"A party? I'm afraid I'll have to decline your kind offer."
"What?"
Tony looked as if he had heard something unbelievable. He pointed to himself, then to Spider-Man beside him.
"We, just now, saved the World! Alright, at least we saved one district of New York! Doesn't that deserve a bottle of '82 champagne?"
Spider-Man quietly chimed in from the side: "Actually... a can of soda would be fine too."
William ignored the two jokers.
His gaze swept over the chaotic battlefield.
"Tony, based on my preliminary assessment, this attack will cause Stark Industries' stock price to fluctuate violently by at least fifteen percent after the market opens tomorrow."
"Dozens of Hammer Industries drones lost control at your expo and threatened civilians. Whether they were hijacked or not, the media headlines will be 'Stark Industries Weapon Exhibition Causes Another Tragedy'."
"The New York City government, the Department of Defense, and those congressmen who smell blood will swoop in like vultures. Hearings, inquiries, investigation reports... these things will pile up on your desk for the next three months."
With each word William spoke, the excitement on Tony's face diminished a bit.
Finally, William concluded: "At a time like this, the last thing you should do is throw a party. You need a legal team, a public relations team, and you need to discuss this thoroughly with Pepper."
Tony opened his mouth.
Damn it!
This guy made a lot of sense.
Just then, William's phone in his pocket vibrated slightly.
He pulled it out and glanced at it discreetly. The screen showed an encrypted message from Coulson.
["Asset C" has boarded, expected to arrive at the designated handover point in one hour. Please confirm reception preparations.]
Here it comes.
The company's future "Chief Scientist of the Biotechnology R&D Department," Dr. Lizard, was about to arrive.
This was far more important than attending any party.
"Alright, you boring guy, you win."
Tony irritably ran a hand through his hair, but he realized his hair was inside his helmet.
The atmosphere on the private plane returning to North Brother Island was a bit subdued.
Tandy and Tyrone, the two interns, sat side by side, like two startled quails, still processing the magical experience of the night.
From a business party to a super villain free-for-all, and then to the boss's client resurrecting and turning the tables on everyone.
The amount of information in these few short hours was more than they had accumulated in the past year combined.
The plane landed smoothly on the brand-new helipad in the center of the island.
Emil Blonsky was standing at the edge of the helipad, his figure as straight as a javelin.
He had changed into black tactical pants and a tight vest, his exposed arms showing clearly defined muscles.
"How are things?"
William stepped off the plane, the night wind fluttering his clothes.
"Everything is normal."
Emil's gaze swept over the two young people behind William. "They look like they need some psychological counseling."
"It's good for young people to see more of the World."
William waved his hand dismissively.
He turned to Tandy and Tyrone, a kind smile on his face: "Alright, you two worked hard today, go back and rest."
Tandy and Tyrone exchanged glances, nodded obediently, and dragged their tired bodies towards the dormitory building.
After watching the two interns walk away, William looked back at Emil.
"You've been waiting here?"
"I don't like waiting for people, but I dislike surprises even more."
Emil's gaze was cast towards the distant night sky, his ice-blue eyes sharp like an eagle's in the darkness.
William smiled, said nothing more, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Emil.
The night wind blew, carrying the dampness of the East River. In the distance were the never-ending lights of Manhattan, while this island was as quiet as the other side of the World.
About ten minutes later, a low engine roar, growing from distant to near, broke the island's tranquility.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s quinjet hovered precisely over the helipad, then slowly descended.
The hatch opened, and soft light spilled out.
Phil Coulson, in a crisp black suit, was the first to step out, a characteristic smile on his face.
"Good evening, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Bronski."
"Phil, your efficiency is always so high."
William walked up to him, his gaze, however, passed over Coulson and looked behind him.
A middle-aged man in a white lab coat, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looking refined and scholarly, followed, a bewildered expression on his face.
He had only one arm, the other sleeve hanging empty, and his demeanor was filled with the elegance of a scholar and a hint of unconcealed fatigue.
It was Dr. Curtis Connors.
Coulson stepped aside and made a 'please' gesture, as if merely introducing a visiting guest.
"Dr. Connors, this is Mr. Rodriguez, your... partner for the foreseeable future."
Coulson's choice of words was subtle.
"We have other missions, so we won't bother you further."
Coulson's gaze lingered on Emil for a moment, then he nodded to William and turned to return to the quinjet.
The quinjet ascended again and soon disappeared into the night.
On the helipad, only William, Emil, and Dr. Connors, who had just been "airlifted" over, remained.
The scene was momentarily awkward.
Dr. Connors pushed up his glasses, scrutinizing the young man in the expensive suit, smiling like a fox, then looked at the muscular man beside him, who exuded an aura of "do not approach."
He felt as if he wasn't here for any academic exchange, but rather as if he had been sold to some gang hideout.
"Dr." William extended his hand proactively and shook his. "Welcome to North Brother Island, your future home."
Upon hearing the word "home," Dr. Connors' expression instantly fell.
All the grievances and anger he had accumulated along the way finally found an outlet.
"I must complain!" Dr. Connors' voice even trembled a little. "What kind of company is this anyway?!"
"I was conducting a crucial cell regeneration experiment in my lab in Los Angeles when a group of Agents in black suits suddenly burst in, claiming I was suspected of 'potential biotechnology misuse'!"
"They confiscated all my research materials and took me to a secret Base, where I was held for two whole days!"
Dr. Connors became more and more agitated as he spoke, waving his only hand in the air.
"Two days! Do you know what they asked me during those two days? They asked me if I liked reptiles! Asked me if I'd been having nightmares recently! They even asked me if there was a family history of mental illness!"
"This is an utter disgrace! A blatant insult to a scientist! I demand to see my lawyer!"
William's mind was as clear as day.
Coulson and his team were as "thorough" as ever in their work.
At this point, Dr. Connors had not yet become Dr. Lizard, who reigned supreme in the sewers; he was still a renowned scientist in the field of genetics.
As soon as William's side showed a little intention of "talent recruitment," S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately initiated the highest level of background check.
This wasn't an interrogation; this was clearly digging up his ancestors three generations back.
It was probably even recorded how many grasshoppers Dr. Connors caught when he skipped class in second grade.
"Dr., please calm down." William's tone was full of reassuring power. "This is a misunderstanding, an unfortunate misunderstanding caused by asymmetric information."
He patted Dr. Connors' shoulder, looking at him with an "I completely understand you" expression.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.... I mean, those official agencies, they're just overly cautious."
Dr. Connors' anger subsided a bit.
"As for your research..."
William changed the subject, the smile at the corner of his mouth becoming even more sincere.
"I assure you, here, you will have the World's top laboratory, the freest research environment, and... the most ample research funding."
"Believe me, Dr." William's gaze pierced through the night, looking towards the "nest" meticulously prepared for him.
"Soon you will find that compared to the future our company can offer you, those minor grievances before are not even worth mentioning."
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