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As the altitude soared above ten thousand meters, the clouds below formed a thick carpet, and the Helicarrier was perpetually bathed in radiant sunlight.
Adjacent to the main cockpit hall was a fully equipped research lab. In the lab, a purple crystal magic staff was mounted on a workbench, and Dr. Banner was diligently carrying out Fury's orders, tracking the energy particles emitted by the Tesseract.
Besides the assisting staff, all current members of the Avengers had gathered in this room. They monitored everything happening in the Helicarrier's control room and detention area through the surveillance feed.
At this moment, Loki was imprisoned in the detention area, confined within a massive glass cylinder in the center of the room. Fury stood outside the sealed glass door, his eyes meeting Loki's through the ten-centimeter-thick bulletproof glass.
Fury's face was stern as he spoke to Loki in a low voice, "I advise you not to attempt to break out of this glass cage. Otherwise, you and this cage will plummet from ten thousand meters above."
"This cage wasn't specifically made for me, was it?" Loki asked with a mischievous smile, pressing his hands against the glass wall.
"Of course not. It was made for something far stronger than you," Fury replied coldly.
Loki glanced around, a look of realization dawning on his face as he sneered, "I know. The monster. You're trying to use a creature born for destruction to save the world. Isn't that a bit naive and ridiculous?"
"The one trying to conquer Earth is the naive and ridiculous one," Fury retorted calmly. After speaking, he turned and left the detention room, leaving Loki alone in his glass prison. Loki looked up at the surveillance camera in the corner and flashed a sinister and enigmatic smile.
In the research lab.
Natasha turned off the surveillance screen showing Loki's face and looked at the other Avengers members, frowning. "He's too smart. There must be some hidden scheme behind his capture at the church."
"Uh, he mentioned a green monster earlier. Do we really have something like that on the Helicarrier?" Eddie raised his hand, asking in surprise. Everyone in the lab gave him strange looks, and Caesar couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.
It was understandable, though. Eddie, who was Caesar's bodyguard, wasn't officially a member of the Avengers. Before merging with Venom, he had never heard of the Avengers or the Hulk. He had been strictly following orders from the Carl Family.
Steve and Natasha exchanged glances. Steve rubbed his chin and looked at Dr. Banner, "Well, how should I put it? I've only heard about it; I've never really seen its true form."
"I don't mind," Dr. Banner said casually, manipulating the instruments as he explained, "A few years ago, I was exposed to gamma radiation in my lab, which caused a mutation in my genes. Whenever I lose control of my emotions, I transform into a green monster. The destruction of New York's Harlem district a while back was my doing."
"That's… Impressive," Eddie remarked, his mouth agape. As a journalist, he was well aware of the reports from a few years ago, though he hadn't known about the terrifying secrets behind them.
Eddie suddenly shrugged and quipped, "Dr. Banner, our situations are quite similar. You have an angry beast inside you, and I have a demanding master beside me!"
Dr. Banner chuckled warmly, resembling an ordinary scientist. Despite this, even SHIELD agents and Avengers members like Steve and Natasha kept a safe distance, fearing they might inadvertently trigger the green beast within him.
At that moment, a figure suddenly climbed onto Dr. Banner's shoulder, wrapping its arms around his neck while Steve and the others were taken aback.
"Master, what are you doing?" Eddie exclaimed, jumping up and staring at Caesar, who was clinging to Dr. Banner.
"Caesar, get down!" Steve instinctively grabbed his shield, and Natasha reached for her pistol, their bodies tensing up in case Dr. Banner was provoked and transformed into the Hulk, potentially wreaking havoc on the Helicarrier.
Caesar ignored them, swinging back and forth on Dr. Banner like a pendulum.
"Everyone, calm down," Dr. Banner raised his hands to soothe the tense atmosphere. He glanced at Caesar hanging behind him and reassured, "Don't worry. As long as Caesar is here, the Hulk won't come out, no matter what happens."
"Why is that? Does the Hulk like kids or something?" Steve asked, lowering his shield with a puzzled expression.
Dr. Banner replied with a hint of confusion, "I'm not entirely sure. It's just a gut feeling. Maybe the Hulk recognizes something familiar in Caesar, a presence that makes him stay calm."
At the mention of that person, everyone in the room experienced a moment of clarity. Kyle, the Symbol of Peace, though not present on Earth, constantly influenced the world. The Hulk had once been thoroughly thrashed and roasted by Kyle, an experience he likely wouldn't forget for a lifetime.
Caesar chuckled and said in his childlike voice, "Dr. Banner, have you ever considered that the intense gamma radiation should have killed you in the lab, but you survived?"
Hearing this, Dr. Banner paused, reflecting on Caesar's words. "Caesar, are you suggesting that the Hulk saved my life?"
"Have you ever thought that the Hulk might not just be a side effect?" Caesar added, then leaped off Banner's shoulder and perched on the workbench, leaning against the glowing purple-blue crystal magic staff.
"Then what is the Hulk's purpose?" Dr. Banner muttered, shaking his head to clear his thoughts before returning to the task of locating the Tesseract.
"By the way, Thor, right?" Natasha turned to the silent, hammer-wielding figure in the room. "Loki is your brother. What do you think about his current actions?"
"I only know that he is consumed by hatred," Thor replied, tightening his grip on his hammer. "And now Loki has an alien army. If he wants to conquer Earth, he will undoubtedly seek their help."
Dr. Banner, upon hearing this, suddenly remembered something, his brow furrowing. "We seem to have overlooked an important clue. Director Fury mentioned that Agent Barton stole a rare metal called iridium. Does anyone here know its use?"
Iridium?
Steve, Natasha, Thor, and Eddie exchanged blank looks. With Iron Man Tony Stark off-world, the remaining group members felt out of their depth in the scientific arena.
"It's simple, really. Iridium is a meteorite-derived material that can produce anti-particles, acting as a space stabilizer. This means a new portal won't collapse easily; it can be more stable and expanded," A youthful voice broke the silence.
Everyone turned to the workbench, seeing Caesar standing with his arms crossed, explaining calmly, "With the Tesseract and iridium, you only need a high-density power source to create a large enough interstellar portal."
Fury's assistant, Hill, who had just entered the room, looked astonished as she heard Caesar's explanation. "When did you learn about thermonuclear astrophysics?"
Before Caesar could respond, Eddie shrugged and explained helplessly, "Master Caesar finished self-studying all postgraduate-level subjects on Earth a year ago. He also declined a series of lectures and seminars from Harvard, MIT, and other prestigious universities."
This, perhaps, is the embodiment of a perfect creation, seamlessly combining power and knowledge.
(End of Chapter)