The Trouble After the Truth Came to Light

This was the one situation Ryan had thought least likely to happen.

He had imagined Homelander pretending nothing had happened and calmly withdrawing his hand. He had also imagined him tearing off his hero mask without hesitation and having someone else take the canister of virus.

There was only the slimmest chance that things would turn out like this.

A faint, trembling voice said, "Here, give it to me... my son!"

Had his fatherly love for me surpassed the timid instinct and fear of death buried deep within him—feelings he might not even have been aware of himself?

Homelander, you just freaking moved me again, you bastard!

Ryan instantly felt his eyes grow sore. Maintaining an expression that seemed to await praise, he casually lowered his arm.

The canister containing the virus remained in his hand.

Only then did he grin and suppress his emotions as he said, "Dad, I'll hold on to it. This is my medal of honor!"

Before Homelander could ask for the virus again, Ryan immediately changed the subject. "They're students at this school. She's Jordan, and he's..."

After introducing everyone one by one, Ryan immediately brought up the question Homelander cared about most.

That was, the reason Ryan had appeared in this campus laboratory and the entire chain of events leading up to it!

"So Maeve will bring that awful principal here later. When she does, Dad, you..."

Zzzzt!!!

Before Ryan could finish, crimson heat vision burst from Homelander's eyes.

Before the smell of scorching flesh could spread through the air, Dr. Cardosa, struck directly in the forehead by the heat vision, collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Ah—"

After a few short cries of alarm rang through the laboratory, everyone fell utterly silent the instant Homelander's still-red eyes swept over them.

A terrifying pressure spread unchecked through the room.

Homelander's expression had turned completely icy. Still shaken and furious, he forced the words through clenched teeth. "Son, the person Dad killed was a bad man who wanted to hurt you!"

"Dad."

Ryan tried his best to wrap his small hand around Homelander's large one.

His hand was tiny, but he only wanted to convey his understanding of him.

He also wanted to tell him, "It's because you're a Superman too, Dad!"

"Whether he was truly acting under orders or lying, he was the one who developed this virus capable of killing every superhuman."

Ryan looked at the terrified people throughout the laboratory. "I know you're worried about me, but you're going to scare them like this."

Homelander cast a sidelong glance at the people in the laboratory. He hadn't remembered a single one of their names.

Not important!

He reined in his oppressive aura slightly and asked in a low voice, "Is this the only canister?"

"Mm. Cardosa said all the original virus samples were only enough to make these."

Ryan nodded, then suddenly added, "Oh, right. He also said this canister of virus isn't in its complete form, but its properties have already shown that it can kill..."

"Bang!"

Before Ryan could finish, Maeve kicked open the laboratory door, which had been left ajar.

She strode in aggressively, her eyes sweeping across the room before landing on Ryan. "Ryan, as long as you're all right. Ashley told me what happened. You really are far too bold, you know."

"Hmph! Maeve, mind your place. Ryan is my son."

Seriously, are you a child? You're jealous over this too?

Maeve stared at Homelander in astonishment.

Then she lowered her head and looked once more at the unharmed Ryan.

Only after finally putting her worries to rest did she discreetly roll her eyes at Homelander.

When she turned around, Maeve shoved Principal Shetty, whom she had dragged all the way there, forward. "I questioned her on the way here, but she said she knew nothing and had never ordered anyone to develop a virus."

"It's true. I'm telling the truth."

Principal Shetty staggered from the shove, but she remained composed.

Even under Homelander's terrifying gaze, this ordinary human headmistress displayed more courage than most people, because she dared to meet his eyes honestly.

"Whatever that virus was, it was Dr. Cardosa's personal, unauthorized act!"

"The Woods carried out every project in strict accordance with the company's strategy, rules, and procedures. All reports and approval records are complete and available for review. From beginning to end, this entire matter had nothing whatsoever to do with the company's decisions."

Homelander frowned slightly. His Super Hearing told him that the woman's heartbeat and pulse were completely normal.

Was she... telling the truth?

At that moment, among the people in the laboratory who didn't even dare breathe under Homelander's terrifying presence, Cate stepped forward with her face streaked with tears.

"You... Shetty, you've been lying to me all along!"

The moment Cate spoke through her sobs, Shetty's heart suddenly gave a heavy thump.

She knew Cate's superpower all too well.

If erasing and altering someone's memories was delicate work that couldn't tolerate the slightest mistake,

then Cate's coercive command implantation was like smashing a hammer directly into your head.

You knew it hurt, and you knew what was happening, but you had no way to resist. You could only be forced to endure the pain.

In other words, when Cate used her coercive power on someone, your mind remained fully aware that you were being controlled.

But the result was that, whether you knew it or not, you had to act according to her command.

Shetty panicked on the spot and hurriedly turned around to placate her. "Cate, I didn't realize you were here too. How are you? Are you all right? I was so worried about you."

"You lied to me! You said it would be good for Golden Boy. You said Sam was mentally ill and had to stay in the laboratory! But all of this..."

Cate shook her head as she stepped forward, extending her hand toward Shetty. "I want to hear you tell me the truth!"

By then, Homelander was already sick of listening to this useless bullshit.

Just as he was about to kill this so-called principal outright, regardless of whether she had given the order, Ryan tugged at his cape.

"Dad, we have to find the real mastermind. Otherwise, there'll be another virus."

Ryan's concern was perfectly reasonable. Since the first virus capable of killing every superhuman had already appeared, who knew when another one might emerge if they didn't cut off its source?

Although he was a natural product, he didn't want to use his own body to test the virus's power.

But right after Ryan stopped Homelander, he immediately regretted it.

Because of the sudden truth that came from Shetty's mouth...

"Yes! I ordered the development of the virus to exterminate superhumans. The company knew nothing about it! I did this to get revenge!"

"Hahaha, Homelander! Why didn't you save that plane? Why did my husband and daughter have to die? Why wasn't it..."

Zzt—

The temperature rose, and the blazing heat vision instantly melted another life away.

But even that wave of heat couldn't extinguish the chill that swept through Ryan's heart.

He didn't even look at Principal Shetty's corpse. All his attention was fixed on Maeve, whose expression had become visibly dazed and whose pain was impossible to hide the moment the words "that plane" were spoken.

Oh no!

The root of Maeve's pain was precisely that plane, which she had watched crash with her own eyes.

And now, under circumstances that had caught him completely off guard and before he had time to think things through, the truth had set it off.

What should he do?

This was urgent!