"Any normal person wouldn't choose to do something like this," Soren said, gathering himself, "It's fundamentally irrational, just like Homelander's appearance is irrational. Vought International, my friend also helped me check their registration information; it's a company that was only registered this year—too strange. I suspect their real motives aren't that simple."
Jason said darkly, "If they dare to pull any tricks in Gotham, I'll make sure they understand the consequences."
Soren smirked, narrowing his eyes with satisfaction, and waved a few sheets of paper.
"I bought their application forms on the black market; want to go check it out?"
He winked at Jason.
"Ha, so you were waiting for me," Jason raised an eyebrow and picked up a can of sparkling juice, hooking his finger into the pull tab. "Of course we're going; I need to see what they're up to."
So the two of them settled on a plan to check out the Vought International recruitment event.
Over the next week, they eagerly discussed the details for several days until they finally finalized the information they would put on their application forms.
Soren's alias was "Joseph Ross," a Kansas native who could move objects with his mind—Jason helped him modify the magnetic field device in the bracelet Tony made for him, allowing him to disguise himself as if he had superpowers.
Jason, on the other hand, went by the name Arkham Knight and donned a suit of armor that completely covered his body, making it impossible for anyone from Vought International to recognize his true identity.
When the recruitment day arrived, the thirteenth floor of the office building was already packed with people.
The floor was bustling with a crowd, the buzzing conversations louder than a whole hive of bees. Don't expect Gotham citizens to patiently stand in line—everyone was disobediently crowding at the conference room door, and Soren and Jason almost couldn't squeeze into the throng.
Fortunately, Batman's influence still loomed large in Gotham. The Arkham Knight armor Jason wore closely resembled Batman's, and after Jason knocked out a man who had been glaring at them with a punch, the wary citizens of Gotham began to steer clear of them, allowing the duo to move forward.
They found a less crowded area to settle, where many around them cast curious glances their way, assessing their strength.
The crowd was diverse in age and appearance, with several individuals looking distinctly non-human. Soren exchanged a glance with Jason and whispered, "I didn't know there were so many people in Gotham who wanted to be superheroes. It seems like Gotham isn't entirely hopeless."
Jason snorted lightly, ready to respond, but someone else beat him to it. "That's because the salary after getting selected is two thousand bucks a week. It's not that we all want to be superheroes; it's just that they pay way too much."
Soren turned his gaze toward the source of the voice.
It was a young man of Indian descent with brown skin. He spoke with a strong accent, but his eyes were bright and clear, his black curly hair cut to a medium length, tucked behind his ears.
The young man was quite talkative. He flashed a big smile at Soren, revealing a dazzling set of white teeth, and extended his right hand. "Hi there, you can call me Ash."
Soren shook his hand. "I'm Joseph, and this is the Arkham Knight."
"Wow, your name is so cool!" Ash looked at Jason with admiration.
Jason nodded slightly, maintaining his aloof demeanor.
"So, what special abilities do you guys have?" Ash asked, unfazed by Jason's coldness and curious.
Soren spoke mysteriously, "I can move objects with my mind!"
"Wow, that's so cool!" Ash exclaimed, eyes wide with amazement.
Soren replied modestly, "It's nothing special. What about you? What superpower do you have?"
"I can do this—" Ash grinned shyly, spreading his palms, then extended his arm directly behind his neck, twisting it all the way around until his entire arm made a full rotation. He then threaded his right hand through his left armpit, folding his ribs in a way that tied his arms together.
"I can stretch my limbs freely, like rubber. And I can do this—"
He twisted his arm again, cradling his chin in both hands, slowly rotating his head all the way to the back.
"What do you think? Haven't seen that before, have you?"
Ash beamed, clearly enjoying showcasing his unusual ability.
Soren felt a pang in his neck just watching Ash's grotesque contortion. He swallowed hard and replied, "Oh, that's certainly, um… quite rare. Does it hurt?"
"Not at all!" Ash released his hands and twisted his head back around, grinning widely as he put his hands on his hips. "I guess you could say it's, um… a talent?"
Even Jason felt his stomach churn from the sight. He averted his gaze, his voice flat. "Nice performance."
Ash looked even happier, his eyes wide with excitement. "How did you know! I actually perform this to earn my fare to immigrate here! Gotham is a land filled with opportunities everywhere. I'm sure I'll get selected this time, and then I can earn enough money to support my seven younger siblings!"
"Seven?" Soren raised his voice in surprise.
"I'm fourth in line, and I have two older sisters and one older brother," Ash explained. "I'm the only one in the family who can find a job, so I have to provide for everyone."
Soren paused, mentally calculating how many children were in Ash's family, and a sense of respect welled up within him. "You really have it tough."
Ash grinned. "Once I get accepted by Vought International, life will get much better for my family."
Soren nodded, "Well… I wish you success."
"Good luck to you both, too!" Ash said optimistically.
At that moment, the conference room door swung open, and a woman with short brown hair, dressed in a tailored suit, stepped out holding a clipboard. She read off a list of names, calling each one to follow her inside.