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"And you, Jane. You're the one who can help us open that door."
"Vought has the resources, the funding, and the equipment. If you come, the entire department will be under your command."
Jane's heart raced as she listened.
This was every scientist's ultimate dream—limitless resources and the chance to explore the unknown.
But... her eyes dimmed.
"It sounds very tempting, Mr. Anthony. Truly."
Jane sighed, rubbing the ring on her finger.
"But I've already promised Thor... Once I finish my thesis here, I'm going to Asgard with him."
"I think... I'll live there."
Homelander didn't look surprised after hearing this; instead, he showed an expression of regret.
"Asgard... that is indeed a good place."
"But, Jane. Have you really thought this through?"
"Thought what through?" Jane was stunned.
"Thought through your future together."
Homelander stood up and walked over to Jane, his tone becoming sharp.
"Jane, you're a scientist. You should be more logical than anyone."
"Do you think you and Thor really have a future?"
Jane's expression shifted. "What do you mean?"
"It's a very simple biological question."
Homelander reached out and made a gesture in the air representing the passage of time.
"Thor is a god, an immortal alien species. His lifespan is measured in millennia."
"In his eyes, a human life is but a mere blink of an eye."
"Right now, you are young, beautiful, and smart. He loves you."
"But what about ten years from now? Twenty years?"
"You are human. Your golden years only last a few short decades."
"In ten years, you'll start to age. In twenty, your hair will turn gray. In forty... you'll be a stumbling old woman."
"And what about Thor then?"
Homelander cruelly peeled back the truth.
"He will still be young, still be strong, still be that handsome God of Thunder."
"Can you accept that, Jane?"
"When you walk together, people won't ask 'Is that your boyfriend?' anymore. Instead, they'll ask..."
"...Is that your son?"
These words were like a sharp knife, stabbing deep into Jane's heart.
Her face turned pale instantly.
This was the question she had always avoided, the one she never dared to think about.
"Stop it..." Jane's voice trembled.
"This is reality, Jane." Homelander didn't stop, continuing his assault. "Thor loves you, I believe that. But can love conquer time?"
"Are you really willing to throw away your talent for a love that's as fleeting as a night-blooming cereus?"
"Then what can I do?" She looked up, her eyes filled with despair. "Leave him? I can't do that."
"You don't need to leave him."
Homelander smiled, throwing out the final temptation.
"If you join Vought... perhaps I can help you solve this problem."
"What?" Jane snapped her head up. "You mean..."
Homelander gave a mysterious smile, offering no further details.
"I have my ways..."
He pointed out the window, where a black fighter jet was parked.
"The plane is right outside, Jane."
"Just join us, and I will give you... the time to accompany a god."
"You will no longer be a brief mortal passerby."
Jane Foster looked at Homelander, then at the room full of her research results.
Finally, she thought of Thor's face, which seemed eternally young.
"I'll go with you."
Her gaze was firm.
"Let's go now."
...Back in time, Jamaica Bay Park.
This was a wetland preserve at the southern tip of New York, far from the city center.
BOOM!!
Homelander slammed a fist into Hulk's jaw, sending the green behemoth flying into the sea.
"Exhilarating!"
Homelander shook his hand, feeling every bone in his body cheering.
No technique, no tactics.
Just the purest clash of power.
Hulk leaped out of the sea, holding a massive reef rock, and hurled it violently at Homelander.
Homelander didn't dodge; he shattered the rock with a single punch.
Under the camera's lens, he floated above the sea with his arms crossed. The sea breeze whipped his cape, and the bright moon shone behind him, making him look like a deity.
"Hulk... smash... you!!"
Hulk was completely enraged.
He kicked off the beach with both legs, launching himself like a cannonball straight at Homelander in the air.
"That's more like it."
The corners of Homelander's mouth curled up.
CRASH!!
Two fists collided in mid-air.
The resulting shockwave pressed the seawater below into a massive crater.
Hulk was knocked to the ground but scrambled back up immediately.
"Ora ora ora—!!"
Homelander closed in, engaging Hulk in a brutal melee.
To give the cameras a better shot, he chose to fight blow-for-blow.
No fancy tricks, just a pure venting of power.
Left hooks, right hooks, knee strikes, elbow strikes.
Their figures blurred together, every collision sounding like a roar of thunder.
For Homelander, this was indeed a long-awaited satisfying fight.
In this World, there weren't many beings who could withstand his full output in his base state. Hulk was one of them.
THUD!
Hulk landed a punch on Homelander's chest.
Homelander was knocked back a dozen meters, but he instantly bounced back, kicking Hulk in the face and sending him flying dozens of meters.
"Exhilarating!"
"AHHH—!!"
Hulk roared and charged forward. He spread his arms, ignoring a heavy punch from Homelander, and slammed his massive green palms together, trapping Homelander's head and upper body in a death grip.
"Crush...!!"
Hulk bellowed, his arm muscles bulging as he tried to pop Homelander's head.
"Don't... touch... my hair...!"
Homelander's angry voice filtered through Hulk's fingers.
ZAP—!!
Two beams of high-energy Heat Vision erupted at point-blank range, piercing right through Hulk's massive palms!
"ROAAR—!!!"
Even Hulk couldn't withstand the agonizing pain of his palms being pierced.
He screamed and let go, leaving two charred holes in his palms that smelled of burnt meat.
Without missing a beat, Homelander grabbed Hulk's messy hair and slammed his massive head down.
He drove his knee up hard.
CRACK!!
A vicious knee strike landed square on Hulk's face.
Hulk's head snapped back, his nose crushed.
"I'm not done yet!"
Homelander's fists rained down on Hulk's face like a torrential downpour.
Just as Homelander was getting into the swing of things...
Static hissed...
Ashley's excited voice came through the earpiece.
"Boss! Boss! Can you hear me?"
"The ratings are exploding!!"
"The concurrent viewers across global streaming platforms have surpassed 200 million!"
"Everyone is waiting to see you!"
"200 million?"
Homelander's punching slowed for a moment, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Very good."
"Since the audience is all here, then... it's time for the climax to begin."