laughed. "Beautiful smuggling operation. But what about long term?"
"Once the comprehensive research institute is built, no one can touch it. Tony, you've got enough defense contracts to arm a small nation. So tell me—does Stark Industries have a single weapon left that hasn't been sloppily reverse-engineered by someone else?"
"Touché." Tony grinned. "You really have a knack for making illegal stuff sound easy."
The discussion stretched for hours—risk assessments, flight pathways, emergency codes. By the time they wrapped up, the sun was already dipping low from the horizon.
James drove Banner back into town, parking a block away from the small apartment he'd been renting. "Pack your essentials," he said. "Don't bring any electronics. We'll move to a back alley hotel until Tony arrives."
Banner nodded and slipped inside quietly.
At the temporary command post, James's agents looked uneasy. "Sir, are we still maintaining surveillance? If we pull out now—"
"There's no need," James cut in. "You're on leave effective immediately. If you want to travel, go. If you want to stay, fine. But no calls or reports to HQ. This is a direct order. The less people know, the better."
He didn't say more and left them a pile of cash as bonus. Some orders worked better unexplained. The men trusted him, and that was enough.
James checked into a hotel himself, close to Banner's location. His goal wasn't just to protect Bruce—it was to keep anyone else from getting hurt if the Hulk emerged.
Three days later, the sky shook with the whine of turbines. Tony's private jet landed under civilian disguise. Inside the hotel, the three men met again.
"Hello," Tony said, offering his hand to Banner. "Mind if I call you Bruce?"
"No problem." Banner smiled briefly. "Thank you for coming all this way."
Tony grinned. "It's my pleasure. And credit to James here—he's got a knack for convincing people who'd normally run away."
James gestured to the map on his laptop. "Alright, final briefing. Tony, your plane departs tomorrow at dawn. You'll descend in the Iron Man armor to pick up Bruce here—a coastal drop point." He zoomed in on the map, the red marker flashing.
Tony nodded. "Same procedure on the way back?"
"Exactly. The route stays filed as civilian, but altitude and speed are yours to decide. Once Bruce is at the villa, you can return to the jet and that's it."
"Wonderful," Tony said.
Banner watched them both, a faint relief settling in his eyes. For the first time in years, there was a plan that didn't involve running.
The next day, Bruce Banner was flown quietly back to the United States. James stayed behind in the hotel, deliberately attracting attention—leaving a trail for whoever was watching to follow. If Hydra wanted a target, he'd make sure to become a big bright target.