"Samuel Sterns? You're the scientist who helped Bruce Banner?" General Ross tensed, hearing the familiar name, and after a moment's thought, remembered who stood before him.
However, the gun in his hand remained ready; he even gripped it tighter. Suddenly, Ross realized something strange: this Sterns had somehow entered his office, and none of the soldiers had raised the alarm; moreover, an eerie silence hung over the base.
"Haha, General Ross, I'm pleased you remember me. Your soldiers made quite an impression on me back then," the Leader stepped closer to Ross, showing no fear.
He was referring to the soldier known as Emil Blonsky. It was thanks to him that Sterns had become what he was now. The Leader didn't resent his new appearance, and if Blonsky, also known as Abomination, were still alive, he would even thank him.
That day, he had been attacked by the transformed Blonsky and suffered a severe blow to the head. Hulk's blood, stored in the laboratory, accidentally contaminated the wound, leading to an unexpected mutation. His head enlarged, and his skin took on a greenish hue. After the mutation, his intellect increased significantly, and he gained telepathic abilities, albeit weak – he could only control the simplest of creatures.
Samuel Sterns was satisfied with his current state, considering it not a mutation but an evolution. He adopted a new name – the Leader – symbolizing his aspiration for world domination.
"What do you want?" Ross asked in a deep voice.
"I've come to offer you a collaboration," the Leader calmly sat down in the chair opposite the general, as if he were in his own office.
"Collaboration? What do you mean?" Despite his irritation at the Leader's familiarity, Ross decided to hear him out, noticing the unusual color of his skin.
"As I understand it, General Ross, you've been hunting Bruce Banner for years, trying to acquire the Hulk's power and create an army of controllable super-soldiers."
Ross remained silent, continuing to stare intently at the Leader.
"But in all these years, you haven't managed to capture the Hulk. He recently appeared near me, and you had a chance to seize him, but he slipped away again."
"Stop wasting my time with idle chatter!" Ross's voice grew even grimmer after the Leader reminded him of his failures.
"Alright, alright, don't worry. I wanted to say that I've already begun researching the Hulk's power," the Leader raised his hand, urging Ross to calm down, and uttered the words that made the general hold his breath.
"What?! I hope you're not joking!" Ross exclaimed, hearing his interlocutor's words. At first, his spirits lifted, but then doubt crept in again; however, looking at the Leader's green skin, his uncertainty wavered once more.
"Of course not, General Ross, look at me and see for yourself that this is no joke," the Leader spread his arms, showcasing his transformed appearance.
"What do you need, and what can you offer me?" Ross asked after a short pause. What he saw was already making him believe the strange guest's words.
"I need you to capture the Hulk. I require samples of his blood for my experiments. In return, I'll offer you several super-soldiers capable of confronting the Hulk," the Leader replied, although his words were only half true.
He had already obtained some samples of Hulk's blood and possessed the technology to clone them, but for more in-depth research, he needed Bruce Banner himself – the real Hulk. Only then could his plan progress further.
Then they began a secret conversation about the Hulk, and in the end, the general agreed to cooperate on the condition that he first saw the promised super-soldiers.
Later, the Leader, with a smile, bid farewell to the general and left his office. As soon as he was gone, Ross's face darkened. He pressed a button on his desk, summoning his subordinates. He wanted to understand how the Leader had managed to infiltrate a secure military base and enter his office undetected.
"General, there's no sign of intrusion on the security footage. See..." one of the senior officers offered a hesitant smile, standing before him. The general had recently reprimanded him for a "stranger" entering his office unnoticed. But after reviewing the recordings, the officer found nothing suspicious.
"You're dismissed," Ross waved his hand, and the officer hurried to leave the office, feeling uneasy.
Ross rubbed his temples, realizing that the Leader possessed incredible abilities, allowing him to infiltrate the base undetected. Now he was more inclined to believe his words and waited to see what kind of super-soldiers had been promised.
...
Noah was unaware of the villains' plans. Returning home, he discussed his ideas with Lissandra.
He decided to acquire an island to build his own research base for conducting large-scale experiments. He had been nurturing this idea for a long time, but previously lacked the necessary resources and time. Now he had all the conditions for its implementation.
Hearing about his intention, Lissandra immediately started searching for suitable islands. A convenient location was a crucial criterion – the island shouldn't be too far away. Although Noah could travel the planet using portals, a remote island would complicate the transportation of his work, as the size of his portals didn't yet allow him to move very large objects.
The second criterion was the size of the island. He intended to use it for creating large experimental facilities, and a small island would be an unsuitable choice.
However, finding a suitable island proved challenging. There were few islands in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean was too far from New York, where Noah lived. He reviewed the information about various islands displayed by Lissandra and began to ponder. At one point, he even thought how convenient it would be if he had Syndra's power; then he could simply lift the island he liked and move it to any desired location.
"Um... Let's go with this one," Noah pointed to the projection of an island displayed by Lissandra.
He chose a small island in the Atlantic Ocean with an area of about 8,000 square meters, approximately 100 meters long and 80 meters wide. This was slightly larger than a football field. Although the island's surface area didn't seem large, its main advantage lay in the spacious underground areas, which could be effectively utilized.
Lissandra nodded and began preparing for the island's purchase.
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