Ross Makes a Mess

As lunch break approached, another reporter rushed into the editor-in-chief's office. The kid was drenched in sweat, his plaid shirt soaked through, looking like he had just been fished out of the water.

"Slow down, David." Richard looked him over from head to toe. "Did you swim back from the Hudson River? What's with that look?"

David Mertz was panting, but his flushed face made it clear that he was extremely excited. Before he could even get to the point, he blurted out, "You're a genius, Boss!"

Richard nodded and accepted the compliment without reservation. "Mm, I know. What is it? Talk."

David froze for a moment. Fine, I'll flatter you a little, Boss—but did you have to accept it so frankly? Isn't that just a bit... shameless?

Of course, he did not dare say that aloud. Thinking it was enough. He went straight to the point. "Boss, remember how you had us investigate the cause of that monster disturbance overnight? You said we could go to New York State University and interview a professor named Samuel Stern. My partner and I went there already. Guess what happened?"

Richard thought about it. "Professor Stern has disappeared?"

David clapped hard. "How did you know, Boss? That's right. No one has seen Professor Stern since yesterday. He's not at home or at the university, his phone has been off the whole time, and he hasn't replied to any emails. But there are reports that something happened in his lab earlier. Other professors and students said they heard enormous noises coming from there. His lab has now been taken over by the military. A unit came in, sealed off the area, and cleaned up the scene overnight. Soldiers are guarding the perimeter, and even university personnel aren't allowed inside..."

Naturally, Richard had anticipated all of this. After the Abomination incident, the military had immediately sealed off all information. After all, before transforming, Abomination had still been an active-duty officer. The serum he injected had come from Hulk, and tracing it back further, the whole thing had been cooked up by the military in a laboratory. In the end, Abomination's rampage was entirely the military's mess. If anyone investigated responsibility, plenty of high-ranking officials would likely be implicated. Naturally, they had to suppress the news and keep their heads down until the storm blew over.

The other news outlets were still running around like headless flies and hitting dead ends everywhere, while the Daily Planet had immediately latched onto the right lead. Honestly, Richard had known the entire story even before it happened. The movie The Incredible Hulk had laid it all out clearly for him. But newspaper reports needed evidence. He could hardly list his source as having watched a movie, could he?

"And then?" Richard asked. "Surely a mere cordon wasn't enough to turn you back?"

David proudly thumped his chest. "Of course not. If something like that could stop me, I wouldn't deserve to keep working at the Daily Planet. We... used a few little tricks. Anyway, we eventually got into Dr. Stern's lab. It was a complete disaster in there. It looked like a whole regiment of bulls had trampled back and forth through it... Well, it's hard to describe. I took some photos. Take a look."

He handed the photos to Richard. Richard glanced through them quickly. David's description had not been exaggerated in the slightest; if anything, it had understated the situation. The scene in the photographs was more than just a mess—it was total devastation. The lab benches had been mangled beyond recognition, and a reclining chair had somehow been torn into countless pieces. There also seemed to have been some liquid splashed throughout the room, leaving stains on the tables, cabinets, and floor.

"The scariest part is here." David pointed to one of the photos. "Look at this."

Richard knew what he meant. It was a footprint, deeply stamped into a metal floor panel. Judging by its absurd size, it could not possibly have been left by a human.

"This is evidence—conclusive evidence!" David said excitedly. "Isn't it obvious? This was left by the monster in New York City! There's a very good chance that monster was born in this laboratory, and the military rushed in to seal off the scene because they wanted to destroy the evidence! That has to be it. Professor Samuel Stern must have been conducting illegal experiments for the military. They created that monster in this lab and caused last night's disaster, which is why Dr. Stern has disappeared! Now everything fits together!"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, spittle flying everywhere. Richard only looked at the photos twice before tossing them back to him.

Richard shook his head. "It's not enough. What you're saying is still just a hypothesis. To prove all this, we need more solid evidence."

"I'm one hundred percent sure this is the truth, Boss."

Heh. I'm one hundred percent sure you're a hundred thousand miles off from the truth. Don't ask me how I know—because I watched the movie.

First of all, the military had never contacted Samuel Stern. The one who contacted him was Bruce Banner—Hulk. Banner had sought him out to find a cure for Hulk. As for Abomination's birth, nobody had planned it at all. It had been a complete accident.

"General Thaddeus Ross," Richard changed the subject. "I remember assigning you to investigate that general. How's that going?"

"My partner Hodge is handling that side," David said. "Hodge went to see Ross, but that old guy has kept refusing interviews. Don't worry, Boss. Hodge is sharp. He always finds an opportunity."

After a pause, he asked curiously, "But why, Boss? I mean... how did you know Ross was involved?"

"I just know." Richard snorted. "I started from nothing and built this newspaper into what it is in just a few years. Do you really think I got here on my face alone?"

David was speechless.

No, no. I think maybe you also got here on thick skin... though, come to think of it, that still counts as relying on your face. Fair enough.

Thaddeus Ross was the man in charge of the Hulk capture team in the movie, and before that, Hulk himself had been the product of an experiment Ross oversaw. In the film, he was the kind of character who was just impossible to like. Ninety percent of viewers would probably feel the urge to drag the old man out of the television and beat him up.

When Richard had watched The Incredible Hulk 2, General Ross had caused such a colossal disaster. He had created a monster like Abomination and let it wreak havoc in the heart of New York City, only managing to put an end to it by relying on the very Hulk they had been hunting... and in the end, they even let Hulk get away.

Back when he watched the movie, Richard had wondered: Ross had messed up so badly he had practically punched a hole through the sky. No matter how powerful his backers were, they could not possibly protect him, right?

Yet when he looked again a few years later, the man had not merely escaped without consequences. By the time he reappeared in Captain America 3, he had risen all the way to Secretary of State. His political career had soared straight into the clouds...