Marvel's Speedster

Waiting is never pleasant, whether the belated partner is beautiful or not.

Although Ross made verbal assurances to the doctor, it is still unknown whether things will definitely develop as he foresees. At night when he couldn't see the way ahead, he had to plan a backup plan while choosing to trust people's personalities and experiences, because many things will change as the external environment changes, but there are always some decisive factors that will not be easily shaken. Ross believed that as long as Stryker hated Mutant, he had to seize the golden opportunity in front of him.

And Stryker's opportunity is also Ross's opportunity. Once he misses its graceful swaying figure, Ross needs to find the bald boy named Jimmy from the vast crowd, and rely on his unique ability to temporarily eliminate the threat of Mutant.

But until then, Ross has plenty of patience. He waited all the time, quietly waiting outside the X-Men's field of activity like a shark thirsting for blood, observing every move in several key locations through the ubiquitous Internet and satellite cameras in the sky.

"Take a step back and look at the whole situation," he said to Toad, the toad next to him, while watering the potted plants on the table. "If you want to swallow a whale, you can only use this method, tearing off one piece at a time until the whole whale is swallowed."

"That makes sense, sir." Todd was a little confused, he felt that Ross didn't call him here because of these words.

In fact it is.

Putting down the watering can, he told the security director to sit down across the desk, and Ross stared at him with a scrutinizing look across the desk. It was said a long time ago that there is a special power in Ross' eyes, which can make people's pulse rush or make people cold. Today, Toad Toad was no exception, he was stared at by his boss very cramped, he didn't know where to put his hands and feet, and soon there were thin beads of sweat on the tip of his nose.

After applying enough pressure, Ross finally broke the silence.

"Mr. Todd," this time, his voice was unexpectedly soft. "It's been four and a half months since we first met, and I've had my eyes on you during that time. I would like to say that you fit my needs perfectly, but what I want to know is whether I also Meet your requirements?"

"When, definitely, sir." Under the tension, Todd couldn't help stuttering, and he nodded vigorously. Previously Toad had never been so relaxed and comfortable in Brotherhood as he had been with Ross these past few months.

Speaking of relaxed and comfortable, it does not mean that the laboratory did not assign tasks for him, on the contrary Todd's responsibilities are quite heavy.

He not only has to take on the heavy responsibility of laboratory security, but also accepts assignments to do some private work from time to time. In addition, he and Sabretooth Victor take turns serving as bodyguards for Connors and Mary Jane at certain dangerous moments. It can be said that he lives every day. I was very busy, and sometimes I even used the time for rest. If he was an ordinary person, he might have filed a complaint with the labor union for overtime work, and used a labor lawsuit to coerce the hateful employer to make concessions and compensation, but for a Mutant like Toad, this level of busyness will only make him He felt more fulfilled than ever.

So it is absolutely impossible for him to make other opinions.

So Ross continued.

"The salary I offer you is 180,000 per year. According to recent statistics, this figure ranks among the highest 6.5% of household income in the United States, that is, only one out of every 15 families, and you meet the standard , which is more than many white-collar couples who have received higher education; in addition, I also bear all your taxes, help you eliminate your previous criminal records, and give you the best benefits--now you You can freely go to restaurants that you have never been to before, taste those delicacies that you have never tasted, and socialize with beautiful girls. I believe this is something that your previous boss could not give you, am I right?"

"You're right! You're right!" Todd said repeatedly, his body leaned forward slightly, and he couldn't help but bend his waist even lower.

At first he was willing to follow Ross, not so much to repay Ross for saving them from death, but because he and Sabretooth had nowhere to go after Magneto was captured, and it happened that Juggernaut next to Ross was their fellow Mutant , so Todd stayed.

But after more than four months, he has become more and more inseparable from the fresh and wonderful life under the sun.

"I will say this not to show off my efforts. I think your performance is fully worthy of this figure, so I plan to increase your salary next year and let us share our achievements. But at that Before, I also want to remind you that there are some things that must be chosen, whether to return to the Brotherhood full of crises, or we will fight together to achieve greater gains, I think you should have your own choice."

Todd finally understood, and frowned in confusion. He guessed that Mystique had put on makeup a few days ago to find out what happened to him. Mystique wants to save Magneto, but she needs help, Brotherhood is a mess, and no one will listen to her orders, so she slips back and asks Toad to accept her assignment, but although Toad was beaten and scolded by Magneto every time before, Brotherhood The system made him only loyal to Magneto, and he didn't need to be so obedient to Mystique, so he directly rejected the other party.

It seems that this matter did not escape Ross's keen eyes, which made Todd feel a little regretful, and he should have reported it to his boss immediately.

Raising his hand to stop Todd's eager explanation, Ross stood up and walked slowly around the table.

