Chapter 46: A Dog's Life is a Wilderness
The next day.
Li Xing was woken up by the sunlight.
To be precise, he was woken up by the sound of a power drill from a worker patching a hole upstairs.
Thump, thump, thump. Zzz, zzz, zzz.
He opened his eyes and looked at the large hole in the ceiling covered by a temporary plastic sheet.
Behind the plastic sheet, there was a worker's shoe sole.
Li Xing remained silent for two seconds.
"The housing experience in New York is truly something else."
"You can even see someone else's sewer after a nap."
He sat up.
The room was very quiet.
Too quiet.
There was no gurgling sound from the hookah.
There was no "wer~ wer~" sound from the beagle.
There was no dog bark asking, "Bro, what's for breakfast?"
Li Xing got out of bed and walked to the living room.
Then, he stopped.
The coffee table was empty.
The cigar box was gone.
The vodka was gone.
The refrigerator door was half-open, and the bag of dog food inside was also gone.
The cabinets had been rummaged through, looking like they had just been visited by a group of robbers.
But the robbers had principles.
The cash was untouched, and the watch was still there.
They only took food, drink, and dog gear.
Li Xing stood where he was.
"Bibi Labu?"
No one responded.
He frowned.
"Stupid dog?"
A light cough came from the doorway.
Li Xing turned his head.
Bibi Labu was standing in the entryway.
He was wearing a small backpack.
The zipper of the backpack wasn't pulled up properly, revealing half a cigar box inside.
He had sunglasses hanging around his neck and an unlit cigar in his mouth.
Beside his paw sat a bottle of vodka.
His posture was solemn, like he was preparing for a campaign.
Li Xing looked at him.
"What are you doing, you big idiot?"
Bibi Labu looked up.
His eyes were deep, and he spoke in a very pretentious voice.
"Master."
"A dog's life is a wilderness."
"I don't want to be a burden to you."
"I want to go and temper myself."
Li Xing looked at the emptied cabinets.
"Do you need to take thirty boxes of my cigars to temper yourself?"
Bibi Labu tilted his head back.
"Material things are just a shell."
"The soul is the true destination."
"Then what about the dog food?"
"Travel expenses."
"The vodka?"
"Spiritual fuel."
Li Xing walked over and reached out to grab him by the scruff of his neck.
Bibi Labu immediately backed away.
"Don't touch me."
"I am a mature dog now."
"I don't know if this parting will be forever."
He raised a paw and pressed it against his chest.
"But if there is a chance, we will meet again in the future."
Li Xing said.
"Speak plainly."
Bibi Labu looked at him.
Three seconds later, he broke character.
"Vought wants to catch me."
"Black Noir even said they have prepared tranquilizer guns, shock collars, and nets for me."
"If I don't run, am I supposed to wait around to be made into Vought's annual new scientific product?"
Li Xing nodded.
"That makes sense."
Bibi Labu was stunned.
"You're not going to stop me?"
"Why would I stop you?"
Li Xing walked to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water.
"Dogs have a dog's freedom."
Bibi Labu's eyes flickered, and tears flowed down.
"You finally understand me."
Li Xing unscrewed the bottle cap.
"Mostly it's because if you're not here, the house will be a bit quieter."
Bibi Labu's touched feeling shattered.
"Spouting crap the moment you wake up in the morning."
"Sigh, you are unteachable."
Li Xing took a sip of water.
"Where are you planning to go?"
Bibi Labu put on his sunglasses.
"I can't say."
"True powerhouses never reveal their whereabouts."
"I will delve into the dark corners of this city."
"To witness the complexity of human nature and temper the resilience of my dog-character."
"And then, I will return as a king."
Li Xing looked at him.
"Be more specific."
Bibi Labu whispered.
"First, I'll go find a trash can to squat in for a couple of days."
Li Xing: "..."
Bibi Labu jumped up and pressed the door handle.
The door opened.
He stood outside the door and turned back.
"If heaven had not created me, Bibi Labu."
"The black robes would be as long as the endless night."
Li Xing said.
"If you don't leave now, I'll send you to Vought."
Bibi Labu took off running.
The elevator door hadn't closed yet, and his voice came from the hallway.
"Master, I took the cigars from the house!"
"Don't miss me too much!"
"If I get caught, remember to come bail me out!"
Li Xing leaned against the doorframe, watching the elevator numbers descend.
He lowered his head and glanced at the water bottle in his hand.
At the mouth of the bottle, a small drop of water floated up along his fingertip.
That drop of water did not fall to the ground.
It was like a living creature; it squeezed out through the crack in the door, crept along the corner of the wall, and crawled into the elevator shaft.
A few seconds later, another drop of water silently mixed into the vodka bottle in Bibi Labu's backpack.
Li Xing closed the door.
"A dog's life is a wilderness."
He chuckled.
"It's best if there are no dog catchers in the wilderness."
...
10:00 AM.
Vought Tower.
99th-floor Conference Room.
The long table was polished very bright.
A-Train sat in a chair, his leg shaking constantly.
He hadn't slept well last night.
On one hand, it was because of the compound v incident.
On the other hand, his speed had been getting slower recently, and there was a new runner in Su City who was extremely fast.
He knew what the consequences would be if he slowed down.
