Chapter 12: Recruitment Drive: The One with the Doctor
With the dust settled and the Guild System humming at Level 2, Adam knew it was time to broaden his scope beyond the direct combatants and intel gatherers. He needed brains. Specifically, a brain that understood cosmic energies, weird science, and the kind of existential dread that came with dabbling in forces beyond human comprehension. His target: Dr. Erik Selvig.
Adam knew Selvig's current state. Post-Loki, the astrophysicist was in a bad way, his mind fractured by the God of Mischief's influence and the overwhelming cosmic knowledge he'd been forced to process. He was recovering, but still vulnerable, isolated, and undoubtedly under SHIELD's watchful, suspicious eye. This was Adam's window. Selvig was too valuable to be left to the mercies of a system that would likely just lock him away for study or, worse, try to exploit his knowledge.
Using the GP he had acquired, Adam purchased a new 'Information Packet: Erik Selvig's Current Status & Location' from the Guild Master Store (5 GP). It was a small investment for a potentially massive payoff.
[Adam Stiels – Guild Points (GP): 503.85 - 5 GP = 498.85 GP!]
The information led him to a discreet mental health facility in upstate New York, not a SHIELD black site, but still well-monitored. Adam arrived looking like a sympathetic relative, armed with a carefully constructed backstory and a grim determination. He wasn't here to exploit Selvig; he was here to save him, to give him back his purpose.
He found Selvig in a common room, staring blankly at a chessboard, moving pieces erratically. He looked pale, haunted, a shadow of the brilliant scientist he once was.
Adam approached cautiously, a gentle, almost apologetic smile on his face. "Dr. Selvig? My name's Adam Stiels. I… I'm a friend of Dr. Foster's. She mentioned you were… having a difficult time."
Selvig blinked, his eyes unfocused. "Jane? She sent you? Is… is Loki here?" His voice was a raspy whisper.
"No, no, Loki's gone," Adam assured him, pulling up a chair. "He's back where he belongs. But… what happened to you, what you saw… it's not something many people understand. But I do. And I think I can help you not just recover, but… to truly understand it. To continue your work, free from any… external influences."
Selvig looked at him, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. "External influences? Are you… SHIELD? Hydra?" He visibly recoiled.
"Absolutely not," Adam said, putting a hand on his chest. "I'm… independent. Very independent. Look, Dr. Selvig, you're one of the few minds on this planet who's genuinely glimpsed the true scale of the cosmos. The Bifrost. The Tesseract. These aren't just objects; they're keys to understanding everything. And I believe you're meant to be the one to unlock those secrets, not be a victim of them."
He leaned in, lowering his voice. "What if I told you there's a way to continue your research, to study these phenomena with all the resources you could need, but completely off the grid? A way to access information, tools, even security, without answering to any government agency, without worrying about… mind control again?"
Selvig stared, a flicker of something new in his eyes – not fear, but intellectual hunger. "Free from… them? Free to… study?"
"Free to study. Free to understand. Free to be Erik Selvig, the brilliant astrophysicist, not Erik Selvig, Loki's puppet," Adam emphasized. "I run a… well, think of it as a private research collective. A Guild. We specialize in understanding the extraordinary, in protecting the world from threats that governments can't even comprehend. We need minds like yours, Dr. Selvig. Minds that aren't afraid to look beyond the known."
He watched Selvig, whose gaze was now fixed, not on the chessboard, but on Adam, a slow, dawning comprehension spreading across his face. Adam knew this was the moment.
[Character Sighted: Erik Selvig – Detected]
[Proximity: High (Within 1 yard)]
[Send Guild Invitation to Erik Selvig? Y/N]
Adam mentally triggered the invitation. The familiar shimmering blue prompt appeared before Selvig. The doctor's eyes widened, then narrowed, a mix of disbelief and intense intellectual curiosity. He reached out a trembling hand.
"This… this is impossible," Selvig whispered, his voice gaining strength. "This is… beyond… logic."
"Most truly important things are, Doctor," Adam replied, a small, knowing smile. "But they're also very, very real. The choice is yours. A chance to reclaim your mind, to pursue the truth, on your own terms. A chance to shape the future, not just observe it."
Selvig hesitated for a long moment, then, with a profound sigh, he tapped the 'Y'.
[Guild Invitation Accepted: Erik Selvig!]
[New Guild Member: Erik Selvig. Loyalty: 85%]
[Congratulations! Guild Member Count: 6!]
Adam felt a wave of relief. This was a critical piece. Selvig's brilliant, if currently fragile, mind was now part of his growing network.
"Welcome to the Guild, Doctor," Adam said, a genuine warmth in his voice. "Let's get you out of here. We have a universe to dissect."
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