Batavia City, Veterans Home.
On the street, Wade and Jill had just landed when they were surrounded by a crowd of curious onlookers.
Their eyes were filled with curiosity and excitement.
A teenager wearing a baseball cap widened his eyes and excitedly pulled his companion's sleeve, shouting, "It's... it's two flying heroes!"
"Haven't you seen them before?" The person beside him nudged him with an elbow and said proudly, "Only that Asian kid can fly. His name is Cyclone, and he can carry people with him."
A young woman holding a milk bottle tried her best to stand on her tiptoes, holding up her phone: "I know! Cyclone, ranked 33rd at Godolkin University, is a freshman in the Crime Fighting School and the 'Strongest Rookie King.' The other one is Ice Girl, ranked 100th at Godolkin; she doesn't seem to have any famous deeds yet."
"Cyclone hasn't been very active in events lately. I thought he was busy with his studies, but I didn't expect him to show up here today."
"Sorry everyone, please make way. We're here on business. Excuse us." Wade smiled, spreading his hands to protect the overwhelmed Jill as they walked toward the passage.
Even someone as powerful as Homelander had to land and walk in formal public settings. If he dared to fly directly over people's heads, he would surely be condemned by public opinion.
It didn't matter if his other identities were ruined, but his reputation was his future capital and couldn't be destroyed.
"Cyclone, can I have an autograph?"
"I want a photo! My kid likes you the most."
At the entrance of the Veterans Home, Wade stepped aside to let Jill enter first.
Standing on the steps, he waved to the still-expectant crowd: "Everyone, can we talk about other matters after we finish our business? I promise I won't fly away early. See you later." With that, he turned and walked through the main doors.
The people outside held up their phones, most of their faces showing doubt as they exchanged glances.
A tall, thin man scratched his head and asked a neighbor in confusion, "What do you think they're doing here?"
A slightly plump woman made a gesture across her neck with her hand: "What else could it be? Forgot what happened here? There have been so many incidents; the police and the FBI have been here several times."
"My brother-in-law works inside." A refined man wearing glasses lowered his voice. "I heard they didn't find anything. It's a vengeful spirit seeking revenge!"
"Oh my God," several women immediately crossed themselves, their faces full of worry. "I hope God protects these two children."
...Inside the Veterans Home, at the front desk lobby.
Jill had just finished talking to the clerk, while Wade put on the body camera issued by the school.
He examined a promotional brochure nearby, which introduced the place as an official institution providing long-term care and rehabilitation services for veterans and their families: 'I thought it was a nursing home or something, but it actually provides accommodation and leisure activities... If there's such a good place, what's with all those veteran vagrants on the streets? Wouldn't it be more convenient and comfortable to live here?'
He never kept questions to himself and immediately took out his phone to look up information.
Only then did he learn that such institutions have limited beds and resources. Every year, over 30,000 disabled and sick veterans do not meet the criteria for admission, and many end up on the streets after going bankrupt.
'Is this how humans act? They even limit it by branch of service, years of service, and specific diseases, with such strict classifications.' Wade looked at the various records and insults online, dumbfounded. 'Truly the most powerful immigrant nation. As long as soldiers can charge into battle, they're fine, but they take no responsibility for a large number of disabled veterans...'
"What are you looking at, superstar? You're so engrossed." Jill leaned over, tilting her head to look at his phone screen.
"This country's humanitarian care." Wade turned the screen toward her and sneered, "I guarantee it'll be an eye-opener."
Jill scanned it quickly, and her brow furrowed: "This is too... wait, someone's coming."
A middle-aged man in a dark green military uniform with a straight posture walked down the corridor. He had a steady pace and sharp eyes; his shoulder straps indicated he was a Colonel.
He walked up to the two of them and introduced himself with his hands behind his back: "From Godolkin University? I'm the person in charge here, Colonel RobertMarcus. The FBI has already informed me. Follow me."
Under Colonel Robert's silent lead, they passed through several clean but somewhat quiet corridors.
Along the way, they saw middle-aged and elderly figures in hospital gowns or casual clothes, most of whom had disabilities, sitting in wheelchairs and staring blankly. The atmosphere was very depressing.
