Head Above Water
That aura... she's all too familiar with it.
She was the hidden half.
But being with Maeve also meant seeing many of Edgar's agents...
They all looked so harmless.
Elena gripped the straps of her backpack tightly, her heart pounding, forcing a natural expression onto her face.
"I just went out to buy some breakfast; we're out of bread at home."
"Buying breakfast?"
The man raised an eyebrow and glanced back at the female guard beside him.
"No need to trouble yourself. The orders are that Miss Elena should stay home and minimize going out."
"On what grounds?"
Elena said angrily.
"I'm not some prisoner from Vought's, I can't even leave the house?"
At this moment, the female agent next to the man stepped forward half a step.
She was very tall, with short, neat hair, and her sharp eyes on her cheekbones scrutinized Elena as she frowned.
Her gaze then swept over the bulging backpack in Elena's hand, and a slight smile appeared on her lips:
"Didn't Ms. Maeve tell you? There have been some changes at the company recently. For your safety, it's best to stay indoors."
Oh no!
Elena's heart sank.
Maeve texted her early in the morning, and then there was the reaction from Vought and his gang of lackeys...
Something must have happened at the Vought Tower, otherwise Edgar wouldn't have broken the unspoken agreement and deliberately sent people to stop her.
Maeve told her to leave immediately, which suggests she had anticipated this move.
With that in mind, she glanced around at her surroundings.
The alley here is very narrow, with a closed garbage station at the back and the front blocked by these two hawks; forcing our way through is definitely not an option.
Her mind raced, her gaze sweeping over the public restroom sign not far away, when suddenly an idea struck her.
She moved her backpack closer to her, a look of embarrassment and impatience on her face:
"Okay, I won't go out, alright? I need to pee; I've been holding it in all night."
The toilet at home broke last night and won't flush... I'll go to the public restroom in front of the building to use it.
Elena spoke with such conviction, even deliberately crossing her legs; her acting was quite convincing.
Seeing Elena's reaction, the male agent frowned, seemingly unsure of what to do.
But the female agent next to her didn't budge. She reached out and pressed her earpiece, then quietly pressed the walkie-talkie to begin communicating.
Elena couldn't hear what she was saying, but she saw the female agent's expression gradually become serious.
A few seconds later, she lowered her hand and shook her head.
"No, you're staying right here, you're not allowed to move an inch."
"Right here?"
Elena raised her voice.
"Is this how you Vought treat your citizens...? You can't expect me to wet my pants, can you?"
"You fucking block people's door so early in the morning, you won't even let them use the toilet?"
"Stop talking nonsense."
The female agent's patience was clearly running out.
"The higher-ups said you're not allowed to step out of this yard today. If you need to use the restroom, go home."
"But my toilet is broken!"
"Then we'll wait until we send someone to fix it."
Elena is truly furious now.
She knew perfectly well that this was clearly intentional.
Their goal was simple: to keep her under house arrest and use her as leverage to blackmail Maeve.
But the longer it drags on, the more dangerous it becomes.
If she waits until Vought resolves his problems and is free to act, it will be even harder for her to leave.
However, just as she was gritting her teeth and thinking of another way, the female agent suddenly laughed and reached into her bag at her waist and pulled out a bottle of mineral water.
With only a little over half a bottle of water left, she unscrewed the cap, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
After finishing the water, he held the empty bottle and handed it to Elena.
Fine droplets of water condensed on the cool plastic bottle, and a smear of lipstick remained on the bottle opening.
"Here, let's take care of it here. We'll turn our backs... We're all women, and our private parts all look the same, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."
Elena stared at the empty water bottle, her face instantly turning bright red.
That's fucking insulting...
She stared intently at the female guard's expressionless face, gripping her handbag tightly.
Seeing that Elena was standing still, the female guard raised an eyebrow again:
"What? You think it's dirty? Then go back and hold it in, and don't get any funny ideas."
Your little tricks won't work here. If you really can't hold it in anymore, you either use this or take care of it right here. There's no other way...
But before the female agent could finish speaking, Elena suddenly moved.
Instead of taking the bottle, she gripped the straps of her backpack tightly with both hands, swung her arm in a wide arc, and smashed it hard against the female guard's face.
The backpack was stuffed with cosmetics and a hard-cover ID card, making it quite heavy.
The female guard had completely anticipated Elena's sudden attack, and reacted a beat too slow. The backpack slammed heavily onto her shoulder with a dull thud.
"Oh shit!"
The female guard cursed and staggered half a step.
At this moment, seeing that she had achieved her goal, Elena turned and ran, sprinting towards the other side of the alley.
