The room fell silent.
General Thaddeus Ross did not flinch, but the tightening of his jaw gave away that the display had achieved its purpose. The pistol floating inches from his forehead was steady, unmoving, held there by nothing visible at all.
After a few seconds, Lee lowered his hand slightly.
The weapons dropped to the table with a metallic clatter, and the invisible pressure pinning the two soldiers vanished. Both men exhaled sharply, stepping back in instinctive caution, hands no longer reaching for their guns.
"That," Lee said calmly, "is how I handle problems."
Ross studied him for a long moment. The initial skepticism in his eyes faded, replaced by something more measured—calculation.
"I see," Ross said at last. "Telekinesis. Useful."
He adjusted his cap, then leaned forward slightly.
"But power alone doesn't solve everything," Ross continued. "You've seen that monster. You know what we're dealing with."
"I do," Lee replied evenly. "And I know something else—you didn't tell the Expendables the truth."
Barney shifted slightly but said nothing.
Ross's expression hardened. "War doesn't permit full disclosure."
"You sent them after the Abomination knowing exactly what it was," Lee said. "That's not strategy. That's expendable assets in the literal sense."
Ross didn't deny it.
For a moment, the only sound in the room was Gunnar opening another beer.
Finally Ross said, "They were paid to complete a mission."
"They were paid to die," Lee corrected.
Ross's eyes narrowed. "And yet they're still alive."
"That's not because of you," Lee said quietly.
The tension in the room thickened, but Barney raised a hand slightly, signaling Gunnar to stay quiet. This wasn't their argument.
Ross leaned back in his chair.
"Fine," he said. "Let's stop dancing around it. You want something. I want something. Let's talk terms."
"That's exactly why you're here," Lee said.
Ross clasped his hands together. "The Abomination is still somewhere in Manhattan. We've tracked seismic disturbances and structural damage patterns. He's hunting."
"Hunting what?" Christmas asked.
Ross didn't answer immediately.
"Gamma signatures," he said finally. "Anything that resembles Banner."
"So he's looking for the Hulk," Barney murmured.
"Yes."
Lee folded his arms, thinking.
If Abomination was actively searching for Banner, then the timeline was narrowing. Once the two crossed paths, the result would be catastrophic—especially in a city already hanging by a thread.
"What's your plan?" Lee asked.
Ross gave a thin smile. "That depends on whether you're working with me or against me."
"I'm working for myself," Lee said. "But our goals happen to align."
Ross nodded once. "Fair enough."
He reached into his coat and placed a folded map on the table. Several zones in Manhattan were marked in red.
"These are the last confirmed sightings," Ross said. "Every time he appears, the destruction radius increases. He's getting more aggressive."
"Or more unstable," Christmas said quietly.
Lee studied the map carefully.
If Banner were released and transformed, the city could become a battlefield between two creatures capable of leveling entire districts. Even victory wouldn't come cheaply.
But there was also opportunity.
The Abomination was powerful—immensely powerful. If Lee could bring him down under controlled conditions, the gain in strength and durability alone would be extraordinary.
Still, brute force wasn't the answer here.
"General," Lee said, looking up, "what's your contingency if the Abomination wins?"
Ross didn't answer immediately.
At last he said, "There isn't one."
"That's what I thought," Lee said.
Ross's gaze sharpened. "Which is why I'm here."
Lee leaned back slightly.
"You want me to be the contingency."
"Yes."
For a few seconds, neither man spoke.
Then Lee said, "I'll handle the Abomination—but on my terms."
Ross raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"First," Lee said, "your men stay out of my operational zone once engagement begins. No artillery, no airstrikes, no interference."
Ross frowned. "That limits my options."
"It prevents you from getting everyone killed," Lee replied.
After a pause, Ross nodded once. "Agreed."
"Second," Lee continued, "I decide when and where the fight happens."
"That's not always possible," Ross said.
"It is if you want results."
Another pause.
"…Fine."
"Third," Lee said, "when this is over, I want full access to your research on gamma mutation."
Ross's eyes narrowed again. "That's classified military—"
"You came to me," Lee said calmly. "Not the other way around."
The room went quiet again.
At length Ross exhaled slowly. "You drive a hard bargain."
"I drive a necessary one."
Ross looked at Barney, then Christmas, then Gunnar. The three men said nothing, but their expressions made one thing clear—they were with Lee now.
Finally Ross nodded.
"Done."
Lee stood.
"Then we have a deal."
Ross rose as well, adjusting his gloves.
"When do we move?"
Lee glanced at the map once more, then at the darkening sky outside the window.
"Soon," he said. "Very soon."
Because somewhere in the ruins of New York, a creature born of rage and gamma radiation was still moving… and the next time it surfaced, the city might not survive the encounter.
....
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