Maeve sat on the other side with coffee in front of her.
The coffee was untouched.
She looked as if she had just been fished out of alcohol, appearing quite exhausted.
Starlight sat very straight.
She tried hard to control her breathing.
But she was still too young.
At this table, nervousness wasn't just an emotion; it was evidence of guilt.
Black Noir sat in his seat.
He was holding a small notebook, drawing little animals.
Homelander stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
His back was turned to everyone.
New York was at his feet.
He liked this angle.
It served to remind him that he was a god.
9:59 AM.
No one was outside the door.
A-Train glanced at his watch.
"Is he late again?"
Maeve said.
"You can go and urge him."
A-Train shut his mouth.
9:59:58 AM.
The door opened.
Li Xing walked in.
He was wearing a black trench coat, his hair wasn't fully styled yet, and he was holding a cup of coffee.
It looked like he was just passing by, not like he was attending a meeting.
Homelander said softly.
"You're late."
Li Xing glanced at the clock on the wall.
The second hand had just ticked to 10:00.
"No."
"I arrived at the very last second."
He sat down in his chair.
"This is called respecting the limits of time."
Maeve lowered her head to drink her coffee, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly.
A-Train didn't dare to laugh.
Starlight glanced at Li Xing and quickly looked away.
Homelander turned around.
"Everyone is here."
He said.
"Very good."
The Conference Room door locked automatically.
Click.
The sound wasn't loud, but everyone heard it.
Something was wrong...
Chapter 47: An Unusual Meeting.
The sound of the Conference Room door locking echoed.
Starlight looked at the door subconsciously.
A-Train's leg stopped for a moment, then continued to shake.
Maeve set her coffee cup back on the table.
Black Noir looked up at Homelander.
Li Xing leaned back against his chair, his coffee still steaming.
This wasn't a meeting at all.
This was an interrogation room.
Homelander stood with his back to everyone, facing the floor-to-ceiling window.
"The fact is, I feel like we haven't had a heart-to-heart talk in a long time."
No one replied.
Homelander turned half his face, his smile faint.
"How about some criticism."
"Or some tough love."
He said this and looked at Li Xing.
"Right, Li?"
Li Xing nodded and took a sip of coffee.
"Indeed."
"It's time everyone sat down and had a good talk."
Maeve turned slightly, one arm resting on the edge of the table.
"What does that mean?"
Homelander finally turned around.
His cape swayed gently.
"It means that recently, some of you haven't been quite right."
He walked past the long table as he spoke.
"Unreliable."
He passed A-Train.
A-Train looked up and offered a forced smile.
Homelander didn't stop.
"Very lazy."
He walked behind Black Noir and reached out to press on Black Noir's shoulder.
"Of course not you, Black Noir."
"You have always been excellent."
Black Noir nodded.
He looked down, wrote a line on his sketchpad, and pushed it toward Li Xing to see.
[Where is Bibi Labu?]
Li Xing glanced at it.
"Gone to explore his dog life."
Black Noir's eyes slowly drooped.
He wrote again.
[Will he come back?]
Li Xing said.
"Depends on how the food in the trash can is."
Black Noir was silent for two seconds, then drew a beagle squatting by a trash can.
He also drew a crying face next to it.
Homelander continued walking forward.
"But the rest of you."
His voice turned colder.
"I can say, I am a little disappointed."
A-Train lowered his head.
Starlight frowned.
Maeve's mouth twitched.
Homelander stopped at the end of the long table.
"The great The Seven, we are now down to just five, damn it."
"The Deep is out."
"Translucent is dead."
He said this and glanced at Li Xing.
Li Xing had a cigarette in his mouth and showed no reaction.
Homelander smiled.
"We are like a bunch of headless flies now, bumping around everywhere."
"But now, I think I know the reason."
He pressed the remote control.
The large screen in the Conference Room lit up.
A photo appeared on the screen.
Hughie.
In the photo, he was wearing a regular jacket, standing on a street corner, looking pale.
Starlight froze completely.
"Why is there a photo of Hughie on there?"
She looked at Homelander.
"Is this a joke?"
Maeve also looked at the screen.
"Who is this guy?"
Homelander didn't look at Maeve.
He only looked at Starlight.
"Hughie Campbell."
"Starlight's boyfriend."
A-Train's expression changed.
He stared at Hughie on the screen, his eyes sinking in an instant.
Homelander continued.
"He is also one of the people who killed Translucent."
The Conference Room went quiet.
Only the sound of the air conditioner could be heard.
Li Xing took out a cigarette and lit it.
Homelander turned his head.
"Li, what did you say that group was called again?"
Li Xing exhaled a puff of smoke.
"The Boys."
Starlight glared at Li Xing.
"You knew too?"
Li Xing spread his hands.
"I know quite a lot."
Starlight shook her head in disbelief.
"WTF?"
"Hughie?"
"No."
She looked at Homelander.
"No, no, no, this is fucking crazy."
Homelander wasn't angry.
He just smiled at her.
"Starlight, these words of yours make me very sad."
Starlight stood up.
The chair scraped against the floor.
"You must be mistaken."
"Hughie is just a regular person."
Homelander pulled up another photo—the scene record of Robin.
"A-Train, this is your 'masterpiece,' right?"
