After only a few words of conversation, Steve's impression of Makima could be said to have skyrocketed.
Captain America—I forgot to insert him in the last chapter, so I'm adding him now. He's still quite handsome.
It was exactly the same as with Tony Stark when they met earlier.
This left Su Modie somewhat puzzled.
She really couldn't figure out why Makima had such a natural affinity for these two superheroes.
Cap... Tony... what do they have in common?
Could it be... because they both lack maternal love?
Su Modie thought about it carefully, and it really seemed to be the case!
Not only did Tony, who lost both parents, lack a sense of security and maternal love.
In fact, the thick-browed, big-eyed Captain America was the same; Steve's lack of maternal love was even more pronounced than Tony's.
Su Modie remembered that in the original comics, when Steve met the "White Queen" Emma Frost at a banquet during the Hellfire Gala, he didn't have any romantic thoughts; instead, looking at her reminded him of his own mother.
To the White Queen at the time, this honest-looking blonde man with broad shoulders was just a big boy looking for a mother.
This bizarre train of thought happened to be caught by the White Queen's telepathy.
Emma was shocked to the core on the spot and felt deeply offended.
You can't blame Cap; who wouldn't want to call her 'Mother' after seeing her~
Su Modie couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.
In any case, this was definitely great news for her.
Two of the big three in the Avengers had a high degree of favorability toward a gentle, good woman like Makima upon their first meeting.
As a S.H.I.E.L.D. double Agent, Makima could be considered very successful.
If she did something bad later and was discovered by the superheroes, she could even play the emotional card.
"Agent Coulson has been praising the two of you all the way here," Steve said gently.
Hearing this, Natasha's lips curled into a mischievous smile, and she sold Coulson out without hesitation: "Did he mention that he collected a whole set of vintage, out-of-print trading cards of you? He even wanted to ask you for an autograph."
"Natasha..." Coulson's face instantly turned bright red, wishing he could find a crack in the deck to crawl into.
Steve's eyes widened slightly in surprise, then he looked at the embarrassed Coulson. He felt a bit amused by this older fanboy but still smiled politely: "Actually... if there's a pen, I don't mind."
Just as the atmosphere was becoming harmonious, two other people stepped out from two other transport planes not far away.
Dr. Bruce Banner, carrying a worn-out travel bag, walked down the ramp somewhat awkwardly.
This was the first time he had breathed fresh outdoor air since being held in a S.H.I.E.L.D. underground containment facility for over six months.
But the deafening roar of fighter jets on the deck, the Agents shouting as they moved back and forth, and the fully armed soldiers running around immediately made the doctor, who was used to solitude, feel extremely uncomfortable.
He clutched his bag tightly, dodging through the crowd like a headless fly, afraid of bumping into anyone. He was like a spinning top, being whipped around by this tense and frantic atmosphere.
Clearly, Makima had successfully convinced him in the end.
Banner took several deep breaths to barely calm his heartbeat when he suddenly caught sight of a young girl stepping out of another fighter jet.
It was Reze, who had been forcibly dragged over by Natasha to work "part-time."
She hadn't even had time to change out of her McDonalds uniform, which was completely out of place in the serious, militarized environment.
Banner's brows furrowed tightly in an instant.
Looking at this purple-haired girl who didn't even seem to be an adult, a sense of irritability inexplicably welled up in his heart.
Hulk's instincts were screaming warnings in his mind—this girl emitted an aura that he found very distasteful, but Banner's reason left him very confused.
In a highly militarized secret agency like S.H.I.E.L.D., especially under such a high level of combat readiness...
How could an underage girl have mixed in?
And why did he dislike this pretty-looking girl so much?
Clearly, just like the Abomination who had been blown to bits back then.
With a time span of over half a year and the chaotic battle situation at the time, Banner failed to recognize at first glance that the harmless-looking girl before him was the bomb demon who had made him the scapegoat on the streets of New York.
It was lucky that it was so...
Otherwise, things would have probably gotten lively on this carrier ahead of schedule...
Steve noticed the man clutching a worn-out travel bag, looking as uneasy as a startled rabbit in the crowd.
With his consistently high emotional intelligence, he took the initiative to stride toward Banner.
"They said you would come." Steve extended his right hand, his tone gentle yet firm: "Steve Rogers."
Looking at the legend from the history books before him, Banner nervously wiped the sweat from his palms before shaking hands.
"Bruce Banner. Captain, it's an honor to meet you..."
The brief handshake allowed the two to find a strange resonance in this noisy environment.
Both being products of serums, and both being outcasts marginalized by time or the World, this similar sense of loneliness made their conversation much more relaxed than with others.
A few steps away, Makima and Reze stood side by side once again.
Neither of them spoke, and they didn't even bother to exchange a glance.
In a bizarre silence, Reze expressionlessly moved half a step to the side, deliberately creating a full half-meter of distance from Makima.
Makima was completely indifferent to this "little Bomb's" childish resistance.
She tilted her head slightly, feeling the faint vibration starting from the deck beneath her feet.
"Gentlemen, ladies," Makima's cool voice interrupted Steve and Banner's conversation. She smiled and reminded them, "We had better head inside. In a little while, the air out here will become very difficult to breathe."
Hearing this, Banner looked around at the vast sea and this enormous aircraft carrier. His brow furrowed even tighter, and he couldn't help but complain, "Is this a submarine? Locking me in a sealed, pressurized iron box and sinking it to the bottom of the sea..."
"That really is a terrible idea..."
Clearly, his sense of humor carried an undisguisable anxiety.
However.
It was not sinking to the bottom of the sea.
"RUMBLE—!!!"
A low roar, like an ancient giant beast awakening, erupted from the deepest parts of the carrier, instantly sweeping across the entire sea surface.
Immediately following, the deck beneath Banner's feet began to lift upward with incredible force.
The seawater around the carrier began to boil violently, kicking up huge waves.
Under the shocked gazes of Steve and Banner.
Four giant Anti-gravity turbine engines, with diameters comparable to skyscrapers, slowly rose from the seawater.
The steel behemoth, weighing hundreds of thousands of tons, broke free from the shackles of gravity like a floating island of steel.
Breaking through the waves, it roared toward the clouds.
Taking off, hey, flying~
This was a literal...
"Aircraft Carrier"
Helicarrier
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