Chapter 49: Miss Becca, You Wouldn't Want...
14 Maple Street, a small town in Sandino, New York.
Morning sunlight streamed through the window, hitting his face and causing seven-year-old Ryan to wake up reluctantly from his dream.
He opened his eyes, stretched, and then, with the help of his mother, Becca, changed into a red jacket.
"Be careful when you're playing outside, don't fall, baby."
Becca zipped up Ryan's jacket with both hands, looking at her son with soft eyes and giving him a gentle reminder.
She was wearing simple casual clothes with a white silk coat over them, looking fresh and capable.
"Okay, Mom, don't worry, I definitely won't fall and get hurt."
Ryan nodded, then immediately trotted out of the room, arrived at the front door of the villa, and opened it, ready to go out and play.
However.
The door was instantly flung open.
Standing outside were two men.
One of them was wearing a dark blue bodysuit, his muscles bulging, with a cape that looked like the American flag draped behind him.
Ryan felt that this person looked somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.
Standing next to him was a tall Asian man.
The man wore a black coat, had black hair and black eyes, and exuded a unique aura.
Ryan was a bit afraid to make eye contact with him, as if... a lion was crouching within the man's pupils.
"Who... are you looking for?" he asked in a low voice, shrinking his neck back in fear.
"Is Ms. Becca here?"
Ian glanced at the boy in front of him, knowing that this person before him was likely Homelander's son, Ryan.
"Mom, someone is looking for you!"
Ryan shouted inside.
Becca hurried out, and upon seeing Homelander standing outside the door in his familiar uniform, her heart skipped a beat.
Immediately, Becca stepped forward, shielding Ryan behind her, and said with an unnatural expression:
"What... do you want?"
"Becca, is he my son?"
Homelander's gaze remained fixed on Ryan.
Watching Ryan hide behind his mother, his small fingers clutching the corner of Becca's clothes, revealing a pair of timid eyes, he looked like a small animal secretly sizing him up.
The color of the boy's eyes was exactly the same as his—that very pale, almost transparent blue, like a frozen lake in winter.
Homelander felt as if his heart had been gently held by a warm hand.
This feeling was completely different from when he first saw himself in the mirror wearing his superhero uniform, but it made his whole body tingle just the same.
This was... the feeling of a blood connection!
When he first heard the news about Ryan, Homelanderdidn't care.
After all, he had already found his father, and as for a son, he could have one with someone else at any time later.
But now, seeing Becca before him, and Ryan hiding behind Becca, he found his heart beginning to race again.
His father, Ian, was right; he really did have a son!
Feeling Homelander's gaze, Becca subconsciously pushed Ryan further behind her, using her own body to completely block Homelander's line of sight.
She kept one hand firmly protecting the top of Ryan's head, while the other hand gripped the collar of her white silk coat tightly, swallowed, and said coldly:
"He is not your son, Homelander."
She looked up, stared straight into Homelander's eyes, and repeated it.
"Ryan is not your son. He is William Butcher's son; he is the child of my husband William Butcher and me, and he has nothing to do with you."
William Butcher?
That damn guy had already been shot to death by Ian at Harmony Fort!
Moreover, through his super-hearing, Homelander could clearly hear that after Becca said this, her heartbeat became erratic.
"You are lying, Becca." Homelander grinned and chuckled, "Ryan is my son, the son of me and you!"
"No, he cannot be your son." Becca shook her head, "Please stay away from us, stay away from Ryan, and never come looking for us again."
Upon hearing this, Homelander, who had just been grinning, instantly darkened his expression; he wasn't grinning anymore.
"What did you say?" Homelander's face twitched slightly, his muscles tensed, and his cape fluttered gently in the morning breeze.
"This child is mine. You can't lie to me; he has my blood flowing in his veins."
"And you are standing here, telling me he is someone else's son, and then telling me to get lost?"
"You'd better be sensible, otherwise, I..."
"Forget it, let me handle it."
Seeing Homelander on the verge of using force to threaten her, Ian couldn't help but curl his lip, stepping forward to pat him on the shoulder.
How the hell did Vought International teach Homelanderin the past?
Why does he want to use force at the slightest disagreement?
Homelander turned his head, and upon seeing it was Ian, he took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and stepped aside.
Ian stepped forward, stopped less than a meter away from Becca, looked down at the mother who was shielding her child with her life, and grinned.
The smile was gentle, yet it sent an involuntary chill down Becca's spine.
"Ms. Becca, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Ian nodded slightly, his tone polite and friendly, which made Becca feel slightly uncomfortable.
He turned his gaze to Ryan behind Becca and said:
"My name is Ian, the current CEO of Vought International, and also Homelander's..."
He paused, returned his gaze to Becca's face, and said seriously.
"...father, which makes me the grandfather of the child behind you, Ryan."
Becca:???
Homelander's father?
Ryan's grandfather?
Since when did a scumbag like Homelander have a father?
She looked at Ian before her, and although her mind was full of confusion, she still clenched her teeth.
"Ryan has nothing to do with you. He is my son; he is the child of William Butcher and me. You have found the wrong people."
"Ms. Becca, before you lie, I should tell you a fact: William Butcher is dead."
Becca was stunned. William Butcher is dead? How is that possible?
"Oh, right, I killed him."
The smile on Ian's face widened. He turned his gaze to Ryan and said indifferently:
"A child cannot be without a father. That is common sense. Ryan needs a father, and Homelander is his biological father. That is an unchangeable fact."
"You can continue to hide him in this small town, pretend he is William Butcher's son, pretend he doesn't exist, and pretend the blood flowing in his veins is the same as a normal person's."
"But how long can you hide him? A year? Two years? Ten years? His powers will awaken sooner or later."
"When he accidentally crushes a classmate's desk at school, or when his eyes start glowing while he's being bullied... what do you think the American government will do?"
Becca's face gradually turned ugly. Ian was right; if Ryan were to go to school, this situation would very likely occur.
But Ryan was her son; how could she let Ryan face such an awkward situation?
Watching Becca's changing expression, Ian knew he had won.
So he leaned forward again and whispered:
"Miss Becca, you wouldn't want Ryan to live a life like that, would you?"
Chapter 50: Char-broiling Ryan, The Enraged Homelander
"Ms. Becca, you wouldn't want Ryan's childhood to be filled with all sorts of discrimination, would you?"
Ian's words reached Becca's ears; she shielded her son behind her with her right hand, while her left hand tightly clutched the hem of her clothes.
Indeed, the Asian man before her was right.
Even if she lived in seclusion here with Ryan, Ryan would eventually have to face the outside world.
Once he encountered the outside world, those people would discover Ryan's extraordinary nature.
And in that case, two things could happen: either Ryan would become Superman from the comics, or...