A-Train's face turned pale, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"That... that was an accident. I couldn't stop."
Starlight's face turned white.
Homelander watched this scene, his smile unchanged.
He liked this feeling.
The truth was torn open.
Everyone was bleeding.
But the one bleeding wasn't him.
Homelander looked at Starlight.
"So, your regular boy."
"Happens to know the people who killed Translucent."
"Happens to get close to you."
"Happens to be dating you."
"Happens to be investigating compound v."
He finished and took a step forward.
"Do you think I'll believe that?"
Starlight's breathing became heavy.
"I don't know about these."
"Hughie has no superpowers, he couldn't possibly do these things."
Homelander tilted his head.
"The facts are right here."
"Although he looks like a wimp, like a mediocre man."
"But what if he has accomplices?"
"For example..."
Starlight looked up.
"I said, I don't know."
Homelander suddenly laughed out loud.
"How cute."
He walked to Starlight's side and bent down to look at her.
"Do you know why I hate humans?"
"Because they are too weak."
"So weak that they can only live by lying."
Starlight stood up, her hands clenched.
The Conference Room lights flickered.
A little white light began to emanate from her body.
Homelander looked down, watching Starlight's glowing hands, his eyes beginning to turn red.
"Put your hands down, at your sides, young lady!"
Starlight was terrified and didn't dare to act rashly.
"Sit down."
Starlight sat back down in her seat.
Homelander watched Starlight sit down.
His smile returned.
As if nothing had happened.
"Very good."
He walked to the long table and tapped the surface lightly with his fingertips.
"Let's continue."
On the large screen, next to Hughie's photo, a few more images popped up.
Butcher.
MM.
Frenchie.
Kimiko.
And a blurry surveillance screenshot.
Starlight saw Hughie standing in a dark alley, with Butchernext to him.
Her expression changed completely.
Homelander watched her expression, his tone gentle.
"Now, do you still want to say you don't know?"
Starlight opened her mouth. She had seen Butcher before, at the tavern, but at that time Starlight thought he was just Hughie's friend.
Now it seemed that Hughie had been lying to her all along.
Li Xing glanced at the surveillance camera in the corner.
Good.
The atmosphere was just right.
He put down his coffee.
"Clearly, Starlight has fallen into the swamp of love."
He stood up slowly.
"Her mind is no longer clear."
Starlight turned to look at him.
Li Xing smiled.
"How about this."
"I'll help her wake up."
As the words fell, several bottles of mineral water on the long table exploded simultaneously.
Bang!
Water splashed up.
All the water streams converged in mid-air into a thick arm, rushing directly towards Starlight.
Just as Starlight was about to raise her hand, the water had already wrapped around her wrists.
The next second.
That water hand gripped her throat, lifting her entire body off the chair.
The chair fell to the ground.
Starlight's feet left the ground.
Her hands clawed at the water, but she couldn't grab anything solid.
The water flowed between her fingers and closed back up again.
The light on her body grew brighter and brighter.
But the Conference Room didn't give her enough electricity.
The lights had been short-circuited by half by Li Xing using water lines in advance.
The remaining electricity was only enough for her to struggle.
A-Train sat in his original seat, his leg no longer shaking.
He looked at Starlight.
Then he looked at Li Xing.
Li Xing turned his head and glanced at him.
A-Train immediately looked away.
He knew he had dirt in Li Xing's hands and didn't dare to act rashly at this moment.
Sometimes people aren't incapable of picking a side.
It's that they don't dare to pick the wrong side.
Maeve stared at that water hand, slowly leaning back into her chair, her fingers tightening around the coffee cup.
She didn't speak, but the way she looked at Li Xing had completely changed.
Only now did Maeve realize that Li Xing had other abilities.
Homelander sat back in his chair, hands crossed, as if enjoying a show.
Starlight's face began to turn red.
Li Xing walked in front of her.
The water hand lifted her higher.
"Listen."
"If you want to be a good person, date, and expose all that rotten business at Vought, I won't stop you."
"I might even applaud you."
Starlight looked at him with difficulty.
Li Xing's voice remained calm.
"But you can't hold Vought's rice bowl while flipping the table, and still expect these people at the table to hand you tissues."
"Annie."
Her pupils constricted.
"You think Hughie is your salvation."
"But he had an agenda from the moment he approached you."
Starlight squeezed a voice out of her throat.
"He... is not..."
Li Xing interrupted her.
"Whether he is or not is not important."
"What's important is that you believed it."
"You put yourself in the most vulnerable position."
The water loosened a bit.
Starlight gasped for air.
Homelander looked at Li Xing, very satisfied.
Li Xing turned around and looked at A-Train.
"A-Train."
A-Train's body stiffened.
"Tell me, if Hughie knew you were still living so comfortably, what would he think?"
A-Train's Adam's apple bobbed.
"I don't know."
Li Xing walked behind him, his fingers resting on the back of his chair.
"You do."
"He would want to kill you."
"The Boys would also want to kill you."
"If Starlight continues to stand on Hughie's side, she is handing your life to them."
A-Train looked at Starlight.
There was fear and resentment in his eyes.
"You fucking bitch, no wonder The Deep asked you to suck him off."
Homelander swept a glance at him indifferently.
"A-Train, watch your language."
Starlight gasped for air, saying nothing.
