In the screen, Annie was taking part in Vought's "Seven" audition. She spoke about her background and her dream of becoming a hero—it was clear she was just a simple girl chasing her dream.
Watching this, Billy couldn't help but sneer. "I think those judges you met were right. You really are naïve."
Annie frowned. "You shouldn't insult my dreams."
Stephen shrugged. "He's not insulting your dream. Your naïveté and your dream aren't directly connected. What Billy's mocking is your lack of understanding of how the adult world works. You built your dream on Vought and the Seven. That's the real problem, isn't it?"
Billy snapped his fingers. "Bingo. I'm starting to think you're a shrink or something. Or is reading minds just part of being a sorcerer?"
Stephen shook his head. "I'm not a sorcerer. Just a former surgeon."
At that point, Thor looked at Annie with curiosity. "Are there many people like you? I mean, people who were born with powers in your world?"
Annie let out a sigh. "Well, Vought has around two to three hundred superhumans under its umbrella. So, while it's not exactly common, it's not rare either… I'm not sure how it is where you guys come from."
Thor shook his head. "If we're just talking about Earth, there aren't that many superhumans in my world. Most of them are created through some kind of scientific modification. Though, that mutant world we saw during that quiz show a while back—now that's different.
Over there, they call their powered people mutants, and they're born with their abilities. Kinda reminds me of your world. Of course, their society is way behind. Never thought of turning superheroes into a corporate business or holding talent shows to make money."
Billy perked up. "That mutant world—how did things turn out between the mutants and regular humans?"
Thor shrugged. "Not great. Both sides were full of prejudice. Eventually, the humans came up with a plan to wipe out the mutants. Genocide. But… that timeline might end up changing."
"Genocide?" Billy murmured, a strange gleam in his eyes as if something just clicked.
Thor, who wasn't exactly known for his brains, still wasn't stupid. He saw right through Billy and scoffed. "Don't get any funny ideas. You're just a regular FBI agent. You don't know the first thing about science, so don't expect to whip up some kind of superhuman genocide serum."
Back in the video, Annie had gone home after her audition. She didn't think she'd make the cut, but surprisingly, Vought picked her.
One of the original Seven, Lamplighter, was about to retire, and Annie had stood out among the other hopefuls. She was chosen to become the newest member of the Seven!
She was overjoyed, jumping up and down in place. At least for now, she believed her dream had come true.
The scene cut to the outside of Vought Tower, which at a glance looked a lot like Stark Tower from Tony's world.
Vought had planned an eye-catching debut for Annie, making her public appearance during their annual shareholders' meeting.
The red carpet was rolled out. Fans were packed on both sides. As Annie and her mom stepped out of the car, cheers erupted like a tidal wave, and camera shutters clicked nonstop.
Deadpool chuckled. "Now this is interesting! Superheroes in this world are like full-on celebrities. Man, I kinda like this Vought company. If there's an opening, maybe I'll apply!"
Stephen looked thoughtful. "If your dream is truly pure, if you just want to help people with your powers, then my advice is: stay away from the spotlight. Fame and fortune will only drag you down and twist that dream into something else."
"Wow! That was deep!" Deadpool clapped sarcastically. "You've really got insight, Doctor Strange. Starting to wonder if you're gonna be that world-ending villain someday. I mean, destroying everything for a dream—that's pretty pure, right?"
That was a clear provocation. Stephen had always given himself to love, and whether as a surgeon or the future Sorcerer Supreme, he did try to help others.
Annie spoke up to defend him. "Wade, you really need to shut up. That was a horrible thing to say. Stephen did come to his senses, and he wasn't a bad guy—he just got caught up in love."
"Heh…" Deadpool crossed his arms. "Maybe if you were one of the people who got dusted, you wouldn't be so forgiving. But whatever, I don't actually care. Just don't tell me to shut up, okay? You can kill me if you want, but never tell me to shut up!"
He kept running his mouth. The others just rolled their eyes and forced themselves to focus on the projection again.
In the video, Annie's debut went off without a hitch. She was a hit. Ashley, Vought's head of HR, showed her around and reminded her to keep up her persona—sweet, innocent, and humble. That's what played well with the conservative middle-aged demographic.
Annie thought she had earned her spot through talent and ideals. But clearly, Vought only cared about her marketable image.
Meanwhile, in the boardroom, Vice President Madelyn was giving her presentation to shareholders.
She spoke about Vought's glowing past—how the stock price had risen—and then turned to the future. Their goal? To have a Vought hero stationed in every small town across the country. That was the real money-maker.
Then she introduced The Deep, who came onstage to officially present Annie to the shareholders.
Annie's introduction was a smashing success. After the event, The Deep took her on a tour of the Seven's headquarters.
Annie was ecstatic. It all felt like a dream. The Deep used the moment to chat with her one-on-one.
Some of the men watching the video could tell what was going on—The Deep was trying to flirt.
But Annie didn't notice. She just expressed her admiration for him. She had always looked up to The Deep—or really, to all the Seven.
She lowered her head shyly and said, "Back in the day, I had a huge crush on you… like a schoolgirl kind of crush. I hope that doesn't sound too awkward."
"No, no, not awkward at all," The Deep said, clearly pleased. "I'm just a little surprised…"
Then Annie turned around—only to find that he had completely removed his pants.
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T/N:
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