Kamen Rider ZZZ from the American comic book world

“Leon S. Kennedy.” Li Ai’s gaze bypassed Shirley and turned to the still-unconscious police officers inside the building.

Let's talk somewhere else.

"How do you know about Leon?" Sherry's pupils contracted slightly, but the person in front of her was Kamen Rider ZZZ who had recently defeated the alien invaders, and knew about her relationship with Leon, so the possibility of him being a bad guy was very small.

Seeing this, Li Ai smiled mysteriously, and a wooden door appeared out of thin air behind him. "Come on, he's been waiting for you for a long time."

“You have so many abilities…” Shirley exclaimed, then followed Li Ai into the wooden door that had appeared out of nowhere.

After entering the wooden door, the two arrived at a clean white tunnel, where another wooden door representing the end was not far away.

This is how Li Ai leads people to teleport: one wooden door is the starting point, and the other is the ending point. The tunnel in the middle is actually part of the operations room.

After pushing open the wooden door that represented the finish line, the two traveled over a thousand kilometers to reach Li Ai's basement.

Leon had been waiting in the basement for a long time, and when he saw Shirley, now a grown woman, a relieved smile appeared on his face.

"Sherry, it's been a long time."

Upon seeing Leon, Shirley recalled how he and Claire had rescued her from that hell on earth, and the two embraced as if they were family reunited.

"Leon, it's so good to see you again."

Li Ai, meanwhile, watched from behind and chuckled to herself as she witnessed this scene that resembled a father and daughter reuniting.

After a brief embrace, Leon looked at Li Ai, who was still in disguise, and asked:

"Do you still want to maintain this outsider's appearance?"

"I just didn't have the heart to interrupt you, did I?" Li Ai smiled and returned to her original appearance, even changing her suit into sportswear.

Shirley's gaze darted back and forth between Li Ai and Leon, finally uttering a sigh:

"Your eyes look so alike... wait... what's your relationship?"

"It all started in Raccoon City..." Leon briefly introduced Li Ai's background.

Upon learning that Li Ai was a perfectly adapted individual to the T-virus, a hint of realization flickered in Shirley's eyes as she looked at him. She sighed and said:

"No wonder I felt a strange sense of familiarity when I met you. It turns out you're also connected to Raccoon City. What a coincidence."

"It was precisely because of that sense of familiarity that I made the call to ask," Li Ai said with a smile.

“Thank you for bringing me to see Lyon, but I have to go back first and then write a report for my superior, Drake C. Simmons,” Shirley said. Her FBI identity was also fake; after finishing this matter, she had to return to her original department to report for duty.

But as soon as she finished speaking, Li Ai said, "But I have reliable intelligence confirming that Derek C. Simmons actually has other plans. For your safety, you'd better switch departments."

“Li Ai’s words have always made a lot of sense,” Lyon affirmed, then invited him:

"I'm now the DSO manager, and I can get you a job here."

Chapter 128 If you want to die, don't take me with you.

The following day, Washington, D.C., White House

Inside the presidential office, where a portrait of founding president George Washington hangs, Adam Benford is meeting with his chief national security advisor, Derek C. Simmons.

Simmons was dressed in a well-tailored suit, with a gold ring symbolizing his family on his hand, and his hair was combed meticulously, exuding an old-money vibe.

But this old money man, whose family history can be traced back to the Mayflower, seemed somewhat angry at this moment.

Simmons jabbed the century-old oak desk with his hand, which wore the family crest ring, and said vehemently:

"Adam, you trust those masked freaks far too much!"

"They protected America, and they deserved it."

Adam Benford spoke calmly, his gaze remaining fixed on the paper documents on the table, without even glancing at Simmons.

In return for the Avengers' efforts, Adam granted them many privileges, such as the pardon of Dr. Banner, the exceptionally successful business ventures of Tony Stark, the seamless career transitions of Hawkeye and Black Widow, and the transfer of the copyright to Captain America's image.

“Those masked freaks need to be brought under control,” Simmons said sternly, slamming his palms on the table.

“Their abilities, personal information, family circumstances, and equipment should all be registered, instead of letting them run wild like wild horses.”

Upon hearing this, Adam Benford finally looked up at Simmons, then said while signing the documents:

“You weren’t in Washington that night and didn’t get to witness the battle between Kamen Rider and the alien general, so I understand your thoughts. But if you had been there and witnessed that battle that felt like a return to the mythical era, you wouldn’t think that way.”

"What do you mean by that?" Simmons asked, frowning.

"Because Kamen Rider ZZZ is really strong," Adam said with a hint of accusation.

