"If we're going to test the effects of magic on ordinary life, starting with plants is not a good idea. Obviously, plants have a longer growth cycle and less visible changes..."
Looking at their expressions, Connors said, "Alright, I know that animal experints have certain risks, even small creatures like lizards. If we increase their size by thousands of tis, they would have great destructive power, as you all have already seen."
"I'm well aware that any experint carries certain risks," Stark shook his head and explained. "But you must understand, conducting such experints on Earth is really dangerous."
"In order to observe in real ti, we can only conduct initial experints on Earth. Maybe after so results, we can move them to another planet, so there would be fewer concerns."
"Let's start by looking at this," Connors went forward, took the small flower pot, and said while looking at the seedling inside it: "A sunflower seedling... It seems different, as if it has been affected by so kind of radiation."
"Different? What's different? I can't tell," Stark narrowed his eyes to take a closer look. Connors said, "Coincidentally, I have a master's degree in botany. My master's thesis was on the dissemination of pollen."
"Look here." Connors pointed at the root of the sunflower seedling. "The tiny hairs on the plant have beco longer, maybe even more densely packed. These visible changes already indicate a major transformation."
"Alright, I put in a lot of effort, but it just made the hairs on its surface slightly longer?" asked Peter.
Connors shook his head, looked at Peter and said, "That's what I ant, changes in plants are more subtle. If it were a mouse, you could imagine it growing two-centiter-long incisors."
"Although just looking at the incisors may not seem particularly obvious, it would have an effect on their eating habits, leading to noticeable changes in behavior, which would be more noticeable."
"Alright, setting aside these principles, what should we do now?" Strange turned to ask Connors.
"Peter and I will stay and continue with the magic plant experint. As for you, I noticed the gemstone you were holding can accelerate plant growth, but I advise against doing it randomly."
"You cannot be sure if the magic power on it would radiate to the plants you're accelerating. If the plants mutate, the consequences could be far more severe than mutant animals."
Stark turned to stare at Strange, saying, "You are not allowed to do this within New York, not even in the Himalayas. You must understand how precious Earth is, it is our only ho now."
"Alright, I'll co back when your experint has so initial results," said Strange. Without any hesitation, he left. Stark watched his retreating figure and shook his head, "He won't listen to you. This man does not understand the concept of experintal safety regulations."
"It's fine. Since he doesn't know the proper radiation thods, I believe that even if he uses magic on so plants, it shouldn't change their characteristics."
After leaving the lab, Stark and Shiller stood in front of the laboratory door. Stark turned to Shiller and asked him, "I have a question for you, but you absolutely cannot let it slip."
"I'm guessing your question is about how Steve is doing right now?"
Stark turned his head aside and smirked, "The Avengers also contribute a part of humanity's strength. I don't want any accidents to happen."
Shiller sighed, "All I can say is the situation doesn't look good. I've told you countless tis, Steve has acute anxiety syndro. It's a disease with specific symptoms. Without treatnt, it will only get worse."
"Then why not treat it?"
"The issue lies there, he is sowhat resistant to dication. Even if I could convince him, I am not sure if the common drugs that work on regular humans would be effective on him."
As Shiller and Stark walked forward, Shiller explained, "The changes that serum caused in Steve are not just physical strength. His immune and absorbent systems have also been altered. That ans he might not be able to absorb the ingredients in so drugs, or a dosage that would work on a normal person might not work on him."
"So we can simply increase the doses, right?"
"You'd better not say that in front of Strange. Not a single attending physician would like to hear that."
"Patients always request higher doses to suppress their pain, but it's not that simple."
"If it's a normal person, we have a very safe thod to determine how much dication would work. But for a superhuman without any experintal data, I absolutely would not dare to increase the dosage arbitrarily. Otherwise, it would be irresponsible for his safety."
Stark lowered his head, looked at Shiller from above his eyes, and said, "Now, I'm sure you're not that madman."
"No, even if he were here, he would say the sa. I'll say it again - I might be unethical, but I'm definitely not an unqualified doctor."
"There are two thods right now." Shiller stopped, looked at Stark, and said, "One is to conduct continuous experints, gradually increasing the dosage while observing Steve's reactions. But in the short term, large amounts of dication could harm both his physical and ntal health."
"The other is to change his current living environnt, rebuild his sense of safety, and fundantally solve the anxiety issue by getting enough rest."
Just as Stark was about to speak, Shiller turned his head and said, "Under the current circumstances, Steve's decisions might not be rational. Therefore, it needs his friends or guardian to provide more reliable advice."
"I'm guessing your first intuition is to make choices for him. So I can assu..."
"That forty-plus wedges are already enough, right?"
