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Tony Stark fell silent.
He had to admit that Jessica's words, though blunt, made a lot of sense.
"You didn't go find Steve?" Tony suddenly asked.
"Yes, he agreed an hour ago."
"That old fossil is going too?" Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Then if I don't go, won't I look heartless? And letting him teach those kids? God, he'll turn them into Boy Scouts who only know how to salute."
Tony paused, picked up his drink, and swirled it.
"Fine, I'm in."
"But," Tony held up two fingers, "for my appearance fee, I want 20% of Vought's reality show advertising revenue."
"20%?!" Jessica's eyes widened. "Why don't you just rob a bank?"
"Hey, I'm Tony Stark." Tony flashed an arrogant smile.
"Me standing there guarantees ratings. Plus... I'll use this money for the 'Department of Damage Control,' specifically to repair the streets we superheroes smash up."
"...Deal." Jessica gritted her teeth... Three days later, New York, Vought's newly constructed studio hall.
Who is the Next Superhero?? The Top 100 assemble.
The lights at the venue turned night into day, and tens of thousands of fans screamed in the cold wind, holding up light boards.
Although Homelander wasn't present, Vought's teaser for the "mystery guests" had already whetted everyone's appetite.
Backstage.
Jessica Jones was wearing her brand-new "Jewel" battle suit.
A set of deep purple, tactical-style light armor, paired with a black leather cape, maintained her personal style while looking capable and imposing.
The logo on her chest had been changed to a V-shaped dark gold gem.
She regulated her breathing and pressed her chest. The agitation of the Aether Particle was currently suppressed and temporarily stable.
"Are you ready?"
Steve Rogers walked over. He wore his classic red, white, and blue uniform, without the cowl, but with his shield strapped to his back.
"A little nervous," Jessica admitted honestly.
"I've never hosted a scene like this."
"Relax, you just need to be yourself." Steve patted her shoulder.
"You are their leader."
"Exactly. Just try not to curse into the camera."
Tony Stark walked over, wearing a flashy red suit.
"Though I know that's difficult."
"Shut up, Tony."
"Three hero mentors, fifteen minutes left! Get ready to go on stage!" Ashley shouted through the headset, her voice trembling with excitement... The curtain opened.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"Although our leader, Homelander, is currently among the stars and the sea, protecting the frontiers of Earth!"
"He has left behind his will! He has left behind his friends!"
"Tonight, let us welcome—the U.S.'s Strongest Hero Mentor Dream Team!!"
The host's voice was almost drowned out by the screams of the tens of thousands of audience members.
On the giant LED screen, red, white, and blue particle effects flashed wildly as the countdown hit zero.
The first spotlight hit the stage.
Steve Rogers slowly rose from the lift platform. His classic red, white, and blue bodysuit drew a cheer from the crowd, and the iconic Vibranium shield on his back shone brightly.
He smiled and waved, his movements as precise as a military parade, but his handsome face and U.S. Captain's butt still drew screams from all the women, and some of the men, in the audience.
"Captain America!! Captain America!!"
Immediately after, the lighting suddenly changed, becoming a psychedelic purple and gold.
Jessica Jones, now the Jewel, walked out from the side curtain with her new look and a cold expression.
She looked like she didn't want to be there at all, and her "I want to punch all of you" expression actually made her look cooler.
"Jewel!!! Jewel!!!"
Finally, a blast of heavy metal rock music, "Shoot to Thrill," instantly assaulted the eardrums of everyone present.
"Vwoom—whoosh—!"
A whistling sound came from overhead.
Everyone looked up.
They saw a figure rapidly falling from the tens of meters high dome of the studio hall!
No armor.
Tony Stark, wearing that flashy red suit, spread his arms and plummeted straight toward the stage like a professional diver!
"Oh my god!!" the audience gasped.
Just as he was less than 10 meters from the ground, moments away from being smashed into a pulp!
"Come on, Prodigal Son!"
A dozen streams of gold and red light shot out from around the stage—they were the disassembled Mark 42 components!
Click, click, click, click—!
The sound of mechanical engagement was like a heavy metal movement.
Leg armor, chest plate, face mask... in less than a second, they precisely impacted, locked, and closed around his body!
"Clang—vroom!"
With the final crisp sound of mechanical closure, the faceplate lit up with an eerie blue glow.
Iron Man hovered precisely, his palm repulsors suddenly bursting to life just ten centimeters above the ground.
The airflow messed up the hairstyles of the front-row audience members.
Tony Stark performed a stylish backflip.
Bang!!
Using the classic "superhero landing," he slammed one knee into the center of the stage, the Impact once again making the front-row audience members' hair fly.
The faceplate opened, revealing Tony Stark's cynical face. He winked at the camera.
"Alright, you can scream now."
"Ahhhhhhh—!!! Iron Man! Iron Man!!"
The studio hall absolutely erupted... Sitting in the mentor seat, Steve Rogers shook his head helplessly and said to Jessica beside him, "Does he have to do that? Would taking the stairs kill him?"
"That's Tony Stark for you." Jessica Jones looked exasperated.
"If he doesn't show off, his reactor will shut down."
"Alright, stop complaining like a middle-aged couple." Tony walked up to his mentor chair and plopped down.
"Don't tell me you didn't just think about how embarrassing it would be if you accidentally splattered yourself," Jessica, sitting in the middle, rolled her eyes.
"In that case, Vought's headline tomorrow would be 'Iron Man Falls, Jewel Mourns Lost Friend,' and the ratings would be even higher. You're welcome." Tony adjusted his sitting posture. "So, shall we start the game?"
The host quickly introduced the rules: "Three mentors! Each has ten team spots! When you see a contestant you like, hit the light in front of you! If multiple mentors light up, the power is reversed, and the contestant decides whose team to join!"
"The 30 advancing contestants will proceed to the next round of hell training! And for those eliminated, don't be discouraged! Vought has prepared City Hero Class A contracts for you, covering all fifty states in the U.S.!"
"The first contestant! Take the stage!"