"Routine? What routine are you referring to?" Thor asked.
"It's the routine of interaction between you brothers. I know you spend most of your time on the battlefield, but you surely have breaks occasionally?"
Shiller looked at Loki and then said, "You could also adapt some pranks you've pulled on your brother. Plus, some funny incidents from your daily life."
Clearly, the material for this is abundant, and Loki agreed without a second thought. Then he said, "But if the beginning leans toward comedy, won't it clash with the tone later on?"
"In this series, you need to showcase both your friendly side and your regal dignity. Comedy will handle the friendly part, while the later parts will exhibit certain royal grandeur. So, Thor's ascension to the throne is a must-film."
"But, the first season doesn't need to focus on that aspect. Primarily shoot brotherly interactions first and see if it catches on. If it does, the subsequent seasons can gradually transition to larger, more solemn themes. Audience acceptance will be higher that way."
Loki nodded and said, "What about the scriptwriter?"
"I suggest you write it yourself," Shiller said. "Given your learning ability, scriptwriting isn't too difficult. If you get an Earthling to write it, they'll have no clue about the nuances of life in Asgard, making crafting dramatic conflict challenging. Right?"
Loki nodded again and then asked, "What about you? We also want you to play the psychiatrist role, otherwise we can't explain some of our transformations."
"That's doable, but I feel that's something for later seasons. You should focus on yourselves for now."
"Also, investment," Thor said. "Asgard doesn't have much industry on Earth. Can we invest using interstellar universal coins?"
"Of course, Earth is currently in short supply of interstellar universal coins," Shiller nodded and said. "You can go to Nick; he can help you make the exchange. Don't worry about him ripping you off; S.H.I.E.L.D.'s series is also depending on you to pave the way."
Thor agreed since he knew if their series did well, the platform might consider making a series on S.H.I.E.L.D., and Nick definitely wouldn't be stingy. They should be able to get a good exchange rate.
Soon after the two left, Steve burst in: "The actor playing me is Mephisto!!!"
Steve seemed deeply shocked, but Shiller wasn't surprised; he said, "You've had plenty of interaction with him in Hampton; you've set a good example for him."
"But he... he... who knows what scheme he's plotting now!" Steve was visibly uneasy. "He wouldn't be trying to use me to collect faith, would he?"
"In that case, he should play Mephisto in your series and guide you positively, so that faith converges on him. Playing you, the faith will only gravitate toward you, since you're not dead yet."
Steve was bewildered and said, "Then what's his motive for playing me? Devils always have a motive, right?"
"Maybe he genuinely just wants to learn from you."
"He said that in Hampton too." Steve was quite overwhelmed. "Even Jesus' descent couldn't reform him, how could I achieve that?!"
He then turned to Shiller again: "Did you arrange this too?"
Shiller didn't hide anything. Or rather, whenever someone asked about his plans, he wouldn't keep it secret. He explained everything he'd said to Sarah and Blake, and earlier to Mephistopheles, along with the principles behind them, to Steve.
"So he wants to learn about human emotions and produce an offspring?" Steve frowned and said, "That won't succeed, will it?"
"He will certainly try," Shiller said. "For humans, life is too short to pursue endeavors with slim chances. But for Devils, it's different—they won't die, so spending hundreds or thousands of years to see if emotions can be obtained isn't a big deal."
Steve suddenly understood. For Devils, spending centuries to orchestrate a plan is pretty normal. If it works, great; if not, no matter. After all, they're not dedicating those centuries solely to this one endeavor.
It's important to note that 'Ilvermorny' has made Mephistopheles a household name, an achievement not reached in the past several centuries, accomplished in just a few short years. The remaining time can naturally be spent exploring new paths. If successful, great; if not, it's no loss.
"So he truly wants to be a good person?" Steve asked incredulously. "But why mimic me?"
"There aren't many good people around you," Shiller confessed bluntly. "You're already the most righteous and kind among us. Otherwise, do you expect Mephistopheles to learn from Steven, or from me?"
Steve was left speechless.
Steve never considered himself perfect; he knew he had many flaws. But looking around, within his Moments circle, he was already considered the perfect human. Just like Shiller said, besides him, there weren't many who were well-rounded.
Stark was anxious and neurotic, Strange had a nasty and stubborn temper, Natasha drank excessively, Bucky was missing an arm, and Shiller was even more substantial. Mephisto couldn't learn well from any of them. He might as well learn from himself.
"You should rather think about how he managed the military," Shiller laughed, then said, "You really think the military would be willing to let him make the film like this?"
Steve was taken aback; he hadn't really thought about this issue. He pondered and said, "Anyway, he's a devil. He should have some Spirit Manipulation or spells, right?"
