You're Happier Than Before (live)
The setting sun, like melting amber, slanted across the lawn in front of the White House.
Fragments of gold and pale purple intertwine across the sky.
The evening breeze swept across the stone steps, leaving only a silhouette stretched extremely long by the setting sun.
As Hughie and Starlight's car rounded the corner, its taillights flashed twice in the twilight before disappearing completely.
From the west, the rough sound of an off-road vehicle's engine could be heard.
Frenchie had a cigarette dangling from his lips and was gripping the steering wheel with one hand.
Kimiko reached her hand out from the passenger seat, waved it forcefully behind her, and then withdrew it back into the golden-red sky.
John's vision blurred as he gazed at the spreading red glow.
A page of images, shimmering with golden light, flashed through my mind.
In that Writing timeline.
Homelander had some of his memories erased by John, turning him into a five-year-old child.
He stood in the vast, sunny field, wearing a pair of durable, coarse denim overalls.
Her light blonde, tousled hair flew about in the breeze.
Not far away, on a raised ridge between fields, stood a kind-looking couple.
The man wore a faded plaid shirt, and the woman wore an ordinary cotton apron.
The expressions and features on those two faces were strikingly similar to those of John's Joe and Martha.
But that was just a "high-quality imitation" deliberately Writing by John.
The real Joe and Martha are unique to him.
No one can replace him.
Under their watchful eyes, the boy ran happily among the wheat ears, his feet sinking into the soft soil.
"Quick, I need to catch it!"
Raising its short arms high, it stumbled and pounced on a green dragonfly that was rising and falling on the tip of a wheat stalk.
The image paused for less than half a second before disappearing quietly like ripples in water.
Butcher went to catch his flight.
The Deep received information that he needed to deal with criminal activity in another area, so he rushed over there without stopping, carrying Sang Biao.
Maeve, on the other hand, has awakened a new ability and is currently undergoing evaluation in Vought's laboratory.
In the end, only two people remained on the steps.
John stood with his hands behind his back on the highest stone step.
My gaze followed the empty road all the way to the horizon.
The evening breeze brushed past his side, causing the hem of his trench coat to sway slightly.
He stood there quietly until there were no more moving cars or lights in his sight, then he lowered his eyes slightly.
"Very nice..."
Cate had somehow appeared behind and to the side, her beautiful eyes following John's gaze.
The evening breeze was a bit strong, and a few strands of hair were blown up and clung to her cheeks.
She raised her right hand, gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with her index finger, and then said with satisfaction:
"It seems... everyone has found their own place in the world."
Cate looked away and turned to look at him.
"In the new timeline, Hughie saved Robin, and Frenchie also saved Mallory's two grandsons..."
That stinky fish from the Deep finally became the captain of the Seven he had always longed for.
Even that Butcher is going to enjoy his stay-at-home dad life...
Oh, and Maeve too.
You should know, what she did was way more exciting than what the rest of them did..."
Cate suddenly raised her eyebrows and looked playfully into John's eyes.
"When she got back, she defeated New Compound V, who awakened a very strong psychic ability and could even fly."
So she directly confronted Homelander and forcibly rescued everyone on Flight 37.
John remained unmoved upon hearing this, only pausing slightly.
"Fine."
The wind passed by the two of them.
A brief silence fell over the air.
Cate looked at his profile, her eyes dimming slightly, then she took half a step forward to stand beside him.
"I said, John."
"... Actually, you're probably not from this world, are you?"
At that moment, John's fingers, which were resting behind his back, twitched almost imperceptibly.
He turned his head slightly in surprise, and his eyes met Cate's.
Her eyes were bright, her jade-colored pupils revealing a curious desire to explore, and a rare sense of certainty.
Just as John reflexively tried to change the subject and was about to say a few words to brush it off,
Cate took a small step forward and gently tapped the air with her long, slender index finger.
"I found you very strange the first time I saw you."
"How could anyone in this world look so much like Homelander?"
No, it's not just like them—they're practically cut from the same mold.
Later on, your abilities became almost identical to his, or even surpassed his... This in itself is highly illogical.
As she spoke, she curled her fingertips slightly and then rested them on her chin.
"At the time, I was thinking, if this was a targeted tactic secretly trained by another organization, why didn't they release you sooner?"
Moreover, if Vought had really conducted any cloning experiments, he should have started them more than a decade ago.
Instead of waiting until the Homelander is at its zenith, claiming godhood everywhere, to let a 'clone' emerge to fill the void.
