"Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)"
(This chapter will be quite funny, I don't know if you'll get it)
This is pure white.
The golden key, transformed from the Authority of the World, melted into his palm and blossomed into a halo that radiated outwards.
The moment it touches the pure white, it transforms again.
Golden particles floated densely in mid-air, forming a giant screen refracted by countless irregular prisms.
On the giant screen.
The code that materializes World Consciousness, the audio tracks, and the causal lines refined into noodles merely form a single block.
Shortly after, the screen popped up.
John calls this mechanism the flow of information in his brain [ Burning ].
In layman's terms, this is the world "history" stripped away after " The Boys " has been completely anchored and analyzed.
John narrowed his eyes slightly and made a light gesture in the air with his hand.
My fingertip touched the main light screen at the very center.
"Buzz--"
With a soft hum, the previously scattered photons suddenly converged and arranged into a visible electronic file.
A line of bold text appeared prominently in the title bar:
[World Chronicles: The Boys ]
[Genre: Satire / Anti-hero / Action / Dark humor / Streaming series]
[Production Region: United States - Sony Pictures Television / Amazon Studios ]
[Starring: Carl Urban (as William Butcher ), Jack Quaid (as Hugh Campbell ), Antony Starr (as Homelander )...]
Below the screen, there was even a long list of information about "global viewership ratings" and "streaming opening weekend records."
The tags include "Rotten Tomatoes Freshness" and "Emmy Award Nomination".
John stared at the line of text, a huge question mark suddenly popping into his mind.
"TV series?"
So my story script was actually made into a movie?!
Oh... no, it should be called a TV series.
John watched for a while, then suddenly let out a short laugh.
He casually tapped the cast list on the screen.
The screen flickered slightly, revealing a high-resolution photo of the actor named " Antony Starr" and his biographical information.
To be honest, John had only learned about the name " Antony " from viewers in the live chat and didn't have any further information.
In the promotional photo, " Antony " is wearing the Stars and Stripes jersey, with a signature fake smile on his face.
In another behind-the-scenes photo taken on set, he took off the shawl of his costume, was holding a thermos in his hand, and was gesturing to the director with a tired expression.
" New Zealand actor... born in 1975?"
John stared at that face, then raised his hand to touch his jawbone, before shaking his head with amusement.
"The actor playing my mother is actually a nearly fifty-year-old washed-up male celebrity?"
He scrutinized the man in the photo, whose eyes were lined with crow's feet, and raised an eyebrow in displeasure.
"... He's not even as handsome as me."
Although Antony has a good physique in the photo.
But compared to John's body, which is comparable to a dimensional reduction attack, it's simply no match.
However, what John found particularly abstract was...
In the behind-the-scenes footage, it turns out that Homelander's muscles were actually created using specially made inner foam padding.
"Sponge-padded pectoral muscles?"
John's lips twitched, then he raised his long, slender index finger and slashed the photograph open.
"You've really gone to a lot of trouble..."
If you scroll down further, you'll find the "fourth wall" interaction that John had seen before.
In retrospect, it has actually been updated quite a bit.
[ Homelander is truly the most heartbreaking character in the entire series. He was abused like a dog in the lab since he was little; he just needed love!]
"... You're the fucking dog, your whole family are dogs."
[I cried Vought much every time he looked for his mother. Those bastards, they owe Homelander a childhood!]
"That's true, I'm living a very happy life now."
[If Madelyn had shown him more genuine tenderness, he wouldn't have turned out this way... He was just a child who needed a hug.]
"... The child? That bitch Madelyn?"
John's eye twitched violently.
No, what happened to all those heartwarming and comforting comments from netizens earlier?
Where did it go? Give it back to me!
But what happened next was even more outrageous.
As you swipe down on the screen, the so-called "fan fiction" and "secondary creations" begin to materialize into books.
Those books had flashy titles, colorful covers, and a weird oval button in a yellowish-brown color at the bottom of the page.
He randomly clicked on one of the most popular books online, the title of which was --
"Soul in the Boys: I Am the Mother of the Homelander ".
