[Skill Acquired: Blood Manipulation]
Not even Victoria Neuman's desperate look aroused sympathy from Chat. She had planned to massacre as many people as possible in that place. In addition, Allen noticed Victoria's tactic of being overly redundant on purpose and decided to give her a taste of her own medicine.
Using the blood manipulation skill he had just stolen from Victoria, Allen began to interfere with the blood flow to Victoria's heart.
This must have been a terrifying shock for her, but as expected from a woman who had made it to Congress, she was very good at hiding her emotions and maintaining her composure.
Tearju – Blood manipulation... just the name gives me chills.
MJ – An extremely dangerous power... but it seems it's not absolute~ Oh~ *lazy yawn*
Felicia – It seems to depend on the power of each Supe, while normal people and weak Supes like Shockwave die instantly Victoria couldn't kill Supes with high endurance right away, like her friend in season 3 who was just bleeding from his nose in the beginning.
As a side note for viewer comfort and with Allen's permission, the system displayed on screen all the skills Allen was acquiring. Of course, it omitted details about their functionality and weaknesses, but the general public could see what skill he gained each time.
"Vought has earned the public's trust for a long time. They have been a media powerhouse that spun out of control at some point. The United States has upheld freedom and free trade as one of its foundations and attractions for everyone."
Victoria did her best to keep talking even though she felt that Allen could make her heart explode at any moment.
"But we must recognize that everything has a limit. When citizens are used as little more than resources, there must be serious consequences... extreme consequences..."
"Miss Neuman, skip the speeches and get to the facts..."
Victoria lowered her head for a moment and shifted the leaves in her hand. She bit her lips in frustration for a moment but then lifted her gaze again, strong and confident.
"During an operation by an independent special unit and the CIA, fifty-seven people were rescued... among them, thirteen were previously inmates with sentences ranging from twenty years to life. Twenty-four were originally patients from Sage Grove... and twenty civilians... these were the survivors."
The reactions of all present varied upon hearing each word, from disbelief to disgust. Some feigned surprise, needless to say, they are "friends" of Stan Edgar.
No matter how you looked at it, Vought was going to end up in a bad situation, not just with simple fines or loss of resources, but potentially being declared a national threat.
Victoria grew paler as the conversation progressed. She couldn't stop speaking and could only apologize in her heart.
Mallory and Raynor smiled they had prepared all the information they could, all the shit they had to hit Vought International hard. Victoria had no choice but to keep talking.
Stormfront was a Nazi...
Sage Grove Center was a human experimentation facility—a very serious crime...
Kidnapping...
Murder...
Slavery...
Each word seemed to drain a bit more vitality from Ashley. The executives were sweating; even a couple of times they tried to justify themselves but weren't given the chance.
In the end, everyone let out a breath. Allen wasn't sure who was paler, the congressional representative or Victoria Neuman.
"Miss Neuman, these are very serious accusations... I hope you have evidence to support them."
As expected, they would need something more substantial than just a statement, especially when it comes from a congressperson.
Neuman slowly raised her hand, and two men pushed forward a large white screen and a projector. Victoria took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, Father." She looked around at all present, her gaze stopping on Allen. She knew she could not expect mercy from Allen.
Without further excuses, Victoria resigned herself, and the video began to play through the projector. However, it only lasted a few seconds before it shut off.
On the other side of the world, Sage pressed the enter key on her laptop.
"Tell me what you'll do now, pretty boy..." Sage taunted Allen.
Allen chuckled discreetly to avoid drawing attention.
'Rebecca...'
Rebecca – Leave it to me, honey!~
Rebecca appeared next to Allen, also invisible, and pulled out a small floating device.
"What is that?" Allen asked curiously.
Rebecca paused and smiled, "Let's just say this is free internet... forever."
"Marry me."
Allen had no shame; if a girl appeared in front of you and said that marrying her would mean free internet for life, few could resist.
"Of course~"
Rebecca played along with Allen, though she didn't take it too seriously since getting married was inevitable... even if Allen wanted to escape it, it was too late.
Rebecca proceeded to hack the Congress. Needless to say, it was because of Stan Edgar's friends, who gave Sage access to do this. It might seem like a childish measure, but this kind of trial isn't easy to conduct; there are many prerequisites, and if Victoria couldn't present a solid case, it would give Vought plenty of time to prepare before the next meeting.
Aizen – It's a very good plan...
Athena – She just needs to delay a little longer, and all of Allen and The Boys' efforts will be in vain.
Raven – Unfortunately for that guy, he never expected Allen to have a girl from the future with technology a century more advanced and with intelligence that went from expelled student to genius of the century...
Gwen – Allen already explained that the dolls are like cheating; virtually immortal as long as Allen doesn't die, they continuously grow in power and talent. Rebecca went from a criminal to a genius just because of that...
