"A letter? For me? Who would write to me?" Banner asked, surprised, glancing at Noah, who simply nodded, encouraging him to read the message.
The doctor turned to the computer and opened the email.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.? Nick Fury? Is that the person you told me about?" Banner asked after reading the signature. He had previously inquired about S.H.I.E.L.D. after hearing Noah mention the organization.
"Yes, that's him, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and he wants to talk to you," Noah confirmed with a slight smile.
Banner began reading the email, his expression changing as he progressed through the text.
"Fury is inviting me to participate in their operation. He says they need my help in locating the Tesseract. And... something about the 'Avengers'?" Banner looked at Noah after finishing the email.
In the message, Nick Fury briefly described the current situation and painted a picture of the impending threat. If the Tesseract fell into alien hands, Earth would be in grave danger. Fury, of course, didn't mention the Hulk directly, understanding that the topic was too sensitive for the scientist. He appealed to Banner's intellect, needing his scientific expertise. However, deep down, he undoubtedly wouldn't object to utilizing the Hulk's power. A containment cell was even prepared on his Helicarrier, indicating Fury's cautious approach to this force.
"Did he invite you too?" Banner asked, seeing Noah mentioned in the email.
"Yes. We can go tomorrow, but I'm not joining the Avengers," Noah replied calmly.
"Do I need to go too?" Banner didn't seem enthusiastic about the idea, especially considering his negative experiences with official US organizations. Memories of being hunted haunted him.
"Don't worry, they won't dare touch you. Besides, I can help you with one problem," Noah noticed the hesitation on Banner's face and decided to reassure him, although he had just remembered something important.
"What problem?" the doctor asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
"I'll show you." Noah raised a hand, signaling him to wait, and hacked into Nick Fury's communication line.
Fury's face, stern as always, appeared on the screen.
"Noah? What is it this time? And how many times do I have to tell you: if you want to talk, call normally, there's no need to constantly hack my phone," Fury said with irritation. Apparently, even after numerous attempts to strengthen his device's security, his technicians couldn't prevent Noah's intrusions.
Ignoring Fury's grumbling, Noah began, "I read your email. Firstly, I'm not joining your Avengers. I have no one and nothing to avenge."
"The Avengers aren't about revenge, Noah. It's a team that protects the world, seeking justice for the innocent," Fury explained patiently.
"Yes, yes, I know that. As for the Tesseract, I'll come to your base tomorrow to examine it," Noah continued indifferently, avoiding the topic of the Avengers.
Fury paused, then said, "Alright. You know where to come. I indicated everything in the email."
"Excellent. If there's nothing else, I'm disconnecting," Noah nodded, preparing to end the conversation.
"Wait! Noah!" Fury quickly interrupted him. He hadn't expected Noah to end the conversation so abruptly, as if something had been missed.
"What else?" Noah asked, puzzled.
"You haven't told me what Dr. Bruce Banner thinks. What was his reaction to my offer?" Fury asked impatiently, reminding Noah that the email also contained a message for Banner.
Noah frowned slightly, then slowly said, "Banner? Hmm... The doctor said he's against government organizations. So it's unlikely he'll ever join you."
Banner, narrowing his eyes, looked at Noah with a silent question, his lips mouthing the word, "What?"
Nick Fury also frowned in confusion, but then he paused to consider. Perhaps Noah was trying to convey a specific message in this way?
"What needs to be done for Dr. Banner to agree? Could you clarify?" Fury finally asked.
"No problem. I already spoke with him. He said he's tired of General Ross constantly pursuing him. If you can rein in Ross, he'll agree to cooperate with me," Noah replied, and Banner looked at him in surprise. He hadn't expected Noah to bring up this issue.
Fury's frown deepened. "Ross is a representative of the military; I can't interfere in his affairs."
"Director Fury, you head an entire organization. Is that really so difficult for you? If you don't resolve this issue, I'll have to handle it myself," Noah shrugged casually.
"Yourself? What do you mean?" Fury asked, his eyes wide, and Banner also felt a surge of anxiety. He knew Noah was capable of many things. Although he disliked Ross, he was still Betty's father, and he didn't want him to get hurt.
"Who knows?" Noah smirked and, as if casually, added, "By the way, you have someone... what's his name... Sk... Skru..."
Fury didn't let him finish. "Alright, I'll try to talk to General Ross. You both need to be there tomorrow, don't be late!"
Fury's expression seemed to darken further. He knew what Noah was hinting at. Noah apparently knew more about them than he should, and that was dangerous.
He was forced to compromise. Although he knew Noah wasn't going to join the Avengers, he still needed Banner. His intellect and the Hulk's power were invaluable resources, and with the threat looming over Earth, he had no choice but to agree to Noah's conditions.
"Okay, see you tomorrow," Noah said, ending the conversation. The screen showed Fury repeatedly trying to end the call unsuccessfully. His face grew even grimmer.
"Are you sure this will work?" Banner asked after the conversation ended, slightly worried.
"Of course, he'll handle it, but only after we deal with the Tesseract," Noah replied confidently.
A glimmer of hope appeared on Banner's face.
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