"I understand that people always have some pursuits. Without secrets, we are not ourselves. But please don't limit your vision too much to the previous perspective, and don't always use fighting for living space for your compatriots as a reason. What I did did not Hidden from you, you should know what I'm doing, common man? Mutant? Technological advances are rapidly closing the gap between the two. Genetic inequality may be achievable in the future with money, so I think, you You don’t have to be loyal to anyone anymore, and you don’t have to be loyal to anyone.”

Throat dry swallowed, Todd was a little panicked.

His heart is fighting fiercely like a battlefield, his fear of Magneto and his expectation of a new life are like two deadly rivals, one must lose the other to win, but reason tells him that it is not wise to give up either side rashly what people do. As for the betrayers, Toad knows very well that the former boss will use the cruelest means to deal with them, and the unpredictable new boss is not someone who can be dealt with casually.

For Ross, the more he knows, the more awed he feels in his heart. This young man has too many secrets, and all kinds of methods emerge in endlessly. He is as invisible as a bottomless abyss. Unlike Magneto, he survived the initial fear Afterwards, the rear is unobstructed.

Todd was thinking nervously, a lot of sweat dripped quietly from his forehead, beads of sweat dripped from the tip of his nose, hit his trousers and smashed his body into pieces, only then did he wake up again.

Looking at the equipment on his body, those metal ear studs that can resist mind control, the close-fitting super strong combat uniform, and various high-tech tools that he has never used before, the balance in Todd's heart unknowingly turned to Ross's side. Tilted a little.

Magneto wasn't without money, but he'd never spend that much on his men.

No matter how much the Brotherhood leader is proud of Mutant, Toad knows very well that Magneto is still a Jew who believes in miserliness at heart, and he cares about gains and losses. Moreover, this standard of gain and loss is not a clear standard that can be measured by others, but an invisible line that only exists in his own heart. If something is worth one million, but the seller asks for two million, as long as the price can be negotiated to 1.2 million, even if he still thinks it is too high, he will still buy it. The standard in Magneto's mind is whether his actions have a "positive" impact on the result, not the actual income.

Todd used to think that this way of thinking was just a quirk of character, but after being with Ross for a period of time, he began to gradually realize the capriciousness of his former boss.

Todd knows that Ross's daily life is not very extravagant, he only pays for reasonable enjoyment, but once he encounters something worth selling, whether it is equipment, technology, talent, or funding a certain congressman, he will have no hesitation invest sufficient resources. If Magneto can attract talents like him, pay attention to coordinating internal and external relations, and don't be so stingy, maybe he has already legally owned his own territory in a remote place.

In comparison, the old and new masters are far behind in terms of wrist, stamina, and knowledge.

When he was thinking nervously, Ross's seductive voice continued to echo in the room, and every word touched him deeply, and it went all the way to his heart.

"Now that you are born for yourself at last, and you have a good fortune, don't you want to find a woman, have children of your own, and be respected by your neighbors in front of your wife and children? Follow me, It's all available. You can live more comfortably and proudly than the white-collar workers out there, but they'll never enjoy the conveniences that you do. One person's dead end and sunset can be another person's fresh start. At that point, he may be rising as high as the morning sun, and I want you to be by my side as we go up."

He patted Todd's shoulder meaningfully, and the head of security immediately jumped up from the chair reflexively.

"I figured it out, sir!" Todd, who was not good at words, finally made a judgment, and he shouted excitedly. "From today onwards, I will work as hard as Victor, and nothing like the last time will ever happen again. I will focus on completing your assignment, no matter what work you give me..."

"Don't be like Victor", Ross stopped him again with a smile. "Victor doesn't need brains, he's more like my weapon, when I ask you guys to do something for me, it's enough for Victor to say 'yes, sir', and for you, I hope you Learn to use your wits and your strength, but don't give up your thinking—I have great hopes for you."

Todd nodded desperately. From this moment on, the slight sense of alienation in him completely disappeared, replaced by a closer look.

"Very good", Ross shook his shoulder in satisfaction, and finally stated his purpose - he needed Todd to take advantage of Brotherhood's turbulent period and bring some useful people from there, Ability didn't have to Very powerful, but the background should be clean, so you can use it with confidence.

He was fed up with this manpower shortage.

In the past, Ross didn't hire people outside because they were too weak to keep his secrets from the prying eyes of interested people, but now it's for long-term plans. Mutant, who has different values ​​from ordinary people, is not easy to be infiltrated and bought by the outside world, and whose various needs are easier to meet will be his future human resources base.

As long as he beats Magneto and the Xavier Academy, no one will threaten him in this regard again.

"I see, sir, I will not let you down." Todd nodded solemnly, and then exited Ross's office.

Watching his back disappear behind the door, Ross exhaled a hollow breath.