Becca looked up, her gaze passing over Ian and landing on Homelander, who was wearing his deep blue skintight suit, sporting his signature blonde hair, and still trying to make the child laugh with his expressions and gaze.
She didn't want her son to become Homelander, but those innate Superpowers destined Ryan to be anything but ordinary.
"But as Ryan's mother, I will do everything in my power to protect him, to protect him as he grows up!" Becca insisted stubbornly.
But Ian merely chuckled at this and continued:
"Ms. Becca, how can a sheep protect a son who is a tiger?"
"And… I advise you not to continue being so ignorant, otherwise… I find it difficult to suppress my urge to kill."
"You have already wasted ten minutes of mine and Homelander's time."
"If we wanted to, we could have completely slaughtered this international metropolis of New York in these ten minutes."
Becca took a deep look at Ian, and through his black eyes, she felt the terrifying murderous intent radiating from him.
She suddenly realized that everything the Ian before her said seemed to be true.
It wasn't just Becca; Homelander, standing to the side, was also stunned in place after hearing Ian say he could slaughter the entire New York in ten minutes.
He looked up, his eyes filled with envy as he gazed at the tall father radiating such a formidable aura before him.
As expected of his dad, he was just stronger than him!
Homelander felt that he also needed to find Dr. Vogelbaum and improve his own abilities.
After all, with a dad so strong, how could he, as the son, fall behind?
After hearing Ian's words, Becca first took two steps back, her face turning pale; she was clearly frightened.
She stared intently at Ian, trying to discern even a hint of intimidation or jest in his eyes.
But unfortunately… she seemed to only see the solemnity of a lion in Ian's eyes.
This man… meant it! He really wanted to slaughter the entire New York!!
Upon realizing this, Becca took a deep breath, as if making a difficult decision, and whispered:
"I agree to let Ryan go back with you, but I must be by his side!"
"He is my son, I cannot let him go alone to a place devoid of any humanity."
...
Homelander had been very happy these past few days.
He was no longer a lonely lab baby with no family.
Because he had found his father, and his son!
If only he had a mother. That was Homelander's only regret.
But things were already much better than before; at least he had a father and a son. They were both by his side.
However, Homelander was a bit at a loss regarding his son's education.
Because he had spent his childhood in a laboratory, locked up and subjected to all sorts of inhumane experiments.
He had never received any formal education and didn't know how to raise a child at all.
Just when he was at his wit's end, his old father, Ian, stepped up and said that before teaching Homelander, he would first properly teach Ryan.
So Homelander handed over the issue of Ryan's education to Ian.
And just this morning, Ian brought Ryan directly to the Project Odessa laboratory, where Homelander had stayed until he was 16.
"Is this where my dad lived when he was a kid?"
Ryan, being led by Ian, walked out of the elevator and into a world he had never seen before.
No windows, no sunlight, no rustling sound of the old oak tree on the lawn swaying in the wind.
All there was were bright silver painted walls, ghastly white fluorescent tubes, and the pungent smell of disinfectant mixed with metallic rust permeating the air.
Ian nodded: "That's right. Your father was born here and didn't leave until he was 16."
Ryan nodded blankly. He tried to imagine, as Iansuggested, what it would be like if a person spent the sixteen years from birth to adulthood in such a stifling place...
Ryan didn't dare to think about it; he felt that if he had to stay in this place, he would definitely go crazy.
The two walked slowly forward. The corridor was long, so long that the end was not in sight, with thick, opaque glass lining both sides.
Occasionally, people in white lab coats hurried past from the other end of the corridor.
Crisp footsteps bounced repeatedly in the empty corridor, creating an eerie echo that sounded like someone was constantly chasing you from behind.
Ryan felt his heart beating fast, as if it were about to jump out of his chest.
This didn't feel like a home; it felt more like a… cold grave buried deep underground.
Ian led Ryan to the laboratory door and raised his hand to open the heavy alloy blast door with his palm print.
Behind the door was a huge circular space, with a ring of blinding industrial-grade searchlights embedded in the ceiling, illuminating the entire room.
The floor was covered with anti-static industrial flooring, with a few faded old mats scattered about.
Several technicians in white lab coats were adjusting the equipment in the center of the room.
When they saw Ian and Ryan walk in, they stopped what they were doing and bowed to him in unison.
"Mr. Ian."
Ian nodded, signaling them to go back to their work, while he carefully examined the laboratory before him.
This was Homelander's exclusive experimental observation room, the core area of Project Odessa.
Back then, that lab baby with no name, only a number, learned in this very laboratory how to refrain from crying when burned by fire and how to grit his teeth when electrocuted.
In loneliness and pain, he wore away all the soft and fragile parts of himself, little by little.
In the end, he was molded by Vought International into that superhuman weapon, strong on the surface but fragile on the inside.
"Ryan, has your mother ever taught you what a real man should be like?" Ian asked.
"To be obedient, not to cause trouble, and not to cry." Ryan answered quickly.
Ian nodded: "Your mother is right, but not right enough."
"A real man must possess a strong will. If you were to lose your Superpowers, you would just be a cowardly little boy, Ryan."
"Come on, let's see just how strong your will is!"
After saying this, Ian pushed Ryan into a room, then folded his arms across his chest, looked at the boy in the room, and grinned:
"Didn't you say you wanted to know what your father experienced when he was a child? You'll find out in a moment."
As soon as he finished speaking, the technician next to him, Frank, skillfully pressed the red button on the console.
He was the researcher who used to test Homelander's heat resistance, often locking little Homelander in an incinerator to roast while he threw paper balls outside and played bets.
And now, seeing Mr. Ian send a little boy inside, Frank grinned, as if he saw the time he used to torture Homelander.
How ironic; that superhuman with immense power had his childhood constantly tortured by them. Just thinking about it made Frank feel like he was going crazy with joy.
However, while he was thinking happily, Bang!
The laboratory door was directly pierced by a tremendous force, creating a hole.
And a pair of hands reached out from that hole, veins bulging, instantly tearing apart the heavy alloy door.
Immediately following, Homelander, with red light flashing in his eyes and a face full of fury, rushed in.
"Ryan!"
Seeing his son being subjected to high-temperature roasting, and even his clothes being completely burned to ashes, Homelander felt a pain in his heart.
It was enough that he had experienced those hardships; why did his son have to go through that kind of suffering too?!
Thinking of the scenes of being abused in the past, thinking of the joy of having just found his son...
Homelander looked up at Ian, and his whole body instantly rushed over like a cannonball.
He grabbed Ian by the collar, his eyes filled with crimson light, like an enraged lion, and demanded angrily:
"Ian, what the hell are you doing to Ryan?"
"This is my son!"
"Even if you are my father, you cannot hurt him; this is my son!"
Chapter 51: Homelander and Ryan's Father-Son Clash
"Ryan said he wanted to experience your childhood."