Stark dropped his gaze in silence, turning his head away from Shiller. He said, "...You know what? In that terrible thing your damned persona did, the mont my emotions fluctuated the most wasn't when Steve fired the gun."
"When was it?"
"It was when he said Howard, Bucky, and you were all his friends, but my na wasn't on that list."
Stark looked at Shiller again and said, "Don't look at with that expression. Yes, when I recall Howard ntioning Captain Arica, his deanor and expression, I didn't have much fondness for Steve."
"But when I truly got to know him, I understood that no one should be ashad to want to be friends with Captain Arica."
"If he didn't consider you as a friend, he wouldn't have fired the gun."
"If he really saw as a friend, he wouldn't have chosen to fire the gun without turning around to ask what I was thinking."
Shiller inhaled deeply, looking into Stark's eyes: "You know, you two are acting like schoolgirls having a childish squabble, preferring to tell the story between you two from start to finish countless tis to others, rather than speak directly to each other."
Seeing Stark about to speak, Shiller promptly interrupted him, saying, "I don't have ti to relay ssages for you. Considering the large amount of money you paid , I'll keep everything you said today confidential for you and absolutely won't tell Steve."
Stark stared, and just before Shiller turned away, he said, "I don't have ti to get involved in your childish friendships, I have more important things to do."
"Hey! What could be more important than the fracturing of The Avengers??" Stark shouted at Shiller's retreating figure.
"Anything!"
The next day, Steve and Bucky arrived at Arkham Sanatorium. Shiller opened up the dical records, gave Steve a brief explanation of his current situation, and, to Shiller's surprise, Steve decided to opt for the first option, which ant increasing the dosage.
He explained, "The Avengers can't be without for too long, the shadows of Hydra have not yet receded. This is my lifelong mission, which I must accomplish."
"Previously, I resisted taking dicine because I thought things hadn't gotten that serious yet, but recently I've found that my condition is rapidly deteriorating."
Indeed, Steve looked sowhat haggard, he was so worn out he could be described as barely hanging on. He said, "Admittedly, I have very little understanding of this field, I thought I just had a small cold that would self-heal, but now I can't fall asleep naturally. I have to rely on Professor X's hypnosis."
"To combat Hydra, many even gave their lives. Compared to them, taking so dicine is nothing."
"I admire your spirit of sacrifice, Captain." Shiller lowered his head, turned over the dical record, then said, "Why don't we hear what your friend has to say."
Shiller looked up at Bucky, who was sitting so distance away. He said, "What are you doing sitting so far away? Do you know? The patient with the worst case of phobia seen by my previous group of psychologists is now enjoying a good chat with the demons in Hell."
Bucky shook his head, and Steve reached out his hand and said, "Don't be like this. He displayed great courage to accompany here. Your persona is just a bit..."
Bucky coughed twice, then said, "I think the captain should choose the second option, change the environnt."
"No." Steve was very firm, "I need to stay here. I have unfinished work, and where else could we go?"
"I also recomnd the second option, Captain. Don't say I didn't warn you, I can't be sure if your serum provides immunity to the effects of certain psychiatric drugs. If you take a large quantity in a short period of ti, it may cause permanent damage to your mind."
"Fighting Hydra is important, but we should also focus on sustainable developnt." Shiller flipped through the dical record again, then said, "And you must consider that Stark might not be too keen on seeing Bucky right now. If you just sent him alone to so distant place, it would seem more like a banishnt. But if you accompany him, it'll be a relaxing and joyful trip."
When Steve understood Shiller's aning, he asked, "Are you suggesting we should..."
"Yes, the core star zone of the Androda Galaxy, where the high elves live, is a vast primitive forest with beautiful scenery. Many mbers of the Mutant Brotherhood have traveled there."
"Because they highly modified their ho planet, the temperature and weather are very pleasant. There are no dangerous creatures either. It's perfect for a vacation."
Steve wanted to argue, but after a glance at Bucky and thought of Stark, he eventually shrugged and said, "Alright, I get it. Stark and Bucky must be separated. With the solar system construction project underway, Stark can't leave, so we are the ones who have to."
"Due to the confidentiality agreent, I can't tell you that Stark felt very hurt because you did not include him in the list of your friends."
"I can't tell you that he really hopes that you give him a call now and comfort him."
"And I especially can't tell you that if you ntion while making the call the expectations Howard once told you he had for his son, it would deeply touch and please him."
After Steve walked out holding his mobile phone, Shiller made a call to Connors to confirm that Peter was also burying his head in his experints. He then called Charles to confirm he had gone to construct the Sky Island in Androda Galaxy. Lastly, he dialed Loki.
"With all the individuals with untested moral guidelines dispatched, we may now initiate our plan."
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