Natasha shook her head.
"I don't know anything about this plan."
Seeing she was still in the dark, Smith spoke up:
"It's a S.H.I.E.L.D. initiative to form a superpowered team. Tony and I are both involved."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. will definitely plant its own agents into the team. You and Hawkeye are among the best, so I'm sure you're being considered. Knowing Fury, there's no way he'd let an entire special unit be made up of outsiders."
Before the Chitauri invasion, the so-called Avengers were just a name. The group didn't have any real missions or operations.
Natasha turned to look at Smith Doyle and asked,
"What do you need me to do?"
Smith Doyle smiled.
"Nothing special. Just keep doing what you're already doing—your usual outstanding work."
"As for the things you're trying to uncover... that depends on how sharp you are."
Natasha nodded.
"Got it. It's just a pity I can't enter this place as openly as before."
As she left, Smith Doyle turned to Bulma beside him and said,
"Bulma, thank you for developing the antidote. You've saved a lot of lives."
Bulma beamed with joy.
"I'm just happy I could help you, Smith!"
Smith looked at her warmly, then said,
"Tomorrow's the big launch. Make sure you get some rest tonight."
Bulma blinked her big eyes.
"Do you want me to speak at the event?"
Smith shook his head.
"I'll handle the product introduction. You're mainly coming along for a change of scenery—think of it as a mini vacation."
He really just wanted to take her around the Chinese Theatre area, which was a scenic spot in itself.
Realizing it was more about fun than work, Bulma smiled even brighter and hugged his arm playfully.
"Smith, you're the best!"
He patted her blue hair gently.
"Just look forward to tomorrow. I have some work to wrap up now."
Bulma suddenly said,
"Smith, I've made another upgrade to the power level scanner. It can now detect numbers to one decimal place—like 4.2, instead of just 4 or 5."
"I noticed a lot of people have power levels between 4 and 6, or even lower. This way, they can actually see small improvements."
Smith understood: she'd essentially split each power level into ten parts.
"Will that increase production costs?"
Bulma shook her head.
"Not at all. The original scanner was already capable of this kind of precision. It just wasn't necessary before."
Smith nodded, clearly impressed. This update would actually help product sales, especially in the Marvel universe, where even a 0.1 boost in strength could matter a lot to regular agents or soldiers.
"You've outdone yourself, Bulma. That's a great idea. I'm sure tomorrow's orders will be pouring in."
"I've still got some work to handle, so I'll head out. You get some sleep too."
After he left, Bulma happily whispered to herself,
"Another date with Smith tomorrow! What a perfect day!"
---
Later, Smith Doyle summoned Fox to his office. He handed over the Black Widow control platform and the unlocking ring.
"These are the Widows trained by the Red Room. Dreykov deployed them all over the world."
"This device here can control every surviving Widow except Natasha's family. It also lists their names and locations."
"Bulma has finished the antidote. I'm leaving all of this to you."
"Run background checks, administer the cure, and if any are a good fit, recruit them into our intel division."
Fox took the platform and said,
"Aside from some who want to retire or may turn rogue, most will probably join us."
"People in this kind of work struggle to adjust to normal life. Without missions or objectives, they tend to spiral. Some may even return to darker paths—like mercenaries."
Smith nodded in agreement.
"Handle it as you see fit. I trust you'll make the most of this opportunity."
Fox gave a nod, then left with the platform and ring.
---
The Next Day — Los Angeles, TCL Chinese Theatre
The venue had been fully booked by the Universal Capsule Group for their product launch.
Thanks to Smith's dual identity as a Stark Industries shareholder and superhero known as "God," the event was swarmed with reporters.
But many journalists noticed something odd: without an official invitation, they couldn't get in.
Only a select few media outlets had access to the venue.
Still, the crowd didn't disperse. Especially once Tony Stark showed up—reporters practically buzzed with excitement.
"I knew Iron Man would be here. No way he'd miss this for Smith."
The moment Tony stepped out of the car, he was swarmed.
"Tony, what do you think of Universal Capsule's new product launch?"
"Iron Man, we heard Colonel Rhodes from the military is attending. Does that mean this product is weapons-related?"
"Mr. Stark, can you give us a hint about what's being unveiled?"
Pepper Potts and Happy stepped forward to shield Tony from the press.
"Mr. Stark isn't taking any questions at this time," Pepper said firmly.
Thanks to their efforts, Tony managed to break through the crowd and enter the venue, while the press was blocked at the gate.
Inside, Tony spotted quite the crowd—Colonel Rhodes from Air Force R&D, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury, General Ross, heads of CIA and FBI weapons procurement, and even foreign reps from agencies like the KGB, Mossad, and MI6.
Seeing that, Tony frowned.
What kind of product could Smith Doyle possibly be launching... that would draw in all these people?
It couldn't really be a weapon... could it?
---
End of Chapter
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