Queen Maeve stood frozen.
The dazzling glow of the clashing Hot Rays illuminated her face, making her expression of pure shock look almost comical. To her, simply challenging Homelander was an act of insanity, but she never expected this stranger to possess the exact same abilities as the leader of The Seven.
The joke is on me, she thought bitterly.
Watching the two powerhouses locked in a stalemate, a bold, desperate idea began to take root in Maeve's mind. The strength and teleportation the man had displayed were terrifying, and now, with the addition of the Hot Ray, he was clearly an equal to Homelander.
To a woman drowning in despair, Samuel was a life-raft. Hope, a feeling she had long since buried, began to flicker in her chest. Perhaps he was the one who could save her—and save Irina.
Her eyes regained their light as she watched the battlefield.
Whoosh—
The air shimmered. Samuel, who had been locked in the energy struggle with Homelander, vanished instantly.
A split second later, he materialized directly behind Homelander. Coiling his muscles, he delivered a devastating punch to the back of Homelander's head.
CRACK!
The full force of Samuel's combined Super Strength sent the unsuspecting Homelander careening into the concrete. He plowed through the floor, sliding dozens of meters before coming to a halt.
Samuel knew the Hot Ray wouldn't be enough to finish a target with Homelander's durability. He hadn't expected to win an energy duel; his true advantage was the overwhelming physical power he had verified against Maeve, combined with his teleportation.
Homelander shook his head, his vision swimming. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, his face contorted. The physical pain was sharp, but the humiliation of being knocked down like a common thug was worse. His sanity snapped, replaced by a white-hot, hysterical rage.
"Die! I want you to die! Everyone... everyone is going to die!"
Samuel wasn't intimidated by the outburst; to him, it was nothing more than impotent fury. "Shut the hell up and die," he countered. He blinked across the space, appearing inches from Homelander's face.
Before Homelander could even find his footing, Samuel unleashed his Hot Ray at point-blank range, forcing the supe to lean back and stumble. Samuel pressed the advantage, raining a relentless barrage of hooks and crosses onto Homelander's jaw.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sound of the impacts was like a rhythmic thunderstorm. Homelander tried to raise his arms to guard, tried to find a rhythm to counter, but he was drowned out by Samuel's unstoppable, crushing offensive.
Slowly, the rage began to drain out of Homelander, replaced by something else.
For the first time in his life, he felt true, agonizing pain. For the first time, he was being broken. For the first time, he felt the cold shadow of Death looming over him.
His arrogant, god-complex shattered like glass. He began to panic. He began to fear.
Hot, fat tears welled in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. His gaze, once filled with murderous intent, now held a clear, pathetic plea for mercy.
Samuel stopped his blood-stained fists, staring in genuine surprise.
Homelander is crying? I actually beat Homelander into tears?!
He knew Homelander's psyche was fragile—a giant, mother-complex-addicted baby raised in a lab who had never faced a single consequence. But this was pathetic.
Where is the terrifying, blackened Superman everyone warned me about?
Samuel felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment for Maeve and the others who trembled at this man's name. Just moments ago, Maeve had been paralyzed with despair, warning him that "everyone would bow to him."
Now, look at the "god." Crying like a toddler in the dirt.
Samuel reached out, grabbed Homelander's pristine American flag cape, and used it to wipe the blood from his knuckles. Then, he grabbed Homelander's face and roughly wiped away the tears and gore with the same fabric.
"Scram," Samuel said, his voice dripping with disgust.
The humiliating gesture didn't spark a new flame of rage. Instead, Homelander looked at him with the sheer relief and gratitude of a condemned man receiving a last-minute pardon.
He cast a dark, lingering look at Queen Maeve—who was still staring with her mouth agape—and then took to the sky with a desperate roar.
Both Maeve and Samuel understood that look. Homelander wanted her dead. As long as she died here, no one would ever know about the day he was broken. He didn't want a witness to his shame walking the halls of Vought Tower.
Maeve knew that even if she survived this encounter, Homelander would hunt her down. She had only one path left.
She walked slowly toward Samuel and, with a heavy thud, dropped to one knee.
"I—"
"Wait." Samuel pulled out his phone and tapped the record button. "Continue."
Maeve's face flushed with a mix of shame and resolve. She spoke through gritted teeth. "I am Queen Maeve. I... I will be loyal to you."
Samuel pocketed the phone, satisfied. "I accept your loyalty. Remember my name: Samuel—The 'Quan' of the Omniscient and Omnipotent."
It was a strange, arrogant title. Maeve knew nothing of his origins, but she knew one thing: he had broken the unbreakable Homelander. He was the only one strong enough to protect her and Irina.
As they left the ruins of the factory, Samuel gave her his hotel address. He then turned his focus inward, opening the System.
[Character Panel]
Host: Samuel
Points: 63
Abilities:
Dimension Teleportation (Incredible Man)
Super Strength (Combined: Jessica Jones, Queen Maeve)
Isaiah Bradley Enhancement (Super Soldier Serum)
Super Endurance (Jessica Jones)
Super Leap (Jessica Jones)
Super Defense (Merged: Jessica Jones, Queen Maeve)
Hot Ray (Homelander)
Equipment: Super Soldier Serum
Detection Range: 100 meters (Upgradeable!)
The System had automatically merged his defensive traits. Samuel closed the panel and leaned back, his mind already drifting to his next target.
Who's next?