MJ – Meanwhile, I have to kill myself to pass those stupid finals, I want to be a doll! :"(
Allen almost laughed when he saw Victoria Neuman regain her color, only to lose it again as the screens turned on and the videos in question began to play.
The screens showed footage from Sage Grove's cameras with many Supes locked up there...
Some videos showed some people chained and desperate.
In one of them appeared Lamplighter with Stormfront... both went to a cell where a man sat unbothered. Suddenly, Stormfront pointed at him, and Lamplighter proceeded to burn him alive.
Butcher smiled broadly; the power of just a small clip was more potent than all of Victoria's speeches.
When all seemed lost for Vought, Allen frowned and looked up at the ceiling.
...
(A/N: I just realized but blood manipulation can cause a man to be in attack mode permanently! 🍷🗿)
...
High above the clouds were two people, one was Homelander and the other was a thin young man with red hair and freckles, wearing an easily recognizable superhero suit, Great Wonder.
(Great Wonder – The Boys: Diabolical)
Homelander's gaze was cold and emotionless as he looked down at the Congress, while Great Wonder had a mad look, with bloodshot eyes, saliva constantly dripping from his mouth, and disturbing babbling.
Homelander looked disdainfully at Great Wonder; this guy was an enema addict and enjoyed getting high using that method, so it wasn't difficult to bring him to this state on the verge of an overdose.
Why would Homelander do this?
Homelander closed his eyes and remembered an hour ago.
– "Hello, my name is Sage, you don't know me and it doesn't matter, you just need to know that Vought might disappear soon... if you want to prevent this, follow my instructions..." –
Homelander is someone who detests taking orders from others, with a few exceptions. However, when he finished listening, he remembered that Ashley had been called away unexpectedly, leaving aside the recording of the new movie of the Seven, "The Dawn of the Seven."
Homelander knew that the situation wasn't good, and with the attack on Sage Grove Center, they had lost a lot, especially since their enemies had obtained a lot of information.
Returning to the present, Homelander opened his eyes while gripping Great Wonder, who was drooling as he tried to fly wildly through the sky.
Homelander looked murderously at the bastard who wouldn't calm down, of course, it was because of the drug he had introduced to Great Wonder, but it was still unpleasant.
Homelander wasn't as worried about Vought as before because even if Vought disappeared, Homelander wouldn't; he would simply change the name of the Vought tower to the Tower of the Seven.
Ordinary people might be judged, but Homelander thought he was not ordinary; he was as close to a god as exists, and no one could judge him, a fact he confirmed during the interrogation about Flight 37.
Detectives, lawyers, judges, they are all the same; they are all scared of what Homelander might do if upset, so they were unusually kind to him during the interrogation, even trying to delay the trial as long as possible "for not wanting to judge Homelander."
Homelander loved being idolized and loved but had to admit that being feared was often better.
"Too bad for you, Ashley..."
Homelander threw Great Wonder toward the Congress. Strapped to his back was a very suspicious backpack.
"Ha... Haha....Ahhaaa"
Amidst his babbling, Great Wonder felt the air on his face and smiled; if there was something he loved more than enemas, it was flying while high. For Great Wonder, it was the best feeling in the world.
Great Wonder regained his composure and began flying on his own to feel more of the air and the pleasure of flying; for him, flying was a twisted sexual pleasure.
Great Wonder accelerated in the same direction Homelander had launched him even if it was certain death.
Great Wonder crossed the sound barrier again and again...
...
Allen opened his eyes; he didn't need his spider-sense to feel the danger. Something or someone was falling from the sky several times faster than the sound.
The building's roof was reinforced, so ordinary missiles wouldn't penetrate it. However, a superpower with flying speed and endurance like Great Wonder could break through the barrier protecting the Congress.
It only took a couple of seconds to arrive; with a silly smile, Great Wonder hit the roof. His arm immediately broke in several places, his head also collided, fracturing his spine, and the man's body broke like a marionette but managed to penetrate the roof and reach the courtroom.
Allen watched in slow motion as the shattered body of Great Wonder entered through the roof. There was a backpack on his back.
'Damn it!'
Allen didn't hesitate to use his powers. However, that did not stop the massive explosion that shook the foundations of the building.
The Congress had been attacked, marking a severely grave situation as one of the United States' most significant locations had been targeted. The chaos unleashed was both public and economic, causing substantial losses and a stock market drop not seen since Black Friday. But these were secondary concerns, depending on who was held responsible, it could potentially spark World War III.
...
– There are still no clues about the attack on Congress and fear lingers in the hearts of citizens, this will be an important issue for the elections... –
Allen turned off the television. A month after the incident, the culprit still hadn't been found, though Allen knew perfectly well who it was. Consequently, so did Mallory, Raynor, and Butcher.
By this point, Allen had revealed that he had taken a skill from Victoria Neuman, which infuriated the trío, they had been deceived by Victoria Neuman.
Allen, for his part, managed to save everyone by creating a shield that directed the explosion outward, but as expected, the trial was canceled—there was no way to continue it due to the risk it posed to national security, and there would be no resumption of the trial anytime soon.