Ian looked at the furious Homelander before him, his face showing not a hint of panic.
"So I brought him here."
Even if Homelander used his Laser Vision on Ian for a year, it wouldn't cause Ian any harm.
After all.
Ian not only possessed powerful Super Durability but could also absorb external energy.
Any attack launched against him would have a portion absorbed by Ian.
Compared to Ian, Homelander's abilities and the way he utilized them were truly like those of a child.
They were simply too crude, as crude as a baby that had just crawled out of its mother's womb.
"What?"
The red glow in Homelander's eyes instantly faded, his brows knitted tightly, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
"Ryan said himself that he wanted to experience the events of your childhood."
Ian raised his right hand and slowly pried away the hand Homelander had clamped onto his collar.
"Besides… to become a true man, he must temper his will."
As he spoke, he looked up, staring intently at the Homelander before him, then continued:
"Homelander, if you lost your Superpowers, would you still be Homelander?"
Homelander was stunned, his brain rapidly processing what Ian had just said.
What had he just heard?
Ryan wanted to experience his childhood?
His son would actually take the initiative to experience the tragic events of his childhood?
This moved Homelander deeply; from childhood to adulthood, not a single person had ever cared about him, cared whether he was living well or if he was warm.
And now, the son he had just found was actually experiencing all the suffering he had endured in his childhood just to care for him.
Thinking of this, the corners of Homelander's mouth couldn't help but curl upward; it was harder to suppress than an AK-47.
His gaze drifted involuntarily toward Ryan, who was being scorched by high temperatures, and a wave of warmth welled up in his heart.
"Oi! Stop spacing out, you haven't answered me yet!"
Ian slapped Homelander on the shoulder, snapping him back to reality just as he was basking in the feeling of love.
"Look into my eyes and answer me, Homelander: if you didn't have your Superpowers, would you still be Homelander?!"
Homelander was stunned; he had never thought about such a question before.
Whenever he encountered a problem, his brain always told him to use his super strength to solve it.
Although there were times he encountered problems he couldn't solve, he was Homelander; he possessed the Superpowers that ordinary people had to look up to.
Because he possessed this ability that was enough to transcend rules, he was Homelander.
But if he didn't have his Superpowers, would he… still be Homelander?
Deep down in his heart, Homelander already had the answer to this question.
But he was somewhat unwilling to face his own heart; after all, without his Superpowers, he was actually… nothing at all.
"Dad, Grandpa, what are you talking about?"
Just then, Ryan walked out of the incinerator, completely naked, without a stitch of clothing.
Homelander snapped out of it, turned to look at his son, and rushed over.
He placed his left hand on Ryan's shoulder and patted him all over with his right hand, checking if he was okay.
"Are you alright? Ryan?"
Ryan covered his bare privates with both hands, his face flushed with embarrassment as he said:
"I'm fine, Dad. The temperature in there didn't have any effect on me."
"Although it was a bit hot, I feel… as long as I grit my teeth and persist, it's actually fine."
As he spoke, Ryan lifted his head, looking at Homelanderwith eyes full of admiration.
"Dad, did you experience these trainings and these hardships when you were a child, and that's how you became the greatest superhero in the world?"
"Just like Superman in the comics, no matter what kind of difficulty it is, it can't defeat you."
"Just like Superman, even without his Superpowers, Superman is still Superman."
Homelander's expression froze, and he was completely stunned on the spot.
So… this was how Ryan saw him?
He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Ian, only to see Ian letting security personnel in to drag away the experimenters who had tortured him in the past.
It looked like these guys were going to be sent to Dr. Vogelbaum to become test subjects for compound vi.
Or perhaps… to become test subjects for the gene-editing project.
But either way, they were all going to contribute to Ian's cause.
This was very much in line with the traditions of America.
Homelander felt a warmth in his heart, and a genuine, hearty smile appeared on his face.
"Of course, Ryan. Although suffering is a predicament in our lives, the strong will use their will to overcome it and trample it underfoot."
He stroked Ryan's fluffy blond hair; it felt just like those pet dogs on TV.
Come to think of it, Homelander had never kept a pet like a kitten or a puppy.
"And when we overcome it, the suffering will be bestowed upon us, becoming our unyielding armor."
"So that's how it is."
Little Ryan nodded, his face seemingly enlightened.
"Then I want to be like Dad, to become the most powerful superhero in the world and protect all the goodness in this world!"
Homelander was stunned. He hadn't expected his son to say such a thing. While this made him happy, he also felt a bit hypocritical.
After all.
He wasn't a righteous and glorious superhero like Superman.
On the contrary, he had done some pretty monstrous things in the past.
But now…
Homelander looked at his son Ryan, who was filled with hope, and then at the old father figure, Ian, who was having the test subjects dragged out.
He decided—he was going to be Superman!
"How is it?"
After having Barbara and the others sent to Dr. Vogelbaum, Ian turned his head to look at Ryan and Homelander.
"Let's continue with the next part of the training, Ryan."
Ryan nodded. Although he was a bit afraid, after thinking about what Ian had told him, he strode into the electric shock chamber, gas chamber, and compression chamber.
Homelander stood beside Ian, his heart aching like crazy, but he respected his son's choice.
After all, his son was also a Superman.
For an entire afternoon, Ryan and Homelander stayed in this laboratory, letting Ryan experience the events of Homelander's childhood.
Meanwhile, Ian took a trip to Dr. Vogelbaum's laboratory halfway through.
The latter said that the gene-editing project had made initial progress, creating a small mouse that could fly.
Ian went to the laboratory to take a look, and sure enough, it was true, so he had Dr. Vogelbaum send the mouse to his office.
"I didn't expect Dr. Vogelbaum's gene-editing project to progress so quickly."
After walking out of Dr. Vogelbaum's laboratory, Iancouldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
"No wonder scientists in America have such a unique advantage in biotechnology."
"Just the test subjects below the'slaughter line' are enough for all of America to study for decades."
He walked out of the elevator and returned to the laboratory where Homelander and Ryan were.
At this moment, the father and son seemed to be… clashing?
"Ryan, come on! As the son of the strongest superhero in the world, let me see your strength!"
"Dad, is this really okay?"
Watching the two guys, Homelander and Ryan, bare from the waist down, competing to see who could last longer, Ian's eyelid twitched frantically.
"Damn it! Just be superheroes properly!"
"Who the hell has superheroes engaging in a father-son clash in a laboratory?!"
Chapter 52: I will definitely be the Homelander who protects my family and the people!
Homelander and Ryan were scolded by Ian for a full two hours.
After all, they were his subordinates, and they would all be working for him in the future.
Even though Ian was a notorious troll on various internet platforms in his past life, seeing this scene made it hard for him to keep a straight face.
And so, Homelander and Ryan, those two guys, sat there like elementary school students, hugging their knees, while Ian scolded them for two hours.
