A few days passed quietly, but change was on the horizon.
Emma Frost, the White Queen, officially assumed the role of Director of the Mutant Affairs Bureau. While the department she now led was little more than an empty shell—with no budget, minimal staffing, and not even a proper office space—it was still a monumental step forward. For the first time in years, there was visible, formal cooperation between mutants and government authorities. And that meant something.
X Daily, now the most influential media outlet focused on mutant affairs, ran a special segment on her appointment. Though the position lacked power, many saw it as a turning point—a signal.
A signal of official recognition for mutants.
The psychological impact of this gesture was enormous. Public sentiment began shifting. People were slowly discarding their fear of mutants. After all, if mutants had their own official law enforcement agency, then any future incidents involving mutant-related crimes could be reported directly and handled by specialized individuals—namely, the X-Men.
That changed everything.
By integrating mutants into the system of law and order, their existence seemed less threatening. The fear, rooted in uncertainty and the unknown, began to erode. This transformation in mindset wasn't dramatic or immediate, but like water over stone, its long-term effect would be undeniable.
Some skeptics raised a valid point: "If this continues, won't the X-Men eventually become an independent police force of their own?"
The answer, for now, remained elusive. Nobody really knew.
But honestly, most people didn't care. Their attention had already been captured by something else—something much more dramatic.
A video had gone viral.
It was posted on a channel named Second World, and the footage was nothing short of mind-blowing. It began with a shot of the Incredible Hulk—the green titan himself—roaring furiously as he chased down a young man.
"HULK—!!"
The behemoth thundered after the man as if vengeance itself drove him. Hulk tore a tree from the ground and hurled it with terrifying force. The young man barely dodged, scrambling beside a car just before it was smashed by a hail of metal.
"Alright, big guy! Take it easy! You're going overboard!" the young man shouted, fleeing in sheer panic.
The scene was exhilarating, if not terrifying. The young man sprinted desperately and hijacked a sports car, yanking the driver from his seat. With the pedal slammed to the floor, he raced away at lightning speed.
To everyone's shock, Hulk completely ignored the man whose car was stolen. His focus remained solely on the young man. Civilians on the road didn't even register in his eyes.
The chase escalated.
The sports car blasted across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Hulk leapt high into the air, grabbing onto the bridge's metal frames. In seconds, he was airborne again—crashing down on the hood of the fleeing car.
BOOM.
The car flipped instantly.
The young man was launched through the shattered windshield, tumbling through the air toward certain death.
Panic gripped the audience watching this chaos unfold.
The memory of Hulk's battle with Abomination still haunted many, especially the devastation left in its wake. Was this going to be a repeat of that catastrophe?
But then, something strange happened.
The young man—mid-flight—showed no fear. In fact, his eyes burned with anger.
"Enough!!!"
With a defiant roar, his clothes transformed in mid-air. Within a second, he had donned a familiar costume: Batman's cowl, cape, and utility belt. A claw-grapple launcher materialized in his hand.
Bang!
The grapple shot upward, embedding itself in the bridge's steel beams. The man soared over Hulk's head, landing high atop the structure and glaring down at his pursuer.
Hulk wasn't done. He roared once more and jumped after him.
"You forced me!"
With a snarl, the young man's outfit transformed again—this time into Superman's iconic blue-and-red suit. His cape fluttered behind him as he rocketed forward, colliding directly with Hulk's incoming fist.
The screen filled with a flurry of shockwaves.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Superman's punch slammed Hulk into the bridge, cratering the concrete—but Hulk rose again, seemingly stronger than before.
"It's not over, huh?"
The young man's voice was cold now. His form changed again. His hair turned white, a black windbreaker replacing the cape. Storm's signature style.
A moment later, the sky opened.
Lightning crashed down with a deafening CRACK, striking Hulk directly.
Smoke rose from Hulk's scorched skin, but he continued his rampage undeterred.
The young man grit his teeth and transformed yet again—this time into Cyclops. Red beams of energy erupted from his eyes, lancing toward Hulk's chest.
But even the searing laser couldn't stop Hulk's advance.
With a sigh, the young man made one final transformation.
His form burned with red energy, resembling the Phoenix. His eyes were calm but intense as he raised both hands.
"Why do you fight?" he asked softly, and invisible psychic energy surged outward.
Hulk froze mid-air.
The audience gasped. Everyone who had witnessed the Phoenix's might before recognized this—powerful psychokinesis that could render even the strongest immobile.
But Hulk… still resisted.
His massive hand began inching forward.
Not to strike the man—but toward his wrist.
Suddenly, everyone understood.
It wasn't the man Hulk wanted.
It was the black bracelet on his wrist.
"Oasis…" Hulk muttered, voice low and gravelly. "Give me… Oasis…"
"NO!!" the young man shouted in a rare burst of genuine rage.
He transformed into Wolverine, claws extending from his fists with a metallic snikt! and plunged them into Hulk's side.
"Oasis… mine!"
The screen cut to black.
Silence.
Viewers everywhere were left stunned. But then…
"Wait… that bracelet… it looked familiar…"
"I swear I saw it in a news clip with Iron Man!"
"Yeah! Wasn't that the gaming bracelet Iron Man had?!"
"…Are you telling me Hulk just rampaged across San Francisco for a gaming accessory?!"
"You've got to be kidding me… WAS THIS AN AD?!"
The chat exploded in disbelief and fury.
So, Hulk—hero of New York, destroyer of Abomination—was now starring in commercials?
The backlash was immediate. People were outraged. But also… curious.
Very curious.
Because the bracelet had been seen before. Stark had hinted at it. Shadowcat streamed gameplay snippets. And now this?
Everyone wanted to know more.
"What the hell is Oasis?!"
"What kind of game lets you transform into superheroes at will?!"
"Wait—is it a superpower simulation?"
"Is this how they're advertising now?! Making fake fights and calling it gameplay?!"
But despite the complaints and rants, people clicked on the link below the video.
A simple landing page opened:
[OASIS: Pioneer Experience Program]
13,810 cities worldwide. 100 players per city. Register now for a chance to enter.
The application form followed: Name, Country, City, Contact Info.
People were floored.
Was this real?
An international launch? Simultaneously?
Was this game company insane… or genius?
Even though outrage filled every comment section, server logs began to fill with sign-up data.
Meanwhile, inside the Stark Building...
In the President's office, Tony Stark burst out laughing.
"You really know how to market, Joseph," he said, offering a mock salute. "Turning an ad into a cinematic event? Genius."
Joseph leaned back in his chair, casual and unbothered. "It's not shameless if it works."
"You dragged me and Hulk into a guerrilla ad campaign," Tony said, still amused. "You even used Batman, Superman, Storm, Cyclops, Wolverine—do you know how many copyright lawsuits are headed your way?"
Joseph smiled. "If they contact me, I'll ask them to be Oasis brand ambassadors."
Tony blinked, stunned by the sheer audacity.
"…You really are worth every penny."
He collapsed onto a velvet couch, chuckling.
"So when's the official launch event? After this much attention, you've got to be ready to go big."
Joseph's expression shifted.
"Not yet," he said.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "You're still holding back?"
Joseph nodded. "The internet is bound by borders, Tony. Even with our success in the West, Oasis hasn't made the same impact in countries with strong firewalls and restricted media."
Tony understood. "So… you need global shock value. Something no one can ignore."
Joseph's eyes sparkled.
"A headline that can't be censored. One that forces the world to look."
Tony's interest was fully piqued.
He didn't know what Joseph was planning next.
But he knew one thing for sure.
Whatever it was… it would change everything.
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