It has been over a month since Stark's surgery.
The shrapnel remaining in his heart had been featured in various magazines and newspapers, and Stark himself had even appeared on television shows.
However, almost no one knew about the palladium poisoning.
The surgery was also kept strictly confidential.
As for the reason for the secrecy, it was simple: profit. The World of capitalists always revolves around profit. Stark was not a pure capitalist, but what about the other shareholders?
Once Stark underwent high-risk surgery, who knew what foolish decisions the group's shareholders, Military high-ranking officials, and Congress would make.
After not appearing for some time, various conspiracy theories inevitably ran rampant. Fortunately, Stark made an appearance.
In the footage, Stark was wearing a Hawaiian-style floral shirt, sunglasses, and holding a glass of juice, while reading the latest newspaper.
Outside the camera's view, there was a team of Doctors and Nurses on standby.
Another half a month passed.
Stark himself appeared at Stark Industries headquarters and, during a board meeting, appointed Virginia Potts Pepper as the CEO of Stark Industries.
Stark himself stated to the media that he would focus more on his superhero career. After that, he frequently appeared at various pool parties, surprise parties, beach parties…
Is this what you call "focusing on a superhero career"?
Mike's life became more routine, and commissions slowly increased. In one month, he even synthesized two Soul Fruits. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to obtain a single Destiny Energy.
Skye was obsessed with combat and marksmanship, spending all her time outside of work at the training Base on Hudson Pier.
Every weekend, Mindy would also come to the training Base to practice shooting.
Trish contacted him a few times, but it was still casual.
Jessica was avoiding Mike and somehow got involved with Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Colleen.
It seemed the Defenders were still forming.
Today, Fury woke him up from his sleep. His morning temper was as flammable and explosive as methane.
"Nick, I'm telling you upfront, if you don't have a good reason, believe it or not, I'll curse you by sticking needles in a straw doll," Mike said unhappily.
He took two marinated beef eye steaks and a battle axe steak and put them in the oven.
He also poured a glass of juice.
"It must be urgent…"
"How urgent?"
"A monster is heading towards New York, so what do you think, is it urgent or not…"
Mike hung up the phone directly. It hadn't even arrived yet, and this was considered urgent?
Speaking of monsters… was Godzilla or King Kong on the loose?
Mike took a sandwich from the refrigerator to fill his stomach: "Peter, have you eaten? Want a sandwich?"
"I've eaten, thank you, Boss."
The phone rang again.
He answered.
"An Agent is coming to pick you up," Fury said helplessly. "Consider it a commission, okay?"
"Alright," Mike said with a smile. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Too much unnecessary talk…"
With a commission, it was different.
The customer is God.
God!
When Natasha arrived, Mike had already eaten two steaks and was holding the battle axe steak, tearing and chewing with a wild posture.
His eating was extremely rough and appetizing.
The Agent drove Mike to Stark Tower.
Mike complained: "I'm familiar with this place, you just needed to say so, why bother with a driver? My sports car is almost rusting in the garage."
"Without a driver, are you sure you can get there within half an hour?" Fury sneered.
Someone who drove a sports car all the time was saying it was almost rusting.
He was lying through his teeth.
Mike: "It's hard to say without a commission, but with one, it's different. Don't underestimate my professionalism. This is my first collaboration with S.H.I.E.L.D.…"
Stark popped out and corrected Mike: "It's the first time with the Avengers. How about the name Avengers, cool, right? It would be a pity not to join with such a cool name. I'll give you another chance, are you in?"
Mike ignored him and asked: "Who are the Avengers now?"
Stark: "Clint, Natasha, and me, just three for now."
"Cough, cough." Fury winked at Stark from the side: "That's confidential."
Stark: "Oh, confidential, then what."
Fury wanted to hit him.
Considering that this consultant was someone he had painstakingly recruited, he could only endure it with tears.
Mike: "Then I definitely can't join, otherwise it'll become F4 or A.V4, which is improper…"
Fury: "You two have had enough, I'm about to lose it."
Stark and Mike both looked at Fury, their eyes signaling: "Please lose it."
Fury was so angry his chest hurt, his chest puffed out, but he managed to suppress it with the self-restraint of an old schemer.
This act was estimated to shorten his lifespan by three months.
Fury: "Let's get down to business."
Stark: "Jarvis."
Jarvis: "Yes, sir."
A mobile phone video began playing on the virtual projection. The protagonist of the video was a giant over two meters tall, with green skin, wearing only a pair of shorts. The supporting characters were fully armed U.S. Military special forces.
The U.S. Military was well-trained and well-equipped, as if just to highlight the Hulk's amazing abilities—catching missiles with his bare hands, tearing off car doors, smashing armored vehicles, and withstanding machine guns, rifles, and sonic cannons. The two students filming were exclaiming: "Unbelievable," "W.T.F," "Motherfucker."
Result: The U.S. Military retreated, and the Hulk escaped into a national park, his tracks covered by a rainstorm that seemed like an act of God.
Mike clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Tsk, tsk, what brand of shorts are these? They don't tear, don't explode, and don't burn. Do they hide the power of rules?"
"Puhaha!" Stark's expression was strange.
"Is that the point to focus on! Don't laugh!" Fury was so angry his balls hurt.
All three points of his body hurt from anger today.
Then—
"Hahaha!" Fury himself couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He imagined the Hulk with his bare butt, a giant hot dog dangling, wandering the streets.
Unbearable to look at.
"Cough, cough." Fury lightly coughed twice, pretending that what happened before was just an illusion.
Just then, Black Widow poked her head in: "I think I heard Nick laughing."
Black Widow was wearing a black, tight-fitting combat suit, like a thorny rose.
According to the original trajectory, Black Widow and Bruce Banner developed feelings for each other. This… mutual attraction between a man and a woman is human nature, nothing to say about it. The problem is, in the comic Universe, Black Widow had a relationship with the Hulk. Note, it was the Hulk, not Bruce Banner, perfectly illustrating "inter-species love" and "great tolerance."
Fury: "Jarvis, begin."
Jarvis pulled up an image: "Bruce Banner, a renowned physicist, was accidentally exposed to a large amount of gamma bomb radiation, causing a mutation. Once he becomes emotional and his heart rate speeds up, he transforms into a green monster known as the Hulk."
"After that, Bruce Banner evaded pursuit by the Military and police while also searching for a cure."
"According to intelligence, Bruce Banner once appeared in the Rocinha favela in Brazil, where he had a violent conflict with Military pursuers and then disappeared again. The previous video was filmed at Culver University in Virginia. According to the latest intelligence, Bruce Banner and his lover, Betty Ross, are currently heading to New York, targeting Dr. Samuel Stern of the Cellular Biology Department at Gebang Academy."