As Homelander,I cannot afford to let my public persona crumble
Chapter 1: Born as Homelander, I'm Happy.
In a certain experimental Base of S.H.I.E.L.D., dozens of fully armed soldiers surrounded a man around 20 years old. The man's name was Sean. Just three days ago, he was just an ordinary person with no redeeming qualities besides being handsome.
Although Sean had guns pointed at him, there was no trace of fear in his expression. Instead, he seemed somewhat eager to try something.
Behind the glass on the second floor, Fury stood with his arms crossed, looking very serious. "Coulson."
Coulson understood immediately upon hearing this. He grasped the microphone near his mouth and solemnly said, "Prepare, fire!"
Dozens of machine guns spat fire simultaneously, bullets shooting toward Sean with astonishing force. But something strange happened.
All the bullets made *clang~ clang* sounds upon hitting Sean, as if striking steel.
The gunfire lasted a full three minutes. Sean was completely unharmed, while the soldiers on the scene, including the one on the second floor—S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury—began to grow tense.
"BOSS, here is his file."
Taking the papers handed over by Coulson, Fury looked through them with a grim expression.
"Sean Brooke, age 21, grew up in an orphanage, high school graduate, currently works as a reporter for the City Daily weekly. Gained superpowers three days ago..."
Further down, every piece of information about Sean, from being found by the orphanage at age three up to the present, was recorded in detail, even things like when he first... well, it was all clear.
After reading Sean's information, Fury's expression improved slightly. At least he could tell that Sean's mindset was relatively... healthy.
Although he had no parents in his childhood, he wasn't bullied in the orphanage, so he lived a fairly decent life. During his school years, when someone tried to bully him, he was saved by kind-hearted female classmates, more than once.
Seriously suspecting he did it on purpose.
After starting work, his neighbors and colleagues all spoke highly of him, describing him as a very fine man.
Based on the current information, Fury preliminarily concluded that Sean was unlikely to immediately engage in actions harmful to society.
However, the fact that he had no family made Fury quite conflicted. Such a person, lacking bonds, might act without restraint when faced with issues, recklessly venting his frustrations.
If that happened, no one could predict what might occur in the future.
"Officer, we've brought the person over," a soldier outside the door said, knocking.
Coulson stepped forward to open the door and said to Sean, "You've had a tough time."
Sean found him quite familiar-looking, but aside from the protagonist, he didn't remember supporting characters' names very well. "It's fine, not tough at all."
As soon as he entered the room, he saw a dark, bald man staring intently at him. Coulson promptly introduced, "This is our S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, Nick Fury."
"Hello, Director Harvard."
"...Never mind, you can just call me Director."
Fury sighed deeply. The file did mention that Sean wasn't very sensitive to names and often got them wrong, for some unknown reason.
Oh, right, this piece of information was provided by his female friends.
"Brooke, while you might think having superpowers is a good thing, the troubles they bring far exceed your imagination," Fury said in a very serious tone.
Sean was also surprised, thinking to himself, "I'm already Homelander. Could there still be trouble?"
"Take this incident, for example. How much property damage was caused? How many people were injured? And what kind of psychological trauma will they suffer afterward?"
"Imagine if the citizens of New York knew there was an unrestrained superpowered individual roaming the city, capable of causing dozens or even hundreds of casualties with a wave of his hand. Could they still live peacefully?"
Well, the daily shooting incidents probably claim more lives than that.
"Perhaps you think that after gaining superpowers, you'll do good deeds and they'll accept you. But you're wrong."
I never said that.
"When people face the unknown, their first reaction is fear, regardless of whether you've saved them or not."
Fury pointed upward and said sternly, "Moreover, *they* won't allow a power like yours to exist. Do you understand?"
Sean immediately put on a very nervous expression and tried to explain earnestly:
"Director, I... I don't know why I gained this power either. I just want to live my own life. Being able to spend time with them every day would make me perfectly content."
Three black lines appeared on Fury's forehead. Although the focus was a bit off, the outcome was right.
"Ahem, so, Sean, you must keep your identity hidden. If anything comes up, Coulson can help. If your abilities become public, it will cause massive chaos."
"By then, it will be too late to fix things," Fury said in a well-meaning tone, as if he had Sean's best interests at heart.
Sean, seemingly moved by his tone, immediately promised, "Please rest assured, Director. I will definitely keep my identity hidden!"
"Hmm!" Fury nodded with satisfaction.
Sean also happily shook Coulson's hand. "I'll be troubling you a lot from now on, Tom Hiddleston!"
"It's fine, but my name is Coulson."
"Not important, Tyson."
...
Watching Sean get into the car heading to New York, Fury felt a dark cloud lingering in his heart. He knew that cloud was Sean.
Although he probably wouldn't cause any destruction in New York, such uncontrollable elements always made him uneasy.
"Coulson, you need to keep a close eye on him lately. Don't let him do anything irreversible."
Coulson felt the pressure. This was his first time dealing with a superpowered individual. "Don't worry, BOSS. I won't let you down."
"I mean just for these few days. Once Romanoff returns, she can take over."
"Uh..."
...
Driving to the Villa S.H.I.E.L.D. had prepared for him, Sean lay in the expensive massage bathtub and let out a comfortable moan.
Although he knew this bathroom alone probably had no fewer than ten cameras, not to mention bugs or trackers.
But Sean didn't mind. Perhaps after becoming Homelander, he felt no shame at all about showing off his... assets.
[Homelander Ability Duration: 5 days, 8 hours, 26 minutes. Fan Count: 3 (One fan increases duration by 1 minute).]
"Damn it, after witnessing such incredible power, you still don't become my fans. As expected, you Agents have no hearts."
The three fans—Sean could probably guess who they were.
Three days ago, when he first transmigrated here, he happened upon a car accident. Instantly, flames engulfed the entire vehicle.
It was very late, and there weren't many people around. Sean had already gained Homelander's superpowers and, knowing the importance of fan count, naturally didn't stand by idly.
He simply ripped the car door off with one hand, appearing before a family like a savior. It was only natural they became his fans.
But how to increase his fan count from here?
Show off his power? No good. Like those Agents at the Base, displaying too much power would only make them fearful, not turn them into fans.
A public figure? That might be worth trying. Become a perfect Superhero superstar in the public eye!
As for Fury's words, Sean didn't take them to heart. Not revealing his identity was impossible. He *had* to reveal it, and it had to be at a highly publicized occasion.
What he said back at the Base was just to placate Fury. After all, Fury still held an official position. If he directly labeled Sean a villain, it would be much harder to... reap benefits later.
So, he needed to find the perfect opportunity to build his persona.
That way, even if Fury tried to suppress him later, the deed would be done, and it would be too late.
"I remember Tony Stark was rescued not long ago, right? So Iron Monger should be appearing soon."
As a corporate drone at the newspaper, Sean was naturally well-versed in such news. After all, the overtime news was mostly about the playboy Stark.
"Mecha, mecha... pretty cool. Wonder how many punches they can take from me."
Chapter 2: Such a Considerate System, Rare in the World!
"Good morning, Ms. Jones," Sean greeted the front desk as usual.