She was very familiar with the area; she knew that if she went through the side streets, she could reach another residential area, and from there she could catch the early morning bus.
"Stop!"
A male agent's shout came from behind, along with hurried footsteps.
But Elena dared not look back; she could only muster all her strength and run forward with all her might.
But she was, after all, just an ordinary person without professional training, and she was carrying a heavy bag.
After running less than two hundred meters, my breathing became erratic, and my lungs felt like they were being burned by a lighter.
As the footsteps behind them grew closer, especially the female agent who ran at an astonishing speed, it seemed she was about to catch up.
In a moment of desperation, Elena spotted an empty box next to a roadside trash can, bent down, picked it up, and threw it at the female agent.
Seeing this, the female guard who was running quickly dodged to the side.
In that brief pause, Elena rushed forward a few more steps, then turned around and kicked the female guard in the stomach.
She didn't hold back; that kick was delivered with almost all her strength.
"Again and again!"
The female agent groaned, clutching her lower abdomen and taking two steps back, her face turning completely grim.
"You filthy bitch... you don't know what's good for you."
The female agent gritted her teeth, reached behind her waist with her right hand, and pulled out a Taser.
The black gun barrel was pointed at Elena.
"Stand still! Take one more step and I'll shoot!"
Upon hearing the female agent's words, Elena paused only briefly before continuing to run without hesitation.
She knew very well that if she were caught and taken back, it would be the end for her.
Moreover, she had no idea what had happened on Maeve's side, and if something went wrong on her side first, everything would definitely be ruined.
Thinking it over, Elena gritted her teeth and turned around.
But just as she took two steps, she heard a "sizzle" sound behind her.
Two electric wires carrying current flew past her shoulders, hitting the wall in front of her and sending sparks flying.
That was close... so close.
But in that moment of hesitation, the female guard seized the opportunity of her momentary lapse and rushed forward.
Then he reached out and grabbed Elena's arm, twisted it hard, and pressed down on the back of her neck with his other hand, slamming her against the brick wall next to him.
The movements were clean and swift, yet incredibly powerful.
"Ah!"
Elena's face was slammed against the wall, her arms twisted behind her back, and the intense pain made her gasp.
"Behave yourself!"
The female guard's voice was close to her ear, tinged with obvious anger.
"We won't make things difficult for you, but don't force us to take action. You're Ms. Maeve's person, and we don't want to push things too far."
She was telling the truth.
Her orders from above were to closely monitor the situation, take control if necessary, and try to avoid harming anyone.
After all, Elena is Queen Maeve's girlfriend; if she gets hurt, it will be difficult to explain later.
But this woman was so difficult to deal with and wouldn't cooperate at all, so she had no choice but to resort to force.
But Elena refused to give in so easily. She struggled fiercely, thrusting her knee backward and then stomping on the female guard's instep.
But the female agent's hand was like an iron clamp, completely still.
In the struggle, Elena suddenly realized that the female agent probably didn't dare to hurt her too much, as the hand pressing on the back of her neck was always tightening its grip.
That creates room for error.
Almost instinctively, Elena jerked her arm back and slammed her elbow down hard.
(man!)
With a muffled "thud"!
The blow was precise and powerful, striking the female agent squarely on the bridge of her nose.
"Ugh--"
The female agent groaned in pain, her hand instantly loosened, and blood gushed from her nose.
"You damned bitch!"
The female agent was completely enraged.
She was initially concerned about her status, thinking that as long as she controlled the person, she could complete the mission.
But now, Elena has successfully vented her anger.
Therefore, her initial hesitation vanished instantly, and she covered her nose and took a half-step back.
With his other hand, he swiftly raised it high, transforming his palm into a blade, and slashed towards Elena's nape with a sharp whistling sound.
They received professional training at Vought.
If this chop lands squarely on the target, Elena will immediately fall unconscious.
As Elena watched the hand fall towards her, her pupils contracted in despair, and she instinctively closed her eyes.
Surprisingly, the expected dizziness did not occur.
The air seemed to quiet down.
"Fuck?"
Elena heard the female agent let out a surprised and confused sound, and the pressure on her arm suddenly disappeared.
She opened her eyes in confusion.
But they found the female agent's hand frozen in mid-air.
The chop was only millimeters away from the back of her neck, but it hesitated to strike.
The female guard was also bewildered.
She found there were no obstacles in front of her; she wasn't blocked, but rather... unable to move.
The feeling was strange, like a stiff, stagnant sensation coming from inside my arm.
The blood in my veins suddenly became thick and heavy, like it was filled with lead, making my entire muscle group unable to move.
