Supervillains and Iron Heroes

He lifted his eyes, discreetly observing Lex Luthor, surprised.

Wait, something's off.

Does Lex Luthor have hair?

This was the ultimate nemesis of Superman, a die-hard humanist, and the infamous supervillain in every story.

Lex Luthor was known for his iconic bald head, just like Superman's signature red cape.

Yet, in this timeline, Lex Luthor had a full head of thick, gold-red hair!

Soren glanced at Lex Luthor's hair as if he were seeing an alien.

This isn't right.

Soren thought, almost feeling the urge to personally shave Lex Luthor's head just to restore balance to the universe.

His fingers twitched slightly at the idea.

Lex Luthor noticed Soren's gaze and smiled at him, a smile that seemed perfectly kind and innocent, "Oh, so this is our little star tonight? Happy birthday, young man."

Soren grinned back, showing a row of bright, even teeth between his soft lips.

His smile was just as sincere, "Thank you."

Lex Luthor smiled again.

But this smile was different, the kind where his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth.

It made the grin wide without moving any of the muscles in the upper half of his face.

It looked almost robotic, like something that was programmed into him.

That smile instantly put Soren on edge.

Even though Lex Luthor's expression seemed harmless, Soren could still see a faint trace of something darker lurking in his eyes.

It was a feeling, almost instinctive, that warned Soren: Lex Luthor, with his genius-level intellect, was a serious threat.

Soren knew he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

Lex Luthor always saw Superman as the biggest threat to Earth, constantly plotting ways to defeat him.

He had even created powerful weapons and devices with the single goal of destroying Superman or taking his powers for himself.

Soren knew that if Lex Luthor ever discovered who he really was and the abilities he had, Lex Luthor would treat him as an enemy in the same way.

Soren wasn't afraid of anything Lex Luthor might throw at him.

If it was just him, he could handle it.

But if Lex Luthor decided to go after him, the Hargreaves family would become Lex Luthor's easiest target—his best weapon against Soren.

Lex Luthor was known for being ruthless, and Soren had no doubt that he would use this weakness against him.

Soren steeled himself, tightening his grip on Renee's arm, tilting his head playfully as if he were an innocent child.

Keep your identity hidden—it's the key to staying safe!

Thankfully, the Hargreaves couple was very busy tonight.

After a short exchange with the Luthor father and son, they moved on to greet other guests. 

Soren relaxed a little.

He was thinking about stepping outside to get some fresh air in the garden when Charlie Hargreaves suddenly lit up with excitement, smiling as he opened his arms toward a young man who is entering the hall.

"Tony, you finally come here!"

Tony Stark, who had just walked in, was greeted with a strong hug from Charlie. 

Tony rolled his eyes dramatically—so much so that it was almost comical rather than annoying.

Even rolling his eyes, his youthful face was so expressive that it was hard not to find it amusing.

He raised his right hand, which was holding a neatly wrapped golden gift box, and grumbled, "Alright, Charlie, just tell me where the birthday kid is."

Soren hesitantly stepped forward, glancing at the man's face before quietly saying, "Uh… right here?"

Tony.

The only person Charlie would call "Tony" with such warmth had to be Tony Stark, the heir of Stark Industries where Charlie worked.

There couldn't be anyone else.

What a night!

First Lex Luthor, now Tony Stark?

Soren could barely handle the excitement.

One was a notorious supervillain, the other one of the Avengers' top heroes—the brilliant inventor, major funder of the Avengers, and the one and only Iron Man.

Without a second thought, Soren immediately saw Tony as his savior. 

This shining, golden superhero was like a beacon of hope to Soren. 

Tony Stark, please save me!!

I'm just a kid—I'm not ready to face a supervillain like Lex Luthor yet!

Tony Stark finally looked at Soren directly.

Tony raised an eyebrow, crossed his arms, and tossed the gift box at Soren, "Here's your birthday present. Every kid about to hit puberty should give this a try."

Soren caught the gift, looking completely shocked and honored.

What was this?

A birthday gift from the Avengers' biggest funder?

That basically made him an honorary member of the Avengers!

Tonight, he'd received countless expensive presents, but this one—this one was priceless to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Stark!"

Soren hugged the gift box, his excitement so obvious that Tony couldn't help but think he was looking at a puppy wagging its tail frantically at him.

A small, white, fluffy, adorable puppy that smelled like baby powder.

Tony took a step back.

He awkwardly turned his head and started rambling, "I'm joking. It's just some leftover junk from my lab."

Soren who is still holding the box, grinned so widely that his eyes squinted, practically glowing with happiness, "I'll love it no matter what it is! Mr. Stark, can I open it now?"

Tony nodded his head, gesturing for him to go ahead.

Soren looked down and carefully began unwrapping the gift.

His fingers were pale and soft, like they had never done a day of hard work.

The way his fingertips peeled back the paper made it seem like even the edges of the paper might hurt that delicate skin.

Watching him, Tony suddenly felt weirdly nervous.

He cleared his throat, glancing around until his eyes landed on Charlie's smiling face.

Charlie silently mouthed, "Thank you. He's really happy."

Tony shrugged.

Soren finally unwrapped his gift, revealing a small device that looked like a miniature launcher, with a round, flat barrel and a square base.

The structure wasn't complicated, and since Soren had spent most of his life around weapons, he quickly figured out what it was.