"In some sense, you're not wrong, but it's utterly impractical," Natasha said. "Faced with such a situation, we must prioritize restraining or even killing them. Hesitation will only escalate the violent conflict."
"This is a typical clash between researchers and security personnel," Shiller pointed out. "Ma'am, I think you should be able to see that these top researchers carry some degree of idealism and romanticism. It's these fanciful dreams that soothe the depression and gloom brought on by their day-to-day tedious analysis of research data."
"They need to dream of a better world to fuel their lifetime of dedication. They won't understand, as you do from first-hand experience, that the weak don't only have the attribute of vulnerability but may also have evils, violence, and the ability to be a nuisance."
"Precisely." Natasha nodded, "Perhaps indeed, there were unjust bloody conflicts. Just among these more than 50 protests, there must be innocent victims. I admit it, but I no longer have any sympathy for it. This is the basic duty of a special agent."
"It's individuals who are noble, not their occupations or social status. The poor can be saints or evil, just like the rich. Every collective group consists of a mix of good and evil."
"And when two groups clash, the good and the bad intertwine. Everyone sees the positive side of their own group, deliberately ignoring the negative."
"But I don't want to burst Banner's bubble," the female agent shook her head, barely noticeable, before continuing, "he doesn't need to realize this. He is a brilliant scientist; even if the world was about to end, he'd be among the first to board Noah's Ark. It's pretty nice to have some idealism."
"They are protected individuals and thus feel they can in turn protect others," Shiller relaxed his brows, "Sympathy is precious. If one could live in an ivory tower for life, wouldn't that be a type of happiness too?"
"Alright, ma'am, I now understand the specifics of the situation and the debate on right or wrong. What about your personal feelings?"
"Banner expects an answer from me," Natasha pursed her lips before continuing, "But clearly, there won't be any answer to this. But I don't want to disappoint him."
"The current situation is that S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't have the capacity to focus on the theories of an unconfirmed superpowered individual. The FBI is fully equipped to handle this."
"I don't want to let my personal matters affect my work or fulfill my emotional needs above my duty. This might be causing me some anxiety, but it's nothing serious. I can adjust by myself or you can prescribe me some placebo. I prefer them mint-flavored."
"Do you personally think there are any suspicious points within this incident that are worth paying attention to?" Shiller asked mildly.
"You mean people inciting protests and intensifying conflict?" Natasha indifferently replied, "That's not what I would call suspicious. Every country has protests and such incidents are bound to occur."
"Perhaps at first, they're just people expressing their discontent freely. Once the flames are ignited, there will always be someone adding fuel to the fire, escalating the situation. Sometimes, more than one person or force are involved, hence why most countries quash such situations as soon as they arise."
"As to why we didn't manage to do so, you'll have to ask what the FBI has been doing." The dissatisfaction in Natasha's tone was palpable, "The current FBI seems to think that every person in New York is a superpowered individual or a potential one. As long as they hand it over to S.H.I.E.L.D., they're rid of responsibilities."
"Do you think, given your current mental state, you still have the ability to chase after the shadow of superpower users?" Shiller inquired.
Natasha finally understood the implication behind his words. The female agent altered her posture. She was no longer loosely leaning back in her chair. Instead, she braced her arms against the table, her muscles tensing. It was clear she had slipped into work mode.
"I suppose I'll have to push my limits. You've seen my psychological report; crippling anxiety has overwhelmed my heart. I feel so sad and upset that I almost can't fulfill the duties of my job. Doctor, I need a break."
"However, ma'am, you need to understand that we're currently short-staffed." Shiller changed his tone, almost as though he and Natasha had swapped positions, "Although this job doesn't even amount to a tenth of the workload a special agent carries, we don't have an extra 100 agents to assign to it."
Natasha sighed regretfully, "Doctor, all I can say is that the psychological evaluation system you and Director Nick built is truly visionary. Without it, I might have worked myself to a mental breakdown. "
"But now I understand the importance of resting and conditioning my mental state. So now, I'll offload my tasks temporarily."
"It seems that we can only leave it to Coulson." Shiller stood up and shook Natasha's hand, "Don't worry or feel guilty about this. After all, Coulson has more than 600,000 agents sustaining his workload of over 30,000 tasks."