Jones looked up, clearly surprised. "Oh my god, Sean, you can't go in like that."
"Why?"
"If you go in without your glasses, those girls won't be in the mood to work once they see you."
Sean was already handsome with glasses, and the girls would steal glances at him every day.
Now, without glasses and with a new hairstyle, his overall temperament had improved significantly.
Sean smiled happily, stepped forward to give Jones a hug, and whispered in her ear, "You know, I've always liked older women."
"Stop it." Jones giggled, covering her mouth. "Get inside. Manager Rom has been calling your name all morning."
Hearing the name Rom, Sean instinctively frowned. This manager only knew how to pile work on him and often made him work overtime.
If it weren't for his daughter being beautiful, Sean would have quit long ago.
Of course, that was Sean's old way of thinking. Now, Sean was definitely going to quit. He was Homelander now; why would he keep working for him? Impossible.
[Lack of affection for Homelander detected. Please replenish Affection Points promptly. Designated target: Marcia Hess.]
Marcia Hess?
Sean was certain he had never heard this name before, but that wasn't the point. The point was that there seemed to be something wrong with this cheat.
"A designated target? What kind of birdbrain system is this? Affection Points? Trash! Only an idiot would want that!"
Sean walked into the newspaper office with a look of displeasure, heading straight for the manager's office while cursing under his breath.
"I'd rather not be Homelander today than go! Even if I go find Jones, Sharon, Lina, Erin... I will never follow your arrangements. Homelander never soft... softens up."
Pushing open the manager's door in a huff, Sean saw Rom eagerly fawning over a woman. When the woman turned her head to look, Sean was stunned.
She wore a black lace shawl and an off-the-shoulder dress. Her brown hair reached her shoulders, and her slightly red eyes suggested she had just been crying.
Seeing Sean enter, she seemed a bit flustered, taking out a handkerchief to dab her eyes. Her features looked like the strong type, yet her gaze and movements displayed nothing but vulnerability.
At first sight, a name popped into Sean's mind: Monica Bellucci, the lead actress from the movie Malèna.
Sean usually remembered beautiful women he couldn't have very clearly.
Despite such a beautiful scene, Rom didn't spare her a glance. His eyes were fixed only on the stack of money on the desk, while he absentmindedly muttered perfunctory words.
"Don't worry, whatever you need from the newspaper, we will do our best. We'll send our finest reporter... You're here, Sean!"
Rom walked to the door with a happy face and pulled Sean over.
"Come, Mrs. Hess, let me introduce you. Our newspaper's finest reporter, Sean Brooke."
Hess stood up, and a faint fragrance filled Sean's nose. She reached out a hand clad in black silk. "Hello, Mr. Brooke."
Sean remained composed and performed a hand-kissing gesture. "Hello, Mrs. Hess. How can I help you?"
"My husband is missing. He works at Stark Tower, but he hasn't returned home for seven days. I called them, but they said my husband left a long time ago."
"I know my husband's character. He always comes home after work and doesn't have the energy to fool around. Something must have happened." Mrs. Hess said sorrowfully, dabbing her tears with her silk handkerchief.
At the mention of Stark Tower, Manager Rom looked hesitant. Its reputation was too great; if anything went wrong, his small business would surely go bankrupt.
However, when he saw the US dollars on the desk, he threw those risks to the wind.
"Ahem, Sean, you'll be in charge of this case. Do you have the confidence?"
"No problem, leave it to me!" Sean accepted immediately without hesitation. Any hesitation would be a sign of disrespect to her.
He silently apologized to the system. He had indeed misjudged it. Such a considerate system was rare in the world!
Manager Rom was also gratified. "Good, I have high hopes for you. Once this is finished, the bonus won't be small."
Of course, the subtext was that if it wasn't finished, there wouldn't be a cent, and he would keep the entire deposit.
"Do you have a photo of your husband? Also, what did he do the night before he disappeared? I need to know these details."
"The photo is at my house, but I'll need to think carefully about what he did that night." Mrs. Hess turned and looked at Sean.
"Do you want to come to my house to get the photo?"
Sean looked at her with sincere eyes. "Of course, I want to help you find your husband as soon as possible."
"Then, follow me."
[Affection Points gained: 2]
...
At dusk, Sean left Mrs. Hess's house and immediately called Coulson. In less than three minutes, a black sedan appeared before him.
"Yo, hello there, Jason."
Sean got into the car and started eating a burger from the side. He was indeed hungry after a day's work.
"By the way, I want to go to Stark Tower for an interview. Can you arrange it?"
"Is something wrong?" Coulson asked. Although he already knew Sean had something to do, he couldn't say it.
"Oh, it's nothing much. The newspaper just took a missing person case. You wouldn't believe it; our manager takes any job as long as there's money."
"Wouldn't it be easier if I just found the person for you?"
Sean realized. "You're right. As expected of an Agent, you've got a good head on your shoulders."
Coulson didn't feel happy despite the compliment. He asked again, "What's the name of the person we're looking for?"
... Sean fell into deep thought. "Uh, maybe the last name is Hess? Forget it, how about I go back and ask?"
"No need! It's that family from just now, right? I'll just check when I get back."
Coulson slammed on the gas, fearing Sean would tell him to turn back. Who knew how much longer he'd be in there if he went back.
"That works too. Thanks for the hard work, Coson."
"Phew, only one letter off." Coulson felt strangely relieved.
Back home, Sean took out Mrs. Hess's business card and quickly added a note for her in his phone, or he might forgot.
"Damn, how is this Sean the same as I used to be, forgetting after just one night?" Sean shook his head in distress. It was a pity he didn't have the Superman template and lacked a Super brain. Sigh.
"Right, let's see what Affection Points are for."
"Hmm, they can increase time, boost strength, speed, and defense, and even be exchanged for a Biological Field... wait."
He hadn't expected that gaining affection would already feel so good, but Affection Points made it even better.
In that case, he could save up Affection Points first. If time ran low, he could exchange them, and wait until he had enough time before thinking about other things.
...
At 8 PM, a man wearing a white mask floated above Stark Tower. Unsurprisingly, this person was Sean.
"The Iron Monger's construction is almost done. I guess they'll make their move in a few days."
Using X-ray vision and Super Hearing, Sean determined that the progress on the Iron Monger was going well. Also, Coulson had mentioned at noon that he had a mission in the next couple of days and gave him another Agent's number—too bad it was a guy.
[Homelander ability duration: 2 days, 8 hours, 26 minutes. Fan count: 15]
"I'll save one more today and then go home to rest. Tsk, working until 8 PM, I'm truly excellent."
For the past few nights, Sean had been looking for suitable rescue targets in New York City. What defined "suitable"?
Gender didn't matter, but they should preferably be young—the type who uses the internet—and the danger they faced should be severe; otherwise, it wouldn't leave a lasting impression.
Sean naturally wasn't doing this for the fan value; those few people weren't worth much. Saving them was just to increase the degree of public opinion fermentation one day.
"I saved your lives. I hope you won't be ungrateful."
Chapter 3: You Actually Dare to Hit Me?
"Hmm? They're here!"
"Is that so? Then I'll be quicker."
