Chapter 41: General Ross, Were You Sent by Aliens to Destroy Earth? The Three Clinging Together
Vought Tower, high-floor gym.
Li Zuguo stood in the center of the ring, still wearing his loose training clothes, as the two women walked out of the locker room one after the other.
Natasha wore a set of black sports underwear and tight shorts, her waistline and the outline of her abs fully visible, with her hair put up in a high bun.
Raven wore a dark blue training tank top of a very thin material, her shoulder blades clearly outlined, and matching tight ankle-length pants on her lower half.
She liked blue, but she also hated blue.
The two of them climbed into the ring almost simultaneously, standing to the left and right in front of Li Zuguo.
It was still no-holds-barred sparring, but with an added requirement: the postures had to be a bit more graceful.
Li Zuguo realized that the Rear Naked Choke was actually somewhat useful, such as using a Rear Naked Choke on Soldier Boy from behind.
Raven cracked her neck, her snow-white skin gleaming with a satin-like texture under the lights.
Natasha was already in her ready stance, and she was the first to move.
Swooping in low, her left hand reached for Li Zuguo's right wrist. The moment Li Zuguo took half a step back to avoid it, Raven pressed in from the left. Her body micro-adjusted upon contact, her shoulder width narrowing by two centimeters, allowing her to slip through the gap in his block, her back pressing directly against his left ribs.
Her physical flexibility far exceeded the limits of human skeletal structure.
The way the two of them cooperated was indeed seamless, which was probably the tacit understanding between experts.
Li Zuguo didn't use brute force to push her away. Instead, he turned his body in the direction Raven pressed in, wrapping an arm around her waist to lock her lower back—the back control Natasha had taught him yesterday.
The second she was pinned by him, Raven's spine stiffened slightly.
The fabric of the training clothes was thin, making the sensation of his palm gripping her lower back all too clear.
But she reacted in the next second, her waist softening as she slid down out of his embrace. This move was not something any martial arts textbook could teach; it was an escape method purely granted by her shapeshifting ability.
Natasha took advantage of this gap to rush forward, jumping up and wrapping her legs around Li Zuguo's waist and right arm in a modified triangle choke.
But the position of the lock was a notch lower than yesterday, hanging at the height of his hips with her inner thighs clamped tight.
She looked up at him, her red hair falling over her forehead.
"Yesterday you said it was off by two degrees. Is this angle standard enough now?"
Raven rolled up from the ground. Seeing Natasha hanging onto Li Zuguo, she didn't give herself time to hesitate and pressed herself directly onto his back.
Her hands slipped under Li Zuguo's armpits, interlocking her fingers across his chest, her front pressing against his back. Her shapeshifting ability allowed her body's curves to perfectly mold to the contours of his spine.
Raven's chin rested on his shoulder, her breath brushing against his ear.
"Lucien, this is called complete suppression. Locked from both front and back, no one can escape in actual combat."
Li Zuguo stood motionless in place, with Natasha hanging in front and Raven clinging to his back.
His Super Intelligence was currently processing two completely different sets of mechanical data simultaneously.
As well as two completely different body temperatures.
Natasha tightened her legs, climbing an inch higher up his body.
Raven's fingers tightened slightly against his chest.
The two women formed a silent confrontation on his body. Neither let go, and neither wanted to back down.
Li Zuguo tilted his head. Was this a proper sparring session? It felt more like the two of them were secretly competing.
"I've already mastered the locks. In terms of combat, you can adjust the foc—"
The door to the gym was pushed open from the outside.
"Mr. Homelander, Ms. Susan and Johnny have arrived at the tower's front desk."
The assistant's words cut off halfway. She saw the scene in the ring: two women clinging to Homelander from front and back, in a posture so intimate it made her brain freeze.
The assistant's Adam's apple bobbed as she pinned her gaze to the ceiling.
"Apologies, sir, Ms. Susan arrived forty minutes earlier than scheduled."
After the assistant left.
Li Zuguo had the two women get off him. He glanced at his panel; Elementary Combat was already speedrun.
If it weren't for Natasha and Raven constantly insisting on clinging to him, he might have speedrun Intermediate Combat as well.
In comparison, the price of Advanced Combat in the Superhero Mall had decreased accordingly. It seemed that having a foundation made it cheaper.
In that case, he felt it didn't really matter whether he bought this combat skill or not.
Unless he had a lot of superhero points and was just one step away, then he could use Deep Blue to add some points.
...
On the other side.
The outskirts of New York.
Inside an underground laboratory.
Having been injected with Hulk's blood and gamma rays, Bronski couldn't bear the pain and decisively injected the gene serum given by General Ross.
But in the next second, his body began to undergo a mutation.
His joints tore through his skin, something writhed beneath his fingernails, and a burning sensation surged up from the base of his spine.
The so-called inhibitor given by General Ross was supposed to keep this process within a reversible range.
But it didn't.
After the injection, the mutation factors in his blood did not slow down. Instead, they began to replicate exponentially, becoming even more violent.
The fabric on Bronski's elbows ripped apart, and the muscle fibers underneath expanded visibly to the naked eye.
General Ross stood behind a three-centimeter-thick sheet of bulletproof glass, holding an evaluation report with 'Super Soldier Program - Phase Four' printed on the cover.
His gaze fell on Bronski's arched back.
The technician beside him stared at the monitor screen, his hand hovering over the emergency termination button, his fingers trembling.
"General... his heart rate is at four hundred and twenty!"
General Ross finally took half a step back. He realized he seemed to have created another Hulk, and perhaps due to some factor, this one might be even stronger than the Hulk.
"Initiate evacuation of Sector B."
When the alarm sounded, Bronski stood up. His height had already exceeded 2.3 meters, and the extra bone spurs on his spine snapped a fire sprinkler on the ceiling.
Water sprayed down, landing on his gray skin and evaporating into white steam.
The first lock of the containment door was shattered by a single slap from him.
General Ross turned and walked toward the corridor.
"Notify the ground forces to await my command!"
The moment the elevator doors closed, they heard a muffled boom from underground as the laboratory's second containment door was smashed open.
...
Half an hour later.
The situation ultimately erupted. General Ross's forces were almost completely overrun, or rather, completely wiped out.
When the news broke, the people backing him and the White House almost went crazy, not to mention the recent incident with the Hulk.
And now they had created another absolute monster.
According to the video footage, armor-piercing shells hitting that thing was like scratching an itch.
Some even suspected that General Ross was so good at causing trouble that he might be an undercover agent sent by aliens specifically to destroy Earth.
Inside the convoy.
General Ross sat in the back seat, refusing to take any calls. He knew that his Super Soldier Program was likely over, and right now, he could barely save himself.
The adjutant in the passenger seat hesitated for a few seconds, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.
"General, Bronski's current direction of movement."
"Where to?"
"The adjutant opened the real-time tracking screen on his tablet."
"Based on his current speed and trajectory, he will enter the New York City limits in an hour at the latest."
General Ross sighed, his spirit entirely broken, looking incredibly old.
"Contact Vought International. Contact Homelander."
Chapter 42: A Call from the White House and Congress, Susan Blushes, and the Abomination in Downtown New York
Vought.
First-floor lounge.
Susan sat right in the middle of the sofa.
Beside her, Johnny leaned against the armrest of the sofa, his legs shaking non-stop. His eyes scanned the lounge over and over, occasionally glancing at the global distribution map of Vought International hanging on the wall.
Johnny was impatient, just like his alias, the Human Torch. If it had been Reed, he probably would have gone straight to the door.
Li Zuguo pushed the door open and walked in, already changed into his signature uniform.
Johnny's legs stopped shaking.
Susan noticed her brother's reaction, which fully proved that her decision to bring him to Vought was correct.
"Ms. Susan, Johnny."
Li Zuguo sat down on the single-seater sofa opposite them.
Susan got straight to the point.
"Mr. Homelander, Johnny and I both want to join Vought International."
The older sister was the backbone, while the younger brother was trouble itself.
"You can join," Li Zuguo said, as he never made a losing deal.
"But Vought won't cover Johnny's previous compensation liabilities. He has to take responsibility for them himself."
Johnny's face immediately fell. He didn't have that much money at all. He tried to explain, but Li Zuguo wasn't buying it.
"That was an accident..."
"Even accidents require compensation."
Johnny could only look at his sister. What else could Susan do but ask if there was a solution?
"Can the compensation amount be paid in installments?"
"We can discuss that."
"Then, what can Vought offer?"
This was the real topic. Without Li Zuguo needing to speak, he snapped his fingers, and several professional agents walked in to present a proposal.
"We will rebrand the Human Torch's image, suppress the negative news, and set up a corresponding salary structure for future missions..."
Hearing this, Johnny spoke up without a second thought.
"Cool, I like this!"
Susan could tell that this approach was like a media playbook, turning superheroes into superstars and eventually spinning off a whole series of industrial chains.
She didn't dislike this system. On the contrary, she quite liked it.
