MCU/ Marvel : Ever Green

Suddenly, vines shot toward Bruce, their thorns glinting like knives. Bruce barely had time to react before the Hulk emerged, his roar shaking the trees. The vines wrapped around the Hulk's massive arms, but he tore through them effortlessly, slamming his fists into the ground and creating a shockwave that toppled several trees.

Dorian didn't flinch. With a gesture, a massive tree uprooted itself, its roots forming legs as it lumbered toward the Hulk. The two titans clashed, the Hulk's brute strength against the relentless power of the Green.

"Stop this, Dorian!" the Hulk roared, his voice echoing through the forest. Some semblance of Banner bleeding through

"Not until they learn their place!" Dorian shouted back, summoning a swarm of carnivorous plants that snapped at the Hulk's heels.

As the battle raged, Bruce managed to wrest control back from the Hulk, forcing himself to calm down. Breathing heavily, he stood amidst the destruction and raised his hands again.

"Dorian, listen to me!" Bruce shouted. "This doesn't have to end like this. You're powerful, more powerful than I ever was when I first transformed. But you have a choice. You can be more than just a weapon of the Green."

Dorian hesitated, the glow in his eyes flickering. The plants around him slowed their assault, their movements becoming less aggressive.

"Choose to protect without destroying," Bruce said, stepping closer. "The world needs someone like you, someone who can remind us of what we're fighting for. But not like this."

Dorian lowered his arms, and the forest began to calm. The vines receded, the living tree returning to its original form. The glow in his eyes faded, leaving him looking weary but resolute.

"You speak as though you understand," Dorian said quietly. "Perhaps you do. But if humanity doesn't change, I won't hesitate to act again."

Bruce nodded. "Then let's work together. Show them there's a better way."

For a moment, silence reigned in the forest. Then Dorian turned and began to walk away, his voice carrying over his shoulder. "We'll see if your kind is capable of learning."

Bruce watched him go, a mixture of relief and unease settling over him. He knew this wasn't the end—but it was a start.

The sterile, buzzing atmosphere of the S.H.I.E.L.D. command center was a stark contrast to the vivid energy that pulsed through the jungle where Dorian Mercer had made his dramatic entrance. After their encounter, Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) were called back to base for a debriefing. The meeting room was dimly lit, a large projector screen flickering to life, displaying the latest satellite images of the jungle's edge.

Agent Maria Hill stood before them, arms crossed, her expression unreadable as always. She turned to face them as they sat down at the table, eyes scanning both agents with a measure of restraint.

"Before you ask," Hill began, her voice sharp, "no, you don't get to play the usual 'what's his deal?' game. This isn't some random vigilante we can easily talk into joining the Avengers. Dorian Mercer is no mere man."

Clint raised an eyebrow, his usual smirk absent. "So, you're saying this isn't your average, 'we want to help you, come with us' kind of situation?"

Natasha leaned back in her chair, her arms folded, already expecting this to be anything but normal. "We've seen his abilities firsthand, Maria. He's no ordinary person. But if we're going to ask him to join us against Loki, we need more than just a glimpse of his powers."

Maria Hill clicked a few buttons on her tablet, and the screen shifted. It now displayed a black-and-white photo of a young man—Dorian Mercer—smiling at the camera with a slight, almost wistful expression. He looked peaceful and serene, far removed from the force of nature that had nearly torn their group apart days ago.

"This is Dorian Mercer, born in 1984," Hill began, her tone professional, though tinged with a rare note of concern. "He wasn't always the Avatar of the Green. He was once a promising biologist, studying environmental ecosystems, conservation, and sustainable agriculture. The kind of work that could have saved entire ecosystems, not just one jungle."

She clicked the button again, and the image shifted to a newer one. Dorian stood at the forefront of a research expedition, his face intense with focus, his body fit and alert as he handled scientific equipment in the midst of dense, wild foliage.

