"General Ross, what a rare visit."
Five hours after the Symbiote Swarm ended, Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, the Pentagon's head of superhuman affairs and the founder of the U.S. Avengers project, came to the concrete bunker deep within the Pentagon. It was here that a special prisoner was held.
Behind the thick, reinforced glass designed to contain the Hulk, General Ross looked at the man inside who was watching television. The man was thin and gaunt, with shackles on his hands and feet. His skin was an extraordinary green, and his most distinct feature was his abnormally large, or rather, towering head.
"Samuel Sterns, give me one reason not to send you to the Raft, especially concerning your creation of the Abomination."
Samuel, who actually preferred the name The Leader, smiled. He paused briefly, stood up with a grin, and stepped aside. The news on the TV was reporting another successful mission by the Avengers and the near-total annihilation of the U.S. Avengers.
"Let's be frank, General Ross. You won't send me to the Raft because you need monsters."
The Leader pressed his face against the wall, looking at Ross with a provocative stare. "Think about it. You wanted to create a super-soldier, but you created a monster instead. How long have you been chasing that monster? Almost ten years, right?"
"From the very beginning, you disliked the name of that bookworm who won your daughter's heart, Bruce Banner. You hate him because, to save some fool who rode a motorcycle into a military base, he entered a danger zone, and one of America's finest scientists just… turned into a terrifying monster."
"You hunted him because… you were afraid of that power. You were afraid that monster would harm your family, your daughter, your country. You used every bit of power from the world's most formidable war machine, only to find, to your surprise, that you couldn't defeat it. So your fear turned into terror, and then into obsession."
The Leader laughed, a dry, raspy sound escaping his throat. General Ross just stared at him, saying nothing.
"Hunting the Hulk, calming your inner fears, proving the Hulk is a terrifying monster that you can eliminate—that has been your life's goal, General." The Leader stared at Ross. "But all of a sudden, aliens invaded. Twice. The green monster you hunted became a hero. Everyone trusts him. The symbol of the nation, a billionaire, and a god are all his friends. You'll never be able to hunt him again, General."
"And your daughter will even fall into that monster's embrace."
Ross still just looked at The Leader with a cold expression. "You talk too much."
The Leader smiled. "Maybe so, but I watch the news. Your U.S. Avengers were annihilated. They were pathetic. That's because all you have are some pitiful, closely monitored subjects. They don't have enough desire to fight, nor do they have enough power. The most crucial thing is—this is an age of monsters, and you, the United States, have no monsters."
"You need monsters, and I can create monsters. I can create the next Blonsky—strong, resilient, and without losing his mind. You will have your own monsters, General."
"Or maybe… you can become the next monster?"
"Enough." Ross cut him off. "I came here only to tell you that your place of confinement is about to change. You will be held in the Cube prison, deep in the Mojave Desert. It was specifically designed for Gamma monsters like you. You will be very safe there."
"And if the Hulk were there, he'd be very safe too, wouldn't he?"
In the end, Ross ignored the provocation and turned to leave. Shortly after he left, he received a call. In silence, Ross went to the Weapon Expansion Project laboratory. He was about to demand an explanation for why Otto Octavius had caused such a terrifying symbiote crisis when he was left speechless in surprise.
According to the files, Otto Octavius should have been a cripple, but here he was, walking freely. His four limbs were covered in something that was undoubtedly a symbiote, and there was no sign of rejection or any negative side effects.
"You have triggered an extraterrestrial invasion of Earth, Doctor Octavius."
"Actually, the alien species that caused the invasion was brought here by S.H.I.E.L.D.," Otto defended himself while handing over a canister. Inside was a symbiote, which was supposed to be uncontrollable. "But thanks to this, I have completed the preliminary research on the practical application of symbiotes. The only problem now is what to do next. Almost all of the samples have been destroyed. There might be some remaining samples scattered around Manhattan."
General Ross didn't reply, but he had already made up his mind to use the gangs and other underground organizations in New York to collect as many remaining symbiote samples as possible from the aftermath of the battle. To do so, he would need to put a little pressure on Wilson Fisk, who was in prison.
Compared to General Ross's problems, the Avengers' were much simpler. The Damage Control Bureau, funded by Tony Stark, was cleaning up the battlefield, recovering any symbiote fragments they could find. Meanwhile, Tony was asking questions of the only magic user on the team.
"Welcome back to the team, Thor. Are you planning to stay for a while, or are you heading back once you're done with your business?"
"The Bifrost has been repaired, Iron Man. I shall, as always, maintain peace in the Nine Realms, but yes, I will be mainly staying in Midgard." Thor nodded, and the two walked and talked as they entered the Avengers Tower.
"When winter is at its coldest, I must return to Asgard. Every year on the coldest day of winter, Odin falls into a deep sleep. During that time, all the forces in the Nine Realms that resist Asgard will attack. I must guard Odin's side."
"Got it. You have to take a week off every year. So diligent." After a sarcastic remark, Tony asked again, "So, what's your advice on the 'Super Sorcerer' who rejected the Avengers' invitation?"
"The Sorcerer Supreme is Midgard's barrier, Iron Man. He is responsible for protecting Earth from invasions by gods from other dimensions. Knull is just one of them. There are other powerful dimensional gods like Dormammu, Chthon, Mephisto, and Cyttorak who will also invade Earth given the chance."
Tony was silent for a moment, then stared at Thor.
"Isn't that a little too many?"
The origin story here is based more on the comics. The foolish young man, Rick Jones, who was saved by Banner, causing Banner to become the Hulk, would later become the Hulk-related superhero "A-Bomb" (the blue Hulk).
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New novel dropping tomorrow, stay tuned!
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The Only Player in the Marvel World
For a prize of ten million dollars, Du Mu is trying to clear a large-scale virtual game called "The Marvel World".
Unbeknownst to him, when the game started, he had already transmigrated into the real Marvel Universe, becoming the only player in this world.
Nick Fury: Du Mu is an excellent agent, he just doesn't like to follow orders. Every time I give a mission, he skips it.
Tony Stark: I don't know what happened, that day I teamed up with Du Mu, and when I came back, I was left with only one pair of underwear.
Banner: My situation is exactly the opposite of yours, only my underwear was stolen. I got so angry I transformed into the Hulk, and I was on the front page of every major news outlet that very night.
Thor: Du Mu said he had already maxed out his Justice Value to 1000, then he picked up my Mjölnir and ran off.
...
Facing the complaints of a group of superheroes, Du Mu calmly states: "These are all operations allowed by the game. If you have a problem, go talk to the game planner."