Shiller shook his head: "Mephisto is currently immersed in role-playing you. He genuinely sees himself as Captain America II. Naturally, he wouldn't use those extreme methods."
"But he's not me; he doesn't have my achievements in battle. He doesn't even have my superpowers; he's just an actor who looks a lot like me. How could he deal with those cunning generals without special means?"
"That I don't really know," Shiller said, "If you want to know, you might as well ask him. Even if it's to hear your old opponent's bad luck, it's quite interesting, isn't it?"
Steve was clearly very interested. Obviously, he'd suffered many losses from those generals. Or rather, he hadn't won many times. Most of the time, it was a one-sided disgust. He really wanted to see these people have bad luck.
But there aren't many people in this world who can sanction these folks. As long as they stay in their own territory, no one can do anything to them. Thinking of this made Steve feel a fishbone stuck in his throat, uncomfortable all over.
Mephisto has the ability to deal with them. It can only be said that evil meets evil. Even if he can't witness it firsthand, just hearing about it is good. But Steve still didn't want to deal with Mephisto. It made him feel like he was selling his soul to the devil.
"I estimate it won't be long before the military comes looking for you. Then, all you have to do is not refuse, and naturally, there will be a good show to watch."
"Looking for me?" Steve was a bit puzzled, "What for?"
"They think you're easy to bully," Shiller said, "After this movie, they should have already noticed that the young actor played by Mephisto is not easy to mess with. Naturally, they want to turn back to pinch you as the soft tomato."
Steve visibly reddened. But he held back. He said, "They can't even manage a young actor, so why would they think they can manage me?"
"Because they succeeded so many times," Shiller said frankly, "In their view, you're not being kind-hearted but rather weak and easily controlled."
"I'm weak?" Steve smiled angrily. He thought that one of his biggest flaws was his bad temper. Because of this, he always tried to control his temper and behave gently, not wanting to hurt his family and friends.
"I think you're the Captain America with the best temper in the Multiverse," Shiller said sincerely, "Look at the Prime Universe and those other universes. Their tempers are worse than yours."
"That's because I'm controlling it!" Steve emphasized, "I have a family, kids, and friends. I can't show my bad side in front of you all. Since meeting Carter, I've never gotten angry in front of her. Especially since Little Thomas was born."
"You know better than I do; the thing they're best at is pushing boundaries," Shiller shrugged and said, "Your concessions won't bring understanding, only aggression. Seeing that you don't get angry, they think you're easy to bully. When they can't control Mephisto, they naturally want to control you."
"What do they want me to do? Surely they don't want me to fight Mephisto?"
Shiller shook his head: "That's definitely their plan. If Mephisto is easy to control, they'll have him as the new Captain America. The Super Soldier Serum is gone, but there are other ways to gain superpowers. Then, they'll claim that the you who fell into the ice was fake, the real one has been silently fighting Hydra all along, and just returned recently. Swapping one for the other wouldn't be hard."
"If Mephisto is hard to control, they'll call you back to have you perform in the second movie. Unlike Mephisto, who's strong-willed, the content would be modified by them, eventually becoming a military propaganda film. They probably don't really want you to film it; it's more about using you, the real deal, to pressure the fake, and to negotiate terms with Mephisto. Once Mephisto gives in, you'll just be tossed aside again."
Steve trembled with anger in both arms. But he knew, the military was likely trying to do just that. He understood them well. They just need someone with the spirit of Captain America, and who it is doesn't matter, as long as they listen to them.
But from the anger arose a tinge of sneer. "Then they've found the wrong person. Mephisto won't be manipulated by them."
"Wrong, it's the ideal Captain America that won't be manipulated by them." Shiller tapped the table lightly and said, "Mephisto is playing you. More accurately, he's playing a more idealized version of Captain America. Not only just and kind, but also standing firm on principles, exceptionally skilled at political maneuvering, able to manipulate everyone effortlessly. He learns from you, and you can also learn from him."
Shiller's tone was always gentle yet powerful. Steve slowly calmed down and said, "You're right. If Mephisto is all about doing good, then he really would do better than me. He's stronger than me and smarter."
"But he can't possibly be good forever," Shiller said, "I'm not sure how long his enthusiasm for studying emotions will last. What you need to do is seize this opportunity and learn his skills. You know, having a perfectly idealized version of yourself as a custom-made mentor is something not everyone gets to encounter. Opportunities are rare."
Steve nodded thoughtfully and said, "That's right. He won't always be good, but I can be. As long as I learn his skills, I can also make the military pay the price..."
As he was speaking, Steve's phone rang. He opened it and showed a knowing look, then said, "They've come to find me."