"Mercer was passionate about his work—passionate to a fault," Hill continued. "But it wasn't until his fieldwork led him deep into unexplored rainforests that things took a dramatic turn. He stumbled upon an ancient, hidden grove—the Green, as it's called. It wasn't just any forest, but a force of nature itself, a living, breathing consciousness. Text say other who have found it, never returned and those who did never went back"

Clint tilted his head, intrigued despite himself. "Wait, so you're telling me this guy found an ancient sentient forest… and just… became its avatar?"

Hill's expression remained neutral. "That's an oversimplification, but it's close enough. The Green altered Dorian's body. His DNA, his physiology, became one with the forest's essence. He now commands plant life with a single thought. He can manipulate the Earth itself, and his senses are attuned to the pulse of the planet—its health, its distress, everything."

"Everything?" Natasha's voice carried a tinge of disbelief. "So, he can feel the entire planet?"

Hill nodded. "In a way, yes. He feels the delicate balance of life and death, destruction and renewal. It's what makes him so dangerous. But it also makes him a protector. The Green doesn't just choose anyone. Only those with the right mindset, the right balance, are ever chosen to wield such power."

She paused, her fingers briefly hovering over her tablet. "The story gets a little murkier after that. We know he was once an advocate for preserving natural life, but after he bonded with the Green, he became more isolated. His mind… changed. He took it upon himself to wage war against corporations, individuals, and governments that he deemed to be threatening the balance of the natural world. It became less about conservation and more about destruction—a necessary evil, in his mind."

Clint frowned, his voice laced with doubt. "And you think we can trust him? He sounds like a walking extinction event."

"I'm not saying you should trust him," Hill replied coolly, locking eyes with Clint. "I'm saying you need to understand him. Because he is not the same person anymore. Dorian Mercer, the man you met, is long gone. What you saw was the avatar, the living embodiment of nature's wrath and its delicate harmony. To him, everything that disrupts the Earth is an enemy."

"Sounds like someone who'd rather watch the world burn than fix it," Natasha said, tapping her fingers against the table, her sharp mind racing through the potential consequences of asking someone so volatile to join their fight.

"Exactly," Hill agreed, "and that's why I don't want you going in with your usual charm offensive. Dorian Mercer will see through it. This isn't about diplomacy or a 'talking' point. It's about survival. If Loki does what we think he's planning, the Green will be at risk, too."

Natasha was silent for a moment, her fingers brushing her earpiece. The weight of the conversation settled on her shoulders as she realized that persuading Dorian Mercer to join them wouldn't be as simple as sending him a recruitment letter or having Bruce Banner reason with him.

"So, what's the play?" Clint asked, crossing his arms. "We just go up to him, explain Loki's threat, and hope he's in the mood to help save the planet?"

Hill's eyes hardened. "You tell him the truth. Don't sugarcoat it. Dorian is about balance, but there are limits to what even the Green can protect. If Loki succeeds, the damage will be irreversible—both for humanity and the planet. Show him that the fight is worth it, not just for humanity, but for the Earth itself."

Clint exhaled loudly, his posture slouched as though the weight of the situation had already exhausted him. "Well, we'll see how this goes. You think it's just gonna be Banner who can pull him in? If Loki's plan is as big as we think it is, we'll need someone who can handle both the magic and the mayhem. The Green might be just what we need."

Natasha smirked, though there was little humor in it. "It's not about what we need. It's about what he's willing to give. And Dorian Mercer doesn't give anything without seeing a reason first."

Hill glanced between them both. "I'd better be getting reports that things went according to plan. Good luck out there."

As Hill walked out of the room, Clint shook his head. "This is gonna be a disaster. I can feel it."

"I'm going to take the optimistic approach," Natasha replied with a grin. "At least now we know what we're dealing with."

---

The agents turned and walked toward the hangar, their minds focused on the task ahead. The fate of the planet, and possibly the balance of the Earth itself, hung in the balance. They knew one thing for certain—if Dorian Mercer would join them, it would only be because he believed their cause aligned with the Greens. The question now was whether they could convince him to fight by their side against Loki before time ran out.

