In S.H.I.E.L.D.'s underground base, Nick Fury stood at the railing with both hands braced against it, looking down at the staff moving about below. Bruce Banner followed behind him, glancing around with curiosity at the heavily guarded research center.
The culprit behind New York's massive economic losses and casualties had ultimately chosen to remain with S.H.I.E.L.D. Just as Nick Fury had said, unless he resolved the Hulk inside him, there was nowhere in the world Banner could go.
As S.H.I.E.L.D.'s highest-ranking official, the Black director certainly knew how to earn people's trust. Although, like General Ross, he coveted the Hulk's immense power, he did not reveal it immediately.
Instead, he gradually lowered Banner's guard and devised a series of plans, such as arranging professional psychological counseling and using meditation and yoga to control his emotions. Though these methods treated the symptoms rather than the root cause, Banner slowly stopped suffering the Hulk's rampant assaults, making it far less likely for the green beast to emerge.
For the time being, he had locked the Hulk inside a cage within his mind.
"Dr. Banner, how long has it been since you transformed?" Fury asked.
"Fifteen days and six hours." Banner, now clean-shaven and neatly groomed, looked rather refined as he answered.
Every day, he practiced emotional control, keeping his heart rate below two hundred. Gradually, the Hulk grew increasingly quiet, until Banner could no longer sense his presence at all.
"Relax. We're not planning to dissect you, and we don't want to strap you to an operating table. That would only bring out a green beast with tremendous destructive power." The Black director waved a hand, soothing Banner's nervousness. "I heard you know a great deal about Gamma Rays?"
The final term Fury uttered seemed to strike a nerve in Banner. His