Time flew by, and it had been nearly a month since Ron subdued the Lizard.
During this time, Ron either stayed at Empire State University or at his secret base, not wandering around.
As for Black Widow… after she left with the Lizard that day, the very next day, she used S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources to secure a position as an associate professor at Empire State University, where Ron was studying, becoming a teacher at the school.
Of course, Black Widow didn't actually have to teach; she didn't have to do anything at all. She merely held the title, allowing her to legitimately appear at the school.
Black Widow's intention, of course, was to monitor Ron, and at the same time, she was constantly looking for opportunities to change Ron's opinion of S.H.I.E.L.D., hoping he might join.
Ron, of course, flatly refused. And every time Black Widow came to him, he would send her out on a mission, ostensibly calling it a test for the Guardians Alliance.
In reality, it was just Ron wanting to make Black Widow suffer and amuse himself.
Most importantly, Ron also used the excuse that Black Widow was still on probation, not giving her any bonuses, making her pay for her own expenses and do the work herself!
After some time, Black Widow would be busting a gang one day and stopping a robber the next. Occasionally, she would even subdue a mutant with superpowers who was causing trouble, truly becoming a bona fide superhero.
Of course, Black Widow's superhero moniker outside wouldn't be 'Black Widow.' Because she covered her face when she went out, only revealing her beautiful red hair, her fans gave her a new hero name: the Red-Haired Heroine, and she became a sensation throughout New York.
But Black Widow wasn't there to be a superhero; she was there to monitor Ron, and she had even more important objectives. How did it turn out like this?
Black Widow was very depressed. After so much torment from Ron, she was on the verge of a breakdown.
As a result, Black Widow sought out Ron less and less. Now, Ron would have to call her to tell her there was a superhero mission before she would reluctantly come to see him.
Most importantly, Ron also used the excuse that Black Widow was still on probation, not giving her any bonuses, making her pay for her own expenses and do the work herself!
In contrast to Black Widow, Ron would give Spider-Man, the other member of the Guardians Alliance, a reward of two hundred dollars for each mission, which infuriated Black Widow to no end, yet she could do nothing about it.
To establish a mature system for the Guardians Alliance, Ron had already set various ranks, such as member ranks, mission ranks, and so on. For instance, ordinary tasks like stopping robberies and rescuing people in danger were considered the lowest-level missions, with a reward of one hundred dollars per mission—not a lot, but not insignificant either.
At least, Peter was very happy!
And thanks to the efforts of Black Widow and Peter, who had become Spider-Man, the Guardians Alliance formed by Ron had also gained fame in New York, becoming a household name.
This was because Ron had Spider-Man and Black Widow announce themselves as members of the Guardians Alliance when they went out. Coupled with the Lizard incident, it completely built up public support, allowing the Guardians Alliance's reputation to spread so quickly.
Through the publicity by Spider-Man and Black Widow, most New Yorkers knew that the famous friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and the sexy Red-Haired Heroine were members of the Guardians Alliance, appearing very powerful.
Furthermore, someone, unbeknownst to Ron, also leaked the news that the mysterious Skywalker was also a member of the Guardians Alliance, and even its founder, which excited New Yorkers even more.
One must know that when Skywalker subdued the Hulk and Abomination, he merely stood silently in the air, not even lifting a finger. This invincible posture was far more impressive than Spider-Man swinging around on his webs.
Although Skywalker only intervened once during the battle between the Hulk and Abomination, that single instance had already captured the hearts of most New Yorkers, turning countless people into Skywalker's fans.
The one promoting this wasn't Ron himself, nor Peter or Black Widow, but S.H.I.E.L.D., Black Widow's backing.
After Black Widow informed Nick Fury about Ron forming the Guardians, Nick Fury, though angry, immediately turned the tables. As an old fox, he pushed Ron, the founder of the Guardians Alliance and also Skywalker, into the spotlight.
So, even though Ron had never personally performed any superhero deeds, everyone still knew that the Guardians Alliance was founded by Skywalker, leading even more people to worship Skywalker.
Even Ron himself admired Nick Fury's approach in this matter.
He had now guessed that the friend Professor X mentioned earlier was likely Nick Fury.
Because of this, public opposition to mutants also gradually decreased, as no one knew if the superheroes they supported—Spider-Man, the Red-Haired Heroine, Daredevil, etc.—were mutants!
To be able to employ such a strategy that killed two or even three birds with one stone, Nick Fury truly lived up to his position as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Thinking about the seemingly calm yet secretly turbulent situation during this period, Ron couldn't help but smile, his gaze fixed on the distance.
Next, things should become more and more interesting.
Because Ron knew that the key figure in the Avengers, Iron Man, should be making his appearance soon, right?
...Middle East, Afghanistan.
This was a canyon, entirely composed of rocks, devoid of any greenery. The canyon was surrounded by an endless, desolate desert.
However, despite this, for some unknown reason, there were still traces of human activity within the canyon, with tents and caves used for habitation.
Inside one completely enclosed cave, a man with a full beard was hammering an oval-shaped metal mask, his focused expression filled with anger.
Because the man had suffered too much abuse over the past two months. First, his heart was fragmented by a bomb, then he was imprisoned in the cave and forced, through suffocation, to build the very missiles that attacked him!
Finally, he discovered that the bombs that injured him were actually designed and developed by himself, and now he was being forced to help others manufacture these bombs. How could a proud man who never bowed down compromise?
After glancing at the almost-formed iron armor on the other side and the arc reactor in front of his heart, the man placed the now-formed metal mask into a bucket of water to cool it down, then placed the mask in front of another person wearing glasses, who looked refined and scholarly.
He knew that next, he would seek his revenge!