A few days had passed since Bruce's tense encounter with Dorian Mercer. The forest had returned to its tranquil state, but the same couldn't be said for S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents worked overtime in the temporary base they'd set up near the jungle's edge, preparing for an upcoming global threat. Nick Fury's sharp commands echoed through the comms as he coordinated with the Avengers Initiative, but one glaring issue remained unresolved: Dorian Mercer's willingness to join the fight against Loki.

Bruce and Natasha Romanoff were tasked with convincing Dorian. As they walked through the dense jungle toward Dorian's domain, Natasha glanced at Bruce.

"You think he's going to listen this time?" Natasha asked, her tone skeptical.

Bruce sighed. "I don't know, but we don't have much of a choice. If Loki gets what he wants, it's not just cities that will suffer. This whole planet is at risk—including his precious Green."

Natasha nodded, her expression hardening. "Let me do the talking if things go south."

"I don't think bullets and stingers are going to work on him," Bruce said with a nervous smile.

"They're not for him," Natasha replied coolly.

They found Dorian meditating in a clearing, surrounded by a circle of massive flowers that pulsed faintly with light. The atmosphere was serene, but the tension was palpable as Dorian's eyes opened, locking onto his visitors.

"Back so soon, Banner?" he said, his voice calm but tinged with annoyance. "And you've brought someone new. Another emissary of S.H.I.E.L.D., I presume?"

Natasha stepped forward, her posture relaxed but ready. "Natasha Romanoff. I'm here because we need your help, Dorian."

Dorian stood slowly, the plants around him shifting in response. "Help with what? Cleaning up another mess your kind created?"

"This isn't just about us," Natasha said firmly. "It's about everyone. Loki is planning to unleash an alien army on Earth. If he succeeds, there won't be a Green left to protect."

Dorian's expression darkened, and the ground beneath their feet trembled. "And you expect me to believe that helping you will solve anything? Humanity's destruction would only allow the Earth to heal itself. Perhaps Loki is exactly what this planet needs."

Bruce stepped in, his voice calm but urgent. "You don't mean that, Dorian. If Loki wins, he won't stop with just humanity. He'll burn everything. Forests, oceans, mountains—it'll all go."

Dorian narrowed his eyes. "You speak as though you've seen it."

Bruce hesitated, then nodded. "I have. I know what unchecked destruction looks like, and I know what it feels like to be powerless to stop it. That's why we need you."

Dorian turned away, his hands glowing faintly with green energy. "You claim to fight for the greater good, but I've seen what your kind does in the name of justice. Prove to me that this is different."

Natasha's voice was cold and steady. "We don't have time for tests, Mercer. Loki is moving fast, and every second we waste here is another step closer to annihilation."

Dorian glanced over his shoulder. "Then perhaps your urgency will make you honest. Why should I believe that your cause is worth my effort?"

Bruce stepped forward, his tone pleading. "Because you're not just the voice of the Green—you're its protector. You have the power to stop Loki from destroying the balance of this planet. Isn't that what you've been fighting for?"

Dorian considered this, his gaze distant. The flowers around him began to glow brighter, their light reflecting his internal conflict.

After a long silence, Dorian turned fully to face them. "Very well. I will help you—for the sake of the Green, not humanity. But know this: if your actions endanger the balance of this world, I won't hesitate to stop you as well."

Natasha nodded. "Fair enough."

Bruce let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Thank you, Dorian."

Dorian's eyes glowed brighter as vines rose from the ground, forming a makeshift bridge toward the jungle's edge. "Let's go. I assume you have a plan?"

Natasha smirked. "We always have a plan. Whether it works is another story."

Dorian stepped onto the bridge, his presence radiating power and authority. "Then let's hope this story has a better ending than the last one."

As the trio made their way back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, the forest seemed to come alive in their wake, its energy responding to Dorian's every step. The world was about to face an unprecedented threat—and its newest defender was ready to take a stand.