Smith Dole returned to his office.
"Dumb, display the Red Ribbon Group's superhero recruitment data."
"Yes, master."
A shimmering holographic screen appeared, projecting the recruitment site before him.
Scanning the list of top candidates, Smith quickly recognized many familiar names.
Daredevil Matt, Firebrand Chen Haoran, Frost Nigel, Iron Fist Danny Rand, Black Panther T'Challa, Eternal Kingo, the Punisher Frank Castle… and several others he did not recall.
When his eyes landed on Matt, he chuckled. That man had once come so close to being eliminated by his own hand, and now here he was signing up for the Seven.
"Dumb, report why these individuals rank so highly."
"At once, master."
"Daredevil uploaded his deeds to the site. Many citizens he helped rallied votes for him, pushing him high up the list."
"Chen Haoran and Nigel have organized campaigns, bolstered by media support, keeping them firmly in the top ten."
Smith frowned, then realized.
"So… Nick Fury's handiwork. Always needing his hand in every pie."
"Danny Rand is leveraging Rand Enterprises, launching a 'Million Dollar Giveaway' across the states. Every state selects one lucky voter to receive a million. His numbers have skyrocketed."
Smith smirked at the play of wealth. With the Hand destroyed, Danny had reclaimed his parents' fortune, and he wasn't shy about using it.
"Black Panther T'Challa revealed his African heritage in his video. Being the first black extraordinary to openly appear online has electrified African communities worldwide. The votes are flooding in."
Smith was unsurprised. T'Challa was benefiting from identity politics. Though Smith himself had slain many criminals of his people, he was no butcher. Unlike Sloan's era, the League no longer sought senseless extermination. If Smith had wanted, he could have leveled Africa with one Kamehameha. But he fought evil, not races.
"Kingo, through his Bollywood career, pulled massive Indian support."
"The Punisher, Frank Castle, drew sympathy for his tragic past. Many admire him, though he lacks clear extraordinary powers. His votes are steady but weaker than the rest."
Smith was genuinely surprised to see Kingo. The Eternals had long sworn off human affairs. Why now?
The truth was simpler. Kingo had convinced his kin that joining the Seven wasn't interfering, merely an extension of his stardom—only now, the stage was New York instead of Bollywood. He even brought his Bollywood agent.
Smith laughed.
"Well, if everyone is so passionate, inform Eddie Brock: for the final selection event, I'll attend personally—with Tony Stark and Ivan Vanko at my side."
"Yes, master!"
······
The winds of the superhero team spread worldwide—and inevitably reached Hydra.
Alexander Pierce took interest. But his assets were Winter Soldiers. Deadly assassins, perfect for missions of infiltration and death—but unstable, prone to violence, needing brainwashing to remain in control. Hardly candidates for smiling heroes.
In the last two years, with combat detectors everywhere, Hydra had snagged a few transcendants. But true extraordinaires remained elusive. Nick Fury guarded his promising recruits too closely.
"This Seven… Hydra will struggle to gain a foothold."
"Still, Fury's picks may slip in. And all these applicants—perfect opportunities to harvest new assets."
······
The wave also reached a hidden place: Afterlife, the sanctuary of the Inhumans.
Though isolated, Afterlife was not sealed. Information flowed in, and Jiaying, their leader, studied the reports in disbelief.
"Extraordinaries can reveal themselves so openly now?"
She remembered when S.H.I.E.L.D. had captured her—cutting her open, ripping her organs, leaving her to rot.
The terror of those days never left her. And she remembered the tragedy when an Inhuman stole a Terrigen crystal to awaken his daughter. Both were gunned down by S.H.I.E.L.D., their bodies dissected.
With that memory burning, Jiaying decreed:
"No Inhuman shall leave Afterlife. And none shall join this so-called Seven."
······
(End of Chapter)
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