Chapter 99:
The next day, on a sunny private island.
Clink!
With a crisp clinking of glasses, Yang Jian and Gwen Stacy lounged leisurely on beach chairs, wearing sunglasses and holding fruit juice with little umbrellas in them.
Yang Jian was in beach shorts, while Gwen Stacy wore a pink bikini and a ridiculous pineapple-shaped sun hat on her head.
"Surprise!"
Gwen Stacy suddenly shouted into the air, biting her straw so hard it creaked.
Ten meters in front of them, several figures suddenly appeared out of thin air.
She-Hulk was still in the middle of typing.
Spider-Woman Jessica held a file with a bewildered look. Black Cat was in a combat-ready stance.
Peter Parker was the first to react.
"Where… where are we?"
Jessica looked around and discovered she had inexplicably changed into a blue swimsuit. The file in her hand had turned into a glass of iced lemonade.
Black Cat warily scanned the surroundings: "My last memory was in the museum."
She looked down at the black swimsuit she was wearing. "Can someone explain this?"
She-Hulk pushed up her glasses: "I was in the middle of handling an important case."
Then she suddenly realized her lawyer suit had turned into a blue bikini, and her face turned even greener.
Peter sighed and pointed into the distance: "I think the answer is over there."
The four followed his gaze and saw Gwen Stacy waving at them cheerfully.
"Hi! Superhero sightseeing tour! Welcome to the Strongest Heroes Tournament site!"
Yang Jian calmly took a sip of juice. A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes behind the sunglasses.
Sunlight bathed the beach. Gentle waves lapped against the shore.
He knew this absurd gathering had officially begun.
While the Avengers were still confused, several more young figures suddenly appeared out of thin air on the beach not far away.
Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan was frozen in the middle of using her powers.
Miles Morales was still in the middle of swinging on a web and fell onto the sand. Nova Sam sat dazed in a pile of sand.
"Whoa!"
Kamala's eyes widened as she realized she had been instantly transported from a New York street to a tropical island.
"Is this some new training exercise?"
She looked down at the swimsuit she was suddenly wearing, then looked up at Yang Jian and Gwen Stacy lounging in the distance.
"Who are those two over there?"
Miles spat out the sand in his mouth and adjusted his mask.
"I swear I was doing homework a second ago."
"At least we're in swimsuits."
Sam tried to make light of it as he brushed sand off himself, then suddenly noticed the senior Avengers in the distance.
"Wait, isn't that She-Hulk? And Spider-Man?!"
The three young heroes looked at each other, completely confused.
Kamala stood on tiptoe and pointed toward Yang Jian.
"Should we go ask those two? They look like they know something."
At that moment, Gwen Stacy suddenly jumped up from her lounge chair, holding a pink megaphone.
"Welcome everyone to the first-ever Strongest Heroes Island Tournament!"
She spun excitedly on the beach. "I'm your host, Gwen Stacy! And beside me is the special guest — Silver Superman!"
Yang Jian calmly raised his juice cup in greeting.
The entire beach fell into an eerie silence. Only the sound of waves lapping the shore remained.
"I knew it."
Peter facepalmed and sighed. "Another one of Gwen Stacy's pranks."
She-Hulk put her hands on her hips. Her green skin gleamed in the sunlight.
"So you kidnapped all of us just to throw a beach party?"
"Party? No no no!"
Gwen Stacy bounced over to the group. "It's an exciting Superhero Challenge Tournament!"
She suddenly tore open a comic page and pulled out a scoreboard from inside. "The winner will receive the title of Strongest Hero, and…"
She lowered her voice mysteriously, "…my treasured limited-edition Thanos gauntlet!"
The young heroes looked completely lost. The Avengers collectively facepalmed.
Sunlight, beach, superheroes in swimsuits, and that pink figure dancing wildly on the sand.
This was definitely the most absurd hero party in history.