The very first chapter features a female college student in her early twenties who transmigrates into the body of the chief caregiver at Vought Labs.
Facing the infant Homelander were born not long ago and were still crying in the incubator.
The female protagonist did not treat him cruelly like the other lab technicians.
Instead, she held him in her arms with tears in her eyes, cherishing and caring for him, softly humming lullabies in his ear, forcefully trying to win his favor.
The subsequent plot only intensified the situation.
As she navigates the intricacies of Vought's inner workings, the female protagonist uses love to influence him and teach him to be a "good boy."
Even midway through the story, she shielded him from a laser beam from an experimental accident, and before dying, she held his hand, trembling, and said:
"Mom will always love you. Promise me you'll be a good person and won't hurt innocent people..."
"Vomit..."
John's forehead veins throbbed, and he turned off that page with a beam of light.
He does crave family affection, that's true, but this plot is fucking cheesy! It makes it seem like he can't live without love.
But since it was written by netizens who loved him, he gritted his teeth and tolerated it.
Then, before he could calm down, another floating book popped out automatically.
"I'm Soldier Boy, bring your filial sons and stand at attention!"
Introduction:
XX transmigrated into the body of a frozen Soldier Boy, and the first thing he did after breaking free of the seal was not to seek revenge on Vought.
Instead, he crossed the ocean with a seven-wolf belt to find his "good son," the Homelander.
On the top floor of the Vought Tower, you can see this old father pressing down on Homelander's head with one hand and whipping his buttocks hard with a belt.
His mouth was full of predatory "filial piety."
Finally, under the so-called "iron-fisted fatherly love," Homelander was beaten until he wept bitterly, knelt on the ground, and repented for his past mistakes.
Father and son join forces to rebuild the Seven and wipe out all the villains.
John was so angry he laughed when he saw those incredibly detailed and outrageous descriptions.
" Soldier Boy is just an old man whose brain is filled with old women and rock candy... He thinks he's qualified to teach me?"
Incidentally, after the Battle of the White House, John dumped the Soldier Boy in the infamous Lolita Island.
After all, among many heterosexual men who are attracted to men, his "loli" type is quite popular.
As for whether these people will be in trouble?
You know, Soldier Boy adore people who have built-in knee pads.
However, John soon realized he had spoken too soon.
If the first two books were barely readable, what came next almost shattered John's worldview.
It was a huge pink poster.
In the center of the poster is a slender, beautiful woman with dazzling long, wavy blonde hair.
She was wearing a revealing, tight-fitting strapless top and a mini-skirt in a Stars and Stripes uniform.
Her azure eyes held a shimmering, almost obsessive, yandere-like light.
The title, blatantly displayed in large characters:
" The Homeland Girl Falls in Love with Me".
"What the hell is this...?"
John stood frozen in place, his pupils slightly dilated.
Then, gritting his teeth, he clicked on the introduction.
An ordinary high school student is targeted by a gender-swapped version of Homelander, Johanna, in an accident.
This Supergirl, who holds the power of life and death over the entire United States, is a noble and aloof national goddess in public.
But in reality, she is an extremely possessive and love-starved yandere.
If the male protagonist had said even one more word to Starlight or Maeve...
The Homeland Girl would stand outside the male protagonist's window, her eyes red-rimmed, crying and biting her lower lip as she questioned why he didn't love her.
The text even includes a long passage about a " Homeland Girl " wearing combat boots stepping on the male protagonist's chest.
The description is incredibly absurd, showing her haughty snort while blushing and begging for a kiss.
"Holy shit..."
John felt his stomach cramp violently.
He stared at the image in which a woman bore an uncanny resemblance to himself, but with long hair and a strapless top, striking various shy and coy poses.
I felt a chill creep up my tailbone and then explode all the way to the top of my head.
This is pure spiritual pollution.
The mental torture was a hundred times more brutal than the gas experiments at the Vought Labs.
He couldn't take it anymore.
Thinking of this, he took a deep breath, just about to raise his hand to completely delete this indescribable pile of garbage.
