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Homelander had to consider public opinion, his persona, and the feelings of the CP fans!
Currently, both official and self-media outlets were hyping up the CP between him and Jessica.
"The Overbearing Anthony and the Tsundere Jewel Girl."
This was the persona Vought's PR department had been maintaining.
Fans ate that stuff up.
This sense of CP chemistry brought him continuous popularity and income.
If a "personal female apprentice" suddenly appeared now... especially a pure, innocent type...
Public opinion could easily go off the rails.
What would those gossip tabloids write?
Anthony Has a Change of Heart? Jessica Blocks His Door Late at Night."
Jessica Heartbroken by Cheating Scandal; Is the Third Party a Hero Intern?"
Anthony's Open Relationship: Dating Jessica and Scarlet Witch Simultaneously; Exposed Using Contraceptive Bracelets"
While such gossip could bring traffic, it was "black-and-red" notoriety that could easily lead to losing fans, especially high-quality "Mommy fans" and "CP fans."
But then again, Anthony hadn't officially announced a relationship yet.
Everything was just outside speculation.
If a "strong competitor" was introduced now... much like in Detective Conan where Shinichi and Ran are the official couple, but Haibara's appearance caused the debates between CP factions to double the series' popularity.
If fans were split into the "Zu-Bao Faction" and the "Zu-Witch Faction," there might be room to maneuver... Just as Homelander was thinking this.
Jessica was staring intently at him, her eyes undisguisedly saying: "I dare you to say yes."
Although she was usually carefree, all women were the same when it came to territorial instincts.
The two of them saw Homelander fall silent.
To Wanda, this silence was a signal of rejection. Her eyes dimmed slightly.
But to Jessica, this silence... meant he was wavering!
"This old pervert..." Jessica cursed inwardly, "Could he really have taken a liking to this girl?"
No!
Absolutely not!
To protect the company's image... Jessica suddenly stepped forward, blocking the space between Homelander and Wanda.
"So, Wanda, was it?"
Jessica wore an unfamiliar professional fake smile, but her tone was quite firm.
"Anthony is very busy. He has to save the World every day, film commercials, and have dinner with the President. Where would he find the time to mentor a newcomer?"
"Besides, your foundation is too poor." Jessica looked Wanda up and down. "You haven't even done physical training, have you? Following Anthony will only make you a burden to him."
"But..." Wanda wanted to argue.
"No buts!"
"Listen to your big sister; train with me first."
Without allowing any room for discussion, Jessica grabbed Wanda's wrist.
"We will have a very, very fulfilling special training plan. I will train you into the best female hero."
"Wait..." Wanda still wanted to say something.
"No time to wait! This is for your own good!"
Jessica gave her no chance at all, pulling her toward the exit.
"Go, go, go. First, we'll get your uniform, then do a physical assessment. Pietro, you come too! Don't use your leg injury as an excuse to slack off; get over there and do upper body strength training!"
"Huh? Me too?" Pietro was completely bewildered.
"No kidding! Hurry up!"
Like a dutiful sheepdog, Jessica herded the two little lambs out of the office.
Before leaving, she turned back to glare at Homelander, her eyes full of warning.
"Bang."
The door closed.
Homelander was left alone in the office once again.
Homelander was stunned for two seconds.
He didn't dwell on it, turning his thoughts back to the ultimate question of opening blind boxes.
"Should I save up for a ten-pull?"
"But my hands are so itchy..."
Just as he was hesitating between being a gambler or a hoarder.
"Rumble——!!"
The sky outside suddenly darkened, filled with dense clouds and the flash of lightning.
"Rumble————!!!"
A thunderclap exploded right outside Homelander's window.
A thick bolt of lightning struck his office balcony without ceremony.
Homelander raised an eyebrow and looked out the window.
Amidst a sudden downpour, a blonde muscleman holding a hammer was supporting a red-haired woman in a tight suit, walking awkwardly into his office from the balcony.
It was Thor and Natasha Romanoff.
Thor looked somewhat dejected, his armor bearing scorched marks from Repulsors.
Natasha looked exhausted, her wet hair clinging to her face.
"Anthony!"
Seeing Homelander, Natasha looked as if she had found a savior.
Homelander crossed his arms, his usual smile on his face.
"Yo, isn't this our Prince Thor and Black Widow?"
"What's this? Some new kind of roleplay? Wet and wild in the rain?"
Homelander pointed at the floor.
"Also, Thor, that's my balcony. Remember to settle the repair bill for the floor tiles."
"There's no time for jokes, Anthony!"
Thor strode over, his expression solemn.
"Something big has happened."
"Avengers Tower has fallen."
"Tony, Banner, Barton... they've all been controlled."
Homelander feigned surprise: "Wow, HYDRA is that powerful?"
"It wasn't HYDRA."
Thor grit his teeth and spoke the name.
"It's Lorelei."
"A... sorceress from Asgard."
"She turned Avengers Tower into her harem."
Homelander froze for a moment, then burst into a fit of laughter.
"Hahahaha! What did you say?"
"Iron Man? The Hulk? Turned into a harem?"
"Oh, hahahaha! This plot..."
Homelander laughed so hard he almost teared up.
"...is even more exciting than the movies I star in."
"Alright, tell me more..."
"Ashley, get a bucket of popcorn in here for me, oh wait, make it three!"
...Meanwhile.
At the top of Avengers Tower, in Tony Stark's private quarters.
The party lounge, once filled with a sense of technology and modern style, had now been transformed into a palace thick with an ambiguous atmosphere.
Red drapes hung from the ceiling, and the scent of incense filled the air.
Lorelei sat languidly on a custom-made Iron Throne covered in a layer of fur.
She gently swirled a glass of red wine in her hand.
At her feet, Clint Barton knelt submissively, holding a tray with freshly cut fruit.
"Grapes," Lorelei commanded.
Barton immediately picked up a grape and carefully fed it into her mouth, his eyes filled with obsession.
"Mmm... not bad."
Lorelei turned her gaze to the other side.
Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were buried in a pile of complex instruments, their hands rapidly operating holographic keyboards.
"How is the progress? My craftsmen?" Lorelei asked lazily.
Tony stopped what he was doing and turned around, an excited expression on his face.
"It's eighty percent complete, my Queen."
He pointed to the center of the lab bench.
The Mind Stone was mounted on an energy containment device.
Above the scepter, a metal structure shaped like a brain was suspended.
"We combined the scepter's mental frequency and accidentally discovered that there are neuron link signals inside it, which means..."
Tony rattled off technical terms incessantly, like a student showing off his work to a teacher.
"Stop."
Lorelei interrupted him impatiently.
"I don't want to hear those boring principles. I only care about the results."
She stood up and walked to the front of the device.
"Tell me, what can it do?"
"It can understand your will and amplify it," Tony explained.
"Once this metal brain is activated, your will will instantly cover every corner of the Earth through the Stark global satellite network."
"Everyone will hear your call."
Tony spread his arms, as if describing a grand blueprint.
"Every man in the World will become your servant."