Several days had passed since that fateful night, and a pall of grief still hung over New York City.
Just as Jason had predicted, the crematoria had been operating around the clock, thick smoke continuously billowing from their chimneys.
Jason himself had been extraordinarily busy.
Hopewell Sanctuary was packed to capacity for days on end, filled with people desperate to atone for their sins.
He had been so overwhelmed that he'd resorted to issuing private indulgences on God's behalf.
He did this not for profit, but to comfort the terrified populace.
The hellish scenes they'd witnessed had shaken everyone to their core. Many believers questioned whether God had abandoned their city.
Jason reassured them passionately: "Have no fear! God will never abandon His faithful followers!"
He held the Bible aloft, his voice ringing out: "Where the Bible is, God is present!"
The congregation echoed his declaration: "Where the Bible is, God is present!"
Hopewell Sanctuary's reputation soared in the aftermath.
Despite his hectic schedule, Jason still made time to see Wade off.
Although Wade had sustained serious injuries during the battle, his external wounds had healed after treatment in the Fraternity's regenerative pool.
David had located Smith, the broker for the mutation laboratory.
Jason, David, and Vanessa gathered to bid Wade farewell as he prepared to undergo the procedure.
Wade gazed intently at Vanessa, his expression unusually sincere. "Vanessa, you have to wait for me. I promise I'll return. And don't you dare fool around with other men while I'm gone—I don't want to end up on the Murray Show holding someone else's baby when I get back!"
Tears welling in her eyes, Vanessa punched his chest. "You jackass! Just don't die in there!"
Wade clutched his chest with exaggerated pain. "Ouch! You hit me so hard! You're murdering your husband..."
Standing behind them, Jason and David exchanged eye-rolls at the couple's dramatics.
"Ahem!" Jason cleared his throat pointedly. "That's enough nonsense. You'll have plenty of time to talk for three days straight when you get out in a few months."
Wade snorted derisively. "When I get out, we'll be talking for a lot longer than three days!"
Jason rolled his eyes, glancing toward Smith who waited impatiently nearby. "Get going. Don't keep him waiting too long."
Wade pulled Jason a few steps aside and lowered his voice. "Are you absolutely certain the healing pool can't save me?"
"Of course I'm sure. It only works for injuries, not disease.
Don't worry—how many times have I told you? You're not going to die! Didn't Vanessa promise to love you no matter what you became? What are you afraid of?"
Wade fell silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "I'm warning you—if I end up with a third eye in the middle of my forehead, I'm going to stare you to death with it!"
Jason waved dismissively. "Yes, yes, whatever you say. Just remember to hide the tracker. After the mutation, as soon as you activate it, I'll come running to get you out."
Wade clenched his jaw in frustration. "You know they're going to strip-search me, but you still want me to bring a tracker? Where exactly am I supposed to hide it?"
Jason glanced downward meaningfully. "I think you've found quite an effective hiding spot."
"You absolute squid!"
As Wade climbed into Smith's car, Jason received a notification that a $3,000 broker's fee had been deposited into his account.
Well, well. Smith is remarkably reliable.
Jason smiled at Vanessa. "Come on. I promised Wade I'd take good care of you. You're coming home with me tonight."
Upon returning to Hopewell Sanctuary, they found two people waiting quietly by the entrance—one man and one woman, one heavyset and one slender.
The moment Jason saw them, he realized that what he'd been anticipating had finally happened.
What puzzled him, however, was why Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan had come to see him specifically.
Jason invited Pepper to sit in the church's back garden.
She twisted her fingers nervously. "Father, I... you..."
Jason waved his hand casually. "Has something happened to Stark?"
Pepper looked startled. "How did you know?"
Jason shrugged. "Why else would you come to me?"
Pepper fought to control her anxiety. "You're... Iron Man, aren't you?"
Jason didn't answer directly. "Who else did Stark tell besides you?"
"No one!" Pepper insisted. "He hasn't told anyone—not even me!"
She paused briefly. "Before he left, he suddenly called me to his office and gave me a sealed envelope. He said if anything happened to him on this trip, I should open it. That's how I just learned the truth."
Jason nodded thoughtfully. So Stark was still being discreet about the information.
But are you already considering me your backup plan so soon?
"So why come to me? Or rather, what does Stark want you to do?"
Tears suddenly welled in Pepper's eyes. "Please... save him!"
"First, tell me exactly what happened."
Pepper recounted the story, matching what Jason already knew from his former life.
Although this information remained classified, it wouldn't be long before the world learned about Tony Stark's capture.
Jason frowned. "I don't even know where he is. How am I supposed to save him?"
Slap!
Pepper placed a card on the table. "Here's fifty million dollars as a reward."
Jason's eye twitched. "This isn't about money. I genuinely don't know how to locate him..."
Slap!
Another card joined the first.
"The total is one hundred million dollars. All we ask is that you commit yourself fully to the mission. The outcome, as you say, is in God's hands."
Jason was momentarily speechless.
Well, when you put it that way, how can I refuse?
After seeing Pepper off, Jason began his preparations.
In truth, even if it weren't for Stark's rescue, he'd been planning an extended journey to confirm certain theories.
He needed to arrange his affairs at home first.
Hopewell Sanctuary would be managed by David, who was better suited to administrative work than fieldwork, along with Wade's girlfriend Vanessa. They would handle the indulgences and daily operations without issue.
Meanwhile, David would continue providing intelligence support remotely.
Fox and the others would maintain the Fraternity's operations.
Alessa, Elektra, and Alexandra had been lying low recently. The Hand had suffered a devastating blow and internal tensions were high.
Although Alexandra had rapidly transferred assets overnight, she'd only managed to secure tens of millions so far.
Jason had invested this money, along with some of the Fraternity's liquid funds, in Stark Industries stock.
He had also founded a pharmaceutical company called "Future," and once additional funding was secured, he planned to officially hire Dr. Karen, the researcher studying vampire blood.
This would allow them to analyze the formula of the Fraternity's healing pool and develop revolutionary new medicines that would take the market by storm.
Recovering from near-fatal injuries overnight? Such breakthroughs would transform medical science as the world knew it.
It was easy to envision a vast medical empire rising from these foundations.
Before departing, Jason finally acquired the treasure he'd been coveting—Kingpin's vibranium armor.
The material had been drawn into ultrafine filaments and interwoven with other high-tech threads.
While it couldn't match the protection offered by solid vibranium plate, its defensive capabilities far exceeded those of the best military-grade bulletproof vests on the market.
Thanks to Kingpin's enormous size, after alterations, Jason not only got a vibranium vest but also a pair of vibranium shorts.
Combined with his own enhanced defensive attributes, he had little to fear even when charging into artillery-filled battlefields!
Beyond rescuing Stark and turning a profit, this mission offered opportunities for further upgrades.
Terrorists certainly qualified as legitimate targets. And speaking of targets...
By the way, would the U.S. troops in Afghanistan qualify as "guilty" too?
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