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Scott's reaction wasn't quite what Arthur had expected.
He stared at Arthur, blinked a few times, then spun around twice on the spot before frantically searching his surroundings.
Soon, he zeroed in on a scrap of wood and rushed over to Arthur. "Please, you absolutely have to get me Captain's autograph!"
Arthur's face darkened slightly. "What about my autograph? Do you want that?"
"Of course!" Scott exclaimed. "You have no idea how much superhero autographs sell for on the black market!"
"...What the hell would they sell this for on the black market?" Arthur was dumbfounded. What is this chaotic mess?!
"No one would turn down a chance to make money, right?" Scott glanced at the piece of wood in his hand. "Is this too informal? Should I get an autograph book instead?"
"Even if you get one, I'm not signing it."
"What about Captain's signature? Hulk's would be great too! Thor, is he really a god? Oh, right! What are Natasha's exact measurements? Everyone's been arguing about it, and the experts claim they can estimate it just by looking, but there's still no definitive answer. You must know, right? By the way, can you believe the legendary Instructor is Asian?! That's major gossip material! I wonder how much I could sell this information for? My financial salvation depends on you!"
Scott's excitement suddenly surged.
Arthur stared at him expressionlessly. After a moment, he said, "My earlier suggestion was just a joke..."
"Wait! Hold on!" Scott suddenly realized. "The Superhero Alliance, the Avengers! You want me to join? Really? So I could become a superhero too? The kind whose autographs sell for money?"
"..."
Arthur pondered for a moment. "How about we continue today's training?"
"Training? Wasn't it over? You just want to beat me up, don't you?" Scott saw right through him.
After a long pause, Scott gradually calmed down, then slapped his forehead and said, "This is unbelievable! What have I been through lately? A break-in, getting caught, being rescued, learning I was set up, then putting on this suit and the world suddenly becoming vast while I shrank into insignificance. I've been trained for ages by some random guy, enduring daily beatings, and now you're telling me I can become a real superhero?"
Listening to Scott's recap, Arthur realized this guy's life had been quite the roller coaster.
He patted Scott on the shoulder and said, "You don't need to give me an answer right now. From now until we resolve this situation with Hank, if you make a decision, you can call me anytime."
Scott looked at Arthur, pondered for a moment, and said, "You're right. I need to calm down. Being a superhero is certainly alluring, but the burdens are immense. Hmm... let me think, I really need to imagine this!"
Arthur shrugged. "Take your time. There's no rush."
"Okay." Scott watched Arthur instantly change into a normal set of clothes and said enviously, "Is this one-click outfit change some kind of black technology?"
"No, it's just my ability," Arthur replied.
Scott was astonished. "There's actually such a pointless ability in the world? It's even more useless than being able to bend spoons! I still can't understand why anyone would want to bend a perfectly good spoon in the first place."
"...As long as you're not the one being bent, just focus on yourself," Arthur said dryly.
Arthur was speechless. Why does everything matter so much? Has this guy swapped personalities with Deadpool or something?
Before leaving, Arthur turned back to look at Scott. "Hmm, out of a sense of responsibility, I must tell you one more thing."
"What is it?"
"Being a superhero isn't just about glory and responsibility," Arthur said. "You also need the courage to face death. You never know when you might have to carry a nuclear bomb into a wormhole."
Scott's face froze instantly, jolted out of his euphoria. He wanted to say something more, but Arthur had already walked away.
Lost in his daze, Scott hadn't even noticed when a card had appeared in his hand. It bore Arthur's phone number.
"Are you alright?"
The sudden voice startled him. He turned to see Hope standing there, arms crossed, watching him.
He let out a long breath. "I'm... okay, I guess. Hmm, did you guys know who he was all along? Of course! If you didn't, he wouldn't have been able to train me. I kept asking you questions, but you never gave me an answer. I never imagined it would turn out like this."
"When I first met him, I didn't know who he was either," Hope said. "I was a little surprised when Hank revealed it... So, what's your decision?"
Scott fell silent, then shook his head after a long pause. "I don't know. At least not yet. You know, superheroes die!"
"Everyone dies," Hope shrugged. "Didn't you tell me that yourself?"
"That's because I'm not a superhero. Of course I know the risks and that I could die. That's why I had to be the one to do it, not you."
Scott continued, "I just never realized superheroes faced death too."
"They're always the ones closest to death."
Hope sighed deeply. "I hope you'll consider this carefully. I don't think it's a bad thing."
"It's an honor, but the pressure would be immense," Scott said after a moment's thought. "Now probably isn't the time to dwell on it. His training for me is finished, and I should be able to handle things on my own now, right? That matter is about to begin."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Scott sensed a malevolent gust of wind. He dodged instinctively, and when he looked back at Hope, he saw the man retracting his fist.
"Good reflexes," Hope said. "Now let's see if that guy's reputation is just hot air. How far have you truly progressed after his training?"
In the next instant, the woman lunged at him.
Outside the door, Arthur had just gotten into his car when Hank's face appeared pressed against the window.
Arthur rolled down the window. "Are you absolutely sure about this?" Hank asked.
"I love giving people opportunities, because it often means giving myself one too," Arthur said. "Clinging to old habits and blindly following convention are the greatest enemies of progress. In your current state, I'm afraid there's no future for you."
(End of Chapter)