Since returning home, Karl had spent several days thinking about one question:
Which top-tier biologists in the Marvel world could he recruit?
Tony had already informed him that the aftermath of the Mutant Academy incident had been contained.
Part of that was thanks to the sonic suppression weapons Karl supplied to General Ross.
The U.S. military already viewed mutants with suspicion, and programs tied to figures like William Stryker had long pursued mutant capture and research. Public sentiment toward mutants was fragile at best.
Under such circumstances, Tony's assault on Xavier's Academy would not be investigated aggressively by the Pentagon.
Some senators would grandstand in the media, condemning the use of heavy weapons on U.S. soil — but Ross could easily neutralize the issue.
Most politicians were chasing votes, not war with powerful military leadership.
No one was eager to antagonize a four-star general over a politically volatile mutant incident.
Biological Talent
After learning the situation had stabilized, Karl recalled something important.
Bruce Banner's girlfriend, Betty Ross, held a doctorate in cellular biology.
Even more interesting was the mysterious correspondent Banner had contacted online:
"Mr. Blue."
In canon, this man was Samuel Sterns, a cellular biologist obsessed with regenerative research and gamma mutation.
After Banner's blood contaminated a head wound during the Harlem incident, Sterns' intellect expanded dramatically, transforming him into the Leader — a gamma-enhanced super-genius.
Karl tapped his phone thoughtfully.
If recruited early…
Samuel Sterns could become an invaluable asset.
Perhaps even controllable.
Thinking About S.H.I.E.L.D.
Karl couldn't help smiling when he remembered blowing up Nick Fury's office.
He had come dangerously close to killing the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
But killing Fury would have been a strategic mistake.
Even ignoring the Captain Marvel pager, Fury was the ultimate contingency planner.
Marvel technology made death… negotiable.
Fury had faked his death before.
And S.H.I.E.L.D. answered to the World Security Council — an international authority backed by major global powers.
If Fury died, it would not be a personal matter.
It would be geopolitical.
S.H.I.E.L.D. operations were heavily funded through U.S. defense channels. Killing Fury could be interpreted as an act of hostility toward the United States itself.
Even if done covertly, the truth would surface eventually.
Technology always leaves a trail.
Karl leaned back.
Nick Fury must remain alive.
More than that —
he must remain in power.
Because Fury would create the Avengers.
And someone needed to stand at the front when the interstellar invasions began.
Karl had no intention of becoming Earth's defender.
He intended to benefit from the chaos.
The Tesseract.
Loki's scepter.
Infinity-related artifacts.
Whether useful or not, possessing them first was what mattered.
Heroes attracted enemies.
Tony's mansion was destroyed.
Pepper was kidnapped.
Thor lived in Asgard.
Natasha had no family.
Hawkeye's family was hidden.
Banner was a walking catastrophe.
Steve Rogers stood alone.
Tony Stark was the one targeted.
Being a hero meant becoming a target.
Better to let others stand in the spotlight.
Fury's Likely Response
Fury would not publicly accuse Karl of the bombing.
Unless he possessed absolute certainty and a winning strategy, exposing Karl would gain him nothing.
Fury understood the bombing for what it was:
a warning.
And a response to Fury's attempt to weaponize Charles Xavier.
Fury would wait.
Plan.
Observe.
That was his nature.
Estate Management
Meanwhile, Karl remained home, posting job openings for:
estate manager
butlers
house staff
security personnel
The manor was far too large for Aunt May to manage alone.
With their wealth, there was no reason for her to exhaust herself with domestic work.
She should be the lady of the estate — not its caretaker.
Applications flooded in.
Karl's public identity as a Stark Industries shareholder and Tony Stark's close associate attracted elite candidates.
The salary he offered exceeded industry standards.
Competition was fierce.
Unexpected Applicants
Among the applicants, Karl discovered several… intriguing individuals.
One was Natasha Romanoff.
Another was a blonde woman with a similar profile:
Yelena Belova.
The two did not acknowledge each other.
Which meant one of two things:
they were operating under deep cover,
or they were pretending not to recognize each other.
Either possibility was dangerous.
Karl wasn't surprised Natasha had appeared.
Nick Fury would absolutely attempt surveillance.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't confront him directly, they would observe him.
The Red Room's interest was equally predictable.
Karl's display of power at Xavier's Academy had made him a strategic asset — or a potential weapon.
Many organizations would want control.
A Third Presence
Karl's telekinetic sensitivity had grown dramatically through training.
He could now sense subtle anomalies in physiology and neural signatures.
Among the candidates, he detected one.
A blonde woman.
Blue eyes.
Wavy hair.
Perfect posture.
Something about her cellular rhythm felt… wrong.
Karl studied her carefully.
Then a name surfaced in his memory:
Mystique — Raven Darkhölme.
A mutant shapeshifter capable of duplicating:
DNA
fingerprints
retinal patterns
voice
pheromones
If Raven was here…
Magneto might not be far behind.
Karl's lips curved into a faint smile.
The Hydra Question
One thing puzzled him.
Hydra had not made contact.
No envoys.
No gifts.
No covert outreach.
No Winter Soldier.
For an organization that thrived on infiltrating power structures, their silence was unusual.
Karl knew Hydra's methods.
They did not ignore power.
Which meant one of three things:
They were observing quietly.
They were uncertain of his alignment.
They were preparing something larger.
Karl leaned back, eyes half-closed.
In a world where every shadow concealed another player…
silence was often the loudest warning of all.
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