There was silence for a few seconds. Banner's body trembled slightly.
"...Hulk... doesn't like... they hit Hulk... hate it... so noisy... Bruce... is also scared... Hulk knows..." The voice became a bit low, even carrying a hint of... aggrieved whimpering? "Hulk... doesn't... only want to smash... but... so angry... so painful..."
This almost direct, childlike outpouring moved everyone present. Pepper's eyes reddened slightly. Tony put down his glass, his expression complex. Minerva's defensive posture relaxed slightly, but she was still recording and analyzing this unprecedented "human/monster" direct communication phenomenon.
Tears streamed down Banner's face without warning. He had never... never "heard" Hulk's inner voice in this way. He had always thought it was a pure, destructive chaos. It turned out that, deep within his painful fear, the green giant was also enduring anger, pain, and could even perceive his fear, feeling aggrieved because of it.
"Look," Artoria's voice softened further, "Hulk and Bruce, both are suffering. You are not enemies, you are partners trapped together. Perhaps, you can try... to be friends? Hulk protects Bruce from harm, and Bruce uses his intelligence to tell Hulk when it's time to come out and play, when it's time to be quiet, and how to play without breaking important things or hurting others. Just like... Hulk is the younger brother with great strength, and Bruce is the older brother with a good brain. The older brother leads the younger brother, learning to control that powerful force together, how about that?"
This metaphor was simple, even somewhat childish, but in this situation, it was strangely persuasive.
Another long silence. Banner's tears flowed silently.
Finally, that deep voice sounded again, carrying heavy sleepiness and a trace of imperceptible... attachment?: "Brother... younger brother... Hulk... sleepy... White... warm... speaking... sounds good... Hulk... likes..."
The voice gradually lowered and disappeared.
Banner's body went limp and he fell forward, supported simultaneously by Artoria and Minerva (who had arrived beside him at some point). He leaned there, eyes closed, his chest heaving violently, as if he had just experienced a violent mental storm, but his expression was more relaxed than at any previous moment—it was a sense of collapse after offloading some of his burdens.
Tony let out a long sigh and wiped away non-existent cold sweat: "Wow... this really is... the weirdest family counseling session in history. But, well done, magic... uh, End... uh, Miss Artoria. You seem to have really handled their internal family conflict."
Pepper also breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze towards Artoria filled with amazement and gratitude. "Artoria, you... you are truly incredible."
Artoria shook her head gently, signaling Minerva to help her lay Banner on the sofa and covering him with a blanket. Banner seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, his breathing steady.
"I just provided a possibility, a different way of thinking. Whether he can ultimately walk out of this depends on Dr. Banner himself, and... Hulk," Artoria said softly. She knew this was just the beginning; the road to fusion for Banner and Hulk was still long and difficult. But at least, the seed had been planted, and a ray of light had shone into the cracks.
Just then, the electronic door at the entrance of the living room slid open silently. Agent Phil Coulson walked in alone, still in his crisp black suit, his expression professional and gentle, but his eyes were deeper than usual. He glanced at the sleeping Banner on the sofa, then at the people in the living room, and finally, his gaze landed on Artoria.
"It seems I've arrived just in time, or perhaps, I missed the most exciting part?" Coulson smiled, his tone relaxed, "I hope I haven't interrupted everyone's... tea party."
"Coulson, you always know how to pick your moments," Tony curled his lip, "Did you bring bad news, or... an offer of employment?"
Coulson walked to the coffee table and took out two simple but uniquely textured folders from his suit pocket. He placed one on the coffee table in front of Artoria and handed the other to Tony.
"In view of the series of... extraordinary events that have occurred recently, as well as the abilities, stances, and key roles displayed by everyone involved," Coulson's voice became a bit more formal, "S.H.I.E.L.D., authorized by Director Nick Fury, formally invites Miss Artoria and Mr. Tony Stark to serve as'Special Technical Consultants' and 'Extraordinary Event Response Consultants' for S.H.I.E.L.D."
He looked at Artoria: "The consultant status is highly confidential, not affiliated with the S.H.I.E.L.D. establishment, with no mandatory task obligations, but you will enjoy corresponding security clearance, the right to know information, and the right to negotiate and advise when involving global or major extraordinary events. S.H.I.E.L.D. will provide necessary, compliant support and convenience to the consultants and their associated personnel (he glanced at Minerva and the sleeping Banner). At the same time, we also hope that, where possible, the consultants can provide assistance in maintaining World stability and security with their professional knowledge and abilities."
He looked at Tony again: "Mr. Stark, the content of your offer is similar, but focuses on technical analysis and support."
Tony picked up the folder and flipped through it, whistling: "Sounds like a fancy way of saying free labor, but... the right to know information and security clearance are kind of interesting. Fine, considering you guys cleaned up the mess in time, I'll take the consultant gig. But I have the final right of interpretation and the right to choose not to work."
Coulson smiled: "Of course, Mr. Stark. This is a consultant agreement, not an indenture contract." He turned to Artoria, "Miss Artoria, what do you think? This is just a proposal; you can consider it, no need to answer immediately."
