Marvel's Strongest Mage

"Also, General," Daniel added casually, sipping his tea, "you might not be aware, but the Chief of the 67th Division of the NYPD lives right next door. If Dr. Banner ever comes knocking, I could always call Chief Stacy for backup. After all, Banner is still officially a wanted criminal."

Daniel's gaze drifted toward the neighboring house as he spoke, his words deliberate, loaded with implication. General Ross caught the subtext instantly.

When Daniel mentioned Chief Stacy by name, Ross knew he wasn't bluffing. A quick background check could confirm the NYPD division chief's residency, and that alone made Daniel's words worth weighing carefully. But more than that—it wasn't Hulk Daniel was talking about.

He was talking about Dr. Bruce Banner.

Ross's eyes narrowed. Daniel clearly knew the truth about Hulk's identity, and he had just made that clear without ever saying it outright. If Banner really did show up here, and if Stacy's proximity led to anything becoming public, the entire classified operation around the Hulk would be at risk. Even a precinct chief could cause complications once sensitive military secrets began bleeding into the public sphere.

Ross didn't bother asking Daniel how he'd learned Hulk's true identity. There were too many ways. Most likely, his daughter Betty had let something slip.

Damn it, Betty. How do you keep getting involved with these types?

Truthfully, the idea that Hulk himself would come pounding on Daniel's door was absurd. Even if he had the motivation, his size and appearance would cause mass panic before he got halfway down the block. Police and military units would swarm before he reached the curb.

Which meant that if anyone did show up here, it would be Bruce Banner—the man, not the monster.

And that was something Ross couldn't afford.

Daniel had neutralized the unspoken threat Ross tried to apply earlier. And worse, he'd done it with a calmness that unnerved Ross.

Before this meeting, Ross had already ordered an extensive investigation into Daniel. His team had scoured his financials, academic records, affiliations—looking for any shadowy magical organizations that might back him or any political affiliations that could be leveraged. The goal was twofold: determine if Daniel was a risk, and if not, assess how he could be used.

The threat approach had been Ross's fallback. His initial strategy was to win Daniel over. But what could he offer him? Money? Power? After the investigation, Ross realized such incentives wouldn't work.

Daniel's family, though quiet, was far from powerless. Though originally from the Netherlands, they held significant ties to the Dutch government and the European financial sector. During WWII, they had been persecuted by Communist regimes—later receiving substantial compensation and growing wealthy from war reparations. Even more critically, the family had deep-rooted connections with European Jewish institutions, giving them influence beyond simple wealth.

Daniel wasn't the kind of man who could be bought.

Ross sighed internally. If threats didn't work and bribes were ineffective, he'd need to rely on the one thing he hated most—cooperation.

Not just for himself, but for Betty's sake too.

"It's good you're thinking about your own safety," Ross said finally, his tone softening. "But… regarding Betty…"

He paused, visibly troubled. "Even if the Hulk doesn't come to her, I'm worried she might go looking for him. I'd hoped—"

"General," Daniel interrupted, his voice firm. "You may not know this, but Betty and I are not dating. We have a platonic friendship"

His words were clean. Precise. Emotionless.

Ross blinked, surprised by the abruptness. "Then why did you—yesterday—?"

"It was just coincidence," Daniel said, cutting him off again with a dismissive tone. "I happened to be nearby."

Ross understood that Daniel wasn't interested in using Betty as leverage. He wasn't angling for favor or access through her. And that, in a strange way, made Ross respect him more.

"Well," Ross said, shifting tactics, "breakups aside, you're still friends, aren't you? Or at the very least, you're still her classmate. She might even be your professor one day. All I'm asking is that you keep an eye on her for the next few days. That's not too much, is it?"

Daniel hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Classes start soon. I'll watch over her until then."

"That's all I ask." Ross stood, brushing a crease from his uniform. "I won't visit. She doesn't want to see me anyway."

He placed a simple card on the coffee table—no name, just a phone number.

"If you need anything, call."

Ross stood up, brushing nonexistent lint from his uniform. "Thank you for the tea."

Daniel stood as well, offering a small bow of respect. "Anytime, General."

Ross walked out into the late afternoon sun, his mind still spinning. He'd arrived thinking Daniel was a potential weapon. He left realizing Daniel might be something else entirely—an unpredictable force that could be ally or enemy depending on how he was treated.

Daniel stood by the door, watching the convoy pull away. He didn't need a premonition to know this wasn't the end.

The Hulk would return.

Not in days, but in hours.

Whatever understanding he and Ross had now—it was temporary, a momentary alliance forged by circumstance. Cooperation would come only after the next chaos.

As Daniel turned to go back inside, he noticed someone peeking from the next house over.

Gwen Stacy.

She blinked, caught mid-glance, but Daniel only offered a calm smile and a polite nod before disappearing behind his door.

Gwen quickly ducked away. Her mind raced with questions. She'd heard that her new neighbor was a student from the Netherlands. Then why had three military vehicles shown up at his door today? Who was this Daniel, really?

Inside the vehicle, General Ross sat in silence, his thoughts occupied by the same man. He replayed the conversation in his mind, dissecting each word, each pause.

They had spoken without truly revealing anything. A tacit understanding had formed—but its foundation was made of fragile trust and mutual caution.

Daniel hadn't given anything away. Not his intentions. Not his limits. Not his affiliations. And that made him dangerous.

Ross knew that if Daniel and Bronsky ever teamed up—and with a few enhancements from Stark Industries—it might finally give them a shot at subduing the Hulk. Maybe not today. But soon.

The White House was breathing down his neck. The Pentagon had started asking uncomfortable questions. Yesterday's incident at the university hadn't helped—especially when it involved not just Bruce Banner and Daniel, but his daughterBetty.

Some in the defense circle had even joked that it wasn't a battle of powers but a battle of romantic rivals: the old flame versus the new, the girl in the middle, and the angry father on the sidelines.

Ross gritted his teeth.

His phone buzzed.

He considered ignoring it.

But then he saw the caller ID.

He sighed and answered.

"General Ross speaking."

A voice replied calmly on the other end.

"Hello, General. This is Nick Fury."