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"Good work, everyone," he said simply.
An Arasaka Phantom arrived at the entrance, its dark exterior reflecting the tower's lights. To everyone watching, it looked like Ethan had finally departed. The vehicle lifted smoothly into the night sky and disappeared between the buildings.
But Ethan never left the tower.
Instead, he turned back inside and walked toward a restricted elevator, one that didn't appear on any public floor directory. Sharon followed him without a word. The elevator descended silently, passing floor after floor.
Below ground level.
Arasaka Tower didn't just reach the clouds—it went deep underground. Thirteen levels in total. Past the tenth basement floor, access was restricted to Ethan alone and a handful of authorized personnel.
The elevator stopped at B6.
The doors opened to a cold, reinforced corridor lined with security systems, sealed doors, and surveillance units.
They moved forward until they reached a massive observation chamber.
Inside, scientists stood around a reinforced containment cage, monitoring screens and data feeds. The moment Ethan entered, they straightened and bowed.
"Sir," they said in unison.
Ethan nodded once.
Inside the cage, the Abomination—Emil—was awake. Thick restraints held him in place, energy fields humming softly as he shifted, muscles tensing, eyes moving slowly as he took in his surroundings. No matter how much he strained, he couldn't break free.
"He's fully conscious," one of the scientists reported. "Vital signs are stable, but his brain activity has increased significantly."
Ethan stepped closer to the glass, his expression calm.
"Hmm," he said. "It seems the experimental serum also enhanced his brain too."
The Abomination's gaze snapped toward him.
It thrashed once, testing the restraints again. The cage held firm.
"He can't do anything," another scientist added quickly.
"I'm aware," Ethan replied.
He studied the figure in silence for a few seconds.
"Continue monitoring," Ethan said. " Test how long our sedatives can hold him."
The scientists hesitated, then nodded. "Understood, sir."
Ethan turned and walked away from the chamber, Sharon falling into step beside him.
As they reached the elevator, Sharon asked, "Will you be able to extract the experimental serum from him?"
"That remains to be seen," Ethan replied with a shrug.
Sharon nodded.
The next day.
Ethan returned to B6. This time, the Abomination was restrained and asleep.
"Here's the data, sir," one of the staff members said, handing him a tablet.
Ethan reviewed it quickly.
"Only one hour?" he asked.
"Yes," the scientist replied. "The experimental serum has likely enhanced his metabolic rate. The sedative compound breaks down extremely fast."
Ethan handed the tablet back.
"Take blood and bone marrow samples," he said.
The staff nodded and entered the containment chamber. A technician carefully extracted the samples and turned to leave.
That was when it happened.
The Abomination's eyes snapped open.
With a sudden roar, he lashed out. His clawed hand shot forward, aiming straight for the technician's back.
No one panicked.
Before the attack could reach its target, one of the guards moved.
The guard—wearing advanced Arasaka combat armor—grabbed the Abomination's arm mid-swing.
Crack.
The sound echoed through the chamber.
"Arghhh!"
With a sharp twist, the guard broke the Abomination's arm without hesitation.
"Behave," the guard said coldly, "if you want to stay alive."
The broken limb was immediately forced back into restraint by the energy field.
The Abomination glared hatefully at the six armored guards stationed inside the cage. Their movements were precise, calm, and efficient. The technician finished collecting the samples, hands steady, and exited the chamber without another glance back.
The Abomination clenched his teeth, rage burning in his eyes—but he couldn't move. Couldn't fight back.
These bastards… he thought.
They have technology strong enough to capture the Hulk… but they don't want to.
It was clear to him now.
Arasaka wasn't interested in turning him into a weapon for the military.
They wanted something else entirely.
Outside the chamber, Ethan watched everything through the reinforced glass, expression unreadable.
"Run the analysis immediately," he said. "I want results within the hour."
"Yes, sir," the scientists replied leaving.
Ethan stepped closer to the glass.
"You're Emil Blonsky, right?" he asked calmly.
The Abomination slowly turned his head toward him. His eyes locked onto Ethan's through the reinforced glass.
The Abomination stared at him for a long moment. Then his lips pulled back slightly, not quite a smile.
"Why didn't you give that suit tech to the military?" Emil asked, his voice low and rough. "With your technology, they could've captured the Hulk easily."
Ethan nodded once, as if he had expected the question.
"I could have," he said calmly. "Helping the military wouldn't have been difficult."
He paused, then continued.
"But why should I?"
Emil's eyes narrowed.
"If I gave them that level of power," Ethan went on, "they wouldn't stop there. They'd push further. Stronger weapons. More experiments. And eventually, something worse than you would be born."
Emil let out a short, bitter laugh.
"So you were afraid," he said. "Afraid the military would get too much power."
Ethan shook his head.
"No," he replied. "I'm afraid my peaceful life would be over."
He met Emil's gaze directly.
"If people like you keep appearing," Ethan said, "there will always be chaos. Cities destroyed. Governments panicking. Everyone demanding control, answers, weapons."
He glanced briefly at the restraints holding Emil in place.
"I don't want a world where beings like you run free, wrecking everything around them," he said plainly. "Not because I fear you—but because I don't want to live in constant damage control."
Emil was silent for a few seconds.
"So you lock me in a cage," he said. "And call it responsibility."
Ethan didn't deny it.
"I call it containment," he replied. "And prevention."
He turned slightly, signaling the conversation was nearly over.
"You exist because too many people chased power without thinking ahead," Ethan said. "I won't repeat that mistake."
"Hahahahaha."
Emil looked at him, then burst out laughing.
"In the end, you're the same," Emil said. "You want the super soldier serum too. That's why you imprisoned me—so you can study me."
He leaned forward as much as the restraints allowed.
"So when others do it, it's dangerous," Emil continued. "But when you do it, it's acceptable?"
Ethan nodded slowly.
"If I said it wasn't hypocrisy," he replied calmly, "that would be a lie."