Become a Homelander and a Marvel superstar

"What's wrong, Banner? Are you feeling unwell?"

Natasha noticed that Banner's expression was a little off.

"I...I'm not sure." Banner rubbed his temples. "My heart rate has been a bit unstable lately. That big guy, he's a bit restless."

"You'll be alright."

Natasha stood up, walked over to Banner, and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"If anything unexpected happens, I will sing you a lullaby."

Banner looked up and met Natasha's gentle eyes, his tense nerves relaxing slightly.

The air between the two seemed to thicken, and an unspoken affection flowed between them.

"Hey! If you don't mind," Tony's voice cut in untimely, "we're about to enter Sokovian airspace. Can we save the 'Beauty and the Beast' drama for the victory celebration?"

……

VGD Sanatorium.

Pietro Maximov put on his silver uniform.

"Ready?"

Ah Zu stood behind him, holding two hamburgers, and handed him one.

"Eat something. Running on an empty stomach can easily lead to low blood sugar, which will slow you down."

Pietro took the hamburger and looked at the man in front of him.

He has been receiving the highest level of care at Water's medical center these past few days.

The best doctors, the best nutrition, and even people from his homeland would come to see him every day.

This made him feel even more guilty.

"Boss..." Pietro took a bite of his hamburger, his voice a little muffled, "If... I mean, if I hadn't been able to bring the stuff back..."

"Then don't come back."

Ah Zu bit into his hamburger, speaking in a flat tone as if he were discussing the weather.

Pietro was stunned for a moment, his heart sinking to the bottom.

"Ha! Just kidding." Azu turned around, patted his shoulder with a smile, and said, "It's okay if you lose something, but you only have one."

"Listen, Pietro. I only have one order for you: leave the stuff there, and come back!"

Azu looked serious, staring directly into Pietro's eyes.

"Remember, you're doing this for your family. A man who fights for his family will never lose."

"Go and bring Wanda back. I've reserved two adjoining ocean-view apartments for you at One Brooklyn Park, with south-facing windows and plenty of sunshine."

Pietro felt a lump in his throat, nodded vigorously, stuffed the hamburger into his mouth in a few bites, and mumbled, "Wait for me to come back, boss!"

After saying that, he put the lead box containing the concentrate into his work clothes pocket and walked firmly toward the door.

Gained a special popularity bonus: +5000 (from Pietro Maximov)

Azu watched him leave, her eyes drifting to an empty recliner.

"Idiot?"

"It's me...the boss."

"You heard everything?" Azu squinted.

"I heard you!" Shabi immediately raised his hands. "But I swear! I absolutely won't tell anyone! Pietro went to save his sister, that's cool! I want to help too!"

"You want to help?" Azu sized up the 18-year-old boy. "What can you do to help? Perform magic for Hydra?"

"I'm useful!" Shabi exclaimed anxiously, standing up. "I want to prove myself, Mr. Starr."

Shabi's eyes were sincere. "It's definitely going to be dangerous for Pietro this time. If he gets caught or trapped, at least... at least I can run back and report. Nobody will be able to see me."

Azu looked at this young man who was eager to prove himself.

Just as he hesitated, the system in his mind suddenly started giving him frantic prompts.

"Ding! Popularity points gained +10220 (from Pietro Maximov)"

"Ding! Popularity points gained +11241 (from Pietro Maximov)"

"Ding! Popularity points gained +15008 (from Pietro Maximov)"

"Ding! Popularity points gained..."

This surge in popularity came out of nowhere, and it was massive; in just a short time, it had already garnered hundreds of thousands of popularity points.

A decision was made immediately.

"Since you want to go, then go with him, as long as he agrees. Pietro hasn't gone far yet, but things might change once he leaves the base."

"Yes, boss! Thank you, boss!"

"Also, don't run naked when you're not on a mission..."

"Yes, boss!"

……

"Ashley!" Azu heard Shabi's voice fading away and took out her phone. "What did Pietro do today?"

"Pietro?" Ashley's voice sounded excited. "Have you forgotten? Today is the premiere of 'Fast & Furious'!"

"Is it that standalone movie starring Pietro? The action-romance film?"

"Yes! Although the Rotten Tomatoes score hasn't come out yet, the audience reviews are rave! Especially among female viewers."

Ashley read the data quickly.

"The hashtag #QuicksilverIsSoCool has topped the trending list on Twitter. Tens of thousands of GIFs of his scenes from the movie are circulating online."

"I see."

Azu suddenly realized, and then a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"This kid's not bad, we need to keep an eye on him."

……

"Wait! Pietro!"

A voice called out to Pietro, who had already reached the base gate.

Pietro turned around, but saw nothing.

"Here! Look down!"

A baseball cap floated in mid-air.

"Idiot?" Pietro frowned. "What are you doing here? I don't have time to play hide-and-seek with you right now."

"I didn't intend to play either."

The voice of the Invisible Man, Shabi Lowden, came from the air, carrying a hint of youthful stubbornness.

"I want to go with you."

"Where are we going? I'm going to buy pizza, are you coming with me?" Pietro asked dismissively.

"Stop pretending, I know what you're up to." Shabi's hat swayed. "I heard what you and the boss were saying. Even though you can't see me, I've been watching you both."

Pietro's expression changed, and his hand instantly reached for his waist.

"Don't be nervous, buddy." Shabi quickly raised his hands—though only the cuffs were visible. "I didn't tell anyone, I just... wanted to help."

"This is too dangerous, you idiot. This isn't a reality TV shoot," Pietro whispered. "I'm going to meet a bunch of ruthless terrorists. If I mess this up, I'll die."

"I know."

Shabi's voice lowered, revealing a sense of loss.

"But I don't want to be a mere accessory anymore, Pietro."

"In The Seven, Homelander is a god, you're an idol, Jessica is the leader, and even Deadpool has fans. Only me... I don't even have a face on a poster."

"People call me 'the Invisible Man,' not just because I can't see. It's because I really...have no presence."

"I want to do something. I want to prove that I can be a hero too."

The suspended baseball cap rose up, seemingly watching Pietro.

"Take me with you. If something really happens... at least someone can run back and tell you. Anyway, as long as I'm not dressed, even God can't find me."

Pietro stared at the hat hanging in mid-air and remained silent for a few seconds.

He recalled the days before he met Homelander, that yearning for recognition, that desire to prove himself.

"……All right."

Pietro sighed. "But one thing: when we get there, keep quiet and don't fart. If you don't follow instructions, I'll leave you stranded on the way."

"yeah!!"

The baseball cap jumped up excitedly.

……

Deep within the ancient castle, in the command center.

Baron Strucker looked at the silver-haired youth who appeared at the gate on the monitor screen, a cold smile on his lips.

"He's here."

"I knew it. He'd do anything for his sister."

"Let him in."

A few minutes later.

The heavy iron gate opened.

Pietro walked in alone, trying to appear relaxed, even chewing gum.

"Yo, Baron." Pietro whistled, glancing around at the Hydra soldiers armed with high-energy weapons. "Is this your way of hospitality? I thought there would be a red carpet and champagne."

"If you bring me what I want, there will be champagne."

Strucker sat in a high-backed chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrests.

"Where are the things?"

Pietro took out the lead box and placed his hand on the lid.

"I need to see Wanda first."

"Of course," Strucker waved his hand.

The large screen on the wall lit up.

In the video, Wanda is sitting in a white isolation room, holding a book in her hands.

She didn't appear to have been abused, just a little thin.

Pietro watched intently for a while, confirming that it was a live feed.

"She misses you very much," Baron Strucker said with a smile. "I know you do too, don't you?"