"That's not what I meant, but whatever, hurry up."
Ten minutes later, Sean got dressed and flew over Mrs. Hess's house. Through his X-ray vision, he could see two robots chasing and fighting each other nearby; the red one was clearly losing.
Sean vaguely remembered that this battle didn't seem to last very long. After all, it was just a movie; it would last twenty minutes at most.
"This won't do. New York reporters are much slower than Hong Kong reporters. It has to last at least a few hours." Sean smiled slightly and quickly flew toward the center of the battle.
As soon as he arrived at the battlefield, he saw the two mechs flying upward together. Sean flew directly between the two mechs at supersonic speed.
With one punch, he smashed the Iron Monger back to the ground, then grabbed the red mech's leg with one hand and threw him back to the ground as well.
He questioned them in an extremely grief-stricken and indignant tone, "What kind of things are you two! Why are you destroying this city?"
Sean pointed at everything around him and said, "Look, look at how much you've scared the public!"
The survivors in the surrounding cars were actually preparing to run out while the mechs were gone, but after just two steps, they saw the two robots fall back down, along with a strange man wearing a white mask.
Obadiah was also confused. How was I knocked down just now? I need to take a good look at the recording when I get back.
Then he raised his hand and fired a Rocket. Although he didn't know who this person was, he would kill him first. Could he actually withstand fir... Crap!
As the smoke cleared, the man in front of him was still standing there perfectly fine. The Rocket had only blown off his mask; it hadn't even damaged a single hair on his head.
"You... you actually dare to attack me?"
Now Sean was a bit... happy. No wonder this guy could only be an assistant for his whole life; he had no discernment at all. Didn't he see that Tony didn't even dare to move?
"Well, you're the one who made the first move. I'm going to start exercising my... what's it called... Right to counterattack."
The corner of Sean's mouth curled up, and he instantly closed in on the Iron Monger, knocking him back more than ten meters with a single punch. He looked at his fist, "Tsk, no, I need to be even lighter."
At this moment, Obadiah could only control the Iron Monger to huddle in a corner, using the mechanical arms to protect himself, with no room to fight back at all.
He never expected that he had already created the most powerful weapon in the World, and as long as he killed Tony next, he would be the person with the most power and money in all of the U.S.—no, the whole World.
Who knew that the Iron Monger he was so proud of would be easily torn apart by a human? It was completely illogical!
But the person most surprised throughout the entire process had to be Tony. As a believer in scientism, where had he ever seen such a scene? Relying on Jarvis's data, he only knew Sean's name and address, and nothing else.
Tony took a few steps forward and asked nervously, "Who are you?"
Sean also stopped his fists. The Iron Monger beneath him was almost smashed to pieces, and he just happened to need a reason to stop.
"Hehe, I almost forgot about you, you criminal who is destroying the peace of New York!"
Tony's expression changed drastically, and he quickly waved his hands, "No... no, I am!"
Seeing Tony pointing his Repulsor at him, Sean became even happier, "You still dare to attack me!"
"Mis... understanding!"
It was hard for Tony to say anything more because Sean had already thrown a punch. Only when disaster befell him could he feel the helplessness that the Iron Monger felt just now.
Sean didn't deal a killing blow to either of these two. After all, it was common knowledge that a righteous Superhero wouldn't kill people—at least, not in the open.
After Obadiah saw Tony being attacked as well, he felt much more balanced. He grabbed a nearby bus and threw it at Tony, then prepared to make a run for it.
But his control of the force was poor, and he overthrew it; the bus flew straight toward the survivors.
Sean took a look and waited for a moment. Just as the bus was about to hit someone, he instantly flew over, stood in front of the crowd, and stopped the bus with both hands.
"Are... are you all okay?"
Seeing someone still filming with a phone out of the corner of his eye, Sean quickly coughed a few times. Unfortunately, he couldn't cough up blood, or the effect would have been even better.
In the crowd, a little girl was so scared that her eyes were red from crying, "Big brother, you're bleeding. You should run too."
"No! You guys leave quickly, I'll hold them off here!" While waving his hand resolutely, Sean wondered, where is the blood? Oh, it's Obadiah's.
Fortunately, although the American people liked to seek death, they still ran very fast in such certain-death situations.
After a while, under Sean's "sincere" cover, those dozen or so people were rescued, and he also happened to see the reporters arriving.
"As long as I am here, don't even think about hurting a single person, you two robots!"
After saying that, Sean rushed up again and started fighting with the Iron Monger. As for why it was him, it was because the Iron Monger was large and intimidating, and he would resist a little bit, which made it worth watching.
After all, at a time like this, it was only interesting if there was resistance.
But where would Obadiah dare to fight? He just wanted to escape. Seeing Sean rush up, he subconsciously raised his hand to protect himself. As a result, something unexpected happened: Sean was actually knocked back by him.
"Could it be that this state of his has a time limit?" The more Obadiah thought about it, the more likely it seemed. How could a normal person maintain that state all the time? There must be a time limit!
Looking at Tony again, he already knew everything. If he didn't deal with him today, he would definitely be finished.
Instantly, Obadiah felt like he could do it again, so he charged in.
"Although I don't know who you are, you probably can't hold on much longer, right? Get lost, I only want to kill Stark!"
Hearing this, the way Sean looked at Obadiah became much gentler. He's so cooperative!
"Hmph! Although I'm almost out of strength, as long as I'm still here, it's impossible for me to let you hurt anyone!"
Obadiah snorted coldly, "Then you can go die first!"
The man and the robot instantly started fighting. After Tony saw that the Police, reporters, and onlookers had all gathered around, he flew away directly. Anyway, he already knew Sean's information; it would be the same to look for him later.
This battle, under Sean's extremely hard work to restrain himself, took three minutes before Obadiah lost his ability to fight. Then, covering his face with one hand, he flew away over the reporters.
After finishing, Sean returned home and went to the bathroom to wash up. As soon as he came out, he found a braised egg sitting on the sofa.
"You shouldn't have done that, Sean." Fury's tone was very light, but the anger in it could still be heard.
Sean poured himself a cup of hot water and said slowly, "But I had to go. No one but me could stop them."
As soon as these words were spoken, Fury fell silent, remembering that wasn't the reason he wanted to form the Avengers—to prevent such things from happening?
Taking a deep breath, Fury's tone softened a bit, "Don't act on your own again next time. We will handle this matter." After saying that, he pushed the door open and left.
"Next time, I'll still go! Director Jerry!"
Outside the door, Fury heard Sean's passionate declaration and couldn't help but chuckle.
Sean also whistled a little tune and went back to the bedroom. For this game, he didn't want to flip the table too early.
It was just like playing a console game. At the beginning, the sense of novelty was high, so one would honestly follow the game's progress, maybe adding a few nice-looking mods at most.
Once he got tired of it or became unhappy, he could reveal his identity as a disciple of the Fling Trainer Sect.
...
In Mrs. Hess's house, she was watching the report of Sean fighting the robots on the street. Beside her was a very cute woman named Sif, whose face was very excited.
"Mother, did you get his blood!"
Hess leaned lazily on the sofa, holding a glass of red wine in her hand, looking at Sean with a blurred gaze.
