MCU/ Marvel : Ever Green

The rainforest screamed in agony as machines devoured it whole. Chainsaws roared, bulldozers crushed ancient trees, and smoke filled the once-pristine air. The loggers moved quickly, their faces grim with the understanding that time was money and the forest was their enemy.

But the forest had other ideas.

The ground trembled, roots snaking through the earth, coiling around the machinery. A bulldozer lurched and tipped, its metal frame groaning as it was dragged backward into the foliage. Loggers shouted in panic, abandoning their tools as massive vines erupted, ensnaring anything man-made.

From the chaos stepped a figure cloaked in emerald light. Dorian Mercer moved with quiet purpose, his presence both serene and commanding. His glowing eyes surveyed the destruction, a frown etching across his face.

"You have no right to be here," Dorian said, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable weight. "This forest belongs to the Green and will not bow to you."

One of the loggers raised a shotgun, his hands shaking. "Stay back!"

Dorian tilted his head, unimpressed. He raised a hand, and the shotgun was yanked from the man's grip by a twisting vine, the weapon crushed into useless scrap.

"Leave," Dorian said, his tone final.

The loggers needed no further encouragement, scrambling into the forest, unaware they were running toward S.H.I.E.L.D. agents lying in wait.

.......

Dorian Mercer stood amidst the dense Amazon rainforest, his bare feet rooted in the fertile soil. He was a striking figure, with dark brown skin glistening faintly under the filtered sunlight, his sharp cheekbones and chiseled jawline lending him a regal presence. His dreadlocks cascaded to his shoulders, adorned with beads and small vines that seemed to grow naturally from his hair. His eyes, normally a deep emerald, now glowed with an intense verdant light that pulsed with the rhythm of the Earth itself.

He wore an outfit that blended with his environment: a sleeveless vest made of woven bark and moss, and trousers fashioned from flexible, vine-like fibers. Around his wrists and ankles, intricate markings of green energy glowed faintly, symbols of his deep connection to the Green.

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The air around Dorian seemed alive, charged with an electric hum. Plants swayed toward him, leaves rustling in a rhythm that mirrored his steady breathing. As he extended a hand, the veins on his forearm glowed brighter, and a massive vine rose from the ground, coiling protectively around him like a sentinel.

"This forest is sacred," Dorian murmured, his voice deep and resonant. "You came here with weapons, thinking you could conquer nature. But you've forgotten one thing: nature always wins."

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s strike team, clad in tactical gear and armed with advanced weaponry, moved cautiously through the jungle. The air was thick with tension, and even the most seasoned agents couldn't ignore the oppressive feeling that they were being watched.

"Stay sharp," Agent Daniels whispered, gripping his rifle tightly. "This guy's no ordinary meta. He controls the environment itself."

Natasha Romanoff, silent and composed, moved like a shadow through the undergrowth. Her sharp eyes scanned the forest, noting the unnatural stillness.

Suddenly, the ground trembled. Roots erupted from the soil, twisting and coiling like living serpents. One agent screamed as a thick root wrapped around his leg and yanked him into the canopy. The others opened fire, but their bullets seemed useless against the relentless onslaught of vines and roots.

Dorian emerged from the shadows, his glowing eyes piercing through the chaos. With a wave of his hand, a massive Venus flytrap burst from the ground, its serrated petals snapping shut around an agent who had aimed a rocket launcher at him. The trap exuded an eerie, bioluminescent glow as it closed, silencing the agent's cries.

"You invade, you destroy, and you call me the monster," Dorian said, his voice carrying over the cacophony. "Perhaps it's time you learned how it feels to be prey."

As more agents advanced, Dorian's connection to the Green deepened. His body seemed to glow from within, veins of green energy spidering across his skin. He raised both hands, and the forest responded in kind. Trees uprooted themselves, their gnarled roots swinging like colossal whips. Thorned vines lashed out, wrapping around weapons and rendering them useless.

The visuals were breathtaking and terrifying. Wherever Dorian's power touched, the forest transformed. A patch of ordinary grass became a field of carnivorous plants, their razor-sharp leaves glistening with venom. A fallen log erupted into a colony of fungal spores, releasing a cloud that disoriented and incapacitated several agents.

When a sniper fired from the treetops, Dorian didn't even flinch. He extended a hand, and a translucent green shield formed before him, absorbing the bullet. With a flick of his wrist, a vine shot upward, wrapping around the sniper and pulling him down. The agent landed hard, groaning as the forest floor seemed to swallow him whole.

"You think your weapons make you strong?" Dorian said, his voice echoing like the roar of a storm. "The Earth is older and stronger than anything you've built. And as its agent, its power answers to me."

Natasha stepped forward, signaling the remaining agents to hold their fire. She approached Dorian slowly, her hands raised in a gesture of peace.

"Mercer," she said, her tone calm but firm. "This doesn't have to go any further."

Dorian's eyes narrowed, his glowing gaze locking onto hers. "You still think you can reason with me after what they've done? After what you've done?"

Natasha held her ground. "We made mistakes. I won't deny that. But feeding people to plants? That's not justice, Mercer. That's vengeance."

Dorian's expression softened for a moment, but the forest around him remained tense, poised to strike. "You talk about justice, but you serve an organization that values profit and power over life. What makes you any different from the ones I've stopped?"

