Allen and the girls continued their peaceful lives for the past month, yet this didn't sideline their superhero duties. Annie, who had set out on this path, inadvertently dragged along Kimiko, Cate, and some of the girls who kept watch (usually Artoria, 2B, and Rebecca) and, of course, Allen to oversee their good work.
This time, they headed to a weapons convention in search of a super known by the moniker Gunpowder. Allen walked to the entrance of the convention with Cate, who clung to his arm. Kimiko, on his left, enjoyed the takoyaki that Allen had cooked for her. Aware that Kimiko might miss food from Japan (as Bocchi and Nokotan did) Allen occasionally cooked something and stored it in his inventory, which conveniently kept the food warm or cold, and fresh.
Feeling Allen's gaze, Kimiko turned towards him with a cheek puffed full and smiled while offering him a takoyaki ball. "Ah~," Kimiko said, bringing the octopus meatball to Allen's mouth.
Allen did not reject Kimiko's gesture, which drew disapproving glances from those around them. Being fed by a beautiful Asian woman while having a cute blonde clinging to his arm was quite a bold display even by modern standards. Of course, Allen was in his "disguise," which consisted merely of glasses and a change of his hair color, otherwise, these folks might have panicked and run in a hurry.
[Host, it's impressive how, no matter the world, it's nearly impossible for them to see through his disguise.]
"Haha, that's true."
"Tsk, if you're going to flirt, at least let me join!" Rebecca jumped in from behind Allen and latched onto his neck. In addition to the trio of girls from The Boys and Allen, Rebecca also physically joined them due to the nature of their location this time.
"By the way, who was the target?" asked Annie, walking just ahead of Allen. She had grown accustomed to Allen's constant interactions with other girls, so her current reaction was merely slight displeasure.
Allen pulled out his phone to show the image of the target: a Caucasian man dressed in armor adorned with machine gun bullet belts and an assortment of weapons attached to his suit.
"Gunpowder... accused of war crimes, during a mission raid many years ago he used a machine gun to kill allies and enemies alike... his actions were attributed to hysteria during the attack, so he was only discharged... but the reality is that he was forgiven for being a Supe and for Vought."
Annie crossed her arms. "Doesn't sound too bad..."
"Tell that to the families who never saw their sons return," Cate retorted, making Annie blush from her underestimation of his actions.
Allen thought for a moment. 'Isn't this the guy who was abused by Soldier Boy?'
Felicia – Wow, looks like Gunpowder might escape his original fate haha~
Rouge – Do you know what happens to him, kitty girl?
Nikky – Oh! I know! I know too! Butcher uses the compound V24, gains powers, and beats him to death!~
Raven – This girl just said something so graphic... with an aura of Alice in Wonderland...
Starfire – *Scratches her cheek uncomfortably* she didn't mean it that way... probably...
[I.M] *Cough* "As Nikky said, this guy experiences the power of Butcher. While it was unnecessary to kill him since he had already surrendered to Butcher, he wasn't someone who deserved tears at his grave."
Gunpowder was not only blamed for the above but also reported for his excessive use of force, leaving a trail of corpses in his wake when acting for "justice."
Allen and the girls reached the entrance of the weapons convention.
The guard scanned Allen with his metal detector, and it didn't beep, earning a disapproving look from the guard.
"Huh?"
Then it was Annie's turn; the detector beeped, and she pulled out a set of brass knuckles. Allen raised an eyebrow while Annie blushed. Unexpectedly, the guard nodded and let her through.
Tony – What just happened?
When it was Kimiko's turn, the metal detector beeped, and she pulled out her vibranium claws. The man looked at them for a moment, even touching the tip and cutting his fingers. Allen thought Kimiko would be in trouble, but instead, the guard gave her a thumbs-up.
Barbara – This is... so real...
Ivy – Well... it's this kind of country... no one can complain.
Harley – Hahaha so that was it!
2B – Master, you could try again and prove your worth...
Allen narrowed his eyes as it was Cate's turn; the girl looked scared as she had no weapons. Allen glanced at Rebecca, who smiled affirmatively.
