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In truth, the entire setup was rather simple.
Thanks to his knowledge of future events, Joseph had reached out to Samuel Sternāknown online as Mr. Blueāat just the right moment. After a carefully guided conversation, Joseph invited him to become a visiting professor at the newly formed Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, giving him a personal contact number with one specific instruction:
Call immediately when Bruce Banner visits.
That one call had triggered a carefully orchestrated chain of events. And more importantly, in the serum that Emil Blonsky eventually injected into himself, Joseph had added just a little something extra.
Stern, a man driven by boundless curiosity and a thirst for scientific exploration, had always prioritized knowledge over safety or ethics. The fact that he agreed to study a blood sample from Hulk without knowing Banner personally spoke volumes about his personality.
Despite his ambition, Stern hadn't been easy to recruit. Joseph didn't resort to mind controlāno Confundus Charm, no Imperius Curse. That wasn't his style.
Instead, he offered something Stern could never resist:
A completely independent lab, fully funded. A workspace where he'd be provided with samples from not only the Hulk but also a variety of Mutantsāfree to experiment, research, and swim in the boundless ocean of genetic marvels.
It was an offer tailor-made for someone like Stern.
He accepted instantly.
And now, with the events unfolding exactly as planned, it was time for Joseph to make good on that promise.
But something in Stern's demeanor had shifted. The scientist had been fidgeting for several minutes, casting nervous glances toward Joseph. He clutched a small, broken device in his pocketāthe shattered remains of the badge Joseph had given him earlier.
Stern cleared his throat, finally speaking up. "Mr. Josephā¦ thank you for giving me this. If not for it, that slap from Abomination would've turned me into a pancake."
Joseph smiled politely. "Just a trinket. You're one of us nowāa visiting professor at Xavier's School. It's only natural we protect our own."
Stern exhaled slowly, visibly relieved.
What he didn't knowāand what Joseph wasn't telling himāwas that the badge, while a lifesaver, had also cost Stern something priceless.
If the slap had landed and Hulk's blood had seeped into his bloodstreamā¦ Stern's dormant potential would've awakened. He would have become a being of immense intellect and mutationāa villainous mastermind in another timeline.
Now, that path had been closed.
And Joseph was fine with that.
Stern, having mustered a bit more courage, asked carefully, "Where will my lab be built? And as for Hulk's bloodā¦ how will you keep providing it?"
Joseph didn't miss a beat. "Simple. We make Bruce Banner a professor too."
Stern blinked in confusion. "Wait, what?"
Before Joseph could elaborate, Shadowcat, who had been watching the monitors nearby, interrupted. "Hulk just took off. He's on the run."
Joseph smiled. "Then it's my turn."
With that, he vanished from the rooftop.
Far away from the city's lights, the Hulk bounded through the darkness.
His leaps were colossal, muscles coiled and surging with rage. Buildings flashed past as he propelled himself toward the outskirts. Eventually, a dense forest loomed aheadāand without hesitation, Hulk dove into its shadows.
But as soon as he landed, Joseph stood before him.
"Hulk."
The green titan froze for a heartbeatāthen snarled. His anger hadn't subsided since the battle. Instinct took over. He launched himself into the air, one enormous palm aiming to crush Joseph like a bug.
WHAM!
The hand passed through nothing but air.
Joseph stood untouched, his body shimmering briefly as if woven from mist.
Four-Ring Spatial Magic: Ethereal Form.
It wasn't brute strength that made Joseph dangerousāit was precision, mastery, and foresight.
Hulk stumbled from the failed attack, crashing into the underbrush with a frustrated growl.
He was a force of nature. Raw power. Pure instinct. But against a trained magician who had counters prepared for every reaction, that power meant little.
Joseph raised a hand.
A thin beam of light struck Hulk's forehead.
Mental Spell: Overpowered Stunning Curse.
Normally a low-tier spellābarely enough to knock out a thiefāJoseph had amplified it tenfold, pushing it to the equivalent of a Fifth-Ring spell.
Hulk flinched, staggering. But he didn't fall. His rage boiled over, and with a roar, he charged again.
This time, Joseph let the impact happen.
The body exploded into a puff of smoke.
Mirror Illusion.
Suddenly, the forest was filled with dozensāno, hundredsāof Josephs. All identical. All chanting the same spell.
More Stunning Curses flew at Hulk like a storm of fireflies.
He bellowed, smashing illusion after illusion. One by one, the copies disappeared in bursts of magical light. Trees fell. Rocks shattered. But the real Joseph remained hidden, continuing to pelt him with spells.
"Hey, big guy," the copies echoed. "Ever heard the phrase: magic trumps rage?"
Each time Hulk destroyed a copy, two more appeared.
He jumped. Smashed. Pounded the ground.
But his mindāalready not the sharpestāwas being clouded by repeated magical blows.
The dizziness crept in. His limbs grew heavier. His roars lost coherence.
"Huā¦ Hulkā¦"
He slapped another Joseph, only for it to vanish again.
"...HATES MAGICIANS!"
And with one final roar, Hulk collapsed with a thunderous crash.
His green skin dulled, shifting back to a human tone. Muscles deflated, shrinking back into the frame of a tired, battered man.
Bruce Banner lay there, unconscious.
Joseph dispelled the illusions and walked up to the man.
"Dr. Banner?" he asked softly. "Hulk's asleep now. Are you still with us?"
Banner stirred.
His eyelids fluttered. Slowly, he opened his eyes, groaning softly.
"Whaā¦ where am Iā¦?"
"I'm Joseph," the magician said warmly. "Mutant. Strategist. Former headmaster of the new Xavier's School. And I'd like to offer you a job."
Banner blinked in disbelief.
"A job?"
"Yes. As a visiting professor. Vice-principal, actually."
"Viceā¦ what?"
Joseph chuckled. "You've got seven doctorates, Dr. Banner. You're one of the most brilliant minds on Earth. You're exactly the kind of teacher our new school needsāsomeone who can teach science, ethics, biology, engineering. Topics that go beyond power."
He continued, his voice sincere.
"At our school, you'll have a peaceful life. Full salary. A private lab. No more running. No more hiding. You'll help shape the next generation. And," he added with a wink, "we've already hired Samuel Stern as a research professor. He's working on a new antidote for you."
Banner stared at him.
Joseph wasn't offering power. He wasn't offering money or leverage.
He was offering normalcy.
Peace.
For the first time in years, Banner considered it.
"Butā¦" he hesitated, "what if I lose control again? What if Hulk comes out? What if he destroys the school?"
Joseph didn't even flinch.
"Then I'll beat him back down again."
Banner stared.
He opened his mouthāthen closed it.
And finally, he laughed.
A quiet, exhausted laugh.
"Are you always thisā¦ direct?"
"Only with people I like."
The forest echoed with silence, broken only by the hum of magic as Joseph prepared a teleportation spell to bring Banner safely back.
Behind them, the moonlight shimmered against the broken treesāwitness to the battle between brute strength and measured intelligence.
And in the distance, Xavier's School awaited a new professor.
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