American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

“Mutants like Erin and Marcus?” Lynn asked.

“That’s exactly right,” Dr. Morgan confirmed. “Mutants have long been objects of misunderstanding and fear. Many governments and private organizations view them as threats or weapons. The goal of Project X is to provide an alternative path—protection, understanding, and peaceful coexistence.”

Lynn recalled what Black Hawk had done to Victor and what they had tried to do to Banner, and his resolve hardened. "That's why exposing Black Hawk's plot is so important. They represent a threat to all those who are 'different.'"

Dr. Morgan nodded solemnly. “Exactly. And now, with Dr. Banner’s testimony and the evidence you’ve gathered, we finally have the opportunity to expose their crimes and potentially bring their activities to a close.”

They arrived at a spacious conference room, one wall of which was entirely composed of monitors displaying various data streams and surveillance footage. In the center of the room was a large conference table, around which several people were already seated, including a middle-aged man in a suit whom Lynn immediately recognized as Director Henderson.

“Agent Holt,” Henderson stood up and walked toward Lynn, “it’s good to see you safe and sound. I heard your journey was quite perilous.”

Lynn nodded and shook the chief's outstretched hand. "Yes, sir. Without Eileen and Agent Marcus's help, and Dr. Banner's intervention, we might not have made it this far."

Henderson's expression was both serious and respectful. "You have all shown extraordinary courage and determination. Now, let's discuss how to effectively utilize the information you've gathered to end the Black Hawk threat once and for all."

Lynn and the others sat around the conference table, ready to begin planning their next move.

Over the next few days, the safe haven became a busy command center. Gwen and Ethan collaborated with the platform's technical experts to compile and verify all the collected evidence, ensuring it was robust enough to withstand potential legal challenges.

Dr. Banner underwent a full examination and treatment in the medical ward. Surprisingly, the controlled transformation he experienced at sea seemed to have a positive effect on him. Medical scans revealed subtle changes in his brain activity patterns, suggesting a possible new balance between his human and Hulk forms.

Victor's collar was successfully removed, confirming that it did indeed contain a tracking device and a self-destruct mechanism. Dr. Morgan's team provided him with psychological support and medical care to help him begin to recover from Black Hawk's experiments and control.

Lynn, along with Commissioner Henderson and Dr. Morgan, developed a comprehensive action plan. Their goal was not only to expose Black Hawk's "Emerald Fist" program, but also to uncover the organization's illegal activities, including the hunting and experimentation on mutants.

However, the challenges they face remain enormous. Initial attempts to push the investigation through government channels encountered significant resistance, confirming the Black Hawk's indeed profound influence within the government.

“We need a broader strategy,” Henderson said at a strategy meeting. “It can’t just rely on government action. Media exposure, international pressure, public awareness—all of these must be done simultaneously.”

Dr. Morgan agreed, "And we need to ensure the safety of Dr. Banner and the other witnesses. Once we launch a full-scale offensive, Black Hawk will retaliate without hesitation."

Lynn pondered the problem. "Perhaps we can exploit their greed and ambition. The 'Emerald Fist' project is clearly very important to them, important enough that they're willing to take huge risks to protect it. If we can create an opportunity for them to believe they can capture Dr. Banner..."

“A trap?” Henderson asked, raising his eyebrows.

Lynn nodded. "Exactly. But instead of using Dr. Banner as bait, we'll use false information about his location. At the same time, we can use this opportunity to gather more evidence, perhaps even directly capturing high-ranking Black Hawk personnel."

This idea sparked heated debate.

Inside the central conference room of the safe haven, the atmosphere was heavy and focused. All the key figures were seated around a large conference table: Lynn Hall, Director Henderson, Dr. Morgan, Gwen, Ethan, Eileen, and Marcus. Dr. Banner and Victor were also present, though they still looked tired, they were noticeably in much better condition than when they arrived.

However, the planning discussions seemed to have reached a dead end. Every proposed solution faced the same problem—Black Hawk International's influence and resources were enough to negate their efforts.

Lynn stood by the table, his hands resting on the surface, his brow furrowed. He studied the various pieces of information projected onto the screen: the locations of Black Hawk facilities, potential allies and enemies within the government, the potential impact of media exposure—all of these were scattered before him like puzzle pieces, unable to form a complete picture.

Then, a thought suddenly flashed into my mind.

“We’ve been on the wrong track,” Lynn suddenly spoke, breaking the silence in the conference room and drawing all eyes to him. “We’re trying to fight an unconventional enemy with conventional methods.”

Chief Henderson raised an eyebrow. "What are your thoughts, Agent Holt?"

Lynn straightened up, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. “We need to create a situation that Black Hawk can neither control nor cover up. A large enough, public enough event to force those fence-sitters to choose sides.”

"What kind of event?" Dr. Morgan asked, his voice tinged with cautious curiosity.

Lynn took a deep breath, knowing how crazy his idea sounded: "We need to create a direct conflict between Black Hawk International and the U.S. military."

A murmur of surprise and questioning stares immediately filled the room. Chief Henderson's expression turned serious. "Hall, do you realize what you're suggesting?"

“I completely understand, sir,” Lynn said firmly, “but please let me finish. Black Hawk is able to operate because of its protection within the government. They have politicians and bureaucrats as allies. But even these high-ranking protectors wouldn't dare openly support a private organization that directly confronts the U.S. military. That would be treason.” Dr. Morgan nodded thoughtfully. “In theory, this is an effective way to cut off Black Hawk's political support. But in practice, how do you create such a conflict? And without causing significant casualties?”