Well, every sentence was filled with profanity.
"Father, what did you come back to find us for?"
Seeing that Ian seemed to have calmed down for a moment, Homelander finally dared to open his mouth and ask tentatively.
"Damn it, I was originally planning to take you both to my hometown for a good time."
Thinking of this, Ian laughed in anger. Originally, he had wanted to strengthen the cohesion of his subordinates so he could stay in the radiation chamber and study his next path.
But he hadn't expected to walk in and see these two weirdos, Homelander and Ryan, having such an intense confrontation.
Heaven knows how traumatized he was by that.
"Your hometown?" Homelander was stunned. "China?"
Ian glanced at him sideways and answered indifferently, "Mm."
Homelander was silent for two seconds, and then... An extremely complex expression appeared on his face—
Three parts curiosity, three parts anticipation, three parts flattered, plus one part of unconcealable caution, as if he were afraid he had misheard, or as if he were afraid Ianmight suddenly change his mind.
Since he grew up, he had never been to that Eastern country.
And it was his father's hometown, too.
And now, his father was willing to take him back to his hometown...
Thinking of this, Homelander's Adam's apple couldn't help but bob, and his voice lowered subconsciously as he asked tentatively:
"Father, are you willing to take us back?"
Looking at his nervous appearance, the anger in Ian's heart inexplicably dissipated by more than half.
He remembered a video he had seen on a video-sharing site in his past life—
An abandoned golden retriever would stare at its owner with an expression that said, "Are you really taking me out? Really? You're not lying to me, are you?" every time the owner picked up the leash to take it out.
And at this very moment, Homelander's eyes were exactly like that golden retriever's.
"No nonsense. Go pack your things and notify Becca, Ryan, Grace, as well as Queen Maeve, Starlight, The Deep, and A-Train. Don't leave anyone out."
Ian said.
"In two hours, gather at the helipad on the roof of Vought Tower."
Two hours later.
On the helipad on the roof of Vought Tower, a Gulfstream G650ER, specially modified by Vought International, was parked quietly.
After the modifications, the aircraft's maximum range could reach any corner of the Earth directly.
And today, its destination was Beijing Capital International Airport.
Grace boarded the plane first, followed by The Deep and A-Train.
A-Train seemed a bit excited, pacing back and forth in the aisle, to the point where even afterimages were appearing.
This made Starlight, who was reading a book nearby, roll her eyes.
"Can you sit down?" Starlight said irritably. "The plane hasn't even taken off yet and you're already circling. What are you going to do when we're flying over the Pacific Ocean? Swim?"
"Uh..."
A-Train was just about to curse, but after feeling Homelander's gaze from the side, he gave a sheepish smile and obediently sat in the seat next to Starlight.
Queen Maeve was wearing a simple black leather jacket with jeans, oversized sunglasses covering half her face, and dark red lipstick on her lips.
Becca was wearing an off-white turtleneck sweater, and Ryan, whom she was holding by the hand, had changed into a new dark blue hoodie.
The boy looked to be in good spirits, his hair had been neatly trimmed, and his face showed some fear but also some excitement.
But there was more excitement than anything else.
As soon as he boarded the plane, he broke free from his mother's hand, ran to the porthole, stood on tiptoe, and pressed his whole face against the glass.
Ryan looked curiously at the ground markings on the tarmac that were shining in the sunlight.
He had never been on a plane before, so it was inevitable that he would be a little excited.
"Ryan, be careful," Becca urged from behind.
But Homelander walked up with a smile.
"He's my son; he has to get used to these things."
What was somewhat surprising was that Homelander had changed out of that Stars and Stripes uniform, wearing a well-tailored dark gray trench coat with a simple black turtleneck sweater underneath.
At first, Homelander didn't want to change his clothes.
After all, besides his identity as Homelander, he had no other identity.
But Ian told him firmly, "If you wear that thing to eat hot pot, are you worried people won't know you're Homelander, or are you worried that sesame paste stains won't be obvious enough on it?"
Although Homelander really wanted to go to China in his uniform, since his father had said so, he followed instructions.
Accompanied by the low, powerful roar of engines like a beast, the plane pierced the New York skyline and flew towards the East.
About fifteen hours later, Beijing Capital International Airport.
The Gulfstream G650ER landed smoothly on the runway and taxied to the private tarmac.
The cabin door opened, and everyone filed out.
The night wind at the capital airport was dry, cold, and crisp, carrying a completely different atmosphere from New York, blowing faintly against their faces.
"Is this where Father grew up?"
Homelander stood on the boarding stairs, gazing at the Great Wall in the distance, and suddenly felt something swelling slightly in his chest.
This feeling was indescribable, like some kind of root system that had been buried for a long time finally touching the soil it was originally supposed to belong to.
After seeing this scene, the others also showed expressions of surprise on their faces.
Following Ian, the group soon arrived at a hot pot restaurant.
The storefront was not large, with two red lanterns hanging at the entrance.
Pushing the door open, the aroma of sesame paste, chive flower sauce, fermented bean curd sauce, and the boiling bone broth in the hot copper pot rushed to meet them.
"Eat up. This can be considered the first team-building event for the core members of our Vought International."
Looking at the boiling red broth on the table and the various ingredients, Ian said to everyone present.
"Life is about eating and drinking well, isn't it?"
Everyone nodded, agreeing with him very much.
Looking at the table full of ingredients he couldn't name, A-Train's black face was full of question marks.
"How exactly are you supposed to eat this stuff?"
"Shit!" The Deep curled his lip in disdain. "Watch me."
After speaking, he immediately used chopsticks to roll up a slice of lamb, put it into the pot, swished it for a few seconds, then scooped it out and ate it dipped in sesame paste.
"Delicious! I didn't expect that I would be able to come to China and taste hot pot in person today, something I could only see on the internet before!"
Homelander looked at these things he had never tried before, then looked at the diners around him who were constantly swishing beef and lamb, and heard the authentic Beijing accents in his ears.
His heart suddenly trembled slightly, and a layer of crystal-clear tears seemed to well up in his eyes.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Ryan asked curiously.
"It's nothing." Homelander shook his head and smiled, squinting his eyes. "This food is too spicy. Go get me some milk, Ryan."
...
The next morning, Ian took everyone to climb the Great Wall.
After two hours of climbing, the group finally stood at the highest point of the Hero's Slope.
Ahead, the mountains rolled like waves, the ravines like tides, and the Great Wall extended along the ridge towards the horizon, the gray-blue walls shining brilliantly under the midday sun.
A-Train, The Deep, Starlight, and Queen Maeve took out their phones, pointed them at the Great Wall, and started their livestream on an American platform.
Countless fans expressed their envy, never expecting that The Seven would actually come to China for a team-building event.