Artoria picked up the offer letter without opening it, just gently brushing her fingers over the S.H.I.E.L.D. eagle emblem on the cover. She knew that accepting this status meant being more deeply involved in the vortex of this World, but it also meant an extra layer of official (albeit secret) identity cover, and a channel to obtain information and resources. For her and Minerva, the pros outweighed the cons.
"I can accept the consultant status," Artoria looked up at Coulson, her eyes clear and firm, "But I have a few conditions. First, my freedom of action must be fully respected; S.H.I.E.L.D. must not attempt to monitor, control, or study me and my companion (Minerva) in any form. Second, Dr. Banner's safety and freedom must be guaranteed; he is a victim, not a weapon or an experimental subject. Third, in matters involving me or my companions, I have the highest right to know and the right of veto."
Her conditions were crisp and direct, pointing straight to the core. Coulson seemed to have expected this, nodding: "Very reasonable requests. The Director has authorized me to agree to them in full. The specific details can be perfected by the legal team later. Then, welcome aboard, Consultant Artoria, Consultant Stark."
A simple, even somewhat informal "hiring" was completed in this living room that had just experienced a strange "family mediation." It marked that Artoria, this transmigrator, had officially embedded herself into the power and responsibility network of this superhero World with a relatively public (for certain levels) and stable identity.
By evening, Artoria and Minerva prepared to leave. Banner was still asleep, and Tony and Pepper saw them to the elevator.
"Next time you come, you can try the Yunnan Pu-erh I just got; they say the vintage is older than your set of 'magic'," Tony leaned against the doorframe, his tone casual but his eyes serious, "Also, regarding that 'Hulkbuster' armor... cough, I mean the 'Heavy Biological Suppression Platform' concept, want to chat sometime? I think your 'Order Definition' approach is very inspiring; maybe we can come up with some more... reasonable non-lethal solutions."
"You are always welcome, Mr. Stark," Artoria smiled and nodded.
"Call me Tony, Consultant lady. We're colleagues now, even if my office is a bit bigger," Tony waved his hand.
The elevator door closed, shutting out the bustling lights of Manhattan. On the way back to Long Island, Minerva was driving the vehicle steadily.
"Today's contact result assessment: Breakthrough progress in the relationship with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, establishing initial trust and friendly contact. Established an official consultant relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D., obtaining legal identity cover and information resource channels, with favorable conditions. The Hulk consciousness manifestation event has extremely high research value and has been recorded," Minerva reported, "However, the degree of involvement has deepened, and the connection with S.H.I.E.L.D. and various extraordinary events in the future will increase significantly."
"Hmm, I know," Artoria leaned back in her seat, watching the city light and shadow flowing outside the window, "But some things cannot be avoided. Having a relatively official status is always better than hiding in the shadows forever. And..." She remembered Hulk's aggrieved "Hulk... doesn't... only want to smash," remembered Banner's collapsed yet relieved tears, and remembered Tony's awkward "Tony" at the end, "These people... are worth helping. This World is also worth trying to make a little better, even if it's just a little bit."
Minerva did not respond immediately. A few seconds later, she said softly: "Your will is my direction. No matter how deep the involvement, I will be by your side."
Artoria turned her head to look at Minerva's calm profile in the dim light of the driver's seat, feeling warm and peaceful inside.
Returning to the seaside cottage, the night was deep. The sound of waves gently lapped against the cliff. Artoria washed away the fatigue and changed into comfortable pajamas. When she walked out of the bathroom, Minerva was already leaning against the head of the bed waiting for her as usual, holding a paper book on advanced quantum mechanics, though clearly not reading it.
"You're tired today too, get some rest early," Artoria climbed into the quilt and was immediately accepted into the familiar warm embrace.
"Hmm," Minerva replied, put down the book, and turned off the lights, leaving only a very dim night light in the corner. She habitually adjusted her posture to let Artoria lean more comfortably, her arms gently and firmly wrapping around her.
In the reassuring darkness, warmth, and sound of the waves, Artoria's consciousness gradually blurred. Before falling asleep, she thought muzzily, would Hulk the "younger brother" and Banner the "older brother" have a good dream tonight? Was Tony staying up late again working on his new armor? The S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant offer, I need to take a good look at the terms tomorrow...
And Minerva, after confirming that Artoria's breathing was steady and long and she had entered deep sleep, her optical sensors glowed with an extremely faint, soft blue light in the darkness. She quietly "watched" the peaceful sleeping face of the person in her arms. Deep in her core, data streams related to "trust establishment," "new social relationship network," "potential risks and response plans" were silently organized and archived. At the same time, a new, warm, and steady data stream related to vague tags such as "satisfaction," "guardian task achieved (today)," and "looking forward to tomorrow" quietly flowed into that increasingly "humanized" cache.
The galaxy outside the window flowed slowly. The calm night might be short-lived. But at this moment, whether it was the penthouse apartment in Manhattan or this cottage by the sea cliff, they were immersed in a hard-won, warm tranquility. Future storms might already be gathering in the distance, but they were no longer walking alone.
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