“That’s the crux of the matter,” Lynn continued, beginning to sketch his ideas on the electronic whiteboard. “We’re not trying to create a real war, but a carefully orchestrated scenario. We need to lure Black Hawk troops into a military facility, a place they shouldn’t be, and then make sure it’s all documented, impossible to cover up or deny.”

Gwen frowned. "But even Black Hawk wouldn't be foolish enough to attack a military base directly."

“Unless they have a strong enough motivation,” Lynn said, turning to Banner, “a lure they can’t resist.”

Banner immediately understood Lynn's implication: "You want to use me as bait."

“Not entirely,” Lynn clarified. “We’ll disseminate reliable intelligence about you being in a military facility, but you won’t actually be there. What we need is Black Hawk’s response—their act of sending armed personnel into military areas is enough to constitute a national security threat.”

Director Henderson considered the proposal. “This plan has many variables. First, we need the military's cooperation, at least the support of the base commander. Second, we need to ensure the Black Hawk's response is aggressive enough, but not to the point of causing casualties. Finally, we need to ensure the entire process is documented without any undeniable evidence.”

“All of these are solvable problems, sir,” Lynn said confidently. “Regarding military cooperation, we can reach a small number of loyal senior officers through credible channels. As for Black Hawk’s reaction, we can engineer intelligence to convince them that Dr. Banner is not only there, but may have found a way to control or suppress the Hulk with military assistance. This will be a double temptation for them—both capturing Banner and acquiring technology that may be related to the ‘Emerald Fist’ program. As for records, we can ensure multiple backup systems and witnesses.”

Eileen and Marcus exchanged a glance, seemingly both excited and worried about this audacious plan.

Victor, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke, “This plan might work, but there’s a crucial factor you haven’t considered.” All eyes turned to him. “Black Hawk will deploy their most powerful assets for this operation, potentially including other enhanced or controlled mutants like myself. If things get out of control, ordinary military soldiers might not be able to handle it.”

Lynn nodded, acknowledging it was a significant risk. “That’s why we need our own special forces—Eileen, Marcus, and maybe you, Victor, if you’d like to help.” He turned to Banner, “And Dr. Banner, or more precisely, the Hulk.”

Banner's expression became complicated. "Even with recent progress, I still can't completely control the situation after the transformation. In an environment like a military base, what if the Hulk goes out of control?"

“That’s why,” Lynn said seriously, “before we implement this plan, we need to help you better control the Hulk, or rather, better cooperate with the Hulk.”

Dr. Morgan's eyes lit up. "Actually, we might have resources to help with this. Safe Haven isn't just a safe house; it's also a research facility. We've made some breakthroughs in understanding and controlling anomalous abilities that might be helpful to Dr. Banner."

Banner looked both curious and hesitant. "What kind of breakthrough?"

Dr. Morgan stood up and walked to a control panel on one side of the room. “Let me show you something, Dr. Banner. We call it ‘Consciousness Fusion Therapy.’ It’s a technique that helps mutants with multiple consciousnesses or personalities achieve inner harmony.”

The screen displays a series of complex neural scans and data charts, along with a specially designed photograph of the cabin.

“This device,” Dr. Morgan continued, “can simulate triggering conditions in a controlled environment while keeping the subject fully conscious. Simply put, it allows you to consciously experience the transformation process, rather than being driven by anger or fear. Theoretically, this could help you establish a more direct connection with the Hulk personality.”

Banner approached the screen, studying the data, his scientist's instincts clearly kicking in. "This could actually work. Biofeedback combined with mind-guided techniques... an interesting approach." He turned to Dr. Morgan. "Has this technique worked in other cases?"

Dr. Morgan nodded. “There was varying degrees of success in the three cases. Of course, none of them are exactly the same as yours, but the basic principles should be transferable.”

Banner fell into deep thought, and everyone could see he was weighing the risks against the potential rewards. Finally, he looked up, a determined glint in his eyes. “I’m willing to try. If it helps me better control the transition, or at least establish better communication with him, then the risk is worth it.”

Lynn nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Chief Henderson, "Sir, what suggestions do you have regarding military cooperation?"

Henderson pondered for a moment. “There’s one possible option. There’s a relatively isolated research facility in New Mexico, codenamed ‘Dune Outpost.’ Its commander, Colonel James Roderick, is someone I met after the Quantum Bay incident. He’s an upright soldier, skeptical of certain unethical practices within the government. If we show him enough evidence, he might be willing to cooperate.”

"What is that base mainly used for?" Lynn asked, pondering how to make the intelligence more credible.

“It’s primarily testing advanced defense systems, but there are also some biomedical research facilities,” Henderson replied, “which makes the story that Dr. Banner might have sought help there more credible.”

Lynn turned to Gwen and Ethan, “Can you create a credible, but still false, data footprint indicating that Dr. Banner has contacted researchers at Dune Outpost? Good enough for Black Hawk's intelligence network to believe?”

Gwen and Ethan exchanged a confident glance. “Absolutely,” Gwen replied. “We can create email history, phone records, even fabricated research notes. If arranged properly, Black Hawk will believe it’s real.”

Ethan added, "And we can set a 'major breakthrough' timeline to give Black Hawk a reason to act immediately."

Lynn nodded in satisfaction. “Very good. So the plan is this: First, we help Dr. Banner better control and understand his transformation. Meanwhile, we contact Colonel Roderick to secure his cooperation. Then, we set a trap, luring Black Hawk into military territory, ensuring the entire process is documented. Once we have evidence of Black Hawk's armed intrusion into U.S. military facilities, we immediately release all information to the media, Congress, and the public, including a complete file of Operation Emerald Fist.” (End of Chapter)