American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

The Translucent's only thought now was regret, deep regret.

Initially, he had thought Hughie was just a spy sneaking into Vought. After all, Hughie gave off the vibe of an ordinary person who didn't understand much and posed no threat to a superpowered individual like him.

Back in the day, when he and Black Noir were fighting on the borders, they faced the heavy artillery of various terrorist groups. Even in such intense battles, he emerged unscathed. Compared to that, Hughie seemed like nothing more than an insignificant bug.

Moreover, they were in New York, inside the Vought Tower, the headquarters of the Seven. With such security, the Translucent never took Hughie seriously.

But he had never imagined that someone as strong as himself would one day fall into such a trap. Now, all he could do was pin his hopes on Homelander.

If Homelander realized he was missing, he would undoubtedly deploy all possible means to locate him. When that happened, these kidnappers would face retribution. However, when that time came, his place in the Seven might no longer be secure.

In the Seven, the least prominent members were Black Noir and himself. With Lamplighter retired and now him captured by a group of ordinary people, such a blunder could very well make him the next to retire.

If he were forced into retirement...

The thought alone gave the Translucent a massive headache.

He had a son, and if he lost this job, he would lose all the advantages that came with it. Forget about money—he knew well that "washed-up heroes" were treated worse than stray dogs. That wasn't just a saying.

The Translucent had seen his fair share of fallen heroes. Some were sent to remote areas to live out their days, while others took on low-budget films just to make ends meet. The lucky ones managed to live comfortably in retirement; the unlucky ones barely scraped by, living no better than the impoverished.

As his mind spiraled into these thoughts, a sudden explosion outside the room jolted him back to reality. Following the blast came screams and shouts of rage.

A flash of red light swept past, silencing the chaos before even a single gunshot could be heard.

The Translucent lifted his head in shock, his eyes nervously darting toward the door.

His mind raced to piece together what might have happened, but he had no idea what awaited him next.

Heart pounding with anxiety, he held his breath, his eyes fixated on the door, not daring to make a sound.

Click—

The door slowly opened, revealing a commanding and oppressive figure—a blond man with a calm, expressionless face.

"Ho-Homelander…"

The Translucent curled up instinctively, forcing a strained smile as he tried to establish rapport with the newcomer.

"These are the guys?" Homelander tilted his head slightly, glancing behind him. Then, in a detached tone, he said, "They managed to capture you and nearly killed you?"

Although the door blocked the Translucent's view of the outside, the sounds from earlier made it clear that Homelander had dealt with all the captors.

"Homelander, let me explain—"

The Translucent grew agitated and tried to stand up, forgetting that the cage was still electrified. His movement triggered a shock, and he let out a scream of pain.

Homelander silently watched the Translucent writhe in agony. His eyes narrowed, a flicker of disappointment and ridicule flashing in his gaze.

"I believe I've told you before what the Seven means to me."

"I-I remember! Homelander, please listen to me! It was just a moment of carelessness; I didn't mean for this to happen. I promise it won't happen again! Please, believe me! I swear!"

The Translucent's voice trembled, a mix of panic and the lingering effects of the shock.

"I already gave you a chance last time."

Homelander stepped forward, towering over the caged Translucent.

"I think I've been too lenient with you. I know about your little quirks, and I've turned a blind eye to them. But this time? Getting captured by a few ordinary people? Truly impressive."

"Please, Homelander! I have a son—I can't lose this job! I promise there won't be a next time! Please don't kick me out!"

The Translucent avoided meeting Homelander's gaze, unable to discern his mood.

"Don't talk to me about your son. You think I don't know you have a severe temper problem? Keeping someone as useless as you in the team only tarnishes my reputation," Homelander said coldly.

"W-wait!"

The Translucent's face lit up with an idea, and he quickly blurted out, "I may have issues with my temper and mood swings, but I can take medication to manage it. I can improve! But A-Train—he's been secretly using Compound V. His situation is far worse than mine!"

"Oh?" Homelander raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Seeing this reaction, the Translucent rushed to spill everything he knew. "A-Train hasn't been able to run properly for a long time. He's aging and is no longer the fastest man in the world. Forget Shockwave—he can't even beat Mister Marathon anymore.