Cate closed her eyes, expecting to be looked down upon, but the metal detector beeped. She opened her eyes and looked in her pocket to find...
"Jesus Christ... Texas Ranger Sam Wilson's Colt Walker!"
The guard took off his hat in awe of one of the most powerful and simultaneously most expensive pistols ever created.
Attendees stared in awe at Cate, who didn't understand what was happening and immediately ran to hide her face in Allen's chest. The guard was embarrassed, thinking he had mistreated Allen by assuming the gun was his and she was just carrying it.
"Excuse me, sir."
"Don't worry about it..."
Allen responded mechanically, giving Rebecca a nod. Although she did a good job, it was enough to give her a normal gun and not overdo it like that.
'Wait, where did Rebecca get this?!'
Finally, it was Rebecca's turn; she was shorter in stature, which made the guard hesitate and almost ask for identification. But he dared not because Rebecca was part of Allen's group.
Rebecca raised her hand. "Let me do it myself." She approached the table, reached into her coat, and pulled out a Colt Python revolver.
The guard nodded in approval, although the audience looked somewhat disappointed, but that was natural after seeing a million-dollar revolver—nothing else would surprise them.
Allen frowned at Rebecca's mischievous smile.
'Rebecca, what are you planning?'
'Honey, those bastards dared underestimate you... I'll show them!'
Allen smiled worriedly at what Rebecca was planning.
Rebecca also placed a Glock 17 pistol and a Desert Eagle on the table, and the guard and crowd's gaze began to shift. Did she have more weapons?
Rebecca pulled out a black Beretta 92FS, noticing a small stain that she cleaned with a handkerchief, then a Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver, which she handled affectionately before placing it on the table.
The crowd's gaze was like that of a deer caught in headlights. However, Rebecca showed no mercy, and people's eyes popped as she pulled an AK-47 from her coat, followed by a Mossberg 500 shotgun.
She turned to the guard sternly, "If you scratch my babies I'll have you fired!"
"Yes ma'am!"
Then Rebecca took out an M16 rifle, an MP5 submachine gun, a Barrett M82 sniper rifle, a Remington 870 shotgun, an AR-15 rifle, a Uzi submachine gun, an FN SCAR assault rifle, and a SIG Sauer P226 pistol...
By this point, everyone's jaws had dropped as there was a pile of weapons on the table, and people internally screamed "She's a Supe!!" because there was no other logical explanation.
Rebecca was satisfied and looked at Allen with a loving gaze, walking towards him and kneeling on one knee under everyone's incredulous stares.
The girls present and in the Chat held their breath.
"Rebecca?"
"Hee hee~"
Rebecca reached into her jacket and pulled out a Winchester Model 1887 shotgun. Allen was surprised; he wasn't a gun connoisseur, but how could he not recognize the iconic shotgun used in Terminator 2?
"I love you❤️"
Rebecca's look wasn't joking or mocking but carried a sincere smile. Allen knew that his Rebecca was a bit crazy, but he loved her still and was willing to accept everything about her.
"You know I love you too"
Allen smiled with a meaningful expression and took the shotgun—it was not a replica but the real deal, no need to know how she bought or obtained it, but she did it thinking of Allen.
The audience sighed; no one present took this as a joke, unlike the Chat, which was between stunned and laughing.
...
Rick – Hahaha... huh? This isn't a joke?!
Kate – ... I can't believe it
Harley – *Was crying* this is the most romantic thing I've seen.
Of course, Harley, like all attendees at a weapons convention, saw this as an act of pure love; some even cried, like Kimiko, while Annie and Cate had blank stares, not knowing how to react.
Allen hugged Rebecca and then kissed her, earning applause from everyone.
...
After such a scene, everyone entered the convention. Rebecca advanced hand-in-hand with Allen, with the three girls trailing behind, displaying various reactions. Annie was still stunned.
Kimiko smiled; she loved drama and this qualified as something she enjoyed seeing, even recording a video and taking several photos.
Cate had moved past her incredulity and now felt jealous, but she wasn't intrusive and let Rebecca have Allen to herself for now.
