"The first floor is the office area. The company has just been established and hasn't started operations yet. You're the first employee. For now, your job is to follow my instructions and do whatever needs to be done," Jonny Blaze explained briefly.
"The second floor is the living area. There are empty rooms, and you can choose one to stay in."
"The third floor is my private area."
Jonny Blaze gave Jessica Jones, who appeared calm but intrigued, a quick rundown. "Your internship lasts for three months, with food and housing provided. There's no salary during this period. Afterward, the monthly salary will be $3,000 with benefits and bonuses. Any problem with that?"
Still trying to process the situation, Jessica Jones, who was stepping into the workforce for the first time, shook her head in response. "No, no problem."
Even without a salary during the internship, having her living expenses covered was enough to solve her immediate needs. Besides, a monthly salary of $3,000 after the internship seemed quite appealing.
She wanted to prove to Trish that she could manage just fine on her own.
"Thank you for giving me this opportunity!" she said earnestly.
Looking at Jessica, who was expressing her gratitude sincerely, Jonny Blaze gave a small smile. "Get some rest tonight. You'll be coming out with me tomorrow."
"Okay, sure," Jessica Jones nodded, watching as Jonny headed upstairs. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she hurriedly asked, "Wait! I don't even know your name yet."
Without looking back, Jonny Blaze replied, "It's Jonny Blaze—like the fire within that can't be tamed."
"Got it," Jessica murmured as Jonny disappeared from view. She picked a room downstairs to settle in while Jonny had already taken a shower and was resting upstairs.
He slept peacefully that night, not because he had a strong woman downstairs guarding him, but because no agents from the Time Variance Authority had shown up. This meant that, despite altering Jessica Jones's fate slightly, there were no consequences—no time branch had formed.
This suggested that while the big picture couldn't be changed, the smaller details could be.
As long as key events and ultimate outcomes remained intact, slight alterations didn't lead to the creation of new time branches.
---
Baltimore, Maryland.
Jessica Jones stood in front of a run-down wooden house, looking confused and unsure.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Wasn't I just with Jonny Blaze at the office? How did I end up here so quickly?
"Boss..." Jessica looked over at Jonny Blaze.
Looking unbothered, Jonny gestured to the door, his expression unreadable. "You aren't alone here. Go knock."
Jessica, still in shock, hesitated but knocked on the door.
The door opened to reveal a young boy.
"We're here to see Isaiah," Jonny Blaze said.
"Isaiah isn't here," the boy responded, already starting to close the door.
"Jessica," Jonny called out.
With just a slight push, Jessica gently opened the door.
"Elijah Bradley, you shouldn't make a habit of lying," Jonny remarked, walking in confidently as Elijah backed away cautiously.
Inside, an older man with white hair glared sharply at the intruders. "You're not welcome here. Leave."
"Isaiah Bradley," Jonny said as he calmly sat on the sofa. "I know who you are and what you've been through. I'm not here to cause trouble. I just need you to spar with her."
"What? You want me to fight him?" Jessica exclaimed in shock. "He's too old! I'm not going to fight him!"
Jonny placed a stack of cash on the table, turning his attention back to Isaiah. "That's $50,000. Win or lose, the money is yours, and I promise this will be the last time we bother you or your family."
Isaiah glanced at Jessica, realizing she might not be as ordinary as she appeared. "And if I refuse?"
Jonny smiled slightly. "You can try."
Understanding that the situation couldn't be avoided, Isaiah sighed. If he didn't fight, others might force his hand—or worse, threaten his family.
"You better keep your word," Isaiah said, and then, moving with surprising speed for his age, he charged at Jessica, throwing a powerful punch.
The punch was strong, almost animalistic in force, catching Jessica by surprise. She hadn't expected such strength from someone his age. She managed to recover quickly and struck back, realizing this wasn't going to be an easy fight.
Jonny watched the battle with a smile, his system pinging with notifications.
"Ding!"
"Combat detected, reward unlocked: Super Strength (Jessica Jones)."
"Ding!"
"Combat detected, reward unlocked: Super Soldier Serum Enhancement (Isaiah Bradley)."
Both fighters had unlocked their strongest abilities, exactly what Jonny had hoped for.
Jessica's super strength was comparable to having infinite power in human form. Jonny could already feel the increased power in his own body as he clenched his fists.
The enhancement from Isaiah's super soldier serum had significantly boosted his physical abilities—strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes had all improved. Even his muscles had transformed from lean to chiseled.
Though the serum Isaiah had taken wasn't as powerful as the original given to Steve Rogers, Jonny was satisfied. It was more than enough until he encountered the original Captain America.
Isaiah Bradley had, after all, been a stand-in Captain America for a time, even facing the Winter Soldier during the Korean War.
"Take a break. We'll continue in ten minutes," Jonny announced, clapping his hands to signal the pause in their fight.
The purpose of the fight? To keep collecting rewards.