Double Blades
(This is one long chapter. John will appear soon. I'll update shortly while I finish writing.)
"Buzz..."
Inside her wrist bone, the titanium plate resonated with her skin, and Maeve's figure appeared outside the abandoned subway station, crushing the bottom of the roller shutter door with the tip of her boot.
" Maeve, I've implanted miniature trackers in all of them."
If they ran away due to some accident, then follow their escape route and track them down.
"Um."
This is a conversation that took place in Edgar's office the day before yesterday.
Maeve was numb to everything about Vought; she had no choice but to agree.
After all, she still needs to rely on the big IP of the Seven to survive, and behind her is her live-in girlfriend to support.
On Vought's side, Edgar, despite being the president, never showed any sympathy for his subordinates.
All the dirty work, except for Black Noir, would be stuffed into her hands.
Sometimes, for marketing purposes, Vought would even deliberately attribute her achievements to Homelander, the duo she was paired with.
"Click click..."
Maeve grabbed the rusty sheet metal, squeezed it tightly with her hands, and then pulled it upwards with force.
Immediately afterwards, the sturdy roller shutter door was torn open like cardboard, leaving a gap half a person's height, with metal shavings falling wildly from the broken surface.
Maeve turned to the side, frowned slightly in disgust, and then crawled inside.
The passageway was very gloomy, with sunlight unable to penetrate due to the obstruction of numerous buildings.
Only a tiny sliver of light could seep through the smallest gaps.
Beside the stairwell, the green emergency light was covered with a thick layer of mold.
The ground was covered in water mixed with mud, sand, and broken glass; stepping on it produced a piercing sound.
At that moment, Maeve, sensing something was amiss, suddenly paused for half a second.
The sole of the boot only rolled over a piece of broken glass, making a soft crunching sound, but the echo reverberated through the empty hallway.
The Boys Squad "escaped" three days ago, and in order not to alert them, she chose to track them down this morning using the tracking device.
She was certain they were gathered here.
However, it was unusually quiet here, and even the echoes were so clear.
This is not normal.
so...
Thinking of this, Maeve carefully examined her surroundings, her eyes darkening with vigilance.
He then gripped the leather cord around the sword hilt with his fingertips and slowed his pace as he walked forward.
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of leather shoes splashing in the water rang out, each step echoing through the hallway.
Just as Maeve was about to reach the platform entrance, a blinding white light suddenly burst forth from the darkness.
Not far away.
Three makeshift incandescent light bulbs were thus suspended above the steel beam.
I'm not sure if it's due to a poor connection, but the filament flickered on and off as it swayed.
Maeve squinted instinctively.
In that brief moment of visual blankness, the shadows that had been lurking all around also began to move.
A man with a cigarette dangling from his lips and a thick beard suddenly appeared from behind the dilapidated ticket booth on the left.
He held a gleaming shotgun in one hand and a long crowbar in the other.
Behind the load-bearing column, a burly black man, about 1.85 meters tall, held a pistol in his palm, pressed it against a man wearing goggles and sporting a small mustache.
Standing next to the man with the mustache was a noticeably taller, thin, blond man who was not carrying anything.
In the tracks diagonally behind, a small, thin figure huddled in a corner, hugging her legs, staring blankly at that spot.
"So... you discovered me all along?"
Maeve slowly straightened up.
As her position changed, the full curve of her chest became tense from the uniform, and the hem of the uniform sat right on her waist and hips.
Her gaze swept hastily across the faces of the group, finally settling on the bearded man at the front.
Oh, it's actually an old acquaintance.
Billy Butcher.
On Vought's wanted list is a madman who has a blood feud with Homelander.
He also tried to extract dirt on Vought from his wife Becca after her incident.
However, she was still in Vought at the time and had not yet encountered the subsequent distressing events such as Homelander letting the plane crash, so she did not agree to his request.
After that, Butcher never contacted her again, and she assumed that he had given up on revenge.
Surprisingly, he was one of the people involved in this incident.
As for the people standing next to Butcher, she had no recollection of them and didn't bother to pay attention.
" Butcher."
Thinking of this, Maeve spoke up.
"It seems you knew I was coming and prepared in advance..."
"Oh, Your Majesty."
Butcher stared intently at Maeve, a signature smirk on his face.
Then he spat the cigarette he was holding onto the ground and stomped it out with his shoe.
"Our only queen among the Seven has graced us with her presence; we can't let you come all this way for nothing..."
"You dug up the tracker?"