My gaze inadvertently fell upon a hidden label in the far corner of the light screen.
[Love Between Sea and Sky]
John glanced at it curiously.
That one glance was enough to send shivers down his spine.
It was a long fanfiction that was widely shared, accompanied by a fan-made illustration.
In the painting.
In the meeting room of the Seven, the Deep's slightly greasy face was magnified to a close-up.
His dark green battle suit was half-undone, revealing his belly with gills.
And standing behind him was none other than himself, draped in a Stars and Stripes cape.
The Deep's breathing quickened, its gills opening and closing in vain in the air.
The rough palm of the Homelander's covered the damp, cool, soft edge, sending a shiver down his spine.
John's mind went blank.
"Fuck..."
How dare that stinky fish from the Deep!
And those damn gills?!
John raised his hand, his eyes faintly glowing red.
He even had the urge to immediately pull out the Deep from the Boys world, the one running wildly while clutching a dog.
Then I had the urge to immediately use Heat Vision to cut off all his gills and throw them into the Pacific Ocean.
That's fucking disgusting.
Just how idle are these netizens? How bizarre are their thought processes? And how damn extreme are their tastes...?
How could anyone come up with such Hell scenes that even Satan would have clamored to see as a child?
"Enough, that's enough."
John pinched his reddened brow, then swung his hand back.
"Turn off [ Burning ]."
As soon as he finished speaking, the enormous light screen began to collapse.
The distorted slices and books quickly transformed into golden light, fading back to their original golden prismatic shape.
However.
Just as the last layer of light curtain was about to close.
The very bottom of John's horizon.
A small window, transcribed from a video clip from a video website, flashed abruptly.
That was a video cover designed in a comic book style.
On the left is the image of a Homelander wearing a Stars and Stripes uniform, with bloodshot eyes.
On the right is a tall silhouette completely painted pure black.
A strange yellow "S" shaped emblem is faintly visible on the silhouette's chest.
The cover features a large title in the center:
The Kryptonian... Homelander?
John's fingers suddenly froze.
His gaze was fixed on that line of text.
What... a knock-off?
Kryptonian?
The word "knockoff" unsurprisingly struck John's proud heart, then slapped him hard across the face.
He was reborn, though he replaced a certain God's "illegitimate son".
But he is who he is, not an appendage of anything.
He is Homelander, the only and irreplaceable, the strongest Superman.
Who the hell dares to say it's a knock-off?
and...
Kryptonian?
John frowned, and his lips twitched.
"What a lousy metal name! It sounds like some kind of bedbug that only knows how to poop. It's awful."
But those few words completely ruined his previously calmed state of mind.
The intense sense of absurdity and the desire to win overwhelmed all the disgust from before.
With a cold expression, he lightly hooked his hand behind his back.
The window, which had shrunk to a tiny dot, was stretched open again and laid flat before his eyes.
The video has started playing.
As the background music began, a voice rang out, followed by a lively discussion accompanied by various film clips that John didn't quite understand:
Today we're going to talk about Homelander, the villain from the hugely popular American TV series " The Boys."
"Many viewers were shocked by the oppressive aura of Homelander, who was quick to use lasers to blow people's heads off and treated human life like dirt while watching the show."
There are even quite a few newbies who haven't read the original work or read the American comics, who spend their days praising " Homelander is invincible" and "he would have crushed everything in other universes" in the comments.
But I have to pour cold water on this today--"
Suddenly, the scene shifts, revealing a comic panel.
This is followed by a Hollywood blockbuster-level special effects mashup.
"From the perspective of its origins, Homelander is, from beginning to end, a complete knock-off."
To put it nicely, it's a tribute.
To put it bluntly, he's a complete 'low-budget Superman,' not even a high-quality imitation.
At best, it's just a product that you can buy for Pinduoduo.
John stared coldly at the screen.
The commentary continues:
"Let's take a look at the official Superman, also known as ' Superman,' and see what his specifications are."
The screen was instantly filled with a variety of stunning movie shots.