Only now did she realize.
Li Xing wasn't interrogating her on behalf of Homelander.
He was putting everyone's interests in direct opposition to her.
She was standing on the opposite side of the entire table all by herself.
Li Xing looked at Maeve again.
"Maeve, you want to protect her."
Maeve kept a cold face.
"I didn't say that."
Li Xing smiled.
"You were like this when you were young."
"Thinking the world could still be saved."
"Later you realized, the world is just a mess."
Maeve's eyes darkened.
Li Xing tapped the table.
"So you should know even better that the way she's playing now will get her killed."
Maeve didn't refute this.
Because this statement was the truth.
Starlight's chest heaved.
She looked at Li Xing, her voice raspy.
"What do you want, exactly?"
Li Xing turned his head.
The water hand lowered her a bit.
Allowing her to see everyone.
"I want you to remember one thing."
"From today on, if you dare to disobey John in any way, I will kill you instantly."
Starlight was stunned.
Homelander's smile faded a bit.
This sentence didn't sound much like a threat.
It sounded more like a reminder.
He didn't like Li Xing teaching others to be too smart.
But Li Xing didn't look at him.
He raised his hand.
The water dispersed.
Starlight fell back into her chair, coughing violently.
The water on the table slowly converged back into the bottle mouth.
The broken bottle was wrapped by the water, as if nothing had happened.
Only a circle of wet marks remained on the table.
Homelander clapped twice.
"Brilliant."
"That's it, class dismissed."
"Li, you stay behind."
Chapter 48: Family, Brotherhood
In the Conference Room.
Starlight was helped out by Maeve.
A-Train followed behind, his steps slower than usual.
Black Noir left last.
When he reached the doorway, he turned back to look at Li Xing.
Li Xing waved at him.
Black Noir nodded and closed the door.
Click.
There were only two people left in the Conference Room.
Homelander sat at the end of the long table.
Li Xing stood on the other side, picked up the cigarette pack on the table, and tapped off the water stains on it.
The big screen was still paused on Hughie's photo.
Homelander watched the screen.
"You did well just now."
Li Xing put a cigarette in his mouth.
"Just a trivial matter."
"From now on, whoever you're unhappy with, I'll take them out."
Homelander smiled.
He didn't speak immediately.
This kind of silence was rare.
Homelander was usually either ordering others around or waiting for others to worship him.
But now, he seemed to be thinking about something from a long time ago.
Li Xing lit his cigarette.
"You didn't keep me here just to compliment me, did you?"
Homelander watched Hughie's photo.
"Why do you think he dared to do this?"
Li Xing glanced at the screen.
"Because his girlfriend was smashed by A-Train."
Homelander frowned.
"I know that."
Li Xing sat back in his chair.
"Then what else could it be?"
"Hatred is something that doesn't need a complicated reason."
Homelander turned his head.
"Have you ever had it?"
Li Xing shrugged.
"No."
Homelander asked.
"What about family?"
Ash fell on the rim of the cup.
Li Xing paused for half a second.
"You're talking about pretty heartwarming topics today."
Homelander didn't smile.
Family was a very strange topic for Homelander.
He leaned back in his chair, his tone casual.
"I just suddenly thought that we've never talked about this before."
Li Xing looked at him.
Homelander said.
"Your parents."
"Dead."
"When?"
"A long time ago."
"How did they die?"
"I don't know."
Li Xing said it very flatly.
"I was in a welfare institution as far back as I can remember."
"I couldn't get enough to eat, wasn't warm enough, and couldn't even go to school."
He took a drag of the cigarette.
"Logically speaking, I should be grateful."
Homelander looked at him.
"Are you grateful?"
Li Xing laughed.
"I'm not an idiot."
The corners of Homelander's mouth twitched.
He liked this answer.
Because it was real.
Li Xing continued.
"The welfare institution taught me one thing."
"Don't wait for people to love you."
"Because there are too many people in line."
"If you don't fight for it, you won't even have leftovers."
The Conference Room was very quiet.
Homelander lowered his head, looking at his gloves.
Li Xing held the cigarette between his fingers and said slowly.
"Laboratories, white walls, observation windows, researchers."
"No mom, no dad."
"They held notebooks, watching you cry, watching you eat, watching you sleep."
"The first time you flew, they recorded the data."
"The first time you lost control, they reinforced the room."
The smile on Homelander's face disappeared; these things were top secret at Vought...
"Did Madelyn Stillwell tell you?"
"I know a lot of things."
Homelander was silent.
After a few seconds, he let out a laugh.
"They said I was a miracle."
"The son of America."
"A natural-born hero."
He raised his hand and pointed to his chest.
"But when I was a child, I only wanted to know why no one hugged me."
Li Xing didn't respond.
Homelander continued.
"Do you know how they comforted me?"
"They played the national anthem for me."
Li Xing's cigarette-smoking motion paused.
Homelander looked out the window.
"A child crying in a room."
"Playing The Star-Spangled Banner outside."
"They thought it was very educational."
Li Xing said in a low voice.
"Vought is indeed good at mental pollution."
"If they had raised you differently, you might be the John of another world right now."
"Let me think, a kind and righteous John, that's interesting."
Homelander smiled.
He smiled for a moment, then stopped.
