Back to his normal work life, the first thing Sean had to face was a mountain of documents and countless postponed meetings. At Umbrella Labs, Dr. Connors, who was also a manager like him, was a pure scientist devoted heart and soul to research and experiments. Other than academic matters, he was little help.
As the lab continued to grow and its cooperation with Osborn Industries and Stark Industries deepened, more and more tedious affairs nearly surrounded Sean. Even with Skynet assisting from the sidelines, they still took up a considerable amount of his time and energy every day. Because of this, he seriously considered Harry's earlier suggestion of finding himself a secretary or assistant to share some of the burden.
It was simply too important a position to hand to just anyone. If Gwen's ambitions lay elsewhere, Sean would certainly have favored that carefree but hardworking and conscientious blonde girl.
The young man buried himself in all kinds of documents, thinking that his foundation was still too shallow. He did not have enough people, nor did he have capable subordinates he could truly trust. Magneto's Brotherhood could not yet be brought under his command, so he would have to wait a while longer. As for the professor's obedient students, they certainly would not be willing to serve as his enforcers.
At present, the only forces he could bring to the table were The Hand controlled by Elektra and Wesley in Hell's Kitchen. However, as his status rose, the caliber of opponents Sean faced also continued to climb. This promising young man had long since passed through that bloody, brutal period of primitive accumulation. Gangs and underworld organizations could no longer keep pace with him.
Having efficiently finished his work, Sean fiddled with the pen in his hand and comforted