Homelander stood behind Ian, hands resting on the edge of the parapet, gazing at this land that was completely foreign to him.
He remembered what he had heard a woman say while chatting in the laboratory when he was a child.
The woman said that the Great Wall was the longest wall in the world and had existed for thousands of years.
He was too young then to understand what "the longest wall in the world that has existed for thousands of years" meant.
Later, when he grew up and became Homelander, he thought he had understood it—the Great Wall was just a very long wall, a defensive fortification used by ancient people for war.
But today, when he truly stood on this wall and walked step by step to the highest point with his own legs, he realized—
The Great Wall is not just a defensive fortification; it is the bottom line that a nation has repeatedly reinforced over two thousand years, the embodiment of an will that says, "No matter what, we must hold it!"
Just like his father's requirement for him—no matter what, he must protect what he is supposed to protect.
Suddenly.
A warm palm landed on top of his head. Homelanderstiffened suddenly and subconsciously wanted to turn his head.
After all, he wasn't used to having his head patted, so it was perfectly normal for him to react this way.
But Ian's voice rang in his ear: "John, can you answer that question for me now?"
"If you didn't have Superpowers... would you still be Homelander?"
Mountain winds blew by, and the pine trees rustled. Homelander felt his throat tighten and his eyes sting.
He thought of his son Ryan's expectations, his father Ian's teachings, and the comic books about Superman that he had secretly gone to read.
"Father, I would," Homelander choked out, and the tears in his eyes could no longer be held back.
"I will definitely be the Homelander who protects my family and the people!"
Chapter 53: As long as I find Soldier Boy, Vought International is dead!
New York, CIA, a cramped and dark interrogation room.
Hughie was tied up tightly, with the rope passing over his chest, then along the base of his thighs, and cinched towards the back.
He really wanted to complain—who on earth tied him up like this? It felt oddly like something out of a Japanese adult film.
Although Hughie didn't have any particular prejudice against Japan—after all, that country had three things worth learning: music and anime.
But was the guy who tied him up a bit too thorough in his studies?
He was a grown man, for God's sake. Why in the hell was someone using shibari on a man?
Just as Hughie was letting his imagination run wild, the interrogation room door suddenly opened.
A tall woman in a black suit and a muscular man wearing sunglasses walked in.
The two looked solemn, sat down in front of Hughie, and stared at him intently.
"Hughie."
The woman looked up, her gaze fixed on Hughie, her face serious, looking every bit the interrogator.
"The files show you were just an employee at a hero convenience store."
"But after your girlfriend Robin was killed by A-Train of The Seven, you embarked on a path of revenge against The Seven."
"After that... William Butcher sought you out, didn't he?"
Hughie looked at the woman in front of him with some surprise.
"How do you know about that?"
"Senior CIA Executive, Susan Raynor."
The woman raised an eyebrow, then introduced herself.
"Did you think the CIA couldn't investigate your affairs?"
Hughie was shocked.
The CIA?
Wasn't he at Harmony Fort with William Butcherpreparing to fight Homelander?
How did he end up on CIA turf?
"Wait, this is the CIA?" Hughie realized, asking in disbelief.
"You just figured that out?" Susan frowned slightly.
"William Butcher, thirty-six, former member of the SAS, later moved into underground activities, long-term illegal opposition to Vought International and its associated superhumans."
"But three days ago, we found his body in an abandoned factory, and of course... you as well."
"Wait." Hughie froze. "William Butcher is dead?"
"What do you think?" Susan said. "His cause of death was a close-range gunshot wound; a shotgun blasted directly through his heart."
"According to inside information, William Butcher had his eye on you for a long time, so he took the opportunity while you were alone in the abandoned factory to try and get his hands on your... 'hook'."
"What?" Hughie frowned, wearing an expression that screamed, "How the hell is this possible?"
"Then the two of you had a brawl between men, and after that, you shot and killed William Butcher because he wanted your 'hook'." Susan added.
"What the hell?" Hughie was dumbfounded. "You believe such a ridiculous reason? We were clearly with Homelander and the others..."
"William Butcher was a close friend of mine for many years." Susan pulled a cold smile at the corner of her mouth.
"So..." Hughie swallowed, looking at the muscular man and Susan in front of him.
"You're going to kill me? Just because of this bullshit reason?"
Susan didn't answer him, just stared at Hughie with those blue eyes, as if trying to read something from his face.
Just when Hughie thought the two in front of him were going to finish him off.
"Give him that thing."
Susan tilted her chin, signaling the muscular man to take it out.
The man took out a glass bottle containing a blue liquid and placed it in front of Hughie.
"Wait, what the hell is this? You're not going to use some kind of extrajudicial punishment, are you?"
Thinking of the chemical executions he'd seen on TV, Hughie couldn't help but tremble all over and asked in a hurry.
"Fuck! This is inhumane, it violates the laws of America, this is illegal!"
"What are you thinking?" Susan rolled her eyes. "This is Temp V from Vought International. After injecting it, an ordinary person can gain Superpowers for 24 hours!"
"A compound that allows ordinary people to gain Superpowers?!"
Hughie widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief.
"Fuck! You must be lying to me. How could something like this exist? Aren't superheroes born..."
"They aren't born that way." Susan said coldly. "This was secretly given to me by Madelyn, the Vice President of Vought International, but now... she is also dead."
"Madelyn and William Butcher are both dead, but Vought International, that behemoth trying to secretly control America, still exists."
"We cannot let such capitalists control America."
"Then what do you want?" Hughie swallowed, looking at her cold, frosty demeanor.
How exactly did William Butcher die?
And what the hell was up with this crazy woman?
Did Vought International sell him out to the CIA?
A variety of doubts appeared in Hughie's mind, but he received no answers.
"I want you to do one thing for me, something that can completely destroy Vought International and help you get your revenge and kill A-Train."
Susan said.
"According to our many years of investigation at the CIA, we discovered that the early superhero Soldier Boy is still alive, and he is in a country that we don't exactly have the best relationship with."
"What?" Hughie frowned deeply. "China?"
"No, it's in Russia." Susan said slowly. "I need you to help me go to Russia to find Soldier Boy."
"As long as you accomplish this, the investigation report on William Butcher's death will be written up as an accident."
"All charges against you will be dropped, you can return to your previous life, and no one will come to bother you again."
Speaking of this, she paused, the cold light of the fluorescent lamp spilling over her delicate features.
Susan grinned, revealing a cold smile.
"If you refuse, that chain of evidence is enough for any jury to convict you of first-degree murder within fifteen minutes."
"New York State has the death penalty. Even if you're lucky and someone on the jury sympathizes with your romantic entanglement, you'll spend the rest of your life in federal prison."
"Twenty-three hours of solitary confinement every day, and daily yard time with the superpowered criminals sent in by Vought International."
"By then, you'll find that in prison, 'Hughie's hook' will become a very popular meme."