He suddenly looked at Li Xing.
"So you understand, right?"
Li Xing said.
"Understand what?"
"Understand why I hate betrayal."
Homelander's voice dropped a bit.
"In my life, everyone has been taking things away from me."
"The researchers took my childhood."
"The company took my name."
"The audience took my face."
"Madelyn Stillwell..."
He stopped there.
Li Xing finished the sentence.
"Took away your mother fantasy."
Homelander looked at him.
The air grew cold.
If anyone else had said that, they would have already been scalped by Heat Vision.
But Li Xing didn't dodge.
He even flicked his cigarette ash into the cup in front of Homelander.
Homelander stared at him for a long time.
"You're a fucking asshole."
Li Xing nodded.
"Thanks, you're not bad either."
Homelander stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
"What about you?"
"Me?"
"Do you want a family?"
Li Xing thought for a moment.
"I want cheaper rent."
"Really."
"My place was demolished twice last night by some guy wearing a cape."
"The woman upstairs is still crying."
Homelander said softly.
"I can compensate you with a house."
"No need."
"Why?"
"Because yours is mine, and mine is yours."
"Between good brothers, there's no need to distinguish between yours and mine."
The two looked at each other.
A few seconds later.
Homelander nodded.
"Good."
As these words fell.
The door to the Conference Room opened.
...
Queens.
An ordinary apartment building.
The hallway smelled of takeout and laundry detergent.
Hughie's father, Mr. Campbell, sat on the sofa, holding a remote control.
A TV show was playing on the television.
Ding.
The doorbell rang.
He got up to open the door.
A young Black man stood outside the door.
Wearing a hat, a sports jacket, and smiling very politely.
Mr. Campbell was taken aback.
"You are..."
A-Train looked up.
"Hello, sir."
"I'm a friend of Hughie."
Mr. Campbell frowned.
"Hughie didn't tell me anyone was coming today."
A-Train's smile didn't change.
"He asked me to come over on short notice."
Mr. Campbell still didn't step aside.
"What's your name?"
A-Train took off his hat.
Mr. Campbell's expression froze.
He recognized him.
That face on TV.
The fastest man in the world.
Also the person who smashed Robin.
The room went quiet.
The remote control slipped from Mr. Campbell's hand and fell onto the carpet.
A-Train watched him.
The smile faded little by little.
"It seems you know who I am."
Mr. Campbell took a step back.
"What are you here for?"
A-Train walked into the room and closed the door behind him.
"Don't be nervous."
"I just want to have a chat with Hughie."
Mr. Campbell's voice trembled.
"He's not here."
"I know."
A-Train glanced at the living room.
A family photo hung on the wall.
Hughie holding a toy when he was a child.
Beside him was his father.
No mother.
A-Train stared at the photo for two seconds.
"How heartwarming."
Mr. Campbell rushed toward the phone.
But as soon as he moved, A-Train was already standing in front of him.
The speed was so fast that the wind flipped the newspaper on the table.
Mr. Campbell bumped into A-Train's chest.
A-Train held his shoulder with one hand.
"Don't do that."
"I don't want to hurt an old man."
A-Train picked up the mobile phone on the table.
"Call Hughie."
Mr. Campbell didn't move.
A-Train looked at him.
"I said, make the call."
Mr. Campbell raised his hand.
A-Train shoved the phone to him.
The call was dialed.
Beep.
Beep.
After the third ring, it was answered.
Hughie's voice came from the other end of the line.
"Dad?"
Mr. Campbell opened his mouth.
A-Train raised his hand, placing his index finger to his lips.
Mr. Campbell's voice was tight.
"Hughie."
Hughie immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
A-Train took the phone.
"Hi, Hughie."
There was silence on the other end of the line.
The next second, Hughie's voice changed.
"Who are you?"
A-Train looked at Mr. Campbell.
"You should know."
Hughie's breathing paused for a moment.
"A-Train."
A-Train laughed.
"Seems like I'm quite recognizable."
There was noise on Hughie's end.
Like someone standing up.
A-Train said.
"I'm warning you, don't tell anyone. If I see any strangers around..."
"I will smash your father just like I smashed your little girlfriend."
Hughie's voice lowered.
"What do you want?"
A-Train walked to the window.
"I want to have a chat."
Chapter 49: Hughie's Contingency
Twenty minutes later.
Hughie stood at the doorway, his hand on the key, not opening the door immediately.
The house was very quiet.
No sounds of fighting.
No screaming.
Only the low sound of the television.
Hughie took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
In the living room.
Mr. Campbell sat on the sofa, holding a glass of water in his hand.
He hadn't taken a drink.
The rim of the glass was shaking constantly.
Hughie walked over immediately.
"Dad."
Mr. Campbell looked up, and upon seeing him, the light returned to his eyes.
He lowered his voice.
"He was here just a moment ago."
Hughie looked around.
The table wasn't overturned, the windows weren't broken.
The family photos on the wall were still there.
Mr. Campbell grabbed Hughie's wrist.
"He didn't look right."
"He was in a rush."
Hughie nodded.
"I know."
Mr. Campbell's voice was even lower.
"Hughie, who exactly have you gotten involved with?"
Hughie didn't answer.
What could he say?
Say that he and a group of underground fugitives took out Translucent, one of The Seven, and now he was being hunted by The Seven?