"No, he's too hard."
Sif was stunned for a moment, not knowing what her mother was describing for a while.
Chapter 4: I'm a superhero
During this time, videos and photos of that night were leaking out like crazy, and S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't suppress them no matter how hard they tried.
They could only post several blurry videos online to muddy the waters, but Sean's final close-up was still recognized by many people.
"Oh! I know him, I'm his landlord. I've always thought he was a particularly good boy. Whenever the bathroom or air conditioning in my room broke, he was the one who came to help me fix it."
A curvaceous woman who didn't want to show her face or reveal her name said.
"Marquiel! Is it really Marquiel! What? You say his name is Sean Brooke, but that night he clearly said his name was Marquiel."
A girl said with a hint of resentment, yet seemingly recalling some beautiful memory.
"Oh my god, honey, I remember him. He's my classmate. He used to get bullied at school, and I was the one who stepped in to help him out. Later, he also 'helped' me with a lot of things..."
A young woman who didn't want to go into detail said coyly.
Naturally, the people from Sean's company were also involved in the leaks, especially Manager Rom, who wouldn't let such a good opportunity slip by.
"Sean is a very polite boy at our City Daily. His learning ability is also very strong. Although he didn't know anything when he first arrived, under the cultivation of our City Daily! City Daily! he became a very excellent reporter."
"Our newspaper has a very good relationship with Sean, there's absolutely no doubt about that! In a few days, he will even come here for an exclusive interview, um... he will definitely come. Please continue to follow our City Daily!"
Just as public opinion was boiling over, the official statement arrived.
"According to official reports, we have learned that regarding the accident at Stark Industries last night, unconfirmed reports claim it was a prototype machine malfunction that caused damage to the Arc Reactor. Fortunately, one of Tony Stark's retired special forces king bodyguards..."
"I'm a retired special forces king? Cool~"
"Sean, that's not important," Coulson said in a serious tone.
"This isn't the first time I've done something like this. Everything will pass. Please, the two of you, don't act on your own. Just follow the script."
Coulson turned and handed Tony a note. "This is your alibi. You were on your yacht all last night. We have port documentation and testimony from over fifty guests that you were at Avalon the whole time."
"Just read it as it is, Tony." Then he looked at the biggest trouble of this incident.
"Sean, are there any more problems with your script?"
"No problems, but, sir, could you please stop staring at me? I only like women."
Sean rubbed his nose somewhat helplessly. Ever since he entered the door, Stark's gaze had been fixed on him, hardly even glancing at Pepper, who had been applying makeup for him.
"Are you a cyborg, or an alien?"
"Tony!" Pepper tapped him gently, warning him with a stern look before saying:
"Thank you, Sean. Thank you for everything you did last night. If it weren't for you, I don't know what kind of serious consequences would have happened." After speaking, she patted her chest with lingering fear.
Sean smiled and said, "You're welcome."
Standing to the side, Tony rose and spread his hands, pretending not to care:
"I already calculated it. Without him, I would have taken Stane into the sky last night, and then his armor would have instantly frozen over and eventually fallen to smash into pieces."
"However, I still thank you for your assistance."
Sean said with a serious face, "If he fell, how many people would he have crushed to death? How many families would have been broken? Tell me, have you calculated that?"
At this moment, Tony still had his back to them, but it was obvious that he shuddered. Clearly, this question was neither in Jarvis's calculations nor in his own thoughts.
It took Pepper considerately going up to whisper some words to him before Tony's expression improved slightly, and Sean also began to like this feeling a bit.
"Tsk tsk, the feeling of accusing others from the moral high ground is actually quite satisfying!"
Standing by the door, Coulson checked the time and said, "Alright, let's go."
Tony took a deep breath, walked up to Sean, and whispered, "Thanks."
Then the two of them walked into the press hall side by side.
Dozens of reporters below raised their cameras and snapped away; the flashes never stopped.
As for whether the pilot of the mechanical suit was Stark, that was still debatable, but the person who was there punching the Iron Monger one by one was definitely Sean!
Although Sean was masked at the very beginning, his face was exposed for the rest of the time. When he finally flew away, many reporters captured close-ups of his face.
Walking on the red carpet, Sean saw a blonde girl with a few freckles on her face and a ponytail waving at him vigorously. She looked very cute.
At first, Sean thought she was a bystander he saved last night or a fan, until she stood up.
Although she stood very straight, the amplitude of the swaying was quite large, and Sean recognized her instantly.
Oh~ so it's Manager Rom's daughter, Millis Rom.
"Alright, everyone, Mr. Stark and Mr. Brooke have prepared a statement. They will not be taking questions, thank you."
Standing in the center of the podium, Sean raised his hand, gesturing for the other to speak first.
Tony didn't stand on ceremony either. He had just cleared his throat and was about to speak when a beautiful female reporter below interrupted:
"Excuse me, Mr. Stark, we would very much like to hear Mr. Brooke speak first. Sorry."
Tony's brow furrowed. After seeing clearly who the questioning reporter was, he turned his head, ready to buy her out.
Sean took a step toward the center, gripped the microphone, and said softly:
"Then I'll go first. Regarding the battle that took place on the elevated highway last night, it was indeed caused by me. For all the compensation costs incurred last night, Stark Industries will cover them twofold."
"Sorry!" The female reporter raised her hand to interrupt again:
"We are not interested in the subsequent compensation. What we want to know is, why can you... do that?"
"That question is very simple." Sean picked up the script and read it aloud.
"The flight is due to Stark's latest research technology, which is not convenient to disclose for now. As for me being able to punch away a mecha, that's because the silver mecha was just a prototype, and the external materials were made of aluminum alloy. I only possess the strength of an ordinary adult male."
The female reporter crossed her legs, her professional skirt unable to completely cover her smooth curves.
"Excuse me, I feel that based on the weight of the silver mecha in the video, it was definitely not made of aluminum alloy."
Colonel Rhodes, standing to the side, couldn't help but step forward and say:
"We are not taking questions today, so please everyone keep quiet!"
Then he looked at Sean and whispered, "Just continue according to the script."
Sean picked up the speech, took a deep breath, looked at Millis who was cheering him on, and winked at her.
This was a little secret signal between them. Then, looking at the reporters present, he said solemnly:
"I'm a superhero!"
Chapter 5: So, What Can We Get?
Watching Sean suddenly leap and fly straight into the sky on the TV screen, Mrs. Hess's heart skipped a beat. Her legs rubbed together unconsciously, and she quickly took a sip of red wine to hide her excitement.
Sif pushed the door open and ran in, saying in a hurried tone, "Mother, he... he exposed himself. What should we do?"
Mrs. Hess slowly sat up, thought for a moment, and said:
"Go find the family he saved that night and have them publicly thank Sean. Also, tell our media outlets to stop suppressing news about him; leak everything about him saving people from that period."
"Ah, are we not helping him hide his identity anymore?"
Sif was a bit confused. After they discovered Sean had superpowers that night, they had taken the initiative to handle the aftermath for him and told that family not to speak of it.
"Does he look like he wants to hide? Go on, do it."
