"You really are the world's second-best detective," Pala said sarcastically.
"Even the best detective would only give you a conclusion like this, or worse. We are not theologians," Tim retorted without good humor. "You can't expect a prayer to solve everything, not even God can do that. I need evidence."
"Isn't this long conversation evidence enough?"
"There's too little actionable information. It's almost like they were just making small talk," Tim sighed.
After a mont of thought, Pala said, "I feel this doctor is much easier to deal with than the professor. Do you think there's a chance we could just ask him direct questions?"
"He still wouldn't tell the whole truth, just enough to mislead us and then he'd clam up."
"But that would still give us more information."
"If you want to go, you go," Tim said, shaking his head in refusal.
Pala suddenly laughed, slid off the bedside to the floor, and pulled Tim over, whispering in his ear, "Why do I always feel like you're a bit afraid of this doctor? You're not even afraid of the professor."
"Why should I be afraid of the professor?" the dark-haired boy asked, unchard by her seemingly intimate gesture. He just rolled his eyes up habitually and looked at Pala.
"Because he's terrifying, always looking fierce and unapproachable."
"Yes, but I finished my howork."
Pala was left speechless. She thought for a mont. Tim's current age clearly did not allow him to delve into complex psychological concepts; at his age, as long as his howork was done, it seed he could justify almost anything.
Not amused, Pala let go of him and pushed him away slightly, looking away as she thought aloud, "So, you're saying you can't find sothing to stabilize Shiller?"
"You're not too dumb," Tim glanced at Pala again. "From what I've seen, the professor always tends to act only when necessary, while this doctor prefers to push everyone to that point."
"You an he's more proactive?"
"If your tone wasn't so disgusting when you said that word, I would have comnded your reasoning."
Pala rolled her eyes and said, "I'll wait for you to find the person who disgusts you."
"Back to the point, it feels like I'm facing an engine. What's scarier than not finding the fuel tank is that I can't find the off switch."
"Seriously, what does this have to do with you?" Pala shifted her position to face Tim and added, "We're just here on vacation, we could totally sit back and enjoy the show from the living room."
"You're too naive. Do you really think we wouldn't be included when things go south? Do you think we got those two sets of rcury equipnt because he's kind-hearted?"
"Are you really just being paranoid?"
"Even if I am, don't you think we should try to gain the upper hand? Rember how Bruce failed?"
"You really are nothing like him," Pala remarked.
"I'll take that as a complint," Tim responded.
"He really wasn't proactive enough, led by the nose by the professor. But don't you think you're a bit too proactive? I assu you understand the seriousness of considering Shiller as a hypothetical enemy."
"This isn't just hypothetical," Tim said, no longer sitting cross-legged but kneeling on the floor. "If soone hides sothing from before I can hide it from him, I consider it a provocation."
"You're insane," Pala said, sowhat exasperated. "How are you any different from those crazy control freaks?"
"The difference is, I'm smarter than them," Tim said. "Control freaks wield indiscriminate control, but I find reasons first, so I can take the moral high ground."
"What reasons?"
"He hid things from first."
Pala, left speechless, finally managed to say, "Even if it's just an alternative universe counterpart of a ntor you know fairly well? That connection is almost more distant than you and your aunt."
"For any relationship."
"You're sick."
"But there are many obvious benefits," Tim said. "In the end, you'll see I'm right. It's what they call sensitivity to information."
"Okay, besides that, what else have you deduced?"
"We can't pin down his ultimate goal, but we can consider: What role does sothing he goes through many hoops to maintain play in the overall plan?"
"Like?"
"Why move here?" Tim pointed out sharply. "Whether it's avoiding fans or dealing with landlords, there are better ways. Why bring us here?"
"This place is good for murder and disposing of the body; hopefully, we're not the targets."
"The target is definitely not us," Tim said. "If he wanted to kill us, he would have made his move in Los Angeles, where he could establish a strong alibi. This remote area has no witnesses."
"Then just give your conclusion," Pala seed tired of it all, she leaned back, reached for a cigarette, and realized she had none left. She could only hope for an imaginary smoke.
"He's hiding from soone," Tim said. "Soone knows he ca here and is involved, and has the capability to turn Los Angeles and its surroundings upside down. The US-xico Border is relatively safer."
"Hmm," Pala made a monosyllabic noise of agreent.
"But they might not know his true identity. I an, they're looking for the behind-the-scenes manipulator, but they don't know yet that the manipulator is Shiller, who's hiding under so other alias."
"You an Hydra?"
"That's about it. He must have done sothing as a Hydra, and a group of people, in order to prevent him from striking again, are chasing him."
Tim smiled slightly and finally voiced his true speculation, "It's a brilliant strategy. He has one identity that everyone knows and one that no one knows."
"While the unknown identity is being investigated, the well-known identity is being pursued by fans."
"What's the point?"
