Ding!
"Homelander × Queen Jones CP" has reached #1 on the global trending list!
Ding! Popularity gained +310,510!
Ding! Popularity gained +268,853!
Ding! Popularity gained +188,854! (From Queen Jones)
Ding! Popularity gained +173,112! (From Queen Jones)
…
"F—ck… f—ck… motherf—cker!"
Down in the audience, Tony Stark was completely stunned.
He clawed at his own hair, eyes bloodshot.
"What the hell is he doing?!" Tony hissed at Steve Rogers.
"He's shipping himself with her! He's farming CP hype!!"
"…What?" Steve blinked. "What does shipping mean?"
"It means—ugh—dammit!" Tony exploded. "He's exploiting that poor woman in the skin-tight suit! Turning romance into a damn resource generator! He's—he's—"
Tony stopped mid-rant.
Because the horrifying truth was—
It was working. Insanely well.
"That bastard…" Tony muttered, envy twisting his face.
"He's got everything. Fame. Power. Money. And now—girls too."
"Tony," Steve said gently, smiling, "you have most of that yourself."
Steve looked at the stage—at Queen Jones standing stiffly beside Homelander, at her nervousness, at the way Homelander subtly guided her, shielding her from the spotlight.
"He found a partner," Steve said softly.
"He's not alone anymore."
"That woman's strong, but she's overwhelmed. And he's helping her. Sharing his light."
Steve nodded, genuinely relieved.
"That's… a good thing."
"So what?" Tony scoffed.
"So she gets turned into one of his Seven Dwarfs?"
"That doesn't matter," Steve replied calmly.
"What matters is what they're doing now."
"Doing good?"
"Yes." Steve met Tony's eyes.
"He saved the President. That's a fact. He stops criminals. He rescues civilians. Now he wants to build a team—to save more people."
Steve turned back to the stage.
"That is a good thing."
Tony stared at him.
"Wow. Since when did you get so… reasonable?"
"I thought you'd be the first one screaming about heroes becoming trademarks."
"I stopped caring about the logo," Steve answered evenly.
"I care about what the person wearing it does."
"At least right now," he added, watching Antony on stage,
"he's doing the right thing."
"…Okay," Tony sighed.
"You're officially the world's most boring good guy."
------
Media Q&A
A reporter from The Bugle—now quietly owned by Vought—stood up.
"Queen Jones! The public knows nothing about your past! How did you get your powers? Were you experimented on, like Homelander?"
This question was pre-arranged.
Jessica swallowed hard, gripping the microphone, desperately recalling Ashley's coaching.
"I… I was lost once. I didn't understand my strength. I— I—"
Her mind went blank.
She froze.
Before the silence could turn dangerous, Antony stepped forward.
"She doesn't need an origin story," he said calmly.
"And she doesn't need to be 'saved' by anyone."
He turned to Jessica, his blue eyes deep and steady.
"The first time I saw her in a crowd, I knew something."
"She wasn't a monster.
She wasn't broken.
She wasn't lost."
"She—"
"She was already a queen."
Jessica's breath caught.
Damn it…
She knew it was acting. She knew it was manipulation.
But her heart still skipped a beat.
Ding! Special Popularity gained +10,000!
Antony was practically euphoric internally. He cleared his throat and raised his voice.
"Queen Jones is only the first piece of the Super Seven!"
"We need more!"
"This country—this world—needs more heroes!"
"There are countless people like her—gifted, misunderstood, buried, rejected!"
"And I—"
Antony spread his arms wide.
"—am giving everyone a chance."
"A chance… to become a hero!"
The massive screen behind him ignited in flames.
WHO WILL BE THE NEXT SUPERHERO?
A powerful narrator boomed:
"This is a nationwide casting event!"
"Whether you can lift cars or talk to animals!"
"Whether you're a cloaked war veteran—or a delivery driver faster than a bullet train!"
"If you have powers!"
"If you have a dream!"
"Vought is waiting for you!"
"Registration opens Christmas Eve—midnight!"
Antony' voice cut through the music.
"Vought International, in partnership with national networks, proudly presents—"
"Yes. A reality show."
"We don't care about your past."
"We don't care about your background."
"If you have ability! If you have heart!"
"You could be the next member of the Super Seven!"
"We will select the top 100 candidates nationwide!"
"They will face the harshest trials!"
"And the final winner—"
Antony pointed straight into the camera.
"—will be chosen by you.
By the American people."
The theater exploded.
"THIS WORLD HAS LOST ITS MIND!!!"
Tony drained the last of his soda.
"He's making Superhero American Idol."
Steve's popcorn bucket slipped from his hands.
"…Chosen by votes?"
"My God…"
Natasha appeared behind them, voice low and dangerous.
"He's not recruiting," she said.
"He's absorbing."
"He's offering every enhanced individual what S.H.I.E.L.D. never did."
"…An offer letter," Tony finished.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer declared,
"please enjoy the film."
The lights dimmed.
The future of superheroes had already changed forever.
--------------
T/N:
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