"As for whether you'll get to use it... that's not something I can decide."
Hughie stood frozen on the spot, looking at the shibari bindings tight on his body, then at the woman who could say the most ruthless things with the most elegant expression.
Then...
Hughie suddenly realized one thing—
He had never had any choice.
From the moment he followed William Butcher into Harmony Fort, he had already stepped onto A-Train with no brakes.
Either die, or kill someone else.
Now that William Butcher was dead, he, an ordinary clerk who had been selling VHS tapes at a convenience store three months ago, was like a pawn on a chessboard.
A pawn cannot retreat; it can only move forward.
Either reach the end of the board and become a Queen, or... get eaten along the way.
"Untie me." He said.
Susan raised an eyebrow at him, signaling the muscular man to untie Hughie.
"That needle, the map, and..." Hughie pointed his chin at the tube of blue liquid on the table.
"The CIA must have a channel to get me to Russia, right? Fake identity, transportation, Russian translator... I need full support."
"It seems you agree." Susan raised an eyebrow.
"Screw you." Hughie said angrily.
"I'm not doing this to save America, I'm doing this for myself, for Robin, and for William Butcher!"
Although he didn't know how William Butcher died, Hughie knew this must be Vought International's doing.
To survive, he had to oppose Vought International.
And as long as he found Soldier Boy...
Vought International was dead!
...
Meanwhile, Ian had returned from his trip to China with The Seven and was back at Vought Tower.
At this moment, he was sitting in his office enjoying the service of Queen Maeve.
And just at this moment, Grace's voice came from outside the door.
"BOSS, Dr. Vogelbaum is here to see you. He says... there are some problems with the research on compound vi."
Chapter 54: Going Home, Hughie + Soldier Boy = Instant Explosion Combo
"You mean... the formula for compound v has a special raw material, and that special raw material is already extinct at this time?"
Inside the office, Ian frowned tightly, his face looking somewhat unpleasant as he looked at Dr. Vogelbaum before him.
"That's right." Dr. Vogelbaum nodded. "Mr. Ian, I've been trying to mix it according to the formula for the original compound v these past few days."
As he spoke, his brows furrowed, as if he had encountered some difficult problem.
"But without the fins of the baiji dolphin, the original compound v just can't be manufactured."
"Although I tried to replicate it using other materials, the stability of those materials is not as good as the baiji dolphin's fins."
"Can't you develop a stronger compound vi by referencing the formula for the original compound v?" Ian frowned slightly.
"Theoretically, it is possible," Dr. Vogelbaum said, "but this requires an extremely massive amount of experimental data."
"If the AI that is still testing succeeds in developing it, perhaps we can refer to those formulas to develop compound vi."
"But for now, we can only go find the remaining original compound v stock solution, otherwise... it will take a lot of time."
He sighed. "It's a pity that the original compound vmanufactured by Dr. Vought was made decades ago."
"Vought International destroyed the original compound vback then, so I estimate there's nothing left now."
Ian looked at Dr. Vogelbaum's serious expression, nodded slightly, and then nodded again.
"As for the original compound v, I know where there is more."
Dr. Vogelbaum:??? No, even I don't know, how do you know?
He raised his head in surprise, looking at Ian before him with a face full of astonishment.
Golden sunlight streamed in from outside the window, spilling faintly behind Ian, casting a golden rim around his profile.
"Don't be surprised, Dr. Vogelbaum. I know more things than you imagine."
Upon hearing this, Dr. Vogelbaum's heart suddenly tightened.
It seems Mr. Ian really was one of Dr. Vought's secret projects back then.
Perhaps... he really does know where there is remaining original compound v.
Thinking of the powerful Superpowers that the original compound v could create, as well as its anti-aging effects.
Dr. Vogelbaum became even more confident about creating compound vi!
After Dr. Vogelbaum left, Ian sat in the office chair, his world-shocking wisdom beginning to spin rapidly in his mind.
Although he hadn't watched much of The Boys, he still knew who had the original compound v at this time.
After all, in the TV series The Boys, the sense of oppression when Homelander later injects the original compound v is extremely powerful.
As soon as it was injected, his Laser Vision instantly tore through the sky, shooting out towards space. It was simply terrifying!
And if nothing goes wrong, the original compound v that he injected should currently be with the reclusive Gunpowder.
"Besides... it's not just Gunpowder who is living in seclusion; there are also the original supes, Torpedo and Private Angel."
"Perhaps after fulfilling the wish of The Boys' Ian, I can find all the supes and have them output energy to me together, helping me cultivate."
"But for now, I need to go find Gunpowder."
After finalizing his plan in his mind, Ian directly had Gracestart investigating those supes who had gone into seclusion back then.
A few days later. A secret base in Russia. Da da da!!
Bullets sprayed out from the muzzle like they were free, shooting fiercely toward Hughie's chest.
Seeing this terrifying scene, Hughie's eyes widened instantly, and he hurriedly used the Superpowers he had just obtained from injecting Temp V to teleport away.
"Holy crab!" The next second, the clothes on his body fell to the ground instantly, and he disappeared without a trace.
The Russian soldiers guarding the base were all scratching their heads. A living person was just standing here a moment ago, so how did he vanish now?
On the other side, Hughie appeared stark naked next to a human cryo-freezing device.
"Phew... I almost died. Where exactly is this place?"
He looked around and found a huge device nearby, inside which a man seemed to be frozen.
Looking at the man's appearance inside, Hughie carefully thought about the photo of Soldier Boy that Susan had given him.
Hughie: "..." Damn it, he would go back and shoot up the CIA sooner or later. Why the hell did they send him here to find someone, only to give him a photo of a guy wearing a helmet?
"Shit!" He cursed angrily, then walked over to the device.
"Let's see if this dude knows anything about Soldier Boy."
Hughie thought to himself while turning the device's valve.
As the valve turned a few times, the door of the cryo-freezing device emitted a low mechanical roar.
The cryo-fluid began to drain rapidly, and the water level dropped quickly from the top of the cylinder to the bottom, revealing the man's wet hair and shoulders.
After the man felt the changes around him, he instantly opened his eyes. Then... he saw his own naked appearance, as well as the equally naked Hughie.
"Fuck!" Almost instantly, Soldier Boy had a stress reaction, and a glow carrying a hint of danger surged from his chest.
Seeing that things were going south, Hughie prepared to activate his ability to escape, but unfortunately, Soldier Boy's right hand had already grabbed him.
Then... the ready-to-fire Soldier Boy was carried by Hughie, flashing in front of the group of Russian soldiers from before.
Swoosh!! The chest cannon fired instantly, and the terrifying beam of light shot forward, like the hand of God, destroying everything in its path.
Those Russian soldiers didn't even have time to react before they were directly hit by Soldier Boy's chest cannon, instantly vaporized by the terrifying radiation.
