He stretched, rolled his shoulders, and stood. For the first time since the Battle of New York, there were no immediate threats demanding his attention.
But James already knew—
The Battle of New York was only the beginning of his troubles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James had spent the entire day playing games, fingers moving almost lazily over the controls.
Mindy came to assist and fought her way through, shouting excitedly every time they won. The difference was already obvious.
James's physical upgrade was starting to show real results.
His fingers were no longer stiff. They felt lighter, more responsive—almost soft in motion rather than tense. His reaction speed had increased significantly, and his overall physical fitness had improved across the board. Even without activating any of his abilities, he was already operating at roughly five times the operational ability of a normal man.
What surprised him the most was how natural everything felt.
In the game, the sensation was intense—almost intoxicating—because he didn't need to rely on enhanced perception or special abilities to perform actions he could only envy in the past. His reflexes alone were fast enough now. His hands responded instantly to intent, his mind no longer lagging behind his movements.
Mindy cheered loudly behind him, her excitement filling the room.
Anny, startled by the sudden noise, bolted out of Mindy's room and ran straight into James's, curling up on his lap to sleep in protest.
As per the rule of having a cat on your lap, you can not move, and so James's lap went numb when Anny left, and he tried to go to bed.
The next morning passed as usual.
After dropping Mindy off at school, James returned home. He didn't have to wait long before Evelyn Salt arrived, accompanied by Kyle Robert and Philip.
James invited them to sit down and casually asked Evelyn to prepare coffee and tea before getting straight to the point.
"How's everything?" he asked. "How is the company developing?"
As CEO, Kyle naturally reported first.
"Boss, the company is doing very well. We already occupy nearly 60% of the instant messaging market in the United States and is getting popular all over the world. The popularity of Samira is still rising, and the growth of League of Legends is even more explosive. Teams have now been established all over the world. Next year's championship competition will be far more intense."
James nodded slightly. "Not bad. How's the merchandise market doing?"
The company didn't rely on games alone. Character figurines, animated shorts, wallpapers—every one of them was a revenue stream James had no intention of ignoring.
"It's selling extremely well," Kyle replied. "Especially Mindy's character design. It's currently the top seller. Anny's character is also performing strongly."
A businessman was a businessman. Kyle had managed to turn both Mindy and Anny into separate, high-performing product lines.
"You've done well," James said calmly. "The company's future looks bright with all of you driving it."
He paused, then continued, "Next, we'll introduce heroes based on the Avengers."
Kyle hesitated. "What about copyright issues?"
"It's fine. They won't care," James said casually.
Thor didn't understand these things. Bruce Banner wouldn't care. Steve Rogers wouldn't bother with it as long as it wasn't serious. Hawkeye and Black Widow, however, were agents—those two would require a bit more caution.
James had already designed Thor's character: a hammer-wielding top-lane fighter/mage, somewhat similar to a berserker like Olaf and lightning wielder like Kennen.
Captain America was also positioned as a Tank, with his character settings a mix of Braum and Poppy.
Bruce Banner required more thought. James didn't reuse Dr. Mundo's design. Instead, he designed a human character wielding a gamma-ray weapon with mechanics like Jhin or Viktor. The ultimate ability allowed a transformation into Hulk once anger reached its peak—similar in design to Shyvana.
Three new heroes.
Four Avengers had officially joined League of Legends.
Kyle thought for a moment before asking, "Boss… when are you going to join?"
James shook his head. "Not yet. Maybe in a few years. I might turn myself into a final boss and wait for someone to challenge me. We'll talk about it when the time comes."
He turned to Philip. "How are things with the legal team?"
Philip was visibly energized. Being placed in charge of forming the legal division had raised his status significantly. Though he wasn't famous in New York before, he was now widely known within legal circles.
"It's done," Philip said confidently. "All contracted companies now have dedicated legal teams for domestic affairs. International law specialists are coordinating overseas issues. Our in-house legal department is fully operational and handling daily matters."
James nodded. "Good. In the United States, no one survives without lawyers—especially someone like me."
He turned to Evelyn. "How's the headquarters construction?"
"It's already halfway complete," Evelyn replied. "Funding is stable. If night shifts are approved, we can shorten the timeline significantly."
James was satisfied.
He looked back at Kyle. "The recruitment? And the development of Samira's mini-games?"
Samira's mini-game plan had already proven effective. The cost to play was small, but participation was massive. There was always something that appealed to different users.
"We've hired plenty of development and maintenance staff," Kyle said. "Civilian staff recruitment has been limited due to office space constraints."
"No rush," James replied. "I'll give you a few small games first. In a few days, I'll send over a tower defense game—Battle of New York."
He paused thoughtfully. "The towers will use chibi Avengers, and the enemies will be modeled after the Chitauri."
Kyle couldn't help but praise him. "Boss… your creativity is incredible."
James waved it off. "I remember all of your contributions. When the company goes public, you'll all receive management shares. They may not seem like much now, but you'll understand their value. Just focus on your work. I won't treat any of you badly."