Being the center of attention, making easy money, and even having eponymous movies and comic books... how many people could refuse that?
If even Susan didn't dislike it, Johnny was even more ecstatic.
This was obvious from the excitement in Johnny's eyes; he had completely fallen for the grand promises painted by Vought International.
He was even grateful that Li Zuguo had beaten him up that day, otherwise he would still be carrying the title of the Fantastic Four.
Susan felt she should remain a bit reserved, but Johnny's next words shattered her composure.
Johnny winked and nudged.
"Hey, hey, hey, wait. Don't rush into business just yet. Sis, aren't you going to explain something to him?"
Susan asked in confusion.
"Explain what?"
Johnny curled his lip and gestured with his chin toward Li Zuguo.
"After the superhero civil war ended, you stared at Li Zuguo for a long time. I was talking to you on the way back, and you didn't even hear me."
Susan's neck and face turned visibly red, starting from the base of her ears and spreading rapidly to her cheeks.
"Johnny, shut up!"
Johnny curled his lip.
"I'm just telling the truth..."
"Johnny!" Susan turned around, not daring to look Homelander in the eye, and glared at her brother, saying word by word,
"If you say one more word, we are leaving right now!"
Johnny raised his hands in surrender, but the slight curve of his lips made it clear he didn't intend to stay quiet for long.
Li Zuguo casually remarked,
"The civil war? I remember Ms. Susan was wearing a dark blue suit that day. There's no need to modify the suit; it suits you very well."
Susan didn't expect Homelander to remember what she wore. Combined with her brother's teasing, she didn't know how to face this man for a moment.
It was all Johnny's fault!
For all she knew, Homelander might think she was some kind of obsessed fangirl now!
Beside them, Johnny silently mouthed a surprised "Oh~".
Susan clenched her fists at her sides and then released them, pretending nothing was wrong as she continued to discuss the contract.
Naturally, Li Zuguo didn't need to worry about these details. Vought had set up a specialized team. He was only here to screen members for The Seven.
Once the Superhero Reserves and the Super Era Academywere established, he probably wouldn't have this much time to personally host everyone.
Susan's professional attitude returned.
But not long after they started talking, an assistant knocked on the door and walked in to hand over a document.
Li Zuguo walked to the other side with the assistant, who whispered,
"General Ross contacted the company through Militarychannels, requesting your immediate intervention in a... biochemical accident southeast of New York."
A biochemical accident? Li Zuguo was stunned for a moment when he heard this, almost thinking Ross had caused some kind of Resident Evil scenario.
The assistant nodded.
"Yes, sir. The specific intelligence is being transmitted. General Ross hopes you can take action..."
Li Zuguo had the assistant refuse without a second thought. He had a temper too, and Ross was a real bastard.
"Let Ross clean up the mess he made himself."
After speaking, Li Zuguo reached out to pick up the remote on the coffee table and turned on the TV on the wall. A news broadcast popped up on the screen.
Flames soared into the sky in New York. Several channels in a row were broadcasting news about a monster invading New York.
From the shaky footage, one could see a grey, unidentified creature over two meters tall. It looked very similar to the Hulk, but was far more brutal.
Susan and Johnny's attention was also drawn to the screen.
Johnny swallowed hard. This thing looked like a tough customer.
The screen flickered.
The grey creature grabbed a taxi and hurled it toward the camera. The signal was cut, and the screen turned to static.
Li Zuguo turned off the TV, and then Vought International's internal line rang again. This time, even more people were calling.
"Mr. Li Zuguo, urgent calls from the White House National Security Advisor's Office and the New York Mayor's Office..."
All kinds of calls flooded into Vought International, but Homelander had only one demand: he wanted to establish The Seven, and even a reserve team, along with Superhuman immunity for Vought International.
Previously, the The Pentagon would never have agreed to this price, and those senators on Capitol Hill would have agreed even less. But with tonight's situation...
It didn't matter if they disagreed; they could look for other superheroes.
The monster Ross had created with his own hands was heading north through Midtown Manhattan, and the Military's ground forces had already been blown to bits.
Tony was busy with his own affairs and held back by Ivan Vanko. If Steve came, he probably wouldn't be able to take a single punch from the current Abomination.
As for Nick Fury, unless he called Captain Marvel back.
The Mutants wouldn't help.
Whether the Fantastic Four's Mr. Fantastic, Reed, and The Thing, Ben, would take action remained unclear.
Susan might have some compassion, but she would definitely not go to her death, and Johnny was even more behaved—this big guy was clearly not to be messed with.
New York was currently in an absolute mess.
People were calling out for their favorite superheroes.
Vought International, on the other hand, issued an emergency statement saying that Homelander was under legal sanctions from the White House and Congress and could not easily intervene, otherwise he would face astronomical compensation and prison time.
This move completely cut the ground from under their feet, directly shifting the conflict.
The North American public immediately lashed out at the White House, Congress, and the Court for their inaction, demanding that Homelander be granted immunity.
This move left those who wanted to sanction Homelandercompletely dumbfounded. They had indeed issued such statements, but Homelander had never paid them any mind.
Who would have thought this would provide Homelanderwith the perfect excuse to refuse to intervene?
The dirty water they had thrown out was now splashed back at them twofold.
When the Mayor of New York learned the truth, he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Which genius was it that made Homelander undergo legal sanctions in the first place?!
When the current President in the White House and the Minister of Defense learned the news, their faces turned green.
But they were still hesitating, pinning their hopes on other superheroes and the Military.
Once they agreed to Vought, it would be equivalent to having a lawless army within the United States.
Chapter 43: There Are Gaps Even Among Superheroes
Downtown.
Abomination is roaring, he is shouting Hulk's name; now everyone knows this monster has come looking for another monster.
The whole of New York is ablaze, and citizens are all fleeing.
Those who still dare to watch the spectacle are no longer ordinary people.
Until another roar from the end of the New York street responded to Abomination.
Hulk has finally appeared.
He rushed out from the exit of an underground tunnel, the asphalt road was stepped into a large pit, his green body sprinting at full power, and the air in front of him was pushed into a visible ripple.
Abomination turned his head, stopped his roaring, and a kind of almost manic distortion appeared on that deformed face.
He was waiting for Hulk; today he wanted to prove that he was the strongest.
The two monsters collided head-on, the shockwave sent the accumulated Water at the intersection into a Water curtain, all unfixed objects within a fifty-meter radius—trash cans, road signs, fire hydrants, a yellow taxi—were all pushed away by the air blast.
Hulk punched Abomination in the chest, Abomination slid back more than ten meters, plowing two grooves with his feet.
On the bone armor covering Abomination's whole body, the part hit by Hulk was changing; cracks spread, then quickly healed, and the healed bone was thicker and denser than before.
This was not regeneration; the genes were still changing and dividing, and every injury would make it harder to kill.
Hulk's third punch landed, Abomination caught his fist, five deformed fingers closed, wrapping Hulk's entire fist.
Abomination's other hand grabbed Hulk's forearm, exerting force to throw him out.
Hulk crashed through the outer wall of an apartment building, flew out from the other side, landed on his back, and bounced twice on the road before stopping.
There were helicopter cameras above filming the whole thing.
Hulk climbed back up.
This time his movements were already very sluggish, there were traces of tearing in the muscle tissue of his left arm, and dark liquid seeped out from under his green skin.
Hulk was completely crushed by Abomination; his power increase from anger couldn't even keep up with Abomination's explosive growth.
Abomination walked towards Hulk, and just at this moment, a blue-white energy beam shot from the north, hitting Abomination on his back.
Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards, stood on the rooftop of a nearby building, his right arm extended ten times its length, the end wrapped with some kind of newly developed weapon brought from the laboratory.
But it didn't seem to have much effect now.
The Thing, Ben Grimm, accelerated and jumped down from behind him, landing heavily on the road in front of Abomination, cracking the road surface.
"Hey, ugly!"
The Thing smashed his stone fists together.
"You picked the wrong person, let me deal with you!"
The two were invited to help; someone sponsored Reed with 100 million dollars in research funding as the price for the two to take action.
The appearance of new heroes gave the public a glimmer of hope.
The Thing, Ben, stepped forward and swung a full-power punch, hitting him, but Abomination didn't even sway; he looked down at The Thing, grabbed his stone fist, and flipped his wrist...
The Thing's hundreds-of-kilograms body was lifted directly and smashed in the direction of Reed.
Reed stretched his body to dodge, The Thing, Ben, smashed into the Water tower on the rooftop, cement splashing everywhere.
He struggled to get up, and a crack appeared on the rock surface of his right shoulder.
Reed tried to use his elastic body to wrap around Abomination's legs, extending, wrapping, and tightening.
Abomination couldn't be bothered; the temperature of his bone surface suddenly rose, the elastic tissue contracted and deformed under the high temperature, Reed let out a cry of pain, was forced to let go, and bounced back.
One minute.
From the moment Mr. Fantastic and The Thing joined the battlefield to being completely suppressed, it took less than a minute.
Through the helicopters in the sky.