It was a tall figure draped in a red cloak, weaving through the collapsing skyscrapers and the roar of alien warships.
First, strength and Man of Steel.
Superman's defenses are so strong that if he were to withstand a nuclear explosion with his bare body, it would be no different than taking a hot bath. In the comics, he could even move an entire planet.
And what about our Homelander?
Being hit by a single heavy artillery shell would leave you severely injured; in the show, someone even had an iron rod pierced into their ear.
Second, Heat Vision.
At most, Homelander's Heat Vision can only cut through the human body and melt reinforced concrete, with temperatures capped at a few thousand degrees.
However, when Superman's Heat Vision is unleashed at full power, it can instantly release temperatures comparable to the core of the sun.
It can even reshape the atmosphere and repair rifts in spacetime.
Third, a complete dominance in skill pool.
In addition to flight, Heat Vision, and super strength, Superman also possesses abilities such as Freeze Breath, Bioelectric Field, and Microscopic Vision.
"On the other hand, what else can Homelander do besides fly and Heat Vision?"
Oh, he still drinks milk, he still throws tantrums, and he even yells at the city from the rooftop because no one loves him...
To put it bluntly, Homelander was a deformed product created by Vought International using cheap Compound V.
"..."
John's face, which had previously held a hint of amusement and mockery, was now completely expressionless.
Deep within the azure pupils, the red light grew even more intense.
But he did not break the light barrier.
Because this damn commentator, after the heated exchange of criticisms, casually dropped a new background information:
"Alright, now that I've finished criticizing Homelander, I'll do my usual routine to give all you newbies a quick rundown of Superman's backstory."
" Superman is not from Earth; his home planet is called Krypton."
Because Krypton's core energy was running out and it was about to explode, his biological father, Jor- El, shoved him into an escape ship at the last moment and launched him into space.
The spaceship traversed an endless sea of stars before finally crashing in a small town in Kansas, United States.
There, a kind, poor farming couple adopted him.
These are the well-known Kent couple— Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent.
"They gave this Krypton orphan an Earth name."
Clark Kent.
"Boom!"
A thunderclap suddenly exploded in John's mind!
He gasped for breath, then froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, his pupils shrinking sharply.
Clark Kent... why does that name sound so familiar?
Not long ago, this name was mentioned by Satan, who called himself Lucifer.
John, preoccupied with saving his father, did not listen carefully to Lucifer's words.
He didn't take those words to heart.
The spaceship crashed on a small farm in Kansas.
And... the Kent!
Those are clearly Old Joe and Martha!
How is that possible?
How is that possible?!
Old Joe and Martha are his parents!
They are his one and only family!
What makes this so-called " Superman " so special?
This orphan from some damn Krypton even has the exact same parents' names and the farm where he grew up?!
John, expressionless, raised his finger and dragged the video progress bar forward little by little.
He wanted to see for himself just what made Clark Kent, the so-called "real" Superman, truly "real".
The images on the screen jumped around rapidly.
Soon, the narration started again.
The background music was also changed to a somber piano piece, filled with a sense of fate and tragedy:
"When talking about Superman's growth story, we have to mention Man of Steel."
The most controversial and heartbreaking scene for countless movie fans— Old Joe's death.
"Buzz."
The color tone of the image changed instantly.
A violent howl echoed beneath the gray sky.
Dust and gravel swirled wildly in the gale, blocking dozens of cars beneath the narrow overpass.
The crowd screamed and fled in terror, as if the end of the world had come.
In that chaotic scene, John spotted the familiar man at a glance.
He had short, graying hair and wore a work jacket covered in mud.
It was the instant I saw the man's profile.
John's pupils contracted sharply.
They look so alike...
Even if the facial features don't completely match the face in my memory.
But that expression, that demeanor.
He was exactly the same as Old Joe from the depths of his memory.
At that moment, a sudden change occurred.
The little dog trapped in a pickup truck behind was still barking wildly.
Without hesitation, Jonathan turned around and rushed back into the flow of fleeing people.
He rescued the dog.
But on his way back, his ankle got caught on a coiled wire, trapping him completely in place.