"What the f*ck! This sh*t..." Hughie was completely dumbfounded. "You're Soldier Boy, right?" He turned his head and asked, looking at Soldier Boy.
At this moment, the stark naked Soldier Boy looked at the man next to him, who was also stark naked. Feeling the soreness all over his body, he frowned tightly.
"Shit! Did you f*ck me?"
Hughie:??? Do I look like a gay guy?
The retirement home for supes. Little Headliner, being from the island nation, was now old and decrepit.
When she was young, she was Gunpowder's lover, but after growing old, she stayed here.
But even so, she still played bingo here with a few supe friends from the retirement home for supes.
As aging supes, Vought International placed these guys here after they got old.
It is worth mentioning that Testicle Man is also here. Perhaps he can provide some help for future biotechnology.
But now... Ian walked in with Homelander and Ryan, strutting with an arrogant and overbearing gait.
"Oi! Which one of you is named Little Headliner? The one from the island nation?"
Chapter 55: How the F*** is the CEO of Vought a Supe?!
"Everyone, please don't make things difficult for us, otherwise... my son and grandson will have to make things difficult for you."
Supe Retirement Home.
As Ian finished that sentence, several elderly Supes walked over and arrived in front of Ian, Homelander, and Ryan.
Among them, an elderly woman wearing a black coat suddenly raised her hands.
Whoosh!!
Blazing flames ignited in her hands instantly, like a torch in the dark night, emitting a scorching temperature.
At the same time, the old man next to her, wearing blue and white clothes, dropped something akin to ball-shaped meteor hammers from between his legs onto the ground.
Ian recognized this guy at a glance.
It's you, Testicle-Man!
Seeing Testicle-Man's bizarre appearance, Homelander's eyelids couldn't help but twitch.
"Holy Crap! How did they manufacture a Supe like you... so bizarre and abstract?"
"Ryan, don't look at this guy, you might get a stye." He quickly turned his head and covered Ryan's eyes with his hand.
"Tell me, where is Little Headliner?"
Ian took a step forward, his gaze sweeping indifferently over everyone present, his expression blank.
"I don't want to waste time here, otherwise... you old geezers would have already been used as experimental materials by me!"
Testicle-Man grinned, revealing a mocking smile, and sneered:
"Coming to our Supe retirement home without a word, wanting to take away our friend?"
"Do you think that's possible?"
"Exactly."
The woman beside him glanced at Ian, her Face full of vigilance.
"You must be the new Vought CEO who replaced Stan Edgar, right?"
As she spoke, she scanned Ian from head to toe, then shook her head, a look of disappointment appearing on her Face.
"Doesn't look like much, far worse than that guy Stan Edgar."
"Kid, we are all old-timers who have dedicated over a decade to Vought International. With that attitude of yours... you won't be able to find Little Headliner."
"So that's how it is..."
Ian tilted his head, baring his white teeth in a grin, Bio-electricity slowly circulating in his chest, emitting a faint oppressive aura.
"You're determined not to give me, the new CEO of Vought International, any Face, huh?"
No one present answered him, but the answer was already obvious.
"Homelander, Ryan, I'll leave them to you."
"Don't worry, Father!"
As the words fell, scarlet light suddenly appeared in Homelander's eyes, and his Laser Vision instantly tore through the air, shooting fiercely toward Testicle-Man.
Although Ryan was young, seeing his father so heroic, he immediately tried to learn and shoot Laser Vision as well.
But unfortunately...
Although Ryan was a natural-born Supe, he hadn't practiced his laser eyes before.
This resulted in... even though he widened his eyes to the max, he still couldn't shoot anything out.
It was just like a helpless Bro who found a porn site at night wanting to have a wank, only to find he couldn't shoot.
Ryan could only stand on the sidelines, watching helplessly.
Then...
He was targeted by Testicle-Man.
Whoosh!!
Testicle-Man's balls tore through the air like meteor hammers, smashing fiercely toward Ryan.
But Homelander instantly appeared in front of Ryan, his eyebrows slightly raised, his eyes turning red, and blazing Laser Vision shot out instantly.
The high-temperature Laser Vision hit Testicle-Man's balls almost instantly, and the terrifying heat caused his balls to melt like butter in an instant.
The intense pain caused Testicle-Man's Face to turn pale instantly, his whole body trembling.
"Ugh! My balls!!"
Seeing this, the other Supes were shocked, and then rushed violently toward Homelander and Ryan again.
Homelander protected Ryan with his right hand, his eyes turning red, and while continuously releasing Laser Vision, he swung his fists, smashing away the Supes rushing at him.
"For scrubs like you, I don't even need to spend much energy to finish you off!"
"Because I am... Homelander!!"
Like a chuunibyou declaration, Homelander roared, his arms tearing through the air, his speed so fast that the naked eye could barely see his movements.
"This won't do, this guy is just too strong!" someone whispered.
Little Headliner was hiding among these Supes, her gaze fixed on Ian standing in the back.
"Catch the thief by catching the king first. As long as we catch that new CEO, even if Homelander is strong, he'll have to behave!"
After hearing her words, the others nodded one after another.
"Not bad, Little Headliner is right. That guy is probably the same as Stan Edgar, just a normal human."
"With our strength, although we can't deal with Homelander, catching a normal human is more than enough!"
After saying that, the other Supes turned and rushed toward Ian, and Little Headliner was no exception.
After all.
In their eyes, Ian, the new CEO of Vought International, must be a normal human.
And they were Supes!
A normal human facing a Supe is just like a lolita waiting to be ravished, only able to tremble.
So these Supes rushed to Ian one after another and activated their Superpowers.
Flames, defensive barriers, hypnosis...
Various methods were used simultaneously, the goal being to capture Ian.
However.
Ian did not react to this at all, just circulating the Bio-electricity in his body.
Then... in one-thousandth of a second, the bio-electric current in his body instantly attached to his entire body surface.
Crackle!!
Lightning like little snakes jumped around, and the triple defense power along with the terrifying cellular activity brought about by tempering his heart directly blocked everyone's attacks.
"This... how is this possible?!" someone roared madly in their heart.
"Shouldn't he be a normal human? How can a normal human block our attacks?!"
Seeing this scene, Little Headliner was also dumbfounded.
No, how could the CEO of Vought be a Supe?!
Isn't there supposed to be a big hand of capital behind this?
Could it be that capital has also become a Supe?
Ian's gaze instantly captured Little Headliner in the crowd.
His large hand suddenly stretched out as fast as thunder, instantly grabbing Little Headliner like catching a mouse.
"Shit! He caught Little Headliner, hit him!!"
Other Supes rushed up one after another.
But...
A terrifying red light, thicker and brighter than Homelander's, condensed in Ian's eyes and shot out fiercely.
