Under Kimiko's expectant gaze, Aaron took a wisp of her "Karma" and found traces of her brother from the river of time, then easily located him based on those traces.
"Found him."
Aaron's right hand formed a claw, and he made a grasping motion at the empty space in front of him.
Then, a hooded, furtive man suddenly popped out. He looked around at the completely unfamiliar surroundings, bewildered.
That's not right, wasn't I contacting a snakehead to smuggle me into the United States? How did I suddenly arrive in another place in the blink of an eye?
Where did they take me?
"Kenji Miyashiro."
"Who!"
Kenji jolted, turning to look at a man and five women. They were looking at him with curiosity, as if he were a monkey.
Due to his past experiences, Kenji was extremely wary of everyone. He subconsciously felt that everyone wanted to harm him.
He raised his hands as if in a reflex. This was the sign of him activating his ability.
Kenji had been injected with Compound V and gained psychic abilities, allowing him to manipulate objects with Telekinesis. However, he needed to raise his hands as a prerequisite action, just like a mage casting a spell.
Moreover, his physique was no different from an ordinary person's, a typical high-attack, low-defense build.
But his meager abilities posed no threat to Aaron and the others.
Kenji did not immediately connect the voice's owner to his sister, because in his memory, his sister had become a mute woman.
It wasn't until he saw Kimiko that he froze, then hesitantly said, "Sister?"
Kimiko nodded in surprise, about to rush into an excited embrace, but she immediately remembered her identity and forcibly suppressed the urge.
"This is Aaron, my master. He helped me bring you here." Kimiko introduced.
"Master?"
Kenji'a expression changed drastically. He looked at Aaron angrily, his hands itching to act.
"You bastard, let go of my sister!"
"Little hedgehog, if I were you, I wouldn't casually extend my claws at such an unfathomable existence. That would be seen as offensive and provocative."
Aaron swatted him away like a fly with a backhand press, and an invisible pressure slammed down, pinning Kenji beneath him, unable to rise.
"Playing Telekinesis in front of me? Utter nonsense."
Aaron naturally had the right to say that. His Telekinesis was equivalent to his physical strength.
Kenji's meager abilities were like a grain of sand in a galaxy to him. Even a single strand of his hair was a mountain that Kenji could never surmount in his lifetime.
Kenji struggled unwillingly, but all was in vain.
"Master, Kenji is just a little nervous. I will teach him well." Kimiko carefully tugged Aaron's sleeve, looking anxious.
"Don't worry, I'm just teaching what attitude and status one should have when facing a strong person." Aaron said indifferently.
He wouldn't spoil Kenji because of Kimiko's identity. If he didn't even have this much discernment, he would sooner or later be crushed by others.
"Now, do you know what to do?"
Aaron glanced at Kenji, quietly withdrawing the Telekinesis mountain.
Kenji's expression changed repeatedly and he bowed. "Apologies, Your Excellency, I know I was wrong, please forgive me."
"Not bad, he who understands the times is a hero." Aaron nodded in satisfaction.
At this moment, Firecracker received a message, and her expression tightened.
"My dear, this is bad. Vought International is gathering Superheroes, trying to find the culprit who killed Homelander."
"Because The Seven were completely wiped out, Vought International's invincible reputation was shattered. Before the stock plunges further, we will face Vought International's full retaliation."
Aaron raised an eyebrow, looking at the television not far away.
A woman with shoulder-length black hair, wearing a black leather jacket, was passionately giving a speech in the crowd.
"Who is this? She doesn't look like a good person?"
Annie felt an inexplicable sense of repulsion towards her, as if this person was inherently incompatible with her.
"Stormfront, born in 1919, a former Nazi, white supremacist racist, one of Vought International's The Seven forty years ago, formerly code-named Liberty."
"1919? She looks so young..."
Firecracker's eyes lit up slightly. "Does she have eternal youth?"
Looking at Stormfront's youthful appearance, she didn't look like someone from the World War II era at all.
Annie and Queen Maeve also became interested.
No woman could resist the temptation of eternal youth.
"What eternal youth? Those are just normal abilities. Aaron can make you immortal in minutes." Gwenpool said with an expression that implied it was no big deal.
