At night, on the calm sea, a massive ship floated silently amidst the waves.
Snowflakes fell continuously from the night sky, but the people on the battleship were in no mood to appreciate the scene.
Hundreds of individuals were constantly busy.
Towing, cleaning, inspecting...
Task after task was repeated tirelessly on this night.
It seemed this enormous battleship platform was preparing for an imminent, fierce battle.
The Quinjet slowly landed on the vast platform of the battleship.
Su Che and the others disembarked from the fighter.
"This is really something else!"
Looking at the massive helicarrier, Tony Stark remarked, "I want to build one to play with!"
"This isn't a toy, Tony. You should focus on properly upgrading your armor after this is over!"
"Better yet, follow Su's suggestion and create nanotech armor. It would save a lot of trouble!"
Seeing Tony carrying the case containing his Mark armor, Natasha Romanoff replied with a smile.
"Natasha, stay away from Su from now on. I've noticed you've picked up his habits!"
Hearing Natasha "roast" him, Tony Stark shrugged.
Although, he did enjoy friends joking with each other like this!
"What are you looking at?"
Walking over to Su Che, who stood with his hand outstretched as if catching snowflakes, Natasha Romanoff asked with a smile, "Never seen snow before?"
"Of course I've seen snow. But snow above the open sea? This is a first!"
Looking at Natasha Romanoff, Su Che smiled softly.
"It is beautiful. But if possible, I'd rather not see this scene. [Flying over the sea always brings back memories of crashing my plane into the ice seventy years ago.]"
Hearing Su Che's words, Steve, holding his shield, made a self-deprecating joke.
He was immediately teased by Tony: "Wow, such an old man, always living in the past!"
"But Steve, why didn't you bail out before the crash? Don't tell me you didn't have a parachute or something!"
Hearing Tony, Steve turned and pointed at the case in Tony's hand: "I don't know what nanotech armor is, but I don't think many people carry a case onto the battlefield, ready for a fight."
"Oh, I remember! Logistics soldiers often do that kind of work!"
"So, Mr. Tony Stark, our esteemed logistician, are our supplies ready for the fight?"
"Screw you!"
Tony flipped Steve the bird.
Me, the great Tony Stark, in charge of your logistics?
Hmm... Now that he thought about it, he had bought a villa area to build a base, maintained their weapons, and updated their equipment. It did seem somewhat logistical...
Dr. Banner, who had been relatively quiet, watched the group bicker, a flicker of envy in his eyes.
Truthfully, who wouldn't want to be part of such a harmonious atmosphere?
For over half a month, Dr. Banner had also lived at the team's base.
He knew very well that no one in this small group was ordinary.
Even Natasha Romanoff was far more formidable than the average person.
If he could join them, then among this crowd, he might not seem like such an outlier.
But Dr. Banner also knew his situation was similar to Thor, who had returned to Asgard.
Although he lived here, he hadn't fully integrated into the team yet.
Staying here was partly because Nick Fury wanted their help in case he was attacked again.
It didn't mean he had officially joined them.
Yet, from their conversations, it seemed their first gathering was to destroy the HYDRA base in Sokovia.
After that incident, though no one mentioned it explicitly, they had unconsciously formed a small team.
While these guys always bantered and teased each other, if one got into real trouble, the rest would step up to help!
Honestly, Dr. Banner envied that greatly.
If he remembered correctly, initially, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had approached him, hoping for his help with the Sokovia HYDRA base incident.
But he had declined back then.
If he hadn't refused, maybe he'd be part of this team now...
At this thought, a rare look of determination flashed in Dr. Banner's eyes.
Perhaps this incident, for which Nick Fury had called upon this team, was his chance to prove his worth.
Maybe afterward, he could join them properly.
Hmm!
Dr. Banner believed that only by letting them see his value could he earn the right to join them.
It was natural for him to think this way. In Dr. Banner's view, within this small team led by Su Che,
everyone was extraordinary, each a standout in their own right.
Whether it was the mighty Silver Moon Knight Su Che, the legendary hero Captain Rogers,
the wealthy and brilliant Tony Stark, or elite agents like Natasha Romanoff and Barton with their guaranteed skills and resources—
they wouldn't accept someone who brought nothing to the table.
He himself held seven PhDs and could transform into the incredible Hulk when angered.
If he could help this time and demonstrate his value,
then he might be qualified to join them!
This line of thinking wasn't unreasonable for Dr. Banner. After all, how could Bruce Banner, who had been lonely and hiding all this time, not crave a place to truly "belong"?
Humans are social creatures. Naturally, he didn't want to spend his life alone and on the run!
"What are you thinking about, Dr. Banner?"
Noticing Bruce Banner lost in thought, Tony Stark asked curiously as he walked alongside him.
"Nothing, nothing!"
Seeing Tony's gaze, Dr. Banner smiled somewhat "shyly": "I was just thinking, this is my second time at a S.H.I.E.L.D.-related place."
"The first time was our last meeting at a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. And you know, whenever I get angry, I turn into that Hulk who only knows how to smash!"
"That's why S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to capture me, stick me in an airtight glass jar, and drop me to the bottom of the ocean."
Saying this, Dr. Banner took a deep breath and laughed: "I wonder if that glass jar is still around."
"It's still here!"
Hearing Dr. Banner, Natasha Romanoff, who was leading the group inside the helicarrier, turned her head with a smile. "The glass jar still exists, and it's on this helicarrier. So, Dr. Banner, I hope you can keep your temper in check!"
"Hopefully..."
Facing Natasha's joke, Dr. Banner spread his hands. "But doesn't that mean if S.H.I.E.L.D. decides to deal with us, we'd have no escape here?"
Hearing Dr. Banner make a rare joke,
Steve beside him pointed to Su Che ahead and said to Bruce Banner, "Don't worry, Bruce. This is the sea."
"That's right!"
Tony Stark chimed in from the other side: "Above the sea, Su is invincible!"
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