The "Hulk Incident" Rosen was thinking about wasn't the legendary Harlem showdown against the Abomination—the one that turned several city blocks into a graveyard of rebar and concrete.
In Rosen's original world, The Incredible Hulk movie was released in 2008, the same year Tony Stark first announced to a stunned press room that he was Iron Man. But according to the deep-dive timelines Rosen had memorized back on Earth, Bruce Banner's story actually spanned a much longer, darker period.
For instance, General Ross had recruited Emil Blonsky and had their first disastrous jungle confrontation in South America way back in 2005. It was after that initial beating—where the Hulk had essentially turned Blonsky's skeletal system into a jigsaw puzzle—that Ross had authorized the first injection of the "Imperfect" Super Soldier Serum.
Coincidentally, Jessica's family car accident happened that same year: 2005.
The actual battle in Harlem wouldn't happen until 2010. By then, Tony Stark would be busy racing vintage cars in Monaco or dying slowly of palladium poisoning. There was no intersection between the billionaire and the monster yet. But for Rosen, the timeline was a map of opportunities.
The incident that had actually made the news recently was Banner's return to Culver University. The footage was all over the internet: a green giant tearing through military Humvees on a campus lawn while General Ross's troops fired everything from 50-caliber rounds to sonic cannons. It was the public's first real look at a "monster."
Of course, in an era where superheroes were still considered myths or hoaxes, most people watching the grainy cell phone videos on YouTube just assumed they were high-budget CGI promos for a new movie. Only someone like Rosen knew the terrifying truth.
"Didn't the military compensate you for the accident?" Rosen asked, his voice low and seemingly full of concern. He watched Jessica's reaction over the rim of his coffee cup.
"Compensation?" Jessica let out a jagged, bitter laugh. "The police determined the crash was my father's fault. Case closed. No payout, no apology. Nothing."
She sighed, the sound heavy with years of resentment. "Even the medical expenses for the six months I spent in that hospital bed came out of my parents' inheritance. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have to worry about how to pay for college. I'd be set."
Rosen nodded slowly. Like the education system, the American healthcare machine was a meat grinder for the middle class. Jessica's family had been comfortable, but six months in a private ICU—even with the "reductions" provided to a minor—was enough to liquidate a lifetime of savings. The "American Dream" had been hollowed out by hospital bills and bureaucratic red tape.
"Are you sure it was your father's responsibility?" Rosen pressed, feigning a look of deep contemplation.
"I... I'm not sure of anything," Jessica admitted, her eyes downcast. A flicker of guilt crossed her face—a look Rosen recognized. "My memory of that day is a blur of rain and screaming. My brother and I were fighting in the back seat... I think we distracted him. I've always believed it was on us. On me."
Rosen took a slow sip of his coffee. He could see the hooks already sinking in. No matter what the official police report said, he was going to plant a seed of doubt so deep it would change the trajectory of her life.
He had a bit of a "collector's habit." Most transmigrators did. You don't just survive in a world you know; you try to improve the pieces on the board. And Jessica Jones was a very valuable piece. In her original story, her trauma and lack of direction kept her as a street-level "Defender," mixing with third-rate heroes. But with a little guidance—and the resources of a man who could rob the Kingpin—she could be so much more.
"I don't think it was that simple," Rosen said, leaning in. "I think you're being used as a convenient scapegoat for a very expensive military mistake."
Jessica's head snapped up. "Do you know something? About the accident?"
"I know some things," Rosen said, playing his cards carefully. "But I want to confirm something first. Since you woke up from that coma... have you noticed any changes? Are you, say, exceptionally strong? Can you jump higher than any athlete? Do you find yourself accidentally breaking things when you're angry?"
Jessica froze. The color drained from her face, and she shot a frantic look around the coffee shop. Finding no one eavesdropping, she hissed across the table, "How the hell do you know that? I've never told anyone. Not even the Joneses."
Rosen didn't blink. "Do you know about Captain America?"
"Who doesn't? He's a legend. Every kid in Brooklyn grows up hearing about him." She paused, her eyes widening. "Wait... are you saying my abilities are like his?"
"More or less," Rosen explained, his voice calm and clinical. "The original Super Soldier Serum used on Steve Rogers is gone, but the military never stopped trying to cook up a new batch. I suspect that the vehicle your father hit wasn't just a regular truck. It was transporting a derivative of that serum. Chemical agents, Jessica. You weren't just injured; you were exposed."
He let that sink in for a moment. "And that 'emotional instability' the doctors told you about? It's not nerve damage. It's your body trying to process a biological upgrade it wasn't designed for. The military didn't compensate you because if they did, they'd have to admit they created a super-powered teenager on a public highway. It was cheaper to blame your father and let your family's inheritance pay for their silence."
Jessica sat in stunned silence for a long time. Her breathing was shallow, her hands trembling as they gripped the edge of the table. The "guilt" that had defined her for years was suddenly being replaced by a cold, sharp-edged fury.
"Is everything you're saying true?" she finally whispered. "Do you have proof?"
Rosen leaned back, a small, enigmatic smile on his face. "Proof is a dangerous thing to have in this city, Jessica. But give me a little time. I'm working on something. And once I have it... we're going to make sure the right people pay for what they took from you."
He was lying through his teeth about having hard proof, of course, but it didn't matter. He had successfully shifted her focus from self-loathing to external vengeance. He had a future powerhouse in the palm of his hand, and all it had cost him was a cup of coffee and a few choice words.
"I've got to go," Rosen said, standing up. "Think about what I said. And keep your head down. If the military realizes what you really are before we're ready... they won't just ignore you anymore."
He left her sitting there, staring into her cold coffee, her world forever tilted.
As Rosen stepped out into the morning sun, he felt the hum of his System in the back of his mind. He had 380 million dollars, the knowledge of a Goblin Engineer, and now, a very angry super-human girl as a potential ally.
The game was changing.