Although Perkins had never seen Russell use his full strength, she had great confidence in his abilities.
Before Russell had acquired his incredible superpowers, he was already one of New York's top assassins, earning him the infamous moniker of the "Mad Traveler."
At that time, in Perkins' understanding, Russell possessed extraordinary physical abilities far beyond those of ordinary people.
Now, as Russell had revealed himself as a superhero with the Superhero Serum, it was clear that his abilities had expanded even further.
Just watching the footage of Russell taking on three opponents simultaneously on Oahu Island, defeating Grendel, Godzilla, and the male Muto, demonstrated his incredible powers.
A few minutes later, Russell arrived with Perkins at the Justice League headquarters' garage.
He had chosen to drive there himself instead of using the Porsche with autonomous driving capabilities. Russell opted for a Mercedes G550.
"You drive."
Russell said, then opened the passenger door and got in. He had no intention of having Perkins act as his chauffeur.
Perkins nodded and didn't say anything, taking the driver's seat instead.
She started the vehicle and headed towards the Continental Hotel.
In terms of efficiency, flying directly from the Justice League would have been simpler, but Russell had other plans.
Whether it was flying with Perkins or having her fly in armor, he wasn't considering those options.
During the drive to the Continental Hotel, Russell remained silent, gazing out of the window at the passing scenery. Although it was nighttime, the low light posed no problem for Russell's superhuman vision.
While the Kryptonian Physiology Super Vision exhibited three main aspects: telescopic vision, X-ray vision, and microscopic vision, it didn't mean Russell lacked night vision. In fact, night vision seemed quite ordinary in comparison and wasn't significant enough to be included as part of his super vision.
At first, Perkins didn't think much of the silence in the car. However, as time passed, she started to feel some instinctual reactions she couldn't suppress.
It felt like a rabbit and a tiger were locked together in the same cage, even though the tiger wasn't hungry right now. The inherent sense of oppression made the rabbit inevitably experience uncontrollable fear.
To dispel this fear, purely due to their respective life forms, Perkins decided to break the silence.
"Um, why did you choose to become an assassin in the first place?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Perkins realized she had asked an inappropriate question.
"Assassins make money quickly, and I needed money at the time."
Russell noticed Perkins' fear and smiled as he replied.
While he usually tried to appear approachable, no matter how amiable he seemed, it still placed immense pressure on others.
The reason was simple: he had acted a bit too dramatically in the past.
A monstrous figure like a small mountain that could punch or beat up anyone without restraint. It would be strange for ordinary people not to be afraid to approach him. If he didn't have a handsome face and a body that wasn't as exaggerated as the Hulk's, normal people would never dare to speak to him.
Not to mention he had actively displayed his strong desire for self-improvement, just like his secretary, Ellie, the blonde.
Upon hearing Russell's response, Perkins finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Russell was much stronger now than when she first met him, it seemed that his character hadn't changed significantly due to his increased power.
"With the abilities you displayed at that time, you could have earned a lot of money even without being an assassin. For example, you could have become a superhero or a successful arms dealer like you are now."
Perkins continued, "Back then, you were certainly capable of doing these things, but it would have been much more challenging."
"Being an assassin isn't so bad. Apart from the lack of social welfare and insurance, as well as survivor benefits, everything else is quite good."
"You can play with guns, kill people, and make loads of dollars."
"In today's New York, good jobs like this are hard to come by."
Russell chuckled, "To be honest, being an assassin isn't a bad job, except for the moral and legal aspects. Especially in a cutthroat capitalist society like now."
"That's true. If you hadn't chosen to be an assassin at the time and had opted to become a superhero, we would have been in trouble."
Perkins also relaxed and replied with a smile.
"Yes, so you should be grateful that I chose to be an assassin back then."
Russell acknowledged Perkins' statement.
"Can I ask you a question?"
Perkins suddenly turned to look at Russell and asked seriously.
"Go ahead, as long as it's not something too secretive."
Russell replied directly.
"Don't worry, it's not anything particularly secretive."
"I just want to know why, despite my many attempts to seduce you back then, you never agreed even once?"
"Was it because I didn't meet your taste, or was there some other reason?"
Russell hadn't expected Perkins to ask such a question.
After thinking for a few seconds, he replied, "Physically and in terms of appearance, you're quite attractive."
"Saying that I didn't have any thoughts about you would be self-deception."
"But my rejection of your advances was purely due to a lack of trust."
As a connoisseur, Russell had certain criteria for appearance, mainly concerning looks and physique.
Of course, health and hygiene were also important.
Whether from the perspective of an assassin or an ordinary person, Perkins deserved to be called beautiful.
However, back then, Russell had a deep sense of mistrust towards Perkins.
While he could withstand most things, he wasn't completely immune to poisons. If Perkins had attempted anything, he might have been in for a surprise.
"Is that the reason you rejected me every time?"
Perkins pressed further.
"Isn't that enough? You're a woman, and you should know how many secretive methods a woman can use to harm a man. I didn't want to become a victim on your hit list."
"If I remember correctly, there were plenty of people who wanted me dead at the time. Who knows if you secretly accepted someone's commission?"
Russell said seriously.
Although he spoke earnestly, Perkins quickly noticed a playful undertone in his words.
"It seems the outside world's assessment of you isn't entirely accurate. You're not just crazy and ruthless; you're also cautious."
Perkins said slowly.
"Being cautious is not a bad thing, especially for an assassin."