"Oh," Sif responded and immediately ran out.
Mrs. Hess walked to the window and looked at the stars in the sky. She wondered if he would come tonight. If not, what was he doing? He was probably still playing the Savior; what a cute boy.
The corners of Mrs. Hess's mouth curled up slightly into a seductive smile.
...
On the roof of the City Daily building, Sean met with Millis, who understood his meaning with just a glance.
"Oh, my God! Sean, I almost couldn't breathe just now."
"Sorry, I'm not used to this power yet," Sean said, turning slightly. A large hole was instantly smashed into the wall behind him.
Millis was both shocked and delighted, but also felt a wave of lingering fear. "Ah, if that had just... wouldn't it have...?"
Sean looked down at her and touched her face comfortingly. "Don't worry, I can still control this perfectly."
"Really?" Millis gave him a skeptical look.
Sean pulled her into his arms and said easily, "Don't believe me? Let's try again then."
Millis smiled sweetly and didn't say a word, just looking at Sean, her eyes filled with his reflection.
As if all beautiful things are destined to be interrupted, Sean's Super Hearing quickly detected several people preparing to come upstairs. The noise from earlier had likely caught their attention.
"Someone's coming up."
"What do we do? Why don't you fly me somewhere further away?" Millis hugged Sean tightly.
"Alright, but I need to hold on here so you don't fall."
"Ah!" Millis instantly felt uncomfortable in a certain spot, her voice trembling slightly.
"I... I thought you'd grab my twin tails."
Only then did Sean notice that Millis was actually wearing twin tails today.
"Hmm... that works too."
...
While Sean was taking Millis flying—no, patrolling—through the sky,
News about him began to explode. With the Hess family's push, the people he had saved before also began to appear in the public eye one after another.
"He saved our family. In my heart, he is a well-deserved Superhero. If it weren't for him, my two children and I would have burned to death in that fire."
A mother spoke tearfully before the camera with her two children. Every time she remembered that night, she was still terrified.
"You all probably remember the supermarket fire seven days ago. No one remembered there was an ordinary Black girl in the restroom. If it weren't for Sean, I would be dead now."
"Hey, MAN, do you know what happens when a car crashes through a railing and falls off a cliff? In that situation, the people inside are definitely dead meat. But luckily, we have Sean! Superhero! He saved me!"
On video websites, thousands of videos, large and small, were about how Sean had saved people. Basically, everyone Sean had saved stood up to speak for him.
And many people who had never even met Sean also stood up, claiming they had been saved by him.
With such massive hype, how could those video bloggers not churn out a video? Anyway, it was impossible for anyone to debunk them.
For a hero like Sean, saving people was as common as eating bread. Could he really remember how many pieces of bread he had eaten?
Where there was praise and admiration, there was naturally also fear and jealousy.
"Did you see that? He can shatter a building with one punch. If he's unhappy one day, we'll all die! Do you understand? We'll all die!"
"Hmph, another Military experiment, right? Using our taxpayer money for nothing good, only knowing how to research these weapons of war. I bet he'll be sent to the front lines to fight soon."
"How many more superpowered individuals are hidden among us! America needs the right to know! We need the right to know!"
In fact, it wasn't just them who wanted the right to know; the President of America and the congressmen wanted to know the truth as well.
At first, they also thought this was a product of a solo Military experiment and specifically contacted General Ross to see if it came from him.
When they contacted General Ross, he was more excited than anyone, already obsessing over taking the army to capture Sean. He wanted to know what kind of technology could produce such perfect power.
Well, seeing that he was also in the dark, the congressmen stopped asking. After strictly forbidding his idea, they contacted the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury.
Fury's head was throbbing at this point. Originally, he wanted to pretend he didn't know about this and dodge the responsibility.
Who would have thought that some Agent had sent Sean's previous test video to the Council? There was no way to deny it now.
"Director Fury, how do you explain this? Harboring a supernatural individual in secret."
Looking at the figures of the councilmen on the screen before him, Fury took a deep breath and said slowly:
"I believe this is something not too many people should know. Given Sean's uniqueness, we are currently establishing a friendly rapport with him."
"You've seen his abilities and files. I believe no one wants to rashly offend him, especially since he has no grievances against America. He isn't the Hulk; he has intelligence and reason. He knows what he should and shouldn't do."
One of the councilmen snorted with laughter. "Are you referring to him revealing his abilities in public and plunging the citizens into a panic?"
Fury wagged his finger and said calmly:
"No, no, no. That is exactly where he is smart. Exposing his identity is a form of protection for his own safety, and at the same time, it adds a layer of restraint on himself."
"His active exposure of his identity is actually a good thing for us. It shows he still cares about how ordinary people perceive him. He wants the people's recognition; he likes that sense of fulfillment."
"So, what can we get?" asked a white-haired councilman.
Fury slammed his hands onto the table and stared at them intensely.
"A Superhero who follows the orders of the American government!"
Chapter 6: Actually, I'm Not That Interested in Superpowers.
In fact, those who can become council members are naturally not too stupid; since they knew what Sean craved, it was relatively easy to have him do things, if not outright control him.
Especially since his weaknesses were so obvious and his attachments so numerous; just a few pages of his file were enough to know what type he liked.
Money, power, and beauty—as long as someone liked one of those, they were confident they could satisfy him.
For a moment, smiles appeared on the council members' faces, as if they could already see Sean indulging in a life of debauchery, becoming one of them.
"Then, Director Fury, you will be the one to contact Sean regarding his matters."
Fury let out a long sigh and solemnly stated that he had already chosen someone. She would be back in a few days and would surely be able to leave Sean completely infatuated.
"By the way, is Stark willing to hand over his Armor Technology yet?"
This sentence left our Fury speechless again. "Dealing with Stark is much harder than dealing with Sean right now. You all know his influence."
"However, S.H.I.E.L.D. has some connection with his father. I'm waiting for the right moment to tell him about it. It might be much easier to talk then."
The council members also fell silent. The minor council members had no right to discuss this matter. In America, where money is king, Stark was truly not someone they could afford to offend.
"Then this matter is also left to you. As long as it's the same as before—he builds weapons, and we buy them."
"Fine, I'll do my best."
Watching the screens disappear one by one, Fury felt much more relaxed. "Coulson, what is Sean doing now?"
"Uh, flying in the sky. I heard he's going to participate in an interview in a few days."
"A live broadcast?"
"Yes."
"Then make sure to keep a close eye on him. Don't let him say anything strange."
"Got it, Boss."
Just as Coulson was about to leave, Fury seemed to think of something else and called out to him, "What has Stark been doing lately?"
Coulson hesitated for a moment before saying:
"He's been improving his armor lately, saying it needs to be stronger and faster than Sean's power. He seemed dissatisfied with that day's interview. Although he also announced his identity as Iron Man, most of the news is still reporting on Sean, except for the media outlets Stark controls."
Fury breathed a sigh of relief; as long as there was no trouble. "Then continue to keep an eye on Sean. You can ignore Stark for now."
Coulson nodded and turned to walk out.
"When is Agent Romanoff coming back?"
"Three days later. I've already told her to hurry up."
