I'm Here

"Tell me."

Azu turned toward the screen, unhurried. At his speed, it would not take long to fly to the airport.

The young, beautiful director of The Boys said succinctly, "A Boeing airliner has been hijacked, and there's a senator on board."

"When the armed militants hijacked the plane, they began negotiations with the Department of Homeland Security."

"But for some reason, the militants suddenly cut off communications halfway through the negotiations."

"Then the crash occurred."

"The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that the militants possess an extremely dangerous weapon. To ensure civilian safety and rescue Senator Hope—"

"They sought our assistance."

"The rescue operation at the airport has now been taken over by The Boys."

"The highest-ranking officer on site is Colonel Yuri."

Homelander nodded. "Understood."

"We'll leave immediately."

Azu stood and looked at Black Noir and The Deep.

"Let's go."

At that moment.

At the international airport.

Sirens, vehicles, voices, and the roar of water blended into one chaotic din.

Police, firefighters, and the military had all arrived.

Under the command of the Department of Homeland Security, the rescue operation was underway.

Colonel Yuri, in his early forties, was shrewd and capable.

Standing with his hands behind his back, he studied the airport layout on the large screen.

Just then, a gust of wind rose outside the temporary tent.

The fierce wind nearly tore the tent away.

Then someone walked in.

A blond white man.

He wore a Blue battle suit, his Stars and Stripes cape fluttering in the wind.

Homelander!

Colonel Yuri's spirits lifted.

He strode forward and offered his hand. "Now that you're here, I can rest easy, Homelander."

Azu smiled and clasped the colonel's rough, powerful hand.

After shaking hands, Yuri walked over to the large screen. "We just conducted reconnaissance with drones."

"The Boeing airliner didn't crash, but it plowed into the terminal, trapping over a thousand passengers and staff inside."

"Also, the militants have occupied the plane and are threatening us with Senator Hope's family. We—"

Azu cut him off. "Is there someone among the militants named Edie Orr?"

Colonel Yuri paused, unsure why Homelander cared about a single hijacker.

Still, he had his men look up the hijackers' information, and they quickly found something.

The next second, a photograph appeared on the screen.

It showed a man in his thirties with a gloomy expression and Middle Eastern features.

He wore an eyepatch.

His left ear was missing, and that side of his face bore burn scars.

After memorizing the man's features.

Azu turned and headed out of the tent.

Colonel Yuri chased after him. "Homelander, I'm not finished yet."

"Tell them."

Azu pointed at Black Noir and The Deep, who had just entered, then shot into the sky with a whoosh.

Colonel Yuri said anxiously, "He isn't just going to charge in, is he?"

"Senator Hope's family will be in danger if he does!"

The Deep's mouth twitched slightly. "Who knows what he's thinking?"

In the night sky.

Azu floated in midair, accompanied by the breeze.

He looked down at the airport.

From this height, he could see that a Boeing airliner had rammed into the terminal.

Part of the structure had collapsed.

Several fires burned inside. Firefighters were using water cannons from outside, but the results were not obvious.

They could only contain the flames for now, keeping them from spreading deeper into the terminal.

If I charge in like this, will I scare the target away?

Azu crossed his arms.

He seriously considered the question.

As for whether Senator Hope's family might be endangered, he did not care in the slightest.

He did not even know that senator. If they died, they died.

The place is too large. It'll be difficult to keep an eye on every corner.

And over a thousand people are trapped inside. What if the target blends in with the crowd?

Still, it's not like there's no solution.

I could blow up the terminal and bury everyone alive. That would resolve the incident too.

That's just a little too insane.

No, not necessary.

At that moment, he saw The Deep and Black Noir emerge from the temporary tent, apparently preparing to act.

Sure enough, The Deep's voice immediately sounded through his earpiece.

"Homelander, we're beginning the hostage rescue."

"Colonel Yuri's priority is keeping Senator Hope's family alive."

"The militants have occupied several high points in the intact section of the terminal. Black Noir will deal with them."

"I'll infiltrate through the sewer network. Though honestly, if The Invisible Man were here, he'd be better suited for this operation than I am."

After a pause, The Deep cautiously asked.

"Do you have any instructions?"

Azu smiled. "No."

"Go ahead and do what you need to do."

"I'll support you when necessary."

After saying that.

Azu flew toward the terminal and watched Black Noir move through the shadows, approach the building, and scale the high points.

With his long blade, he effortlessly dispatched the enemies one after another.

In only a short while.

Black Noir had cleared every militant from the terminal's high points.

Inside the terminal.

Within the Boeing airliner lying across the main hall.

A man with no left ear and burn scars on his cheek looked up. "Has the Department of Homeland Security not responded yet?"

"Not yet, Captain Edie," one of the militants replied.

At that moment, a blond, blue-eyed girl in business class shouted, "You'd better release us quickly."

"Otherwise, once Homelander gets here, none of you will escape!"

Beside her, a pudgy middle-aged man said nervously, "Rita, don't talk to them."

Edie Orr, whose face was disfigured on one side, stood up with a vicious grin. "Little girl, you should listen to your father."

"Shut that pretty little mouth of yours. Or do you want me to put something else in it?"

The blond girl shut her mouth indignantly.

But then Edie noticed that his soldiers looked somewhat pale.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you afraid of this so-called Homelander too?"

"Don't panic. We all brought Holy Blood."

"We can use it against Homelander."

Just as he finished speaking.

A soldier at the boarding gate called out, "Captain Edie, something's happening in the main hall."

Holding his rifle, Edie quickly walked to the boarding gate.

He looked outside.

At the pile of rubble from the collapsed section at the back of the hall, two deep crimson lights were moving.

Wherever the lights passed, the rubble was sliced apart.

After the lights swept around for a while.

Rumble!

The shattered rubble tumbled down, revealing a massive opening.

Dazzling lights from outside streamed through it.

Then.

A figure appeared amid the light.

A Stars and Stripes cape danced behind him.

That godlike figure floated in through the opening.

Hovering above the main hall.

"You don't need to be afraid anymore."

"Why?"

"It's simple."

"Because I'm here!"