The group arrived at a seminar where Gunpowder was giving a speech.
"If Dakota Bob Singer becomes president, say goodbye to our country; this guy will control guns and spit on the Second Amendment!!"
Allen was just there to observe; it would be the girls who would capture Gunpowder, even if they failed, Allen wouldn't help them.
"Annie, what do we do?" Kimiko asked at her side.
Annie looked at Gunpowder, loaded with weapons. "Let's wait... I don't want any civilian casualties."
Barbara – Good judgment; the man doesn't know they're after him; no need to risk innocent lives.
Superman – I agree, it seems they are growing, and so is their decision-making, isn't that right, Kara?
Kara – Ugh... I already apologized, I didn't mean to destroy that gas station!
As time passed and Gunpowder finished his seminar, he seemed to encourage the crowd to take justice into their own hands. It was ironic and absurd for someone who often used excessive violence to talk about justice.
...
Gunpowder finished his seminar and headed to the bathroom, and once there, he felt a presence and turned around. His gaze met the three girls, even Annie was dressed as Starlight.
Since Allen had already shared various details with them, he also mentioned his inventory and the ability to change clothes instantly. He simply needed to store the outfit in the inventory and materialize new clothes in place of the old ones. This allowed Allen to help Starlight change her outfit in an instant, which proved very useful.
"Who are you?!" Gunpowder yelled, drawing his pistol with the speed of a Wild West cowboy. But before he could fire, Kimiko leaped forward and sliced the pistol into several pieces with her claws.
"Fuck!" Gunpowder pulled out another weapon, but Annie grabbed his hand and crushed the pistol, shattering it along with several of Gunpowder's bones.
"Ahhhh!!"
Starlight, unfazed by his screams, punched him in the stomach, followed by a point-blank blast resembling a shot from Iron Man's repulsors.
Gunpowder crashed against the wall and fell to the floor unconscious. Annie sighed and looked to Allen and Rebecca for their assessment.
Allen silently observed the entire process from the doorway. Rebecca, standing beside him, didn't speak either, but her expression was one of satisfaction—clearly, she was content with seeing the violence, though her evaluation wasn't reliable.
Kimiko touched Annie's shoulder. "We need to... get him out of here."
Annie realized that it wasn't enough to leave Gunpowder unconscious; they needed to remove him from the weapons convention. Considering the context, there were people at the convention who saw Gunpowder as an idol, and these heavily armed fans might not appreciate him being taken away.
Annie assessed the situation.
"How about we make a hole in the wall?" Cate suggested.
"I'm all for it!" Harley said, appearing and high-fiving Cate.
Annie had a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead as she forced a smile. "Let's keep that as a last resort..."
Kimiko went to whisper something to Allen, who agreed and handed her a large, thick rug from his inventory. Kimiko returned to Annie and suggested they wrap him up in a way that didn't resemble a person.
Thor – I see an interesting plan; I would have suggested throwing him out a window and then picking him up outside.
Hulk – HULK LIKE WALL-BREAKING PLAN!
Annie thought for a moment; as much as hauling a large rug through a convention might draw attention, it was better than the alternatives.
Annie looked at Cate, who was laughing with Harley, and decided on her plan.
...
Kimiko and Annie carried the rug together. While Annie had the strength to do it alone, having two people would attract less attention.
As they stepped into the hallway, the two women quickly made their way to the emergency exit. Several people were in the hallway, but all had a vacant look as if they were in a trance.
Cate was waiting at the exit, and all three descended the emergency stairs to the parking lot.
A black van with tinted windows was waiting there. Two men emerged from the van, took the Supe, and drove off.
The girls sighed in relief, having completed the mission without any problems.
"Well done," Allen said. "Minimal damage without drawing too much attention, and most importantly, no civilians were harmed."
The girls felt proud of their progress; a month ago, this would have been a disaster. Cate had let two criminals escape, Annie had injured several civilians that Allen had to heal, and Kimiko, as usual, killed every criminal—now, she only left them on the brink of death.
"Today, I'll prepare your favorite meals!"
"Yay!"
...
