The Clone Debate

Duncan had mostly recovered from his injuries over the past three days. His wounds had just scabbed over, and he was already able to walk around.

His armor and bionic robot had also been completed in a rush. He hadn't gone back right away because he wanted to spend some time reconnecting with Alice, so she wouldn't end up taking someone else's side.

Once Alice finished her training with the Avengers, she'd follow him around every day, carrying a suitcase in each hand. She'd wear dark sunglasses and coldly watch everyone around them. At night, she could take them off, and her knife-sharp eyes would look like a little cat's.

There was no doubt that something would go wrong with Umbrella. If he didn't let things get messy over there, it would be difficult to see who was targeting him.

On the fourth day after the attack, Alice finally returned to Stark Tower. The two of them and the other Avengers held a small party on the top floor.

Duncan sat in a booth and smiled as Alice approached in a long silk dress. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good. You've been hurt?" As soon as she drew near, Alice's keen sense of smell picked up the scent of medicine on Duncan. She frowned at once.

Duncan smiled and explained what had happened.

After hearing his account, Alice expressed her anger at the attackers.

Though they hadn't known each other for long, their relationship was better than that of most old classmates who'd known each other for years.

Alice was grateful to Duncan for pulling her out of the cage, and she also felt a kinship with him as someone like herself. She trusted and cared about Duncan more than anyone else.

"Do you want me to go back?"

When she learned that Duncan had been attacked and injured, Alice had the thought of returning to protect him.

Duncan refused. "No need. Keep studying here. Tony made me some armor and a bionic robot. I'll hide in the Hive and have the robot act in my place from now on. I'll be safe."

After Duncan and Alice chatted for a while, Steve, Natasha, Banner, and Tony joined them. Barton was there this time, too.

Whenever the Avengers got together, they inevitably ended up telling their guests about their missions.

Over the past few months, the Avengers had eliminated many Hydra bases. Some smaller bases had caught wind of the danger and evacuated early, going into hiding. The various countries would handle the operation to capture Hydra agents scattered across the world.

Those among them with extraordinary abilities mainly focused on attacking the bases.

Duncan listened, nodding repeatedly. An air of righteous indignation came over him. "Don't let those bases go to waste! If you capture any Hydra scientists, save the body parts you cut off. Don't waste their brains! Give them new, controllable bodies so they can contribute to all of humanity!"

Cloning was a complicated subject that most people wanted nothing to do with.

The sharp conflicts it provoked with ethics and morality would always make cloning a technology that humanity found difficult to accept.

When Steve and Natasha heard Duncan ask for the Hydra scientists' body parts, they realized what he wanted to do. They couldn't say whether it was right or wrong.

Umbrella had already opened the forbidden door. The truth was, cloning technology could greatly advance human progress... though, of course, if it wasn't properly controlled, it could also give rise to countless tragedies.

Hydra's evil scientists were talented, and their research abilities were beyond question. The Strategic Scientific Reserve, the organization that preceded S.H.I.E.L.D., had once recruited Hydra scientists, too.

Put mildly, Duncan's suggestion amounted to reusing prisoners of war.

Steve, Natasha, and the others were silent, not because they thought it was wrong, but because the very idea of clones made them uncomfortable.

What if one day they suddenly came face-to-face with someone who looked exactly like them? How would they deal with that?

Tony ran his finger around the rim of his glass, his brow deeply furrowed. He stared blankly at the table, thinking harder than anyone else. He was also the first to react. Raising his hand, he said, "I second the motion! Locking someone with great potential in prison is a waste of human progress. Sounds good to me! I think it's great!"

The others looked at Tony as though they'd seen a ghost.

"Don't... don't get involved in this forbidden research. Cloning clones—it's immoral and violates human rights. This should never happen!"

Banner, who had participated in developing the Super Soldier Serum, was surprisingly conservative on this subject. While everyone else was still silent, he'd already voiced his opposition.

When he realized that everyone was looking at him, his agitated expression gradually softened, and he returned to his usual mild-mannered self.

"I'm sorry. I got a little worked up. But I'm against this. Clones are people, too. People shouldn't be treated like commodities or slaves..."

Steve and Natasha silently looked at Duncan and Alice.

Duncan didn't feel particularly strongly about it, but Alice agreed with Banner. Cloning technology shouldn't be touched. She and Duncan were direct victims of it.

"No! Cloning technology is a great invention that could advance human civilization. Its value shouldn't be limited by morality!" For some reason, Tony actually argued back against Banner.

He lowered his crossed leg, and his whole demeanor suddenly changed. With a serious expression, he said, "Cloning technology is just a variation on reproduction. In vitro fertilization was criticized when it first appeared, too, but now many people in society have accepted it. It's also given many couples who couldn't have children a chance to have a child of their own.

"I see cloning technology the same way. As long as it's tightly regulated and clones are given full legal identities, they won't be commodities. They'll be people! No one on the street will know they're 'fakes'!"

Steve folded his arms over his chest, making his broad pectoral muscles bulge. "Who can regulate it?"

"Tony, no. Clones and cloning technology are different. Clones shouldn't exist!" Banner's voice rose slightly.

Tony seemed to have fallen back into thought. He didn't even look at Banner. Tapping on the table, he said, "The use of cloning technology can be carefully regulated. It's a major breakthrough in biology. Don't act like some old churchman, Banner."

"No..." Banner was now looking at Tony with disappointment.

Cloning involved every aspect of human nature. He didn't want to see a new "triangular trade route" emerge, one that would be even harder to dismantle. The benefits clones could provide were enough to crush many people's consciences.

The thought of clones being chosen like livestock in a slaughterhouse, their organs removed and their useless bodies tossed into processing machines to be ground up, sent a chill through Banner. He wanted even less to see such a thing happen.

Ignored, Steve asked in frustration again, "Who can regulate it?"

Natasha watched Banner with some concern. "Guys, maybe we should have a couple more drinks."

Duncan was caught between laughter and tears as he watched their argument. "You're overcomplicating things. I'm cloning war criminals. They should use their knowledge to turn over a new leaf. The real criminals will be punished; the clones are there to keep their knowledge from going to waste. As for the ethical issues involving clones..."

Clap!

Duncan clapped his hands and leaned back. "It all comes down to trust! You can refuse to participate in cloning technology, but that doesn't mean someone won't develop and advance it in the future. Resistance is like a spring. When humanity truly needs this technology, the bullet that springs back will pierce the social order! What we should do is establish rules and regulations in advance!"

"Exactly!" Tony said with a smile. "We can leave regulation to an artificial intelligence. It'll be the best enforcer!"