◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones. or 500 Collections
◇ You can read 40 chapter ahead on P@treon. if you're interested: patreon.com/Heroicverse
------------------------------------------------
Homelander held Harley Quinn as they soared at high speed through the murky, yellow-brown sky.
The woman in his arms didn't scream in fear from the high-altitude flight like an ordinary person; instead, she spread her arms, enjoying the thrill of the adrenaline rush, her laughter sounding sharper than the whistling wind.
"Whoo—! Faster! Mr. Milk Candy! We're about to charge into the clouds!"
At that moment, a dense series of notification prompts suddenly exploded in Homelander's mind.
"Prompt! Gained popularity value + 961,255!"
"Prompt! Gained popularity value + 856,324!"
"Prompt! Gained popularity value + 936,324!"
..."Prompt! Gained special popularity value + 15,000! (From Jessica Jones)"
"Prompt! Gained special popularity value + 15,000! (From Wanda Maximoff)"
"Prompt! Gained special popularity value + 15,000! (From Daisy Johnson)"
"Prompt! Gained special popularity value + 10,000! (From Steve Rogers)"
"Prompt! Gained special popularity value + 8,000! (From Tony Stark)"
"Prompt! Gained..."
This sudden wave of popularity value caused Homelander to pause slightly in mid-air.
After a moment's thought, he understood what was happening.
No need to ask; it must be that Skynet, his thoughtful little secretary back on Earth, had released the "last words" video he left behind.
That video was something he had meticulously designed, but he hadn't expected the effect to be so significant.
"It seems tragic heroes are always more unforgettable than victors," Homelander lamented inwardly.
At this moment, the pleasure of receiving such massive popularity value made him finally unable to resist laughing out loud.
"Hahahaha—!"
As a Dr. of Psychiatry and a veteran madwoman, Harley's perception of emotions was exceptionally keen.
In her ears, Homelander's laughter was pure happiness, a joy from the bottom of his heart.
"Are you this happy even at the end of the World? I love you so much!"
In this instant, she felt she had reached a certain resonance with this man in the depths of her soul.
This feeling simply mesmerized her.
"Hahahahaha—!"
Harley laughed along, hugging Homelander's neck tightly with her legs wrapped around his waist, laughing until tears streamed down her face.
"Prompt! Gained special popularity value + 10,000! (From Harley Quinn)"
Homelander looked down at the crazy woman in his arms with her ruined makeup and laughed even louder.
The laughter of the two echoed over this desperate wasteland World, appearing out of place yet surprisingly harmonious... Bruce Wayne's secret bunker entrance was located beneath a seemingly ordinary ruin.
Thick layers of lead plates blocked Superman's super senses.
When Homelander landed holding Harley, the bunker door slowly opened with a dull hydraulic sound.
Homelander stepped inside; there was no high-tech feel of the Batcave here, only various crude equipment pieced together for survival.
"Zzz—Pop!"
A blue arc of electricity flashed in the depths of the space.
Followed by a rush of wind.
A figure wearing dark red armor, surrounded by blue electricity, moved at high speed through the narrow passage, the wind blowing the blueprints on the table into a mess.
Barry Allen, The Flash.
Even in this apocalyptic environment, he had to keep training at all times to maintain his connection to the Speed Force.
He seemed to sense the intrusion of a stranger, his figure suddenly pausing as he stopped in front of Homelander.
At the first glimpse of Homelander, Barry's face instantly turned ashen.
"Super—?!"
"Calm down, Speedster." Homelander smiled and raised a hand, "Take a good look; I guess you've mistaken me for that imposter too."
Barry was stunned; he blinked and looked carefully once more.
It wasn't that tyrant from Metropolis, though they had similar builds and that damn sense of oppression.
"Who are you?" Barry relaxed slightly but remained vigilant, his fingers tapping uneasily on the armor plate on his outer thigh. "Did Bruce bring you back? Where's Bruce?"
"He's eating dust behind us." Harley peeked out from behind Homelander, "Hi, Flashy. Let me introduce you, this is my new boyfriend, Mr. Milk Candy. Oh, by the way, he's strong, super strong."
"First time meeting you." Homelander gave a standard friendly smile and nodded slightly.
"I am Homelander."
"Although you all seem to have some post-traumatic stress disorder regarding my look, I guarantee I'm much more lovable than that guy you're thinking of."
"Homelander?" Barry reached out awkwardly, "Uh... hi? I'm Barry Allen, you can call me The Flash. If you're also here to fight that blue tyrant, then we're friends."
At this moment, footsteps sounded at the tunnel entrance.
Bruce, Cyborg, and Deathstroke walked in. Bruce looked even more exhausted than before; he took off his goggles, revealing bloodshot eyes.
"It seems you've already met." Bruce threw his rifle on the table, took out a bottle of water, and took a swig.
"Bruce, is this Homelander a helper you found?" Barry pointed at Homelander, speaking rapidly, "He looks like that guy's cousin, or some kind of crazy clone?"
"He's not," Bruce wiped the water from the corner of his mouth, "at least that's what he says."
He turned around and gestured for everyone to gather around.
"We have no time for small talk. Homelander, since you've joined the Resistance, you need to know what we're facing."
Bruce tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and a holographic projection lit up; shocking photos and video clips appeared in the air.
"All of this... stems from an invasion... Darkseid."
On the screen appeared a large alien with rocky gray skin, his eyes firing zigzagging red death rays.
"He is the tyrant of Apokolips. A few months ago, he personally led an army to descend upon Earth."
Bruce's fingers trembled slightly on the console; it was a moment he could never forgive himself for.
"Clark... Superman, he was our strongest line of defense. He had to go to the front lines to face Darkseid's vanguard."
"Before leaving, he entrusted Lois Lane to me."
A photo appeared on the holographic screen of an intellectual and beautiful woman.
"Lois was not only his lover but his humanity in this World. And at that time... she was already pregnant."
Bruce sighed softly and closed his eyes.
"I hid her in the Batcave; I thought it was the safest place. I promised Clark I would protect her with my life."
"But I failed."
"Darkseid used a Boom Tube to bypass the front lines and raid the Batcave."
The scene changed. The Batcave turned into a sea of fire, and Batman lay in a pool of blood.
"Right in front of me, he used those red death rays... to burn Lois, and that unborn child, to cinders."