Peter's POV:
Just as I expected. Mostly dirt. There's a ton of data on gangs, corporations and their shady little secrets. The usual. Who paid off who, who got silenced, which CEOs are into illegal tech or trafficking. Real blackmail gold.
Then there's the mutant stuff. Lists of known groups, underground meetups, a few scattered files on powers and incident reports. Some redacted. Some not.
Oh, and look at that. Ghost Rider. Only partial files though. Mostly theories about his abilities and eyewitness accounts. No real idea who or what he is. Just enough to sound scared.
They've got Daredevil in here too. Even the Punisher. Full psycho-analysis, weapons loadouts, known hideouts. Pretty detailed.
Vampires? Yep. Confirmed files. Multiple encounters logged. And Blade? Oh, they definitely know about him. Tried to recruit him more than once. Guy basically replied with "go f*** yourself" every time. Respect.
But yeah… no mention of Skrulls, Cosmic Cube, Infinity Formula, or LMDs. Not even a hint.
Figures.
Like I thought, this database is probably just a piece of the real thing. A decoy. Maybe even a honeytrap for nosy idiots like me. Makes sense, right? Dangle some flashy files—mutants, vigilantes, secret ops—and let curious people trip into it.
There's no way Fury would keep the big secrets somewhere low-level agents could poke around. Guy's paranoid on a cosmic level. Probably keeps that kind of stuff locked in a quantum vault guarded by a grumpy AI.
This place? It's just the surface layer. A fake front. Flashy enough to feel real… but not dangerous.
Makes sense.
When someone tries to steal or sell this intel, SHIELD probably swoops in before they even hit send. Smart trap. A bit obvious, but expected. I had already accounted for it in my plan.
Now, on to the real reason I'm here.
Daisy Johnson.
She's the one I was aiming for. Got her name marked down as a potential recruit for my fake-ass organisation. Gotta build the fantasy before I make it real.
In the show, her mom's an Inhuman doing cult-leader cosplay. In the comics? She was a prostitute with no clue about her powers.
This version? Total mystery.
Orphan. High school dropout. Now tangled up with some internet anarchist group called Rising Tide.
Bingo.
She's ideal. Young. Angry. Talented. Disconnected. Exactly the kind of person who might buy into a new cause if I pitch it right.
Still, one's not enough. Let's keep digging.
Eddie Brock.
Still a reporter. Still bitter. And yeah, I know what's coming for him: black goo, teeth, and trauma.
But I like him.
He's not caught up in the hero/villain fairy tale. He's real. Grounded. Knows how the world works and how dirty it gets.
He's perfect recruitment material. Actually might be one of my best picks.
Neena Thurman, aka Domino.
SHIELD's got her listed as a merc. But I know the truth. She's not some random gun-for-hire. Her powers? Ridiculous. Probability warper. Literally gets lucky.
Is she useful? Hell yes.
Will she work for me? No clue.
Still, worth a shot. Worst case, she ignores me. Best case? I've got a walking good-luck charm on my side.
There are other mutants out there too… but let's be real. Most of the good ones are already scooped up by Xavier or Magneto. The leftovers? Either too weak to matter right now, or they've straight-up vanished. Hydra's probably snatched some. Wouldn't put it past other shadowy groups either. Even SHIELD has a couple mutants on the payroll.
Now, I'm not trying to ignore the low-tier ones. They matter too. But if I'm gonna build something solid, I need some heavy hitters first.
Then there's this weird blind spot.
The Morlocks.
No files. No reports. Nothing.
Either SHIELD really has no clue there's a bunch of mutants living under the city—which sounds like total BS—or that data's locked up somewhere deeper, way past this decoy database.
Still, the Morlocks. They've been through hell. They're not gonna roll over and join up just because I ask nicely. If I want them, I might need to throw hands with their leader, maybe prove myself.
And if I win? Congrats, I inherit a whole underground mutant society.
Not exactly a light commitment.
But… might be worth it.
They're pissed. They've been burned too many times. They don't need a saviour.
They need someone who gets it. Someone who's not pretending to play hero, but actually willing to fight for them.
And that? That's something I can offer.
Then there's a bunch of other options too… but I can't juggle everything at once.
I mean, I could try, but that's a fast track to burning out or screwing something up big time.
Honestly, I even thought about bringing Ghost Rider in.
But that guy's pure chaos. A walking firestorm.
Yeah, he'd look cool on the team. But what if one day he decides I'm the bad guy?
Not worth it right now. Better to stay away.
Let me go over the list one more time. Then I'll pick who I'm meeting first.
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Suggestions for organization