"You ignorant old things, eat my Laser Vision!"
The terrifying Laser Vision, at hundreds of thousands of degrees, took the lives of four Supes the moment it shot out.
One charred corpse after another fell to the ground, and a faint smell of burnt meat permeated the air.
After seeing this scene, everyone was stunned on the spot, unable to believe their eyes.
"This... is this real or fake? Vought's new CEO... is actually a Supe?!"
"If I'm not mistaken, his Laser Vision seems even stronger than Homelander's?!"
"Fuck! How is this possible?!"
Ian grabbed Little Headliner with one hand, as if pinching a little chicken, and his gaze swept over everyone present.
"Homelander, stop."
After making Homelander stop the slaughter, he stared at the few severely injured Supes and said in a low voice:
"If you want to save Little Headliner, go tell Gunpowder to bring the original compound v to Vought International to find me."
"Otherwise... he will only be able to see Little Headliner's corpse!"
Chapter 56: You Came at Just the Right Time
After capturing Little Headliner and bringing her back to Vought International, and locking her up...
Ian returned to his office.
However...
At this very moment, there was a figure standing in his office that he hadn't expected.
"How did you get in?"
Ian frowned. He immediately walked over to his desk, plopped down into his chair, and raised his eyes to size up the woman before him.
The woman had deep, striking features, her face exuding a beauty characteristic of high-caste Indians.
She was wearing a beige coat over a white high-necked undershirt.
The undershirt clung tightly to the snowy whiteness of her chest, revealing a hint of deep cleavage and exuding a faint, mature, wifely aura.
"Victoria Neuman... If I recall correctly, you should be running for Congress right now, helping Vought control the American government, shouldn't you?"
Ian raised an eyebrow. In The Boys, Neuman had always been a supe planted by Stan Edgar in the American government.
Logically speaking, Neuman should still be building her reputation at this point in time.
But now... why would she come directly to his office?
And judging by the situation, Grace didn't seem to know about this either.
It seems this woman isn't simple either.
After all...
Being able to bypass Grace and the entire Vought Towersecurity System to appear silently in the 99th-floor CEO office...
This in itself spoke volumes.
"Mr. Ian, please allow me to address you as such." Neuman wiggled her hips and sat down opposite Ian.
Her plump, full buttocks were pressed against the chair by gravity, spreading out like jelly.
"I had planned to meet you, our new CEO, for a while now, but I never had the time."
She curled the corners of her lips, revealing an innocent, harmless smile.
But if you thought she was harmless, you would be dead wrong.
"But now, I have no choice but to come see you."
Neuman smiled. Although in the eyes of the public she was an ordinary modern woman, in reality... Neuman was also a supe.
"You aren't planning on popping my head, are you?" Ianraised an eyebrow.
Neuman frowned, then quickly put on an awkward smile.
"Of course not."
She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "How did this guy know what I was thinking?"
As a supe, Neuman's superpower was blood manipulation.
Yes, you read that right, just like Mary from Godolkin University in Gen V, she could manipulate blood.
However, although both of their abilities were blood manipulation, there was a huge difference in their essence.
If Neuman wanted to manipulate someone else's blood, she needed to focus her gaze on them.
Only then could she forcibly and rapidly raise the target's blood pressure in a short amount of time, primarily causing blood vessels in the brain to burst and the head to explode.
Mary, on the other hand, was much more direct and brutal, able to directly manipulate blood inside and even outside the body.
Truly a supe product created from the same program as Homelander.
"Then why did you come over? What's the matter?" Ianasked.
"The CIA is already investigating the relationship between me and Vought."
Neuman took a deep breath and replied.
"And... they seem to have sent people to Russia to find the former first-generation supe... Soldier Boy."
"I need Vought's help, otherwise I can't deal with Soldier Boy on my own."
"And once they actually find Soldier Boy, Vought will definitely suffer too."
As she spoke, she raised her head and stared intently at the Ian before her, her black pupils quietly turning white.
In the next instant, Ian felt the blood flow in his body begin to accelerate.
But the speed was limited, not even as fast as when he stood in the radiation room, tempering his heart with Bio-electricity.
The next second, Ian's right hand shot out like lightning, grabbing Neuman's neck like an iron clamp.
"What are you doing? And you said you weren't trying to pop my head?"
He grinned, revealing pearly white teeth, his gaze wandering over Neuman's body before finally locking onto her large, round chest.
"But your ability is really weak. I don't feel a thing."
"Oh, wait, I do feel a little something. At least the places that should be engorged are now engorged and hard."
"You... how are you completely unaffected?"
Neuman's eyes widened, her face full of astonishment. In her plan, if the other party wasn't an ordinary person, they would at least bleed or get injured.
That way, she would have enough leverage to negotiate with this new CEO and get Vought to assist her unconditionally.
But now... the other party didn't even have a reaction.
It was as if her superpower didn't exist.
How the f*ck is this possible?!
Neuman was shaken to her core.
It was like finally getting a room with your goddess, and after giving it your all, she asks if you're in yet because she doesn't feel a thing.
"Because... I'm stronger than you imagined," Ian replied with a cold sneer.
"And... Victoria Neuman, you don't seem to be very honest."
"Is this the attitude you have when asking Vought's new CEO for help?"
"I..." Neuman grabbed Ian's arm with both hands, struggling frantically, trying to break free from his restraint.
But Ian's arm was like an iron clamp, not moving a single inch.
"I didn't mean to... I just..."
"Just what?" Ian tilted his head. "Don't try to fool me with reasons you'd use on a child."
He leaned in closer. "If you do something wrong, you have to be punished, and now..."
As he spoke, Ian's other large hand tore open Neuman's clothes, and her snowy, round breasts popped right out, almost bouncing onto Ian's face.
"No!" Neuman screamed. "You can't do this... I... I have a daughter!"
"Oh? A married woman? I like that even more."
Ian squeezed slightly with his left hand, and Neuman's face flushed red, an involuntary, soft moan escaping her lips.
"If you do something wrong, you have to own up to it. If I were actually an ordinary person, I would have already been head-popped by you just now."
"But unfortunately, I'm not... So now, enjoy your punishment!"
As his voice fell, Ian tore open her pants again, revealing her long, snowy-white legs.
And just at this moment.
Click!
The door was pushed open, and Stormfront, Clara, dressed in a black tight-fitting uniform with a stunning figure, walked in.
"Ian, there's something..."
Her voice came to an abrupt halt. Stormfront, Clara, blinked, still maintaining the posture of opening the door.
She stared blankly at the naked Neuman and Ian, who was grabbing Neuman's large breasts.
"Uh... did I come at a bad time?"
Ian turned his head, his gaze landing on her, sweeping over Clara's curvaceous, hot figure, and raised an eyebrow:
"No, you came at just the right time."
1v2.
Can Ian win?