"The price of being a hero is no small thing."
The price of being a hero really was enormous.
Leaving everything else aside, Little Spider was the perfect example. Of course, in this world there was no Little Spider, only Spider-Gwen.
Still, she counted as an example too.
Right now, the Superhero Association was holding an internal meeting. Zod sat in the top seat, and for the moment, every superhero they could bring in, regardless of rank, was seated here.
"The moment you choose to become a superhero, it means sacrifice and dedication," Zod said.
"I'm certain that even without any reward at all, even if others misunderstand you, you would still keep fighting."
"That's only natural," Invisible Woman Susan said as if it were self-evident.
"Uh, I don't think reward should even be part of this discussion."
Eddie voiced his own understanding as well. After all, heroes were noble. Before Dark Knight Zod appeared out of nowhere, the standard for heroes had been Captain America Steve.
"With great power comes great responsibility, Mr. Heath," Spider-Gwen said firmly.
"I understand your spirit. Anyone with the courage to step forward and become a hero obviously wouldn't care about something like that."
Zod looked toward Tony. Tony did not care about reward at all. He even paid out of pocket, though Zod Heath had flatly refused him because he was rich enough.
"Then here's the problem," Zod said.
"Why can't we give the identity of a hero a certain kind of compensation?"
"What do you mean?" Tony asked with interest.
"The Superhero Association should not just be an interest group. It should become a real organization, one that can truly motivate heroes and encourage heroic acts."
Zod continued, "As for heroes, I think the Superhero Association should provide a certain amount of compensation, so that becoming a superhero is no longer just an act of selfless devotion."
"We've already gained more than enough 'compensation,'" Ben, the Thing, said.
"Oh? You mean the worship of those foolish civilians?"
Zod let out a cold laugh.
"And the moment something happens, that worship will turn into hatred for you."
Well, since none of them had yet experienced the coldness of human nature firsthand, they were not particularly convinced.
"Mr. Zod Heath, isn't that a little too..."
"As heroes, you can't place all your 'returns' in the ever-changing emotions of the public," Zod interrupted.
"You need encouragement from other sources."
"You mean the Association pays us money after we carry out justice?" Johnny the Human Torch asked.
"Yes," Zod said.
"Why not?"
"..."
No one spoke, though it was not because they agreed. They were simply thinking about how to refute Zod gracefully.
Superheroes were not supposed to "work" for money.
Besides, were any of them short on cash?
If they really wanted money, they could make plenty of it whenever they liked.
"Money may not matter to you. At the very least, none of you have to worry about it. But for superheroes with difficult family circumstances, that might not be true, right?" Zod said.
As superheroes, everyone here interacted with each other like gentlemen.
They never touched things like money, that vulgar business. There were no利益 exchanges of any kind between them.
And what Zod intended to do now was break that situation apart.
He wanted to weave a net of interests and cast it over every superhero.
"So why don't we use the name of the entire Association to help superheroes who are struggling financially?" Zod said.
"For example, after they save someone, the Superhero Association can issue them a subsidy. I'm not calling it a reward, just a form of support."
"While they're saving people, they lose their own time for everyone else's safety. That means they can't work and can't earn money. They might even get chewed out for being late, or lose their job altogether."
"But if we step in to help, then it would genuinely improve their lives."
"Money is only one side of it. The assistance the Association can provide to heroes, real help in the truest sense, can actually be put into practice."
"Instead of just throwing useful things into a warehouse and leaving them there."
Invisible Woman Susan raised a hand and rubbed her brow.
"Wait, I'm getting a headache."
"To put it simply, in addition to spiritual fulfillment, superheroes also need material rewards and real support. That is what the Superhero Association should truly be doing," Zod concluded.
"So how are we supposed to do that?" Tony asked.
He personally did not lack money. He had money to spare. Wasn't it just a matter of handing some out?
"A hero ranking system, divided into S, A, B, C, D, E, and F classes. Heroes rank up through various heroic acts. Heroes of different classes enjoy different treatment, such as monthly subsidies, health insurance, and other basic benefits. There is no superior or subordinate relationship here, only differences in treatment."
Zod began explaining the plan he had already laid out.
"More importantly, we need to provide psychological counseling for heroes."
"Psychological counseling?"
The others froze for a moment. Wasn't that basically saying they had mental problems?
"Superheroes suffer too. They have all kinds of troubles. Those troubles obviously can't be confided to outsiders, and they're not easy to talk about with family either. So regardless of anything else, the Association must establish a counseling room."
Superheroes were always just one step away from going dark, one step away from a mental breakdown. Aside from the pressure brought on by dual identities and dual lives, the biggest issue was having no one to confide in, and no one who understood their burdens. Besides, hiring a psychological counseling team would not cost that much money.
Zod, who had just acquired an oil field, was feeling very generous.
"Is that really necessary?" Johnny could not help asking. He thought he was doing just fine.
"Of course it is."
"A qualified therapist can help ease a person's mind."
At last, Zod revealed his true intentions.
"As a businessman, and also as a member of the Association, I'm very willing to provide all kinds of supplies for the Association, from rescue medicine to all sorts of weapons and equipment."
"Through heroic acts, heroes can raise their rank and earn internal Superhero Association points. Points are not the same as money. They're something money can't buy."
"Then they can use those points to exchange for equipment, and carry out more heroic acts, and better ones."
"At the same time, strong benefits can attract more superheroes into the Superhero Association, strengthen the Association, and prepare it to face even greater crises."
"That's the extent of my current ideas. What do you all think?"
Zod Heath had barely finished speaking when Tony Stark immediately said, "Stark Industries will also support the Superhero Association by providing weapons and other supplies."
"You new Stark Industries still has the capacity to manufacture weapons?" Zod asked curiously.
/-\
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