"That's not me!" Malrick tried to argue.
But the cartoon face with a bright smile painted on the wall left him speechless.
Just then, arguing voices echoed from the distance.
Malrick stepped out of the elevator with Shirley, eyes sweeping over the walls—and veins began to bulge on his forehead.
The first floor of the building spanned over 10,000 square meters. All the old offices and workshops had been demolished. Now, it featured a central reception desk, a glass-encased visitor lounge, and elevators to other floors.
The layout, designed by a former Red Room agent who once ran a multinational design firm, was meant to embody simplicity, meditation, and openness. The aesthetic was striking—spacious, clean, and inspiring.
Except for one thing.
Every inch of wall space was covered with colorful, detailed murals.
Cartoons. Of Superman.
Every one of them bore Malrick's face.
He inhaled sharply, shielding Shirley's eyes. "This is a PR nightmare…"
Across the lobby, a group of Widow agents were deep in animated debate.
He focused his super hearing:
"The pecs are too small! I checked myself, the boss is way more ripped!"
"And in this mural, he should be crushing Batman's head with his biceps! Total dominance! So cool!"
"No, no! We already drew Wonder Woman like that. Here, he should be slamming Batman with his latissimus dorsi!"
"He's gonna love this surprise!"
Malrick dropped from above with Shirley in his arms.
"Define surprise for me, Yelena."
Yelena turned, saw his unimpressed stare, and started stammering.
"Uh, surprise is... well, it's what the boss says it is!"
Malrick bonked her forehead, Natasha-style.
"You think this is a surprise? This is emotional damage!"
Yelena pouted. "But you love Superman! I poured my heart into these!"
"Have you seen me wear anything like that?"
Yelena blinked. "Ah! Got it!"
"Got what?" Malrick frowned.
"You don't like wearing underwear! That's it! You're not that kind of perv!"
She waved her brushes. "I'll repaint it without the undies!"
Malrick's eye twitched. What was she even saying—especially with a kid nearby?
Shirley stared at him, mouth forming a perfect O, then looked at the mural.
"Don't listen to her," Malrick muttered, pinching her cheek. "Her brain wiring's faulty."
"Ohh!" Shirley nodded vigorously.
Malrick sighed at Yelena. "I'm starting to regret naming you second-gen Black Widow."
"Because I'm scared you'll turn the rest of them into you."
He turned to the other agents.
"Decorate however you want. But my face stays off the walls."
They nodded, a little disappointed.
"Yelena, come with me."
He brought her and Shirley up the elevator.
Aside from the lobby-turned-DC-fan-art-gallery, everything else was normal. Widow agents were fully engaged: installing alloy plates, repairing circuitry, wielding tools with practiced skill. True multi-role experts.
Malrick introduced Shirley to everyone.
Finally, he handed her off to Yelena to sort out her new identity.
As they walked off, Shirley whispered, "Are Malrick's muscles really that nice?"
Yelena nodded furiously.
Malrick pretended he didn't hear.
The rest of the day, he wandered, helping whenever needed. Shirley, now thoroughly assimilated into Yelena's chaos, ran all over the building in games of hide-and-seek.
The Widow agents adored her. She reminded them of the youth they never had.
During hide-and-seek, she always got "covert" tips from passing agents.
After dinner with everyone, Malrick prepared to leave with Shirley.
"Bye, Sis! Malrick said we'll be living in New York soon. I'll visit!"
"I'll miss you, little Shirley!" Yelena called. "Big brother! Come soon!"
"No, keep your distance from Shirley—and try turning around whenever she's near you."
Malrick couldn't understand how someone like Yelena could click with a kid like Shirley. Then again, maybe it made sense. Maybe their mental ages weren't so far apart.
"Boss! That hurts!" Yelena groaned.
Shirley, though active all day, still had the energy of ten. Her cheers echoed through the sky.
Once back, Malrick picked up faint sounds with his enhanced hearing.
He held up a finger—quiet.
Two heads, one big, one small, peeked around a corner.
In the lab, Pepper and Tony—both in tank tops—were… entangled. Kissing. Moving.
"Wow. Is that Uncle Tony's new friend?" Shirley asked, casually.
"I think she might be the only one that counts," Malrick said.
They'd never acted that way before. Clearly something had changed.
He noticed Pepper's aura—freshly empowered. She had just undergone SS2 serum enhancement.
Tony had timed his move well.
"At last, the playboy settles down," Malrick muttered. "Was Resident Evil his last wild night as a bachelor?"
Things were escalating in the lab.
Malrick quickly covered Shirley's eyes and retreated.
"Come on, time for a story. They're just two seals fighting over grapes—nothing worth seeing."
He tucked Shirley in and got ready to nap himself.
But it was wishful thinking.
Two enhanced people—without any control field—going at it like titans.
The entire villa trembled.
Malrick worried it might collapse.
"These aren't seals," he mumbled. "They're elephants staging a rock concert."
He sighed and got up.
Tony and Pepper deserved their own space now. It was time to move out.
He'd talk to Tony in the morning. For now, he'd return to the Resident Evil world for a sunbath.
Shirley was still sleeping—miraculously—amid the quakes.
Malrick smiled. He'd leave her be for tonight.
With barely a fraction of effort, he opened a rift and disappeared back into the other world—returning at the exact moment he had left.
The Marvel Universe vanished behind him.
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