"I've witnessed his power firsthand. Even if you combined all the nuclear weapons in the country, they wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest. And you still want to control his family? What if he joins the Russian Federation and China?"

“Then we will spare no expense to obtain power comparable to Kamen Rider ZZZ, and then…” Simmons was about to utter a boastful statement when Adam Benford sternly interrupted him.

"Enough, Simmons, I am the president!"

Simmons, his face ashen from being abruptly interrupted, suppressed his resentment and said pointedly:

"Adam, don't regret it."

After saying that, Simmons prepared to leave the presidential office, but just as he touched the doorknob, Adam Benford stabbed him in the back.

"Furthermore, Shirley Birkin is now an agent of the DSO, directly under my command. Her talents should not be wasted by the NSA, which is responsible for global signals intelligence collection and analysis."

After he finished speaking, Simmons felt like his heart was bleeding. He was not as powerful as the current president, Adam Benford, who held real power, so he had no choice but to obediently release the man.

But over the years, Simmons has extracted quite a few G-virus samples from Sherry, so Sherry is no longer of much value to him.

Rather than raising a brat who is destined to go down a different path, it's better to focus on finding a way to deal with the Avengers.

“No problem,” Simmons replied crisply, but his act of slamming the door behind him betrayed his anger.

Looking at the door that had been hit hard, Adam Benford's eyes deepened, and he said in a low voice:

"Simmons, you absolutely mustn't do anything to harm America."

........................

Meanwhile, in Springwood Town, a convoy arrived in the peaceful town.

At Sheriff Thompson's home, Stark International CEO Pepper Potts is personally introducing a plan to Nancy's parents.

After hearing Pepper's explanation, Sheriff Thompson's face was filled with disbelief. He kept flipping through the documents, exclaiming in surprise:

"Are you saying that my daughter only needs to go to New York to take a written test, pass your interview, and then she can study at a high school in New York for a semester, do an internship at Stark Industries in 12th grade, and then have her tuition reimbursed for four years at a designated university? And after graduation, she can work directly for your company for ten years?"

“That’s right.” Pepper smiled. “Given that your child is not yet an adult, after the interview, we will arrange an apartment for her in New York and reduce the rent by 90%. The parents only need to provide living expenses. The test will be held on December 30th in New York.”

“Honey, why don’t we let Nancy participate in this program? If she passes, we won’t have to worry about Nancy’s tuition for four years of college.” Mrs. Thompson nudged her husband’s shoulder.

Upon hearing this, Sheriff Thompson's expression softened slightly, and he agreed, "I will let my daughter participate in this small-town student development program, but you must guarantee my daughter's safety."

“It’s our duty, Mr. Thompson.” Pepper watched as Sheriff Thompson wrote down the parent’s signature, then politely said goodbye and went to the next house.

At this moment, Nancy came out of the inner room. Mrs. Thompson hugged her daughter and said reluctantly:

"You absolutely must seize this opportunity, Nancy."

“I’m sure I can secure a spot,” Nancy said with a smile.

The 'Stark International Town Student Development Program' was an idea proposed by Li Ai and Tony together.

The plan was publicly announced as selecting fifty high-achieving students from small towns in America to train them as reserve employees for Stark International. In reality, it was a plan set up to get Nancy to New York as soon as possible, and she had already reserved a spot in advance.

Sheriff Thompson went outside, took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, took a deep drag, and, once he was more alert, asked the person inside:

"Is this matter related to that kid?"

“Pretty much.” Nancy came out, leaned against the door frame, and said frankly, “You’re right to call him Master Scott.”

"Forget it, we parents can't let our children be trapped in this town." Sheriff Thompson took another deep drag on his cigarette, leaving only a small stub. He threw the butt on the ground, crushed it, and said earnestly:

"To be honest, I think that kid is really good. He's good at studying, tall, strong, and mature. He's much better than me. Nancy, you must not let him down."

Nancy looked at her father, who used to shout that he wanted to fight Li Ai, but now started to speak up for Li Ai, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

"Don't worry, we get along very well."

"That's fine then." Sheriff Thompson asked curiously, "By the way, if I don't agree to Stark's CEO's offer, who will come looking for me next? A high-ranking official in the White House?"

“I don’t know,” Nancy said with a smile and a shake of her head. “But Li Ai has been asking me to pass on a message to you.”

"You said."

"Li Ai asked me to inquire whether motorcycles parked downstairs at our house will be stolen."

Chapter 129: Avengers Base Launched

December 31, 2009, afternoon

After a period of adjustments, the Avengers base was finally completed and put into use.

