As Chen Haoran walked onto the stage, his information materialized on the massive background screen behind him.
Chen Haoran: Hong Kong native. Awakened fire-creation ability several years ago. Initially used powers for street magic performances. Abilities recently enhanced through training. Combat Power: 62 (Note: Energy-based abilities show relative power increases beyond baseline measurement).
Chen strode to center stage, his face lighting up at the enthusiastic applause washing over him. This moment represented everything he'd yearned for during years of enforced secrecy.
As someone who'd awakened fire-creation abilities long before scouters made enhanced individuals' existence public knowledge, Chen had spent years under S.H.I.E.L.D. restriction—forbidden from demonstrating his powers publicly. His initial abilities had been weak enough that the organization hadn't considered him particularly valuable, leaving him in a frustrating limbo of surveillance without support.
He'd watched the first superheroes appear on television with intense envy, dreaming of the day he might stand openly acknowledged rather than hidden in shadows.
Now, with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s enhancement protocols significantly amplifying his capabilities, he'd become genuinely formidable. His fire-creation abilities made him more dangerous than many physically enhanced individuals. And finally, he could operate without concealment.
If he successfully joined The Paragons today, he'd become a celebrated superhero—admired and appreciated by countless people rather than treated as a potential security risk to be monitored and suppressed.
In the audience section, Agent Coulson watched Chen Haoran with professional assessment. Honestly, he preferred Donnie Gill for the infiltration mission—the younger agent's scientific brilliance and cryokinesis offered more strategic versatility. But either Chen or Donnie would serve S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence objectives adequately. The mission would succeed regardless of which candidate was selected.
The audience throughout the venue and watching broadcasts displayed visible curiosity about Chen Haoran. Fire-manipulation abilities appeared far more spectacular than strength enhancement from super-soldier serum variants.
As the applause subsided, the World Martial Arts Tournament Announcer's voice carried theatrical enthusiasm. "Compared to other enhanced individuals, our final two candidates differ dramatically from typical strength-based fighters. Fire and ice create damage that's more direct and terrifying than physical force alone."
He gestured toward Chen with showman's flair. "Mr. Chen Haoran's existence demonstrates the incredible diversity of enhanced abilities possible in our world."
The Announcer's grin widened. "I'm certain everyone is curious how fire-creation performs in actual combat scenarios. Now, we'll hand the stage over to Vermillion—Chen Haoran!"
The Announcer retreated to the wings, leaving Chen alone under the spotlight. Chen didn't hesitate or hold back—he immediately began demonstrating his capabilities at full power.
Stage crew wheeled out several wooden posts as demonstration targets, arranging them at intervals across the platform. Chen opened both hands, palms facing upward, and blazing flames erupted into existence above his skin.
The fire rose half a meter high, spinning like miniature tornadoes in each palm. The flames' heat distorted the air visibly, creating wavering mirages above Chen's hands. Yet his skin showed no signs of burning—he manipulated fire with complete immunity to its destructive properties.
Chen juggled the flame tornadoes between his hands with casual ease, demonstrating precise control over their movement and intensity. Then he drew his right arm back and hurled one fireball toward the nearest wooden post.
The projectile crossed the distance with startling speed—a streak of orange-gold that slammed into the target within a heartbeat.
Impact triggered an explosion. The flames detonated against the wooden post, and the entire structure carbonized instantly under temperatures that exceeded simple combustion. What had been solid wood became blackened charcoal in seconds, structural integrity destroyed so thoroughly that fragments crumbled to the stage floor.
The audience erupted in amazed exclamations. Not only could Chen create fire, but he could shape it into tangible projectiles and control their behavior on impact. The flames appeared to obey his will as precisely as physical objects, responding to mental commands with perfect reliability.
And perhaps most impressive—those extreme temperatures that instantly carbonized wood had no apparent effect on Chen himself. His hands remained unburned despite generating flames that would hospitalize baseline humans on contact.
