"Bang!"
The yellow wooden gavel fell, and a low sound spread throughout the solemn and silent military court. There were no other bystanders, no jury, and in the entire large room, there were less than ten people, including the judge and the stenographer.
But including the prisoner in the center of the room, these people were all high-ranking people. At the very least, in the reestablished Department of Defense, their voice was quite important. And the reason why they appeared here in their busy schedules, in addition to the importance of today's matter, was that they were all old brothers who had been on the battlefield together.
Their comrade-in-arms made them unable to bear to see an old soldier who was loyal to his country end up in such a miserable state.
"The court is now in session!"
The judge, who was also from the military, glanced at the old general standing in the dock in front of him. He looked at the haggard Ross, whose arm was still bandaged, but his body was still as straight as a spear. He couldn't help but sigh, cough lightly, and read from the file in his hand:
"General Thaddeus Ross, the 'Ultimate Soldier' project that you presided over has failed. Furthermore, it has resulted in a loss of more than a billion USD. Your test subject has escaped, bringing about a terrifying threat to national security. Therefore, you have been charged with treason, leaking state secrets, and seven other crimes. Do you have anything to say about this?"
General Ross snorted contemptuously:
"I don't need a defense lawyer, and I have nothing to say. If those politicians with water in their heads think that my experiment failed, then let them say it!"
In this special court, the old general spoke with assurance:
"You only saw the monster, you only saw the experiment going out of control, but SHIELD's investigation report is already out, isn't it? That wasn't because there was a problem with the experimental process and design parameters, but because there was a damned third party deliberately sabotaging my experiment! "
This old man, nicknamed General Thunderbolt, naturally had a bad temper. He roared loudly and waved his left hand:
"Instead of chasing down the damned third party, you're blaming me. Are you out of your minds?"
After that, without waiting for the judge and lawyers to speak, General Ross simply turned around and looked at his old comrades in the back seat. He said loudly:
"And even if the experiment was sabotaged, I still made a monster! Yes, that monster is very dangerous, but this is enough to prove the potential of my experiment! Give me another chance! "
He placed one hand on the fence in front of him and emphasized his tone.
"The mutants' confrontations have become the norm. Normal police and soldiers can't deal with them as they become more and more cunning! Look at that damned leader of the Mutants, Saber Hawk. He had completely placed the interests of the Mutants above the dignity of the country. The failure of this experiment further proves that there are also remnants of the damned enemy forces within our system. They are trying to subvert this country! "
"Think about it, the monsters in the myths have already appeared! Ordinary people might not know, but all of you definitely know! In the face of such a covetous force, what should we use to protect our country? "
"Old fellows! Old brothers! Comrades! Generals! "
General Ross's face was flushed red. His emotions were so agitated that even his voice became sharp.
"Just like when we were facing the threat of the Soviet Union, we could sneak into Europe and South Asia without caring about our lives! In the face of the current situation, I can still choose to sacrifice everything for this country, even if it is controlled by a group of idiots. But from the day we put on the military uniform, I have no hope of ending my life peacefully. "
"Give me another chance! If I fail, I don't need you to say anything, I will end my pathetic life myself! If I succeed … "
General Ross gritted his teeth.
"I will submit all the data and experimental parameters of the Ultimate Soldier Project to the Department of Defense!"
If Ross's previous words were just to express his sentiments, then his last sentence made all the old generals' eyes light up. Very cutting-edge research projects like the one General Ross presided over were often independent horizontally and only responsible to the highest level. And if Ross decided to share the project data, it meant that other colleagues could quickly learn from it and use it directly …
There were at least seven cutting-edge research projects similar to the Ultimate Soldier Project within the Department of Defense. They were all mutually confidential. Once a project's resources were shared, the other projects were likely to have breakthroughs. Therefore, the chip General Ross threw out was definitely a heavyweight.
As for why no one was willing to share the resources even though there were benefits … It was very simple. People were selfish. Sitting in their position, who didn't want to go further? Going further required merits. In peacetime, this kind of breakthrough in military research was a merit!
These high-ranking old men in the Ministry of Defense looked at each other. Finally, one of the generals waved his hand, and the judge and the stenographer left the court. He rubbed his chin and said slowly, "Mr. Li, you're right.
"Ross, we are all old men who survived the Vietnam War, so I have something to say. Your loyalty to the country is unquestionable, but the current situation facing the Department of Defense is terrible, especially after Saber Hawke publicized Stryker's research. Our credibility has dropped to the lowest point in history."
He glanced at General Ross and breathed a sigh of relief.
"We can join forces to vouch for you and give you a second chance to experiment, but Ross … From now on, we are all tied to the same boat. You must guarantee the results of this experiment!"
"Otherwise, you will drag most of the Department of Defense down with you!"
Another bald old general said, "Are you confident?"
"Confident?"
General Ross reached out and took the cigars handed over by his former comrades. He took a deep breath of smoke and said, "I have always been confident! You have seen Hulk's power, and this is still an experimental failure … If we succeed, how much can we get? Don't worry, guys, since the first experiment has proved that it works, I have enough confidence! "
"Good! What do you need? "
General Ross breathed a sigh of relief. "The most important gamma ray generator is only slightly damaged, so I only need a complete laboratory, a group of trustworthy researchers, a smart enough biologist, and a power source that won't be suddenly cut off."
