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S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, The Triskelion
Nick Fury stood like a silent monolith in front of a giant wall-to-wall screen. Behind him, the atmosphere was thick with the professional tension of the world's most elite intelligence agency. On the screen, the high-definition footage of the carnage at Culver University played in a loop.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had been tracking the "Banner incident" long before the first shot was fired. Agents on the ground had captured every second of the engagement, providing Fury with a front-row seat to General Ross's high-tech failure.
Fury cleared his throat, a sharp sound that cut through the low murmurs of the room. He turned to face the four senior agents standing at attention: Phil Coulson, Maria Hill, Melinda May, and Grant Ward.
"The Hulk's power is beyond our initial projections," Fury said, his single eye scanning the group. "And it's clear Bruce Banner has zero control over the beast."
Phil Coulson stepped forward first. "Banner has spent months in hiding without a single incident. He's not looking for a fight; he's looking for a cure. I believe we should reach out—cooperate rather than capture."
Maria Hill nodded in agreement. "If he's found a way to suppress the transformation for this long, that data is invaluable. Bringing him in as a consultant is safer than bringing him in as a prisoner."
Grant Ward, whose hand instinctively rested near his sidearm, disagreed. "He's a walking tactical nuke with a hair-trigger. Cooperating with a disaster waiting to happen is a liability. I say we deep-freeze him until we have a permanent solution."
Melinda May remained a silent shadow, her eyes fixed on the screen, offering no verbal input.
Fury considered their words for a moment. "Coulson, you're with me. We'll talk to Banner. If we can resolve this without turning Virginia into a crater, we do it."
Identifying the New Player
Fury turned back to the screen, pointing a gloved finger at the five T-600 Terminator Robots that were shown shrugging off high-caliber rounds.
"Now, someone explain to me where Ross got these toys. Stark didn't build them, and Hammer isn't smart enough to."
Agent Hill's fingers blurred across her tablet. Within seconds, the procurement records flashed on the main screen.
"Two days ago, General Ross met with Miss Kelly, the CEO of Celestial Industries. They finalized a massive drone contract and a separate, high-priority purchase of five 'individual combat units' designated as T-600s."
"Celestial Industries?" Fury's brow furrowed. "The drone start-up that's been all over the news?"
Maria Hill, a Level 9 Agent with a flawless track record in command and intelligence, confirmed the data. "The intelligence is verified, Director. Celestial Industries isn't just a consumer tech company. They have military-grade manufacturing capabilities that rival, and in some sectors exceed, Stark Industries."
Fury's eye narrowed. He had pegged them as a marketing-heavy firm riding a trend. He had miscalculated. "Agent Hill, place Celestial Industries under Level 1 observation. I want to know who is really running their R&D. Investigate every lead on their technical lead."
With that, Celestial Industries was officially marked as a high-interest target on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar.
The View from the Server Room
Five hundred meters away, inside the Deep Blue server room, Peter and Kelly watched the same footage—but in much higher resolution. Their feed came directly from the drones hovering over the Hulk's head.
The image froze on the Hulk's massive back as he disappeared into the forest with Betty Ross. Kelly looked at the screen, her eyes wide with shock.
"That strength... that structural density," she whispered. "I didn't think human biology on this planet could be pushed that far. It's unscientific."
Peter chuckled. "It is unscientific, Kelly. The Hulk is an anomaly created by science, but the source of his power... that's something more fundamental. Something multiversal. For now, just treat him as a force of nature."
Kelly tucked the information away for later study. "Ross failed. What's the next move?"
"Ross is a creature of ego," Peter said, pulling up a map of the mountains where the Hulk was hiding. "He won't stop. He'll want more power. Kelly, it's time to show him the Giant God Soldier No. 1."
"The prototype?" Kelly's breath hitched. "We only have two. You want to sell one?"
"$300 million," Peter said firmly. "Ross is desperate. This isn't just a military operation for him anymore; it's about his legacy. He'll pay anything to clear the stain of today's defeat."
The Art of the Deal
That afternoon, the familiar roar of a military helicopter returned to the Celestial Industrial Park. This time, Kelly didn't wait on the pad. She made General Ross wait in a reception room for ten minutes—a subtle power move that signaled the shift in their relationship.
When she finally led him into a secure, underground warehouse, she pressed a wall-mounted button.
Hiss—Clang!
The reinforced metal walls parted to reveal a silver-white behemoth.
"Giant God Soldier No. 1," Kelly announced. "Weight: 11.5 tons. Lift capacity: 100 tons. Full titanium-alloy plating. Powered by our proprietary miniature cold nuclear fusion reactor. Three hours of full-power combat endurance."
Ross walked toward the machine, his eyes burning with a mix of awe and fanaticism. He had spent his life looking for a way to create a super-soldier. Here was a machine that could turn a regular pilot into a god.
"Miss Kelly," Ross rumbled, his voice thick with desire. "Name your price."
"$300 million, General. Fixed. No negotiations."
Ross flinched. That was an entire year's discretionary budget. His aide whispered urgently in his ear about military courts and fiscal responsibility, but Ross brushed him off.
"Done," Ross said, his voice hard. "$300 million. Sign the papers."
He looked up at the metallic giant, a twisted smile on his face. He believed he finally had the cage for the monster.
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