Maeve gripped the hilt of the Queen's sword and asked with some confusion.
How did you discover these positioning chips?
Butcher chuckled slyly when he heard Maeve's words, then reached into his pocket.
Before long, he picked up a piece of metal the size of a grain of rice from his fingertips, held it up to the light, and casually waved it around.
The metal sheet's outer shell was still covered with semi-dried blood clots, gleaming coldly under the White Lantern.
"That's all."
Butcher weighed it in his hand, then casually tossed it to the ground.
"Actually, I didn't initially notice any tracking device on me, but we have sharp eyes..."
"I didn't fall for your dirty tricks."
Upon hearing this, Maeve's brow furrowed very slightly.
Then her gaze swept over the two men on either side who were holding guns, and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
" Butcher, you need to understand. You few men and these few guns alone can't stop me."
"Oh? Why don't you give it a try first?"
The moment Butcher finished speaking, gunshots rang out.
First, his shotgun spewed out a tongue of fire half a foot long in an instant.
With a flash of orange-red, dozens of thin bullets scattered instantly, rushing towards us like a swarm of bronze-colored wasps.
Following closely behind were the pistols on either side of Frenchie and Mother's Milk, bullets crisscrossing from both sides.
This effectively shuts down Maeve's space to dodge left and right, Maeve with no choice but to take the bullets head-on if she wants to dodge.
But Maeve is no ordinary person.
Her physical strength ranks second in the Seven; she can withstand a super-powered vehicle traveling at 70 kilometers per hour.
So, to her, these bullets were no different than a tickle.
But getting hit by so many bullets can be annoying.
Therefore, she did not intend to sit idly by and wait for her fate.
His right hand, gripping the sword hilt, tightened suddenly, and the tip of the sword hummed in response to the vibration.
Immediately following was a silver afterimage.
"Buzz--"
Time slowed down dramatically at this moment, almost coming to a standstill.
The first lead bullet spun and flew right up to Maeve's eyes; its bronze Negasonic Teenage Warhead was so finely detailed that even the engravings on its surface were clearly visible.
Maeve slightly flipped her wrist, holding the sword flat in front of her.
"Clang!"
With a muffled thud, the lead bullet struck the sword, sending up a shower of sparks.
Following the reflection of the sword, the bullet was deflected at an angle and then embedded itself in the concrete wall, creating a deep dent.
At this point, the camera slowly rewinds to normal speed.
The second, the third... a barrage of bullets rained down like a storm.
Maeve's eyes narrowed, her wrist gripped firmly, and sword shadows intertwined before her.
The speed increased, and the afterimages, after several shifts, gradually wove together into a silvery mist.
The sounds of bullets colliding with the sword blended together, dense and continuous, like the sound of hail hitting the ground.
At her feet, spent shell casings were scattered everywhere, rolling around in the puddles, and the smell of gunpowder mixed with mildew permeated the air.
"Clang--"
As the last bullet was cleaved in two, Maeve deftly sheathed her sword, the blade still humming, a few iron filings clinging to it.
With a flick of her wrist, Maeve shook off all the lead dust, revealing the sword's original brilliance without leaving a single scratch.
" Butcher, I told you... it's no use."
Maeve's voice was calm and unwavering.
Butcher, standing some distance away, ignored him, maintaining his roguish grin, only tilting his head slightly before snapping his the Snap.
Then, the dark figure in the track moved.
It's Kimiko.
In the shadows, she darted out from the corner like a black shadow, so fast that only a blur remained.
"Whoosh--"
Maeve sensed something was wrong and immediately turned her head to the side, while Kimiko's fingernails grazed her neck.
Maeve's expression hardened, and she immediately raised her elbow, shifting her position slightly before slamming the tip of her elbow into Kimiko's chest.
Upon seeing this powerful strike, Kimiko tightened her waist, narrowly avoiding the elbow, while simultaneously slamming her knee into her side, landing with a roll.
Maeve took a step back, which gave Kimiko the perfect opportunity.
With a swift movement, she used her foot to gain momentum from the ground, and then launched a flurry of punches, claws, elbows, and knees, all aimed at Maeve's vital points, each strike potentially fatal.
With the blade angled to the back, Maeve could only parry with the spine of her sword. Her fingertips gripped the guard, deflecting Kimiko's attacks one by one.
It's worth mentioning that since becoming Superman, Maeve has not chosen to rely on her enhanced abilities.
Instead, he persevered in learning physical skills, combat sports, judo, and even studied swordsmanship under a renowned swordsmanship master.