Chen demonstrated variations on his technique, throwing another fireball that didn't explode but instead adhered to its target, dealing damage through sustained burning rather than detonation. The wooden post caught fire normally, flames spreading across its surface with conventional combustion behavior but maintaining intensity far beyond what natural fire would produce.
After showcasing these projectile techniques, Chen turned toward the two remaining wooden posts. He crouched suddenly, slamming both palms against the stage floor.
Cracks spider-webbed across the platform's surface, spreading toward the targets with visible propagation. The fractures reached the wooden posts' bases within seconds.
Flames erupted from beneath the posts like geysers—pillars of fire that consumed the wood from below and above simultaneously. The posts transformed into charcoal in an instant, heat so intense that they barely had time to burn before structural collapse.
Chen straightened from his crouch, breathing slightly harder from the exertion. He'd recently developed a special technique with help from S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy instructors, but the stage wasn't large enough to safely demonstrate it. That move required more space and clearance than the venue could provide.
Ivan and Tony, watching Chen's demonstration conclude, both had the same question forming in their minds—what temperature did those flames actually reach?
Carbonizing wood required approximately four hundred degrees Celsius under normal conditions, but instant carbonization clearly indicated temperatures far exceeding that threshold. If Chen could generate flames hot enough to melt steel, he'd pose considerable threat to their respective armors. Unless battle suits were constructed from adamantium or vibranium, conventional gold-titanium alloys would melt under sustained exposure.
Ivan leaned toward his microphone. "Chen Haoran—I have that name correct?"
Chen's face split with a genuine smile. "Yes, that's right."
Ivan nodded acknowledgment. "An extremely powerful ability. Your control over fire demonstrates strong combat capabilities with obvious applications for superhero work."
He paused deliberately. "If necessary, you could cause horrific damage to targets. The introduction mentioned your abilities weren't initially very strong but were enhanced later. What's the current temperature of flames you can create?"
Chen considered the question briefly, organizing his response. "Yes, my fire-creation wasn't very powerful at first. Initially, I could only perform magic tricks or light cigarettes—parlor demonstration level rather than combat applications."
His expression brightened with pride at his improvement. "But now my capabilities have been significantly enhanced. Conventional attack flames reach one thousand degrees Celsius. When necessary, I can compress and boost the intensity to a maximum temperature of sixteen hundred degrees Celsius."
Ivan's eyebrows rose with genuine surprise at that maximum threshold. Sixteen hundred degrees Celsius could already melt steel with ease. Gold-titanium alloy, which liquefied at temperatures exceeding one thousand degrees, would be even more vulnerable. Chen represented a legitimate threat to armored opponents.
Tony picked up his microphone, his tone carrying appreciation. "Very impressive ability, definitely different from typical enhanced individual powers. Eye-catching in the best way. With capabilities like that, you could cosplay as a fire mage and people would believe it's real magic."
Smith leaned toward his own microphone. "Chen Haoran, your abilities have tremendous potential. If the temperature of flames you create continues increasing with training and enhancement, I believe you'll achieve even more outstanding performances in combat scenarios."
Smith's transmigrator knowledge provided context the others lacked. Chen's flame intensity directly correlated with his personal energy reserves and physical enhancement level. He'd already improved significantly after receiving the secondary super-soldier serum injection.
If Chen could access further enhancement—whether through heart-shaped herb, complete super-soldier serum, or learning ki control techniques through dedicated training—his corresponding flame abilities would improve proportionally. Smith even suspected that if Chen received Hulk serum, he might transform into some variant of a flame-generating Hulk.
The ultimate heights Chen might reach remained uncertain, but the Human Torch and Pyro from the X-Men both represented potential developmental directions. With proper support and training, Chen could achieve comparable levels of power and versatility.
In the AOS timeline Smith remembered, Chen Haoran's story had been tragic— becoming an antagonist named scorch, he'd never developed properly, his fire-resistance capabilities had been extracted through serum harvesting, and he'd been killed by the Agent of SHIELD shortly afterward. A creature punished by fate before reaching his potential.