"What about the experimental materials?"
The general who spoke first asked, "Do you need us to transfer soldiers from various elite forces?"
"No! No need! "
General Ross shook his head, and a trace of stubbornness flashed in his eyes. "I have the best soldiers! And I'm sure they are ready! "
Three hours later, in the intensive care unit of the New York Army Hospital, General Ross, who had put on his neat military uniform again, walked into the ward accompanied by his secretary. In the room filled with the unpleasant smell of medicine, a man was resting on a bed supported by a metal stent.
General Ross waved his hand, and the secretary left the room with the documents and closed the door. The old general sat aside and sighed.
"Stop pretending, Emil … I know you can't sleep."
The soldier on the sickbed opened his eyes. His face was wrapped in bandages and he looked very miserable. He asked in a hoarse voice, "What?
"My squadron …"
"It's gone, all gone."
General Ross said in a sad voice, "A total of 35 of our best soldiers are gone. They were cruelly killed by that monster. You are the only one who survived."
"Ugh …"
Colonel Emil clenched his fists, which made his wounds burst open instantly. Blood stained the bandages red. He gritted his teeth and said in a low voice.
"I can't accept this!"
"I can't accept this either!"
General Ross's voice became low. "Soldiers can die on the battlefield. That's an honor. Being killed by a monster is a disgrace … Who would accept this? But we still have a chance, Emil. You still have a chance! "
"Hmm?"
The colonel turned his head with difficulty to look at the general. The latter looked left and right and said in a low voice,
"The experiment has been restarted. I bet everything on this experiment. They told me to choose another person, but I refused. You're the best. I don't need to find anyone else. The only problem now is that with your current situation, if you accept the experiment … it's very likely that …"
"Can it make me stronger?"
Emil interrupted the general, and an indescribable hatred flashed in his eyes. He said loudly, "Can it give me the power to kill that monster? Can it let me take revenge for my team members? "
General Ross shrugged. He took out two cigars from his pocket and lit them for the patient. He started smoking as well and said softly, "Don't worry, Mr. Ross.
He said softly, "To be honest, I don't know …"
"But if we don't try, none of us will know the result. The birth of Hulk proves that the experiment is feasible. If you succeed, we will immediately set out to destroy that monster. He stole my daughter … If you fail, you will die, and it will be difficult for me to survive. It will be the last fight. If we don't win, we will die, just like we did on the battlefield in the Middle East."
"We took seven risks and succeeded seven times. This time, I have bet everything I have. Emil, do you dare to bet with me?"
"Cough cough."
Emil Blonski reached out with great difficulty to take the cigar down. Every movement he made was excruciating pain, but the soldier didn't care at all. He looked at General Ross, his old superior who had been following him since he joined the army, and nodded.
"Then help me bet … I'll bet everything!"
Just as Emil Bronski began a crazy adventure with General Thunderbolt, in the office of SHIELD, a special screening was also underway. Fury stood in the middle of the office and watched the screening.
"According to the results of our communication with the sorcerers of the New York Sanctum, there are two aspects that affect the adaptability of this mysterious power. The first is the user's willpower!"
After both Coulson and May left SHIELD, Fury had to select some new agents to serve as his right-hand men. However, he was more used to using his old subordinates, so this time, the captain of the Helicarrier, Agent Maria Hill, was in charge of the screening.
Once again, the fact that Maria was an unranked agent didn't mean that she was weak. It was the best proof of her abilities.
Maria, wearing a pair of glasses, looked at the report in her hand and said very seriously:
"The sorcerers refer to willpower as the strength of the soul. This statement is true and appropriate, but we don't have a way to test the strength of the soul, so we can only choose from those who are engaged in extreme sports. This kind of person's willpower is excellent among ordinary people!"
"The second factor that affects the compatibility of the power is past experience. From this point of view, SHIELD's agents are not suitable because their past experience is too dark and their work pressure is too great. It is likely to lead to their mind being controlled by special forces."
Hill put down the document, took off her glasses, and said to Fury:
"But even so, I still think that if we have to choose a host, an agent is still the most suitable. At the very least, their loyalty can be guaranteed."
Fury shrugged. He looked at Hill and played with the cigar box in his hand.
"You're mistaken about one thing, Hill. I'm not the one who chooses the final carrier. In fact, I've also submitted a list of trustworthy agents to our 'Special Forces Consultant,' but the final decision is made by the person who is most familiar with this power. Mysterious powers always have a mysterious selection method. Laymen like us only need to provide assistance."
After that, he turned his head and looked at the old cowboy sitting in the office, drinking and smoking leisurely. The old cowboy was wearing a worn cowboy hat and old-fashioned denim clothes. The old cowboy's back looked inexplicably familiar.
Fury, who had recently become addicted to smoking, walked over and sat next to the old cowboy. He reached out and lit a cigar.
He whispered, "Do you think I'm right? Mr. Carter Slay? "
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