The audience in front of the live news broadcast and people from all over on social media all exploded.
"Shit, this is what you call a superhero? Not even in the same league as Homelander!"
"Damn the Court, what is the White House doing, directly exempting Homelander! We need him."
"I'm going to vote for Homelander in the next presidential election."
"I pay so much in taxes, can't I even be guaranteed safety?"
"Fuck you, I don't care who stays in this New York, I'm leaving anyway, this is simply a disaster gathering place!"
"I know a good place, how about we go to Florida?"
...
Abomination was not interested in these small fries, he continued to target Hulk.
Hulk's power kept increasing under his anger, his legs kicked off and he shot up, landing heavily in front of Abomination.
A punch fell.
Abomination's head was knocked fifteen degrees to the side.
Hulk's fists alternated, the frequency getting faster and faster, the force getting heavier and heavier; anger fed power, and power catalyzed deeper anger.
Reed climbed up and saw Hulk's offensive suppressing Abomination, and immediately turned his head.
"Ben! Now!"
The Thing rushed over from the side and hugged Abomination's right arm tightly.
Reed moved too, his left arm extended, went around Abomination's neck, wrapped around it twice from behind, and tied a dead knot.
Limiting this monster to the maximum extent, leaving all the output window for the other monster.
Using a monster to deal with a monster.
Hulk's fists fell continuously, the road surface under Abomination's feet collapsed layer by layer, underground Water pipes burst, Water columns sprayed out from the cracks, and were scattered into Water mist by the fist wind.
The whole block was resonating.
Finally, the bone shell on Abomination's left cheek shattered, opening a palm-sized gap, revealing the deep red muscle fibers underneath.
After Hulk smashed another punch down, Abomination's head didn't move at all.
The head that had just been swinging left and right was now as steady as if it had been welded to his spine.
Hulk's fist sank into that layer of newborn bone, unable to push in even a fraction further.
Abomination smiled, his mouth split from the middle all the way to the ear roots, light green blood oozed from his mouth, he violently shook his head, and the recoil force bounced Hulk's right fist away.
"Are you tickling me? Banner."
Hulk's eyes regained a bit of clarity; he was somewhat incredulous.
Abomination's entire body's bones rioted simultaneously, bone spurs exploded from the surface at the same time, each one as thick as a forearm, with translucent horny tips at the ends.
The Thing bore the brunt; the bone spurs penetrated his right shoulder, chest, and abdomen.
The rock shattered around the puncture points, rock chips and the orange tissue inside splashed together, he opened his mouth to the maximum, but couldn't shout anything out, and was nailed to the spot.
The elastic tissue Reed had wrapped around Abomination's neck was cut by the bone spurs, and after a scream, his arm was nearly crippled.
And Hulk was pierced straight through the abdomen by the two main spurs protruding from the front of Abomination's chest, one on the left and one on the right.
Two holes, blood gushed out from the wounds, pouring onto the scorching road surface, making a continuous steaming sound.
He wanted to reach out and grab the bone spurs, but Abomination gave him a headbutt, hitting Hulk's nose bridge directly.
Hulk was sent flying, landed heavily on the ground, still alive but having difficulty getting up.
After the result of the scene was transmitted.
The internal lines of Vought International rang at the same time; they agreed.
If they didn't agree, who knew who Abomination would look for next?
Chapter 44: Courage is the Hymn of Humanity; Homelander is the One Who Understands Me Best!
Vought Tower.
The intercom rang, and Natasha reported with a somewhat complicated expression that it was a call from the White House.
Li Zuguo's demands had been delivered to the White House long ago: to sign the Vought Superhuman Immunity Act.
The Seven, a superhero team, would be personally screened and led by him, reporting directly to the President—though whether he actually reported would depend on his mood.
At the same time, a superhero reserve system would be established, and all Superhumans active within the United States must be managed by Vought.
Furthermore, Vought would launch a recruitment drive for Superhumans worldwide in the future, and no other organization would be allowed to interfere.
At first, the White House Chief of Staff replied with just two words: "In your dreams."
Needless to say, Congress was the same; the two parties were in rare agreement, as no one wanted to hand over such immense power to an uncontrolled Superman.
But that was three days ago. Now, things were different.
An internal line connected to Homelander's earpiece, and James's voice came through.
"Mr. Homelander, the White House called!"
"Get to the point."
"They agreed. The Vought Immunity Act, The Seven, the reserves—all of it has been approved. The President has already signed the executive order, and the emergency vote in both houses of Congress has concluded with only fifty opposing votes."
Li Zuguo shook his head. Wouldn't it have been better if they had just agreed earlier?
They refused to give up until they faced grim reality, only nodding when a blade was held to their throats.
"Also, Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. personally called the company. He used very strong language, saying that if you don't take action soon, he will initiate his own contingency plan."
The contingency plan was, in all likelihood, Captain Marvel.
Li Zuguo didn't need to worry about this; even if Furycalled Captain Marvel, she couldn't possibly make it back immediately.
"James, send helicopters—at least three of them. Equip them with the best aerial camera gear for multiple angles. I want 360-degree, dead-zone-free coverage. The entire battle must be filmed; not a single second can be missed."
"As you wish, sir."
Li Zuguo cut the communication, and Raven, who was beside him, said anxiously,
"Lucien, that monster, is very strong. I suggest cooperating with Professor X, it would be safer."
The Hulk, Mr. Fantastic, and The Thing had all lost. She felt that even if Li Zuguo could win, he wouldn't escape unscathed. If another unexpected thing happened...
Li Zuguo smiled.
"Don't worry, Raven. I am much more agile than him. Even if I can't beat him, I can always retreat first."
Raven hesitated, but she knew that Homelander's mind was made up.
Johnny heard this and felt like he could do it too. Although that monster was terrifying, he didn't seem to be able to fly.
"Hey, how about adding me to the mix, Li Zuguo? I can help take some of the pressure off you."
Before Homelander could speak, Susan rejected the idea first.
"No, Johnny, you can't go. That thing is not something you can handle."
The more Susan tried to stop him, the more Johnny wanted to show off.
"This is an opportunity, and Homelander said that the monster isn't agile enough. As long as I'm careful, he won't be able to touch me."
Susan had no control over Johnny, so she could only pin her hopes on Li Zuguo.
"Johnny hasn't signed the contract yet, so could he..."
Li Zuguo stated the facts.
"Ms. Susan, Johnny is no longer a child, nor is he an ordinary adult. He is the Human Torch."
Johnny felt like his entire being was about to burst into flames!
He felt that Homelander was the one who understood him best! Neither Reed nor his sister had any idea what he actually wanted.
[Superhero Points +10,000 (from Human Torch)]
"Sis, Mr. Homelander is right. I'm not an ordinary person; I'm the Human Torch. Besides, bro... uh, Mr. Homelander is also there. I'll mostly just do some AOE."
Johnny had originally wanted to call him 'brother-in-law,' but feeling two piercing gazes on his back, he immediately changed his tune.
Faced with Susan's gaze, Li Zuguo smiled faintly.
"Of course, Ms. Susan, I will be the main force."
He had no intention of sharing this glory with anyone else.
Susan was deeply moved, and in her eyes, Homelanderwas automatically bathed in a layer of holy light.
"Thank you, Mr. Li Zuguo."
[Superhero Points +5,000 (from Invisible Woman)]
Li Zuguo loved this beautiful sound. This brother-and-sister duo was much easier to move than Black Widow.
"Alright, it's time to head out!"
Johnny felt completely fired up!
Natasha reported the news to S.H.I.E.L.D., which allowed Nick Fury to breathe a sigh of relief.
At the same time, Vought released an official announcement.
Everyone's hearts settled. Unknowingly, Homelander had already become an omnipotent existence in the eyes of the absolute majority of people.
It seemed that as long as he was there, all problems would be easily solved.
...
Downtown.
The Abomination punched the Hulk into a parking garage, and the entire building was collapsing.
The Thing was still pinned to the spot with no one to rescue him, and Reed had vanished to who-knows-where.
However, the Abomination did not leave. In his chaotic, violent mind, there was still someone else he wanted to kill.
With no superheroes left to hold the front line, only the U.S. Police remained.
They had originally been covering the evacuation of the public, but now that the Abomination was right in front of them, they had no choice but to stand their ground.
Gwen's father, George Stacy, led by example at the front line.
Courage is the hymn of humanity.
But not everyone was so brave; some U.S. Police officers chose to flee directly.
George did not blame them; everyone had the right to survive.
It was just that, in the Abomination's eyes, those small handguns couldn't even tickle him.
In the chaotic streets,
Relying on her Superhuman vision, Gwen found her father. She rushed forward, and without time to explain, forcefully pulled George to leave.
Before George could even be surprised by his daughter's immense strength, he immediately barked,
"Gwen, what are you doing here? Stop!"
Gwen was extremely anxious. The moment she heard the news, she had rushed over.
"Dad, retreat! It's too dangerous here. You saw it yourself—even tanks can't kill that monster!"