Robert stopped in front of a glass door with a "Temporarily Closed" sign. Behind the door was the entrance to a standard indoor swimming pool.
He took out a key to open the door and turned the handle: "This is the first crime scene. Within three months, four people died here, all of them veterans."
Jill looked at the files in her hand with a confused expression: "The autopsy reports show they all drowned, but... but there was very little water in their lungs and stomachs."
Robert pushed the door open and stepped inside: "Our internal reports attribute the cause of death to Hallucinatory Suffocation caused by PTSD. I've interacted with them; their trauma levels weren't high, and they were all very active in cooperating with their rehabilitation."
"It's precisely because it's so strange that it's being treated as a supernatural event... Although I don't believe in that, the facts are what they are."
Inside the abandoned pool, floating debris was everywhere, but the water looked ancient and still.
'A supernatural event is impossible. It's likely the work of a Supe; they'll definitely leave traces.' Wade walked around the pool but didn't find anything unusual. He suddenly asked, "Can we go in and take a look?"
"Be my guest." Robert pointed to the pool and added, "The FBI and our technicians have searched it several times and found nothing."
The air around Wade shifted slightly, forming a transparent bubble barrier that enveloped him as he slid into the water.
He used the groups of bubbles to sense the water like sonar, spreading out from himself into the surrounding body of water.
The flow of water molecules, the subtle vibrations of the pool walls, the circulation of the filtration system... everything was within his perception, with nowhere to hide.
After swimming two laps, he reached a corner near the return pipe in the deep end and caught a subtle flow that was completely different from the rhythm of the surrounding water.
That flow seemed to have a consciousness of its own, silently trying to slip into the gaps of the return pipe's grating.
'Got you!' With a thought, Wade accelerated forward and pushed his hands out.
Buzz—
A transparent cage made of compressed air formed around the "abnormal flow," trapping it firmly inside.
He burst out of the pool and hovered in mid-air, holding a round ball of water in his hand.
Jill looked at the continuously compressing water ball, her face full of confusion: "What are you doing catching a clump of water?"
Colonel Robert also walked over, his brow furrowed: "We've tested the water quality repeatedly. There's no problem."
Wade smiled as he held the head-sized water ball, casually brushing it off: "It's nothing. I can't come here for nothing, so I'm taking a souvenir."
His attention was currently focused on this clump of water, as he detected information through the panel contact.
[Abnormal life reaction detected...]
[Life Form: Pure liquid life form, Cluster Consciousness, using water as a shell, relying on the movement of water molecules to transmit thoughts.]
[Survival Method: Absorbs moisture, liquid water, and high-energy substances from the environment to replenish its own loss. Evaporation will lead to the collapse of consciousness.]
[Limitations: Cannot leave a liquid environment for more than 30 minutes. Freezing or boiling will cause it to enter dormancy.]
Wade had seen Vought's internal files and knew that after being injected with compound v, a small number of people would change into forms other than carbon-based life, unlike the majority who underwent physical mutations—this clump of water should be one of them.
This life form overlapped with some things in his memory and had great research value. He wouldn't be so foolish as to hand it over to Vought just to raise his school ranking.
Robert shrugged and walked straight toward the door: "If you want, feel free to take all the water in the pool... Since no clues can be found here, follow me to the other side."
Wade and Jill followed him out of the swimming pool, preparing to head to the next crime scene.
In the corridor, Robert locked the door and patted Wade's shoulder: "It seems you've made this trip for nothing, young man. Many experts have come to see it, and their conclusions were all about the same."
Wade nodded, neither frustrated nor discouraged: "It's fine. I'll just take it as a learning experience."
Jill curiously took the water ball and weighed it in her hand: "You really didn't find anything? I still wanted to earn some credits!"
"Don't be in such a hurry." Wade whipped up a cold wind behind her and whispered spookily in her ear, "Maybe in other places... the ghost you've been... longing for... is hiding."
Jill completely froze the water ball and stuck out her tongue at him: "Blehh... I'm not afraid! If there's a ghost, I'll freeze it into an ice sculpture!"
PS: Support the new book, please!
plz support my patreon
patreon.com/AZofficial
it is 30 chapter ahead