The Avengers Compound.
Peter was trying to draw a Sling Ring portal. This time, there were no issues with it—he hadn't been able to open one before, and whether that was a problem with the Hydra base or with Bob, he personally leaned toward the latter being more likely.
After all, this was the Sentry.
"So, you're saying the super monster you met in the Zombie Universe—the zombie with the power of a million exploding suns—is the counterpart of that kid you just brought back?" Tony looked at Bob, who had entered the lab for a physical exam, and then at Peter in disbelief. "With all due respect, he looks like... well, a delinquent youth with a drug addiction."
Peter nodded helplessly. "Without a doubt, it's him."
"If this is true, then we, the Avengers, need to guide him onto the right path." Captain America frowned as he watched Bob. "I don't recommend sending untrained soldiers into battle, but at the very least, he needs to know how to control his power and how to use it without hurting others."
"Yeah, so he doesn't crush someone's hand off during a handshake. That's entirely possible." Tony nodded while opening the fridge, pulling out a tub of ice cream.
Captain America shot Tony a look. "It's already early December."
"I know. Eating this stuff in winter is the best—it doesn't melt."
Tony completely ignored Captain America's old-fashioned views and dug right in. "Still, I think if he has that much power—just a little bit, even a tiny fraction—we could turn him into a powerful Avenger. Sure, we already have Hulk and Thor, but nobody thinks having another Hulk or Thor would be a bad thing, right?"
"We can't force decisions on people, Tony."
Captain America shook his head. Even if the guy truly possessed the energy of a million exploding suns, and even if that power was genuinely crucial, they couldn't force him into anything. That was Captain America's steadfast belief—regardless of who or what someone was, they deserved autonomy and respect.
The Avengers had a duty to guide Bob in using his abilities properly, but they had no right to demand he become an Avenger.
Tony merely smiled, offering no reply to Captain America.
Come on, they were the Avengers! The Avengers. If he told that young man he could become an Avenger, a superhero, would he really say no? Could Captain America say that wasn't Bob's own choice when the time came?
So, in Tony's eyes, this wasn't an issue at all.
However, Banner soon shattered Tony's pie-in-the-sky idea. After leading Bob away and letting him rest, Banner walked back out holding the medical examination report. "Unfortunately, guys... I'm starting to wonder if the Super Soldier Serum injected into him was a dud. His DNA shows zero abnormalities. In fact, it's... well, remarkably normal. Abnormally normal, even."
Tony found it baffling. "You mean... he has no superpowers at all?"
"Exactly. Whether it's Luke Cage and the others who were injected with the modern Erskine Serum, or Captain America, everyone's cells underwent significant re-development, mutation, and differentiation. But in his case, I saw none of that. The only thing notable about him is a past painkiller addiction, though he seems fine now."
Tony was rendered speechless. Was this guy truly just an ordinary person with no abilities whatsoever?
Peter clearly held a different view. "When I found him, he had been in that hibernation pod for at least a dozen days. He didn't starve to death, and as soon as he came out, he could run and jump without any muscle atrophy. Hydra hadn't even powered on any of the hibernation pods. That means he went a dozen days without food or water and was completely fine."
That was obviously way beyond the scope of a normal human.
"Besides, I have a theory, though I'm not entirely sure." Banner adjusted his glasses. "Spider-Man mentioned that the Sentry across many universes possesses a purely evil persona called 'The Void.' As everyone knows, I usually look like a normal guy, but once I let the Hulk out, I become a big, green three-year-old... well, maybe a five-year-old now. I suspect Robert might be in a similar situation."
Peter couldn't help but interrupt Banner. "And as I've mentioned, once The Void is unleashed, we'll most likely be facing the end of the world directly. So, Dr. Banner, I think your idea is a bit extreme."
"No, what I mean is that maybe we can work from that angle. Like... Bob is actually terrified of his own power. He associates super strength with destruction, so he views the powerful part of himself as belonging to another personality. But if we can help him realize that his power has nothing to do with his persona..."
The other three in the room turned their eyes onto Banner, making him feel rather awkward. "Is something wrong?"
Tony offered a smirk. "I didn't know you were focusing on psychology now. What, did you get on better terms with the big guy?"
"You could say that. Now I can bring him out even without getting angry. We've... gotten a lot closer. Besides, many kids love the Hulk, and he gets really happy whenever he sees Hulk toys."
Banner nodded before looking back at the group. "But we're talking about Bob's situation, friends. This has nothing to do with me."
"Alright, then we'll keep him here at the base. Our base is huge anyway, so housing one extra person is no big deal." Tony shrugged. "Banner, go talk to him. You two might actually have a lot in common. Right now, let's keep our focus on Ultron. We still have at least three Ultrons to deal with."
"Speaking of which, I spoke with the Guardians of the Galaxy and gave them some info about the war on Earth." Captain America chimed in at this point, looking around at the rest of the team. "We need an operation to force Legion Ultron's main body out, and then I'll speak to him."
"We need to tear a rift in Ultron's logic—tell him that his Avengers Protocol will bring nothing but endless war, and that peace will never be reached."
The group exchanged glances, confirming their next steps. Captain America and Tony immediately set out to finalize the plan, Banner went to talk to Bob, and Peter left to call everyone else back to the compound.
Then, Tony raised a question with great curiosity: "By the way, what are our network security officer, Ultron, and his Papa Pym up to right now?"
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