The power Senju Haruto had revealed didn't just shock Director Fury and General Ross—it sent chills down the spines of the forces behind them.
Yes, the Marvel Universe had no shortage of so-called "gods."
Tony Stark, with technology decades ahead of the world.
Thor, the Asgardian thunder god.
Dr. Bruce Banner, transformed by gamma radiation into a monster.
The Inhumans, capable of awakening strange abilities.
And more besides.
But even so, in the realm of conventional warfare, armored vehicles, missiles, tanks, and fighter jets were still the ultimate yardsticks of a nation's strength.
With Haruto's appearance, however, all of those proud achievements of the Department of Defense—cutting-edge weapons meant to dominate battlefields—were suddenly nothing more than resources waiting to be converted into Haruto's steel soldiers.
This hidden, destabilizing threat made every major power uneasy.
So uneasy, in fact, that before Fury could even bring up the Avengers Initiative again, they had already gone straight to General Ross, demanding he use every resource at his disposal to wipe out Senju Haruto.
The world, they decided, could not allow such a being to exist.
Ross felt both a headache and a thrill at these orders.
The headache was obvious—Haruto's ability was a dimensionality reduction strike. As long as humanity relied on machines, on weapons, on tools of war, they could never hope to defeat him.
To put it bluntly… anyone who fought with conventional tech wasn't even qualified to challenge him.
They would simply be devoured by the flood of iron the moment they faced him.
The corpses of the soldiers in the streets of New York were proof enough.
And yet… the heavens never completely close off a path.
Even under such harsh conditions, Ross had glimpsed a sliver of hope. A sliver that made his blood run hot with anticipation.
"Hulk."
In a U.S. military base, inside Ross's command conference room, he uttered the monster's name in a low, heavy voice.
Across from him sat a tall Black man, an eyepatch covering his left eye, his bald head gleaming smooth like a freshly polished egg.
It was Director Nick Fury.
This partnership had never been in Fury's original plans. He'd intended to approach Senju Haruto alone, to try recruiting him.
Get him into S.H.I.E.L.D.
Convince him to join the team.
Even if only as a technical consultant, it would have been enough. No need for him to punch a clock at headquarters. As long as he showed up when Earth needed him—stood alongside other heroes when the time came—that would be enough.
That was the very heart of Fury's Avengers Initiative.
But despite being S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, Fury wasn't free of oversight. Orders from above, pressure from the shadows—he had no choice but to sit here across from Ross, playing the role of collaborator.
Not that either man was easy prey.
Cooperation, on the surface, yes—but beneath it, both harbored their own agendas. Mutual use, nothing more.
Ross slid a dossier across the table. Banner's file.
Ever since Dr. Bruce Banner had been altered by gamma radiation, becoming the Hulk, he had been running. Always just out of reach, slipping from the military's grasp again and again.
Ross had to admit, Banner had real talent for vanishing.
For years, they'd craved his power, but could never pin him down.
That was why Ross intended to borrow S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence network.
"Let's not waste time here, Director Fury. Your agency's reach in intelligence gathering surpasses even the military's. And from what I know, you've even planted people inside our own ranks."
Ross's voice struck like a hammer.
"I need the Hulk's location."
It was the only path he saw to dealing with Senju Haruto. Use the Hulk's power.
"You want to unleash one monster against another?" Fury scoffed, a thin smile tugging at his lips.
He had heard plenty about Banner's case—and had seen some of the rare footage himself.
And, as Ross well knew, when it came to intel collection, there weren't many who could outmatch Nick Fury.
The Hulk was strong, yes, but not invincible.
"More accurately, it's the gamma serum," Ross corrected. "If we can capture the Hulk, we can extract it, replicate it, and mass-produce it."
"Build a Hulk army."
"Even if that man calling himself Haruto can turn cars into robots, he won't stand a chance against an army of Hulks."
"Our calculations show a single punch from Hulk carries destructive force in the hundreds of tons—while calm. And when enraged, his power multiplies."
Ross leaned forward. "You know all this already. Which means you know exactly why I need your intel."
Haruto's location wasn't Ross's priority. With enough raw power, he wouldn't need to fear anyone—not even a man who could summon steel giants.
To Ross, soldiers bound by tanks and jets were relics. Super-soldiers like the Hulk were the future.
"I need your intelligence network."
He laid his plan bare, then waited for Fury's response.
"…Fine."
After a long silence, Fury gave a reluctant nod.
Orders from above had been clear enough—S.H.I.E.L.D. was to cooperate with the military this time. Capture Banner, at all costs.
What happened after—the question of who Banner "belonged" to—that would be another battle entirely.
Fury rose from his chair, lips quirking into a faint smile as he extended his hand.
Ross mirrored the gesture.
The deal was sealed.
"As for Dr. Banner," Fury thought to himself, "S.H.I.E.L.D. is far better suited to handle him than the Army ever will be."
But he didn't voice it.
As for Senju Haruto—Fury intended to have his own conversation with him.
Within hours of Fury's authorization, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s massive web of information had borne fruit.
The latest intel placed Banner in hiding at a factory in Brazil.
But just one day earlier… Banner had purchased a ticket back to the United States.
"Banner's coming back?" Ross frowned. He had expected Banner to flee as far from this country as possible, chasing peace in exile.
Yet here he was, returning of his own accord.
And the timing lined up perfectly—right after Haruto had turned New York upside down.
Could the two events be connected?
Even Ross couldn't guess at Banner's play this time.
But Fury found one detail particularly interesting buried in the report.
"Just before Dr. Banner bought that ticket," Fury said, eyes narrowing, "he made contact with someone calling himself Dr. Blue."