Therefore, logically speaking, none of this makes sense.
"Then..."
As she said this, she looked up at him again, her gaze suddenly softening.
"When you showed me the Book of Destiny a few days ago, you mentioned the theory of parallel worlds."
At the time, I kept thinking, since there are so many timelines in those fragmented memories... what about you?
Are you one of those people?
At this moment, Cate's voice softened, but her words carried an unusual seriousness.
" John... you could also be Homelander from a parallel universe."
You came into this world perhaps initially to search for and then make up for your own 'regrets'.
As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, a sly glint in her eyes:
" Hughie, Frenchie, and Maeve are all users of the Book of Destiny."
And you, as the owner of the Book of Destiny... are also a user, right?"
The evening breeze ruffled John's blond hair slightly, but he merely lowered his eyelids and gave a helpless pursed-lip gesture.
" Cate, your guesses weren't entirely accurate... but you were right about most of it."
Cate's eyes lit up slightly.
She subconsciously took another small step forward, until the distance between them was almost touching each other's collars.
So—why?
John shrugged and then looked into the distance.
"In my world, my family... has encountered some very troublesome things, and I must find a way to save them."
Although coming here did make up for some regrets...
But more importantly, it's about finding a solution to that problem.
Cate didn't rush to reply, but stood quietly beside him, looking at him intently.
After a few seconds, she blinked slightly, lowered her voice, and tentatively asked:
"So... now that everything's over, you're going back, right?"
John turned his head away in surprise.
He hadn't expected Cate to connect the clues so quickly from that sentence and then lead directly to the conclusion.
He was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Right."
Cate lowered her eyes, her fingers lightly twirling a loose thread.
"Then... do you need my help?"
John looked at her lowered eyebrows and slightly pursed lips, and a warm feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.
But that won't work.
"That place... is too dangerous. Even I have to be careful. I can't gamble with the people around me or take such risks."
Cate didn't say anything.
She took her hand out of her pocket, looking somewhat sullen.
She pinched a small strand of hair from her shoulder with her fingertips, wrapped it around it once, and then let go.
It took her a while to raise her head again.
"Then... will you come back?"
John opened his mouth.
He originally intended to use vague phrases like "uncertain" or "depending on the situation" to brush it off.
But when he saw Cate's earnest and beautiful eyes, he suddenly couldn't say a word.
"... meeting."
Cate's lips curved slightly at John's somewhat awkward reply.
Then he flashed a triumphant, mischievous smile.
"Actually, I was just kidding. Your business is more important... But since you've made a promise..."
As she spoke, she stretched her right hand out from under her clothes, her little finger slightly raised, and presented it directly to his chest.
"Let's pinky swear, only a puppy would lie."
John stared at this scene, which should have been childish, and was suddenly stunned.
He stared at that slender, white little finger, and some long-buried memories from the depths of his mind suddenly surged up again.
"Pinky promise".
This childish little gesture was once his favorite hand gesture.
In Vought's underground laboratory, the "pinky promise" was the only gesture that made him feel safe.
He made a pinky promise with the lab technicians.
As long as he obediently has his blood drawn and his skin hardness tested with a dagger, he can get a short morning lookout opportunity.
Later, he and Madelyn made a pinky promise.
Madelyn promised him that as long as he played the role of " Homelander " well, he would receive even more tender "motherly love" and warm milk.
For him, this was a "signal".
It's a signal that as long as you put in the effort, you'll receive a reward in return.
But that's all.
From beginning to end, he was the only one who truly and unilaterally gave this signal.
John thought he had long forgotten those dark days.
But he never expected that someone would present that childish gesture to him again on the steps of the White House.
John's gaze softened completely.
He awkwardly raised his right hand, hooked his little finger, and cautiously reached out to meet it.
Then, their two little fingers gently touched together.
"Tap~"
The warmth from the contact was weak, yet it was definitely transmitted.
But just as John was about to bend his knuckles and clench his fists completely...
Cate's slender little finger suddenly darted out like a fish, nimbly slipping from his palm.
John was taken aback, before he could stop.
Taking advantage of the momentum of the pullback, Cate took a half-step forward without saying a word.
Immediately, her right hand scooped up, her knuckles clenched, and she grabbed the thick collar of his trench coat.
Pull down harder --
Logically speaking, there is no force in this world that can shake him in the slightest.
But precisely at the moment he sensed Cate getting close, he didn't even have the slightest thought of resisting.
Following this not-so-strong pull, she lowered her body without any warning.