Having completed the addition process, Li Ai drove her black Porsche Cayenne into the parking space. The rear door was opened, and Peter looked at the 'A'-shaped artistic letter on the wall, his eyes shining with excitement.

"This is amazing! It's just like the Hall of Justice in DC Comics! Senior, there's even a plane on the open helipad that doesn't need a runway. It looks like it came straight out of Star Wars!" Peter exclaimed excitedly.

Jessica, who also got out of the back seat, seemed relatively calm. She looked around and said incredulously:

"It's only been a month, right? They've already built such a huge base? It's faster than renovating just one room in my house."

"Let's go, don't keep the others waiting too long."

Li Ai, who had just gotten out of the car, greeted them, while Nancy, who had participated in the preliminary screening of the 'Small Town Student Development Program' in New York yesterday, opened the passenger door.

The four people, all wearing sunglasses, walked together toward the Avengers base lobby.

The hall was spacious and bright, and the warm winter sun shone through the glass onto the four people who were already waiting there.

"You guys have finally arrived," Tony said first. "Come on, try on these clothes to see if they fit."

"Clothes?" Peter asked curiously, looking at Daisy and Gwen, who had arrived at the Avengers base earlier. The two, wearing sunglasses, were also carrying a box.

As they spoke, a mechanical wolf with black and white armor, a red transparent part protecting its head, and blue light flashing at its joints steadily ran up to the four of them. It carried four identical suitcases on its back and even wagged its tail at them like a real wolf.

At Li Ai's prompting, Peter opened the topmost suitcase.

Inside the box was a red and white jacket with an 'A' logo on the back, and a personal terminal with the same logo.

"Is this a team uniform? Isn't it too flashy? Isn't this just telling everyone 'I am an Avenger'?" Peter picked up the Avenger jacket in one hand and the terminal in the other.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Mr. Stark has set up a Mary Foundation specifically to manage the Avengers image and fund their operations,” Li Ai explained, placing her hand on Peter’s shoulder.

"The foundation's funding comes from operating Avengers merchandise. Even if you buy a box of cereal with an Iron Man design, you're supporting the Avengers."

“Then I definitely have to buy Captain America and ZZZ nutritional cereal.” Peter’s words made Tony cough twice.

"Iron Man Nutritional Granola is the one with the highest sales volume," Tony interjected.

“Like that Avengers jacket you have, you can actually buy similar items in stores. They look very similar, but the inner lining of the Avengers jacket is stab-proof and bulletproof. You can use it to avoid risks when it’s inconvenient to wear your suit.”

“I’m going to wear it every day from now on!” Peter gripped the Avengers jacket tightly, then raised the handheld terminal and asked:

"Then what is this for?"

"This is a personal terminal that every Avenger has. When you first start it up, you will fill in some information, and then it will generate a unique code that allows you to communicate with other members of the alliance in real time. There is also an emergency help function. When you encounter a problem that is difficult to solve, just press the two buttons on the top at the same time, or enter a voice command, and the nearest Avenger will receive the message."

Li Ai explained the purpose of the Avengers terminal, then looked at Steve, who was not far away, and asked:

"Are you getting used to these high-tech devices, Captain Rogers?"

"It's quite convenient to use," Steve said with a smile. "Especially when designing the base's shape and jacket style using Tony's holographic projection equipment, I really felt the convenience."

Before joining the army, Steve was actually a student at an art university. His artistic talent was so good that he could easily have been admitted to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. However, his family could not afford it, and the situation at the time was not good. Going abroad rashly would have put his life in danger.

"Registration complete: A08 Spider-Man, welcome to the Avengers."

Suddenly, Jarvis's voice rang out in the hall.

While Li Ai and Steve were talking, Peter set up his Avengers terminal with special information, making Spider-Man the eighth member of the Avengers and unlocking all the facilities at the base for him.

Aside from the first seven, the subsequent Avengers will be assigned numbers based on who registers first.

"I suggest you all register your personal information, otherwise you'll be blocked by the door," Li Ai suggested to the others.

"Registration complete: A09 Lord No. 6, A10 Shockwave, A11 Female Knight, A12 Ghost Spider, welcome to the Avengers."

After everyone had finished registering, Tony thought for a moment about his business activities and said with a shrug, "I won't keep you company any longer. Please have the architect show you around."

"Come with me, Stark is usually very busy." Steve smiled slightly, and then led everyone on a tour of the Avengers base.

The entire base is built along the river, with a tributary of the Hudson River flowing quietly not far away.