Become a Homelander and a Marvel superstar

S.H.I.E.L.D., the Tri-Wing Building.

Nick Fury watched the press conference on the screen, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Fuck you..." Fury threw the remote control on the table. "He didn't even bother to let us know."

"Sir," Agent Hill said, clutching a folder, her face grim. "The Security Council just sent an urgent message. Given S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 'serious lag' and 'gross negligence' in intelligence, they've decided... to temporarily freeze 30% of our budget and demand our unconditional cooperation with Vought International's operations during this crisis."

"Cooperate?" Fury sneered. "They want us to be that blond bastard's babysitters."

He keenly sensed that the net was tightening. Walter wasn't just stealing their jobs; he was uprooting them.

"And..." Hilton paused, "they are discussing a proposal called the 'Near Earth Orbit Defense Outsourcing Act.' If passed, future alien defense missions will be prioritized for... Vought International."

"Some board members even suggested that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s functions were too bloated and recommended... splitting up and reorganizing, or even disbanding it."

"Ha." Fury sneered. "Disband? They really dare to dream of that."

"They have no idea that it's like handing a sword to the devil," Hill said indignantly. "Those politicians are blinded by Homelander."

"Not just politicians."

Steve Rogers strode into the office. He was still in his signature uniform, carrying that shield.

"Captain, you're here." Fury turned around.

"You also think I shouldn't have come?" Steve's eyes were filled with disappointment. "I just think... Walter, though radical, at least they're doing something. And what about us? Nick?"

"The Dark Elves are coming. The whole world knows, Homelander told everyone. And what about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence network? Still searching for these so-called ghosts all day long?"

"We're catching a mole, Captain!" Hill argued.

"Have you caught all the moles? The enemy ships are practically at our doorstep!" Steve slammed his shield down on the table. "I was in Vought, watching those kids train to protect Earth. And at S.H.I.E.L.D.... all I saw was suspicion, buck-passing, and damn bureaucracy."

"If S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot protect the world, then it has no reason to exist."

"Natasha has found some clues. After this matter is resolved, don't come looking for me again. I want to do something more meaningful."

After saying that, Steve put down a USB drive, turned around and left.

Fury watched Captain America's retreating figure without offering any rebuttal.

……

Meanwhile, in the shadows inside the building.

Alexander Pierce is on the phone.

"This won't do." Pierce tried his best to remain calm, but the underlying anxiety was undeniable. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is our life's work. If S.H.I.E.L.D. falls, what will our fifty years of infiltration amount to?"

After hanging up the phone, he leaned back wearily in his chair, pressing his temples listlessly.

"Sir, what should we do next?" Rumlow asked nervously.

"Listen, Rumlow. This time... we're going to help Fury."

"What?" Rumlow looked surprised, thinking he had misheard.

"You heard me right," Pierce said coldly. "We'll do everything we can to help S.H.I.E.L.D. get through this crisis. We need to prove that S.H.I.E.L.D. still has value, even if it's just as a supporting role to Vought. With the host dead, the parasitism is meaningless."

"But..." Rumlow found it hard to accept.

"No buts..." Pierce slammed his hand on the table. "Execute the order."

"Hydra has suspended all destructive activities until this crisis is over."

"Fully cooperate with Nick Fury."

"We must be more patriotic and braver than anyone else. We must prove that S.H.I.E.L.D. is not only useful, but indispensable."

"Even..." Pierce gritted his teeth, "if necessary, have our agents take the bullets for Nick Fury."

"No matter what, we can't let the S.H.I.E.L.D. brand be ruined in our hands!"

"Yesher! Long live Hydra!"

"Long live Hydra!"

……

Meanwhile, the system gave Azu another surprise.

"Ding! The system has detected that the organization under the host's leadership possesses a large team of heroes!"

"League of Legends module officially activated!"

"Module Description: When the host, as the leader, leads a large-scale public battle involving superhero teams within or outside the group, 10% of the positive popularity points gained by all team members (including temporary members) will be converted into popularity points rewards."

Note: This reward is an extra bonus and does not affect the member's own popularity gain.

Holy crap!

Wu Yanzu jumped up from his chair.

A 10% commission?!

What does this mean? It means he wants to grow bigger and stronger, and create new glories!

Immediately following this, Wotech Media dropped a second bombshell.

The official Twitter account for "Who's the Next Superhero?" updated:

"This is war! This is not a drill!"

"The reality show format has been completely upgraded!"

"The Ultimate Trial!"

"Iron Man Team, Captain America Team, Jumbo Girl Team! Thirty top trainees, led by three mentors, will serve as the vanguard in the defensive operations against the aliens!"

"Wotech will provide its latest 'Hummingbird' micro-drone swarm, bringing you a first-person, live view of the event! Full live stream!"

The top performer will be directly promoted to a formal spot in the "Super Seven"!

"At the same time, all city heroes under the Vought Contract will have their vacations canceled before and after the final battle, and will be fully committed to fighting evil! We cannot allow any villain to take advantage of the chaos!"

This tweet caused an uproar online!

Sending trainees to fight aliens?

That's way too hardcore!

……

Vought headquarters, conference room.

The three mentors gathered in the conference room.

The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Azu sat at the head of the table, with Jessica to his left, pouring whiskey into her coffee.

Sitting opposite him was Captain America Steve Rogers with a serious expression, and Iron Man Tony Stark, who was playing on his phone with a disgruntled look on his face.

"So..." Tony didn't even look up, "Did your brain get caught in the Rainbow Bridge? These kids have only been training for a few weeks? You're taking them to fight an alien regular army?! Do you think this is Half-Life?"

"It's real combat, Tony," Azu corrected, "not a game."

"This is war! Anthony!" Steve jumped to his feet, slamming his hands on the table. "This isn't a reality show! Those trainees... the youngest is only sixteen, some have never even fought before! You'll kill them!"

"Captain, how long did you train before you went to the battlefield?" Azu countered. "If I remember correctly, you jumped straight from the stage of selling national debt to Hydra's base, right?"

Steve was speechless: "That's different... I'm a super soldier, and..."

"Nothing's different." Azu stood up, placed his hands on the table, and glanced at the three of them.

"The dark elves' goal is to destroy the world, literally. If the world is destroyed, where can these kids hide?"

"We are selecting a Super Seven, not a boy group or girl group."

"If they hadn't been tempered by blood and fire, why would they stand by my side? What right do they have to join the Super Seven?"