"To stay in the Seven, he's been secretly injecting Compound V to boost his speed. That woman he killed? It was because of the instability caused by his use of Compound V!"

"What!?"

Just as the Translucent's words fell, a sudden exclamation came from outside the door.

Hearing this noise, the Translucent's face froze abruptly, as if he couldn't understand what was happening.

Even the Homelander standing before him rolled his eyes in exasperation, his expression darkening.

"Well, I guess the charade's over."

As he spoke, the Homelander's body underwent a dramatic transformation. Scales appeared, flipping rapidly across his body as he transformed from head to toe into an unfamiliar Caucasian man.

"You!…"

The Translucent's mouth hung open, his eyes wide with disbelief at what he was witnessing.

Before he could react further, Alex lost interest in the scene. He turned around, walked out, and closed the door behind him, leaving the Translucent shouting curses from his electrified cage.

"Well done, Hughie. We could've gotten more information out of him," Alex said as he shrugged toward Hughie, then casually found a chair and sat down.

As for the others, they had just been grappling with the revelation that Alex was a damned superhuman. Now, hearing Alex's words, their anger turned toward Hughie.

"I-I didn't mean to…" Hughie stammered, knowing he had messed up big time. But he couldn't help it—this was about his girlfriend's death.

"Great job, Butcher! This is what happens when you bring in someone completely green," Frenchie snarled, turning back to his work.

Now wasn't the time for infighting. Frenchie had to focus on finishing the bomb they needed to deal with the Translucent, so they could finally breathe easier.

Butcher glanced at the flustered Hughie but didn't say much. He simply sighed deeply and sat down beside Alex.

"Compound V—what is that?"

"No clue. But it's worth digging into," Alex replied nonchalantly.

Compound V was actually a serum developed by Vought International to create superhumans. However, it only worked on newborn infants.

Vought secretly approached parents, promising that their children might awaken to superpowers and become chosen by God. Few parents would refuse such an offer, which was how the world kept seeing new superhumans emerge.

The results of the serum, though, were highly unpredictable. If one was lucky, they might gain incredible powers and become a superhero, amassing legions of fans.

But if unlucky, powers like "super slow motion," "turning into a puddle of water," or "growing a butt on your face" were equally possible.

Alex knew all of this but chose not to tell Butcher just yet. He figured it was better for the group to discover these details themselves.

That said, Alex was still curious about Compound V—specifically whether it would work in other universes once fully researched. But for now, those questions could wait. Alex had more pressing matters to attend to.

"I stumbled upon something interesting during my trip to Vought," Alex said quietly, looking at Butcher.

"Let's hear it," Butcher replied, intrigued.

"Vought operates a number of labs, one of which is in a psychiatric hospital out in the suburbs. I found some peculiar files about it. I reckon there are plenty of secrets hidden there, so I plan to check it out."

The psychiatric hospital Alex mentioned wasn't just any facility; it was where Lamplighter had been stationed after his retirement. The place served as a research center for Compound V, and Lamplighter had become its de facto guardian.

"That place must be dangerous. Need any backup?" Butcher asked. By now, his perception of Alex had shifted significantly.

Previously, Butcher had been wary of Alex, but after working together twice, he could tell Alex was genuinely at odds with Vought.

Otherwise, Alex wouldn't have casually exposed the Translucent's weakness, helped extract information from him, or now shared such critical intelligence about Vought.

The fact that Alex mentioned Vought's secret lab spoke volumes about his trust.

"No need. I'll move faster on my own," Alex declined without hesitation. Then he continued, "We can operate on two fronts. You deal with the Translucent and investigate A-Train and Compound V, while I head to the psychiatric hospital to gather intel."

Hearing this, Butcher thought for a moment before nodding. Though he wanted to see the hospital for himself, he knew adding himself to the mix would only complicate things.

With Alex's abilities, moving freely wouldn't be an issue. But with Butcher tagging along, it could turn into a liability.

Butcher raised his glass to Alex.

"Let's stay in touch. If I get any intel, I'll send it your way. Hope your mission goes smoothly."

"No problem," Alex replied with a grin.

.....

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459. Infiltrating the Sage Grove.

460. The Lamplighter and the Iceman!

461. Anti-Pollution!

462. The World Beyond the Well.

463. Apocalypse!