"That lunatic!" Homelander had no time to think. He quickly caught the grenade in midair, clenched it tightly, and smashed through the floor-to-ceiling glass.
At that moment, a young couple was kissing beneath the coffee shop's awning. The broken glass cut their skin, shattering this little moment of spring amid the endless rain.
Homelander stopped just as he was about to throw the grenade away. Cursing inwardly, he moved to throw it into the sky instead.
The whole process seemed long, but in reality, less than two seconds had passed.
Suddenly, something went wrong. Before the grenade could leave his hand, its metal casing began to swell.
During his time in the laboratory, Homelander had endured every weapon in the world and knew grenades well. Only once the lever was released would the fuse ignite, leading to an explosion. The entire process took about four seconds.
But some faulty grenades exploded early.
Clearly, this was one of them.
The terrifying energy contained inside was about to burst through the casing, sending fragments flying.
Homelander wanted to protect everyone, but however strong he was, he could not defy the most basic laws of physics.
Throwing the grenade into the air required him to swing his arm. Even if he succeeded, it would probably explode right overhead.
And the young couple would be torn apart by the fragments.
Homelander made an immediate decision and turned, turned around at once, putting his back to the couple and wrapping his body around the grenade that was about to explode.
Bang!
Blinding flames spilled out, a shock wave swept through, and countless fragments flew, denser than the rain overhead.
But there was a difference. The scattered raindrops painted the desolation of late autumn, while the grenade fragments were merciless brushstrokes that reaped lives.
Homelander's powerful