Say that his girlfriend was a new member of The Seven, and The Seven had just interrogated her as a traitor?
If he said that, his dad might just ask to respawn on the spot.
Hughie patted his father's hand.
"Dad, listen to me."
"No matter what happens in a moment, don't say anything."
"I'll handle it."
Mr. Campbell was so scared he didn't know what expression to make.
Hughie opened his mouth.
Before he could speak.
A voice came from behind him.
"He's right."
Hughie spun around sharply.
A-Train stood at the bedroom doorway.
Holding a few toys in his hand.
They were all A-Train action figures.
A 2016 Comic-Con special edition talking figure.
A limited edition with a signed base.
And an early version wearing the old-school blue and white suit.
A-Train pressed the sound button.
The toy emitted an electronic sound.
"Look out! A-Train is coming!"
No one in the living room laughed.
A-Train looked at the figures in his hand, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Wow."
"Didn't expect you to be a fan of mine."
Hughie stared at him.
"Put them down."
A-Train placed the figures on the coffee table.
One.
Two.
Three.
He moved very slowly.
"This special edition, I remember it going for eight hundred dollars back in the day."
"Did your dad buy this for you?"
Mr. Campbell stood up.
"Don't touch his things."
A-Train appeared in front of him in an instant.
The wind blew the tissues on the table.
Hughie's heart skipped a beat.
A-Train didn't strike.
He just looked down at Mr. Campbell.
"Old man."
"You'd better sit back down."
Hughie spoke up immediately.
"Don't touch him."
Hughie slowly reached his hand into his jacket.
A-Train's eyes changed instantly.
Hughie pulled a small refrigerated vial from his pocket.
The vial wasn't big.
Inside was a blue liquid.
The well-known compound v.
A-Train's eyes locked onto it immediately.
He didn't move.
But his Adam's apple bobbed.
Hughie saw it.
He knew he had bet correctly.
Butcher said A-Train was a waste of space.
MM said A-Train was a junkie.
Frenchie said that when a person craves something, their eyes kneel first.
Now, A-Train's eyes were already kneeling.
Hughie held the vial up high.
"You want this?"
A-Train stared at the compound v.
"I don't know what you have in your hand."
Hughie could tell A-Train was lying.
"You don't know, huh?"
"Then let me introduce it."
"This is your ticket to continue being the fastest man in the world."
A-Train looked at him, his expression turning cold.
"Are you threatening me?"
Hughie shook his head.
"I'm making a trade."
A-Train laughed.
"You?"
"Making a trade with me?"
He took a step closer.
"Do you know I can cut your hand off before you can blink?"
Hughie tightened his grip on the vial.
"And you also know I can smash it before you move."
A-Train stopped.
Hughie tilted the bottle slightly toward the floor.
"You really need it."
"Your speed has slowed down, right?"
The smile on A-Train's face vanished.
Hughie continued.
"You're afraid Homelander will find out you're not fast enough."
"Afraid of going from The Seven to an over-the-hill mascot at roadside autograph signings."
"As far as I know, there's a Superhuman in Sioux City who runs pretty fast."
A-Train said in a low voice.
"Shut up."
Hughie didn't shut up.
For the first time, he realized that standing in front of A-Train, he could actually make him stop.
This feeling was very strange.
And very addictive.
"Let my dad go."
"I'll give you this."
A-Train looked at the vial.
"Just this one?"
Hughie said.
"I know the source."
"You let him go, and I can give you more."
A-Train squinted.
"You think I'll believe you?"
Hughie looked at him.
"Which do you think is better?"
"Killing me."
"Or continuing to be the fastest man in the world?"
A-Train didn't speak.
The clock in the room ticked away.
Mr. Campbell looked at Hughie as if he were meeting his son for the first time.
A few seconds later.
A-Train turned his head to look at Mr. Campbell.
"Go."
Mr. Campbell didn't move.
Hughie said immediately.
"Dad, go downstairs."
"Now."
Mr. Campbell looked at him.
"Hughie."
"Go!"
This time, Hughie's voice was heavy.
Mr. Campbell froze for a moment, then finally picked up his coat and walked slowly toward the door.
A-Train didn't stop him.
The door opened.
Mr. Campbell walked out.
The door closed.
Only Hughie and A-Train were left in the living room.
A-Train reached out his hand.
"Give it to me."
Hughie didn't give it to him.
"This stuff must be wonderful, worth you smashing into a stranger."
A-Train frowned.
"I said, that was an accident."
"You didn't stop."
"I couldn't stop."
"You didn't apologize."
"I did."
"That was a PR statement."
Hughie's voice was trembling, but he didn't back down.
"Do you know what I remember?"
A-Train's expression turned ugly.
Hughie said.
"I remember I was still holding her hand."
"One second she was smiling."
"The next second, only her hands were left."
A-Train suddenly looked up.
"You think you're the only one who lost someone?"
"Popclaw is dead."
"She was murdered."
"I had a loved one too."
Hughie stared at him.
"So what?"
"You want me to sympathize with you?"
A-Train gritted his teeth.
"I'm just saying, I know that feeling."
Hughie shook his head.
"No."
"You don't know."
"You only know what it's like to lose things."
"You don't know remorse."
