Hercules: What Is a Hero?

"Enough, Jonathan. Don't say another word!"

To keep the argument from escalating further, Reed Richards hurriedly shouted to stop it, but anyone could hear the exhaustion and helplessness in his voice.

Perhaps it was not just him. Everyone present felt the same way.

Tony Stark was left speechless by what Human Torch had just said. It was as though he had been punched squarely in the face, his mind going blank for a moment. He staggered back half a step, his face turning deathly pale.

He opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself, but found his throat blocked by something. He could not force out a single word.

First, he looked at Human Torch's face, rapidly reddening with agitation. Then he looked at the others—

Hawkeye avoided his gaze and lowered his head to stare at the floor;

Black Widow's expression was complicated, her lips pressed tightly together;

Bruce Banner had kept his head lowered since the discussion began, paying no attention at all to the argument between him and Human Torch.

The other two members of the Fantastic Four also remained silent.

Across from them, Vision still watched everything calmly, while the mockery in Hercules's eyes grew ever thicker—

Though it was only a fleeting glance, a bone-deep sense of loneliness and the stabbing pain of betrayal suddenly gripped Tony Stark's heart, leaving him faintly short of breath.

He suddenly thought of Captain America, of those days when, even when their ideals clashed, even at their darkest hour, everyone had still stood tightly united no matter how powerful the enemy was—

But now, just because Captain America was gone, had the strong bond holding this team together become so fragile?

For the first time in his life, Tony Stark realized how difficult it was to unite people's hearts in