Fury rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. "When she returns, give her Sean's file and have her go there directly."
"Got it, Boss."
When Coulson was about to leave again, he stopped and asked in a low voice, "Boss, is there anything else?"
"Nothing else, you go ahead." Fury waved his hand.
"Got it, Boss."
...
Inside the City Daily building, all employees were mobilized to set up the venue. Even Manager Rom was not idle, tirelessly joining in. The New York City Police Department even sent personnel to organize order downstairs to prevent stampedes.
Coulson also appeared on the scene with several Agents. If any information inconvenient to disclose was broadcast, it would be his time to step in.
All these preparations were, of course, to welcome the most famous and handsome man in America right now, Sean Brooke.
Only under Millis's grand invitation did Sean agree to do an exclusive interview.
"Millis." Manager Rom called out to his daughter, feeling somewhat anxious. "Is Sean really coming today?"
"Dad, don't worry. Since he promised, he'll definitely come. I've got to go change now."
Millis excitedly held a professional outfit and jogged all the way to the dressing room. Today, she was the one interviewing Sean, and she had to be properly prepared; this was a dream for both of them.
"That's good, that's good."
Manager Rom kept checking his watch, very nervous.
It wasn't that he wasn't worried; he knew how he usually treated Sean. His previous boasting was really just to attract some traffic, after all, that was the survival skill of a small newspaper.
The time reached 9:58 AM, and the appointed time was almost there. Everyone present began to feel inexplicably nervous. At that moment, a sound came from outside the window.
"Excuse me, could you help me open the window?" Sean asked with a smile, waving from inside.
The staff froze for a few seconds before reacting and hurriedly going over to open the window.
"Thanks."
"Y-Y-You're welcome."
Millis's heart finally settled. She waved and said, "Sean, come here, sit." Then she made a gesture to her father.
Manager Rom understood instantly. Suppressing his excitement, he shouted, "Get ready! Start filming!"
At 10:00 AM, although it wasn't the so-called prime time, many people were still following the live broadcast. When the time came, the TV that was still showing commercials switched directly to Sean's live broadcast.
"Hello everyone, welcome to 'Hero Meetup'. I'm Millis."
"I'm Sean."
Perhaps because her makeup was very light today, Sean could see the blush on Millis's face even without X-ray Vision; she looked a bit nervous.
Indeed, Millis was just a college student who had graduated not long ago. Suddenly having to face a national audience would certainly make her nervous.
Sean winked at her, intending only to make her relax a bit—with him there, she could ask anything.
Unfortunately, she seemed to have misunderstood.
Millis pulled her legs together and gave Sean a look. At a time like this, he actually dared to... forget it.
Although there was a misunderstanding, it did help alleviate the awkwardness.
"Sean, thank you for participating in this interview. We've prepared many sharp questions this time, as well as questions some netizens want you to answer. Are you ready?"
Sean spread his hands and smiled faintly. "Bring it... I mean, bring it on."
Millis said that, but they had actually rehearsed their lines last night—very late, in fact—as he had been helping her relieve her nervousness.
Millis toyed with a strand of hair and looked at Sean with her deep blue eyes; today she had a single ponytail.
"First question: Mr. Sean, when did you obtain your Superpowers, and how did you get them?"
This question immediately made the atmosphere on set tense; it seemed simple but contained many traps.
The audience outside the screen was also very interested. Did Superpowered Individuals always live among them?
A reporter by day, stripping off clothes at night to become a Superhero?
"About half a month ago. To be honest, I don't know why I obtained this power. Actually, I'm not that interested in Superpowers."
Chapter 7: You Are All My Wings
"That night, I was working late at the newspaper office. On my way home, a car suddenly crashed into a wall. The entire vehicle crumpled, and a fire broke out instantly. I was terrified because there were actually two children inside, and I couldn't save them..."
Sean described the tense scene from that night so vividly that Millis's eyes turned red, and tears were about to fall.
"But I still acted. Even without superpowers, I had to save them even if it meant getting injured myself, because I didn't want to see another family torn apart. It wasn't until after I saved them that I realized I seemed to have become different."
"How were you different?"
"People's constitutions vary. Some people can kill a tiger with a sliding tackle in a state of extreme rage, and some can eat a whole pig in three bites when they're extremely hungry. As for me, I gained this Body of Steel, along with flight and Heat Vision."
"I feel this was a reward from the heavens, a praise for my courage. Ever since that day, I've been secretly punishing evil and helping others. I suppose I've saved a small portion of people."
Millis rubbed her eyes and took the lead in applauding. The many staff members nearby naturally followed suit out of respect, even though they felt something was off. No one dared to ask questions, though—didn't they see the men in black standing at the door?
"Then why did you help everyone secretly? You could have stepped forward like today, and everyone would have accepted you," Milia asked.
Sean sighed, looked up at a 45-degree angle, and said slowly, "Because, I was very afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"People are always wary of the unknown. I was terrified that I would never be able to appear in this World openly. Even now, looking back at the day I was exposed, I still feel a bit of lingering fear."
At this moment, Milia's heart was melting. In her mind, Sean had always been a powerful and brave man.
But now he seemed so fragile and pitiable. She wanted nothing more than to pull him into her arms and let him feel the warmth of humanity.
It wasn't just her; the female staff on-site and the audience in front of their TVs all felt a pang of sympathy. The Sean who was so brave and fearless that night now seemed like a child—weak and helpless. This sense of contrast was truly captivating.
Milia couldn't help but move closer, taking Sean's hand to comfort him. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. Before, you protected us; now, it's our turn to protect you."
After saying that, Milia looked at the camera and said slowly, "Viewers, although Sean has these so-called superpowers and seems very strong, please don't forget that he is only 21 years old this year. He... is still a child!"
In an instant, everyone realized it. Yes, even if Sean could fly, tunnel through the earth, and take down Mechanical Monsters with a single punch, it was undeniable that he was only 21. He was still a child!
Before, people had completely ignored Sean's age. After all, he had superpowers and was so powerful; age didn't seem to matter.
However, if this fact was brought up separately, the effect was entirely different.
In the future, when Sean went to save them, most people wouldn't think,'Sean is a Superhero; saving people is what he's supposed to do.'
Instead, they would think, 'Oh my god, he's only 21 and he's risking his life to save people. It's so moving.'
Especially when Millis mentioned that Sean grew up in an Orphanage and never felt the love of a family for a single day, everyone's hearts melted.
Seeing several female staff members about to come up and hug him, Sean quickly hugged Milia first, then said with a hint of a sob in his voice:
"It's all in the past. When I was at the Orphanage, the Dean was very good to us, and many volunteers came to see us. So, I've always remembered the Dean's teachings to grow up and be someone who contributes to society. I'll also never forget the last thing the Dean said to me at the hospital on my sixteenth birthday."
"With great power comes great responsibility. So, no matter what kind of enemies I face in the future, I will stand up and fight them to the end!"
This line, which Sean had plagiarized, exerted an incredibly terrifying power. Like a firework, it exploded in everyone's hearts.
Millis burst into tears on the spot, pulled away from Sean's embrace, and ran out quickly. Seeing this, Rom, who was nearby, quickly shouted:
"Go to commercial!"
