Emil Blonsky pushed open the heavy steel door.
The salty sea breeze blew in his face.
He took a deep breath.
There was no smell of disinfectant, no coldness of reinforced concrete.
He looked up and gazed into the distance.
North Brother Island's terrain was far more complex than he had imagined.
Stepping out of the prison hall, he was met with an open concrete platform, beyond the guardrail of which were cliffs and rolling waves.
He walked to the guardrail, rested his hands on it, and felt the sea breeze on his cheeks.
Emil hadn't experienced this feeling in a very long time.
The Abomination's memories were a chaotic noise.
Only anger, destructiveness, and insatiable hunger.
Emil now realized that he hadn't been "thinking" back then, but rather being driven by instinct.
Now, his mind was clear again.
He could think calmly, make plans, and analyze situations like a true warrior.
"Hulk..."
Emil softly uttered the name, his pupils slightly contracting, as if recalibrating a long-dormant target.
"Bruce Banner."
This time, revenge was no longer a roar that drowned out reason.
It settled, waiting for the most opportune moment.
He would find that green monster, he would face him again, but this time he would use human intelligence to command the Abomination's power.
"Hello?"
A voice suddenly came from behind him.
Emil turned and saw a small girl in a white uniform standing not far away, looking at him with a hint of fear.
"I'm Tandy Bowen, you can also call me Dagger. Mr. Rodriguez asked me to help you get acquainted with the island's environment."
Emil nodded in response.
"Thank you."
"Please follow me, Mr. Bronski."
Tandy gestured.
"I'll show you to your residence first."
"Just call me Emil."
Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away from North Brother Island, at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, an emergency meeting was underway.
A set of satellite images was displayed on the projection screen.
The image quality was high, clearly showing the entire North Brother Island.
"Everyone, look at this."
Maria Hill pointed to a red mark on the screen.
"This is footage our surveillance satellite just captured."
In the image, a blond man in a gray tracksuit stood on the island's observation deck, facing the sea.
"This is theoretically impossible."
A scientific consultant said.
"Gamma ray mutation is irreversible. Bronski's genes have been permanently altered; he cannot turn back into a human."
"But the facts are right before us."
Fury pointed at the screen.
"He did turn back."
"William Rodriguez did this?" Hill continued, "After all, the Abomination was under his supervision."
"Everyone," Fury began, "we still underestimated him."
"What do you mean?"
"A person who can turn the Abomination back into a human, the technology he possesses far exceeds our imagination."
Fury's voice carried a warning.
"If this technology falls into the wrong hands, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"So, should we take action?"
Hill asked.
Fury shook his head.
"For now, don't act rashly. We haven't fully understood Rodriguez's background; rash actions might cause bigger trouble."
"We must closely monitor all movements on that island. Any abnormal situation must be reported to me immediately."
...Bronski followed Tandy along a flagstone path, arriving at a two-story detached house.
The building's design was modern, with white exterior walls and large floor-to-ceiling windows.
Various tropical plants were cultivated around it, making the whole environment appear both elegant and comfortable.
"This is your residence!"
Tandy pushed open the front door and gestured for him to enter.
"Boss specially prepared it for you."
"The kitchen is over there," Tandy pointed in a direction. "The ingredients and seasonings inside are all fresh. If you need any special food, you can contact me anytime."
"Upstairs are the bedroom and study."
Tandy continued to introduce.
"You mentioned needing a gym, and Mr. William has already arranged it."
"This place..." Emil responded softly, "is much better than I imagined."
"Yes, I was a homeless person just a few days ago. Oh, right."
Tandy patted her head, "Boss said your main duty is to ensure the island's safety, especially when new 'clients' arrive."
"However, since you've just regained your human form, he suggests you rest for a few days to adapt to your new life."
"Also," Tandy continued, "Boss has prepared some materials regarding Emil's nemesis... Dr. Bruce Banner's latest intelligence. If you're interested, you can check them anytime."
He looked up, his gaze, like an eagle's, fixed on Tandy.
"Banner's intelligence?"
"Yes. Including his recent whereabouts, an analysis of his abilities, and some tactical suggestions on how to deal with the Hulk."
Tandy's tone was very professional.
"Boss also said this is an additional service in your insurance contract. But speaking of which, isn't it strange that people who work at an insurance company also need to prepare insurance for themselves?"
Emil clenched his fists.
This William Rodriguez, indeed, did not go back on his word.
"When can I see these materials?"
"Right now."
Tandy pointed in the direction of the study.
"The materials are all on that computer."
Emil quickly walked to the study, sat in front of the computer, and opened it. There was only one folder on the desktop, containing dozens of files.
He clicked on the first file, titled "Bruce Banner Recent Activity Report."
The file detailed Banner's movements over the past few months.
Including the places he had been, the people he had interacted with, and even some of his combat records as the Hulk.
"This information..."
Emil murmured.
"Is even more detailed than the Military's intelligence."
He scrolled down quickly, his finger stopping on a document named "Physiological and Psychological Weaknesses."
Upon opening it, Banner's physiological response data under various pressures, psychological profile reports... their thoroughness was beyond anything the Military could achieve.
Tandy waited outside the door for a while, feeling a bit bored, "If you don't need anything else, I'll take my leave now, okay? But if you have any questions, you can always contact me."
"Thank you."
Emil replied without looking back, his attention completely absorbed by the content on the computer.
After reading it carefully again and again, Emil leaned back in his chair, looking at the sea view outside the window, a complex emotion rising in his heart.
Yesterday, he was a Beast in a cage.
Today, he was sitting here, studying the weaknesses of his nemesis.
This transformation was too surreal, forcing him to re-examine the man who called himself an insurance salesman.
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