She tried to clench her fist, but her fingers only moved slightly before they were instantly bound by invisible threads, completely losing their autonomy.
"What the hell is going on...? Is he Superman?"
If it's Superman... then the two of them, being ordinary people, absolutely cannot handle it; they should immediately call the company for backup.
That's not the most important thing. If Superman were involved, it would mean... Maeve also betrayed them.
Thinking of this, she nervously looked around, trying to find someone hiding nearby.
But when her gaze swept over the shadows of the trees at the alley entrance, she suddenly stopped.
There was indeed a person standing under the tree.
The man was wearing a gray hoodie, a baseball cap, and faded jeans, dressed like an ordinary passerby taking an early morning stroll.
He stood in the shadows with his head slightly lowered, his face obscured.
The female agent could only see his hands hanging at his sides, his fingers slightly bent, and she couldn't tell what he was doing.
"Who are you?!"
The female guard could still move half of her body at this point. She shouted sharply, reaching behind her waist with her left hand to pull out another real weapon.
"This is a mission carried out by our Vought International. All unrelated personnel, get out of here immediately!"
The man heard what the female agent said, but didn't react.
He was just muttering something under his breath, so softly that it was impossible to hear what he was saying.
Elena was also stunned.
She took two steps back, leaning against the wall, and then looked at the mysterious man at the alley entrance.
Meanwhile, the morning mist gradually dissipated, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the person.
He tilted his head and took two steps forward, stepping on the dappled sunlight on the ground. His hood slipped down, revealing a section of his jawline.
Upon seeing this, the female agent's pupils contracted sharply.
This face... looks familiar.
At first, she didn't recognize it at all, only feeling that it looked somewhat familiar. But after squinting and observing it closely, an unbelievable answer suddenly popped into her mind...
Is this the Deep?
The Deep of the Seven Vought International?!
How is that possible?!
How did he get here?
Not far away, the Deep was also in a state of relative confusion.
He was sound asleep when John woke him up with a phone call early yesterday morning.
John tossed him an address, telling him that Maeve's girlfriend was being watched by Edgar's men, and that he should go there and bring her away safely.
The Deep is a million times unwilling.
He already had a problem with Maeve, and had even humiliated her before... and now he's actually going to rescue her girlfriend?
You should know that he doesn't even have a the Deep right now.
Despite the complaints, the Deep still holds John, the "reconstruction leader," in the highest esteem.
Yes, I have even higher respect for them than for the Homelander.
Just when he had gained his new ability, John had told him that water is actually a liquid.
You could try looking at some physics and biology textbooks from American high schools.
Maybe I can learn something from this and avoid taking detours.
Avoid detours?
As a top-tier academic failure in the field of knowledge, the Deep naturally scoffed at this.
His grades were absolutely terrible when he was in school; he got a headache just looking at textbooks.
He was later injected with Compound V, which allowed him to successfully enter Godolkin University (otherwise he wouldn't have been able to attend any university), and then he gradually got to where he is today.
He can be considered an inspirational role model.
However, out of respect for John, he reluctantly bought a few textbooks from the bookstore and began reading them.
The Deep's face turned green.
However, just to have something to show for it, he did hastily memorize some scattered pieces of knowledge.
I can barely remember things like pressure and the water content of the human body, but I forget half of them as soon as I turn around.
On the way here, he even crammed at the last minute, taking a quick look at the screenshots of textbooks he had saved on his phone.
Then he watched while muttering to himself.
Is this thing even capable of being useful?
If you're going to control water intake, why worry about how much water is in someone's body?
As for pressure?
Forgive his limited understanding, but he simply couldn't figure it out.
In the blink of an eye, the camera cuts back to the present scene.
When he arrived, he happened to see Elena confronting Vought's employees, but the situation changed shortly afterward.
It looked like Elena was about to be knocked unconscious by the female agent with a single chop to the neck.
(Not a single hand chop)
He was quite a distance away from them, and there wasn't even a drop of water around him.
In a moment of desperation, the Deep closed his eyes and tried to use what he had just learned to sense the direction in which the female agent was located.
Even the Deep didn't expect that the stuff taught in those damn textbooks would actually be useful.
The female agent's hand actually stopped in mid-air.
"The human body is 70% water; body fluids, blood... they're all liquids, right?"
Hmm, I can't quite remember, was there some kind of cell fluid...?
He looked up as he muttered to himself.
At this moment, the hoodie's hood had slipped completely down to the back of his head, revealing the Deep's entire face.
" The Deep! Even you are betraying us?"