Then, he went to check... the live-stream data. From the way his smile almost reached his ears, the effect of this live broadcast was fantastic!
Sean followed her out, pulled her into his arms, and comforted her softly, "Alright, don't cry. It's all over."
Milia raised her watery eyes. "But, but, I never knew that you used to... mm~"
Half an hour later, Sean returned first. Milia walked over after changing her clothes.
For this segment, she was no longer wearing professional attire. Instead, she had changed into a white dress, which, paired with the blush on her face, made her look like the first ray of morning sunlight.
"Ready, rolling!" Rom suppressed his inner excitement. He couldn't mess up now. Half an hour! A full half-hour... of commercials. How much money did I just make?!
Sean was the first to speak, saying, "Let's talk about something happy."
Milia smiled slightly and picked up the script. "Mhm, then let's answer some questions from netizens. We've selected the three most popular questions. You have to answer them seriously."
"First question: Sean, do you have a girlfriend?"
Sean gave a playful smile and looked into her eyes. "Is this your question, or the netizens'?"
"Heehee, I want to know, and the audience wants to know too."
Sean rubbed his nose. Truly a nation that would entertain itself to death.
"I don't have a girlfriend."
As soon as these words were spoken, the light in Milia's eyes dimmed slightly, but Sean immediately followed up:
"I don't have a girlfriend, and I can't have one. In the future, I will surely be the person all criminals want to kill most. Once they want to deal with me, they will definitely target those closest to me. So, you understand."
Milia understood instantly, and the look in her eyes as she watched Sean returned to normal. "If that's the case, isn't it too unfair to you? You must be very lonely usually."
"Not really. Most of the people I've met in my life care for me, love me, look after me, and understand me. So, I want to protect them too."
"I can fly into the sky not just because I have superpowers, but because I have all of you. Even though you aren't always by my side, I know you are with me every moment."
"You are all my wings, accompanying me as I soar into the clouds."
Chapter 8: As Long as My Persona Doesn't Crumble.
At this moment, whether it was Millis, Karin, Armand, and Heisha on the scene, or Hess, Luna, Holly, and Erin in front of their televisions... they all felt that the person Sean was talking about was her.
Millis's face turned even redder, and the blush showed signs of spreading further down. She hadn't expected Sean to be so bold.
"Ne... Next question. Sean, what times do you usually go out to fight crime?"
"This question isn't something those criminals want to ask, is it?" Sean chuckled, thought for a moment, and said:
"I fly on patrol in the sky at irregular intervals every day. No matter the time or place, if you run into trouble, you can shout my name loudly. Although I might not be there sometimes, it will definitely deter the criminals!"
"Oh?" Millis looked at her cue cards. "That perfectly leads into the next question. How should we address you by your hero name? You see, like Stark, he announced that day that he was Machine Man—oh, sorry, Iron Man."
In a laboratory in a certain building, someone smashed a glass. I won't say who.
"Don't be in a hurry to answer." Millis gestured, and a staff member pushed out a blackboard. She smiled and said, "These are the names the netizens voted for. See if there's any you like."
Sean took a brief look. It had to be said, weirdos exist in every country.
"Uh... White War God? I only happened to be wearing a white mask that day."
"Violence Man? Sorry, I don't think I'm a very violent person."
"Male Superman? I don't want to ruin the image of Superman in everyone's hearts, so I'll pass on that one."
"Guardian. This one is not bad, but it could be modified slightly."
Millis arched an eyebrow. "How would you change it?"
"It could be more specific. For example, Patriot. In the far East, there is an old saying: 'The greatest of heroes are those who serve the country and the people.'"
"Patriot... Patriot... isn't that a bit of a mouthful?" Millis asked.
A red light flashed in Sean's eyes. "Then everyone can be a bit more intimate and call me Homelander or Sean. Either is fine."
"Oh, so it represents that you have both the country and the people in your heart? That's a truly wonderful title," Millis praised, clapping her hands.
Sean looked at her with satisfaction. "Indeed. I'm not yet qualified to be a hero or a great knight, so I'll just honestly help everyone solve some public security issues."
This sentence earned Sean applause from everyone present. Millis stood up and gave Sean a hug, then looked back at the camera. "Then today's live broadcast ends here. Thank you, Sean, for taking the time to participate in this interview. Now that the interview is over, the bad guys in New York better watch out!"
"Also, at the same time tomorrow, we have invited another hero, Mr. Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, to participate in an interview. We'll see you there!"
Sean was slightly stunned. He hadn't expected Stark to accept an interview. Just as Sean was feeling puzzled, Pepper walked over.
"Hello, Sean. Or should I call you Homelander now?"
Although he didn't understand why she was here, what did it matter? "Just call me Sean."
Millis pulled Sean's hand and said shyly, "Let's go somewhere else to chat."
"Was this your doing?" Sean gave her a hard squeeze. He could clearly see now that Stark Industriesmust have put in a lot of effort for this live broadcast. Otherwise, there was no way that old man Romcould have pulled this off.
"Tonight... I'll make it up to you tonight, okay~"
"Hmph."
From Sean's gaze, Millis knew she was in for a lot of 'hardship' tonight.
The three of them went into an empty office. Pepper spoke first: "I came here because I wanted to ask for your help with something."
Sean pulled Millis into a chair. "Let's hear it."
"Tony has been locking himself in his lab lately. Food is sent to him on time every day, but he never opens the door. Even I can't get in. So, I'd like to ask you to help me talk some sense into him."
"Is that all?" Sean said nonchalantly. "Then what kind of deal do you have with Millis?"
Millis shifted her body to get more comfortable. "Ms. Potts heard we were doing an exclusive interview with you and reached out to us. She offered to help and said she could provide Stark Industries' resources for the broadcast, even bringing Stark himself on for an episode."
Once this was accomplished, the City Daily's program would become extraordinary.
The celebrity effect: Homelander Sean and Iron Man Stark are both coming. If you don't come, are you even a proper hero?
"So your bargaining chip is for me to go and talk to Stark?"
"Mhm~" Millis didn't dare say more, because if she did, her voice would sound very strange.
Sean felt a bit odd and looked at Pepper in confusion. "Why do you think I can talk sense into Stark?"
"The events of that night had a... big impact on him. So, I think having you, someone who was there, talk to him might help him see things more clearly." Pepper squeezed her arms tightly. "So, will you?"
"Sure, I'll head over tonight."
"Thank you." After saying that, Pepper pushed the door open and left, leaving Millis inside to receive her punishment.
This time, many people were watching Sean's live broadcast, especially the big shots; no one cared about this more than they did.
They were desperate to know what kind of personality this Superhero had. If he was the type who flew around every day fighting crime and liked to challenge authority, they wouldn't be able to stand it.
Of those who could reach their level, how many were clean? If Sean caught them red-handed, wouldn't it be over? Rather than waiting for death, it was better to take the initiative.
Of course, they had to at least understand Sean first, see what kind of person he was, and then plan a strategy. People at their age cherished their lives very much.
...
