Chapter 331: Homelander in the Mirror
"Hey, you don't seem very happy."
To Homelander's left was a smooth mirror. The Homelander in the mirror stood with his hands behind his back, smiling slightly.
Homelander turned his head to look at himself in the mirror.
"Is it that obvious? I thought I was doing a good job of masking it."
"Stop kidding yourself. The anger in your eyes is like a volcano about to erupt, wanting nothing more than to burn the Mysterious Person and Soldier Boy to ash." Homelander's Mirror Image took a step forward and continued, "Buddy, are you scared or timid? Don't misunderstand, I'm not shaming you, I'm asking about your inner self."
"I can't handle them, especially the Mysterious Person. He's like a mountain pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe."
Homelander shook his head almost imperceptibly, his tone filled with frustration and discouragement.
"No, you are the top Superhero. You definitely have a way to deal with him."
The Mirror Image's expression gradually became serious, his eyes seemingly containing sharp blades.
"Don't give up, buddy. If you don't even have the courage to face him directly, you wouldn't be able to see me. Remember the time you were locked in isolation as a child? Pain... helplessness, even despair, but didn't we get through it? Could the Mysterious Person be more terrifying than that time?"
"Forget the Mysterious Person, I don't even know how to face my Father. I want to kill him, just like the Mysterious Person said. Vought really can't take any more turmoil. I just want everything to stabilize, and then slowly enjoy the rewards of success."
Homelander raised his hand somewhat dejectedly, "But in reality, I can't do it at all. Maybe taking over Vought was a mistake. They all know I don't have much strength, I'm just for show. Even when holding the Supe Conference Room, I saw mockery in Starlight's and The Deep's eyes. They were ridiculing me."
"Why do you care about their ideas? You should know, might makes right in this world. At worst, kill Hughie like you killed Supersonic, put his corpse in front of Starlight, and make her feel true fear towards you. Or treat The Deep to a few more seafood feasts. Buddy, dealing with them is simply too easy, so why care about the opinions of a bunch of ants?" Homelander's Mirror Image represents Homelander's inner self.
Rather than saying the one in the mirror is Homelander's hallucinations, it's more accurate to say it's the deepest thoughts in Homelander's mind.
"Hey! Lift your head!" Seeing Homelander's dejected appearance, the Mirror Image immediately roared in fury.
"What is the reason you've become like this? Speak!"
"Human nature." Homelander lifted his head and said softly.
"You're afraid Queen Maeve, Stormfront, Madelyn Stillwell, and your Father and son no longer love you, right?" The Mirror Image's tone gradually softened, his voice becoming somewhat gentle.
"You fear the Mysterious Person's strength, especially that line, 'The only God in the world isn't you, but him,' right?"
The next second, the Homelander in the mirror's complexion suddenly changed drastically, and he cursed at Homelander, "This shows you're still that crybaby, cowardly, and scrawny you, locked in isolation, whimpering and calling out 'Where are Father and Mother'! Tell me, what is still left inside you? What makes you so weak and fragile?"
Homelander hesitated for a moment, finally squeezing out a word: "Human nature."
"Exactly! Look at me, look into my eyes! You must cut out this part like cancer cells. Only then can you become perfect, pure, like a flawless crystal, without flaws, impeccable."
"I understand." Homelander turned and walked towards the Meeting Room exit. However, he didn't see the look in his own eyes in the mirror, which was filled with immense disappointment.
...
Meanwhile, the scene shifted to Billy. His plan was successful. Mother's Milk, in the monitored livestream backstage, discovered a private message sent by Soldier Boy,
Transferring Crimson Countess to the Underground Passage, while Billy sat on a chair, quietly awaiting Soldier Boy's arrival.
"How did you find this place? It's so cool." Hughie looked around, walking back and forth, occasionally touching the furniture Billy had placed, like a solitary table.
"Ten more minutes." Compared to the somewhat naive Hughie, Mother's Milk was much more vigilant. He put his right hand into his pocket, gripping the pistol's handle, while raising his left hand to look at the watch on his wrist, saying.
Unexpectedly, just as he finished speaking, footsteps came from a distance.
"This place is like a Gutter/Sewer where rats live, dark and damp, but it really fits your identity."
Soldier Boy appeared before Billy and the others, bringing Ryan.
"It's you guys, the bastards from the Laboratory."
"Without us, where would you get your freedom? I have excellent qualities like God, which is why I let you out of the iron canister, so you should thank us."
Billy stood up and walked towards Soldier Boy, glancing at Ryan at the same time.
"Poor little guy." He lifted one corner of his mouth slightly and smiled.
"Where's Crimson Countess?"
Soldier Boy asked directly.
"I hid her. If you want to know where she is, answer two questions first." How could Billy just hand Crimson Countess over to him like that?
"Ask."
"First question, how can you unseal your superpowers?"
Hughie and Mother's Milk on the side perked up. They were also very curious about this question, not to mention Billy. Without Kimiko as an aid, The Boys' overall strength would decrease by at least thirty percent. If this were before they had Temporary Compound V, this percentage would increase, as back then, Kimiko was the only Supe in The Boys.
"Inject Compound V again." Soldier Boy didn't hide it, or rather, he disdained hiding it.
After hearing this, the pressure on Billy slightly decreased. He asked this question not actually for Kimiko, but to target Mr. Jervis.
If, as he suspected, Mr. Jervis could restrain Soldier Boy's superpowers, then the situation would be serious.
Therefore, after hearing the answer Soldier Boy gave, he couldn't help but feel relieved, because this meant Mr. Jervis wasn't invincible. Without Compound V, Soldier Boy could still restrain him.
"Very well, now I'll ask the second question."
Soldier Boy didn't notice that Ryan beside him, upon seeing Billy and the others, had sparks of revenge bursting in his eyes, as if burning something, his eyes turning completely blood red!
(End of Chapter)