The Boys: I Became The Soldier Boy

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: A Field Mission Together

Chapter 25: A Field Mission Together

A middle-aged police officer wearing a bulletproof vest quickly stepped forward to meet them. His eyes were bright, but his expression carried the sheer relief of seeing reinforcements rather than the typical fanaticism of a fan encountering superheroes.

Homelander, draped in his cape, took a step forward and raised his hand to pat the officer’s shoulder. The force wasn’t heavy, but the veteran cop’s shoulder didn’t budge an inch under his palm—the man was steady.

"Captain," Homelander’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for the surrounding officers to hear, "you guys are the real heroes here. We’re just here to play a supporting role. Alright, where are the gunmen?"

The officer was deeply flattered, a trace of excitement flashing through his eyes. This was a legendary superhero, after all, actually praising him as a hero.

"Oh for God’s sake, please, stop giving him a look like you’re trying to get laid, alright?" Benjamin remarked dryly from the side.

Homelander froze for a moment.

The police officer was also caught off guard, but he quickly recovered and said, "The gunmen are on the thirty-first floor. Our men have already locked down all the ground exits."

Benjamin nodded, turning his head to look at Homelander. "Take me up. Thirty-first floor."

"Copy that."

Homelander reached out and gripped Benjamin’s waist, utilizing the exact same posture as when they arrived. Bending his knees slightly, he launched straight up into the air. freёwebnovel.com

A violent blast of wind exploded across the street. The hair of a few reporters who had huddled too close was instantly blown into a bird’s nest, and a poorly secured police cap was whipped away, spinning three or four times in midair before its owner leaped up to snare it.

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers once again, countless smartphones aiming simultaneously at the red-and-green trail ascending vertically against the building.

The windows of the thirty-first floor were locked under Homelander’s gaze the exact instant the two approached.

Benjamin slammed the leading edge of his shield forward, shattering the window into a million pieces.

The two dropped into the corridor one after the other, their combat boots making a sharp crunching sound as they stepped over the blanket of shattered glass shards.

Homelander led the way while Benjamin followed slightly behind him to the side, keeping his shield held defensively in front of his chest.

The door to the main office area was wide open. Two gunmen were inside. Their weapons configuration wasn’t half bad.

The leader was the first to turn his head, catching sight of the two figures at the doorway who absolutely shouldn’t be there. Within a fraction of a second, his pupils shifted entirely from adrenaline-fueled anger to pure terror.

"Fu—" He didn’t even manage to finish the second syllable.

Homelander had already materialized dead in front of him in an instant. Reaching out, he clamped a single hand around the barrel of the leader’s rifle, crumpling the metal inside his palm like a piece of paper.

Damn, that’s fucking fast, Benjamin muttered to himself. He had literally just unlocked Super Speed Lv1, yet he could barely track Homelander’s silhouette. Then again, Homelander’s super speed was probably around Lv5, practically matching A-Train’s pace.

Homelander was secretly delighted, firmly believing that Benjamin’s internal reaction was a compliment. Shoving his other hand against the leader’s chest, he pushed him off the conference table, sending him crashing heavily to the floor.

The leader struggled to push himself up.

"If I were you, I’d just stay down, unless you want your head accidentally stepped on and popped like a watermelon," Benjamin threatened, raising his heavy boot over the man.

The leader immediately closed his eyes and played dead.

Right after that, Benjamin watched the second gunman get flattened by Homelander as well.

Another instant translocation. That goddamn super speed again.

Benjamin couldn’t help but wonder if Homelander was deliberately trying to show off in front of him; his efficiency at taking down these low-level criminals was frankly ridiculous...

Both gunmen were completely neutralized. They were still breathing, limbs intact, but entirely stripped of their ability to fight back, curling into tight heaps on the floor from the sheer pain.

Homelander stood up and looked back at Benjamin, his blue eyes incredibly bright.

Benjamin gave him a single, firm nod of approval.

Catching the gesture, Homelander stood there, looking even happier.

"Hostages are safe, criminals are secure. Have the police SWAT team come up and take over," Benjamin said, pressing his communicator.

When the two walked out of the building’s main entrance, the cheers from both sides of the street practically tore the roof off Madison Avenue.

The police officer hurried over to meet them, and Homelander stepped forward to pat his shoulder once more. "Hero, it’s your turn to take the stage."

Then Homelander grabbed Benjamin and launched them straight back into the sky.

---<>---

That afternoon, Vought Tower, Madelyn Stillwell’s private office.

The tablet resting on the desk in front of her was looping footage from the mission site—the seamless father-son synergy during the breach, the highly efficient and bloodless containment, and the roaring cheers greeting them as they exited the building.

She shut off the video, leaning back against her chair as she closed her eyes.

Vought had secured everything it wanted from this mission, but the better they coordinated, and the more the public embraced this father-son duo, the fewer cards Vought would have left to play.

I have to find a way to control Homelander, Madelyn thought to herself, but for the life of her, she couldn’t come up with a viable solution right now. At this point, it was already a miracle that Homelander hadn’t slaughtered her yet.

Meanwhile, the footage of the father-son duo played on an endless loop across the internet, the view counts climbing relentlessly...

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A/N: Next goal: 200 Power Stones = 1 bonus Chapter!

And if you want to read ahead and find out what happens next right away, you can get up to 20 Chapters ahead on my p@tr~on:

[email protected]/ForgottenDaoist (@ = a, link is in my profile).