Samuel Stern

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Samuel was sent flying by Blonsky, who had transformed into Abomination. He crashed into a machine and passed out.

Fortunately, since Abomination was too focused on fighting Hulk, Samuel wasn't seriously injured and regained consciousness a few minutes later.

Kai was waiting on a nearby chair, watching as Samuel slowly opened his eyes — but instead of reacting, Samuel remained still, pretending to be unconscious.

Kai smirked to himself. *Smart guy... checking his surroundings first.*

But with Tony still out there facing two raging monsters, Kai didn't have time to waste.

"Alright, Professor," Kai called out. "I know you're awake. Time's short, so here's the deal: I want you to work for me — study the super serum, and I'll keep you supplied with the resources you need. Considering what's happening out there... and what you've done... you know things won't be easy for you when this is over. So think carefully."

Samuel lay there for a few more seconds, then finally sat up, realizing there was no point in pretending. He glanced nervously at Kai.

Samuel knew he'd crossed a line by experimenting with Hulk's serum — and now that he'd helped create Abomination, he was sure he'd become a major target. Every organization out there would either try to recruit him... or silence him.

The offer Kai was making sounded tempting — but Samuel couldn't help but wonder if this was just another trap.

"And how do I know you're not just planning to use me as a tool, like the others?" Samuel asked. "And even if I agreed... how can you guarantee my safety?"

Kai grinned. He could tell Samuel was interested — the hesitation was proof enough. Now he just needed to close the deal.

"I'm here because your research is impressive," Kai explained. "I want to improve it — expand its potential. I don't need to exploit you; I need you working at your best."

"As for your safety..." Kai raised his hand and vanished in an instant.

Samuel's eyes widened in shock. He barely had time to process what he'd seen before Kai's voice spoke again — this time from behind him.

"See?" Kai's voice carried a hint of amusement. "If I can do *that*, I can keep you safe. On top of that, I'll assign you two bodyguards — highly capable ones. And I'll teleport you straight to my base. No one will know where you are."

To demonstrate, Kai opened a portal to a secure-looking warehouse.

Samuel hesitated. Kai seemed... reasonable. Far better than the military types he'd been dealing with. And compared to falling into Ross's hands — or worse — this seemed like a safer bet.

"Alright," Samuel said. "But I'll need to bring my research materials."

He began gathering his notes and samples, but Kai stopped him.

"This is too slow," Kai said, pulling out his magic wand. With a flick of his wrist, he called out, "Here comes the serum! Here comes the sample!"

Under Samuel's stunned gaze, the various vials, blood samples, and data drives floated into Kai's hand before vanishing entirely.

"Much faster," Kai grinned, then extended his hand toward the portal.

Samuel, still amazed, followed Kai through the portal.

Once inside the warehouse, Kai turned to him.

"This'll be your temporary lab," Kai said. "We'll build you a proper facility soon. But first..."

He gestured, and two figures appeared — Gear and Turbo.

"This is Professor Samuel," Kai told them. "He's working on the super serum project. Make sure he's safe."

"Got it, boss," Gear said with a thumbs-up.

"Nobody's touching him," Turbo added confidently.

Samuel stared, especially at Gear — a robot with clear intelligence and personality. Even without specializing in AI, Samuel knew what he was looking at.

While Samuel stood there, still processing everything, Kai patted him on the shoulder.

"I've got something to handle," Kai said. "Gear can show you around. I'll be back this evening, and we'll talk more then."

With that, Kai teleported back to the battlefield.

The moment Kai appeared, he spotted Hulk and Abomination still locked in a brutal brawl, while Tony circled above, firing missiles to keep them off balance.

Tony landed next to Kai.

"Where'd you disappear to?" Tony asked. "Another minute longer and those two would've finished this without you."

Kai chuckled. "Trust me, Tony... they'll be at this for a while."

He gestured toward the fight, just in time to see Hulk lock Abomination in a chokehold. Abomination retaliated by slamming Hulk repeatedly against a nearby building, shattering the walls with each hit.

"Yeah... I take it back," Tony muttered. Without another word, he flipped down his helmet and flew back into the sky, peppering the two titans with more missiles.

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