The White House, Truman Balcony.
The Homelander stood before the carved railing, repeatedly wiping the tips of his red patent leather boots with a pure silk handkerchief.
Below the balcony, a giant LED screen on the South Lawn is displaying footage of the White House preparing for deployment.
In the lower left corner of the screen, real-time data flashes in red:
[Global online viewership: 420 million]
Clara.
The Homelander didn't turn around; his eyes were fixed on the stubborn speck of dust on the handkerchief, his brow furrowed slightly.
Are you sure those rats will take the bait?
For this press conference, I specifically asked the public relations department to re-press the gold trim on the cape.
If they hadn't come today, I would have been very... very disappointed.
Storm, standing behind him, simply chuckled.
She wore a redesigned black battle suit, the eagle emblem on her chest gleaming in the sunlight.
She walked forward in her high-heeled boots, her slender hand naturally resting on the broad shoulder of the Homelander.
My fingertips slid slowly down his trapezius muscles and finally stopped at his heart.
"Relax, dear Mr. Homelander..."
Storm leaned close to his ear and bit his earlobe:
"They will definitely come, believe me... and we have prepared a perfect burial plot for them."
"... will help you ascend to godhood."
Watching the two flirting, Neuman took a sip of champagne from his wine glass, expressionless, and then interrupted them.
"Gentlemen, the audience below is watching... We can hold a pre-battle mobilization meeting at any time; I've already called the media."
Homelander turned around, looked at the two women in front of him, and the gloom on his face vanished.
A classic fake smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"Very good, ladies."
Homelander spread his arms wide, looking down at the sea of people and Superman formations that blotted out the sky.
"Look, what a magnificent sight..."
If someone could look down on the entire Washington, D.C.. from the stratosphere...
What will then come into view is an extremely breathtaking and grand scene.
All main roads within a two-kilometer radius of the White House --
This includes the Monument Square, the Potomac River Bridge, and even the green belts that run along the major highways.
More than 30,000 people, swayed by the billion-dollar bounty and Neuman's speech, surrounded him.
Pickups and RVs, even those with families.
The rednecks converted the trunk into an ammunition depot and welded machine gun mounts onto the roof.
The man in the bathrobe was holding a hunting rifle, while the underage child was balancing a frying pan on his head and had a bunch of hand grenades tucked into his waistband.
The South Lawn, serving as the first line of defense for the White House, is home to over three hundred V2 Superman soldiers who have been brain-controlled by Mesmer.
They stood in neat rows on the lawn, like statues.
Six Stryker armored vehicles were parked at the edge of the lawn on the east wing, with the muzzles of the M2 heavy machine guns on the roofs pointing outwards and ammunition belts hanging down on the sides of the vehicles.
The West Wing was more compact, with ten M240 general-purpose machine guns mounted on the rooftop, each guarded by a heavily armed gunman.
Shortly after, the press conference was announced to begin.
Tens of thousands of civilians held up signs and shouted slogans with excited expressions.
Countless cameras, each with its own long lenses and wide lenses, were pointed at the makeshift platform, broadcasting this historic "grand ceremony" live to the world.
"Da, da"
Stormfront, wearing high-heeled boots, gracefully walked onto the podium.
She first adjusted the microphone, her extremely approachable face adorned with a warm and friendly smile.
Good morning, citizens of the new United States.
The sound of the Stormfront echoed throughout the square through the amplifier, quickly silencing the noise in front of the stage.
"Today, we stand here not only to witness the end of an old era."
It is also to welcome the order that truly belongs to 'God'.
Those rats hiding in the dark corners, those clowns trying to hinder evolution!
They thought they could destroy everything with just a few lies and conspiracies...
The Stormfront paused slightly.
But as it turns out, justice always stands in the light.
Today, we will thoroughly purge Washington, making every hostile rat understand who the true master of this world is!
And now--"
The Stormfront suddenly opened its arms, its tone rising abruptly, filled with a bewitching, enchanting sound:
"Let us welcome our savior, America's only true God— Homelander —with the highest and warmest applause!"
"Boom--!"
The moment the words were spoken, the entire venue erupted in a frenzy of excitement!
That was exactly the moment Stormfront finished speaking.
A red and blue Stars and Stripes cape suddenly appeared in mid-air, Homelander transformed into a blur as he streaked across the clouds before descending from the sky.
