Eagle, eagle, eagle

This time, the operation was half a spontaneous decision, half a plan Jos had harbored long ago.

The sudden impulse was to save the girl's life, and also because her abilities were genuinely impressive—telekinesis, once upgraded, could become an overwhelming force. Otherwise, if it were simply a matter of saving her life, he could have just taken her to a nearby hospital and left her there; whether she survived would depend on her own fate.

But the long-standing plan was because Jos wanted to build a force of his own—just as the Avengers needed to recruit, he wanted his own team. Even after joining the Avengers, Jos never intended to become the kind of hero who rushed across half the city to stop a traffic accident every other day.

He originally joined the Avengers partly because of a system mission, partly out of belief, and—of course—for the money. If it weren’t for that, Jos’s true heart leaned toward the free and unrestrained lifestyle of Wolverine and Deadpool.

To achieve that kind of freedom, a certain amount of power and influence was necessary. Even Nick Fury, the nominal founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., couldn’t ask superheroes to help old ladies cross the street. For mundane tasks, unless they truly interested him, Jos could simply ignore them.

Like Thor—if someone says there’s a gang fight in the East District, he’d reply that his own hometown is about to be torn down. Even someone as powerful as Doctor Strange is usually nowhere to be found, only appearing when needed.

No doubt, Nick Fury tacitly accepts this reality. After all, someone like Tony Stark can’t waste time on trivial thug fights or bank robberies—unless it’s his own bank, of course.

Moreover, Jos didn’t want his followers to be Marvel’s well-known heroes. Most of them are too proud and steadfast in their beliefs, and he wasn’t inclined to forcibly interfere with others’ life paths.

Little Black doesn’t count—she’s a tool, nobody expects her to have rights.

“Why do I feel like you’re talking about me?” Little Black’s head popped out from Jos’s neck, her brows furrowed as she looked at him.

“Not at all. Go back to sleep,” Jos said, pushing her head down again.

Seeing the girl's eyes gradually clear, even showing fear after the recent scene, Jos was about to speak but thought better of it. Instead, he turned and slipped into S.H.I.E.L.D., found Hawkeye, and casually pulled a bag of northeast rice from his system space to hand over.

“Now you’ve tasted my family’s rice—this settles everything,” he muttered to himself, then vanished again, leaving Hawkeye baffled, staring at the rice unsure how to thank him.

Back at the cabin, Jos pulled up a chair and sat before the girl. “I’m sure you’ve sensed it. Previously, even at full strength, your ability was at best equal to one eagle. But now, your telekinesis should have at least the strength of three eagles.”

“Uh…” The girl nodded, somewhat dazed.

Though she didn’t quite understand what one eagle or three eagles meant, she knew Jos was talking about her power.

“So this is called telekinesis…?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure if that’s exactly the right name. There’s never really been a tradition of naming powers here, but that’s what I call it,” Jos shrugged helplessly.

Unlike Japanese manga, where even the simplest attack gets a name (yes, he’s referring to that certain dress), the Marvel world rarely has such a habit, making it hard for Jos to explain the setting.

Well, maybe the term isn’t quite right, but the meaning is clear enough!

He continued, “Anyway, even with your current strength, encountering powerful supernaturals outside won’t help much. Your street-fighting experience isn’t enough.”

Seeing the light in her eyes, Jos felt the need to douse her enthusiasm with a cold dose of reality.

Even if she had three eagles’ worth of power, Hawkeye could still defeat her with one hand. In a life-or-death battle, she’d likely be dead before even seeing where he was—an arrow through the head.

His words dampened her fervor; living in this world, she knew well how terrifying the strong truly were.

“Well… I’m not good with words, so I’ll be direct: I saved you and gave you power, but it wasn’t charity. I value your abilities and hope you’ll work for me in the future.”

After pondering for a while, Jos decided not to circle around, but to throw a straight pitch.

After all, he had no talent for persuasive speech; the only related skill he possessed was [Double Bloom], used to muddle through conversations about things he couldn’t discuss. Better to ask directly.

“Of course, it’s not mandatory. If you’re unwilling, we’ll end the matter here—but the power I’ve given you will naturally be reclaimed.” Jos spread his hands, openly stating the consequences of refusal.

He wasn’t some bloodthirsty psychopath, not the type to kill at a word. But the Tony-Jo hairstyle he gave her certainly couldn’t stay.

The girl shrugged, sighing. “Ha~ So that’s why you came to rescue me—you’ve taken a fancy to my body?”

Though she barely reached Jos's chin, whether intentional or not, her exaggerated airbags were squeezed together as she shrugged.

“Well, well~ Since you’re begging so earnestly, I’ll agree~” For some reason, despite just being rescued, she wore a haughty expression, making a vein pop on Jos’s forehead.

“Ahem… Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m only joining because I find it interesting—being saved means nothing to me!”

Damn! This textbook tsundere—what is going on? Have I struck gold?

In that instant, Jos felt something explode in his mind.

“But you really are a good person… Even though I set you up… I didn’t expect you’d still come to help me…” She lowered her head, seemingly ashamed.

But Jos didn’t graciously accept her praise, nor did he say something heroic like, “I couldn’t leave a helpless girl behind.” Instead, he put on a sinister expression.

“No, you’re overthinking it. I’m very clear about my grudges—the cooperation is over, now let’s talk about you setting me up.”

“What, what are you planning?!” Seeing Jos’s face switch faster than flipping a book, the girl jumped three meters off the bed, then thunked her head against the ceiling.

Her lack of control over her suddenly increased power showed; Jos even worried she’d launch herself into outer space if they were outside.

“Heh heh… What am I planning?” Jos sneered, then pointed at her airbags and declared,

“I don’t even need to guess—those are definitely an A-cup!”