Become a Homelander and a Marvel superstar

"Tony Stark?"

He pressed the answer button, his tone slightly teasing.

"On this day of family reunion, the great Iron Man is calling me? What's wrong, is your armor stuck in the chimney?"

Tony Stark's signature fast-paced speech came through the phone, with jazz music playing in the background.

"Ha, very funny, Stars and Stripes boy. If I were stuck, I'd call Thor to smash me down with his hammer, not come to you, the guy who might burn my butt with his heat vision."

Tony paused, his voice becoming slightly more serious.

"Listen, there's a party tonight. In my building... well, it's not completely fixed yet, but it's still usable."

"A party?" Wu Yanzu laughed. "Tony, I thought you were still treating your little pepper?"

"I've already cured her! I'm Tony Stark, a genius scientist. There's no problem that can stump me," Tony retorted. "Anyway, there were only a few of us. Me, Captain America, and... you know, just the few of us."

"This is... a gathering of orphans." Tony's voice lowered. "You know, people like us have nowhere else to go."

Wu Yanzu was stunned for a moment.

orphan.

Tony Stark. His parents died at the hands of the Winter Soldier, and he spent his life battling the shadow of his father and the loneliness of losing both parents.

Steve Rogers. His father died in World War I, and his mother died of tuberculosis. He lost all his family and close friends in World War II, and when he awoke, the whole world was unfamiliar to him. He was an orphan of time.

And then there's Jessica Jones. Her family died in a car accident, and she survived alone, growing up burdened by guilt and the shadow of discrimination from her adoptive family.

And Wu Yanzu...

Whether it was the Chinese film emperor who struggled in the entertainment industry in his previous life and lost his parents at an early age;

It's still the same Antony Starr in this world, the one whose identity he stole and whose entire family died in a plane crash.

Even the original Homelander.

They...none of them had a home.

"That sounds... terrible." Wu Yanzu swirled his wine glass. "But I accept it. What time?"

"Eight o'clock. Oh, and bring your 'Queen' along," Tony added. "Don't tell me you two aren't hooked up. You know I went to that premiere, and the way she was looking at me...tsk tsk."

"And don't wear that tight outfit! This is a private party, not a comic convention!"

……

7 PM.

A black, extended Lincoln limousine pulled up in Hell's Kitchen.

Wu Yanzu pressed the doorbell.

The door finally opened after a long while.

Jessica Jones, wearing her signature old leather jacket and ripped jeans, with a half-empty bottle of whiskey in her hand, exuded a "keep away" vibe.

"What?" She leaned against the doorframe, reeking of alcohol. "Are you here to check if I've been slacking off on my training? It's Christmas Eve, boss."

"I know." Wu Yanzu looked her up and down, frowning. "You're planning to wear this for Christmas?"

"What else? Wear that white condom?" Jessica took a swig of her drink. "I plan to get myself drunk and sleep until next year."

"Go change your clothes," Wu Yanzu said firmly. "We're going to a party."

"I'm not going." Jessica tried to close the door. "I hate parties. I hate people. I hate Christmas."

A hand blocked the door.

"Tony Stark's party," Wu Yanzu said, looking into her eyes. "And Captain America too."

"..." Jessica's hand paused. "Captain America?"

"Yes, that old popsicle from World War II." Wu Yanzu smiled. "He said it's a gathering for orphans. I think... you're quite qualified to attend."

Jessica's eyes flickered.

orphan.

This word was like a thorn, piercing the softest part of her heart.

Give me five minutes.

……

Half an hour later, when Jessica came out again, Wu Yanzu whistled.

She wasn't wearing a dress; that's not her style.

She wore a black turtleneck cashmere sweater, under a well-tailored dark gray coat, paired with slim-fitting black trousers and high-heeled ankle boots. Her hair was simply tied in a ponytail, and she wore light makeup.

Still cool, but with an added touch of urban woman's competence and stunning beauty.

"Not bad." Wu Yanzu gentlemanly opened the car door. "You look like a decent human being now."

"If you say another word, I'll shove your head against the car window." Jessica climbed into the car.

The car started and drove into the dazzling Manhattan night.

"Why me?" Jessica asked suddenly, looking at the lights flashing past the window. "You could bring any supermodel from New York."

Wu Yanzu, holding a glass of champagne, turned to look at her.

"Because they would just give me a fake smile and ask if I could buy them a bag."

"And you," Wu Yanzu laughed, "you roll your eyes at me when I'm trying to show off. That makes it feel real."

"...You're sick." Jessica turned her head away, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

Wu Yanzu also turned his face to the window, but his gaze did not focus on the bustling street scene outside.

For him, who was Chinese in his previous life, Christmas usually meant shopping mall discounts and promotions, couples going to hotels for a wild party, or having to give that bitch Liu Xingru an expensive handbag.

He has no religious beliefs and is indifferent to these Western holidays.

But in this body, some vague memories of family remain.

Those memories, under the influence of alcohol, would occasionally resurface, bringing a stinging pain.

Antony Starr's childhood was filled with expensive gifts and an empty, large house. His parents were always busy, busy making money and busy socializing. He spent most of the holidays at boarding school.

But now, he is a citizen of his homeland.

All of America was waiting for him to tweet "Merry Christmas".

"What are you thinking about?"

Jessica beside him interrupted his thoughts.

"I was thinking..." Wu Yanzu turned his head, his gaze sweeping over her chest without any attempt to conceal it, "...why didn't I prepare a low-cut evening dress for you in advance?"

"Get lost! That skirt has too high a slit. If a fight breaks out, I'll expose myself."

"Then let's not fight." Wu Yanzu reached out and tidied the stray hairs by her ear. "Tonight is a truce night. We're going to drink, not to demolish houses."

"I hope so," Jessica muttered. "I hate these kinds of occasions. Everyone's wearing a mask and saying things they don't mean."

"Masks are the cornerstone of civilization, my dear," Wu Yanzu chuckled. "If we didn't wear masks, humanity would have torn each other apart long ago."

"And what about you?" Jessica suddenly looked him straight in the eye. "Are you wearing a mask, Anthony?"

Wu Yanzu was stunned for a moment.

He looked into Jessica's brown eyes, where a man of impeccable handsomeness was reflected.

"I?"

Wu Yanzu slowly leaned closer, their noses almost touching.

"I am the mask itself..."