A-Train took a step forward.
"I fucking said it was an accident!"
Hughie also took a step forward.
"But you coming here to grab my dad now, that's not an accident."
When these words landed.
A-Train fell silent.
His fingers twitched.
He wanted to snatch it.
But he didn't dare to bet.
The blue liquid was right between Hughie's fingers.
If he smashed it, his trip tonight would be for nothing.
Even worse, he might never get another dose.
Just then.
A soft sound came from above the ceiling.
A-Train looked up sharply.
The attic hatch exploded open.
A figure dropped from above.
Kimiko held a sledgehammer with both hands, swinging it toward A-Train's knees.
A-Train reacted very quickly.
Fast enough that he had already turned to the side.
But he was a little too slow.
Just a little.
The hammer hit his right leg.
Crack!
The sound of a bone breaking rang out.
A-Train screamed, collapsing to the ground.
The coffee table was overturned.
A few A-Train figures rolled onto the floor.
That talking figure sounded again.
"Look out! A-Train is coming!"
Kimiko landed, let out a low growl, and swung the second hammer directly at his other leg.
A-Train endured the pain and raised his hand to block.
Bang!
He was knocked into the TV cabinet.
The screen shattered.
Hughie took two steps back.
"Kimiko!"
Kimiko looked at him, the meaning clear.
Run.
A-Train clutched his leg, his face covered in sweat.
"You bunch of assholes..."
He reached out to grab Hughie.
Hughie immediately hid the vial behind his back.
But the next second.
His hand was empty.
Hughie was stunned.
The vial was gone.
He looked down at his hand.
It hadn't shattered.
It hadn't dropped.
It was just gone.
As if someone had swiped it from between his fingers.
Outside the window.
A beagle was lying on the outdoor air conditioning unit.
It had the vial in its mouth.
It was wearing a small bag, sunglasses crooked on its face, and half a cigar poking out of the bag.
Bibi Labu looked at the three people in the room.
His dog face was very serious.
"Everyone."
"Although you're fighting with such passion."
"But this kind of contraband is best left for a professional dog to handle."
Hughie's eyes widened.
"A dog?"
A-Train was also stunned.
Kimiko tilted her head.
Bibi Labu shoved the vial into his bag and turned to run.
Hughie rushed to the window.
"Wait!"
Bibi Labu's four legs pedaled fast.
"Can't wait at all!"
"I'm a free dog now!"
"Free dogs don't accept summons!"
A-Train's expression changed abruptly.
He endured his broken leg and forced himself to stand up.
"Give the V back to me!"
The next second.
He turned into a blur and rushed toward the window.
But the broken leg slowed him down.
Kimiko pounced from behind, biting down hard on his shoulder, and tore his suit with one claw.
A-Train roared and backhanded her into the wall.
The wall cracked.
Hughie picked up a lamp from the floor and threw it at A-Train.
A-Train turned back and grabbed the lamp.
"Do you really think you can win?"
Hughie panted.
"I'm not trying to win."
"I just want you to lose for once."
A-Train's eyes turned red.
He raised his hand to grab Hughie.
Kimiko pounced again, the hammer hitting his ankle.
A-Train screamed, his ankle completely shattered.
This time, he was completely brought to his knees.
Chapter 50: Bibi Labu's Mutation
Bibi Labu was running fast.
At least, he thought so.
The rooftops, fire escapes, and air conditioning units of Queens formed a getaway route beneath his feet.
He carried a backpack, held a refrigerated tube in his mouth, his sunglasses hung on one ear, and his tail wagged as if he were about to take flight.
Someone downstairs looked up.
"Damn, is that a dog?"
Another person squinted.
"Is he holding something in his mouth too?"
Bibi Labu looked down and glared at them.
"What are you looking at?"
"Never seen a dog before?"
Bibi Labu ducked into an alleyway.
He first made sure no one was behind him.
No Hughie.
No A-Train.
No Asian woman who was as fierce as a demolition crew.
Very good.
Safe.
Bibi Labu leaned against a trash can and let out a long breath.
"Thrilling."
"Too thrilling."
"Me, a dog, actually daring to snatch something from a Superhuman."
"If Li Xing found out, he'd have to kneel down and lick my feet."
He looked down at the refrigerated tube in his mouth.
The blue liquid gently sloshed inside the tube.
Bibi Labu's eyes lit up.
"Is this compound v?"
"Doesn't look like a proper drink either."
He placed the refrigerated tube in front of his paws and circled it half a turn.
"Should I take it back to Li Xing?"
"Forget it."
"That guy can turn anything into water; it would be a total waste to give it to him."
Bibi Labu squatted down.
He stretched out his paw and gently nudged the refrigerated tube.
"This thing must be worth a lot."
"Vought's lifeline, A-Train's life-extending medicine, evidence for The Boys."
"Fell into my hands, Bibi Labu's."
He looked up at the light filtering into the alley entrance.
"What do you call this?"
"This is called the times choosing me."
Just as he finished speaking.
A low growl came from the depths of the alley.
Bibi Labu stiffened.
He slowly turned his head.
From behind the trash can, a Grey Pitbull walked out.
Its build was twice the size of his.
It had no collar, one ear was missing a piece, and its eyes looked very street-hardened.
Immediately after.
A second one.
