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Homelander glanced briefly at the archaeologists, then paid them no further mind as he descended the far side of the pyramid. Within moments, he located a large stone door and slipped inside.
The entrance led to a long corridor with towering walls covered in inscriptions—symbols and text in a language Homelander didn't recognize.
Farther in, the corridor opened to reveal ancient murals.
One mural depicted countless figures bowing in reverence to a woman clad in what appeared to be traditional Egyptian attire. She held a staff high above her head, and behind her loomed a crescent moon.
Homelander studied the image for a moment, then continued deeper into the corridor.
Soon, he came across another mural. This one was more complex, with celestial bodies arranged in what seemed to be an astronomical map.
Unfortunately, Homelander didn't know much about astronomy.
What intrigued him were the depictions beneath the stars—strange alien vessels descending to Earth. Out of these ships came monstrous beings, engaging in a fierce battle with humans.
At the rear of the human forces stood the same Egyptian woman from the earlier mural, wielding her staff with the crescent moon at her back, seemingly leading the humans against the extraterrestrial invaders.
"Interesting," Homelander muttered, continuing his exploration.
His super-hearing picked up voices at the pyramid's entrance.
"Look, isotope readings show this pyramid dates back 5,000 years. This matches some of the records I found in the Egyptian Book of the Dead."
"Professor Nick, come here—this is ancient Egyptian."
"Let me see."
A pause. "Yes, it says: 'A great one rests here, and only the chosen may behold her.'"
"Look, it says 'her', not 'him.' That means the entity buried here is female."
"She could be the Queen of the Night mentioned in the Book of the Dead," someone suggested.
Homelander chuckled softly. Listening to them was like enjoying a guided museum tour. Curious, he paused to hear more.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor, followed by the professor's voice, trembling with excitement.
"It really is the Queen of the Night. Look at these murals!"
"The Book of the Dead says that Princess Yelili Ankarein was seduced by the god of death, transforming into a manifestation of evil."
"She gained extraordinary powers—she could turn day into night, raise the dead, and command legions of servants. She nearly overturned the kingdom."
"But in the end, she was defeated and exiled from Egypt."
The professor paused for breath, his voice thick with awe. "And based on my research, many clues point to her fleeing here, to this very place."
"But I suspect that she wasn't seduced by a god at all—her genes mutated. She might be the world's first superhuman."
Homelander frowned slightly. That didn't align with what he knew.
According to The Boys TV series, superhumans only existed because of Compound V—a chemical injection.
The show never mentioned naturally occurring superhumans, nor did it reveal the origins of Compound V.
But then again, Homelander mused, he himself had traveled through worlds. In a universe as strange as this, anything was possible.
The professor's voice broke through his thoughts.
"What... What's this?"
"Aliens?"
"A war?"
"This can't be real! Is this some kind of prank?"
"Wait, are you telling me the Queen of the Night led humans against aliens?"
Another voice chimed in, "Professor, isotopes don't lie. Unless ancient people built this pyramid just to mess with us, it's real."
Homelander smirked. If the Queen of the Night could be the first superhuman, why not believe in extraterrestrial civilizations?
After all, if he could travel between worlds, what else was beyond the realm of possibility?
The professor seemed to compose himself. "Alright, let's move further inside. And remember—don't touch anything."
"I don't believe in the so-called pyramid curse, but it's better to be cautious. The ancient Egyptians knew their chemistry well enough to create mummies 5,000 years ago. If they could preserve bodies, they could definitely brew poisons."
Hearing their footsteps approaching, Homelander silently flew deeper into the passage.
Before long, he reached a large stone gate, flanked by two statues of Anubis, the jackal-headed god of the dead.
"This feels like the gate to the afterlife," Homelander muttered.
Activating his vision, he scanned beyond the gate and found a large hall filled with stone platforms—each holding a mummified corpse.
It looked like an ancient sacrificial chamber.
Extending a single finger, he pushed open the heavy stone door with ease.
---
Meanwhile, across the ocean in New York, the city was in turmoil.
News anchors were shouting at the top of their lungs.
"He's not here!"
"Homelander didn't show up!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's now 2:00 p.m.! The hearing began thirty minutes ago, and yet, the man of the hour—our so-called hero—Homelander—is nowhere to be found!"
"What does this mean?"
"Does this mean Homelander has no regard for the justice system?"
"Does this prove he doesn't care about the law?"
"This is beyond arrogant—it's outrageous!"
"And what's worse, Vought Industries has remained silent on the matter."
"They've even shut down the Seven Tower!"
"I'll bet anything—Vought has lost control over Homelander!"
A massive screen in the middle of Times Square displayed a frenzied news host as he ranted:
"Today's events are a wake-up call—for the government and the military alike."
"We need to rethink the way we handle these so-called superheroes. Today, Homelander ignored a Supreme Court summons. Tomorrow, other supers could break the law without consequence."
"And let's be honest—Vought Industries has failed to keep their promise. They can no longer control their heroes."
"This is a crisis—an unprecedented crisis!"
On the streets below, a young woman shook her head in disbelief. "I refuse to believe Homelander is like that."
Her phone buzzed with a new message from a friend.
Attached was a video with bold red text across the screen:
Protest! Stand Against the Lies! Demand the Truth!
Protest the government's cover-up! Protest the politicians slandering Homelander, a true hero.
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