Gwen Stacy looked at the confused heroes gathered on the beach and waved with a cheeky grin.
"Wait a little longer — there are still people who haven't arrived!"
"Wait?"
She-Hulk put her hands on her hips and frowned.
"Gwen Stacy, you'd better explain yourself!"
"Yeah!"
Miles brushed sand off his swim trunks. "I was doing homework a second ago!"
Ms. Marvel Kamala rushed forward and pulled Gwen Stacy behind a palm tree.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Gwen Stacy's expression suddenly turned extremely serious, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
"Kamala, this is actually a party for a child who's about to die."
"What? Who?" Kamala's eyes widened.
"Me!"
Gwen Stacy suddenly turned toward an invisible camera in the air, tears appearing on cue.
"Dear readers, did you see that? If you don't give me five-star reviews, the author is going to write me to death! Waaaah!"
She dramatically wiped nonexistent tears. "Can you really bear to watch such a cute Gwen Stacy get killed off?"
Kamala looked completely confused: "Wait, who are you talking to?"
Gwen Stacy instantly perked up again and winked mysteriously.
"The audience on the other side of the fourth wall!"
She suddenly pulled out a cheer sign from her swimsuit that read "Save the Child" and waved it frantically at the sky.
"Five-star reviews! Likes! More updates! Get moving, friends!"
On the beach, Yang Jian calmly took a sip of juice and shrugged at the dumbfounded heroes.
"You'll get used to it."
At that moment, the roar of engines suddenly came from the sky.
A Quinjet sliced through the blue sky and slowly landed on the other end of the beach.
"Isn't that our Quinjet?" Peter Parker scratched his head, looking puzzled.
The hatch opened. Members of the Avengers stepped out one after another.
Tony Stark wore flashy red swim trunks. Captain America was in a blue swimsuit. Bucky's black swim trunks contrasted sharply with his metal arm.
Thor was wearing his new uniform but still held half a can of beer.
Black Widow Natasha's lace swimsuit drew a few whistles. Hawkeye Clint and Black Panther T'Challa looked relatively conservative.
The most eye-catching was Captain Marvel Carol, who was actually wearing a swimsuit version of her old uniform.
"Can someone explain what's going on?"
Tony pushed up his sunglasses. "I remember I was clearly in the lab."
"I'd like to know too."
Steve looked around. "And why are we flying the Quinjet to a beach party?"
Carol crossed her arms. "Whose mage prank is this again?"
Burp! Thor burped. "I was just drinking beer a moment ago."
Seeing this, Gwen Stacy excitedly grabbed Yang Jian: "The show is starting!"
She dragged Yang Jian to the center stage. All the heroes involuntarily gathered around.
"Ahem!" Gwen Stacy held up a pink megaphone.
"Dear superheroes! This party is held for a child who is about to die — that's me!"
She dramatically wiped her tears. "If my comic loses popularity, the writer is going to kill me off!"
Boos rose from the crowd.
"So!"
Gwen Stacy suddenly perked up. "Today's theme is Superheroes vs. Silver Superman!"
She hugged Yang Jian's arm.
"This is my boyfriend Yang Jian, a powerhouse with Silver Age Superman abilities! He says all of you together couldn't beat him!"
Yang Jian helplessly shook his head: "I never said that."
"Don't worry!"
Gwen Stacy bounced to the other side of the stage, where there was a cage covered with black cloth.
She dramatically pulled off the black cloth, revealing Bruce Banner tied up inside.
"See? This is the Immortal Hulk! If you don't join the party…"
She evilly waved the remote in her hand. "I'll let him out!"
Banner sighed helplessly inside the cage: "I really just came here for a vacation."
The beach erupted in commotion.
Tony's repulsors began charging. Steve raised his shield. Thor excitedly spun his hammer.
Yang Jian simply stood on the stage. Sunlight gilded his body with a golden edge, a faint smile on his lips.
This unprecedented superhero brawl was about to begin.
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