Allen remembered how, at that moment, Butcher nearly killed someone by hitting a vehicle with his strength, sending it flying.
It was a brilliant maneuver, though somewhat exaggerated. Strangely enough, this event reminded Allen of the event of Ezekiel and the death squad.
"It seems Stan Edgar isn't the only hidden problem..."
"Nun."
Allen sensed Nokotan getting restless and continued brushing her hair; Nokotan's hair was as silky as a young girl who took good care of it, yet she insisted Allen use an animal brush, which was odd, but then everything involving Nokotan was strange.
Allen finished brushing his deer and stood up. He walked to the bathroom to pull out a towel from his inventory just as Harley emerged naked; he quickly wrapped her in the towel.
"Daddy?!"
Allen didn't respond and continued walking. From his inventory, he took out a tray with cups on it. Cate sleepily opened her door, and Allen handed her a glass of orange juice.
"Eh? Oh, thanks!" Cate smiled.
Kimiko's door opened, and she greeted Allen with a nod and a smile; Kimiko was always alert but hadn't combed her hair yet. Allen handed her a cup of Japanese green tea.
"Thanks.."
Allen smiled and entered the room Kimiko shared with Annie; she was still asleep. Allen placed a cup of cappuccino on a small table and sat on the bed, touching Annie's cheek.
"Five more minutes..."
"You said that five minutes ago..."
"Hm~"
Annie opened her eyes reluctantly but they immediately brightened upon seeing Allen; she got up and clung to him affectionately. Allen laughed and carried her to the shower, knowing what she desired.
The sounds of Annie's moans and gasps filled the air for an hour before they emerged.
A whole month had passed since the incident, and Allen had practically adapted to this world, with the girls adjusting to life here as well.
Cate had communicated with her parents a couple of times, but after more than a month away, her reluctance to return was evident; she even developed a claustrophobia of small, enclosed spaces, which they were treating with Harley's help. It might not seem like a good idea, but remember, Harley had a degree in psychology.
Annie still had no intention of speaking with her parents, so no progress there. Kimiko had become even more cheerful, just like her brother Kenji, whom Allen learned had apparently found a girlfriend.
Kimiko was initially upset, but Kenji reminded her of her relationship with Allen, and she reluctantly accepted his girlfriend. Allen hadn't met her yet; it almost seemed like Kenji was avoiding that on purpose. When Allen joked about it to Kimiko, she rolled her eyes and looked at him incredulously.
"He's afraid a womanizer like you will steal her..."
"What?!"
Allen was shocked to hear that; he wouldn't do that, he wasn't that kind of scoundrel, but he was speechless knowing how others perceived him.
[Host, you practically go to the supermarket surrounded by various beautiful girls, and you wonder what happened?]
Allen fell silent upon hearing the system's arguments; he had gone out with all the girls and was no longer as secretive as before. Thus, his reputation as a womanizer had spread quickly.
...
Allen returned to the living room, and Harley appeared at his right side to hug him, and Bocchi did the same, although she kept her distance. Allen extended his hand and pulled Bocchi closer, then stroked her head, and she literally turned into slime. Allen laughed and placed her on his lap as he continued to caress her.
Allen checked the news once more as the elections approached, flooded with campaign propaganda.
– "Robert Singer for a strong America, for a united America for all." –
– "Cameron Coleman for experience, trust, tradition." –
Both the Republican and Democratic candidates were making efforts toward the elections, with one of their major talking points being their stance on Supes.
One supported the presumption of innocence and declared he would not take a stance until the official trial, while the other became hostile towards all Supes, whether from Vought or independents like Allen.
In a clever move, Vought decided to blame the Sage Grove Center incident on Stormfront, and since it was revealed that she was a Nazi, the media showed her no mercy. But this brilliant move was not digested by everyone, Vought had angered many people and they demanded blood, and although Vought averted a crisis many top executives were jailed pending trial.
On the other hand, Golden Boy received a funeral with all due respect, to the point that a day was declared annually to commemorate his sacrifice.
Because officially, Golden Boy had died confronting Stormfront as he discovered her conducting inhuman experiments.
Allen scoffed at Vought's creativity and ability to control media damage and bad reputation.
Thanks to those maneuvers, they avoided bankruptcy, but it was still too early to tell the full impact.
Allen squinted his eyes; although the story seemed to be on a bullet train, with events that should have occurred years apart happening within months, he could gauge where he was in the narrative.
2B approached Allen with a cup of coffee in her hands, which he took.
"Thank you, 2B."
"Anything for you, Master," she said with an expressionless face but blushing cheeks.
Allen chuckled, then smirked. "Looks like Soldier Boy is about to appear... though it remains to be seen whether he'll be friend or foe..."
===
A/N: I look forward to the moment Soldier Boy makes any comment about Allen's girlfriends.... 🗿🍷