100 meters away.
A tall, dark-haired young man in his early twenties was staring intently in the direction Old Joe was.
By this time, he had already taken a step forward, his eyes filled with eager anticipation.
He was going to rush over.
At this moment, Old Joe leaned against the broken car door; his leg was injured, and he couldn't stand up.
But he did not call for help.
In the dim light of the sky, the old farmer slowly raised his head, his gaze passing over the Stormfront and landing on his adopted son a hundred meters away.
Then, Old Joe raised his right hand.
He extended Five Fingers, palm facing outwards, and gently shook his head in the strong wind towards the young man.
That was a gesture of restraint.
John, witnessing the same scene unfold before him, naturally understood that Old Joe didn't want him to reveal his abilities.
Clark, standing under the bridge, froze.
His eyes filled with tears, and he sobbed desperately, but then... he stopped.
We just watched helplessly.
He watched as the man who had raised him for so many years closed his eyes amidst the howling wind...
The next second.
The hurricane struck, engulfing the dilapidated pickup truck and its frail body.
At this moment, the commentator's voice, filled with sighs, aptly broke in:
Seeing this scene, countless viewers must feel incredibly frustrated and heartbroken.
Many people don't understand why he, who clearly had the ability to save his father, chose to stay put and obey his father's wishes.
But I want to say that this is precisely the real reason why Superman is called a 'god among men' --
" Old Joe taught Clark the most important lesson of his life with his own:"
Restraint, responsibility, and reverence for society.
Old Joe sacrificed himself to protect his son's secret.
It also completely welded the strongest chain of 'humanity' into Clark's soul...
"Smack!"
With a sudden, loud explosion.
The image on the light screen was rapidly compressed, collapsed, and then exploded like a piece of brittle glass.
John stood there, veins bulging on his forehead.
Her golden hair moved without wind, surrounded by a gentle golden glow.
In that instant, it was quickly replaced by a repressive, violent crimson.
Awe?
restraint?
Shackles of humanity?
Hehe... Hahahaha...
John lowered his head and forced out a chilling, furious laugh from his throat.
The laughter grew louder and louder, finally breaking into a low growl.
"Waste!"
He stared intently at the fragment that had scattered into particles of light, his eyes gleaming.
Two intensely hot beams of light flashed wildly, scorching several streaks of black into the surrounding pure white.
"Possessing the power of a god, yet standing idly by while his own father dies... utter waste!"
He could not understand, and would never endorse, this nauseating "sublimity".
In his eyes.
There is no damned social order, and certainly no bullshit restraint or reverence.
If it were him!
Who cares if it's a tornado or some other natural disaster like an earthquake, who cares if his abilities are exposed...
Power is born to trample on the rules!
To hold onto everything he wants to protect tightly!
"Mongrel..."
John clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh.
Immediately afterwards, a strange sense of malevolence surged from his chest.
That guy doesn't deserve the Kent name.
He doesn't deserve to be Old Joe's son!
" Clark Kent, is it...?"
John slowly raised his head, the savage crimson in his eyes, under deliberate suppression, gradually settling into a deeper, more dangerous darkness.
He remembered the name.
Lucifer mentioned him.
His story is recorded in multiple "normal" accounts.
Regardless of which timeline this guy is hiding in, whether he's the so-called "original" or some future god.
"I'd better not run into you..."
John's expression turned extremely grim, and he coldly uttered his last words.
Then.
He no longer lingered in that void in his mind.
Authority of the World, fragmentation—all were completely forgotten in that instant.
In this world, there is only one thing that is most urgent.
Old Joe, and Martha.
"Disperse!"
John gave a low shout.
As this absolute will descended, the pure white space collapsed with a deafening roar.
Immediately afterward, John's heart sank!
The feeling of weightlessness and the intense sensation of falling tore at each other wildly until...
"Boom!!!"
The next second.
In the DC Universe, in the storeroom of a Kansas farm.
Those eyes, which had been tightly closed for who knows how long, suddenly opened in the shadows.
He's finally back.