I do not own any of the characters in this story.
"What exactly is this all about General Fury? I saw on the television that Bruce is back. Does this have anything to do with him?"
Walking through the hastily reconstructed holding cells of S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters in New York City were two of the most powerful men on the planet, though they were very different in terms of their type of power. General Nick Fury had command of the most powerful government agency on the planet with a near limitless budget, while Professor Charles Xavier was a mutant who possessed the strongest mind on Earth.
"No. Banner seems to have his shit squared away."
"What's going to happen to him? Will they attempt another execution?"
"Kill a guy who helped save the United States of America? I don't think so. We've had him locked up since the final battle with Loki and the Liberators, but he's being released today."
"Well then what exactly am I here for General?"
"We need you to pry someone's mind open."
Fury continued walking, failing to notice Xavier had stopped.
"General you know that is something I absolutely will not do."
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Commander sighed and turned to look at the most powerful mind on the planet. It was vital that he convince Xavier into doing this.
"Charles how much do you know about the fight against Loki?"
"Only what I read in the papers General. Something about Thor returning and doing battle with his half-brother, thus preventing the end of the world."
"Well that's not exactly true."
"What do you mean?"
"Even with Thor's Asgardian reinforcements, we were still getting our asses beat up and down the mall. Next thing I know I'm hearing com-chatter about how something is coming from the west at over five hundred miles an hour. You know what this guy does when he shows up? He almost single handedly wipes out Loki's army. Then he goes into hand to hand with Loki himself and beats the piss out of him before Thor finishes him off."
Xavier didn't have to read Fury's mind to know he was telling the truth. The look on the General's face was one he reserved for the most serious of discussions and Xavier knew it.
"Why do I need to read his mind?"
"Well he's told us who he is, that all seems to check out. Thor believes the story he's told. Hell even Banner vouched for him. Apparently they ran into each other out in the New Mexico desert while Banner was on his way back here."
"But you're having a hard time believing him?"
"Can you blame me? I can't have another Black Widow situation on my hands. And with a metahuman this powerful, I just need to be one hundred percent before I let him run around with Tony Stark."
"Alright General. I'll help. But I want to speak with him first."
The two men continued down the hallway in silence. They passed through steel doors ten feet thick, laced with adamantium. They walked passed dozens of armed guards. They even strolled by a squad of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s very own super-soldiers. Finally they came to the holding cell.
"Alright on your feet. I said get your ass up."
Xavier watched as a leather clad young man kicked his feet off the bed and looked around. He had piercing blue eyes and reddish-blonde hair.
"Hello young man. I'm Professor Charles Xavier."
The young man smiled at the Professor. It was the kind of smile that makes a person want to be best friend's with the kid. It was the kind of smile that could melt girl's hearts.
"Hi Professor. I'm Johnny Blaze."