"The point is that even if so clever people guess these two identities belong to the sa person, those investigating his unknown identity can't be seen around his well-known identity, because they cannot be exposed to the public eye. Which Agent wants to be spotted, then go viral on TikTok with a hundred thousand likes?"
Pala choked on her own words, unable to imagine such a comical scenario. Of course, if it were a female Agent, she'd probably like it, too.
"That's why he doesn't mind the fans pursuing him," Pala realized everything. She said, "In fact, there have always been two groups chasing him, but one of the groups, which is more dangerous because they know they are engaged in secretive activities, has to avoid the others, and that almost prevents them from pursuing him effectively."
"Exactly."
"Then why did he move to such a remote area? Is he trying to have the agents catch up to him?"
"On the contrary, this place is his turf. The agents, realizing they had finally evaded the fans' surveillance and sensed an opportunity, naturally would follow him. But they can't handle him here."
"Will he kill them?"
"No, he just keeps them tied up here." Tim sighed lightly and said, "And then that decisive force I ntioned before can operate freely in Los Angeles."
"Is it Hydra?"
"I don't know, but whoever it is, they're definitely not up to any good." Tim averted his eyes and pondered, "From what I know of Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, when they learn that the source of a problem is hiding sowhere, even if they sense a trap, they will still co."
"Why?"
"All they need to do is show that they're working. By throwing a lot of people into it, showing great sacrifices, they prove they aren't slacking. As for a wiser standstill, that won't get them more funding."
Pala was about to say sothing but, recalling Natasha's words about Nick's focus on funding, she suddenly rembered it.
Her thoughtful expression didn't escape Tim, who leaned forward and asked, "Do you know sothing else?"
After thinking it over, Pala nodded and said, "The S.H.I.E.L.D Director sent here not just to assist Shiller but for his own agenda."
"What is it?"
"The Congressman rumored to be target for assassination has been troubling Nick; he vetoed 37 of S.H.I.E.L.D's funding projects for this quarter, and Nick called him a double-dealer."
"Funding..." Tim seed to have a flash of insight. He said, "The defense funding provided by Congress is a fixed amount each year. If one person gets more, another gets less. So, this double-dealer vetoing Nick basically helps others to get more."
"Federal Bureau of Investigation?"
"Afraid so. Think about what Shiller said before, without Hydra, there would be no S.H.I.E.L.D. Following the logic of fostering one's own enemies, to reclaim the funds taken by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, they naturally need to stir up issues that the Federal Bureau of Investigation can't resolve."
"I see," Pala said, enlighteningly. "Upon arriving in Los Angeles, by using the fans' pursuit to monitor the agents, making the agents hesitant to get too close, he smoothly made it here, creating an opportunity for them to encircle."
"While Los Angeles's defenses are empty, let Hydra stir up trouble in Los Angeles, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will inevitably fall behind, finding themselves unable to tackle the issue, and then S.H.I.E.L.D will have to step in. Then next quarter, S.H.I.E.L.D can take over their funding, claiming to fill the national defense gap left by the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
After a pause, Pala asked again, "Assassination?"
"Clearly a pretext conjured by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and that Congressman to increase funding," Tim said. "They often do this, giving those high-profile figures a sense of crisis. To ensure they are always protected, they'll be quite generous."
"So it's a self-staged drama, but for S.H.I.E.L.D, the counterasure is to turn the fake threat into a real one, ensuring the Congressman and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's collaboration will definitely break down."
"That's why you're here," Tim looked at Pala. "You can muddy the waters of the banquet for Nick, letting the actual Congressman who attends think his safety is threatened but not really killing him, rather letting him survive to complain to the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
"By that ti, due to the chaos in Los Angeles, Congress will surely hold the Federal Bureau of Investigation accountable. Feeling threatened, the Congressman will turn against them, leaving the Federal Bureau of Investigation caught between two fronts and certainly in a difficult position."
"If Shiller and Nick coordinated this, then them both contacting makes sense, considering dealing a blow during the banquet is the perfect strategy, and they could even pin a lab leak on the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
"However, you..." Pala looked at Tim. "What role do you play in all of this?"
"He said he wanted my help with the business matter of buying the farm, but before that, he asked how to legally reduce the land value, and I gave him so advice."
"What advice?"
"Gotham style."
"You're quite wicked."
Tim's heart sank gradually; he said, "I feel like I'm taking on so responsibilities that aren't mine, but I don't know what they are."
Pala also fell silent before saying, "Don't you think? It's nothing like our cosmos. These matters make feel like a floating piece of driftwood in the waves, being pushed towards an unknown destination."
"Even though you're a superpower user?"
"I'm a superpower user, not God. What can I do?"
Tim's expression clearly showed his discontent, making him look particularly dangerous. Pala took a quiet breath, but still didn't stop Tim from voicing his mad plan.
"We can't just do nothing."
"What do you want to do?"
"Shiller now has no superpowers, but you do."
"You're insane, Tim!"
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