George looked at his daughter and said solemnly,
"Gwen, I am a Police officer. My men are holding the line out there. Do you want me to be a deserter?"
"Run! Go take shelter at Vought International. That's the safest place right now. I'll hold the line here!"
George showed his responsibility as a father.
Gwen didn't care about her father's temper; she couldn't just stand by and watch her father be killed by that monster.
"No! If you don't leave, I'll face that monster with you. I've already awakened superpowers, and I believe Homelanderwill definitely come!"
Superpowers? While George was in a daze, a Police car flew right over their heads, crashing in the distance with sparks flying everywhere.
In the short time the father and daughter spent arguing, the U.S. Police officers in front had been completely wiped out.
The Abomination spotted the two tiny figures, casually picked up a car from the roadside, and hurled it at them.
George instinctively tried to push Gwen out of the way, but Gwen was faster. She blocked George and caught the car with her bare hands.
Only at this moment did George truly believe that Gwenhad indeed awakened superpowers.
The Abomination was a bit surprised by this, but only a bit. He was about to step forward to finish them off.
Suddenly, the roar of helicopters echoed from the distant night sky.
...
PS: Peter's storyline has been slightly adjusted. By the way, asking for monthly tickets and continuous reads.
Chapter 45: Abomination's Madness, Homelander's Hands-on-Hips Grand Entrance
A rumbling sound echoed from the distant skyline.
Several bright lights were approaching.
Those were Vought International's helicopters. The aerial cameras on the sides of the fuselages had already deployed, their red lights flashing as recording began!
At the same time, on Vought International's official account,
the newly opened livestream room was already exploding with viewers and comments, reaching a massive million-plus in less than a minute.
On the battlefield below,
Abomination stopped in his tracks and stood in the dead center of the ruins. Spreading his arms, he let out a long howl toward the sky. His bony armor gleamed with a dim, gray light in the firelight, completely devoid of any wounds.
All the damage caused by the Hulk had completely healed, and the newly grown bone was thicker and denser.
He was growing stronger by the second, the cells inside his body continuously dividing and highly unstable.
The cameras of the three helicopters were all focused on him.
At this moment, countless eyes were gathered on the center of New York.
Queens.
The Green Goblin emerged from a building and made a truce gesture to the Spider-Man chasing him from behind.
"Stop, Spider-Man. I'm not causing any destruction today."
Peter was dumbfounded. This was the first time he had ever heard such a request. He demanded, "What kind of conspiracy are you cooking up?"
The Green Goblin pointed toward the other side of the city.
"There's a huge monster over there. Haven't you watched the news? I'm planning to hop onto Vought to watch the livestream or go join the fun. How about we call a temporary truce today?"
The Green Goblin had originally planned to use the monster in the city center as a distraction to fish in troubled waters while everyone's attention was drawn away.
But he hadn't expected that the damn Spider-Man would still be chasing him. In that case, he might as well just go watch the show.
To be honest, he hoped Homelander would win. After all, that thing looked completely mindless. Of course, mutual destruction would be even better.
Having said that, the Green Goblin didn't care whether Spider-Man agreed or not. He stepped onto his Goblin Glider and headed straight toward the city center.
...
Midtown Manhattan.
"Homelander!"
Abomination roared, calling out Homelander's name, but there was still no sign of him.
"If you don't come out now, I'll kill this father and daughter!"
Abomination suddenly burst forward, lunging toward the fleeing Gwen and her father George. Gwen stopped in her tracks and stood in front of her father, preparing to take a direct hit from Abomination.
Suddenly, a sonic boom echoed through the sky.
It exploded right between Abomination and Gwen.
The ground of the entire Midtown area shook simultaneously.
In the livestream feed from Vought's helicopters in the sky, a red and blue streak could be faintly seen falling from the very center of the sky, slamming straight down in front of Abomination.
"Boom!"
The concrete ground exploded. Abomination instinctively raised his arms to block the shockwave as the searchlights from the helicopters beamed down.
Homelander slowly stood up from a half-kneeling position, his hands resting on his hips.
The bullet comments in the livestream froze for two seconds before exploding at a rate of thousands, even tens of thousands, per second, completely overloading the server.
"He's here!!!"
"Homelander!!!"
"Kill this monster! Smash his balls to pieces!!!"
"Shit, the car I bought with a loan was smashed by him like a toy car!"
"Don't just kill him! Stuff his head up his own ass and let him suffocate to death!"
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Homelanderarrive just in time. If he hadn't come, Fury really would have had to call in outside help.
However, although the stubborn Nick Fury had developed a slight fondness for Homelander, he ultimately only trusted himself.
Suspicion was his very nature.
S.H.I.E.L.D. needed stronger Avengers. He had to take action personally. Otherwise, by the time Homelanderformed The Seven, his Avengers Initiative would still just be a prototype.
Perhaps the Mutants could also be appropriately recruited.
The bald director's mindset shifted for the very first time at this moment.
...
Without looking back, Li Zuguo said,
"Gwen, you've proven your bravery once again."
[superhero points +10,000 (from Spider-Woman)]
Li Zuguo had to admit, Gwen was truly generous.
Looking at the man standing protectively in front of her, Gwen almost couldn't stop her tears from falling. She wanted to lean into his chest, just like when they first met.
"Lucien, I knew you would come."
Li Zuguo's voice turned solemn.
"Gwen, take your father and leave. Leave this to me."
This was George's first time seeing Li Zuguo. Although it was only a view of his back, it left an incredibly deep impression on him.
"Thank you, Homelander. You've saved my daughter again, and you've saved me once more!"
"You are a true hero!"
After saying this, George pulled Gwen away. Gwen didn't want to leave, but she knew she would only be a burden if she stayed.
As Homelander's figure grew more distant, she believed that he would definitely win...
Just as Abomination was about to strike, a red meteor suddenly streaked across the sky and halted right above him.
"How could a scene like this be missing the Human Torch? Behold my fireball magic!"
In his Pyro state, Johnny was incredibly smug. As for why he had only arrived now, his speed was naturally much slower than Homelander's.
Johnny unleashed a massive fireball right off the bat.
Abomination made no attempt to dodge and was instantly engulfed by the fireball. Johnny thought it had worked, but in the next second, Abomination charged out of the flames and lunged straight at Johnny.
His speed was absurdly fast.
While Johnny's smile was still plastered on his face, the claw covered in bony spikes was already swatting right in front of him in the next second.
Two beams of red light sliced in from the side.
The Heat Vision struck Abomination with pinpoint accuracy, knocking him off course and sending him falling downward.
Taking advantage of this split-second window, Johnny pulled up sharply, his fiery trail carving a sharp turn in the air.
"Fuck!"
Johnny finally cursed out loud. Only after flying high into the sky did he manage to stabilize himself. He had almost died just now.
He looked down and saw that Abomination, who had taken a direct hit from the Heat Vision, was actually completely unscathed.
Li Zuguo cut off his Heat Vision, the red glow in his irises slowly fading. Merely knocking Abomination back with the Heat Vision was an expected outcome.
Li Zuguo didn't need anyone sharing his glory for the time being.
"Johnny, stay back. Take charge of evacuating and treating the remaining civilians. Leave the battle to me."
Johnny hesitated for a moment before agreeing. The lingering fear from that claw strike was still fresh; he really couldn't fight a monster of this level.
"Then be careful!"
The fire trailed off into the distance, but didn't go too far.
Li Zuguo shifted his gaze back to Abomination.
Abomination was also staring at him. Those two eyes embedded deep within the crevices of his bones were no longer as frantic as before; instead, they held the focus of a predator locking onto its prey.
"Homelander!"
Abomination squeezed out a few slurred syllables from deep in his throat, half-speaking and half-growling. He still retained a bit of his ability to speak.
Bronski's residual consciousness had not yet been completely swallowed by bestial nature.
It was an obsession with defeating the Hulk and Homelander to become the ultimate soldier.
Li Zuguo could activate his Super Popularity Mode to kill Abomination directly, but that wouldn't be shocking enough. People had already grown accustomed to his victories.
If he won too easily, how would it be any different from his usual crime-fighting?
Abomination charged at Li Zuguo like a cannonball. Li Zuguo sidestepped to dodge, slamming his left elbow into the back of Abomination's neck. The heavy blow connected, forcing Abomination's upper body down by half a meter.
But Abomination barely reacted. Instead, the bony spikes on his back flared out, and three sharp protrusions stabbed straight toward Li Zuguo's abdomen.
Li Zuguo instinctively retreated, but the longest spike still scraped across his ribs, though it failed to pierce his Super Durability.
A god might be temporarily hurt, but he wouldn't bleed, because a god still had a second phase.
The cameras in the sky precisely captured the intense battle between the two.
The situation on the field made the hearts of all the viewers tighten, and they couldn't help but start to worry.
Li Zuguo noticed that his Popularity Points, far from decreasing, had actually begun to skyrocket. He almost couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Yes, just like that!