"Really?"
Firecracker was overjoyed, staring intently at Aaron.
Aaron said meaningfully, "That depends on your performance."
"Then I'll have to perform well."
Firecracker's alluring eyes were moist, wishing she could perform well right now.
Queen Maeve was filled with envy. At this moment, she envied Firecracker and Annie.
Even Kimiko was envious.
She was one of them, but she was an outsider.
Queen Maeve couldn't help but try to show off. "Since Stormfront has been hidden for so many years, bringing her out now means they're serious."
"And even Homelander is dead, yet they still dare to act. Do they have other trump cards?"
Aaron thought of something and said, "It seems they want to use that guy."
"Who?"
"Soldier Boy."
Queen Maeve's eyes widened. "No way! Wasn't he supposed to have died in an operation in 1984?"
As a current member of The Seven, Queen Maeve naturally knew about some famous heroes from the past.
Soldier Boy was the leader of Payback, and was also hailed as one of the greatest Superheroes in the United States. His strength was beyond doubt. In his era, he was the absolute king—just like Homelander now.
"He didn't die. In that battle, he was betrayed by his teammates. Vought International has clearly found him, and if nothing unexpected happens, he will become the new leader of The Seven."
"Oh, and Soldier Boy is also Homelander's father."
"Ah?!"
Queen Maeve, Annie, and the others were all shocked.
Didn't Vought International say that Homelander's abilities were innate?
He was Soldier Boy's son!
Aaron, however, didn't pay much attention.
After some thought, he said, "The new The Seven will be left for you to handle, consider it an assessment."
"Me?"
Firecracker and Annie couldn't help but show bitter expressions. They weren't confident in defeating Vought International.
"Don't worry. Before that, I will give you some new powers." Aaron chuckled.
Indeed, the current Annie and the others were not their opponents.
However, what if it was Annie with a solar ultimate energy storage cannon?
Plus nuclear explosion Firecracker, and powerful Kimiko?
How would you resist that, sir?
"New power? Is it eternal youth?"
Upon hearing this, Firecracker immediately became interested.
Queen Maeve was also eager to try. "Um... actually, I can also help a bit. I'm unhappy with Vought International, and I wish I could destroy them all."
Aaron shook his head. "For eternal youth, that depends on your future performance. This time, I will give you some extra power."
"Annie."
"I'm here!"
Annie immediately stepped forward, looking overjoyed.
"Your ability is to absorb surrounding electrical currents to create flashes, shockwaves, and flash eyes."
"The destructive power is low and the limitations are great, so I will grant you the ability to absorb and store solar energy."
Aaron gave Annie the enhanced light energy absorption ability. The latter immediately felt a warmth throughout her body, and a special change occurred that she couldn't perceive.
Aaron stomped his foot, and everyone was instantly transferred from the basement to the outside.
The scorching sun hung high in the sky, shimmering with endless brilliance.
Annie then sensed countless active energy factors constantly pouring into her body from all over. The scorching, vast energy was absorbed by her body, causing her eyes to glow with golden light, like a female angel descending, enveloped in golden light.
"I feel endless power!"
Annie spread her hands, gathering the absorbed solar energy in her chest, and with a boom, she shot it out, forming a light cannon that plowed a gully in the ground.
"Such terrifying destructive power!"
Firecracker was startled. Annie, who was not much stronger than her, became so powerful in the blink of an eye.
This was too incredible!
"I can feel that if I can absorb more solar energy, I can become even stronger."
Annie carefully sensed her changes. Most of the constantly absorbed solar energy was stored, and a small part was used to strengthen her body. This meant she could continuously grow stronger, just like Superman in the comics.
Firecracker looked at Aaron with burning eyes. "What about me? You can't be biased, I've done everything too."
Firecracker didn't want Annie to ride over her, so she constantly cajoled Aaron.
"What's yours will not be less."
Aaron patted Firecracker's shoulder, then bestowed upon her energy explosion and the eternal core. At the same time, he strengthened her inherent abilities.
