The weather was gradually becoming cold again. The oppressive heat waves of the mornings and evenings were no more, instead replaced by a cool breeze. The distinct dampness unique to East Coast cities came ashore with the morning sea breeze. As it blew through the window, it diluted the steam rising from the coffee.
Shiller held the coffee cup, took a sip of coffee, and looked out the window. The vibrant walls of Hell's Kitchen were adorned with a new graffiti piece overnight. Recognizing the Mexican-style skeleton pattern, he knew it must have been done by Gonzalez, the taco vendor.
Indeed, Shiller had moved back to that clinic in Hell's Kitchen. To some extent, though, this was self-inflicted.
Perhaps some may remember that Shiller's initial aim was just to give the Avengers some tasks, so they would quit focusing on the weak and helpless Hydra and to preserve the last flames of the hapless organization.
The first unexpected turn of events happened when Nick Fury reported Shiller on the spot.
Perhaps some still recall that when DC Shiller debuted, he messed up several secret bases of Nick Fury. Fury had to pay for the repairs from his own pocket since these sabotaged bases couldn't be compensated, which led the one-eyed man's bleeding heart to plan revenge against Shiller for long.
Later, Shiller was taken to the CIA, where he ran into the Moon Knight. But that was just a coincidence.
After that, Shiller kept triggering sidequests. He first got involved in a deal with Khonsu out of curiosity about the secrets of the Egyptian Pantheon's resurrection. This led to the emergence of Amit who ended Shiller's life. It was necessary to replicate Mark's experience from the Moon Knight TV series, in order to access the Netherworld.
After he stole a boat in the Netherworld, another series of incidents began. DC Shiller sought revenge on Marvel Shiller for giving him so much work in the Green Lantern Industries. So, he simply lifted the security permissions of the Thought Palace, allowing Stark and Steve to access its bottom layer.
Then, DC Shiller persuaded his ego to stage a play for Stark and Steve, concocting a miserable childhood backstory.
However, due to Shiller's interaction with Death, Stark and Steve thought he was obsessed with resurrection. The reckless search for Shiller further cemented their misunderstanding after they witnessed his semi-maddened phone call with Death.
The third twist of fate came about due to Death's obstinate attitude.
For unknown reasons, Death firmly refused Shiller's entry to the Realm of Death. Powered by his competitive spirit, Shiller teamed up with Strange and Loki to generate hundreds of sales schemes, vowing to win over Death, the big client.
However, the scales existed in the Dreamworld. To proceed with his sales pitch, Shiller needed to dream, which to outsiders, looked like he fell into excessive sleep due to mental issues. This made Stark and Steve even more anxious.
At this point, DC Shiller's revenge wasn't over. He had intentionally left behind the Philby List and the Red Flag Medal, that he'd found in the cabinets at the sanatorium he currently owned. It was meant to stir up trouble for Marvel Shiller and expose the identity of the Hydra's Head caused by his previous substitute work.
Stark and Steve found these clues in the sanatorium and cooked up a strange story out of them, which was later refuted by Natasha.
But the fourth twist, the introduction of the Superhero Registration Act, came as a surprise amidst the rising popularity of superhero culture. Congress was eager to capitalize on this trend and turn superheroes to their advantage.
At this point, Marvel Shiller had realized that he had been duped. Deciding to admit his KGB identity was the only way to mute Stark's and Steve's incessant speculations. Otherwise, if the Avengers discovered their conjectures, Shiller would have a hard time explaining himself.
He decided to solidify this identity, earning himself some space for explanation. The Superhero Registration Act provided him this opportunity.
On his way to Capitol Hill, Shiller had already devised a string of plans. The ultimate goal was to promote unity among the nations on Earth.
In reality, it had been a considerable amount of time since Stark's Solar System Project was first proposed. Without the setbacks, Stark's productivity would have already thoroughly scanned every corner of the solar system as per the initial plan.
The problem was, there were too many people dragging their feet.
America wanted to seize the opportunity with this project to restore their dominant status. The Far East Nations, however, weren't going to sit back and accept this. After their disputes, America realized it was easier to frame others, ensuring they had no chance of obtaining a larger territory and keeping their own advantage.
In simple terms, it was an era of constant sabotages. If someone tried to get ahead, others would pull them back
This was particularly apparent in the Solar System Project. Stark's productivity was far beyond the initial project requirements. The hindrance was solely due to political resistances.