It must be said, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s efficiency was impressive. Barely ten or twenty minutes later, Natasha returned to the audition room with two female agents in tow.
Only two... Herman wasn't thrilled with the quantity, but in terms of quality, Natasha's choices were solid.
Both were familiar faces.
Specialist May.
Senior Agent Hill.
With those two plus Natasha, the fight scenes in The Boys would be smooth sailing. Their acting skills? No concern at all. Veteran agents like them—Oscar-level performance was just part of the job.
"I mentioned the audition to some friends. Two of them wanted to give it a try. Director, would it be possible to take up a little more of your time?" Natasha asked cautiously.
"Hello, I'm May."
"Hello, I'm Hill."
Using their real names, seriously?
If they weren't about to be cast, Herman would've at least put on a show of outrage. What, did they think so little of his ability to gather intel?
Fine.
A down-and-out director with no real background probably didn't merit S.H.I.E.L.D.'s full caution. Normally, he'd have no way of knowing who they were.
Forget S.H.I.E.L.D.—even the Time Variance Authority wouldn't suspect Herman was a traveler. And honestly, he wasn't worried about that outside-the-timeline organization. The fact he hadn't been snatched up immediately meant either the TVA no longer existed, or they simply couldn't detect him. After all, they only intercepted certain timelines, not the entire multiverse.
"Introduce yourselves."
Herman watched as the two agents went through another round of fake introductions. From the moment they'd stepped in, all three had been performing.
He was more than satisfied with their acting—and he'd played along smoothly. By now, probably only Skye was still in the dark.
"Haha, not bad. Good credentials and appearances."
The naïve girl skimmed May and Hill's info, did a little online digging, and discovered they had backgrounds just as resourceful and prestigious as Natasha's.
She thought Herman had struck gold. Excited, she truly believed they'd recruited three future rising stars.
Skye was already daydreaming about bragging rights.
See?
Three big celebrities.
And I acted with them!
The more she thought about it, the more thrilled she became. She was already picturing the wealthy life she'd live once fame came knocking.
Meanwhile, Herman had all three run through auditions.
Even though he knew their acting wouldn't be a problem, the process had to look official. Soon enough, he settled on two roles.
Agent Hill's presence and appearance were a perfect fit for Queen Maeve, so that role went straight to her.
As for May… a little older, but not visibly aged. He placed her as the company's assistant in charge of managing the superheroes' daily schedules.
"And me?"
Natasha had tried lines and sample scripts for several characters.
She felt she'd done well in all of them—after all, S.H.I.E.L.D. had already gotten hold of the entire script for The Boys.
"There's an important role in this series I've decided you should take," Herman said solemnly, fixing his gaze on Black Widow.
"What role?"
Natasha brightened immediately. Mission or not, she had no intention of being outdone by the other two.
"A position of authority, crucial to the first season… Madelyn, Vice President of the superhero corporation."
Herman's expression was serious.
Natasha's face had lit up at first, but by the end, she was stunned.
Wasn't that character supposed to be a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties?
The one Homelander was obsessively infatuated with.
"Uh… I don't think my age fits that role," Natasha said stiffly, implying she was better suited for younger parts.
"Makeup will handle it. I trust your acting." Herman kept a straight face, though inside he was already scoffing.
Doesn't fit your age?
If anything, it fits perfectly. You're old enough to be playing grandmothers. Casting you as a middle-aged woman is already shaving decades off your real age!
"Natasha, any role that enriches your acting career is a gain," Agent Hill said, struggling not to laugh.
She knew exactly how old Black Widow really was. Watching Herman slot her into a middle-aged role, she couldn't help but admire his sharp instincts.
"Yes, acting shouldn't be about obsessing over which role you get." Even May, normally the quiet one, spoke up to remind Natasha to focus on the mission.
Natasha knew that perfectly well. She just felt unwilling to accept it. Was it possible this director hadn't been swayed by her looks from the very beginning? That didn't make sense. Always so confident, Natasha suddenly wondered if Herman had… unusual tastes.
Not that her self-regard was unearned.
To be chosen by the Red Room as a Black Widow candidate, one needed beauty, physique, and presence—all the qualities that could drive men to obsession.
"Alright, if there are no objections, please sign these contracts." Herman had already printed the agreements before the three even walked in.
The three female agents gave them a quick glance, found nothing overtly suspicious, and signed their names without hesitation.
With that, they officially joined the production.
They agreed to be contacted once filming was set to begin, then left Stellar Tower looking satisfied.
With three seasoned actresses secured, Herman felt confident The Boys would be a hit. Still, he needed more actors to fill the other roles.
With Hollywood performers boycotting him… where else could he find talent? After mulling it over, he started wondering if he should tap S.H.I.E.L.D. for more recruits.
Just as he was considering how to ask the three agents for help, the door opened again—and in walked a group of college students auditioning together.
"Director, these students all look great! And that curly-haired girl—she's way too cute!" Skye whispered excitedly to Herman, convinced Lady Luck was smiling on them today.
Looking at the so-called film academy students lined up before him, Herman forced a stiff smile.
"Mm, that girl named Kitty is pretty cute." He scanned their resumes, but his thoughts were already in turmoil.
Their acting? Well, considering mutants often had to pass as ordinary people, their performances weren't half bad.
But… Xavier Film Academy? Are you kidding me?!
What the hell was Charles up to? Sending a bunch of mutants to audition—was he worried special effects would be too costly and decided to just film their powers directly? Herman's mind instantly pictured a set full of mutants going biu biu biu, blasting their abilities left and right.
Sure, it would save a fortune on special effects.
The audience would definitely praise the realism.
But still…
A superhero show co-starring S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and mutants? That was about as absurd as those Sino-American co-productions of Monkey King!
...
(50 Chapters Ahead)
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