Be a little stronger, Abomination! Only when you are stronger will people worry more!
Chapter 46: Sneak Attack and Threat Using Gwen, He is a True Hero!
The evenly matched scene was quickly broken.
Li Zuguo changed his tactics, no longer going head-to-head. Instead, he used his flight ability and speed to constantly shift his angle of attack in the vast space. One second he would land a punch from the front, and the next second he would already be behind Abomination, unleashing a full-power Heat Vision.
Abomination's bone spurs could no longer touch anyone, and his tactic of using close-quarters combat to injure his opponent suddenly became useless.
Li Zuguo not only crushed him in speed, but also had the upper hand in body coordination and spatial awareness. Every time Abomination's bone spurs shot out, he was already gone from his original spot.
Abomination's movements began to grow frustrated. His attack frequency was increasing, but his accuracy was dropping.
The tense hearts of the onlookers relaxed once more.
Li Zuguo was playing this monster like a monkey!
Li Zuguo delivered a knee strike right to the outside of Abomination's right knee joint. With a crisp crack of shattering bone armor, Abomination's right leg buckled, sending him off-balance and slumping to the left.
Taking advantage of this opening, Li Zuguo smashed Abomination's entire face into the road with a single punch. Abomination lay in the crater, motionless for a long time.
Li Zuguo hovered two meters in the air. With him going all out, Abomination couldn't touch him at all.
Did he win? Everyone was curious, but they also felt it wouldn't be that easy. Still, some were already popping the champagne early.
The next second, Abomination, who had been playing dead, catapulted off the ground. He didn't go for Li Zuguo, but leaped directly toward the father and daughter in the crowd.
George and Gwen.
Everyone understood. This monster was too insidious and cunning. Since he couldn't win, he actually wanted to use civilians as leverage!
What Li Zuguo saw, however, was a script—an unexpected yet perfect script!
Watching from afar, Norman Osborn cursed under his mask. This move was too dirty!
But if it were him, he would have done the same.
Peter had already leaped from the rooftop, but the distance was too far, and the maximum range of his web-shooters wasn't enough.
Peter stalled in mid-air, only able to watch as the massive shadow cleared the buildings and plummeted toward the two defenseless people.
Gwen heard the whistling wind overhead and looked up.
Abomination's shadow blocked out the entire sky. His forearms were crossed, and the bone spurs all over his body flared outward, preparing to crush everything on the ground into mincemeat with maximum surface area.
George Stacy pressed his daughter beneath him, shielding her from the sky with his own back.
Then, the sky lit up.
Li Zuguo's speed broke today's peak. He didn't even assume a flight posture; he simply vanished from his spot and appeared above Gwen and her father in the very next frame.
With both hands, he caught and supported the entire weight of Abomination's descent.
A shockwave spread outward from the point of contact, peeling away the outer walls of every standing building within a fifty-meter radius.
George was nearly knocked over by the blast of air, but fortunately, Gwen held onto him.
Li Zuguo's feet sank into the ground, completely submerged in cement and dirt up to his knees.
Abomination looked down at him from above. A sinister smile actually squeezed onto his deformed face; he had calculated this step long ago.
All of his bone spurs stabbed down at once.
Li Zuguo was pinned to the spot, unable to dodge. He took the blow head-on, along with a full-force punch from Abomination coming from the left.
"Boom!"
Carried by the force of the punch, Li Zuguo flew out like a cannonball, smashing through the load-bearing wall at the base of a commercial building across the street.
The entire building shook violently.
Cracks spread from the first floor to the top. The sounds of breaking concrete and rebar echoed in unison. The building was still shaking, but it didn't collapse yet.
In Vought's live stream chat:
"This son of a bitch! He plays dirty because he can't win!"
"No way! Homelander can't lose!"
"He hasn't come out??"
"No, no, no, maybe he just wants to give us a surprise."
"Impossible, he's just injured."
...
Most people believed Homelander was merely ambushed, not dead.
But that didn't stop some people from jumping out to doom-monger.
Gwen let go of her father's hand and ran toward the collapsing building. Lucien hadn't dodged because of her and her dad!
The cracks continued to widen. Chunks of concrete from the outer walls began to fall off in sheets, and rebar jutted out from the fractures.
The entire building groaned in its death throes.
Gwen rushed to the entrance, clutching the shattered doorframe as she peered into the pitch-black interior.
The dust was too thick; she couldn't see anything.
Gwen's eyes welled with tears. The seventeen-year-old girl stood in front of a building on the verge of collapse, a loud crack of snapping rebar echoing overhead.
George finally caught up. He grabbed Gwen's hand and dragged her back, but Gwen held onto the doorframe with a death grip.
"Let me go! He's still inside!"
"Gwen! This building is going to collapse!"
The eighth floor of the building tilted outward, its overall structure irreversibly unstable. Shards of glass and chunks of concrete rained down, forming a natural barrier at the entrance.
"Please, Gwen, if Homelander is still alive, he wouldn't want to see you like this!"
The moment George dragged Gwen away, the twelve-story building collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Dust and smoke blotted out the sky. The shockwave pushed Gwen back over a dozen meters, her ears ringing so loudly she couldn't hear a thing.
When the dust cleared slightly, all that remained of the building was a seven-to-eight-meter-high mound of ruins.
The fragments of steel and concrete were piled so tightly that not even air could pass through.
Gwen lay on the ground, staring at the ruins through the thick dust, completely motionless.
The bullet comments in the live stream went completely wild.
But everyone knew one fact: it wasn't that Homelanderhad lost, but that Abomination had used civilians as bait, forcing Homelander to take the attack with his own body... Every step was calculated.
Every step precisely targeted the line of 'a hero cannot stand by and watch people die.'
Tony had originally been dealing with Ivan Vanko's situation while listening to Jarvis report the real-time battle situation on Homelander's side.
But when he heard that Homelander was injured, he stopped in his tracks.
Fuck!
Then, he decisively abandoned what he was doing and headed toward New York. That Star-Spangled Boycouldn't just have something happen to him—even being injured was unacceptable!
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Even Nick Fury did not hesitate for a second to hand down orders.
Dispatch S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents to divert Abomination's attention at all costs, split into two routes to rescue Homelander.
Steve volunteered for the mission.
Now, everyone understood one thing.
Currently, only Homelander could defeat this monster head-on. Today, he was just ambushed. That was Homelander; he wouldn't die so easily, at most he was just injured.
Inside Vought Tower.
Raven's hands were shaking. No, it couldn't be like this. She frantically contacted Charles.
No matter what, Abomination must be killed!
If Charles wouldn't help, she would act as a spy and tell the government where the Mutant Academy was hiding!
Charles felt Raven's hysterical anger. He hoped Ravencould calm down a bit.
Tears streaming down her face, Raven picked up the phone, prepared to call the government. Left with no choice, Charles could only agree to her demand.
Charles immediately dispatched people to rush to the battlefield to save their fellow mutant, Homelander!
Susan had already gone invisible, searching for Homelander.
He had promised her he would protect Johnny, yet he failed to protect himself.
Natasha was already on her way. She was also a top Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., but this was the first time she had acted without following Fury's orders.
On a distant rooftop.
Beneath Peter's mask, two trails of tears slid down his cheeks. This man, who guided him forward just like Uncle Ben, couldn't possibly lose like this.
With great power comes great responsibility. Mr. Homelander had truly practiced what he preached.
The Green Goblin's glider hovered in the air. Norman Osborn did not speak for once.
If Homelander really died, in which direction would the ensuing situation collapse?
But he couldn't calculate it any further, because Abomination was standing next to the ruins, tilting his head and looking toward his next direction.
Gwen's beautiful eyes were slightly red. She didn't believe Lucien would die, but it was true that he had been injured for her sake.
How could she not be touched at all?
"Lucien, you promised me..."
The ruins remained completely motionless.
[superhero points +1...]
Chapter 47: Like a God, Lasers Shooting Straight into the Sky
PS: There is a separate chapter at the end to give you an explanation.
...
[superhero points +20,000 (from Spider-Woman)]
[superhero points +20,000 (from Mystique Raven)]
[superhero points +2,000 (from Nick Fury)]
[superhero points +10,000 (from Invisible Woman)]
[superhero points +10,000 (from Iron Man)]
[superhero points +20,000...]
Beneath the ruins.
Li Zuguo felt a steady stream of light... superhero popularity and popularity points were converging towards him.
However, some of the light was a bit hard for him to believe. What was up with Nick Fury?
Whatever, but it also indirectly proved that his little show was very well-received.
Li Zuguo had used Compound V a long time ago, and the feeling was wonderful. (See Chapter 27 for details)
At that moment, he felt a surge of energy flowing through his body, as if some limit had been broken.
It was a completely different feeling from Super Popularity Mode.
The feeling of Super Popularity was infinite strength, but now he felt infinite rage, with his body being endlessly ravaged.
But the most important thing was that it solved the issue of his lifespan and his strength declining as he aged.
