The phone finally connected.
"Hello?" The voice on the other end was thin, cautious—shaky with nerves and something else. Hope? Was it possible, after so many years in the dark?
Daniel swallowed. He remembered the old protocol. "What walks on four legs at dawn, two at noon, and three at dusk?" he asked, his voice steady despite the pounding in his chest.
There was a faint, startled inhale—a recognition. "It's a person," the caller replied, without hesitation. "When they're a baby… they crawl on all fours. As an adult, they walk on two. In old age, a cane makes three." The relief in their tone was immediate, almost palpable. He could picture them, maybe even exchanging glances, letting out the breath they'd been holding for years.
It's really him.
Daniel pressed forward. "Are you safe where you are?" he asked.
"We are. In the Netherlands, as planned."
"Good. Then it's time. Start activating the embedded plans. One careful step at a time. No mistakes." His mind flickered through the old map—the network he'd laid out, each cell invisible but connected.
A second voice joined in, more confident now: "We reach out to the others?"
"Yes. Quietly. Only those you trust, no deviations. You know the stakes." Daniel could almost feel the ripple of anticipation through the line, like old wires crackling to life. Everyone in the circle would understand—loyalties like this weren't easily shaken.
As he spoke, his mind raced. For now, he thought, the family is safe, the plans are activated. But if he was going to survive—thrive, even—he needed to become someone else, at least on paper. Now, cameras caught everything, and there were spells that could pierce most glamours. Raw magical strength wasn't enough unless you could back it up with paperwork and a story.
He listened as the family assured him of their resources—quiet, diligent, unassuming on the outside. To the world, they were just a peculiar clan tucked into the corners of the Netherlands, old-money and unseen. No one outside would guess at the true depth of their secrecy.
Daniel resisted the urge to sigh, some ancient tension loosening in his shoulders. They were still trustworthy, still careful. The years he spent supporting them from afar hadn't been wasted.
"All right," he said quietly, more to himself than to them. "Let's get started."
Europe had its share of these old, secretive families scattered through countries like Belgium, Norway, and England. Generations of hardship and persecution had taught them the value of keeping their heads down and their power quiet. This hidden position gave Daniel room to operate in the shadows—free and almost invisible.
By morning, a discreet courier had delivered everything Daniel needed:
- A fresh set of IDs,
- A bank card loaded from multiple shell accounts,
- And keys to a luxury apartment in Manhattan.
Overnight, Daniel was—on paper—just another normal person in New York.
It was a reminder that, even now, money still worked like magic. Without it, nobody—not even a sorcerer—got very far. Now fully resourced, Daniel could blend in, move quietly, and act on his own terms.
In the following days, he dug into Empire State University's digital archives. He was tracing anomalies and connections, looking for signs of hidden truths behind world events.
Most of public history looked unchanged on the surface. But Daniel focused on the shadows:
- S.H.I.E.L.D. operations,
- HYDRA splinters,
- Leviathan's old network,
- Legendary names like Captain America's Howling Commandos,
- Early media mentions of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and more—mutants, Inhumans, even glimpses of the Kree and Skrulls.
Most of these stories were buried or missing from official records. The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man sometimes made the tabloids, but others existed only in rumors—or in the memories of those who knew where to look. Still, Daniel could feel change on the horizon. The days of secrecy were ending; soon, these hidden stories would make headlines.
For now, what mattered most was the upcoming Stark Expo—the biggest spectacle on the calendar. Daniel knew he'd need to attend; Tony Stark was unavoidable, and the Expo would be a crossroads for heroes, villains, and those in between.
Meanwhile, his Dutch network worked overtime. The false identity they'd prepared for Daniel was flawless—from fake childhood memories and school records to medical files and distant colleagues.
Everything was set.
The next morning, Daniel met Betty Ross in the small common room, holding an official-looking envelope.
She eyed it skeptically. "What's that?"
Daniel grinned. "Looks like my acceptance letter. I'm now enrolled in the Department of Biological Sciences at Empire State University. I guess that makes me a freshman."
Betty stifled a laugh. "You're… eighteen?"
Daniel winked. "That's what my birth certificate says."
Betty crossed her arms, eyeing him. "You're really going to keep this act going?"
He grinned slyly. "Age is just a number, Professor. Especially for someone who knows magic."
She rolled her eyes, but her smile gave her away. "Well, you'll have to move out. I can't play dorm mom to a student."
Daniel nodded and smiled. "Already got it handled. I picked up the keys to my new place this morning. Planning to celebrate tonight."
Betty softened a little as she sipped her coffee. "Fine. We'll stop by Academic Affairs, then you can show off your new digs. Maybe we'll get cake."
"Deal."
Earlier that day, Daniel had picked up his new suit and suitcase. His old Jotunheim gear—furs, armor, boots—would eventually need to be refitted for life on Earth; for now, blending in was more important. Jotunheim beast furs were unbeatable for pure protection, but in New York, style and subtlety mattered.
Daniel returned to campus to meet Betty, who waited on a bench with coffee in hand, wearing a simple blue plaid dress. When she spotted Daniel—now sharp-looking in his tailored brown suit, clean-shaven, and with his hair neat—her face lit up. He looked every bit the modern academic, not a ragged survivor.
She stood and hugged him. But as Daniel hugged her back, he felt a sudden jolt—a wave of primal, forceful awareness swept through him.
He stiffened on instinct. Something dangerous was nearby.
Out under a big oak tree, a heavy-set man lingered, half-hidden by a hat. There was no mistaking the raw, contained power Daniel sensed from him, or the unmistakable flicker in the man's eyes—
A flash of green.
Rage. Daniel's heart thudded in his chest.
Even in disguise, there was no question.
Bruce Banner… or, more accurately—
The Hulk.
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