◇ 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 50 chapter ahead on P@treon of which 10 Chapters are free. if you're interested: patreon.com/Heroicverse
------------------------------------------------
"Since Anthony put it that way..."
"Yeah, as long as he's here, everything will be fine."
"Thank God we still have Anthony."
On Twitter, the hashtag #BelieveInHomelander instantly shot to the top of the trending list, completely overshadowing #TrialOfStark.
Homelander stood at the center of the flashing lights, basking in the familiar adoration.
He glanced back at Tony.
Tony looked at him with a complex gaze—one of gratitude, but also of awe.
"Thank you," Tony whispered.
In this moment, he suddenly felt that perhaps only Anthony was worthy of such cheers.
He himself had always just been a trouble-making playboy.
Starr, Anthony, you are the true hero.
"Don't mention it, Tony."
Homelander turned off the microphone and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Remember, you owe me one. A big one."
With that, he turned, his cape billowing as he strode down from the podium.
Leaving the World with a reliable silhouette that boasted +50% Charisma.
"Prompt! Gained popularity value +10,125."
"Prompt! Gained popularity value +12,138."
"Prompt! Gained popularity value +9,097."
..."...I hereby officially announce—the Avengers, as of this moment, no longer exist."
Click.
A fair-skinned hand pressed the power button on the remote.
He stared at the blackened screen, his single eye narrowing slightly as a cold sneer played on his lips.
"Disbanded?"
"You think you're worthy of disbanding it? Stark."
"I came up with that name. I assembled that team. While you were playing with models in your Malibu mansion, I was drafting the list. While you were pounding scrap metal in a cave, I was planning the future."
"You are nothing more than a self-righteous tool I selected!"
Fury stood up, walked to the liquor cabinet, and poured himself a glass of whiskey.
"I'm the one who plucked you freaks from all over the World one by one. I'm the one who gave you a home, a purpose."
"You have no right to disband it."
He tilted his head back and downed the strong liquor in one gulp.
"Since you won't be an Avenger..."
Fury turned around, looking coldly at the man kneeling in the corner of the room with his hands cuffed behind his back.
"...then I am the last Avenger."
"Wonderful monologue, truly. If there were some popcorn and soda, I'd be willing to pay for the movie ticket."
John Garrett's hands were cuffed behind him, and there were several bruises on his face. However, this did not affect the unperturbed attitude of this Level 8 S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent—or rather, high-ranking HYDRA leader.
Garrett carefully scrutinized the unfamiliar white man before him. He had undergone interrogation resistance training, yet he still couldn't grasp the current situation.
Just moments ago, this white old man had spent half an hour humiliating him using Nick Fury's distinct tone of voice.
"Though I don't know where you popped up from, pal," he grinned, revealing teeth stained with blood, "but your way of talking... really sounds like an old friend of mine. You've even captured the essence of that self-righteousness that makes one want to spit in his face."
"You think I'm an imitator?" Fury turned around, walked up to Garrett, and looked down at him.
"What else?" Garrett shrugged.
"...And You're just an American Psycho with an identity crisis."
Fury didn't speak, merely staring at him coldly.
At that moment, the faint sound of footsteps came from the shadows nearby.
A figure wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. tactical uniform walked in.
Garrett looked up, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
It was himself.
Whether it was the meticulously combed-back hair, the signature crooked smile, or even the tiny nick left from shaving last night—it was identical.
"Officer," the 'Garrett' spoke, his voice indistinguishable from Garrett's own, "the items have been deployed."
"Good," Fury nodded.
The 'Garrett' stepped aside, and the skin on his face began to ripple like water. Green scales emerged, and pointed ears grew out.
A few seconds later, he had transformed into a green-skinned Skrulls.
Garrett watched this scene, his brain working at high speed.
As a high-ranking leader of HYDRA, he knew many secrets, but he hadn't expected this.
"So that's how it is..."
Garrett had a sudden realization, believing he had seen through everything.
"This is your trump card? Fury." He sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. "To escape the most-wanted list, you turned yourself into a white man? To reclaim power, you've colluded with aliens?"
"You want to use these green-skinned monsters to replace the upper echelons of humanity, right? Just like they're mimicking me now? You want to turn Earth into an alien colony, and you'll be the puppet governor?"
"Compared to HYDRA, you are the real traitor—a traitor to humanity!"
Fury listened to Garrett's wild assumptions with an expressionless face, even pouring himself another glass of whiskey.
"Rich imagination, John," he said flatly. "If you had used this imagination for the right path, perhaps you wouldn't have ended up in this state."
Garrett leaned against the corner, a mocking smile on his face.
"We're both in the intelligence business; don't talk to me about the 'right path.' Whether it's HYDRA or S.H.I.E.L.D., there's only one goal—order."
"HYDRA wants to rule the World to establish absolute order."
"And you? You're handing Earth over to aliens on a silver platter!"
As Garrett spoke, he quietly moved his right wrist.
Under the skin of his wrist, a miniature communication chip was implanted, which could send Morse code through specific muscle contraction frequencies.
Encrypted signals were being sent out silently through these tiny movements.
[Alert: Nick Fury is alive. Face changed (White male, around fifty years old, one eye).]
[Alert: Confirmed alien intervention. Characteristics: Green skin, capable of perfect mimetic shapeshifting.]
[Inference: Fury has betrayed humanity, intending to assist an alien race in controlling the upper echelons through 'replacement.']
[Order: Everyone, be wary of those around you. Re-establish special identification codes.]
[Ward, wherever you are, take your men and search for clues with these coordinates as the center. He must be stopped! For humanity! Hail HYDRA!]
Garrett knew he likely wouldn't survive.
He knew he had to stall for time to get this information out.
He could never let Earth fall into the hands of aliens—that was HYDRA's asset!
"What? Quiet now?" Garrett continued to provoke, his eyes fixed on Fury.
To cover the micro-movements of his wrist, he intentionally raised his volume.
"You think changing your skin can wash away your crimes?"
"Look outside! Tony Stark has admitted defeat! Captain America is filming commercials! Your era is over!"
"You're just an old relic abandoned by the times, dreaming of a restoration here with a bunch of alien scum!"
Fury looked at him, showing no sign of being provoked.
He knew exactly what Garrett was doing; the receiver in the Skrulls's hand nearby was capturing every frequency signal being sent out.