Li Zuguo thought of the ending of The Boys. Some speculated that what Bombsight carried in his pocket wasn't the original formula, but ice.
Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why Li Zuguoseemed to become weaker after injecting it, with no effect shown at all.
But Li Zuguo felt that this shouldn't be the case. That power couldn't be faked, and it was stated very clearly in the story that "ice" had no effect on Superhumans. Of course, he hadn't tried it himself.
The reason he was so certain was that he had tried his Heat Vision at its absolute maximum power.
...
Outside the ruins.
Abomination casually picked up a car from the street and hurled it toward Gwen, but it was intercepted mid-air by a stream of fire.
Johnny was burning in mid-air, wildly provoking Abomination.
"What kind of skill is bullying women? If you have the guts, fight your Human Torch Grandpa, you ugly freak!"
The "ugly freak" successfully enraged Abomination, shifting his anger onto this little flea.
Johnny was panicking, but he had to do it. Fortunately, he wasn't alone.
The next second, a mechanical pumpkin was thrown beneath Abomination's feet at some point.
"Beep beep beep beep... Boom!"
The pumpkin exploded, but it was all smoke and no damage. Abomination was completely unharmed, only finding it incredibly annoying that flies kept popping up one after another.
Peter, who had just arrived, froze for a moment. He really couldn't believe that the Green Goblin would actually make a move against Abomination.
"Don't look at me like that, little Spider-Man. I'm no fool!"
Norman flew in the air on his glider. He was very smart, and he felt that Homelander wouldn't die so easily, and that Abomination had only succeeded through a sneak attack.
The other party cared a lot about this girl named Gwen, so he took action.
Perhaps one day Homelander would spare his life for the sake of this girl. This deal was highly cost-effective.
Thus, a dramatic scene unfolded on the battlefield.
It was like the three heroes battling Lu Bu.
Spider-Man, Green Goblin, and Human Torch teamed up to continuously harass Abomination. All three were highly agile combatants.
George was trying to comfort her from the side, but Gwenwas already somewhat despondent. She casually threw a huge boulder aside, desperately trying to find Lucien's figure in the ruins.
But she wasn't alone.
Raven, Black Widow, and a crowd of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents all rushed over.
Raven and Black Widow had come of their own accord, while the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents had received a strict order from Nick Fury: they must find Homelander!
Of course, most of these S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents were actually taking orders from HYDRA.
But there was another strange phenomenon on site.
Several massive boulders were being lifted out of thin air, yet no one could be seen. A few Agents almost thought they were seeing ghosts.
But seeing everyone else digging, they also cast their doubts aside and started digging recklessly.
After all, that monster was right behind them. This feeling was comparable to accidentally dropping the soap in a communal shower and having to bend over to pick it up.
Fortunately, the Captain had arrived as well, which was the only thing that could put their minds at ease.
Abomination truly detested these bugs, but he quickly noticed a crowd gathering in front of the ruins.
Seeing this, he wanted to repeat his old trick, attempting to lure the three flies down to kill them.
But the next second, a man holding a shield descended from the sky and stood in front of him.
Steve looked at Abomination with a grave expression.
"I can do this all day!"
But the reality was that although Steve relied on his agility to dodge, Abomination landed a punch right on his shield, sending Steve flying instantly.
The original super soldier, Bronski, had been kicked to death by the Hulk. For Steve to take this punch from an Abomination fused with the compound showed that Steve's abilities far surpassed Bronski's, even if he relied on his shield.
In just this brief moment, the Green Goblin and the others tangled with him again.
A repulsor blast rained down from the sky as Tony arrived just in time with his close friend, James Rhodes.
Tony's voice carried a rare trace of anger.
"Hey, where did you hide my Star-Spangled Boy, you damn monster!"
Abomination was furious. Although these flies posed little threat to him, they were incredibly annoying, especially that spider.
Originally, Abomination was prepared to force his way out, but he was actually tripped by Spider-Man. Before he could even get up, all kinds of repulsor blasts, fireballs, and pumpkin bombs rained down on him like they cost nothing.
At first, they could suppress him, but gradually, the bone spurs on Abomination's spine did not retract; instead, they continued to grow.
Abomination's body was expanding, his ribs pushing outward one by one. His skin tore open as new bone material erupted from the fissures, layering over the old bone armor, stack upon stack.
New bony protrusions appeared on both sides of his spine, and his shoulder frame expanded outward by nearly double. A new crown of bone formed over his already deformed skull, squeezing his two eyeballs until they were almost sunken into the crevices of the bone.
Abomination let out a roar, completing his final transformation. His sanity was completely swallowed up, turning him into a beastly monster.
Norman had already quietly retreated to the edge, wanting to flee.
Their attacks hadn't done any damage; instead, they had caused this thing to evolve again.
"Fuck!" Johnny was somewhat in despair. This thing could actually transform even further!
Peter's resolve did not waver; he would hold the line until the very end.
Rhodes said with a grim expression.
"Tony, cover me. I'm going to use a weapon with massive power."
Tony froze for a moment. He hadn't expected Rhodes to have a secret weapon.
Though he was a bit skeptical.
Only General Ross, the culprit watching the battle from afar, knew that this was the simultaneous effect of the gamma radiation and the Military's researched compound.
He regretted his past actions a little, but it was too late now.
Natasha stopped halfway through digging the rubble because she saw a glint of red light flashing from beneath the ruins.
Suddenly realizing something, she immediately called for everyone to temporarily retreat!
Everyone saw it—the red light gradually pulsing underneath.
This also confirmed a hypothesis: Homelander had only been injured by Abomination's sneak attack.
Following Abomination's post-evolution rampage, everyone was forced back to varying degrees.
But before he could fully unleash that irritation,
Two brutal lasers burst through the dark sky from the ruins in front of him, dyeing the surrounding clouds red.
Amidst the ruins,
Everyone's gaze was drawn over.
The red lasers slowly dissipated, and dust billowed everywhere.
A figure slowly rose from the smoke. No one could see his face clearly; they could only see a pair of glowing red eyes, like a god.
Chapter 48: Divinity, Absolute Power, and the Resulting Solitude; Stabilize Him with Love and Family, Bind Him
The red light in the sky slowly dissipated.
The dust was torn open by an airflow, and a figure slowly emerged from the smoke.
First to appear was a pair of eyes, the red light in them not yet completely faded. The residual heat caused a visible distortion in the surrounding air.
It was still the same handsome, blonde Homelander, only missing that familiar smile.
[At this point, I hope readers remember our domain, Taiwan Novel Network, to accompany you in your leisure, super sweet]
Everyone had to admit that his expressionless face carried an immense sense of oppression.
Gwen looked up at the figure rising from the smoke, instinctively reaching out her hand.
"Lucien..."
Tony looked at his old friend Rhodes beside him and teased.
"Looks like your secret weapon won't be needed. The Star-Spangled Boy has grown even stronger."
Rhodes didn't want to speak, but he felt that when individual power rose above a nation, it wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Raven breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring Charles's call in her mind. As long as Lucien was safe, that was all that mattered.
Several S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents nearby exchanged glances. At least three of them were HYDRA, and their expressions at this moment were surprisingly identical.
Natasha rarely showed a smile; it seemed their worries had been entirely redundant.
Peter Parker called out his name in pleasant surprise.
"Mr. Homelander."
The livestream chat completely exploded at this second.
"Homelander is still alive! I knew he wouldn't die so easily!"
"Homelander is a god! He should change his name to Godlander."
"Am I the only one who thinks Homelander is a bit scary right now? I still prefer him when he's smiling."
"Homelander isn't smiling, that monster is finished!"
"Were those two lasers just now the Heat Vision described in the comics? It pierced the clouds, bro, it literally went right through the clouds!"
The bullet comments refreshed so quickly that the servers began to lag.
Homelander's figure was projected onto the giant screens in Times Square, and all of New York was boiling with excitement.
His popularity points were skyrocketing, but Homelanderdidn't look. His gaze fell upon the Abomination.
The fully evolved Abomination was a whole size larger than before, with a shoulder width of over three meters. Its entire body was covered in layers of bone armor, and the bone spurs on its spine were over a meter long.
A pure monster whose sanity had been completely swallowed by bestial nature—yet even this mindless beast actually made a retreating motion the moment Li Zuguotook to the sky.
Johnny saw this. Just now, six or seven of them had taken turns to besiege it, and the thing hadn't even bothered to roll its eyes. Now, it was actually afraid?
Norman honestly backed away on his glider, but he didn't leave. He had made the right gamble on this deal.
Next time he caused trouble and ran into Homelander, perhaps he could use this to plead for mercy.
Steve climbed up from the ground and looked up at Homelander. This was overwhelming power. Fortunately, he wasn't an enemy.
Otherwise, even with his extensive combat experience, he wouldn't want to face such a Superman.
Finally, the Abomination's rage overcame its fear. It roared, and all the bone spurs on its spine exploded outward at the same time.
Li Zuguo used to smile. Facing the cameras, the audience, and any occasion where he needed to project the "Li Zuguo" image, he would wear a standard, pitch-perfect smile.