"Whoosh--"
With a perfect hands-on-hips squat landing, Homelander landed precisely in the center of the podium.
He then stood up, slightly raised his chin, and gave a classic fake smile, waving to the crowd around him.
Hi everyone--
The flashes of light exploded on him, turning him into a silver sea. Bathed in this ocean of cheers, he comfortably half-closed his eyes.
He then pressed his hands down, signaling everyone to be quiet.
"Thank you, thank you everyone, you are all so kind..."
Homelander took two steps forward and half-squatted down.
He made eye contact with a middle-aged man in the front row who was holding up his poster and whose face was twitching with excitement, then reached out and gently patted the man's shoulder:
I saw you, brother. And you, that lovely lady.
Homelander pointed to a young girl in the crowd, his eyes crinkling with a charming smile:
"Look at you, look at these sincere and pure faces! This is United States! This is what we should protect!"
Before he finished speaking, the fervor in the audience erupted again, with people hysterically chanting his name:
"Homelander! Homelander!"
The Homelander straightened up and opened their arms to welcome this overwhelming worship.
He was thoroughly enjoying himself.
This feeling of having thousands of people at your fingertips, being worshipped like a god.
It made every cell in his body feel hot, trembling, and numb!
This is the pinnacle of life!
This is just... so awesome!
"And you, my friends, you are the true heroes!"
Stormfront stood not far behind the Homelander with satisfaction, a pleased smile curving his lips, and a hint of moisture welling up in his eyes and lower body.
Today, her long-cherished wish has finally come true.
And it was at this moment.
A faint whooshing sound suddenly came from the depths of the sky.
This sound was perhaps insignificant amidst the screams and cheers of tens of thousands of people.
But for those Homelander have received the V1 injection, the sound is crystal clear.
His unrestrained laughter came to an abrupt halt.
The Homelander slowly raised his head, his deep blue pupils narrowing slightly.
Supervision pierced through the thin morning mist in an instant, reaching the distant horizon of Washington.
There, several small, dark dots were rapidly crossing the dawn, heading this way.
At this moment, Stormfront also noticed Homelander's unusual behavior, and following his gaze into the distance, his expression changed slightly.
The Homelander was taken aback as he watched the black dot getting closer and closer.
Immediately, the smile on his face began to expand and distort at a visible speed, eventually turning into a frenzied excitement.
Homelander suddenly grabbed the microphone and licked his slightly dry lips:
"Get ready to welcome our guests..."
"They... are here!!"
at the same time.
The White House underground drainage system, main sewer.
It is approximately 600 meters away from the South Lawn as the crow flies.
"Damn it... If I ever take on another sewer job like this again, I'll swallow all the fish poop in the entire aquarium."
The Deep pinched his nose, squatted on the edge of the sticky concrete canal wall, and complained.
The entire underground drainage system in Washington. is over 120 years old.
The old arched ceiling was covered with damp, moldy calcifications, and the main canal was mixed with human excrement and bodily fluids from rotting rat carcasses.
The stench was so strong it was almost tangible, and it assaulted my senses.
"Oh my god! I'm going crazy!"
The Deep pressed his right hand against the wall covered with thick green moss, his eyes tightly closed.
Although he cursed harshly, he still had to do the job.
Following the shared senses of aquatic life, the exploration of the Deep is transmitted back and forth, expanding from the drainage network all the way to the deeper strata.
"Found it..."
The Deep's pupils contracted sharply, his eyes snapped open, and he grabbed Kimiko's wrist.
"Directly below the West Wing, pass through the two main gates, and then descend two more levels!"
"There's some noise over there... it sounds like... a fight? Or something else...?"
"Damn it, that dog Vought probably really locked them up there."
The Deep took a deep breath, spread his fingers, and pressed them against the stinking sewage beneath his feet.
"Boom!"
The condensed water surged up instantly, centrifuging to quickly expel the impurities inside.
It then transformed into a high-speed rotating vortex of water, enveloping the two of them and crashing into the depths of the underground ditch.
Seventy meters!
A heavy, rusty iron fence stood in front of them. The Deep's eyes hardened, and he swung his hand sharply.
" Water Explosion! Bomb it!!"
Under the influence of the Deep, the water was compressed and intensified in an extremely short time, and then burst open on the surface of the iron fence!
