The interview room looked nothing like a boring corporate office.
No rows of desks. No stiff-backed chairs.
Instead, a full-sized boxing ring took center stage.
Jack took one look and immediately recognized it—this was the same spot where Tony Stark had interviewed Black Widow in Iron Man 2.
Jack smirked. "Yup, figures. No way Tony Stark would sit behind a desk looking serious. Not his style."
As he stepped inside, the door swung open.
A man with a goatee and sunglasses strolled in, looking Jack up and down.
"British?" Tony Stark asked, tilting his head.
Jack blinked. "Me? Nah, American."
Tony grinned, pumped his fist, and turned to Happy Hogan—his burly bodyguard—who sighed, pulled out a ten-dollar bill, and slapped it onto the table.
Jack chuckled. "Did you seriously bet on my ethnicity?"
"Of course," Tony said. "It's the only way Happy ever makes money off me. Now, let's get this over with."
He leaned against the ring ropes. "First of all—congrats! You survived three months of unpaid corporate slavery. Your internship report is solid—A-grade. Your lab supervisor likes you, says you're helpful."
Jack nodded, suppressing a smirk. If only they knew the real reason behind his 'helpfulness'—super serum perks.
Tony glanced at the file in his hand. "Now, let's talk career choices. Your résumé says you studied law. So, do you wanna stick to the lab work or switch to legal?"
Jack blinked. Law?
Oh. Right. The original Jack probably had a legal background.
"Uh… yeah, about that," Jack said, scratching his head. "I'm, uh… not really into law. At all."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Huh. You sure? Usually, people lie to make themselves look better."
Jack grinned. "Nah, I prefer being honest. But if you're looking for a special skill, I do know a little Kung Fu."
Tony smirked. "Oh? How 'little' are we talking?"
Jack wiggled his eyebrows and smirked. "Let's just say… if a fight gets too intense, I know exactly when to pull out."
Tony blinked. Then he snorted, laughing. "Okay, I walked into that one."
Jack shrugged. "It's a common discipline thing, y'know? Breathing, movement, and… proper thrust control."
Happy, who had been silently sipping his coffee, choked.
"I'm sorry, what?"
Jack kept his face dead serious. "If you wanna master Kung Fu, you gotta learn how to thrust properly. Too weak? No impact. Too strong? You'll leave 'em breathless in one go. Gotta pace yourself."
Tony lost it. He doubled over laughing, hands on his knees. "Holy shit. Happy, I don't care if this guy sucks at his job—he's hired."
Jack grinned. Mission accomplished.
"Alright, alright," Tony said, catching his breath. "Back to the topic—how good are you at Kung Fu, really?"
Jack waved a hand. "I can handle, oh… maybe ten of the big guy standing next to you?"
Happy narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"
Jack grinned wider. "Maybe twelve, if I stretch first."
Happy cracked his knuckles.
Tony, clearly entertained, leaned in. "Hold up, hold up. Before my guy here breaks your face, let's do a quick test run."
Jack shrugged. "Sure. Got a sandbag?"
Tony gestured to the heavy punching bag hanging in the corner.
Jack walked up to it, stretched his arms, and took a deep breath.
Then—
BANG!
The entire sandbag exploded with a single punch.
Sand burst out like fireworks, ripping the bag apart.
Happy froze.
Tony took off his sunglasses. "Huh."
Pepper, who had just walked in, stared. "What the hell?"
Jack dusted off his hands. "Yeah, so… like I was saying, my Kung Fu isn't great for sparring. Hard to control the power, y'know? If I hit a real person, there might be… medical bills involved."
Happy swallowed hard.
Tony grinned like a kid in a candy store. "Okay, now you've got my attention. What the hell was that? That's some 'punch through a steel door' kind of strength. How'd you do it?"
Jack shrugged. "Years of training. Painful, boring training. Not really your thing, Mr. Stark."
Tony frowned. "Excuse me?"
Jack smirked. "No offense, but you don't exactly scream 'disciplined martial artist.'"
Tony squinted. "Are you saying I couldn't do it?"
Jack grinned wider. "I'm saying it takes years of practice. You have the patience for that?"
Tony opened his mouth—then closed it.
For some reason, Jack's words hit a nerve.
Maybe it was because he'd spent his whole life hearing how he wasn't disciplined enough. Maybe it reminded him of his father constantly comparing him to Steve Rogers.
Either way, Tony crossed his arms. "Oh, now you've done it. Now I'm gonna have to prove you wrong."
Jack chuckled. "Good luck with that, Mr. Stark."
Tony huffed and glanced at Jack's file again—then suddenly froze.
His eyes slowly drifted up.
Then, with the biggest smirk, he asked, "Hold up. Your last name is... MrThrustalot?"
Jack nodded, deadpan. "Yup. Family name. Goes back generations. Deep, thrusting roots."
Tony put a hand over his heart. "I… I don't think I've ever been this happy."
Jack tilted his head. "What, you gonna take another bet on my name now?"
Tony wiped away a fake tear. "No, I'm just—man, I don't think I'll ever forget you now."
He pointed at Happy. "This guy? He'll forget your name in ten seconds. But me? Jack MrThrustalot? That's legendary."
Jack grinned. Bingo. Mission accomplished.
[Ding!]
[Mission Completed: Tony Stark Will Remember Your Name!]
Reward: 500 Points
[System Shop Unlocked!]
Jack resisted the urge to pump his fist.
Today was a damn good day.