But now, he showed a different side.
Homelander's irises lit up. There was no slow heating up; it was an instantaneous, explosive ignition. Two red beams of light shot from his eyes, identical in thickness to the two that had pierced the ruins earlier.
If it was Heat Vision before, now it was a continuous laser cannon.
The Abomination didn't even have time to dodge. The moment the Heat Vision struck the exact center of its chest, the bone armor, which had layered countless times, was pierced through like paper.
There was no process of resistance.
The beams of light pierced through the breastplate, ribs, and spine, blasting a bowl-sized hole directly out of the Abomination's back.
The Abomination let out a low growl of pain. The speed of its regeneration capability was far from keeping up with the speed of destruction, and the Heat Vision hadn't stopped.
Li Zuguo maintained his output, the energy still climbing.
It was as if he was torturing the Abomination bit by bit.
The temperature was rising, the air was burning, and the ground within a few meters of the Abomination began to melt into an orange-red liquid. The bone armor was no longer being pierced; it was vaporizing.
Disappearing layer by layer.
The Abomination's shrieks turned into wails, its wails turned into convulsions, and finally, it couldn't even make a sound.
From start to finish, it was only an instant.
When Li Zuguo's Heat Vision extinguished, the Abomination still maintained a standing posture, half of its body melted away.
Its regeneration capability stopped, because there was no longer any energy or tissue left to regenerate.
The Abomination's mangled body swayed slightly, then fell straight backward.
Its carcass slammed heavily onto the melted ground, splashing a ring of orange-red slurry that radiated intense heat, just like lava.
Dead silence filled the area.
Then, the livestreams of all channels crashed simultaneously; the influx of traffic had ultimately exceeded the limit of the servers.
The bullet comments froze on Homelander's figure in the very last frame before the crash. At this moment, a trace of divinity seemed to grace him.
The cheers erupting from the surviving crowd on the streets traveled all the way from Manhattan to Brooklyn.
In Times Square, some people fell to their knees, calling Homelander a god.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury watched this scene quietly. This was far too different from the outcome he had anticipated.
It should have been a mutual defeat, and then he would seize the opportunity to rescue and recruit Homelander. Motherfucker!
Fury couldn't help but slap the table. He didn't dislike Homelander as much now, but for the safety of Earth, he had to remain vigilant.
Once Homelander lost control, the blow to Earth would be devastating.
He needed something that could stabilize Homelander.
A woman? Love? Or perhaps family?
A new plan emerged in the Black Braised Egg's mind.
Johnny's awe of Homelander rose to another level, but it was impossible for him to be afraid—he still had Susan.
He searched for traces of Susan; at a time like this, his sister had to be present.
Peter hung on a wall. He and the Green Goblin were the first to leave, as neither of them liked to join in on this kind of excitement.
Steve stood in place, his shield hanging at his side. He hadn't felt this way in a very long time.
It was a feeling he hadn't had since waking up from being frozen in World War II—the sense of insignificance when facing absolute power.
Tony's faceplate flipped open. He looked at the hovering figure three meters away, and the smoking remains of the Abomination whose chest had been vaporized into a large hole.
Li Zuguo was still up in the sky, facing right toward the camera of the hovering news helicopter, wearing a standard Homelander-style smile.
"I'm sorry, I was a bit dazed just now. You all did great while I was away. Gwen, you were very brave. Raven, Susan, Tony... and all of you in front of the screens, I felt your calls. What I want to say is..."
Li Zuguo called them out one by one, and with each name he called, a pleasant notification sound rang in his ears.
Having been called out, Tony couldn't quite take it anymore. He interrupted Li Zuguo and teased.
"I get it, Li Zuguo, you're the real hero! Once you're done speaking, how about we all go home and find our mothers?"
Li Zuguo wasn't angry, because the increase in his superhero points had already exposed Tony's stubbornness.
He had already achieved the result he wanted.
"It seems Tony has already learned. But what I want to say is, you all did incredibly well, please keep it up!"
After Li Zuguo finished speaking, he gave everyone and the audience in front of the screens a thumbs-up. Then, his Super Flight accelerated, and he shot straight into the sky, disappearing from everyone's sight.
Li Zuguo didn't land to catch up with Gwen and the others.
Homelander could make post-match speeches, but he couldn't get too emotional and mushy with people under the camera.
Absolute power and the resulting solitude were his current persona.
Individual heroism was the standard American Dream.
Chapter 49: Inviting Superhumans Worldwide to Interview at Vought International
Tony was astonished by Homelander's speed; previously, he could only catch a blurred afterimage, but now he couldn't even see a shadow.
He suspected that Homelander had been holding back before.
"Alright, everyone, go home to your mothers!"
After saying this, Tony flew into the sky in his armor, but his speed was significantly slower than Homelander's.
George breathed a sigh of relief. He truly hadn't expected to survive, and it was fortunate that Homelander was there.
He looked at his daughter, Gwen, wanting to say something but hesitating.
"Gwen, let's go home."
Gwen looked longingly in the direction where Lucien had left, then withdrew her gaze and voiced her thoughts.
"Dad, I want to go to Vought International to be a superhero."
George gave a bitter smile. Frankly speaking, he had hoped for Gwen to grow up safe and sound; fighting supervillains was too dangerous.
But thinking of the look in Gwen's eyes when she watched Homelander, he knew there was no room for negotiation on this matter.
"Alright, Gwen, I agree, but you cannot tell Mom. She will worry about you."
"Of course, Dad."
Gwen's dirty face broke into the first bright smile of the day.
George had a foreboding feeling, but he really couldn't bring himself to hate Homelander.
Johnny landed on the ground and searched everywhere for traces of Susan; he clearly remembered Homelandercalling Susan's name just moments ago.
"Slap!"
Johnny's back of the head was smacked. Susan emerged from her invisibility, wearing that iconic blue uniform.
"What are you looking for, Johnny?"
Johnny said with dissatisfaction.
"I was looking for you, Susan. Why did you go invisible just now? This was a great opportunity to make a move."
"Homelander could still see me even when I was invisible. You underestimate him, Johnny." Susan was very surprised; up until now, this was the first time someone could still see her while she was invisible.
If she were to strip while invisible, wouldn't he see everything...
Just thinking about that scenario made Susan blush.
At this moment, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents had completely retreated.
Natasha encountered a little trouble on her way back with Raven; her unauthorized action had been discovered by Fury.
The other party would inevitably re-evaluate her.
But it was just an evaluation. Currently, Natasha was the Agent closest to Homelander; Fury could not afford to give up this card.
Spider-Man and Green Goblin had tacitly declared a truce today.
The Thing, Ben, and Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards, had silently disappeared from the battlefield.
Hulk seemed to have turned back into Banner and hidden away again.
General Ross breathed a sigh of relief seeing that the situation was under control, but he had been dismissed from all his posts.
The Military and Congress would no longer allow him to hold any important positions.
They had already paid a huge price for creating two super-beings; they really couldn't afford to create another one.
This time it was a city; next time, it might be the entire United States.
What remained was rebuilding the city and cleaning up the battlefield.
The New York government departments gladly accepted this task; it was better than sending them to fight monsters head-on.
Vought Tower.
After returning to his office, Li Zuguo checked his gains for the day; the changes to his abilities on the panel were not significant for the time being.
Because the first-generation Compound V, while good, was not strong enough to make him undergo a transformation.
As for the Bio-field he wanted, this thing either relied on the superhero store or the prize pool, or he would need to strengthen his Super Intelligence to the level of his Steel Body.
He pulled up the panel and took a look.
[Character: Li Zuguo]
[Title: Li Zuguo]
[Abilities: Super Strength, Super Flight, Heat Vision, Super Hearing, X-Ray Vision, Super Durability, Super Intelligence (field can only cover himself)]
[Popularity Points: 63,754,698]
[superhero points: 191,000]
[Fans: 5,376,488]
[Popularity Level: Blue Star · North America · Household Name]
Nearly 200,000 superhero points and the rapidly growing popularity points were Li Zuguo's biggest gains.
He was only thirty-something million popularity points away from the Steel Body new-user reward; once the news fermented, there should be another explosion.
"True fans" were too hard to develop, but they had still more than doubled.
His goal was now set on the Perfect Compound V, or more accurately, Super Regeneration.
As everyone knows, the Steel Body has weaknesses.
For example, Kryptonite: a radioactive mineral from the home planet Kryptonian. Contact causes Superman's Steel Body to suffer extreme pain, weakness, loss of abilities, and even death.
Red Sun radiation: Superman's strength and body originate from Earth's yellow Sun; red sunlight strips away his superpowers, making him a "normal person."
magic: Physical immunity does not equal high magicresistance; many magic attacks can directly harm his physical body or soul.
Li Zuguo remembered the description of the Perfect Compound V was: eliminate all Compound V weaknesses, Super Regeneration.
That is to say, even if he took a chest blast from Soldier Boy or Kimiko, his superpowers would not disappear.
