Now that his wife was in town, Liu A'dou had no plans to leave in a hurry. But for the moment, he couldn't see her yet. Unlike him, Ada Wong had work to do.
Ada was seriously busy—so much so she didn't even have time to mess with Harry Osborn. That just showed how well she'd adapted to this world. But she still stuck to her Resident Evil mindset: work hard, rise through the ranks.
Totally different from Liu A'dou, who treated life like a game. But as her husband, he fully supported her. A real man should know how to deal with loneliness.
Both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the A.R.G.U.S. were fighting for control over the space-based missile defense system. Whoever had it would gain a major advantage—more leverage, more budget.
This was a huge project that would shape the next several years. Control it, and you'd be taken seriously—and get more money.
Even though the A.R.G.U.S. was new, Amanda Waller wasn't someone to underestimate. She was a top-tier negotiator and knew how to offer deals most couldn't refuse.
While still working with Penguin on the kill-Superman scheme, Lex Luthor welcomed the two women. He already knew Amanda, so Ada had trouble jumping into their conversation as the two reminisced about their time working together in Metropolis.
Besides, it was obvious Amanda and Luthor didn't exactly like Superman. Amanda was pretty blunt about her frustration that Superman wasn't helping the U.S. fight enemy nations. Luthor just hated Superman's very existence. The two were vibing hard.
Ada thought, 'Yeah, this job's gonna be tough.' Amanda knew exactly what Luthor wanted.
"Mr. Luthor…"
Luthor cut her off. "Just call me Luthor, Ms. Ada."
"Alright, Luthor. I believe S.H.I.E.L.D. has the resources to deploy the missile system. Control of it should be in our hands."
Luthor stroked his chin and spoke slowly. "The missile defense system should be in the hands of someone truly loyal to the United States. After the New York incident, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reputation took a hit. There are all kinds of rumors going around—especially about Director Nick Fury."
"You said it yourself—rumors. That means no evidence. Just baseless talk."
Luthor chuckled dryly. He knew S.H.I.E.L.D.'s glory days were fading. Nick Fury was a strong leader, but he never had real authority. Going against top brass to form the Avengers? That stunt alone probably guaranteed an early retirement. A.R.G.U.S. was clearly becoming the main force in handling metahuman affairs now.
It was brutal, but that's how power works. No bloodshed, but everything can flip overnight. If things went south for S.H.I.E.L.D., maybe he'd even swoop in and pick up their assets.
Right now, Luthor could afford to sit back and wait. On one side, S.H.I.E.L.D. was on the decline. On the other, the A.R.G.U.S. was rising fast. Both sides looked like easy targets. S.H.I.E.L.D. still had some strength left, and Luthor knew they were quietly building up their forces, hoping to bounce back.
So who should he support? Luthor started running mental calculations. Then he smiled. Why choose at all? Whether he helped A.R.G.U.S. or snatched up S.H.I.E.L.D., he'd win either way. Both sides needed him right now, so there was no reason he couldn't play both.
Thinking it over, Luthor smiled. "Ladies, I'm honored that our space missile defense system has earned your trust. So, why don't the three of us work together?"
That's how things worked in American society—corporate power came first. Faced with Luthor's proposal, any politician hoping to win his funding had to take it seriously.
Amanda could make the decision on her own since she led the A.R.G.U.S.. But Ada had to get approval from her higher-ups. In the end, they agreed. After all, the rise of the A.R.G.U.S. was inevitable, and there was no need for S.H.I.E.L.D. to go head-to-head with them just yet.
And so, the three-party missile defense system went into development. The next step was fighting for greater control. In the end, they agreed: S.H.I.E.L.D. would oversee 30 states, and the A.R.G.U.S. would control 20. A dying camel is still bigger than a horse—S.H.I.E.L.D. still had size and legacy on its side.
That night, Ada quietly slipped away from her room to meet up with her husband.
They were still just as playful. Perched atop the giant globe-shaped sign on the Daily Planet building, the two of them chatted under the stars.
Ada's job had gotten way harder lately. On top of her normal tasks, she now had to deal with all kinds of power players. In her words, "It's actually kind of fun."
Liu A'dou admitted he had no talent for politics. He'd never survive constantly calculating gains and losses. "You're the smart one, Ada-jie. A home just needs one clever wife—that's enough."
Ada smiled sweetly. A'dou really knew how to talk. Normally, she wouldn't buy a word of it, but between husband and wife, things were different.
Sitting side by side atop the giant planet model, wrapped in moonlight and stars, they leaned into each other. No chill could bother them.
But peace never lasted long. A sudden, deafening explosion sounded in the distance. Thick smoke slowly rose into the night sky.
Liu A'dou spotted a shadow darting toward the explosion. "That's Batman, right? When did he show up in Metropolis?"
Ada saw it too. "Let's go take a look."
They could watch, but without their costumes, neither planned to get involved.
Turns out, Lois Lane had gone out for dinner with friends—and got kidnapped by the Penguin. He was now speeding through the streets in a bizarre duck-shaped car.
It was a warm yellow duck with an orange flat beak and two round watery eyes. It looked oddly similar to a rubber duck. Though it only had three small wheels, a jet thruster on the back made it fast enough to rival racecars.
Lois was tied up and unconscious in the back. Penguin clung to the duck car's neck and looked up at Batman in the sky. "I knew you'd still be haunting me." He'd borrowed a lot of gear from Luthor for this job.
First up: missiles. The duck's tail popped open, revealing two missiles. "Bye-bye, Batman."
One missile shot out with a screech. Batman narrowed his eyes and quickly climbed higher. But these were homing missiles. Gliding alone wasn't enough to shake them. He had to land, then use a Batarang to destroy it. But that meant he lost Penguin's trail.
"Where's Superman?" Batman needed help from Metropolis's hometown hero to find Penguin and rescue the hostage.
"I'm here." Superman appeared beside him. Using his X-ray vision, he quickly located the distinct rubber duck car heading toward a hydrochloric acid plant outside the city.
Thanks to his super-hearing, he picked up Lois's faint screams—that was way better than Jimmy's ultrasonic signal watch. On the way, he'd even saved someone running a red light, which is why he was a bit late.
"It's Superman and Batman," Ada said with surprise at seeing both famous heroes together.
"With the two of them teamed up—Superman's got brawn, Batman's got brain—no villain can stop them," Liu A'dou said confidently.