Natasha took a step closer, her voice lowering. "Because I'm here, talking to you. Trying to stop this before it turns into something none of us can walk away from."

For a long moment, neither moved. The tension was palpable, the air thick with the scent of sap and soil. Finally, Dorian lowered his hands, and the forest began to retreat, its deadly edges softening.

"I'll give you one chance," Dorian said, his voice heavy with warning. "Leave the forest. Don't come back. And tell your people: the Green will not be threatened again."

Back at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, Fury debriefed his team.

"So, let me get this straight," Fury said, his tone a mix of disbelief and anger. "We lost agents, got our asses handed to us by a guy with a tree fetish, and we're supposed to just leave him alone?"

Coulson nodded. "If we push him, we'll lose more than agents. Dorian Mercer isn't just protecting the Green—he is the Green. Fighting him is like fighting the Earth itself."

Fury grunted. "We'll monitor him. But if he makes one wrong move, we'll be ready."

In his grove, Dorian knelt beside the pool of water, his reflection staring back at him. The weight of his actions pressed heavily on his shoulders.

"Was it enough?" he asked aloud.

The Green's voice answered, soft and ancient. "For now. But humanity's greed will not rest. Neither can you."

Dorian clenched his fists, the glow of his eyes flickering. "Then I'll be ready. No matter the cost."

The forest around him thrummed with life, a reminder of the power he wielded—and the responsibility that came with it.

Inside a high-tech containment facility deep within the jungle, Bruce Banner sat nervously, fiddling with a pen. The humid air clung to his skin despite the climate controls, and the faint rustle of foliage outside reminded him of how out of place he was. Fury had called it a "delicate negotiation," but Bruce knew the truth: they needed him to clean up the mess their strike team couldn't handle.

"Dr. Banner," Coulson said from across the table, his tone measured. "We need you to talk to him. Not as a scientist or a member of the Avengers, but as someone who understands what it's like to be... at odds with yourself."

Bruce looked up, his eyes betraying his hesitation. "You mean you want me to convince him not to rip S.H.I.E.L.D. apart."

Coulson didn't flinch. "That's the idea. You're our best shot at de-escalating this."

Bruce sighed. "You're not sending me in because I'm the best negotiator. You're sending me because if this goes south, you want the Hulk to step in."

Coulson didn't deny it.

Bruce found Dorian Mercer standing on a raised mound of earth, surrounded by a vibrant, living ecosystem that pulsed with an almost supernatural energy. The air around Dorian shimmered faintly, and plants twisted and shifted in subtle response to his presence.

Dorian's appearance was striking. His dreadlocks swayed slightly as though moved by an invisible breeze, and the green veins of energy coursing through his skin glowed faintly in the dim light. His eyes, vibrant and piercing, locked onto Bruce the moment he stepped into the clearing.

"You're not like the others," Dorian said, his voice calm but heavy with mistrust.

Bruce raised his hands, palms out. "No guns, no backup. Just me. I'm here to talk."

Dorian's gaze flickered over Bruce, his expression unreadable. "You're the scientist. The one with the... duality."

Bruce nodded. "Yeah, that's one way to put it."

"You come here as a man," Dorian said, stepping closer. "But I can sense the other side of you. The rage. The destruction. You and I are not so different."

Bruce swallowed, forcing himself to maintain eye contact. "Maybe we're not. But that's why I'm here. I know what it's like to feel like you're carrying the weight of something bigger than yourself. Something that people don't understand."

Dorian tilted his head, curiosity creeping into his expression. "And how did you make peace with it?"

Bruce hesitated, the question striking a nerve. "I haven't. Not completely. But I've learned to manage it. To use it for something good, when I can."

Dorian turned away, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out over the dense jungle. "You say you've learned to manage it, but look at what your people have done to this planet. To this forest. They don't care about balance, about life. They take, destroy, and then leave."

Bruce stepped closer, his voice was soft but firm. "I'm not here to defend them. I'm here to understand you. To figure out a way to stop this before more people get hurt."

Dorian's eyes glowed brighter, and the earth trembled beneath their feet. Massive roots began to rise from the ground, twisting and coiling like serpents. "And what makes you think I want to stop? The Green has been silent for too long, watching humanity strip the world bare. I'm its voice now. Its fury."

Bruce took a step back, instinctively clenching his fists. He could feel his heart rate rising, the Hulk stirring within him. "I get it, Dorian. Believe me, I do. But there's another way to protect what you care about. One that doesn't involve turning this forest into a battlefield."

Dorian turned sharply, his expression darkening. "You think you can reason with them? That they'll suddenly stop polluting, destroying, and killing just because you ask nicely?"

As his anger grew, the air became thick with energy. Trees bent unnaturally toward Dorian, their branches elongating into jagged, claw-like shapes. The ground split open, revealing deep chasms filled with glowing green light.

Bruce felt the familiar heat rising in his chest, his pulse quickening. "Dorian, I'm not your enemy. But if you keep pushing, you're going to force me to do something neither of us wants."

Dorian sneered, raising his arms. "You can't intimidate me, Banner. You may have your other half they call a monster, but I have the Green. And it will not be silenced."