A third one.
A fifth one.
Over a dozen street dogs emerged from the shadows.
There were Rottweilers, Dobermans, and large mixed-breed dogs of unknown generations.
They stared at Bibi Labu.
More accurately, they stared at the little blue tube by his paws.
Bibi Labu was silent for two seconds.
"Everyone."
"Let me state this first."
"This isn't food."
The Grey Pitbull stepped forward.
A low sound came from its throat.
Bibi Labu understood.
It said, hand it over.
Bibi Labu immediately pushed the refrigerated tube behind him.
"Can't you have a better attitude?"
"We're all canines; don't make it like a gang negotiation."
The Grey Pitbull growled again.
The pack of dogs behind it began to close in.
Bibi Labu looked at their teeth.
Then he looked down at his own short legs.
Can't win.
Definitely can't win.
This isn't a gap in strength.
This is a gap in biological modeling.
Bibi Labu coughed.
"Fine."
"Since everyone wants it."
"Then I'll show you."
He bent down and picked up the refrigerated tube again.
The Grey Pitbull's eyes shifted.
The next second.
Bibi Labu bolted.
"Give it to your mom! A bunch of stupid dogs."
The pack of dogs exploded.
Over a dozen dogs rushed out of the alley at once, trash cans were knocked over, trash bags burst open, and rotten pizza, tin cans, and old newspapers flew everywhere.
Bibi Labu ran in the lead.
He had the refrigerated tube in his mouth, and his backpack swayed wildly on his back.
"Fuck!"
"Do local New York dogs have no sense of personal space!"
The pack behind him chased wildly.
A passerby had just come out of a convenience store, and before they could take a bite of their hot dog, they saw a beagle dash past their feet with a blue object in its mouth.
Immediately after, over a dozen dogs whistled past.
The hot dog was gone.
The passerby looked down at their empty hands.
"?"
Bibi Labu cursed while running.
"You're robbing this too?"
"Do you know what this is?"
"This is high-end tech stuff that will make you explode if you eat it!"
The Grey Pitbull chased even harder.
It only knew that the blue thing looked delicious.
Bibi Labu turned into another narrow alley.
There was chain-link fencing ahead.
His pupils constricted.
"It's over."
The pack behind him closed in.
Bibi Labu looked at a hole under the chain-link fence.
The hole wasn't big.
The big dogs couldn't squeeze through.
But he could.
Bibi Labu's eyes lit up.
"This is the value of being small."
He lowered his head and lunged.
Just as he was squeezing through the hole, his backpack got stuck.
The cigar box fell out from inside.
Plop.
It landed on the ground.
Bibi Labu looked back, heartbroken.
"My spiritual legacy!"
The Grey Pitbull opened its mouth to bite it.
Bibi Labu panicked and lunged backward, wanting to snatch the cigars.
But he forgot he still had the refrigerated tube in his mouth.
A bicycle nearby fell over.
The handlebar hit him right on the chin.
Crack.
The refrigerated tube cracked.
Bibi Labu's eyes widened.
The blue liquid flowed out along the crack and dripped directly into his mouth.
He froze.
The pack of dogs also froze.
Bibi Labu smacked his lips.
"Hmm?"
"A bit sweet?"
The next second.
His body spasmed violently.
Blue veins lit up from his neck all the way to his limbs.
Bibi Labu fell to the ground, kicking his paws wildly.
The refrigerated tube shattered completely.
The rest of the compound v went into his mouth.
"Fuck!"
"Fuck, fuck, fuck."
"Am I going to die?"
He wanted to crawl up.
Couldn't crawl.
It felt like electric drills were boring holes in his bones.
His heart was beating very fast.
So fast that he could hear his blood rushing in his ears.
The pack of dogs retreated.
The Grey Pitbull also took a step back.
They had seen poisoned dogs.
They had never seen a dog emitting blue light.
Bibi Labu lay on the ground, his mouth twitching.
The pack continued to retreat.
Bibi Labu was breathing heavily.
His vision began to darken.
At this moment, he suddenly thought of Li Xing.
Thought of that run-down rental apartment.
Thought of how Li Xing scolded him as a stupid dog every time, yet always threw the last bite of meat to him.
Thought of that day in the cold storage warehouse, when Li Xing turned into a transparent puppy and flipped him off.
Bibi Labu's throat moved.
"Master."
"I think I'm really done for this time."
He trembled with his paws and opened the backpack.
Took out a cigar and a bottle of vodka.
Bibi Labu held the cigar in his mouth, his hand shaking too much to light it.
He cursed in anger.
"Can't even give me a light before I die."
"This world is so rude."
He grabbed the vodka again.
The cap was bitten off by him.
The smell of alcohol rushed out.
Bibi Labu was almost in tears.
"Forget it."
"Have a drink before I die."
"At least I'll die satisfied."
He tilted his head back and took a gulp.
The vodka went down his throat.
Ice cold.
Spicy and hot.
And a drop of water.
That drop of water, mixed in the alcohol, suddenly stopped the moment it entered his body.
Inside Bibi Labu, it was being crazily squeezed by the blue liquid.
Like a glass bead thrown into a furnace.
Bibi Labu arched his body violently.
His shadow stretched long on the wall.
Not because of the light.
It was because his body was actually changing.