The next day, hotel room.
Morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting intertwined patches of light on the floor.
"It's... uncomfortable." Wade opened his eyes and woke up to a strange sensation. "My hand is so numb..."
Annie was lying on her stomach beside him, her yellow pupils glowing as she stared at him, her face full of timidity.
Wade didn't know where to look and was momentarily speechless.
"W-what are you doing?" He didn't dare move, alarm bells ringing in his head. 'No, this must end as soon as possible.'
Annie reached out her arms to hug him, her voice raspy: "Only you are willing to stand by my side... can you always be my Clara?"
Ring, ring—
The alarm clock on the nightstand suddenly rang, breaking the ambiguous atmosphere in the room.
Annie knew she looked terrible right now, her breathing gradually steadying: "Don't leave, okay?"
"It's time to get up. Isn't there a morning prayer at the expo this morning?" Wade checked his phone with a face full of doubt, soothing her softly. "My brave and strong the nutcracker won't be absent."
Annie hugged him even tighter: "I'm not going! What morning prayer, what The Seven, I don't want any of it... Let's go, let's leave this place and go somewhere where nobody knows us."
'If she knew my true identity, she definitely wouldn't be able to take it. I can't build her life on lies.' Wade looked down at her and said softly, "Running away won't solve the problem. Vought will use all its resources to find us."
"I understand that freedom comes at a price." Annie toyed with her hair dejectedly and murmured, "My mom said the contract is bundled with multiple clauses like merchandise royalties, global PR resources, and brand image packaging. The compensation is at least 1.78 billion."
"She told me to give up on that idea... To earn that much money, how long would it take?"
Wade rubbed her messy blonde hair and held out his pinky: "Then let's earn enough for travel expenses first before we leave, okay?"
Annie hooked her pinky tightly with his: "Mhm! I'll listen to you."
This moment felt so real; she greedily sought this sense of security.
Wade patted her cheek: "Alright, get up and wash up. It wouldn't be good to be late."
He hurriedly got out of bed and went to the full-length mirror to get dressed, his face full of complexity: 'Sigh... why did it turn out like this?'
[Superpower gene sample analysis complete]
[Ability: Photoelectric Absorption/Conversion...]
[Recorded in the genetic map, capable of dominant expression]
...A short while later, Redwood Lake Park.
At the main venue of the Believe Expo, the area in front of the stage was already crowded with people.
Crosses intertwined with giant posters of Vought's Supes, forming a bizarre scene filled with an atmosphere of fanatical expectation.
Wade, wearing a black robe, arrived late and stood at the back of the restless crowd.
He looked at the stage, watching the Holy Mother and Standard standing with their hands behind their backs, his gaze lingering on Annie in her white and gold suit.
The rubber man Ezekiel stood in the center of the stage, speaking as he walked: "Brothers and sisters, we are gathered here today under the glory of God to feel His infinite love and protection."
"We live in an era of miracles. God has granted us power; it is the manifestation of God's power on earth."
He stretched his elastic arms and shouted loudly: "Look! Brothers and sisters. Is this not a miracle? God has not forgotten His lambs! In this era eroded by sin, He has sent messengers, His witnesses."
"Starlight, Holy Mother, Standard—they are miracles walking among us, the concrete manifestation of God's power... They will use their divine strength to protect the devout believers and sweep away filth and evil!"
Whenever he shouted a name, the corresponding person would display their ability at the right moment: Starlight controlled the lighting equipment to shine with a dazzling golden light, Holy Mother held a soft white light in her hands, and Standard's body was enveloped in a holy radiance.
The crowd of tens of thousands below erupted in a tsunami of cheers and shouts.
"Lower your heads, close your eyes. Feel your own smallness, feel the greatness of the Lord... Only faith can allow you to find salvation in this filthy end-time and reach heaven!"
"Thank you for Your gifts and guidance."
Below the stage, tens of thousands of people lowered their heads in unison like puppets on strings, chanting under their breath:
A conservatively dressed middle-aged woman cried out, trembling all over: "I feel it, it's touching my soul!"
A portly man took out a checkbook and a pen, writing haphazardly: "I want to donate all my savings, I pray for the Lord's blessing!"
A young man in an old-fashioned suit clenched his hands in front of his chest and shouted piously: "Only the divine messengers can save the world. Politicians are all liars, and laws are shackles that bind us."
"Those unbelievers and heathens will all be purified; only we can enter heaven."
Wade stood in the crowd, chanting along with the flow while observing coldly: 'Linking Supes with God's will... there are plenty of people who buy into this. Vought really knows how to do business.'
Vroom—!
Just as this collective madness was intensifying, a thunderous sonic boom and humming sound descended from the sky.
Homelander descended through a hole torn in the clouds, looking like a true god as he slowly landed on the stage.
"My family—!!!"
"Homelander!" The tsunami-like shouts and screams formed a wave of sound that hammered against everyone's eardrums.
Homelander spread his arms and slowly flew off the stage: "We are born extraordinary, we carry a divine destiny! We are miracles walking the earth, tearing through all the injustice and darkness of this mortal world for you!"
His tone shifted, and his face showed a look of indignation: "But those politicians and bureaucrats hiding in their offices are afraid of us! They use rules and regulations to try and bind the hands and feet of the divine messengers, wanting my dear family to continue living in ignorance and stupidity."
"Damn bureaucrats!"
"Tear up those rules!"
"Fight for us! Homelander!"
The crowd's anger was easily ignited, and curses and roars merged into one.
Homelander looked at all this with satisfaction, flying into the crowd and letting countless hands touch his suit and cape.
He smiled and said with a thundering voice: "True power is born only to protect. We are the true guardians. We should not be bound by mortal laws; we don't just fight for the people, we fight for the believers, to build the beautiful new world we desire!"
The cheering reached its peak; the entire venue was shaking, turning into a collective delirium that had completely lost all reason.
Wade jumped and cheered with an excited expression, secretly delighted: 'This arrogant and narcissistic guy, Homelander, is acting up again... Openly attacking laws, bureaucrats, and politicians—isn't he clearly trying to start a rebellion?'
Sizzle—!!!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
On the three giant screens, Homelander's figure and face, filled with divine radiance, vanished without a trace. All the auxiliary display screens in the venue went black at the same time.
The crowd looked toward the stage, pointing at the screens and letting out bursts of brief discussion.
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