This sight.
Surpassed everything anyone understood.
"How is that possible?"
Lamplighter took a step back. The flames in his palms were still spraying, but his hands were shaking. The security guards beside him opened fire, several assault rifles firing at once. Gunshots exploded into the night sky, their echoes ricocheting between the buildings. The bullets struck Ian—and shattered.
Fragments of the slugs sprayed in every direction.
They sliced across the guards' cheeks, arms, and thighs. Some clutched their faces and crouched down. Some hugged their arms and screamed. Some collapsed to the ground, twitching.
The gunfire stopped, and gunsmoke spread through the air.
Ian kept walking. He walked past the security guards lying on the ground, through the flames still burning, through the screams and wails. His expression did not change.
Lamplighter retreated to the entrance of the main building. His hands no longer sprayed fire. The orange glow in his palms flickered a few times, then went out. He stared at Ian, the scar on his face looking very pale under the lights.
"W-what the hell are you?" Lamplighter's voice was hoarse.
"Superman, of course."
Ian said, "Just not the kind you have who likes killing people."
Lamplighter clenched his teeth, the muscles in his jaw bulging. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a walkie-talkie, pressed the talk button, and spoke urgently.
"Homelander, we have an intruder! The asylum! Hurry!" He released the talk button, then pressed it again. "All units, release all detained superpowered subjects!"
There was a stretch of silence over the walkie-talkie, then a hesitant voice.
"Lamplighter, those people are—" "I said release them!" Lamplighter's voice came out almost as a roar. "Now!"
From deep inside the main building came the sound of iron doors opening, dull and heavy, rusted hinges shrieking. Footsteps surged up