Therefore, Maeve, having mastered all these skills, is now also a martial arts master.
(I dare not call myself a grandmaster, so I am a great master.)
After feeding Kimiko three tricks, she had probably figured out her weaknesses.
Kimiko is fast, quick-witted, and ruthless; every move she makes is aimed at killing.
Moreover, she is a rare self-healing Superman, capable of maintaining a near-constant level of endurance during combat to a great extent.
However, the difference in strength between the two is ultimately too great; Maeve's strength is far greater than Kimiko's.
Moreover, judging solely by her reaction, Maeve doesn't necessarily seem afraid of her.
Moreover, she only came here to complete the task Edgar had assigned her, and she didn't want to harm any innocent people.
I don't want to hurt you.
As she continued fighting, Maeve spoke, her breathing remarkably steady.
"Tell me who's behind you, who gave you Compound V, and who's helping you fight Vought."
Or all I need to do is Butcher come with me, and I can guarantee his safety."
But the only response Maeve received was Kimiko's somber, hoarse voice.
The next second, Kimiko pounced and bit her wrist.
Maeve frowned, flicked her wrist, and with half her strength, lashed the side of her waist with the back of her sword.
With a muffled thud, Kimiko flew out like a kite with a broken string, then crashed heavily into a pile of discarded building materials in the corner.
Maeve walked over slowly.
At that moment, Kimiko climbed up from the rubble, put her hand down on the ground, pinched her deformed foot, and then looked at Maeve.
Maeve glanced at the steel bars at her feet.
That was a piece of rebar thicker than a wrist.
Don't force me to take action.
But Kimiko still pounced on him, her speed noticeably faster than before.
Maeve blinked helplessly, then stood there, quickly hooking the steel bar with her toes and flicking it upwards.
"Pfft!"
The next second, the steel bar pierced Kimiko's right shoulder precisely. Maeve continued to exert force with her wrist, pushing her forward.
The other end of the steel bar went straight through Kimiko's shoulder and then slammed into the concrete wall behind her.
It continued to penetrate half a foot into the wall.
Kimiko was suspended from the wall, her right shoulder nailed shut, and her toes barely touching the ground.
Maeve turned to look at Butcher.
"Come with me, or tell me who the mastermind is, and I'll pretend I didn't see anything today."
Butcher leaned against a pillar and lit another cigarette.
" Vought's dog dares to negotiate with me? Maeve, have you forgotten what it's like to be a human after being a dog for so long?"
Just as Maeve was about to speak, a voice came from behind her again.
She turned around abruptly.
Kimiko was still hanging on the wall, her left hand raised, gripping her right wrist tightly, her fingertips digging deep into her flesh.
She then pulled sharply.
"Sizzle..."
She ripped off her right hand.
Then, bracing himself on the ground with his left hand, he rapidly shifted his weight between his legs and lunged forward.
Maeve was stunned by Kimiko's ruthlessness.
In that brief moment of hesitation, Kimiko had already pounced on her legs.
She tilted her head back, her blood-stained face expressionless, but then opened her mouth and bit down hard on Maeve's inner thigh.
Maeve winced in pain and forcefully lifted her leg, swinging it back.
The immense force from the leg sent Kimiko flying.
Maeve glanced down at her legs.
Deep teeth marks were left, with faint traces of blood seeping from the edges.
madman.
She walked over and reached out to grab Kimiko by the back of her collar.
But just as Maeve's fingertips touched Kimiko's collar, a familiar male voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Let me."
Maeve suddenly stopped, threw Kimiko to the ground, and then slowly turned her head to look at the shadow at the end of the platform.
Soon, a figure wearing a green shirt walked out with a smug smile on his face.
The Deep?
Maeve frowned, the surprise in her eyes quickly subsiding into deep confusion.
The Deep have been rarely seen recently.
To be precise, he has completely faded from the Seven's view since filming the last quarter's environmental advertisement.
Unexpectedly, she would see him in a place like this, and even be with the Boys Squad.
Why did you go to their side too?
"What benefits did they give you that made you want to go against Edgar?"
"They're just a bunch of bastards who only know how to exploit their employees."
The smile on the Deep's face instantly faded.
"I'm doing very well here, I'm very free... As for the benefits, Edgar can't provide them."
Upon hearing this, Maeve's gaze darkened completely.
" The Deep, get out of my way. You can't beat me. If you don't want me to just drag you back and throw you in front of Edgar, you'd better get out of my way."
" Maeve, people always change."