Coulson expressionlessly directed the Agents under him.
They were like a group of efficient worker ants.
Using professional equipment, they meticulously sealed the twisted, charred Destroyer parts, piece by piece, into specially made alloy boxes.
Throughout the entire process, there wasn't a single superfluous sound.
Only the dull thud of metal colliding and the hushed commands of the Agents.
William stood silently to the side, his hands in the pockets of his tattered trousers, watching.
His mood right now was peculiar.
Stimulating, yet rich.
"William."
Coulson walked over, having already shed his dust-covered suit jacket, now just in a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
Coulson's voice remained calm, but William could discern the weariness within it.
"Of course, Phil."
William wore a standard business smile.
"I hope next time we collaborate, you'll give me a heads-up so I have time to move my baobab tree to a safe place."
Coulson's mouth twitched.
He said nothing more, simply nodded, turned, and boarded the quinjet, which was about to take off.
With a massive engine roar, the quinjet ascended vertically, carrying its priceless "alien scrap" and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s torn budget, quickly disappearing into the clouds.
"Ha, these paupers, next time I'll have to charge them an even higher price."
Tony walked over, the damage to his armor already given emergency treatment with some portable tools, at least enough to fly.
He clapped William on the shoulder, not lightly.
"Honestly, William, I used to think I was ruthless enough, but today I realized, compared to you, I'm practically a philanthropist."
"I need to go back and add a 'rebound module' to my Arc Reactor! See you, New York's best moneymaker!"
With that, blue Fire erupted from Tony's feet, and he transformed into a streak of light, flying off into the distance.
Finally, only his own people were left on the island.
Jessica Jones limped over.
She looked in the direction Tony had disappeared, pouting: "That guy is always so energetic."
Emil Blonsky was cleaning his wounds with alcohol.
Tandy and Tyrone leaned on each other, pale, but with a calmness in their eyes that came from having experienced a major event.
Maurice, who had swum out of the sea, was wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the shore.
He held a cup of hot coffee, staring blankly at the sea, seemingly still contemplating life.
A rush of hurried footsteps approached.
"William! My God! Was there a war outside?!"
A refined middle-aged man in a White coat and gold-rimmed glasses, with only one arm, rushed out from a well-disguised entrance to an underground laboratory on the other side of the island.
It was Dr. Lizard, Curtis Connors.
His laboratory had the highest level of physical isolation; although the battle just now had shaken the ground, for him, it was merely like a violent earthquake.
Only when he discovered all communications were cut off did he realize something was wrong, and only after it was completely quiet outside did he cautiously venture out.
Then he saw this apocalyptic scene.
"Oh, it's nothing, it's safe now."
William's expression had switched from business elite to weary slacker mode.
"What exactly happened? My serum samples and petri dishes are shattered everywhere! All that data..."
Dr. Connors looked heartbroken.
"It's nothing major."
William waved his hand weakly.
"The company had an outdoor team-building event, theme 'Apocalyptic Survival,' and invited a few role-playing enthusiasts. They got too into character and went a bit overboard."
Dr. Connors's mouth hung open, clearly not believing a word.
"Alright, don't ask any more questions."
William rubbed his temples, feeling every cell in his brain protest.
"I'm giving you a long, paid vacation. Make a list of the lab's losses for me, and I'll find someone to compensate. For now, I need quiet."
Having sent away the bewildered Dr. Connors, William looked around.
His office building, with its floor-to-ceiling window that once overlooked the entire sea view, was now a gaping hole leading straight to the sky.
His bedroom was also destroyed.
Great, no place to sleep tonight.
He sighed, his gaze falling on Jessica Jones beside him.
This woman had just gone head-to-head with a several-meter-tall killing machine.
Her shirt was torn beyond recognition, and there was still a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth.
But she stood there, without a hint of fear in her eyes, instead carrying a wild, vigorous vitality.
In battle, she was the one who charged to the front.
William suddenly felt that the 1.5 million in emotional damages was too little.
"Emil, Tandy, Tyrone, Maurice."
William cleared his throat and addressed everyone.
"The island will be closed for reconstruction. Everyone gets a week off. Bonuses and compensation will be in your accounts within 24 hours. Now, go back and rest."
Everyone scattered as if granted a great pardon.
Only William and Jessica remained at the scene.
The sea breeze blew, stirring the wisps of hair on the female detective's forehead.
"So,"
Jessica spoke, her voice a little hoarse.
"The big boss is homeless now too?"
"I still have an apartment in Manhattan."
William looked at her, walking closer step by step, "You know that, don't you?"
"What about your employee?"
Jessica raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you going to arrange a place for her to stay? Or is the 500,000 in emotional damages enough for her to stay in a Presidential suite?"
"I have a better suggestion."
William stopped in front of her, the distance between them close enough to feel each other's breath.
The afterglow of adrenaline still coursed through their blood.
The threat of death had just receded, and immense wealth had just been acquired.
All the emotions—tension, fear, excitement, exhaustion—were like a pot of boiling thick soup, needing an outlet.
"My apartment, the bed is very big."
Jessica looked into his eyes for a full three seconds.
She suddenly smiled, a smile containing something inexpressible.
She didn't answer but turned directly and walked towards the only relatively intact dock on the island.
William followed her... one hour later.
Manhattan.
William's high-end apartment.
No lights were on inside, only the neon flashes from outside the window outlined two silent figures.
Neither William nor Jessica spoke.
They shed their tattered and dirty clothes, went into the bathroom, and washed away the blood and gunpowder from their bodies.
As the warm Water flowed from the shower, washing over their bodies, the nerves, stretched to their limit, finally began to relax little by little.
They were like two Beasts who had just survived a brutal fight, returning to their den to lick each other's wounds.
No words were needed.
When William emerged from the bathroom, Jessica was standing with her back to him, facing the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the bustling traffic below.
She was wrapped only in a bath towel, and Water droplets slid down the curves of her strong back.
William embraced her from behind.
Jessica's body stiffened, but she didn't resist.
The next second, she spun around abruptly, gripping William's shoulders forcefully, and pushing him hard against the wall. Her eyes, in the dim light, shone astonishingly bright.
It was a confirmation.
Confirmation that they were both still alive.
William didn't resist.
He cupped the back of her head and, in an almost savage manner, kissed her.
It was a kiss filled with the smell of gunpowder, sweat, and the taste of having survived a disaster.
The bath towel slipped to the floor.
No foreplay, no lingering.
Only the most primal urges and the most direct collision.
They tangled from the living room all the way to the bedroom, and finally, William pressed her down onto the soft, large bed.
Outside, the city remained noisy.
Inside, however, another storm raged.
This was a belated release from the previous battle.
A wild celebration of having brushed with death.
The most direct proof that they both still existed in this World.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"