The inspection of the scene was completed quickly, as the fire had destroyed almost everything. Nearly all traces were obliterated, and Noah and Banner found nothing substantial. However, Noah managed to obtain a small amount of soul energy left by the Leader and hoped to use magic to track him down later.
Before leaving, he deployed several small search robots, which continued to examine the charred ruins and the surrounding area. Although the fire had destroyed many important clues, he hoped to find something useful in the vicinity. He didn't plan to waste time searching personally, leaving this task to the robots.
Returning to the island, Noah didn't linger at the base. He and Warwick returned to the underground laboratory in his mansion. Since the trail had gone cold, he decided to switch to other tasks: he needed to analyze the obtained combat data and improve the capacity of the magic crystal, which required time and attention. As for the tracking magic, he decided to ask the librarian at Kamar-Taj for help in finding the necessary books.
"Dr. Banner, I'll be leaving for now. If you need anything, ask Blitzcrank. If something important comes up, contact me."
Banner, now living on the island, was quite content. This place was almost completely isolated from the rest of the world, and no one disturbed his research. Unlike his life on the run, here he could спокойно engage in science, and this place seemed like paradise to him.
"Okay, see you," he replied without looking up from his work. He was still improving the gamma detector.
Noah nodded and disappeared into the portal with Warwick.
After Banner learned that his old acquaintance, "Mr. Blue," or Samuel Sterns, was behind all this, his mood noticeably worsened. Noah noticed that he took it to heart – after all, he had to realize that he was partly responsible for what happened.
During his years of wandering, he had turned to Sterns for help, sharing information about his problem in the hope that he would help find a cure for the Hulk. For many years, he had been sending him data from his experiments, and perhaps this became the catalyst for Sterns becoming what he was now.
Banner was well aware of the danger posed by the power within him. All these years, he had been hiding precisely so that people like General Ross wouldn't be able to use his abilities to create weapons and start wars. However, his carelessness had led to exactly that. Sterns was already using the power emanating from the Hulk and could cause serious harm to the world.
The sight of the bodies buried in the pit was still fresh in his mind. To stop him, he decided to improve his gamma radiation detector and find him as soon as possible.
Noah wasn't particularly touched by Banner's sense of responsibility. He understood that Banner felt guilty for what was happening and considered it his duty to correct his mistakes.
But these thoughts of "with great power comes great responsibility" seemed familiar to him. He considered it a good quality for Banner, but he didn't particularly share this sentiment. He didn't see himself as a savior of the world. It was more important for him to live peacefully and use his powers for his own benefit.
"To be honest, the phrase 'with great power comes great responsibility' feels like a kind of moral pressure to me," Noah thought. "I don't want to be a saint. It's enough that I simply don't harm people."
Noah wasn't like Superman, constantly watching over the world and rushing to the aid of everyone in need. If he intervened in situations, it was only when he wanted to. Sometimes he could take the initiative if he didn't like something, as was the case with the Hell's Kitchen gangsters. But becoming a savior of the world? That wasn't for him.
"What am I even thinking about?" he shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. The events related to Banner made him think about many things, but he decided there was no point in burdening himself with it. It was better to just continue living as he was used to: completing missions, increasing his power, and preparing for future challenges.
"Alright, Warwick, go recharge," Noah said, addressing the wolf. Although he used the word "recharge," he was actually referring to replenishing the magical energy that was Warwick's primary power source.
"Okay, Boss."
Warwick headed towards the circular device and began recharging. Metal tubes connected to its body to replenish its almost depleted energy reserves. Although magic already permeated the air around Noah thanks to the Resolve rune, allowing him to absorb it from the atmosphere, the recharging speed through the device was significantly higher.
"Time to go to Kamar-Taj," Noah decided, opening a portal to the Kamar-Taj library.
He often visited this place to borrow books on magic and had become accustomed to the library over time. It was evening for him, but the sun was still shining in Kamar-Taj. He quickly found the librarian, who was sitting and reading. He had become friends with him lately.
"Hi, Dieter. Busy?" Noah greeted the curly-haired librarian sitting in the armchair. During their conversations, he learned his name was Dieter.
"Oh, Lee, you're back," Dieter responded, turning towards the voice. He put down his book and saw Noah.
"You know, librarian work is all about peace and quiet. Nothing special," Dieter raised his book, which, as it turned out, wasn't a magical tome. It was an ordinary secular work.
"Lee, what are you looking for this time?" he asked, knowing that Noah always came for magic books. Dieter didn't hide his envy of Noah's talent, especially his ability to memorize everything at a glance. He knew this for sure, as he had tested Noah after he returned books too quickly for an ordinary reader.
"Dieter, I need some help. I'm looking for tracking spells," Noah explained. Then he said that he needed the spell to track down a villain.
"Hmm... Okay. But you'll have to wait. I need time to search. Come back after lunch," Dieter replied, thinking. Tracking magic was one of the types strictly controlled in Kamar-Taj, but he trusted Noah, so he agreed to help.
"Thanks, Dieter. If you need anything, just let me know," Noah thanked him and returned home, deciding to pick up the book later, when it would be afternoon in Kamar-Taj and morning in America.
He thought that Dieter was a great guy. He remembered how, at the beginning of the events with Doctor Strange, he was killed by Kaecilius. Noah decided that when the time came, he would save him. Perhaps it would even be for the best, as then Wong wouldn't become the librarian. Although, on the other hand, maybe it would be beneficial for Wong – after the incident with Kaecilius, the work in the library became much more stressful.
"Alright, I'll go wait," Noah said to himself. He decided to go to bed and wait until morning, when he would receive news either from Kamar-Taj or from the search robots working in the ruins.