Chapter 13: Expanding the Network & The First Asset
Erik Selvig's induction into the Guild was remarkably smooth. Once he was out of the mental health facility and in a secure, Guild-funded safe house – a discreet apartment Adam rented in a less-trafficked part of New York – the clarity returned to his eyes with astonishing speed. The Guild System, with its structured approach to knowledge and its promise of unfettered research, seemed to be the perfect antidote to his fractured mind.
"This… this 'Guild Store'," Selvig mused, staring at his newly acquired interface on a Guild-provided tablet. Adam had purchased him a 'Mental Fortitude Potion' (5 GP) and a 'Tranquility Potion' (5 GP) immediately, which seemed to accelerate his recovery. "It's quite remarkable. Access to knowledge, specific… cognitive enhancements. It's like a personalized academic grant, but with… less bureaucracy." His loyalty had already nudged up to 88%.
[Adam Stiels – Guild Points (GP): 498.85 - 5 GP - 5 GP = 488.85 GP!]
"Exactly," Adam affirmed. "No bureaucracy, just results. Your first mission, Doctor, if you're up for it: Tesseract data. Anything you remember, anything you can access from your previous work with Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. I need to understand its properties, its dangers, how it was exploited. Think of it as a deep dive into cosmic mechanics."
[New Mission Created: 'Tesseract Unraveled'][Objective: Analyze Erik Selvig's knowledge/data related to the Tesseract, Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., and associated cosmic energies. Document properties, vulnerabilities, and potential applications. Acquire any salvageable data if possible.][Reward: Variable GP based on depth of analysis and new insights. Adam's cut: 55%.][Assign to: Erik Selvig? Y/N]
Selvig's eyes lit up with a familiar academic fervor. "The Tesseract… yes. There were anomalies. Fluctuations. I can… I can reconstruct the models. It's an Infinity Stone, you know. Space. It controls space itself." He already seemed to be deep in thought.
While Selvig immersed himself in his intellectual recovery and the Tesseract mission, Adam turned his attention to another kind of recruitment: a low-level, but crucial, asset. He needed eyes and ears in places Jeremy couldn't reach, places where loyalty was bought, not earned. He needed a contact who lived in the grey, a whisper network that could provide early warnings and obscure intel.
His meta-knowledge pointed him towards a specific individual: a freelance information broker known as 'Ghost' (not Ava Starr, but an Original Character, a more grounded, shadowy figure) who operated on the fringes of the black market, often trading in corporate espionage and minor government secrets. This 'Ghost' had connections to disgruntled low-level SHIELD personnel and various criminal elements – precisely the kind of intel Adam wouldn't want Jeremy or Yelena to risk their Guild loyalty on.
Adam spent a few days setting up a highly encrypted, anonymous dead drop, leaving a small, untraceable data chip with an offer: a substantial amount of GP for specific, verified information on anomalous activities, unusual tech movements, or whispers of strange projects outside official channels. He wanted the kind of intel that SHIELD swept under the rug, the stuff that didn't make it to Fury's desk.
A day later, the system pinged.
[New Guild Asset (OC) Sighted: 'Ghost' – Detected]
[Proximity: High (Within 10 yards)]
[Send Guild Invitation to 'Ghost'? Y/N]
Adam smiled. The 'Must See to Invite' rule was still a thing, but for non-combatants, it could be a brief, almost accidental sighting. He'd simply passed by the dead drop location at the right time, confirming his target was retrieving the chip. He mentally sent the invitation, hoping the allure of Guild Points and the promise of a reliable, anonymous buyer for obscure intel would be enough.
A few hours later, another ping.
[Guild Invitation Accepted: 'Ghost'!]
[New Guild Member: 'Ghost'. Loyalty: 65%]
[Congratulations! Guild Member Count: 7!]
The loyalty was low, expected for someone motivated purely by profit, but it was enough. Adam immediately sent 'Ghost' a message through the system, a terse, to-the-point directive: Welcome. Your first mission: Discreetly gather any intel on unusually large or frequent financial transactions involving shell corporations linked to 'Project Insight' or any former Hydra assets. Focus on anomalies in public records or insider whispers.
[New Mission Created: 'Black Money Trail'][Objective: Investigate suspicious financial transactions and shell companies linked to 'Project Insight' or former Hydra assets. Identify individuals/organizations involved. Discreetly acquire financial data.][Reward: Variable GP based on value/sensitivity of intel. Adam's cut: 55%.][Assign to: 'Ghost'? Y/N]
Adam assigned it, knowing this was just the beginning. His Guild was no longer just about survival; it was about intelligence, preparation, and proactive countermeasures. The pieces were falling into place.
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