(Meanwhile at Vought)
After some time, the Vought tower had been repaired. Homelander gazed out the window in silence.
Ashley hurried in, accompanied by a Vought external office manager and a few executives, all responsible for the building Allen had destroyed the previous day.
"Homelander, here they are..."
"Huh? Weren't we supposed to meet with the board?"
The manager was confused; he knew Homelander had significant influence at Vought, but ultimately, the management was with Stan Edgar and the board.
...
Homelander turned and smiled at the group, making everyone uneasy.
"Haha... well, this is a secret..." Homelander approached one of the executives and placed his hands on his shoulders. "The truth is, I killed half of them, and the rest are scapegoats..."
"What?"
Everyone present, except Ashley, had a bewildered look, unable to grasp Homelander's words. The manager looked at Ashley Barrett, hoping she would say this was a joke, but Ashley's look was one of pure terror.
"This can't be..." the manager stepped back as his expression changed. He had come to report the events in person and possibly be reassigned to another office since it wasn't his fault André Anderson decided to confront Allen Walker.
"An important part of being the boss is learning to take responsibility..."
Homelander grabbed the executive's head and broke his neck. Everyone watched in horror as the head twisted while the man's eyes filled with disbelief—he was dead before his mind could comprehend it.
"Now that I think about it, I heard a person can remain conscious for fifteen seconds even with their head decapitated."
Homelander moved his hand like a blur and decapitated another person; the head flew and was caught by Homelander, who held it in front of him while smiling.
"Haha look, Ashley, his eyes are still moving; it was true!"
"No... NO!"
"MONSTER!!"
"LET ME OUT!"
In addition to the branch manager, there were still two other people left, a middle-aged woman and a young man.
"Why?..." the man said, stunned by the events.
He expected to be scolded, perhaps fired at worst, but not to die. The man saw his vice-president with his head turned upside down and the human resources manager decapitated, then vomited as the screams of his colleagues for years echoed behind him.
*Crack**Crack*
Homelander began breaking the bones of both behind the manager.
The colorless manager lay on the floor and clutched his ears to block the most chilling sound he had ever heard. The manager wished they would stop, and his wish was gruesomely granted.
*Silence*
Suddenly, there were no more screams or unpleasant sounds; the manager was paralyzed, not wanting to look.
"I know you weren't at fault; I know you were just following orders, but I have to ask," Homelander walked behind the man, grabbed his head with his hand stained with blood, and lifted him.
"I!... I didn't!... Nooo!"
"Why you didn't kill that family?"
Before he could finish speaking, Homelander crushed the man's head, who screamed horribly until the end.
Homelander was in a very bad mood, looked at Ashley lying unconscious on the floor, and rolled his eyes.
"You are so useless Ashley..."
...
(The next day)
Homelander had been feeling off for a while, nothing was going right, Vought's stocks were plummeting, media support was fading, public support was fading.
Everything was going to hell...
At that moment, he received a call from Ashley telling him that a girl named Chelsea wanted to commit suicide. Homelander didn't want to go but convinced himself that saving Chelsea and gaining popularity was necessary.
At the scene, there were many media outlets; Homelander looked disdainfully at the situation, tragedy always made news.
Homelander landed behind the blonde girl.
"Back off, I'm going to jump..." said Chelsea nervously.
Homelander knew he should give a speech about the value of life and why she should choose to live, but he really wasn't in the mood.
Chelsea felt intimidated by Homelander's gaze, which, for some reason, looked at her as something repugnant, not as a person.
"Jump..."
Homelander's words entered Chelsea's ears, but she couldn't understand what was happening. She had suffered bullying at school and just wanted to escape, but she didn't dare to jump; she just wanted help.
"Just do it, Chelsea!" Homelander said, tired of everything.
"I think... I don't want to jump..." Chelsea was scared, not knowing what to do.
"JUMP!"
Homelander's eyes lit up in red.
===
A/N: /N In conclusion Rebecca is a hopeless romantic, the girls are happy no one lost an arm this time and Homelander is on the verge of collapse 🍷🗿
PS: Poor Chelsea.
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