Taking a sip of tea, James continued, "If funds allow, speed up the headquarters construction. We need it urgently. Cybersecurity is also essential. The smart system I'm developing will include a subsystem for you."
Kyle stared. "You've developed a smart system?"
"It's not true artificial intelligence," James said calmly. "If that ever exists, it can't be used freely. It's too dangerous. This system is only for auxiliary work—it must never become the core."
Evelyn frowned slightly. "Why? Isn't automation the goal of technological progress?"
James snorted. "And what happens to people? Automated systems reduce labor demand while the population keeps growing. Capitalists don't care whether workers starve—they only care about cost reduction. That leads to a crash down the line."
"Aren't you also a capitalist?" Evelyn asked.
"I'm an ideal capitalist, I make money not because I want money, I just want some cash I can use when needed," James replied casually.
The company's estimated market value had reached $150 billion, exactly as James expected. In another year, Samira would likely dominate the global instant messaging market. Once League Games went public, he would officially become a true tycoon—with enormous equity and annual dividends.
James stayed home for three months.
Then the new year arrived—and Phil Coulson called.
James answered awkwardly. Hearing from someone who had technically died was unsettling, no matter how close they were.
Coulson was clearly excited. He'd been promoted to Level Eight, authorized to form his own specialized team, and granted a massive mobile base converted from a large aircraft—capable of global deployment.
Nick Fury had been generous. Such a platform had never been assigned to a single team before.
Coulson told him directly: James was expected to help early on, but would eventually leave once the team matured. After all, James wasn't an ordinary Level Seven agent.
With James involved, the team's combat effectiveness skyrocketed.
After packing his equipment, James said goodbye to his family and flew to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters.
"James!" Coulson grinned. "It's good to see you again. I didn't expect to keep on living."
"I'm glad you're alive," James replied honestly. "The Director put in a lot of effort for you."
They hugged.
"I'm confident this time," Coulson said seriously. "We'll hit Hydra hard. I didn't die for nothing."
"I heard it was only eight seconds," James joked.
Coulson laughed and drove him to a secret airfield. A massive black aircraft dominated the hangar, surrounded by agents loading equipment.
"This will be our mobile base."
"Not bad," James said. "Shall we go up and take a tour?"
The interior was small but has everything you'd need. There was a single bed, a closet, and a bookshelf. After settling in, James stretched.
"Small, but comfortable. There's actually a bar counter. It makes me want to have my own as a private plane in the future."
"You can't replicate this easily," Coulson said. "It has six independent rotary engines, Capable of vertical takeoff. Cloaking tech, making it invisible from many radars. As well as other high-tech instruments that allow for a smooth flight even in turbulence. Only S.H.I.E.L.D. has the patent of this tech."
James grinned. "Give Stark and me time."
They planned recruitment next—three more members, plus technicians from Maria Hill.
"Recently, because of the Avengers, an organization emerged. They call themselves Tide Rising," Coulson explained. "They're hackers. They've released videos from your past."
"Let's head back, time to look at our new members." James said.
Maria Hill was now in charge of far more than before. For the past three months, she and James had not contacted each other at all. One of them had stayed with family, deliberately stepping away from the field, while the other had been buried in work that never truly ended.
Despite that, when they met again, there was no awkwardness—no forced small talk, and no hesitation. Just the quiet familiarity of two people who understood each other's glances.
"Hey, Maria," James said casually. "Dinner tonight?"
She didn't even look surprised by the invitation. "Sorry, James. Not today. I've been too busy."
He shrugged, unfazed. "It always shames me to see you working so hard."
Phil Coulson cut in smoothly. "Hill, how are the two technicians coming along?"
"They've been selected," Maria replied, handing over a thin file. "One of them didn't pass the combat assessment."
Coulson flipped through the information, scanning quickly. "That's fine. She's exceptional in her field. The rest can be trained." He closed the folder. "Now we just need a pilot."
James followed as Maria turned to lead the way. As they walked, the two of them exchanged a brief, indistinct look—something that might have meant sympathy, or restraint, or simply acknowledgment.
James understood what that look carried.
He had to appear concerned, perhaps even helpless, about Coulson's situation—while still keeping the truth buried where it belonged. He also knew, deep down, that Phil would eventually uncover it himself. The real question wasn't if, but whether he would be able to accept it when that moment came.
They arrived at a civilian office area.
"Agent May!" Coulson called out.
"No."
The response came immediately—flat, decisive, and unmistakably familiar.
Coulson didn't seem offended in the slightest. In fact, the exchange felt rehearsed, like an old routine between people who had crossed paths far too many times.
James stood slightly to the side, listening without interest. There was nothing surprising here. Melinda May had already accepted the assignment—to observe Coulson, to assess him, and to ensure his mental stability. Nick Fury had arranged it long before this meeting ever took place.
Sure enough, the Level Seven agent with the codename "The Cavalry" officially joined Coulson's team.
Five members.
All that remained now was to gather them together—and begin.