"The first floor is the office area," Samuel explained as they walked through the building. "The company was established recently and hasn't officially begun operations yet. You are my first employee. For now, your job is simply to follow my instructions—you do whatever I tell you to do."
He gestured toward the stairs. "The second floor is the residential area; all the rooms are currently vacant. Pick whichever one you like. The third floor is my private quarters."
Samuel turned to the seemingly fearless Jessica Jones, laying out the terms of her employment with clinical precision. "Your internship will last three months. Food and lodging are provided, but there is no salary during this period. Once the internship is complete, your monthly salary will be three thousand U.S. dollars, with benefits and bonuses calculated separately. Any questions?"
His delivery was concise and decisive. Jessica, facing the reality of her first real job away from her sister's shadow, felt a bit overwhelmed. She shook her head instinctively.
"No... no problem."
Even without a salary during the internship, having a roof over her head and food on the table solved her most immediate problems. More importantly, the prospect of earning three thousand dollars a month afterward was a dream. She was desperate to prove to Trish that she could thrive on her own.
"Thank you for this opportunity!" Jessica said, her gratitude sincere.
Samuel offered a calm, practiced smile. "Get some rest. We're heading out tomorrow."
"Okay, will do." Jessica nodded. As Samuel turned to head upstairs, she hesitated, then called out in an embarrassed whisper, "Um... I still don't know your name."
Samuel didn't look back. "Samuel. It is taken from the line—'Release the wicked from the southern lair to save the tyrannical, and the clouds will fulfill their wish after Samuel.'"
Jessica stood there, slightly awestruck, wondering if he was just showing off his poetic side. "I... I'm Jessica Jones."
"I know," a light voice floated back as Samuel disappeared into the shadows of the third floor.
While Jessica spent the evening settling into her new room, Samuel showered and collapsed into bed. He slept peacefully—not because he felt protected by the super-powered girl downstairs, but because the Time Variance Authority had yet to appear.
This was a vital confirmation. Even though he had altered Jessica's fate, it hadn't triggered a new time branch. It proved his theory: the major currents of time cannot be easily diverted, but the minor details are flexible. As long as the key "nodes" and the ultimate destiny of the timeline remained intact, minor changes wouldn't alert the TVA.
From now on, Samuel wouldn't have to live in constant fear of his every move.
Baltimore, Maryland.
Jessica Jones stood in front of a dilapidated wooden house, her expression blank and her eyes vacant.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here?
Seconds ago, she had been at the office in New York, preparing to head out with her boss. Then, a light tap on the shoulder, a blink of an eye, and she was suddenly hundreds of miles away in Maryland.
"Boss, you..." Jessica turned a sharp, questioning gaze toward Samuel.
Samuel remained unfazed, a rare look of casual disdain on his face as he pointed toward the front door. "You're not the only one who is special. Go, knock on the door."
Jessica suppressed her shock and mounting curiosity, stepping forward to strike the weathered wood.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The door creaked open, revealing a young Black boy.
"We're looking for Isaiah," Samuel stated flatly.
"There's no one named Isaiah here," the boy replied, already beginning to swing the door shut.
"Jessica," Samuel called out.
Taking the cue, Jessica applied a fraction of her strength, effortlessly forcing the door back open.
"Elijah Eli Bradley, lying is a habit you should avoid," Samuel said, glancing at the wary boy who retreated into the house. Samuel walked inside with the leisure of a man entering his own home.
In the living room, an old Black man with shocking white hair stared sharply at the intruders. "You aren't welcome here. Leave!"
"Isaiah Bradley..."
Samuel ignored the dismissal, surveying the room before sinking into the sofa with a relaxed posture. "There's no need for such tension. I know who you are, and I know exactly what you've been through. You don't need to worry. My only purpose here is to have you fight her for a bit."
"What?!" Jessica's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "You want me to fight him? He's an old man! I'm not doing that!"
Samuel reached into his jacket, pulled out a thick stack of cash, and tossed it onto the coffee table. He watched Isaiah's unreadable expression. "Fifty thousand U.S. dollars. The money is yours whether you win or lose. In exchange, I promise never to disturb you or your family again."
Isaiah Bradley glanced at Jessica. If this stranger knew his history and still expected this girl to fight him, she was clearly more than she seemed.
"And if I refuse?" Isaiah asked.
Samuel smiled, shaking his head with chilling indifference. "Perhaps... you could try."
Isaiah knew the fight was inevitable. He could refuse to throw a punch, but he couldn't prevent these people from moving against him or his grandson.
"You'd better keep your word," Isaiah warned.
With a suddenness that defied his apparent age, Isaiah blurred. He rushed toward Jessica with explosive speed, throwing a heavy, practiced punch. It was the strike of a waking tiger—fierce, powerful, and precise.
Jessica, who had been looking at him with pity, was caught completely off guard. She didn't even have time to dodge. The blow connected, and Jessica stumbled back, her eyes wide with shock. This was no ordinary old man.
"The old man has no respect for the rules!" Samuel chuckled, watching Jessica finally snap into a combat stance. He immediately opened the System.
[Ding! Battle detected. Reward dropped: Super Strength (Jessica Jones)]
[Ding! Battle detected. Reward dropped: Isaiah Bradley (Super Soldier Serum Enhancement)]
Both targets had dropped their most valuable assets—the exact rewards Samuel had been hunting for.
The Super Strength was transformative. As the ability integrated, Samuel felt a surge of raw power. Just clenching his fist felt like he was squeezing the air out of the room.
The Isaiah Bradley (Super Soldier Serum Enhancement) was even more comprehensive. It was as if he had been injected with the military's recreated serum. His strength, speed, endurance, and reflexes were being rewritten at a cellular level. Beneath his shirt, his physique hardened, his muscles defining into a perfect eight-pack.
The only drawback was that Isaiah's serum was the result of the military's flawed attempts to replicate Dr. Erskine's work after his assassination. It wasn't quite as perfected as the version given to Steve Rogers, but Samuel wasn't greedy. Until Captain America was thawed from the ice, this was the highest tier of physical enhancement available on Earth.
After all, Isaiah had been the Captain America of his era, even managing to hold his own against the Winter Soldier during the Korean War.
"Take a break! We'll continue in ten minutes," Samuel called out, clapping his hands to halt the escalating brawl.
His reason? To let the "battle" state reset so he could continue farming more rewards.