At night, Sean was active in the skies above the city. Wherever the lights shone, it was bustling, and people on rooftops would occasionally wave to him, not acting like strangers at all. But in the places the light couldn't reach, there were far too many unsavory things. Even if Sean worked himself to death, he couldn't handle it all.
"Strange, why can't I trigger any Affection Points?"
Sean was a bit depressed. He had gone to great lengths to leave Millis's embrace and fly over the city on patrol, precisely to trigger Affection Points a few more times.
[Homelander Ability Duration: 44 days, 15 hours, 20 minutes. Fan Count: 60,000+]
The fan count was still increasing as time passed. It seemed not everyone had become Sean's fan; a large portion of people still maintained an indifferent attitude.
However, this number of days was enough. In the future, he wouldn't need to specifically do good deeds for fan value; just showing his face occasionally would be enough. Fans were something that would grow naturally over time.
As long as his persona didn't crumble, gaining 1,500 fans a day would be quite easy.
[7 Days Homelander Time / 1 Affection Point]
[Upgrade one ability / 5 Affection Points]
[Super Breath / 50 Affection Points]
[Super...]
After looking around, Sean didn't actually find any abilities or items he particularly liked. He decided to save up his Affection Points and exchange them when he had a need.
Chapter 9: Speaking of Those Who Can Be Called Heroes in Today's World
Although it was a bit late, Sean still came to keep his appointment. Arriving above Stark Tower, he saw an anxious Pepper pacing back and forth.
Sean flew down beside her and asked, "I'm not late, am I?"
Pepper frowned slightly but didn't show her dissatisfaction. After all, look at the time; if Sean hadn't said he was coming tonight, she would have gone to bed long ago. However, thinking that he might have been out saving people, she found it hard to complain.
"You're not. Follow me."
Afterward, Pepper led Sean to Stark's laboratory. Surrounded by many high-tech gadgets, Sean felt a sense of novelty.
When Pepper saw a cold dinner sitting in front of the door, her temper flared instantly. It was almost ten o'clock, and Tony still hadn't eaten.
"Tony, Tony! Open the door, we need to talk!" Pepper shouted while knocking. But there was no response from inside. This made Pepper even angrier. She looked at Sean and asked, "Can you open it?"
"Happy to help."
A beam of searing light shot from Sean's eyes, leaving a hole in the steel door and carving out the lock. Though a bit surprised, Pepper, still in a fit of anger, said thank you and pushed the door open.
"Tony, you can't just dump all the company's affairs on me like this. If you don't show your face soon, everyone will think you're dead!"
As soon as Pepper entered, she ranted hysterically for three minutes, basically venting all her frustrations from this period. Tony wanted to talk back, but first, he had no chance, and second, he saw Sean and the hole in his door.
"Why is he here?" Tony grabbed the incessant Pepper, his eyes fixed on Sean. He didn't even notice that she was stunned, her face still slightly flushed.
Sean didn't act like a stranger. Upon entering, he carefully examined the Armor Tony had built. If nothing else, it really looked good.
"This lady said she wanted to invite me for a late-night snack and came to ask if you wanted to join."
"At my place?"
"If you're not coming, we can go out."
"Out? Hmph, where else could find a chef better than Stark's? I mean, let's eat here." With a hint of nervousness in his tone, Tony gripped Pepper's hand tightly. "Speaking of which, Pepper, did you forget my dinner today?"
After a three-second daze, Pepper finally realized Tony was talking to her. She quickly pushed him away. "I prepared it for... never mind, I'll go prepare the snack. Remember to come and eat later."
Then she walked out without looking back. Even without Super Hearing, Sean could feel her heart racing. Unfortunately, a certain someone was a bit slow to react.
After Pepper left, Tony put on his glasses again and started tinkering with the Armor. His eyes glanced toward the door from time to time. Finally, he couldn't help it. "You did that?"
"It was me. What's wrong? If you want compensation, don't look at me; she asked me to do it."
Before Sean could finish, he saw Tony staring intently at his eyes without any concealment, then he walked straight to the door to study it.
"Tell me, why would lasers shoot out of a person's eyes?"
Sean smiled and said, "To be precise, it's Heat Vision."
Seeing Tony sweating and still squatting there studying the door handle, Sean felt somewhat helpless. Sitting on the sofa, he said, "If such a small thing has you so flustered, you're going to be very busy in the future."
Tony turned his head sharply at those words, his eyes full of vigilance. Did he have other abilities?
The desire for knowledge kept tugging at his heartstrings. "What do you mean? You have many other superpowers?"
Sean smiled without speaking and pointed to the sofa nearby. After Tony sat down, he slowly said, "You should already know I have Super Speed."
Tony nodded. "To be precise, it's 705.2 m/s, roughly a bit over Mach 2."
"I can go even faster, but that's not important." Sean looked out the window. "I've flown to many places recently. Although I've traveled to some places before, flying around by myself really lets me see many things I couldn't see before."
"What things?" Tony asked anxiously.
Sean didn't answer directly but took a long breath. "After I gained superpowers, many incomprehensible forces appeared. Some of these forces seem terrifying even to me, making me feel like I have no way to fight back."
"We all know Extraterrestrial Life must exist, but we've far underestimated their power and numbers. And I feel that Earth will soon be exposed to their eyes. When that time comes, will you be ready?"
Tony's breathing became heavy, and he gulped down some water. "How long? I need time. Give me five more years—no! Three years. I'm confident I can withstand any threat."
Sean stood up, patted Tony's shoulder, and said with a smile, "I know. You're different from me. If I didn't have superpowers, I'd just be an ordinary newspaper employee. I could never become a hero."
"In today's World, the only one who can truly be called a hero is you."
Tony's gaze turned strange. He hadn't expected Sean's evaluation of him to be so high. He was about to stand up and say something, but Sean pressed him back down.
"Don't be so quick to argue. Take saving lives, for example. Since I got my superpowers, how many people have I saved? 50? 100? At most, no more than 500!"
"But you, with just a simple sentence—shutting down the Stark Weapons Division—how many people did you save? For that sentence alone, the Nobel Peace Prize should belong to you."
Tony fell into deep thought. He had heard such things before, but no one had ever praised him for saving people in this way. Hearing it for the first time, he felt quite happy.
Of course, while he was happy, Sean also felt a strange excitement. No wonder Master Benshan liked to bluff; there really were some strange thrills in tricking people.
Taking advantage of Tony's silence, Sean decided to press his advantage. "You've seen my abilities. They're strong now, but think about it carefully. Isn't Heat Vision something you could achieve? Isn't the speed of sound something you can reach?"
"I'm just dealing with some current troubles, fighting thugs, dealing with some Bandits, and the like."
"But when it comes to the future, it belongs to you, Iron Man."
Sean smiled slightly, poured a glass of water, and drank it. After bluffing for so long, he was indeed a bit thirsty.
However, this wasn't exactly a bluff. Tony's future Armor would indeed be stronger than the current Sean. Especially with Sean's appearance, Tony's sense of crisis would be greater, and perhaps the speed of his Armor's upgrades would even accelerate. No one could say for sure what stage he would reach by then.
After saying so much, Sean only hoped that Tony could become a bit stronger. Otherwise, life in the future would be far too boring.