The afternoon U.S.
History class was as dull as warm water.
The gray-haired professor stood at the podium, reading Civil War data from his PowerPoint in a voice so steady it almost sounded like a lullaby.
Sunlight poured through the windows, warming the desks.
Most students were already half-asleep.
Emily sat by the window, pen in hand, looking as if she were taking notes seriously.
In reality, the lines flowing from her pen were Siren code only she could understand.
Her consciousness had already left the classroom.
Originally, she had only planned to slack off by checking Columbia University’s network and Dr.
Connors’ latest Lizard serum progress.
But while sweeping through Midtown Manhattan’s signal frequencies, she suddenly detected something unusual.
A dense cluster of encrypted military radio channels.
Not NYPD.
Not FBI.
Actual U.S.
military active-duty encrypted communications.
Emily’s pen paused slightly.
Interesting.
Military channels in the middle of New York?
Frequency-hopping every three seconds?
Heavy encryption?
Unfortunately for them, they were facing Antix technology.
In less than a blink, Emily broke through the encryption and entered the communication stream.
Commands flooded into her mind.
“Falcon 1, arrived at designated airspace.”
“Ground Team B has completed the blockade of 34th Street.”
“Stryker formation ready.
Weapon stations unlocked.”
Emily raised an eyebrow.
Drones.
Armored vehicles.
Street lockdowns.
This was not normal police work.
This looked like an urban assault.
She followed the signal and hijacked a drone’s optical feed.
The real-time image appeared in her mind.
In Midtown Manhattan West, an abandoned office building had been sealed off.
Yellow caution tape blocked three full blocks.
Twelve Stryker armored vehicles surrounded the area.
Heavy machine guns were aimed at the building.
Infantry teams hid behind cover, rifles ready.
Snipers waited on rooftops.
Above them, three Apache attack helicopters circled nearby, fire-control systems ready.
Emily stared.
What exactly required this much firepower in New York?
She traced the command chain upward and entered the operation files.
Operation Codename: Green Arrow.
Objective: Capture Bruce Banner.
On-site Commander: Lieutenant General Thaddeus E.
Ross.
Emily’s pen jerked, leaving a long ink line across her notebook.
Bruce Banner?
General Ross?
So that was it.
They were hunting the Hulk.
Emily almost laughed from sheer disbelief.
Was this her Observer attendance sheet now?
Iron Man’s birth?
Present.
Spider-Man’s bite?
Present.
Hulk rampage in New York?
Also present?
Did Observer Zero come with a salary?
Social security?
Housing fund?
The Marvel Universe truly refused to give New York even one peaceful week.
Just then—
“Emily?”
The professor’s voice cut through the classroom.
The room fell silent.
Gwen nudged her arm gently.
“Emily, the professor is calling you.”
Emily looked up calmly.
“Yes, Professor?”
The old professor adjusted his glasses.
“Since you seem deep in thought, perhaps you can tell us: who commanded the Union forces at the Battle of Gettysburg, and what was his main tactical approach?”
A few students snickered quietly.
They all thought she had been spacing out.
Gwen anxiously pushed her notes toward Emily.
Emily did not look at them.
“The Union commander was Major General George Meade,” she answered smoothly.
“His main strategy was to use Gettysburg’s high ground to form a fishhook-shaped defensive line.
That allowed Union forces to offset Confederate attacks with superior positioning and firepower, especially during Pickett’s Charge.
The battle became a turning point because the Confederacy lost the strategic initiative afterward.”
She paused, then added, “Pickett’s Charge alone caused over sixty percent casualties among the attacking Confederate forces.”
The professor’s eyes lit up.
“Excellent answer.
Very detailed.”
The classroom went quiet.
Gwen stared at Emily with admiration.
“You were actually listening?”
Emily smiled faintly and sat back down.
Of course she was listening.
She could hack military systems and record classroom lectures at the same time.
That was basic multitasking.
Her attention returned to the military feed.
General Ross’s rough voice came through the command channel.
“Target confirmed on the third floor.
All units prepare to breach.
If he resists, suppress immediately.”
Another voice protested, “General, this is downtown New York.
Heavy fire could cause civilian casualties.”
“I don’t care,” Ross snapped.
“We capture Banner today.
All units, move!” This story is hosted at g.com.
Emily rolled her eyes internally.
Classic Ross.
To catch Hulk, he was willing to turn half the city into rubble.
Did he not understand that the more pressure he put on Banner, the faster the Hulk would appear?
Emily accessed the building’s internal surveillance.
On the third floor, she found him.
Bruce Banner.
Messy hair.
Faded hoodie.
Exhausted face.
He was crouched in a corner, shaking.
His breathing was unstable.
Veins stood out on his forehead, and faint green flickers moved through his eyes.
Emily sighed.
Banner was pitiful.
A brilliant scientist turned into a hunted monster because of gamma radiation.
Chased across the world by Ross.
Forced to fear his own heartbeat.
Emily leaned back in her chair.
Should she go?
If she went, it would be another famous Marvel moment to witness.
She could also observe Hulk’s true combat strength.
If she stayed, she could remain safe and low-key.
But if Ross opened fire in Manhattan, civilians could be caught in the chaos.
Emily struggled for two seconds.
Then her spectator nature won.
She was already here.
With optical stealth, Explorer II, and spatial movement, she could avoid exposure.
She would only watch.
No interference unless necessary.
Emily raised her hand.
“Professor, I don’t feel well.
May I go to the infirmary?”
Her face turned perfectly pale, and her voice sounded weak.
The professor immediately nodded.
“Go ahead.
If you feel worse, go home and rest.”
“Thank you.”
Emily picked up her bag, gave Gwen a reassuring look, and left the classroom.
The moment she reached an empty alley outside the school, her expression returned to calm.
A faint blue shimmer passed over her body.
Optical stealth activated.
Her figure, presence, and life signals disappeared.
Explorer II emerged silently behind her.
A pale blue glow opened at her back, and her jellyfish-like rigging core unfolded slightly.
Then Emily stepped into the air.
In the next instant, she shot upward like a blue afterimage, flying toward Midtown Manhattan.
The wind rushed past her ears.
Below her, New York spread out like a living map.
Ahead, the Manhattan skyline glittered beneath the afternoon sun.
Emily smiled faintly.
Fine.
Another famous-scene check-in.