What he valued more was the subsequent Super Regeneration, wondering if it could negate the weakness of Kryptonite.
Although Kryptonite does not exist in Marvel, what if he goes to DC in the future?
Moreover, recently Li Zuguo had discovered another benefit of the first-generation Compound V: his condition was getting better and better.
Not his age, but his appearance and skin had undergone subtle changes, seemingly evolving towards some optimal state.
He liked this very much.
If the first generation is like this, what about the Perfect Compound V?
Like a handsome god!
By then, just based on that face alone, Li Zuguo could harvest popularity points from countless female fans.
Not to mention the other boosted stats.
The only drawback was that he couldn't afford it yet.
Today's gains were huge, but there was one thing Li Zuguowas very dissatisfied with: the issue of equipment lag and server overload.
The live stream was interrupted, leading to a gap in popularity points.
Li Zuguo needed countless ultra-clear cameras, as well as a live streaming room that could broadcast on the internet anytime, anywhere, without being affected by server issues.
Otherwise, battles without cameras were meaningless.
It was just too difficult.
Speaking of this, he thought of Tony's artificial intelligence, Jarvis, and the future Ultron.
Or, for example, in the Spider-Man: Far From Home, the drone swarm Tony developed before his death.
But both of these goals were a bit far from Li Zuguo; he could only wait for the superhero store and prize pool to refresh to see if there were similar items.
Or maybe put more pressure on Tony; with a Superman-like figure around, Tony rarely came out to fight crime or update his armor after the initial novelty wore off.
In short, everything in New York was waiting to be rebuilt.
It remained the center of the United States, simply because it had the largest number of the strongest superheroes.
The first thing Raven did upon returning was head straight to the office; she didn't even knock this time.
Li Zuguo gave a reminder.
"Raven, you need to knock before entering."
"I was just worried about you, worried about you as a fan."
Raven approached Li Zuguo and scanned his face and body; only after confirming there were no injuries did she set her mind at ease.
But she noticed that Lucien's condition seemed to be better and more charming than before, which made her infatuated.
Li Zuguo heard this and brought up business.
"Raven, The Seven is ready to be put on the agenda. All Superhumans can come to Vought International for an interview; we need to arrange a protocol for that."
Raven was stunned. Was the plan for The Seven starting so soon?
She hadn't even had the chance to reveal her identity yet...
The next day, public opinion and news fermented completely.
Li Zuguo's popularity points saw another surge, and at the same time, Natasha took a few days off, with Ravenserving as full-time secretary.
James reported yesterday's total gains.
First was that Vought International's stock price kept rising, and second was that Homelander's popularity had increased by 300 percent.
And the plan for The Seven could be officially announced.
Inviting Superhumans worldwide to interview at Vought International.
Chapter 50: Fury: New Mission: Have a Child with Homelander, Invitation to Beverly Hills
The Seven.
Vought International's second proposal, the first proposal is a movie, titled: "Homelander: Birth"
James Edgar reported excitedly.
"Mr. Homelander, the script is initially perfected. Hollywood is very excited about your plan to shoot an autobiographical movie, and many big Directors hope to lead this film."
Li Zuguo nodded in approval. He then put forward a few requirements.
"First, this Director must be obedient. They must follow my narrative. If they want to add their own personal touches, they should get lost sooner rather than later."
"Second, the script must combine divinity and humanity. As for Homelander's birth, attribute it to a god, or that Homelander himself is a god."
James wiped his sweat. Which of those big Directors didn't like to add their own personal touches, calling it'spreading art'?
Trying to get them to follow Homelander's ideas was a bit difficult. Directors a level below the big names would naturally be more obedient.
"No problem, Mr. Homelander. By the way, there is an invitation to a party in Beverly Hills next week. It's an invitation from Hollywood. Would you like to attend?"
"Who invited me?"
Li Zuguo had heard of Beverly Hills; it was rumored to be the residence of the United States' super-rich.
James was originally from this circle, so he was very familiar with it.
"It's a Hollywood producer. They probably heard you're planning to shoot a personal movie and want to get in touch with you to see if they can get a piece of the pie."
"You can go take a look if you want to. As for whether you agree or not, it doesn't matter."
If it were a Hollywood A-list superstar, they would have to think twice before refusing this invitation. After all, there are circles everywhere, and trying to hog all the benefits leads to a dead end.
Didn't MJ end up that way because he tried to hog all the music copyrights? Even if the other party was a World-class superstar, so what?
The outcome is right there.
But Li Zuguo was different; he could flip the table and reset the rules at any moment.
"Then I'll go take a look."
Out of a little curiosity, Li Zuguo accepted the invitation. What harm could there be in taking a look?
After James left, Raven did not get the alone time she had imagined.
The next person to arrive at the company was Gwen Stacy.
She had taken time off specifically to come to Vought International; she couldn't wait another moment.
Gwen wanted to fight side-by-side with Lucien, not hide in the back, or even be the cause of him getting hurt.
The first thing she did upon entering was to throw herself into Li Zuguo's arms without any hesitation.
Raven's expression stiffened, while Li Zuguo held the young girl's graceful body, listening to her tearful complaints.
"Thank you, Lucien. Thank you for saving my father. Thank you for saving me once again."
The pent-up emotions erupted at this moment.
Li Zuguo comforted her.
"Gwen, it was your bravery that saved your father."
After releasing her emotions, Gwen lifted her head from Li Zuguo's arms, her beautiful eyes red and tearful.
"Lucien, I want to join Vought International and fight side-by-side with you. Is that okay?"
Li Zuguo smiled.
"Of course you can. However, you need to define your position first, and you need to have a suit customized, just like mine. Vought International will handle all these problems for you, and you can also follow your own preferences."
Gwen greedily enjoyed Li Zuguo's embrace and proposed her fantasy for the suit.
"It needs a mask. The outfit shouldn't be too tight; it would be best if it could have a jacket... Lucien, am I asking for too much?"
It was mainly because Gwen felt that a skin-tight suit was too shameful. It would be better if she could have a form-fitting jacket that could be tightened at any time.
Li Zuguo felt these were all small issues. He wasn't good at it, but someone else was very good at it.
"Of course, no problem, sweetheart. I think you can go find Tony and have him customize a suit for you."
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble, Lucien?"
Gwen didn't expect that she was just saying it, and Lucienwould go find another superhero to help.
If this continued, when would she be able to pursue Lucienas an equal?
"It won't be. Since you have chosen Vought International, the company has this obligation."
This answer was not what Gwen wanted, but feeling that warm, large hand on her back, she couldn't help but nuzzle further into this man's arms.
Homelander would not treat The Seven like Vought International did—free-range. He planned to hold them firmly in his hands.
There was and could only be one leader of The Seven, and that was Li Zuguo!
Later, he would also establish a reserve team and the V Generation Academy.
When the time came, to join the superhero reserve, one would first have to enroll in the V Generation Academy to be eligible.
Only above that would be The Seven.
Li Zuguo would be the permanent Dean of the V Generation Academy.
Those he selected could even skip the reserve.
In Li Zuguo's place, The Seven being controlled by ordinary people, like in The Boys, was absolutely impossible.
...
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury looked seriously at the top Agent he had once trusted, questioning her.
"Natasha, you acted without orders today. Don't you think you should give me a reason?"
Natasha's expression did not change.
"Director, I did not act without orders. The mission you gave me was to gain Homelander's trust. Everyone else went; should I not have gone?"
Nick Fury was not so easily fooled. His one eye stared fixedly at Black Widow.
"But the information you've reported back recently has become less and less. I heard that your status and authority at Vought International are only slightly lower than James, the CEO?"
Natasha said lightly.
"Homelander likes capable people and hates fools. If I don't do this, I can't get close to him."
Nick Fury withdrew his gaze.
"Resign. I will find someone else to replace you."
Natasha nodded in agreement, without refusal or explanation.
"I will hand over my work properly, Director."
Nick Fury was silent for a while before saying.
"Congratulations, Agent Natasha. You have passed my test. Now let's talk about a new plan, a plan about family and love."
Nick Fury would suspect anyone. The reason he didn't really replace Black Widow was that he couldn't find a more suitable candidate.
Besides, changing generals before a battle—he wasn't sure if the next person could achieve the same level as Natasha.
A hint of confusion appeared on Natasha's face.
You ask her to assassinate, infiltrate, search... in these types of work, she is top-tier. But regarding love and family, it's not that it's a blind spot, but these two things involve too much.
If it's a long-term mission, as a top Agent, even after decades, changes will occur.
"Director, can you explain in more detail?"
Seeing this, Nick Fury laid out his plan.
"Homelander is very strong, but he is very unstable. He is alone and has no weaknesses. He may defect or be deceived and brainwashed at any time. A Supermanwithout an anchor is terrifying."
"I need someone to stabilize him. Since he lacks love, then use love and family as anchors for his humanity to keep him in check."
"So, Natasha, find a successor and have a child with Homelander."