A month has passed since the HYDRA incident.
The entire World celebrated the demise of the terrorist organization.
Governments were busy re-establishing intelligence sharing mechanisms. The Avengers were each busy with their own affairs.
And he, William Rodriguez, CEO of Rodriguez Risk Management Company, was enjoying some well-deserved leisure time.
"Sir, today's project progress report."
Lei Ling pushed the door open, holding a stack of documents.
William took the report and casually flipped through it.
The swamp ecosystem in the western district of the island was complete.
Man-Thing was very satisfied with its new home and even took the initiative to plant some strange glowing plants around the swamp.
The laboratory expansion project in the eastern district was progressing smoothly.
Dr. Lizard Connors's research lab had been upgraded to Biosafety Level 4 standards.
The training ground in the southern district was also largely complete.
Cloak and Dagger had their own dedicated ability training areas.
"Very good." William put down the report. "How is Dr. Connors's research coming along?"
"There's been a major breakthrough." Lei Ling's tone carried a hint of excitement. "He successfully solved the side effect problem of the limb regeneration technology. Now it can ensure that animals won't accidentally turn into lizard monsters."
William raised his eyebrows.
This was good news.
Once the limb regeneration technology was perfected, it would bring immense commercial value to the company.
Not only in the medical field, but the Military would also be greatly interested in this technology.
Imagine, soldiers injured on the battlefield could regrow lost limbs in a short amount of time.
This was simply the perfect complement to the Super Soldier program.
"Have Connors prepare a detailed technical report." William instructed. "I need to assess the commercialization potential of this technology."
"Understood."
Just as Lei Ling was about to leave, William remembered something else.
"What is Emil doing?"
"He's fishing on the East Coast." Lei Ling's expression was a bit strange. "It's been three days in a row. He said this is the first time in his life he's experienced a sense of 'tranquility'."
William couldn't help but laugh.
Who would have thought that Abomination, who was as wild as a Beast on the battlefield, would now be obsessed with fishing, an activity that required patience?
Perhaps, everyone deep down had a yearning for a peaceful life.
Even monsters were no exception.
"Don't disturb him." William waved his hand. "Let him enjoy his rare vacation."
After Lei Ling left, William sat back on the sofa, continuing to savor this rare tranquility.
His phone rang.
Caller ID: Tony Stark.
"Hey, Insurance Bro." Tony's voice sounded a bit tired. "What are you doing now? Enjoying retirement?"
"I'm not old enough to retire yet." William laughed. "What's wrong? You don't sound right."
"Just got out of the lab. Banner and I have been working on the Hulkbuster armor design." Tony sighed. "To be honest, it's very complicated. Hulk's strength data simply cannot be accurately measured."
William could understand Tony's frustration.
Designing an armor that could counterbalance Hulk was indeed a huge challenge.
Hulk's strength would grow infinitely with his anger, meaning any armor with fixed parameters could fail at a critical moment.
"Perhaps you should try a different approach." William suggested. "Instead of thinking about how to counterbalance Hulk, consider how to appease Dr. Banner."
"Appease?"
"Yes. Hulk's appearance is essentially the result of Banner's emotional loss of control. If you can approach it from a psychological level, it might be more effective than simple brute force containment."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line.
"You mean... psychological armor?" Tony's tone was thoughtful. "Equipment that can monitor and regulate the wearer's emotional state?"
"It's just a suggestion." William shrugged, though Tony couldn't see him. "How to implement it specifically still depends on your technical level."
"Interesting. I'll consider it." Tony's voice became excited again. "By the way, how's Captain doing?"
"Steve took Bucky back to Brooklyn. I heard he rented a small house near his hometown and is helping Bucky recover his memories."
"Winter Soldier's brainwashing program is indeed very troublesome." Tony's tone became serious. "But with Captain's patience, it shouldn't be a problem."
After hanging up the phone, William walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the scenery on the island.
He was pondering a question: whether to tell Tony that Winter Soldier was his father's killer.
If he told him, the Avengers would split.
Nick Fury, who had regained power and no longer had HYDRA to worry about, would certainly not let him off the hook.
What about Captain?
He might not bother him, but Bucky was another story.
If he didn't tell him, Tony had helped him so much, and William felt a bit indebted to him.
Such a dilemma... Construction workers were making the final adjustments to the training ground in the southern district.
Several huge engineering machines stood out under the sun.
In the distant swamp area, the huge figure of Man-Thing could occasionally be seen moving on the Water.
It seemed to be engaged in some form of "communication" with the island's native plants.
On the reefs of the East Coast, Bronski sat quietly, holding a fishing rod, his posture as standard as a professional angler.
This scene was unimaginable a month ago.
And now, everything had become so peaceful.
Perhaps, this was the true luxury.
Not money, not power, but having a safe haven of one's own in a World full of crises.
William's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in."
Tandy and Tyrone, also known as Cloak and Dagger, entered.
Both were wearing training clothes and seemed to have just finished their ability practice for the day.
"Boss." Tandy spoke. "We want to talk to you."
"Have a seat." William gestured to the sofa. "What is it?"
Tyrone and Tandy exchanged glances, then Tandy spoke.
"We want to apply for an external mission."
William raised his eyebrows.
"External mission?"
"Yes." Tyrone took over. "Our training during this period has greatly improved our abilities. We feel we should put these abilities into practical action."
Tandy added: "Peter often goes to Hell's Kitchen to work with Daredevil to combat Kingpin's forces. We want to help look after Queens when he's not around."
William carefully observed their expressions.
Their eyes held the youthful passion and sense of justice unique to young people, but more importantly, William saw maturity.
This month of training had not only improved their combat abilities but, more importantly, had honed their minds.
"Are you sure you're ready?" William asked.
"We are." They said in unison.
William pondered for a moment.
Cloak and Dagger's abilities had indeed reached a level where they could act independently.
This combination of abilities was more than enough to deal with ordinary street crime.
More importantly, letting them participate in practical actions could further enhance their experience and judgment.
"Alright." William nodded. "But there are conditions."
The two immediately sat up straight, listening intently.
"First, you can only handle street crime. If you encounter super-powered individuals or large-scale violent incidents, you must immediately retreat and report."
"Second, you must formulate a detailed plan before each operation, including evacuation routes and emergency plans."
"Third, maintain clear communication during operations and report on the situation regularly."
William paused, looking at their serious expressions.
"Finally, and most importantly."
His tone became serious.
"You are not superheroes; you are employees of my company. Your primary task is to protect yourselves, and only then to help others. If you encounter life-threatening danger, I allow you to use any necessary means, including lethal force."
Tandy and Tyrone nodded.
They understood William's meaning.
In this dangerous World, excessive kindness often meant death.
"Then, welcome to the combat team." William extended his hand. "I hope your first mission goes smoothly."
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