Become a Homelander and a Marvel superstar

The dust is slowly settling over Sokovia.

Amidst the ruins, silence replaced the clamor.

Only the occasional mournful wail of sirens and the sound of rubble rolling down the broken walls could be heard in the distance.

Natasha Romanov was the first to move.

She stepped over the rubble and walked toward the figure huddled in the bomb crater.

Bruce Banner was shirtless, wearing only a pair of stretchy pants.

He hugged his knees, his whole body still trembling uncontrollably, like a child who had just woken up from a nightmare.

Natasha pulled a first-aid blanket from her tactical bag.

"Hey Bruce, it's all over..."

Her voice was soft as she walked to Banner's side, knelt down, and gently wrapped the blanket around him, covering his naked body.

Banner flinched, then slowly raised his head.

"I...I messed up again, didn't I?"

Banner's voice was filled with deep despair.

"How many people? How many died? Natasha... tell me the numbers."

He looked around and saw the collapsed residential buildings in the distance, and black smoke rising from the ruins. He closed his eyes in anguish, clutching his hair tightly with both hands.

"No, Bruce." Natasha reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him from hurting himself. "Listen to me, no one is dying. This time, someone caught your fist."

"Besides, Tony bought all the buildings here, so you didn't cause any irreparable damage."

"Really?" Banner asked in disbelief.

"Really." Natasha wiped a clod of dirt from his cheek with her thumb. "Someone stopped you. It's all over."

Banner let out a long sigh of relief, then slumped down and leaned on Natasha's shoulder.

"Thanks……"

……

On the other side of the ruins.

Pietro Maximov lay on a flat concrete slab, his legs twisted at an unnatural angle. The excruciating pain had turned him deathly pale, but he gritted his teeth, remaining silent and gripping the rubble beneath him tightly.

Wanda knelt beside him, her hands hovering above her brother's legs, red chaotic energy trembling at her fingertips, yet she dared not touch it.

Tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string.

"It's all my fault...it's all my fault..."

Wanda choked up, her voice breaking.

"I shouldn't have provoked that monster... If I hadn't tried to control him..."

She looked up at the devastation around her. This was her hometown. But now, because of her anger and recklessness, it had become a battlefield.

"I am a monster... Pietro... I am a disaster..."

A hand gently rested on her shoulder.

It was a hand wearing a red glove.

Wanda trembled and turned her head.

Azu walked to her side, concealing all his sharpness, and squatted down, his gaze level with Wanda's.

Wanda Maximov.

"I am a citizen of my homeland."

He reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I know you, young lady," Azu smiled, his eyes full of pity. "Pietro often mentions you to me."

Pietro, lying on the ground: "..."

He swore that, aside from complaining about how tiring the training was and how bad the pizza in the cafeteria was, he had no chance to have a heart-to-heart talk with the boss at Water, let alone talk about his sister.

But seeing Azu's incredibly sincere eyes, Pietro swallowed hard, wisely chose to keep quiet, and silently recited the employee handbook in his mind.

"He... mentioned me?" Wanda was stunned.

"Of course." Azu nodded. "He said you are the only thing he cares about in this world."

"I..." Wanda glanced at the ruins around her, her tears flowing even more freely, "I only know how to destroy... I'm a monster..."

"Look at me, Wanda." Azu's voice seemed to have a magical power to penetrate people's hearts.

"Power itself is neither right nor wrong."

"It's like a fire. It can burn down houses, or it can warm people in the cold winter. You just don't know how to control this fire yet."

"But I hurt Pietro..." Wanda looked at her brother's legs with teary eyes.

"This is the price of growing up, sweetheart."

Azu turned to look at Pietro, giving the stubborn silver-haired boy a sensible look.

"As a hero, being injured is a badge of honor. He is taking responsibility for you, and also for this city."

"This doesn't mean you're a disaster."

Azu cupped Wanda's face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.

"This only means you need guidance."

"You need someone to teach you how to harness this talent, how to transform this power, which could destroy the world, into a shield to protect it."

"It's a responsibility, Wanda. You can't run away from it; you have to learn to bear it."

Wanda stared at him blankly.

In his eyes, she saw what she had longed for.

"Can...can I?" Wanda's voice trembled.

"Of course... I'll lead you by the hand." Azu flashed his signature perfect smile.

This statement completely shattered Wanda's psychological defenses.

Hint! Gained a special popularity bonus of +15000! (From Wanda Maximoff)

"As for Pietro..."

Azu walked over to Pietro and looked down at the broken legs.

"Bear with it, kid. This kind of injury is nothing to Walter. I guarantee you'll be winning a gold medal at the Paralympics in a month!"

Pietro was sweating profusely from the pain, but he still managed to force an awkward smile: "Boss... your joke... is really bad."

"Is it bad? I think it's quite funny."

Azu shrugged.

Just then, a metallic scraping sound came from behind.

Tony Stark emerged from the severely damaged Hulkbuster armor.

Natasha, supporting the weakened Banner, also came over.

The Avengers reunite with Vought's leader in this ravaged plaza.

"All right."

Tony opened his faceplate, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at the unharmed Zu.

"Although I hate to admit it, this time... you stole the spotlight again, Mr. Stars and Stripes."

Tony kicked a pebble on the ground.

"However, that punch he took was really cool. If you don't mind, Jarvis, send me that video later. I want to analyze his power structure frame by frame."

"I'm glad you like it, Tony," Azu smiled. "If you need it, I can even sign it for you."

"Save your breath," Tony rolled his eyes.

Natasha helped Banner walk to Azu.

The top agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a complex look in his eyes at that moment.

“Homelander,” Natasha began, “or rather, Mr. Starr.”

"Just call me Anthony. Long time no see, Natasha."

"Okay, Anthony," Natasha shrugged. "I just realized something. In this world, it's important to have the right boss."

"That old fox Fury, I've had enough of his mess..."

"I was planning to retire..."

Natasha stared directly at Azu.

"However, I still want to ask... is your Water still hiring? I don't want one of those dozens of pages of application forms."