Nebula walked to the desk and stopped, standing as straight as a soldier.
She didn't bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point.
"Homelander, I want to participate in that gladiator competition. Add my name to the entry list."
Homelander didn't mind her slightly presumptuous tone; he simply smiled slightly and asked, "You know who the opponents are in that competition, and you know the price of failure. Why do you want to join?"
Nebula turned her face away, avoiding Homelander's gaze.
"That is my business. Let me join the list. If you aren't willing, give me a spaceship, and I will pay you."
Homelander didn't answer directly; he stood up and walked over to Nebula.
"Don't be in such a hurry to talk about fighting and killing, Nebula." Homelander looked at her with a concerned gaze. "You've been at Vought for a while now..."
"Tell me, how is life here? Are you adjusting well?"
Nebula was taken aback, clearly unaccustomed to this pace.
"It's fine." She answered stiffly. "There is delicious food here, and quiet rooms. No one dismantles my organs when I fail."
"I have never felt this relaxed in my life."
"That's good." Homelander nodded slightly, a hint of perfectly timed guilt appearing in his eyes. "Ever since I returned to Earth, there has been constant trouble. As friends who once fought side by side, I have neglected to care for you. This is my dereliction of duty, and I am very sorry, Nebula."
Nebula was a bit dazed by this sudden concern.
Killing, orders, and punishment—this had been her daily routine since she was young.
"You... you didn't do anything wrong." Nebula was a bit nervous, not knowing how to handle this kind of relationship. "People should only look out for themselves. That is the law of survival. You don't need to apologize to me."
Homelander shook his head gently and said, "If you only look out for yourself, why are you so persistent about joining the gladiator competition? You could completely stay on Earth and live a stable life."
"Because I want revenge, against Thanos." Nebula frowned, trying her best to look fierce.
"Don't lie to yourself..." Homelander pierced through her lie directly and took another step closer.
"You are not doing this for revenge; you are doing it for family, for that love you have never received but have always craved. It is Gamora, isn't it?"
"I am not!" Nebula backed away and shouted, "I am a warrior! A heartless weapon; I don't have that kind of weak stuff!"
"Don't resist it, Nebula." Homelander reached out and grabbed Nebula. "Thanos treats you as a weapon, but you are not one. You possess a heart that is more passionate than anyone else's. You know what you should be fighting for."
He gazed at Nebula's somewhat lost and bewildered face and said softly:
"Listen to me, girl. You have the right to embrace these emotions, and you have the right to be cared for."
Homelander raised his hand, reaching out gently towards Nebula's face.
"You were meant to be a beautiful girl with a bright smile."
Nebula's body tensed up instantly, instinctively wanting to wave her hand and block Homelander's arm.
But how could Homelander let her have her way?
Just at the moment she was about to make a resisting gesture.
"Activate... Arsonist of Hearts!" Homelander silently recited.
In less than a second, Homelander immediately deactivated the skin.
He already knew the side effects of this skin; he didn't want to be a walking pheromone all the time.
But this short, intense burst of charm was already enough.
Nebula's half-raised hand dropped back down, and her tensed muscles relaxed.
She even involuntarily tilted her head, actively leaning into Homelander's palm.
An unknown sense of pleasure flowed from Homelander's fingertips into Nebula's brain.
That feeling of being understood, being accepted, and being cherished made her give up resistance, and she couldn't help but lose herself in this unfamiliar warmth.
[Notification! Gained special popularity value +15000! (From Nebula)]
"The spot is yours." Homelander looked at Nebula, who was still immersed in the afterglow, and smiled. "You can join the competition. Furthermore, during the time before the competition starts, I will personally guide your training."
Nebula came back to her senses, looking at the tall and handsome man in front of her.
A hint of shock flashed in her eyes: "Why? Why are you being so good to me?"
"Because you are worth it..."
Without any extra embellishment, this simple sentence directly touched the softest corner of Nebula's heart.
Nebula, who had never been treated with tenderness, felt the urge to cry for the first time.
But sadly, she had been stripped of her tear ducts and lost the ability to cry.
She could only express her current emotions in the clumsiest way.
Nebula slowly raised her arms, her movements clumsy and stiff.
Finally, she gave Homelander a tight hug.
This was the first time in her life she had actively hugged someone.
[Notification! Gained special popularity value +30000! (From Nebula)]
Listening to the system's wonderful notification sound, Homelander curled the corner of his mouth.
Another premium harvest has matured.
Just as Homelander was enjoying the joy of the harvest, Miss Skynet appeared in the office.
"Sir, excuse me. Regarding the issue of the spatial rift above Hong Kong, global public opinion is fermenting rapidly. Ashley wants to discuss the press conference with you."
Hearing the commotion, Nebula woke from her dream, hurriedly pulling away from Homelander's embrace.
"I... I'm going to the training room."
Nebula left a sentence behind, and with slightly purple cheeks, she hurried out of the office.
...
One day later.
Vought International press conference hall.
The hall was packed, and Homelander, in his crisp uniform, walked from behind the scenes to the podium under the spotlight.
Bursts of applause erupted from the audience.
Homelander wore a smile, calmly and unhurriedly answering the various questions thrown by reporters.
From the post-war reconstruction work of Superheroes to Vought's plan to benefit humanity, his answers were watertight and could be called perfect.
Until a veteran reporter raised their hand and asked the question the whole World was currently most concerned about.
"Mr. Homelander, although the Demon God Dormammu has been killed by you, the spatial rift above Hong Kong still exists, and there is much speculation from the outside World. May I ask what the reason for all this is? When will it disappear?"
Hearing this question, the smile on Homelander's face disappeared.
His expression became solemn and heavy.
"I do not want to lie to the World, but the public has the right to know the truth..."
Homelander's deep voice spread across the globe through the cameras.
"After days and nights of research by Vought's Chief Astrophysicist, Dr. Jane Foster, we have reached a cruel conclusion."
"That rift is devouring our Earth's space. Although the Demon God who attempted to destroy us is dead, and the speed of the devouring has been significantly reduced, this process is irreversible..."
A stifled gasp echoed through the hall.
"According to the mathematical model established by Dr. Foster..."
"In at most two and a half years, Earth will be swallowed by that Dark Dimension and converted into chaotic dark particles."
"The scientific community has named this phenomenon... the Sunspot Effect."
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