Marvel: Father of Superheroes

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*****

Texas—a state often referred to simply as "Tex."

Texas barbecue chicken… uh, no—Texas Hold'em…

When people mention Texas, they think of cowboys, Space City, industry, agriculture, and so on.

But what it's most famous for is its rugged and bold culture.

Though it's often jokingly called "backward" by outsiders, those same people wouldn't dare say that in front of a Texan—unless they wanted a gun pointed at their forehead.

That might sound exaggerated, but it speaks to the high rate of gun ownership here. Basically—don't mess with Texans.

After descending from the sky aboard the fastest mode of transportation—the "S.S. Mike"—Gwen's legs were still a little shaky, and her voice slightly hoarse.

Seeing the girl's condition, Mike gently placed her sunhat back on her head, his face full of guilt.

Raven shot Mike a glare. "Look at what you've done to the poor kid!"

Mike crouched down awkwardly and whispered, "I'm sor—"

"Dad…" Gwen's voice trembled, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. She quickly added, "Let's do it again!"

"?"

Mike thought he misheard her.

But after saying that, Gwen's legs stopped trembling and her voice cleared right up.

She looked at Mike with excitement and repeated, "One more time! That was amazing!"

Mike grinned and was just about to agree when Raven pressed a hand down on both their heads. "You two need to calm down!"

Mike shrugged. "Well, guess that's that."

Gwen pouted and nodded in disappointment.

"Alright," Raven sighed, shaking her head. "Let's find a hotel first."

"Okay!" Gwen chirped. Then she brightened up and said, "I heard there's an agricultural fair in the suburbs. They've got all kinds of fun stuff! Can we go tomorrow?"

"Of course!" Mike said with a smile. He flagged down a taxi, and the three of them climbed in.

Mike smiled at the driver and said, "Take us to the best hotel in town."

"The best hotel? You got it!"

The driver, bald with a thick beard, chuckled as he glanced at the group. "Judging by your accent, you folks aren't from around here, huh?"

Mike nodded.

"Ha!" the driver said enthusiastically. "Are you here for vacation? You come to see the stunt show too?"

"Stunt show?"

Gwen's eyes lit up. "There's a stunt show?"

"Sure is!" the driver replied cheerfully. "You've got great timing—it's happening tomorrow! And it's going to be a record-breaking performance!"

"Is it Hotshot Johnny? Is it him?!"

Gwen leaned over the seat, shouting excitedly.

"Ha! You know Hotshot Johnny, kid?"

The driver was clearly surprised.

"Of course I do!" Gwen said, clenching her fists in excitement. "He's a legend! He pushes the limits every time! He's totally unbelievable!"

"And where'd you hear about him?"

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Mike turned and looked at his daughter, slightly annoyed by her enthusiasm.

Unbelievable?

More unbelievable than me?

"I looked him up online after we decided to travel here!" Gwen said confidently. "People say seeing one of his shows is once-in-a-lifetime!"

"Haha! Kid, you're really something!"

The driver laughed, then said to Mike, "Buddy, your daughter's gonna be a hit around here."

Mike nodded matter-of-factly.

"Uncle, you didn't say where the show is yet!" Gwen reminded him.

"Oh, right! It's happening tomorrow morning at the football stadium. If you want to go, don't be late," the driver said with a grin. Then, almost unable to hold it in, he added, "That guy's nuts—this time, he's planning to jump over the entire stadium!"

"Whoa!"

Gwen gasped, eyes sparkling as she imagined the scene, totally awe-struck by Hotshot Johnny.

Mike gave a small, unimpressed huff.

Jumping over a stadium is a big deal?

I've literally flown off the planet.

"Pfft!"

Raven, noticing Mike's expression, couldn't help but laugh. She gently pulled Gwen back into her seat and said, "Alright, settle down. Can't you see your dad's getting jealous?"

Gwen blinked and stuck her tongue out at Mike.

"Haha!"

The driver laughed kindly. "Man, that's gotta sting, huh? But really, who doesn't love a guy that crazy? He's a local superstar!"

Mike just grunted in response, saying nothing more as he turned to stare out the window, sulking.

Soon, the taxi pulled up in front of a hotel.

Mike strode ahead, his face set in a rare scowl. Gwen and Raven exchanged amused glances and tried to hide their smiles.

They hardly ever saw Mike like this.

After checking in, the three of them dashed straight out again, heading for the Houston Space Center.

This was the area's biggest tourist draw—filled with priceless artifacts. Beyond the high-tech demonstrations, visitors could even touch real lunar rock samples.

Meanwhile, over in neighboring New Mexico…

Outside the small town of Pandi Antigo lay the landing site of the God of Thunder's hammer.

What had once been a makeshift base had, after three months of intensive study, been transformed into a modest research facility.

And finally, the scientists had drawn four conclusions:

The material used to forge the hammer did not originate on Earth.

It emits an array of unusual magnetic fields.

No one can budge the hammer.

All of the above is pretty much useless.

In short, they'd learned nothing practical—and could not move the hammer at all.

So they decided to leave behind only a skeleton crew to guard the site and sent everyone else home.

After finalizing the arrangements, Coulson sighed. Over the last three months, he'd not only overseen this facility but had also taken on responsibilities across several surrounding states—wearing him out completely.

Now that this project was wrapped up, he could finally rest—for real, or at least switch to something less demanding.

"Nick isn't exactly sparing me," Coulson muttered, rubbing his smooth scalp. "I should apply for workers' comp."

On the way back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters—leaving New Mexico behind—he planned to stop off in Texas to check on someone. He needed to confirm whether the person was a mutant or possessed another extraordinary ability. If so, maybe they could recruit him.

"What was his name again…" Coulson pondered, then clenched his fist and tapped his palm. "Johnny Blaze!"

Johnny Blaze, the rider who kept breaking his own stunt-bike records—and yet, even when the motorcycle was smashed to bits, he'd walk away unscathed.

Intrigued by this strange anomaly, S.H.I.E.L.D. had placed him on their watchlist. Now that Coulson would be in the neighborhood, Nick Fury had asked him to pay Blaze a visit.

A stunt motorcyclist—in the intel, there was supposed to be a show coming up. That'd be Coulson's chance to observe him directly.

Muttering to himself, Coulson set off swiftly into the desert night.

(End of Chapter)