"He seemed to have green fluctuations on his body just now? That must be a mistake."
"I'm telling you, that guy is impressive, took out a target with a single shot and only used one propeller to do it."
"Barton's just a regular guy, yet his aim is that precise. No wonder they call him Hawkeye."
"Wait, the engine doesn't look completely scrapped, does it?"
"No, probably just malfunctioning. Someone's going to need to get in there to fix it."
"Is Tony heading out? Why not Rogers?"
"Hill's aide said midair repairs are extremely difficult. Tony's the only one who might pull it off."
"Tony Stark, the man who moves like a brick. Always placed exactly where needed."
"But seriously, how do you fix a massive engine mid-flight? Even Tony might not manage that."
"If they hadn't been arguing earlier, they might've spotted Patton before all this."
"Yeah, if Rogers hadn't stopped Tony, he'd already be out there in the armor assessing the situation."
"Honestly, having Tony along would've been reassuring."
In the expert group, all eyes were fixed on the live feed, waiting to see how Tony would attempt the repair. Though it was technically a simple mechanical fix, the situation itself was far from ordinary. It was tense, nerve-wracking, and strangely inspiring.
The historian Johan leaned back with a faint smile. "For those of you working in mechanical engineering, couldn't we design a line of robots specifically for aerial maintenance like this? Wouldn't that make problems like this a lot easier to solve?"
A mechanical expert sighed bitterly. "That sounds nice in theory, Johan, but reality is… complicated. Bringing something like that to life would require extensive research and a lot of trial and error."
The chief strolled into the room, having just finished settling a few matters elsewhere, allowing his team to rest briefly.
Taking his seat, the director added, "True, it's complicated, but imagine the potential. Our future ships could carry dedicated repair drones to assist in emergencies."
Mentioning the super team eased some of the tension in his chest, but stray thoughts still haunted him. Disturbing ideas flickered in his mind now and then, thoughts he didn't dare voice. Especially the chilling concept of humanity being raised, guided like livestock. The mere notion was terrifying.
The Federation had been molded under alien influence. Only once the final truths of past lives were fully revealed would all of this make sense. For now, conclusions remained elusive.
"Any leads yet?" he asked, calling his assistant over.
The assistant scratched his head awkwardly. "Not yet, sir. In fact, it's gotten harder. Much harder."
The director raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"
"As we delve deeper into capturing fragments from the Immortal Warrior," the assistant explained, "more children are activating their super bodies for the first time. The surge in numbers is overwhelming, and it's slowing down our investigations."
The chief waved him off impatiently, turning back to the screens. The feed flickered to a scene of chaos.
[ On the fighter jet, Hawkeye and a squad of special forces swiftly dropped through a vent, landing inside. ]
[ Barton gestured sharply. "Get control of that engine! Move! Head to the detention block and wait until the cameras are down." ]
[ Elsewhere on the carrier, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers sprang into action. Tony entered a storage bay, triggering the hatch to reveal a sleek set of battle armor, while Rogers sprinted toward Engine No. 3. ]
[ The carrier's alarms wailed as Natasha Romanoff turned in panic toward Dr. Banner, who was trembling and sweating. ]
"What's wrong with Banner?"
"He looks like he's in pain."
"Nat's terrified… sweating bullets."
"Say what you want, but she looks incredible even now!"
"Focus, man. Not the time!"
[ "Bruce!" Natasha cried, voice trembling. "Doctor? Banner! You need to fight it. This is exactly what Loki wants. We'll be fine, trust me!" ]
[ "I swear on my life, I'll get you out of here!" ]
"What's going on?"
"Why's she so nervous?"
"Damn, this is getting intense."
"Banner's suffering… he's really suffering."
"Nat keeps saying 'fight him.' Who is she talking about?"
"No clue, the footage is jumpy. We're missing pieces."
"Holy, what was that?!"
"Damn! That scared the hell out of me!"
"What's happening?!"
"He's… changing?"
[ Natasha tried to soothe him, voice shaking. "I'll protect you. You won't be threatened again." ]
[ Banner spun around suddenly, eyes blazing green. "Your life?!" he snarled. ]
[ "What—!" ]
[ Bruce doubled over in agony, his face twisting, skin flushing green. His chest heaved violently, clothes ripping apart as his body expanded rapidly. Within seconds, his skin was fully emerald, muscles swelling monstrously. He stumbled forward, crashing down the stairs, shedding the remnants of his torn shirt. ]
[ Natasha froze, stunned, as Banner roared like a beast, his body towering and fearsome. ]
[ With a thunderous crash, the Hulk gripped a steel pillar, bending it as if it were paper. ]
Gasps erupted from the hundreds of millions watching live.
The sight of the Hulk left viewers slack-jawed, his emerald hue brighter than jealousy itself. Few had connected the dots. The glimpses of Hulk they'd seen earlier? That had been Dr. Banner all along.
Chat feeds exploded, comments flying faster than anyone could read:
"Holy crap! It's him! Banner IS the Hulk!"
"No way. How's that even possible?!"
"Did Nat cause this?"
"If Nat could do that, she'd have done it ages ago…"
"Question! Important question!"
"Spit it out!"
"Uh… does Hulk's… you know… also turn green? Bigger?"
"Bruh. Really?"
"I just… I can't accept that mild-mannered Bruce Banner is this monster!"
"No wonder Natasha's panicking. She knew."
"Not just her. Everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. probably knows. We only had fragments; we had no idea Banner was the Hulk!"
"Someone make an animated series out of this!"
"Animation?! Now?!"
Meanwhile, inside the Human Potential Development Organization, recently absorbed into the Supreme Court and upgraded to a full-fledged division, shockwaves rippled through its ranks. The lab, now staffed with over 300 experts, fell silent as Banner's transformation played out on the screens.
Ashton Wells, lead biomedical scientist and pioneer of human potential studies, leapt to his feet, eyes wide.
"This… this is a miracle!" he exclaimed, "His power rivals Rogers… maybe even surpasses him!"
Gasps spread through the room. As one of the earliest scientists on the project, Ashton Wells, understood better than anyone, Rogers, despite his enhancements, was still fundamentally human.
"Steve's genes were altered," he muttered, forcing himself to stay calm. "But Banner's… this isn't human anymore."
One of his colleagues raised a hand cautiously. "Not necessarily, sir. It might be duality. Two entirely different gene sets, coexisting within Banner."
"Triggered by… what? Rage?" Ashton Wells asked.
The scientist nodded gravely.
The room buzzed as realization dawned. S.H.I.E.L.D. had always been careful not to provoke Banner. Even Bruce himself had admitted there was someone, something, inside him. Now it was undeniable.
"These are just theories," Ashton continued, "and without blood samples, proof will be hard to obtain. But one thing's certain: his combat power in this form is… extraordinary."
All eyes flicked to the screen again, watching Hulk casually bend steel. Not even Tony Stark or Rogers could manage that.
Ashton clenched his fists in excitement, "Do you see? Banner is human. Rogers is human. Both are ordinary people with extraordinary strength! They are proof, living proof, that it's possible! They give us direction!"
He turned to his stunned colleagues, voice rising, "This isn't fiction. This happened before. If we can uncover just a few key clues from their past lives, we can reverse-engineer their power. I'm convinced we'll unlock the ultimate mystery of human potential!"
The tension in the lab turned electric. Banner's terrifying form wasn't just a spectacle; it was inspiration. Proof of what humanity could achieve. For the first time, every scientist in that room brimmed with hope and determination.
"This… this is power beyond imagination."