"The injured person's vital signs are temporarily stable. Although there's no widespread burns, an excessive inhalation of carbon monoxide caused primary brain death."
In a room resembling an operating room, the Adjutant's voice quietly drifted over. On a high-tech operating table underneath a shadowless lamp lay a brown-haired woman covered only by a blue sheet.
Su Ming stroked his beard, standing in the darkness away from the light: "A vegetable state?"
"Through context analysis and derivational meaning comparison, it's very apt," the Adjutant affirmed his statement.
Dotti leaned in closer from behind him: "It's our fault; we moved too slowly. By the time we arrived, the fire had already grown significantly."
Su Ming turned his head to look at Dotti's face. Her pale complexion appeared sallow in the darkness, and he patted her shoulder, smiling as he spoke.
"No, your mission was completed well. I am very pleased."
"But..." Dotti was somewhat confused, her eyebrows knitted together.
"Lose the land and the people are lost; lose the people and the land is lost..."
Su Ming turned his head to look at Magda on the operating table, which was a counterfeit version of Batman's "Final Machine." It looked identical but had far fewer functions, as the Adjutant was, after all, a Cybertron lifeform, not a medical AI.
Anya took a few steps closer; she couldn't let Dotti bear the responsibility alone: "Lose the people and keep the land, the land and the people will be intact?"
Su Ming gently tapped her on the head: "Not bad, you've learned to answer quickly. It seems you understand the true meaning behind this evaluation."
Anya touched the top of her head, smiling sheepishly: "It's a test to see... if we've completely freed ourselves from the brainwashing of the Red House, right?"
"Well, they always treat agents as expendables, emphasizing completing the mission at the expense of life." Su Ming extended his hand, and Strangulation handed over two sheets of paper from a nearby table: "It's different here. I prioritize people, and as long as it's not a mission concerning Earth's survival, failure is acceptable. There's always a way to remedy that."
Training a qualified special agent is highly costly. Even though they were snatched from Leviathan, with most expenses shouldered by Leviathan, over the years, Su Ming has spent a considerable amount on their ammunition and equipment alone.
If a person dies, it's purely a loss, with all early investment going down the drain. But if they survive, the longer they live, the more skills and experience they acquire, which is the key value of a special agent.
Special agents aren't like scientists; there's no such thing as a genius special agent. They're essentially raised on bullets and blood, so it's crucial to ensure the accumulation of experience.
"It was indeed the right choice not to come out and communicate with the Magnetic King back then." Dotti agreed. At that moment, that Mutant had already sunk into a state of calm madness, unable to listen to reason.
"Stealing the mother and daughter from the burning building, decisively retreating when faced with an unbeatable opponent is the correct behavior for a special agent. You've passed."
Su Ming handed the paper in his hand to them. Although it was just a formality, this was the graduation certificate from Zhongsi Academy.
Yet, the two accepting the paper found themselves perplexed. This stage-ending left them uncertain about what to do in the future, with a feeling of emptiness inside.
Having lived underground in the Red House from an early age, then in Zhongsi Academy, now knowing they would need to leave familiar places, left them in a daze.
"Though I'm quite surprised. I thought some of you might give up being special agents and become office workers at Wilson Enterprises, but you've all chosen to continue living in darkness."
Su Ming took out a cigarette, sighing slightly. Actually, he didn't hope for this.
Dotti smiled, pulling a lighter from her pocket to light Su Ming's cigarette: "Ordinary girls are like flowers in a greenhouse, while we are the poisonous mushrooms in the Earth Cave. Though we all look vibrant, we cannot survive under the sunlight."
The sound of the lighter's flip cap and the friction of the wheel were very distinct in the dark, with the flame only illuminating their faces.
"We are most at ease personally dealing with those who don't want us alive." Anya also leaned in, clasping Su Ming's other arm and giving it a light shake.
"In that case, I respect your choice... Dotti Underwood and Anya Kocenyeva, I have a new mission for you. On Kahol Island in Hawaii, I have an empty underground base for you to use."
"What exactly is the mission?"
"I need a systematic intelligence organization to collect information globally and even across the cosmos. Right now, start laying the foundation and develop gradually." Su Ming handed a blueprint to Dotti. The underground facility was a bit basic, so let them handle the repairs.
"We will complete the mission," the two women answered in unison.
"Dotti, you're in charge. Don't rush to expand before everything is ready, especially be wary of the SSR and Hand Union." Su Ming admonished a few more times. Hawaii is generally seen as the United States' backyard, with a mix of ethnicities and many Japanese immigrants. The Hand Union will definitely have spies there.
But no place in this world is absolutely safe.
"Wow, Dotti is the leader now, whee~" Anya laughed, nudging Dotti's back with her shoulder, playfully teasing her friend with a wink and grin.
Dotti was much calmer, simply accepting the appointment peacefully: "Then please name the new organization."
"Silk Cave... no, Water Curtain Cave, that's not good either, so conflicted... Moonlight Treasure Box?" Su Ming pinched his chin in deep thought, as his naming difficulties resurfaced.
"Spider Web, how about that?"
Dotti followed the train of thought, maybe still influenced by the past. Although there's only one Black Widow, the others generally adopted spider-like code names, secretly competing whose name carried more venom.