The energy explosion combined with her enhanced ability, along with the eternal core, allowed her to unleash a hundred or even a thousand times her past power with a snap of her fingers.
Firecracker felt her heart filled with an endless power source, like an unceasing perpetual motion machine, continuously injecting vigorous power into her limbs.
"Oh! I feel like I'm going to explode!"
Firecracker stomped excitedly, and the violent power propelled her soaring into the sky.
Then she snapped her fingers, and a brilliant explosion erupted not far ahead, as terrifying and shocking as thunder.
"Hahaha, art is an explosion! From now on, please call me Explosion!"
Firecracker's ultimate evolution — Explosion!
Firecracker felt she could trigger even more powerful explosions.
The eternal core granted her almost infinite energy. She even felt that she could blow up the street beneath her feet with a single finger.
Queen Maeve was stunned and looked at Aaron with undisguised pleading eyes.
However, Aaron looked at Kimiko. "It's your turn, my little kitty."
Kimiko happily leaned in, lingeringly touching Aaron's large hand with her cheek, which made Kenji grit his teeth. However, he dared not show any reaction.
"Kimiko, you will possess powerful superhuman strength, as well as even greater regenerative abilities."
As he spoke, Kimiko felt a surge of vitality continuously pouring into her body, a life force a hundred times stronger than her own.
Originally, Kimiko was almost immortal. Even if her neck was twisted or her intestines torn, she could recover quickly. And now, her regenerative ability could even allow her to regenerate from a single drop of blood.
Looking at Kimiko, Aaron, with a mischievous intent, used Prank Power to give her another special enhancement.
Subsequently, sword-fighting techniques were injected into Kimiko's mind, and a long sword appeared in her hand.
Holding the long sword, an invisible aura enveloped Kimiko. She instantly transformed from an ordinary person into a swordswoman.
Perhaps it was muscle memory, but Kimiko immediately assumed a ready stance with the sword, exactly like Katana from Suicide Squad.
Hmm? Prank Power actually gave Kimiko another persona, Katana... her combat power has increased again.
Aaron was not at all surprised. Katana and Kimiko were the same person. It must be said, her figure was excellent. The pure white of her nape was particularly eye-catching.
If combined with Katana's ancient costume...
Aaron immediately felt a sudden reverence. It was very appealing, truly an evil uniform temptation.
Aaron decided to try out the female samurai later.
Queen Maeve's face was filled with anxiety. Watching everyone else receive enhancements while she remained unchanged made her incredibly frustrated.
It was one thing to be inferior to Annie and Firecracker, who had multiple power sources, but how could she be inferior to a pet cat? Was she really that unremarkable?
In Queen Maeve's bitter mood, Aaron finally turned his gaze to her.
Queen Maeve's heart swelled with joy, but he quickly looked away.
"Familiarize yourselves with your powers. They're coming soon."
Aaron finished speaking, turned, and walked towards an apartment building.
Queen Maeve bit her lip, unwilling to give up, watching Firecracker, Annie, and Kimiko having a great time.
She made up her mind, turned, and walked towards the apartment.
"What are you doing here?"
On the apartment sofa, Aaron looked at her with amusement.
Queen Maeve gritted her teeth, shedding her burden. "I want to improve. I want your guidance, Master."
Aaron said, hinting at something, "Oh, then come on up. Do it yourself. Let me see your determination."
It turned out that Queen Maeve's determination was very firm. It's just that her technique was rather poor—she immediately gave away three kills upon starting.
However, her character's health bar was still very thick, with solid base stats, and she didn't completely collapse, gritting her teeth and playing the entire game.
She played four or five games in a row, but she were continuously pushed back, taking insane amounts of concentrated fire.
In despair, Queen Maeve typed "GG" to surrender, admitting she was outmatched.
Aaron had a great time, and in consideration of Queen Maeve's dedicated companionship, he granted her a small favor. He comprehensively activated her genes, elevating all of her base stats to the next level.
But compared to Firecracker and the others, Queen Maeve's improvement wasn't significant. After all, she was a latecomer and a captive.
However, Queen Maeve was quite satisfied. How much she improved wasn't important, what mattered was that she too received the favor and grace, and that was enough.