"Boom!!"
The violent blast wave and high-pressure water spray blasted the cast iron fence, weighing tens of kilograms, into slag.
"Continue!"
The two men did not slow down, rushing into the narrower branch canal.
Before long, the old main gate came into view.
And this main gate opening happens to be the location where the sound source was detected in the Deep earlier.
The Deep and Kimiko exchanged a glance.
Behind the door was a tall, hardened concrete passageway; the air was dry and even carried a pungent smell of disinfectant.
The quieter it is, the more eerie it seems.
We must remain vigilant...
The Deep lowered his voice.
" Kimiko, you go ahead and scout ahead. My abilities aren't really suited for close combat."
Without a word, Kimiko extended her ten bone claws fully, bent her body slightly, and reached forward.
The passageway was about three meters wide, with dim emergency lights hanging on the walls.
After walking twenty meters, a spacious abandoned pump station control room gradually came into view, with a thick layer of grayish-white coating on the walls.
Grayish-white... that must be zinc plate, right?
The Deep's heart sank.
He remembered John saying that there were lead or zinc panels in the basement of the White House that could block X-Ray Vision.
The hostages should be nearby...
However, before the Deep could take its third step, the sensory resonance from the aquatic creatures suddenly brought an extreme threat of death.
What's going on?!
"Oh no, quickly move to the side!!"
The Deep shouted and grabbed Kimiko's clothes, taking a sudden step back.
"Boom!!"
Just as the two men in the Deep retreated, the reinforced concrete wall on the side suddenly caved inward out of nowhere.
The massive wall was crushed into dust in mid-air by an invisible force.
Amidst the billowing dust, a barefoot figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
Her chest is bulging, so she's definitely a woman.
He had a shaved head, wore a faded gray prison uniform, and looked no more than eighteen or nineteen years old.
Those deathly gray pupils held no emotion whatsoever, only a deathly stillness and indifference.
I know this person, the Deep.
Several years ago, he and Queen Maeve had a mission to capture an out-of-control Supergirl named " Cindy " and imprison her in Red River Prison.
And this " Cindy " is none other than the powerful bald woman in front of us.
She possesses extremely strong telekinetic abilities, capable of capsizing ships and even compressing any visible object from a distance.
"Uh... hi, beautiful, do you remember me? I'm the Deep, the one who helped you back then... yes."
Adhering to the principle of avoiding fights whenever possible, the Deep smiled and bowed to Cindy.
To the Deep's embarrassment, Cindy completely ignored him.
He simply tilted his head to the left with extreme stiffness and raised his withered right hand.
Then, facing the Deep, he gently made a pinching motion from a distance.
"Buzz--"
The Deep stumbled and dodged, and the concrete ground beneath his feet instantly exploded and collapsed like a bomb!
Immediately afterwards, an irresistible and terrifying squeezing force came frantically from all directions.
Fortunately, the Deep was prepared and reacted quickly by twisting his waist and rolling to the side, but the invisible stream of psychic energy still grazed his left shoulder.
"Sizzle!!"
The green suit, along with the muscles beneath, was instantly torn apart.
A large chunk of bloody flesh flew off, revealing the pink, bleeding muscle underneath.
"Aaaaaah... fuck!"
The Deep groaned, clutching his wound, and retreated into a corner.
Cindy's eyes remained unchanged as she continued to rotate her wrist, her fingertips slightly tucked in.
This time, she's targeting the head of the Deep.
It was at this moment that Kimiko moved.
She stepped through the water, her shoes screeching as she transformed into a black shadow, her right hand unleashing a bone claw.
In less than half a second, she had already rushed to within a meter of Cindy!
The white bone claws whistled as they tore towards Cindy's carotid artery.
However, Cindy didn't even bother to blink.
Faced with the tearing bone claws that were within reach, she simply raised her left hand indifferently and clenched her fist in mid-air!
"Snap--! Splat!!"
The sound of bones shattering exploded instantly!
Kimiko's legs were forcibly broken from the knees inward by an invisible compression without any contact whatsoever!
The broken bone tip pierced through the skin and flesh.
Bai Sen's femur stump was mixed with scarlet flesh and blood, and blood splattered out like a smashed berry.
"Puff--!"
Kimiko spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward like a kite with a broken string, smashing the control panel on the side.