The evening breeze blew just right.
Cate tilted her head back, her soft lips not wavering at all, and lightly touched his lips.
The kiss was as gentle as wisps of cloud brushing across the water's surface.
But it was so fleeting, like an illusion.
But Cate's scent and lingering warmth remained clearly and vividly, rippling outwards.
"Hmm..."
The next second, Cate had already let go.
She licked her upper lip with the tip of her tongue as if she were stealing a bite, then took a big step back with a look of lingering enjoyment on her face.
A triumphant glint and cunning still lingered in his eyes.
John stood frozen in place, his pupils slightly dilated in astonishment.
She chuckled softly, turned around, put her hands back in her pockets, and walked towards the southern sunset, her steps light in the cool evening breeze.
After taking a few steps, she raised one hand and waved it casually in the air.
See you next time--
Her voice sounded somewhat erratic in the evening breeze.
"Mr. John Kent from a parallel universe."
Yet one could clearly hear the cunning in his words.
John was still standing firmly on the edge of the steps, not yet having come to his senses.
So he was... teased?
He looked down at his collar, which she had crumpled slightly, then raised his right hand.
Her fingertips unconsciously touched her lips, and her little finger, still warm from her touch.
When he looked up again, he found that Cate had already walked quite a distance.
I'll be back soon.
John put his hands back in his pockets and turned away.
I started walking as the night gradually descended.
Now, it's time to get down to business.
Old Joe and Martha were waiting for him at home.
I'm leaving.
With that thought in mind, he continued to float forward, then a thought flickered in his mind.
"Return."
The moment he took his third step, a soft golden light quietly crept up from the hem of his trench coat.
Immediately afterwards, golden light flowed over his shoulders and back like water, climbing and spreading along his tall and straight silhouette.
Until he was completely bathed in a hazy halo of light.
The fourth step: a circle of golden light bursts forth from beneath your feet.
Immediately afterwards, John's body completely stretched out and dissipated.
Then it turned into countless tiny specks of light dust, silently dissipating in its original place.
In the blink of an eye.
John's consciousness appeared in a pure white, empty space.
At the very moment he appeared, the void before him began to tremble slightly.
And then, with a "buzzing" sound...
That familiar information panel popped up out of thin air.
[ World Distortion Level: 100%]
And directly below the panel, something was quietly floating.
It was a pure gold key, about the length of a palm, with a subtle, gentle glow throughout.
This, I suppose, is what is meant by Authority of the World...
John didn't hesitate and reached out to grab it.
It was the instant his fingertips touched the key.
The icy touch suddenly transformed into a stream of scalding light, flowing straight into the flesh of his palm.
However, to John's dismay...
This dog's information delivery method is still the same boring routine.
The same old trope of information indoctrination.
"Fuck..."
The overwhelming flood of information made John's eyelids start twitching wildly.
A sudden, heavy, throbbing pain arose from the depths of my mind.
Wait until the pain subsides.
John finally figured out the purpose of the key:
It is indeed a tangible manifestation of the Authority of the World the Boys.
Now, he has completely seized this [power].
This also means that this world, filled with chaos, bloodshed, and cruelty, has officially become his private property.
He can anchor coordinates at will and move in and out freely.
You can also freely control the flow of time in the Boys world, just like manipulating the hands of a clock.
Whether to remain still, slow down, or spin rapidly, it's all up to him in a single thought.
The most crucial element is the so-called [authority] itself.
Here, he was granted a "status" by the world, possessing the ability to "make his words law".
As long as he speaks.
Within the bounds of the rules, he can create matter or forcibly rewrite some established logic of reality.
Commanding the wind and rain is second nature to them.
However, the restrictions are also clearly stated in the rules:
This kind of "words becoming law" doesn't come for free.
To use one's authority to interfere with the rules and influence reality, one must consume a corresponding amount of " Power of the World " as a deduction.
This is like someone who, even though he's become the landlord of the entire building, wants to demolish a load-bearing wall and renovate it.
You still have to pay for it yourself.
Thinking of this, John slowly exhaled.
Then he opened his eyes and looked at his palm.
The original key is gone.
But he could clearly sense that there was an invisible thread connecting him to the world in the Boys, constantly connecting them.
"But... what's with these images?"
(My data usage is so low, I'm getting tired of writing. I hope you can all support me by leaving comments and encouraging me to update.)
(I don't know how this chapter will be received. If any friends who enjoy discussing it are willing to leave a comment or have a discussion, please do so.)
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