Because Anya always ended up at the bottom in various evaluations, she got a seemingly non-related code name 'Lace Bird.' It was thanks to Dotti reassuring her that the lace bird spider was actually quite poisonous, she then brightened up.
"Then decide for yourself." Su Ming nodded, turning his gaze back to the operating table: "Once you're ready to depart, see the principal. He'll send you to Hawaii. Dismissed now."
The sound of high heels gradually faded away. Su Ming, still holding the cigarette, remained motionless, as if he was staring at the life monitor's digital curve.
At this moment, on the other side of the medical room's wall, a hidden door appeared, and Gin walked out from within.
"The little girl's condition is much better. Her mother protected her, and I've temporarily deceived her."
"Very good, pieces off the board are sometimes more useful. My efforts were worth it," Batman replied calmly and walked towards the next room.
In the secret chamber, there was a little girl sleeping on a pink bed.
Gin took a flask out from his pocket and took a swig, sniffing: "You haven't told them that everything is within your calculation?"
"They still lack a sense of security, can't say." Batman answered.
"We clearly have global teleportation means, yet we drop them into the Black Sea by plane, letting them trek hundreds of kilometers. Won't they find it strange?" Gin handed the flask to Batman.
Batman accepted it, took a sip without expression, turned and left. They entered the elevator, returning from the basement to the top-floor office.
"That's why we use the excuse of a graduation exam; within the test, everything unreasonable becomes reasonable."
"That's great, I almost feel envious." Gin chuckled, looking at his hand: "I also want to hunt in the icy forest, while you arrange some fierce beasts to block the way from afar."
"That's to adjust their travel speed, so they 'just happen' to be able to rescue the mother and daughter without being discovered. But this isn't hunting, I'm not some TV staff hiding underwater, putting fishes on hooks for celebrities."
Batman returned to his office chair, relaxed, and leaned back, turning to gaze at the night view outside the window.
Across the strait, New York's lights illuminated a vast stretch of coastline, just not Long Island.
Regarding Magnetic King, it's actually simple. Batman just needs to ask a few people about the 'future' through Secret Guest. Both Charles and Mystique know the date of Magnetic King's family's death.
Upon knowing the time, place, and people, Batman can deploy a team to reverse it.
Why did Gin tell Dottie and the others so many 'possibilities' when assigning tasks? It's merely to conceal Deathstroke's secret of time travel.
Sending Dottie and the others is firstly to exercise their practical knowledge application; if they don't even know bears hibernate, they'd need a refresher course at home.
Secondly, Batman wants to see if they, as ordinary people, can also change the future. Facts prove, they can.
Lastly, it's to maintain temporal continuity.
If purely for rescue, whether it's Batman or Black Widow's squad, they could set off earlier, arrive earlier, and bring Magnetic King's entire family to the United States.
But that would differ from what Batman saw in the future, likely causing a time paradox concerning Secret Guest's birth.
When meeting Professor X at Hell Border, as Charles mentioned Eric is his friend, the other X-Men had awkward faces, especially the young ones, showing surprise.
Their expressions were fully observed by Batman.
This indicates Magnetic King is clearly a terrorist. They cannot comprehend why the righteous Professor X would be friends with an international terrorist.
That's because Professor X and Deathstroke both know, Magnus is useless, Magnetic King is useful, Eric Lanshelle is useful.
X-Men can reverse the future, Professor knows well, so why hasn't he sent X-Men to the 'past' to rescue Magnetic King's family? Then Magnetic King wouldn't become a villain, right?
Yet he didn't send anyone, not a single person; the reason behind it, ha-ha...
Therefore, Batman must let Magnetic King become a terrorist in this era, and the killing of his family is the catalyst for everything.
But if the family was indeed killed, Magnetic King would lose his bonds, people like him can't be 'friends'. An exceptionally clear-minded madman, akin to Batman and Joker, only real madmen dare be friends with them.
Hence, Batman's solution is to secretly rescue the mother and daughter, while making Magnetic King believe they perished in the flames.
Once Magnetic King is globally renowned as a super villain, Batman can then present his wife and daughter, find an excuse to establish contact.
As mentioned before, they're pieces, key to winning over Magnetic King. Then pieces saved from the fire must show traces of flame.
Magnetic King has a severe persecution delusion. If he gets his wife and daughter back immediately after the fire, he might wonder why... they're unharmed?
"Did you strangers already know something? Is this a trap? A show for me?"
He'd become suspicious, so this kind of 'befriending' is impossible.
And when over a decade passes, when Magnetic King continually faces setbacks, if someone can return him lost treasures... although these items are burned, they're still Magnetic King's treasures; surely he'd be very pleased?
It's in difficult times that those who deliver relief are true friends.
Reverse thinking, no difficulties? Then create difficulties.
Batman certainly doesn't expect one strategy to handle Magnetic King; it's a layout spanning decades.
He's already calculated countless steps beyond Magnetic King's thoughts, all possibilities included, along with 'insurance'.
Magnetic King and Magda's eldest daughter's name is Anya (Anya), and Batman happens to have an Anya (Аня) here.
Oh, what a coincidence...